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National Conference chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday said that the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits on the fateful night of January 19 did not happen during his tenure as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, but went on to say that if it did, "so be it".

"I resigned in protest against Jagmohan being appointed as Governor. Had I known what was going to happen on the 19th (January), I would have informed the Government of India. I resigned after warning the government about the violence. You’re putting all the blame on me. You want to hold me responsible for the genocide. Even we lost 1,500 people in that massacre," Abdullah said in an interview with News18 India.

"If you want to hold me accountable, take me to court. You’re one-sided. You want to hang me. If the massacre happened during my tenure, then so be it — what can I do?" Abdullah said in remarks reminiscent of the gaffe by Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda on the genocide of Sikhs under the Congress' rule.

On January 19, 1990, the Kashmiri Pandit community was targeted by terrorists and Islamic radicals backed by Pakistan. Over 500,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee, leaving behind their homes, businesses, and ancestral heritage. Many properties were destroyed, looted, or forcibly occupied, and hundreds of temples were desecrated.

Around 1,500 Kashmiri Pandits, including women and children, were brutally killed. Approximately 250 religious shrines were burned or vandalized. Over 30,000 houses were reduced to ashes, and 20,000 others were forcibly occupied. Around 50,000 agricultural families lost their lands, and 20,000 businesses were devastated.

Abdullah's remarks drew strong reactions from the BJP which said the NC chief was insensitive towards the tragedy of Kashmiri Hindus. "Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir — 'If it happened, it happened'. Until yesterday, he was shedding tears over the expulsion of Pakistanis from India — now he's displaying insensitivity toward the tragedy of Kashmiri Hindus," BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

"Farooq’s statement is a shameless one. The terrorists responsible for the massacre of Hindus will be hunted down one by one. India will not bear the burden of such traitors — they should go to Pakistan," BJP spokesperson Prem Shukla said.

During the interview, Abdullah also questioned the failure of the security agencies and the Indian Army in capturing the four Pakistan-based terrorists ten days since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

"You’ve demolished four homes; you say there are 20 (terrorists) — so where are the rest? You couldn’t catch even the four Over Ground Workers behind the Pahalgam attack. That is a matter of shame for us. There are 1.5 lakh army personnel in Kashmir, yet four OGWs can’t be caught?" Abdullah asked.

He further said that he does not support the demolition of terrorists' homes and said that the house does not belong to the terrorist, but his father, who is unaware that his son is a terrorist.

Abdullah said that he was also opposed to the Centre's decision to evict Pakistani nationals from the country in wake of the Pahalgam attack. "There are Bangladeshis and Rohingyas living in this country too. Even if Pakistanis are staying illegally, forcibly expelling them is against humanity. Do you have proof that they are actually from Pakistan?"

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