Kupwara (Jammu and Kashmir), July 19: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah criticised lynching and killings of Muslims in India during a condolence meeting in Kupwara on Thursday.

"Some forces still exist in our state who do not want peace to return in Kashmir valley as their business runs in killings of the people," said Abdullah.

Speaking on the problem of lynching and killings of Muslims in India, Abdullah said that "This was not the India we considered."

Prioritising secularism in India, Abdullah stated, "India belongs to people of all religions, be it Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians." In the recent past, incidents of the lynching of Muslims especially in Uttar Pradesh had gained rapid notoriety.