BJP scared of facing people of Jammu and Kashmir in elections: Omar Abdullah

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, File photo/PTI

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party was scared of facing the people of Jammu and Kashmir in elections.

Addressing a workers' convention in central Kashmir's Budgam district the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said that it was imperative for workers to strengthen the party, which he "asserted was the only party working to stop the caravan of the BJP".

He said if people are happy with "exorbitant taxation, soaring unemployment and demolition drive, then they should vote for the BJP". "If you want an end to unemployment, anti-people, anti-J&K actions, then you should strengthen National Conference on ground. While other parties, the A and B teams have accepted the decisions of August, 2019, it's NC which is striving for the restoration of our people's pride, their land, cultural, democratic, constitutional and fundamental rights," he said according to a statement issued by his party in Srinagar.

Government of India led by the Bharatiya Janata Party struck down the special constitutional status of the erstwhile state on August 5, 2019 and downgraded the state into two federally run Union Territories.

Ahead of the decision, the government cracked down on local political parties in the region and detained three former chief minister including Omar. For the past two years the parties have been demanding the restoration of the statehood and elections in the Union Territory.

On Thursday, an all-party delegation of Jammu and Kashmir leaders, headed by Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president and Parliamentarian Farooq Abdullah met the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum demanding elections in the Union Territory.

Before meeting the ECI, the delegation met national opposition parties to discuss issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir, including restoration of statehood, imposition of property tax, anti-encroachment drive, protests by job aspirants, and targeted killings of minorities.

Also read: Delhi Police deny permission for public meeting on Kashmir at the Gandhi Peace Foundation citing possibility of law and order disturbance

Reports suggest that the delegation made an argument by pointing out that if the situation is suitable for holding the G-20 meeting in the region, it should also be suitable for holding elections.

Meanwhile, Omar said that governments actions are light years away from healing the wounds of people. "The lands which were given to people by Sheikh sahib are being snatched away. Our resources, jobs being out sourced," he claimed, as per the statement.

Questioning the government claims of ushering in employment extravaganza in J&K, he said the claims are not visible on ground. "Where are those thousands of jobs? Where is that promised investment? All the promises have ringed hollow and miserably failed to live up to the hype. Not even a day passes, when one or the other selection list ends up in a scandal."

The former chief minister said that as far as the tourism sector is concerned, "we had vacated the meadows from security forces, since then there has been no headway in bringing the area on the tourist map of region and country. "Locals wouldn't benefit in wake of such process. Had government given them easy loans for establishment of restaurants, and hotels, the economic condition of the area would have been different. However, nothing has been done to improve the economic condition of my brothers and sisters living around the meadow."

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