Farooq Abdullah likens attacks on Kashmiris to ‘Hitler’s path’, calls for peace in 2026

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday strongly condemned attacks on Kashmiris reported in parts of the country, warning that those behind such acts were “treading the path of Hitler” and expressing confidence that extremism would eventually disappear.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said certain elements were driven by divisive agendas and sought to impose authoritarian thinking. Drawing a historical parallel, Abdullah said Nazism had ultimately collapsed and asserted that similar ideologies would not endure in India either.

“There are some people whose aims are different. They want to create a Hitler-type regime,” he said, adding that such thinking had no future. “A time will come when these extremists will go away.”

As the New Year began, Abdullah also offered prayers for peace, stability and improved relations with India’s neighbours. He said adequate rainfall and snowfall were essential to ease the region’s difficulties and stressed the need for harmony both within the country and beyond its borders.

Abdullah welcomed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s participation in the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khalida Zia, describing Bangladesh as a long-standing friend of India. He said bilateral ties should be strengthened further in the spirit of regional cooperation.

Responding to a question on the Constitution of India being translated into Kashmiri, Abdullah said the exercise had been carried out several years ago, dismissing suggestions that it was a recent development.

His remarks come amid heightened political debate over the treatment of Kashmiris outside the Union Territory, with Abdullah reiterating his call for unity and mutual respect at the start of the year.

With PTI input