Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah triggered a political controversy on Saturday by saying India’s neighbour was “protecting” the people of the Valley by keeping the Kashmir issue alive on the global stage. The BJP termed his remarks “seditious” and demanded an apology to the people of the country.Speaking at an NC event in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, Abdullah accused New Delhi of not doing “justice” to Jammu and Kashmir. “What hope will you (people of J-K) have from them (Delhi)? Will you expect that they will do justice to you?” Abdullah said in his address.Without naming Pakistan, the NC chief said “our neighbour is constantly after them (India) and they (New Delhi) are silent today because of the pressure from the world”.“Our neighbour… is reaching everywhere, saying that the Kashmir issue has not been resolved. It is protecting us; otherwise, their (New Delhi’s) intentions are not good,” Abdullah remarked.Urging people to “have the courage to stand up to them and fight”, Abdullah said, “If you don’t keep it, you will be wiped out…. Your name and identity will disappear, and no one will even remember you.”Senior BJP leader and J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur described Abdullah’s remarks as “seditious and anti-national” and asked the authorities to “examine” his statements and initiate legal action. “Abdullah should be booked for making such pro-Pakistan statements. A leader who has taken an oath under the Constitution cannot be allowed to question the country’s intentions towards its own people while giving political legitimacy to Pakistan’s narrative,” he said.Abdullah accused Delhi of saying one thing, “but doing something entirely different”. He said the people of Kashmir were not the enemies of the country, but “I want to tell the present rulers to correct yourself.”