Jammu, Mar 06: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Thursday challenged the historical narrative surrounding the National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Abdullah’s role in Kashmir and criticised the “political hypocrisy” regarding July 13 “martyrs”.
Addressing a press conference here, J&K BJP spokespersons Dr Abhijeet Jasrotia, Girdhari Lal Raina (former MLA) and Rajni Kaloo Sethi said Kashmir’s past was shaped by conspiracies involving local and international players, with the British playing a key role in destabilising the region for their strategic gains.
Dr Jasrotia said, “Sheikh Abdullah, who pursued his MSc in Chemistry with financial assistance from Maharaja Hari Singh, later turned against the very ruler who had supported his education. Abdullah’s frustration stemmed from being offered a teacher’s post instead of a lecturer’s position, which allegedly led him to conspire against the Maharaja.”
He said the British were determined to control Gilgit-Baltistan due to the rising Soviet influence in the region. When Maharaja Hari Singh refused their demand for a 99-year lease, it provoked their hostility, he said.
The BJP leader further alleged that Abdul Qadir was a Pakistani, brought to Kashmir by Roussel Rouf Ahmad on British directions and was used to incite unrest against the Maharaja.
“Maharaja Hari Singh participated in the 1932 Round Table Conference in London where he was the only Indian monarch who boldly advocated for a united India and demanded the British to free the country. This intensified British conspiracies against him,” he claimed.
The spokesperson said there was a “premeditated attack” on the temporary court in Rainawari, which disrupted judicial proceedings and triggered four months of violence. “Hindus were targeted, shops were looted and burned and forced conversions were reported,” he alleged.
Citing historian Christopher Snedden’s book ‘Understanding Kashmir & Kashmiris’, Dr Jasrotia claimed that Sheikh Abdullah played a role in facilitating British interests in Gilgit-Baltistan, keeping even Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru unaware of the developments.
He questioned the selective use of the term “martyr”. Referring to the 2010 unrest under then-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, where over 120 youths were killed following a fake Machil encounter and the 2016 protests under Mehbooba Mufti’s leadership where over 96 people lost their lives and many were blinded due to pellet guns, he asked, “Are these all martyrs? If yes, then we can consider the 1931 casualties as martyrs too.”
The BJP leader blamed Sheikh Abdullah’s refusal to integrate Gilgit-Baltistan into India as a historical blunder. However, he lamented that some historical mistakes remain irreversible. Quoting, “Lamhoon ne khata ki, aur sadiyoon ne saza paai”, he left the audience to decide—who was a traitor and who was a martyr?
Former MLC Girdhari Lal Raina accused the National Conference leadership of being responsible for communal politics and alleged atrocities against religious minorities. “The 1931 events marked the beginning of organised communal mobilisation against the minority community in Kashmir,” he alleged.
“The Dalal Committee report has recorded the pre-planned attacks on Kashmiri Hindus in areas like Maharaj Ganj and Vichar Nag. The riots were neither spontaneous nor limited to Srinagar alone. The Kashmiri Pandit community observes July 13 as Black Day/Batta Loot Day in remembrance of the atrocities committed,” he said.
Rajni Kaloo said her grandmother, a resident of Aali Kadal, had witnessed the “horrific events” of July 13, 1931.
The press conference concluded with a strong appeal for an “honest reassessment” of history, urging people to “differentiate between historical facts and political propaganda”.
