Jammu and Kashmir’s former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, expressed concerns on Thursday about the increasing victimization of Muslims in India, asserting that the nation no longer reflects the vision of its founding fathers or the ideals that inspired Jammu and Kashmir to join the Union.
Speaking to the media for the first time after completing his Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, Omar urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to address the demand for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, particularly now that the elections have concluded.
The senior National Conference leader, accompanied by his father and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah during the pilgrimage, reiterated the party’s commitment to securing the restoration of statehood. However, Omar did not hold back in criticizing what he described as the rising influence of the Hindutva ecosystem, questioning whether India still upheld its constitutional commitment to secularism.
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“There appears to be a deliberate strategy to target our mosques and seminaries,” Omar stated. “We’ve repeatedly said that while the BJP claims it does not want to appease Muslims, we are not asking for appeasement. However, not appeasing us should not translate into victimizing us. Targeting our religious institutions and practices is unacceptable. This is not the India that Jammu and Kashmir opted to be part of, nor the one envisioned by its founders.”
He further challenged whether the principle of secularism, enshrined in the Constitution, was still being respected. “The word ‘secular’ is part of our Constitution. As long as it is there, uphold it. If you wish to remove it, seek approval through Parliament,” he remarked.
Omar’s remarks come shortly after Mehbooba Mufti, another former chief minister, stirred controversy by drawing parallels between India’s treatment of minorities and that of Bangladesh.
Recent incidents, including violence against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district and court-ordered surveys of religious sites, have sparked outrage across Jammu and Kashmir. The developments have drawn sharp criticism from leaders in the region. Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq cautioned that such actions could provoke a backlash, while Mehbooba Mufti voiced fears of renewed divisions within the country.
Omar Abdullah’s pointed statements underline the growing tensions surrounding minority rights in India and the demand for a return to statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, a subject that continues to dominate the region’s political discourse.
