Srinagar, Jan 10 (UNI) National Conference Vice President and former J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday hit out at Election Commission after Supreme Court issued directions to them for holding J&K Assembly elections.
“..We used to say that India is the mother of democracy. But unfortunately why is democracy being murdered in Jammu and Kashmir”, Omar told media persons during a press conference in Srinagar on Wednesday.
“If India is a mother of democracy why not in J&K,” Omar observed.
He said if delimitation was necessary for urban local bodies Polls, the administration could have done it much earlier, why did they wait till the term of elected bodies was over..
Omar said the term of Panchayats have expired as the five year have come to an end.
“Was it not possible to start preparations for the elections six months earlier? If the delimitation was required, that should have been done six months before the expiry of the panchayat,” he added.
“First you don’t hold the Assembly and then urban local bodies, now Panchayats”, he said.
He said that holding Parliament elections here in Jammu and Kashmir is a compulsion of the Government of India.
“It is very unfortunate that the Supreme Court of India is now deciding when the Assembly elections should be held in Jammu and Kashmir. The elections commission should bow his heads in shame after the Supreme Court’s decision. The Election commission should apologise to the people for the decision they were supposed to take was being announced by the Supreme court”, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said.
Replying to a question Omar said the National conference is ready for the Parliament elections and when Assembly elections would be announced they will see.
In a question whether he is going to contest the parliament elections, Omar said that the National Conference has not yet sat down to finalize the candidates.
“I have not had the opportunity to discuss this or any other candidature with the colleagues of the party”, he said and added “once the process of discussion starts then we will see who is the best candidate that can be fielded from all the concerned constituencies.”
He said for him first and foremost would be Farooq Abdullah to fight.
“We would not have a situation where both Farooq Sahab and I would go to the parliament at the same time. Should the situation arise that Farooq Sahab steps back from this forthcoming Parliament elections then we will see what the party chooses to do, he said.
On seat sharing in the INDIA Alliance, he said still they have not held any such talks.
“We are the participants of the (INDIA) Alliance. We have only six seats all together in J&K and Ladakh and it would take less than ten minutes to decide on seat sharing. I would wish from where the Indi Alliance hopes to get seats from UP, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala…the need is to speed up the seat sharing issue in these states”, he said.
Regarding the Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya, Omar said he does not want to indulge in politics on the issue.
“It is not the first inauguration at Ayodhya neither it would be the last ..there had been so many things inaugurated and so many things would inaugurate in future. If you want to bring politics in it, that would be your decision..I am talking far from the politics. Temple has been built and it is being inaugurated that is all,” he said
Asked if he would be invited for the inauguration of Ayodhya temple, Omar said he would not get the invitation now.
“Those who were supposed to get the invitation they received included industrialists, cricketers, film stars..Their name is everywhere…mine is nowhere. When they have no intention to invite me, why should we be all in if’s and but’s, he added.
On the recent power purchase agreement between Ratle Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL) and Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited for offtake of power for a period of 40 years, Omar labeled it as resource plunder.
He vowed to pursue all avenues, including legal recourse if necessary, to reclaim the electricity.
Asked regarding the India-Maldives row, Omar said, the words used by the Maldives people against the Prime Minister of India were absolutely wrong.
“It is absolutely essential to maintain good relations with neighbours, We hope that what the late Prime Minister of India had said is that ‘friends can be changed, not the neighbours’. We always wish for good relations with the neighboring countries of Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangla Desk, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan or Pakistan,” Omar added.
