'I am an Indian Muslim, not a Chinese Muslim': Farooq Abdullah slams Centre

The event was attended by lyricist Javed Akhtar, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar.

Image Credit: ANI

New Delhi: Farooq Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has lashed out at the central government for the alleged mistreatment of Muslims in the country. He claimed to be an Indian Muslim, not a Chinese Muslim. He made the remarks at an event hosted by the Nationalist Congress Party, or NCP, to commemorate the 75th birthday of Chhagan Bhujbal, a senior NCP leader. Sharad Pawar was in charge of this event. Abdullah's remark comes just days after two BJP leaders - an MP and an MLA - allegedly gave hate speeches at a Delhi event calling for a "total boycott" of a community, presumably Muslims, that opposition leaders and critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, the BJP, have labelled extremely dangerous.

"Everyone may be different. But together we can build this country. That is called friendship. Religions don't teach people to hate each other...This is Hindustan. It belongs to everyone," said Abdullah. He was jailed for over a year after his special status to Jammu and Kashmir under the Constitution was scrapped in August 2019.

Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray, lyricist Javed Akhtar and NCP leader Ajit Pawar were among the leaders who attended this event. Mr Thackeray's attendance at the NCP's Mr Bhujbal's birthday party is linked to the Shiv Sena. For one thing, the NCP is an ally of Mr Thackeray's Sena group, which is opposed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's group.

(With agencies inputs)