Alleging that democracy was being discredited by using administration and police for horse trading in favour of a particular party in the Kashmir valley, National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah said this all is being done to change the verdict of District Development Council (DDC) elections.
Former chief minister Omar alleged that administration was using police to force the winning candidates of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to join Apni Party (AP), which is a B-Team of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
He played a conversation as to how the husband of a woman candidate from Shopian who had won on NC symbol was allegedly forced to “make his wife join AP forcibly in lieu of getting her brother-in- law released from detention .
Talking to reporters Omar said he donot know the reasons on whose command this all is being done alleging that winning candidates of PAGD are being threatened, humiliated and coerced to join AP.
He said on one hand Prime Minister Narendera Modi and Mr Sinha claim democracy has won during DDC elections, but on the other hand, democracy is being discredited. He said that senior BJP leaders including its spokespersons are beating the drums that democracy has won in J&K but why same democracy is being discredited by the administration which is using police to force the winning candidates to switch sides to B team of BJP. Yasmeen Jan has won from Imamshib-1 (Shopian) on NC ticket securing 193 votes defeating her nearest rival Gull Iqbal (independent) who polled 65 votes.
Omar alleged that change of verdict of DDC elections in Kashmir has started from Shopian, where former NC MLC Showkat Ganai and another senior leader Shabir Ahmad have been kept under preventive detention for no reason. Infact only democracy is being prevented in Kashmir, he said adding democracy is being murdered in J&K.
Former CM questioned why anti defection law cannot be implemented against those who are switching over sides in DDC elections when it is being implemented in Parliament and Assembly.
Omar claimed that verdict by the people in DDC polls was loud and clear that they voted for PAGD and send a clear message that August 5, 2019 decision wasn’t acceptable to majority of people of J&K. The NC VP said he don’t claim 100 per cent people are with PAGD but yes, majority have voted against August 5, 2019 decision, he claimed.
The PAGD won seven seats—NC 3 and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) four—while Congress had one seat enough to take the 14-member council. However, AP which had originally won two seats have now five members.