Don’t blame Jinnah for partition, says Farooq

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said that Muhammad Ali Jinnah didn’t want a separate country for Muslims but happened due to Indian leaders’ refusal to accept minority status for Muslims and Sikh in the country.

“Jinnah was not going to divide the country. The commission was delivered, and the decision was taken that India would be divided. It said we will keep a special representation for Muslims. We will keep special dispensation for minorities and Sikh, but will not let the nation divide,” said Abdullah.

Abdullah further said it was political leaders’ Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Sardar Patel’s refusal to the commission that led to Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan.

Jinnah agreed but Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Sardar Patel did not agree. When this did not happen, it was then that Jinnah demanded for Pakistan. Or else there would have been no separation.

There would have been no Bangladesh, no Pakistan; there would have been one India,” said Abdullah.

Meahwhile, Minister of State (MoS) for parliamentary affairs Jitendra Singh on Sunday advised National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to reread history.

“He is required to reread history. We have references which indicate that Mahatma Gandhi himself had suggested to Jinnah that if he agrees to withdraw demand of Pakistan's creation, Gandhi would persuade Congress to accept Jinnah as PM of undivided India,” Singh told ANI.

“But Jinnah wasn't impressed by the suggestion possibly because he felt it wasn't easy for him to gain acceptability as India PM. Nehru was also in hurry to take over as Prime Minister. Lot of opportunistic adjustments were done by patriarch of National Conference Sheikh Abdullah,” he added.