National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday lashed out at BJP over its claims of normalcy post abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and said the killings will never stop until “justice” is served.
Abdullah, who is a Member of Parliament from Srinagar, said had the situation been improved on the ground, another innocent Kashmiri pandit would not have been killed.
“It (killings) will never stop as long as there is be no justice,” he told reporters in a brief interaction when asked about his reaction to the latest target killing of a Kashmiri pandit by terrorists in Shopian.
Puran Krishan Bhat was gunned down by terrorists on Saturday outside his ancestral house in the Chowdhary Gund area of the south Kashmir’s district, where he had gone to look after his orchards.
Abdullah did not elaborate what “justice” he was talking about, but he was apparently referring to the restoration of Article 370 abrogated by the Centre.
The National Conference chief had gone to Reasi to express condolences with his party colleague and former minister Jagjeevan Lal on the demise of his sister, and the family of former bureaucrat Babu Lal who had recently passed away.
“They were making noises that this (terrorism) was the result of Article 370. Today, there is no Article 370 but why such killings are then taking place and who is responsible?” Abdullah, a former J-K chief minister, said.
The BJP-led government at the centre abrogated Article 370, providing special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union Territories on August 5, 2019.
The National Conference, along with four other parties including the PDP, are fighting for the restoration of the special status under the banner of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).
“If the situation had improved (as claimed by the BJP), this innocent pandit would not have been killed. Where is the improved situation as I don’t see it,” he said.
