Shunning bilateral dialogue adds weight to argument for mediation: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar/April 5:  National Conference (NC) president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah Wednesday said that those who pelt stones are just fighting for the nation and have nothing to do with tourism.
“Our fight is against those people who want to divide us on the basis of religion. I want to tell Modi saheb that tourism is our life, no doubt about that, but a stone pelter has nothing to do with tourism. They (stone pelters) will risk starvation, but will throw stones for the nation, that’s what we need to understand,” he told the party workers in Srinagar.
He also said that if India and Pakistan cannot resolve their issues, then the United States should come forward and facilitate the resolution between the two countries as a third party. He said that elections should not be taken as a fight between NC and PDP but it is a fight to defeat communal forces and to protect secularism.
Farooq Abdullah said that a stone-pelter is not giving his life for tourism. “If any youth is sacrificing his life, it is because he wants resolution to Kashmir issue. He doesn’t give his life for tourism,” he said.