‘Where’s he missing?' Farooq Abdullah defends PM Modi after Cong's ‘gayab’ jibe at Modi over Pahalgam

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, has voiced strong support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid rising tensions with Pakistan after last week's Pahalgam attack.

The National Conference president has also rejected Congress's allegation of being 'missing' while cautioning Islamabad against further provocations, Abdullah.

“We have given our full support to the prime minister. After that, we should not be questioned. The prime minister should do whatever work he needs to,” said Farooq, a three-time CM of the erstwhile state, a former Member of Parliament (MP) and ex-Union Minister.

The National Conference is in power in Jammu and Kashmir with Farooq's son Omar as Chief Minister.

On the Congress party’s criticism of the Prime Minister, including posters claiming he is "missing in action", Abdullah, 87, said, “Where is he missing? I know he is in Delhi.”

The Congress party faced backlash after an image posted on its X handle without naming Modi showed an old photo of him with his body missing, and his clothes forming the outline. The image carried the message 'Gayab' (missing) on top with a caption in Hindi that read "zimmedari ke samay -- Gayab" (missing at the time of taking responsibility).

The Congress later deleted the post following the backlash.

‘Rawalpindi Alliance'

“This is not INDI alliance, this is the Rawalpindi alliance. From today, we will not call them INDI alliance; we are going to call them 'Pindi' alliance. Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of the Congress party are the heroes of the Pakistani media. I think that day is not far when the people of this 'Pindi' alliance will contest elections in Pakistan,” BJP MP Sambit Patra said on 30 April.

The Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists, was carried out in the Baisaran meadow of the fabled hill resort on April 22, a day when United States Vice President JD Vance was in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia.

India decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan given cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack. The decisions were taken in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23.

Among the moves, India shut the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari in Amritsar along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab immediately. India also decided to suspend the Indus waters treaty until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.

We are also a nuclear power: Abdullah

Responding to Pakistan’s repeated assertions of being a nuclear power, the veteran leader reminded them of India’s own capabilities.

"We also have nuclear power, and we had it even before them," he said.

Asserting India's stand of being non-aggressive, Abdullah said, "India has never attacked anyone first. It all started from there (Pakistan), and we responded. Even today, we will not use it (nuclear weapons) unless they do. But if they use it, we have it too. May God never let such a situation arise".

(With PTI inputs)