Angry Farooq again backs stone-pelters
JAMMU: National Conference leader and former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday lost temper when asked whether he was trying to play with the sentiments of the nation by justifying the action of stonepelters in the Valley.
“What is the sentiment of the whole nation? What do you want? Is the nation concerned about their (Kashmiri youths) sentiments, their future? Don’t you think these boys have some grievances or you are just worried about the nation?,” he snapped at journalists. He said this in Jammu on sidelines of a Baisakhi celebrations. He also refuted allegations that he was hand-in-glove with separatists in instigating Kashmiri youth to throw stones. When reminded about his statements calling stonepelters “true nationalists”, which might have encouraged mob at Budgam in the April 9 bypoll for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, Abdullah said “every stonepelter is not like this”. “Let us not generalise the situation. There are many stonepelters, who are probably paid by the government paid, to vitiate the situation so as to see voters don’t come out to vote. You have to rusticate such things,” he added. Post Burhan Wani’s death in an encounter last July, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had accused Farooq Abdullah and his party of “engineering” trouble in Valley and “instigating” Kashmir youth to pelt stones at security forces.