Srinagar, Feb 10: National Conference General Secretary and MLA from Khanyar, Ali Muhammad Sagar has refuted recent statements by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders alleging that the NC was responsible for the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. He termed these claims as baseless and untrue.
Sagar in a statement said, “Both historical records and the collective memory of the people of Jammu and Kashmir attest to the fact that the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits occurred under the administration of the then-Governor Jagmohan and the then-Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The directives from these officials led to the migration, which he described as a conspiracy aimed at defaming the Muslim community of Kashmir.”
He further said, “Governor Jagmohan and Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had assured the Kashmiri Pandit community of their return to the Valley within two months, a promise that remained unfulfilled. Sagar underscored the longstanding commitment of Kashmiri Muslims to safeguarding minority communities, recalling the slogan of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh Itihad.”
Sagar said it was during Dr Farooq Abdullah’s government that initiatives for the rehabilitation and accommodation of displaced individuals in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions were undertaken. “The National Conference has consistently appealed to Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homes, reiterating that Kashmir is incomplete without them and that they are integral to the region’s fabric,” he said.
The NC leader criticised the BJP for failing to protect the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and leading the region into economic crises.
Minority Cell NC leaders Jagdish Singh Azad, Bhushan Lal Bhat, and Amit Koul also condemned the allegations against the National Conference.
Sagar added, “History bears witness to the inclusive leadership of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, as well as the equitable governance during the tenures of Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, wherein all communities were granted equal representation in the government.”
