Srinagar, Aug 31: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah stressed the importance of protecting religious diversity in India, a day after the Assam Assembly discontinued the practice of providing a two-hour break for Muslim legislators to offer ‘namaz’ on Fridays.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Abdullah said, “This country is known for unity in diversity. We have every religion and every language… every state has a different culture, and that is why India is a federal structure. We have to protect every religion.”
Abdullah, while not directly criticizing the Assam government’s decision, expressed optimism about future changes. “When the time comes, it will change. Nothing is permanent. Good things will prevail again,” he stated, adding, “We will tell them, let our government come, not to indulge in such activities.”
When asked about PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s criticism of Omar Abdullah’s recent comments on the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Farooq Abdullah refrained from engaging in political sparring. Instead, he called for unity and focus on protecting the country. “Nothing will come out of pointing fingers at each other. She must shun this way,” he advised.
Abdullah also congratulated former members of the banned JeI for their decision to contest assembly elections, viewing it as a positive step towards democratic participation.
The NC president concluded his public appearance by visiting the Sufi shrine of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi, where he prayed for an end to “chaos in the country” and the strengthening of brotherhood between different communities.
