Giriraj Singh calls Farooq Abdullah 'namak haram', labels him Tukde Tukde Gang
Synopsis
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday called Farooq Abdullah 'namak haram' and branded him part of the Tukde Tukde Gang on X, sharpening BJP's nationalist rhetoric against the National Conference leader.
Key Takeaways
Giriraj Singh posted on X on 24 October 2026 calling Farooq Abdullah 'namak haram' (traitor) and a Tukde Tukde Gang member.
The post included a video, the specific contents of which have not been verified.
Farooq Abdullah is the veteran president of the National Conference , a party that opposed the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The 'Tukde Tukde Gang' phrase has been used by BJP leaders since the 2016 JNU protests to label those accused of anti-India sentiments.
The attack continues an established BJP pattern of framing National Conference leaders' autonomy positions as incompatible with national integration.
A sharp political salvo landed on Saturday evening when Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh took to X to launch a direct, unsparing attack on veteran Kashmiri leader Farooq Abdullah, calling him 'namak haram' (traitor to the salt he has eaten) and branding him a member of the so-called 'Tukde Tukde Gang.'
Posting on 24 October 2026, Singh wrote: 'Farooq Abdullah namak haram hai, Tukde Tukde Gang hai' — 'Farooq Abdullah is a traitor, he belongs to the Tukde Tukde Gang.' The post carried a video attachment, the contents of which have not been independently verified.
What 'Namak Haram' and 'Tukde Tukde Gang' signal in BJP's political vocabulary
Neither phrase is casual. Namak haram — literally 'one who has made salt impure' — is among the sharpest personal accusations in the Hindi-Urdu political lexicon, implying betrayal of the nation that nurtured you. The 'Tukde Tukde Gang' label has been a cornerstone of BJP political rhetoric since the 2016 protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University, used to describe individuals accused of sympathy with slogans calling for India's fragmentation. Applying it to a three-time Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir — a figure who has governed under the Indian constitutional framework for decades — is a deliberate escalation.Farooq Abdullah's long, contested relationship with New Delhi
Farooq Abdullah, president of the National Conference and son of the party's founder Sheikh Abdullah, has been one of J&K's most prominent political voices for over four decades. His party opposed the Centre's decision in August 2019 to abrogate Article 370, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status and reorganised it into two Union Territories. The National Conference has consistently argued for the restoration of statehood and greater autonomy — positions that BJP leaders characterise as anti-national, and which Abdullah and his party characterise as constitutional and democratic.A pattern of sharpening rhetoric around J&K politics
Singh's post is not an isolated outburst — it sits within a well-established pattern. Since the 2019 reorganisation, BJP leaders have repeatedly directed nationalism-framed attacks at National Conference figures, using the 'Tukde Tukde' framing to link regional autonomy demands with separatism. The language has grown sharper over time. Whether Farooq Abdullah or the National Conference will issue a formal response, and whether the BJP party organisation distances itself from or amplifies the framing, will shape how far the exchange travels in national political discourse. Some political battles are fought with legislation. Others are fought with language — and on Saturday, Giriraj Singh chose the latter, in the bluntest terms available.Point of View
' Singh personalises what is otherwise an institutional policy disagreement, making it a loyalty test rather than a constitutional debate. The move keeps J&K politics in the nationalist framing that BJP has used to consolidate support in non-Kashmir India. It also puts the National Conference in a familiar bind — any substantive response risks amplifying the very framing it seeks to reject.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Giriraj Singh call Farooq Abdullah namak haram?
Giriraj Singh posted on X calling Farooq Abdullah 'namak haram' (traitor) and a Tukde Tukde Gang member on 24 October 2026 , though he did not specify a single trigger in the post itself. The attack reflects long-standing BJP criticism of the National Conference 's opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 .
What does Tukde Tukde Gang mean?
'Tukde Tukde Gang' literally means 'break-break gang' and has been used by BJP leaders since the 2016 JNU protests to describe individuals accused of supporting slogans calling for India to be broken into pieces. BJP applies the label to political opponents they accuse of insufficient commitment to national integration.
Who is Farooq Abdullah?
Farooq Abdullah is a veteran politician from Jammu and Kashmir , a multiple-term Chief Minister of the state, and the current president of the National Conference — a regional party founded by his father Sheikh Abdullah that has historically advocated greater autonomy for J&K.
What was Article 370 and why does it matter to this dispute?
Article 370 was the constitutional provision granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir . The central government abrogated it in August 2019 , reorganising J&K into two Union Territories. The National Conference opposed this move and has since called for restored statehood, a position BJP leaders characterise as anti-national.
Has Farooq Abdullah responded to Giriraj Singh's post?
As of the time of publication, no formal response from Farooq Abdullah or the National Conference to Giriraj Singh 's post has been reported.
