Sajad Gani Lone Criticizes Omar Abdullah Over BJP Allegations in Jammu and Kashmir Elections
Kupwara (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 8: Sajad Gani Lone, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC), has accused National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah of being a ‘poster boy’ for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Lone’s comments came in response to Abdullah’s statement that jailed leaders were being fielded against him in the upcoming assembly elections.
Lone said, ‘Omar Abdullah should have some shame. He is saying that all those who are contesting against him are with the BJP. He should tell the solution then–there is only one that no one should contest against him.’ He added, ‘It would be better to see what he will do for the people.’
Lone further criticized Abdullah, stating, ‘He had been the poster boy for the BJP and was the MoS in the External Affairs Ministry, and he then defended all the human rights violations and killings of the people. Had he forgotten that time when, after the Babri Masjid incident, no big Muslim leader was ready to sit with the BJP–but the first two big leaders who went along with them were Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah…’
Omar Abdullah had earlier claimed a ‘conspiracy’ that people from prison were contesting against him in the upcoming assembly polls. ‘They bring in people from jails to contest against me. Had this been a one-time thing, it could have been ignored. But now when assembly elections were announced and I was declared as the NC candidate from Ganderbal, again I heard someone from prison is going to contest against me. This person has nothing to do with Ganderbal. He might not even be able to locate Ganderbal on a map. I sense a conspiracy in this,’ Abdullah said.
The elections will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes on October 8. The National Conference and the Congress have formed a pre-poll alliance. Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for SCs and 9 for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, there are 88.06 lakh eligible voters. These are the first assembly elections in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. In the previous elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the BJP secured 25, the NC won 15, and the Congress won 12.
Doubts Revealed
Sajad Gani Lone -: Sajad Gani Lone is a politician from Jammu and Kashmir. He is the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, a political party in the region.
Omar Abdullah -: Omar Abdullah is a politician from Jammu and Kashmir. He is the Vice President of the National Conference, a major political party in the region.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the two major political parties in India.
Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference -: The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir, led by Sajad Gani Lone.
National Conference -: The National Conference is a major political party in Jammu and Kashmir, and Omar Abdullah is its Vice President.
Poster boy -: A ‘poster boy’ is a term used to describe someone who is seen as the main representative or symbol of a particular group or cause.
Jailed leaders -: Jailed leaders are politicians who are currently in prison but are still participating in elections.
Assembly elections -: Assembly elections are elections held to choose representatives for the legislative assembly of a state in India.
Conspiracy -: A conspiracy is a secret plan by a group to do something harmful or illegal.
Abrogation of Article 370 -: The abrogation of Article 370 refers to the Indian government’s decision in 2019 to remove the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir, making it like any other state in India.
