The National Panthers Party (NPP) on Wednesday said that former chief minister Farooq Abdullah was adopting double standards by glorifying the stone pelters and alleged that he has been working as a silent agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since long.
NPP leader Bhim Singh told ANI that Abdullah is changing his stand due to the upcoming by-polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Another reason is that the National Conference and Farooq Abdullah have been working as silent agents for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) not from today but from the day first," Singh said.
"This is the double standard of Abdullah and the National Conference that he is talking something which perhaps he does not believe in. This is undoubtedly the exploitation of Kashmir by Abdullah family," he added.
Meanwhile, Ladakh MP Thupstan Chhewang condemned Abdullah's statement while stating that the stone-pelters are not innocent.
"I condemn Farooq Abdullah's statement. When stone-pelters stop the security forces from working, it is an act of war," Chhewang told ANI in New Delhi.
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Chhewang further stated it is clearly a war against India, adding tough action should be initiated against leaders like Abdullah.
Jammu and Kashmir activist Sushil Pandit on his part also lashed out at Abdullah for his remarks.
"We have given our Kashmir on lease for the last 70 years to people like Abdullah, that's why this is the condition of Jammu and Kashmir," Pandit told ANI.
Taking potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, Abdullah had earlier come out in support of stone pelters in Kashmir.
"If he (stone pelting youth) is giving up his life, he is not doing it for tourism. He is giving his life so that the destiny of this nation is decided which should be acceptable to the people of this place. This needs to be understood," he said at an election meeting in Sonawar constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Recently the tunnel was opened. He (the Prime Minister) said the youth here should think whether they want tourism or terrorism. I want to tell Modi sahib tourism is our lifeline, there is no doubt about it. But he is a stone pelter. He has nothing to do with tourism. He will starve to death but he is pelting stones for his nation and there is a need to understand this," he added.
Abdullah, who was reacting to Prime Minister Modi's statement on April 2 at the inauguration of Chenani-Nashri tunnel that Kashmir's youth need to choose between tourism and terrorism, is contesting the bye-election to Srinagar Lok Sabha seat as the joint candidate of opposition National Conference and Congress.
The polling in the constituency will be held on April 9.