Former J-K CM Omar Abdullah defends his father on his remark that third party intervention was needed to solve the Kashmir problem.

Omar Abdullah tweeted, "My father isn't a Congress party member & doesn't need it's permission or approval before he voices his opinion. It's called free speech."

Farooq Abdullah said that India should approach third parties, such as the United States and China, to mediate in the Kashmir issue.

Adbullah said India has so many allies across the globe, which can be approached for settling the Kashmir issue to act as a mediator between India and Pakistan.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has Farooq Abdullah's assertion saying, "I have been asserting for long that it's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his policies at the Centre that have destroyed Jammu and Kashmir. And the point that is being mentioned that a third party's intervention should be invited for the settlement of the issue, it's wrong. India is Kashmir and Kashmir is India," Rahul said today.