Jammu: Asserting that people in the Union Territory have only been used as a vote bank, former chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said “our enemies will benefit from the hatred spread between Hindus and Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir”.
“The people in Kashmir have only been used as a vote bank, several promises were made but none fulfilled. Problems were created between Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims. Our enemies will benefit from the hatred spread between Hindus and Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said at an event in Jammu.
The National Conference president said that political leaders must “separate religion and politics” from each other.
“The country will not survive if we, the leaders, don't separate religion and politics from each other,” he said, ANI reported.
Abdullah also criticized the ruling dispensation at the Centre over delay in passage of the Women’s Rights Bill.
“Why don't they pass the Women's Rights Bill? They have 300 members in the Parliament but don't want women to rise and get the same status as men,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Conference’s minority cell passed three resolutions for return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrant pandits in the valley and their political empowerment.
The resolutions, presented at the day-long convention here chaired by the National Conference chief, also demanded passage of a bill for managing the affairs of temples and shrines of the community, PTI reported.
Asserting “this issue is very important”, senior party leader Anil Dhar said: “The Kashmiri migrant pandit community is yearning for their honourable return and rehabilitation for the past three decades.”