MS Shanker
A chilling video confession by a 77-year-old legislator from Jammu & Kashmir—believed to have been recorded around the time of the recent Assembly polls—has reignited long-standing concerns about political complicity in the 1990 genocide and forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. The former militant-turned-MLA, seen in the video as a candidate, makes explosive claims that directly implicate former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. He alleges that Abdullah not only supported jihadist elements in the Valley but also identified himself as a leader of the militant Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a group widely associated with terrorism and the targeted campaign against Kashmiri Hindus.
If these claims are true—and given their gravity, they must be verified by the National Investigation Agency (NIA)—then Farooq Abdullah must face criminal prosecution. The National Conference, a party that has long played both sides of the ideological divide, should be derecognized if it is found to have harboured or enabled anti-national elements. At the same time, the investigation must also probe why the then-Centre chose to turn a blind eye during the genocide in Jammu and Kashmir. Equally important is the need to unravel the deep-rooted nexus between the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and the Abdullahs, which ultimately paved the way for the insertion of Articles 370 and 35A, granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The MLA’s confession, which includes claims that Abdullah backed armed rebellion and inspired youth to take up arms against the Indian state, is not a political scandal—it is a national security threat. And under the Constitution and the newly enacted criminal laws, there is no room for ambiguity or delay in response.
Under Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution, the right to free speech ends where threats to the sovereignty and integrity of India begin. If Abdullah endorsed militancy and abetted violence, he can be charged under Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code (now replaced by Clause 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023) for waging war against the State—an offence punishable by life imprisonment or death.
Moreover, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) provides ample legal ground to prosecute anyone supporting banned organizations like the JKLF. Farooq Abdullah’s public image as a moderate collapses if the claims in the video are true, portraying him instead as a dangerous double-dealer, posing as a nationalist in Delhi while undermining India in Srinagar.
The allegations do not stop with Abdullah. Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister and leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), must also be scrutinized. Her pro-Pakistan rhetoric, soft stance on militancy, and past links to events like the 1999 release of dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar raise troubling questions. Her father as Cabinet member in Atal Behari Vajpayee’s government, facilitated the handover of terrorists during the Kandahar hijack crisis, a decision that eventually led to the formation of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the outfit behind multiple terror attacks across India.
This is not the time for cosmetic political gestures. The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, upheld by the Supreme Court of India, has permanently integrated Jammu & Kashmir into the Union of India. That legal integration must now be matched by ideological cleansing of jihadi-sympathetic politics. Political parties that aid secessionist agendas must be held accountable, not shielded under the garb of democracy.
The Election Commission, a constitutional body under Article 324, must act decisively. If the National Conference and PDP are found complicit in promoting extremist narratives or sheltering anti-national activities, they should be derecognized under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and barred from future elections.
This will also send a message to other sectarian parties like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and AIMIM, which peddle religious identity over national unity. Political Islam masquerading as secular regionalism must be confronted head-on.
The Modi government, having reformed India’s criminal justice framework with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, now has the legal tools to act. Justice must no longer be sacrificed at the altar of political correctness or appeasement.
India must prosecute Abdullah and Mufti—not out of vengeance, but for justice, national unity, and constitutional integrity.
