NEW DELHI – The Kashmiri Pandit community has voiced strong condemnation of Omar Abdullah and the National Conference (NC), accusing the party of a legacy of betrayal and complicity in their persecution. In a press release issued by Youth 4 Panun Kashmir, the Pandit community expressed their outrage, stating that they have no expectations from Abdullah or his party, which they claim has “systematically betrayed, abandoned, and persecuted” them for decades.
The statement draws a direct line of accountability to Omar Abdullah’s grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, whom the Pandit community accuses of marginalizing them and sowing the seeds of communal discord that led to their mass exodus. Sheikh Abdullah’s policies are described as laying the groundwork for the eventual terror and displacement of Kashmiri Pandits from their homeland.
Farooq Abdullah, Omar’s father, is also criticized for his role during the height of the insurgency in 1990 when Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee their homes under threat of violence. The press release specifically accuses Farooq Abdullah of deserting his post as Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, leaving the Pandit community to face “ethnic cleansing and genocide” during one of the darkest periods in the region’s history.
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The Kashmiri Pandit community’s resentment towards Omar Abdullah is equally palpable. They accuse him of continuing the “blood-soaked legacy” of his forefathers, ignoring the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits, and doing nothing to address the wrongs inflicted on them. The recent desecration of sacred spiritual sites, allegedly by NC loyalists, has further fueled their anger, with the press release stating that Omar Abdullah “insulted our faith and mocked our suffering.”
Youth 4 Panun Kashmir emphasized the ongoing struggle of the Kashmiri Pandits, who have been displaced for over 34 years. They vowed to never forgive the Abdullah family or the National Conference for their role in the community’s forced exile and cultural erasure.
The press release concludes with a united declaration: “We will never forgive. We will never forget.”