Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Vice President of the National Conference Omar Abdullah Monday launched a scathing attack on the Jammu and Kashmir administration for ‘sabotaging’ the conduct of the Assembly polls alongside Lok Sabha polls in the region.
Without mincing any words Omar took the administration to task claiming the current dispensation wants to rule Jammu and Kashmir like ‘uncrowned kings’.
“We wanted simultaneous elections along with Lok Sabha elections. But, it did not happen. The current government of Jammu and Kashmir sabotaged that because they do not want to hand over the power to the people again. They are ruling like uncrowned kings,” Abdullah told reporters in the South Kashmir district of Kulgam.
Omar visited the area to launch his party’s election campaign for the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency.
Before his media interaction, Omar also accused the bureaucracy of creating hurdles and delaying the assembly polls while addressing party workers at Damhal Hanjipora.
“Our officers put the hurdles in holding the assembly elections by saying that they cannot make adequate security arrangements.On one hand, you say that the situation is better, normalcy has been restored, and there is no danger of guns now.
“If there is no danger of guns, then you will not need much security deployment and if you do not need it, then you should have held elections. The reality is that they are getting spoiled,” he said.
The former J-K chief minister, however, said the Election Commission has to hold the assembly polls before the Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30 this year which the top court gave while passing its order after hearing a batch of petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370.
Interestingly, Omar added a new twist by claiming the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is still alive.
When reporters asked him to comment on the status of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Omar Abdullah said the alliance stands “What has happened to its status? We run our different parties… We have held press conferences together as well as individually. And today, I am talking to you individually, does that mean there is no PAGD? It stands and they will meet in a day or two,” he said.
