Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the administration in the union territory sabotaged the decision of holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections here concurrently.
Abdullah while addressing a rally in Noorabad area of southern Kashmir started the party’s election campaign urging people to come out to vote in large numbers to reject the ‘loot, deception and injustice’ done on August 5 2019.
“ECI is on record saying that political parties wanted simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections…these officers ruling here without any accountability sabotaged the process citing security reasons,” alleged Abdullah. He referred to the officers posted here as ‘uncrowned kings’ who are ‘passing laws and giving land and contracts to outsiders at their own will.’ The last assembly elections in J&K were held in 2014, when BJP-PDP formed a coalition government, which fell in 2018, when BJP withdrew its support. Since then J&K is without any elected government. “They claim that the situation has improved in J&K and stone pelting, guns and separatism has ended. If everything is fine then why didn’t you allow conducting assembly elections with Lok Sabha elections,” Abdullah asked. The NC leader said that ECI is also on record saying that elections will be conducted before September, 2024. “From October, there will be no rule of Raj Bhawan or Delhi or the parliament or any of these officers from outside. People of J&K will elect their representatives and decide the policies of who will get the land here, who will get the contract and who will come from outside,” said Abdullah.
The NC leader urged people to vote in Lok Sabha elections terming it as a ‘semi-final’ before the assembly elections in J&K. “This is an important and first big election after August 5, 2019, when our constitution, flag, identity and honour was snatched from us. We have to convey through our vote that we are ready to fight for our rights and will beat the forces who are attempting to rob our land and snatch our jobs,” said Abdullah.
The NC is a part of INDIA bloc, however, they have repeatedly asserted that they will fight on all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir division. The BJP is aiming to make inroads into the Valley through trans-Pir Panchal Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, which has a sizable Gujjar-Bakerwal and Pahari population. “Despite changing the map of Anantnag constituency by connecting Rajouri-Poonch with Anantnag of southern Kashmir which is a step towards implementing Dixon Plan, people won’t vote for the BJP or any of its proxies, as they know what they are doing in the rest of the country,” said Abdullah. He accused the BJP of following theBritish policy of divide and rule. “BJP wants Kashmir to fight with Jammu, Hindu with Muslims, Gujjar with Paharis to ensure that somehow they win this Anantnag seat. But people are aware enough to make the right decision through their vote,” said Abdullah.
