A political firestorm erupted on Monday, 26 October 2026, when Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh publicly declared that a statement by veteran National Conference president Farooq Abdullah — reportedly portraying Pakistan as a protector of Kashmiris — amounted to nothing less than sedition, and demanded that the Indian National Congress break its silence and pick a side.

Posting in Hindi on X, Singh did not mince words: 'जिस पाकिस्तान ने दशकों तक कश्मीर में सिर्फ खून-खराबा और आतंकवाद फैलाया, आज उसी पाकिस्तान को फारूक अब्दुल्ला कश्मीरियों का रक्षक बता रहे हैं।' ('The same Pakistan that spread only bloodshed and terrorism in Kashmir for decades — today Farooq Abdullah is calling that very Pakistan the protector of Kashmiris.') He then went further: 'This statement is straightforward sedition.'

Singh's direct challenge to Congress

The minister's sharpest political targeting was reserved not for Abdullah but for the Congress. Singh accused the party of signalling tacit approval through its silence, calling the stance 'shameful.' His demand was unambiguous: Congress must publicly declare whether it stands with or against what he described as an anti-national remark. The framing is a well-worn BJP tactic — forcing the opposition into a binary that is politically costly either way.

Congress has not yet issued a formal response as of publication.

Article 370's shadow over the Kashmir narrative

Singh also invoked the landmark August 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which ended Jammu and Kashmir's special constitutional status and reorganised it into two Union Territories. He argued that the peace and development that followed the move is precisely what 'hurts the eyes' of his political opponents — a line that crystallises the BJP's post-2019 electoral messaging on Kashmir into a single sentence.

Since the abrogation, BJP leaders have consistently framed the constitutional change as a security and economic turning point for the Union Territory. National Conference and Congress have long criticised the move as an erosion of regional autonomy — a fault line that has defined Jammu and Kashmir politics for the better part of a decade.

Farooq Abdullah's track record on Kashmir diplomacy

Farooq Abdullah, a multi-term former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state and one of the most recognisable faces in Kashmiri politics, has previously drawn fire from the BJP for comments perceived as sympathetic to dialogue with Islamabad. NationPress could not independently verify the specific statement Singh references in Monday's post; the details of the remark attributed to Abdullah in this instance remain unconfirmed.

What is confirmed is the political pattern: partisan exchanges over Pakistan's role in Kashmir, and counter-accusations of disloyalty, have been a recurring feature of Indian national discourse well before and after 2019.

What the political temperature tells us now

The timing matters. With the political calendar for Jammu and Kashmir continuing to evolve post-reorganisation, any statement linking Pakistan to Kashmiri welfare is guaranteed to ignite precisely this kind of cross-party confrontation. Singh's post ensures the issue stays on the front page — and places Congress in a position where any response carries risk, and silence carries a price too.

The next move belongs to Farooq Abdullah and the Congress. Both have been handed a microphone by one of the BJP's most combative voices. Whether they answer the challenge or let it pass unanswered will shape the next chapter of this row.