'Treat Muslims as equals', Farooq Abdullah urges Centre to stop acts that spark communal tension

Srinagar, Dec 02: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the Centre should put a stop to activities that can spark communal tension in the country, and treat Muslims as equals.

"There is a need to stop (incidents like Sambhal). I will tell the government of India to stop (such acts) because they cannot throw the Muslims (of India) into the sea. Where will they throw 24 crore Muslims? Treat Muslims as equals, that is what our Constitution stands for. If they fiddle with the Constitution, how will India survive," Abdullah asked while speaking to reporters here.

The National Conference (NC) president, who recently performed Umrah (minor Hajj pilgrimage) along with his son and chief minister Omar Abdullah and several of his colleagues, said no one was against the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley.

"Who is stopping Kashmiri Pandits from coming back? Every political party has said they should return. It is their decision when they want to return. Our hearts are open for them. Even when I was the chief minister, when the situation was bad, we tried to bring them back," he said.

On demands seeking review of the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the government should review the same.

"We will tell the government to review it. Reservation is for the underprivileged sections so that they can come up as equals," he said.

The NC government has formed a Cabinet sub-committee to look into the demands for rationalisation of reservations, which have gone up to 70 per cent in the Union Territory.

On Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha last week firing two government employees for their alleged terror links, Abdullah said the government "will keep an eye on everything and go into why the two employees were terminated".

The veteran politician also welcomed the Israel-Lebanon 'ceasefire', but called for an end to attacks on Gaza, Syria and Iran as well.

"It (ceasefire) is a very good step, but it is necessary to stop attacks jointly being carried out by Israel and America -- in Gaza, Syria and Iran, which are continuing even today. This is dangerous. They should immediately resort to ceasefire.

"You must have watched the debates in the (UN) Security Council. If there is a purpose for (the existence of) Security Council, it should work on the directions given to Israel. They should enforce a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid," Abdullah said.

On his recent religious pilgrimage, Abdullah said he not only prayed for Kashmir, but for the entire Muslim world.

"The problems we are facing today, may Allah deliver us from these. May Allah guide us to the right path. I prayed that we stay away from evil and for the end of religious hatred that has spread in our country. I prayed for unity and harmony," he said.