BJP does not want to face voters in Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah
Srinagar (IANS). Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday said the comprehensive victory of the NC-Congress alliance in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections is against the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. The result of people’s anger.
At a press conference here on Monday, Omar thanked the people of Kargil for reposing their trust in the alliance and the BJP’s defeat in these elections.
He said, “BJP will now say that it was because of Muslim voters in Kargil. I want to ask him whether the division of Jammu and Kashmir made on 5 August 2019 was on religious basis. If that was the case, I would have to remind the BJP that Ladakh is a Muslim-majority region, although there is a sizeable Buddhist population there.”
He said, “We did not contest this election on the basis of religion. This is proved by the fact that our elected councilor from Padma seat in these elections is a Buddhist. The truth is that religion is not an issue in Ladakh right now. This time the only issue is the division of the state. BJP was telling the world that the people of Ladakh want separation from Kashmir and want to remove Article 370.”
He said, “The truth is that the people of Ladakh are as angry on these two issues as the people of the Valley and Jammu division.”
The NC vice president said that neither the central government nor the BJP is ready to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar said, “The Center told the Supreme Court that Panchayat and urban development body elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir soon. What we are hearing now is that these elections will not be held in the near future.”
He alleged that if the party had its way, BJP would not have even conducted Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. “Conducting Lok Sabha elections is a compulsion for them. After yesterday’s results, I fear that the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be further delayed as the BJP is confident of its defeat.
Omar also said that as a political party, it is understandable why the BJP does not want elections in Jammu and Kashmir. “But I am disappointed with the Election Commission. In the press conference today, the Chief Election Commissioner said that the dates for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will be announced after considering all the aspects.
“I want to ask the Election Commissioner what are these factors? The truth is that there is only one factor and that is ‘fear’.
Omar said, ‘Till now BJP was hiding behind the Lieutenant Governor and now it is hiding behind the Election Commission.’
He also raised questions on the recent statement of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in which he had said that 80 percent of the people of Jammu and Kashmir want the current system to continue.
He said, “I don’t know where that survey was conducted? If they are giving marks to themselves then why left out 20 percent? Why not say that 100 percent people do not want elections in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Omar said that tomorrow Prime Minister Narendra Modi can also adopt the same excuse and then he can decide that there is no need for Lok Sabha elections in the country.
