J&K Administration not keen on elections, doesn’t want people to be empowered: National Conference

Jammu, March 18

Former Chief Minister and vice president of the National Conference, Omar Abdullah, said on Monday that the administration in J&K does not want assembly polls to be held as they want to rule the erstwhile state without handing over power to the people.

Bureaucracy accused of ‘sabotaging’ polls

• National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration of “sabotaging” holding of Assembly polls in the Union Territory simultaneously with that of Lok Sabha
• Omar alleged bureaucrats wanted to continue to rule Jammu and Kashmir like “uncrowned kings”

Omar Abdullah, while talking to reporters at Kulgam during the election campaign for the Anantnag constituency, said the Election Commission should have considered simultaneous elections in J&K. “The current administration sabotaged that (assembly and LS polls together) because they do not want to handover the power to the people. They are ruling like uncrowned kings,” Abdullah said.

During a workers meeting at Damhal Hanjipora, Omar said that bureaucrats put hurdles in the way of holding the assembly elections.

“The hurdles in holding the Assembly elections were put by our officers by saying that they cannot make adequate security arrangements. You yourself say that the situation is better, that normalcy has been restored, and that there is no danger of guns now. If there is no danger of guns, then you will not need much security deployment, and if you do not, then you should have held elections. The reality is that they are getting spoiled,” he said.

Abdullah, however, said the Election Commission has to hold the assembly polls before the Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30 this year, which the top court gave while passing its order after hearing a batch of petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370.

Talking about electoral bonds to the NC, Omar said his party received only Rs 50 lakh, even though the BJP was paid Rs 6,900 crore.

“One of my friends, Airtel, gave us a Rs 50 lakh bond to run the party. It is Rs 50 lakh versus Rs 6,900 crore; there is no comparison. But only those who need to use money do so and do not have the support of the people. The sum of Rs 50 lakh is enough for us because people from J&K are with teh NC,” he said.