People’s Alliance slams ED summons to Farooq as ‘vindictive’

Aditi Tandon

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Oct 19

The newly formed People’s Alliance for Gupkar Resolution on Monday slammed Enforcement Directorate summons to National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah as “vindictive” saying the Centre must stop “witch hunting” and speak to stakeholders about “restoring J&K’s special status”.

Linking ED’s questioning of former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to the recent display of unity among mainstream regional parties which pledged to demand J&K’s pre-August 5, 2019 status, the alliance said the Centre was unnerved by the collaboration of people against the August 5, 2019 move to abrogate Article 370 and divide J&K into two UTs.

In view of Farooq Sahab being summoned by ED, People’s Alliance issued a statement condemning use of agencies to browbeat mainstream parties in J&K. Despite his age & health issues, he was kept at ED office for five hours. pic.twitter.com/G6oQM1wpxi

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 19, 2020

“The summons are part of vindictive politics practiced by the Central government to kill dissent and disagreement across the country and in the present case to silence the genuine demand for the reversal of unilateral and unconstitutional decisions of August 5, 2019 and restoration of August 4, 2019 status of J&K,” said the Alliance.

Alliance members include PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, NC vice-president Omar Abdullah, People’s Conference president Sajjad Lone, CPM’s MY Tarigami and Awami National Conference’s Muzaffar Shah and J&K People’s Movement’s Feroze Peerzada.

What a sorry state of affairs. Dr Farooq sahib summoned by ED. Reeks of vendetta. Contrary to what they want to coercively achieve this will certainly have the opposite impact.

— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) October 19, 2020

The Alliance, formed on October 15, said the Centre “unnerved by the unity amongst people across regions and communities to pursue the goals of Gupkar Declaration and the support extended to it by  political parties and civil society groups is resorting to a game of witch hunt and suppression at the national level”.

It said the Government of India must realise the “dangers of witch hunting and intimidation and desist from vindictive designs”.

Dialogue with stakeholders and restoration of special status remain the only option to address the deepening uncertainty in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, the Alliance said.

Earlier on Monday, Mehbooba Mufti tweeted in support of Farooq Abdullah. “ED’s sudden summon displays the extent of GOI’s nervousness about mainstream parties in J&K fighting as one unit. It also reeks of political vendetta and won’t in the least blunt our collective resolve to fight for our rights.”

The party will be responding to this ED summons shortly. This is nothing less then political vendetta coming days after the formation of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. To set the record straight no raids are being conducted at Dr Sahib’s residence.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 19, 2020

Sajjad Lone also backed the NCP chief saying, “What a sorry state of affairs, reeks of vendetta. Contrary to what they want to achieve through coercive acts, this will certainly have the opposite impact.”

Omar Abdullah meanwhile clarified that there were no raids at his father’s house.

NC also officially attacked the BJP questioning the timing of ED summons and said, “After failing to politically fight party president Farooq Abdullah, BJP has resorted to employing its agencies for the task.”

NC questioned the timing of ED summons and said, “The previous summons were issued just before August 5 last year and today’s summon comes within days of forming the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration of which Dr Farooq Abdullah has taken a lead.”

The JKNC said Abdullah continued to maintain his innocence and would cooperate with the authorities “in what is nothing but a witch hunt”.

Principal allegation against Abdullah is that he siphoned Rs 43.69 crore off the amount BCCI gave for cricket promotion when he was the president of the Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association.