Stone throwers dying for Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

Says not Modi but Allah provides livelihood; Muslims never criticised Hindu religion and they must not interfere in our religion

SRINAGAR: National Conference President and former chief minister of the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday defended those throwing stones at the police and security forces, saying they were giving sacrifices for the resolution of the lingering Kashmir issue.

Abdullah, who is the Congress-National Conference alliance’s candidate in the Srinagar by-elections, was reacting to a statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports the Firstpost. After inaugurating the Chenani-Nashri all-weather tunnel on Sunday, Modi urged the Kashmiri youth to choose between “tourism and terrorism”, saying “40 years of bloodshed” had not done anyone any good.

Abdullah said the youth throwing stones had nothing to do with tourism, even though it remains the lifeline and primary source of income for Kashmir.“I want to tell him (Modi) from this stage that tourism is our life and there is no doubt about it. But the youth throwing stones have nothing to do with tourism. They are not rendering their lives for tourism but for the resolution of Kashmir issue,” he said while addressing the party workers here.

“The youth who are pelting stones for the nation want a concrete resolution that would accommodate the aspirations of the people of Kashmir,” he said. Invoking God and religion, Abdullah said Modi was not the one who provided livelihood to the people.

“It is Allah who is providing the livelihood to the people irrespective of their religions.” “We (Muslims) have never raised fingers at their religion (Hindu religion). Even sometimes I have myself sung their Bhajans. They must not interfere in our religion”.