Farooq links clamour over soldiers’ killing to ‘anti-Muslim hatred’

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 29

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today said the clamour against the killing of soldiers in the Kashmir valley was aimed at increasing the “hatred against Muslims.”

Farooq, who earlier this month was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Srinagar parliamentary election, said “noises” over the killing of soldiers in Kupwara were louder than against the killing of CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh.

“Twenty-six personnel of the CRPF were killed in Chhattisgarh. There were less noises for them than for the three Army soldiers killed in Kupwara. What for? So that hatred against Muslims increases,” he said while addressing a function at party headquarters here. He said the “drums are beaten” over the killing of soldiers in Kashmir.

Three Army personnel, including a Captain, were killed in a militant attack on Thursday in the frontier Kupwara district.

Farooq, who has been the CM for three terms, has campaigned on a soft-separatist agenda during the recent bypoll for the Srinagar constituency.