National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that “Operation Sindoor” had achieved its intended objective, but cautioned against any further escalation, asserting that wars only lead to destruction and prolonged suffering.
Speaking to reporters at the National Conference headquarters in Srinagar, the former Union minister said the military operation had “paid its dividends”, but stressed that conflict could not provide a lasting solution to problems.
“Operation Sindoor has paid its dividends. I think there is no more question of wars. Wars do not bring solutions, they only bring misery,” Abdullah said.
Drawing parallels with ongoing global conflicts, the veteran politician pointed to the devastation caused by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, warning that prolonged instability in the Gulf region could have severe economic consequences across the world.
“Look at Ukraine and the destruction there, look at the Middle East. Even gas supplies have been affected. Qatar may take one or two years to restore supplies completely,” he said.
Abdullah said the world economy was already under pressure and most countries were in no position to withstand another major conflict.
“Economic conditions of every country are already bad and no country wants war. The Middle East has most of the oil and gas reserves, and if tensions continue, the situation globally can become extremely difficult,” he said, while urging people not to panic over the evolving international situation.
Responding to questions about recent political developments and election results in various states, the NC president said the outcomes reflected the prevailing political realities in different regions of the country.
Referring to the political situation in West Bengal, Abdullah noted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had raised allegations of large-scale irregularities in the electoral process.
“The results are before everyone. Mamata Banerjee is alleging there was huge rigging in Bengal. In Tamil Nadu, a new government is coming, Congress has won in Kerala and BJP has won in Assam,” he said.
Asked whether the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had impacted the elections, Abdullah replied that “everything had an impact”.
On the opposition INDIA bloc, Abdullah maintained that the alliance remained intact and strong.
“There is nothing lacking in the INDIA alliance. It is already strong,” he said.
The National Conference president also responded to questions regarding recent blast incidents in Punjab, saying such incidents were not entirely new and there was no reason for public panic.
“Blasts have happened earlier as well. You should not panic,” he told reporters.
Commenting on criticism directed at the National Conference-led government in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the opposition was merely performing its democratic role.
“If the opposition does not speak, how will it survive? Let them say what they want. Our party is working the way it has to, and we will continue to do so,” he added.
