Omar Abdullah accuses J&K administration of delaying Assembly elections

Srinagar : National Conference Vice President and former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday accused the administration of delaying Assembly elections in the UT.

Talking to reporters after starting the NC poll campaign for the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, he said: "We wanted simultaneous elections along with Lok Sabha elections. But, it did not happen. The current administration of Jammu and Kashmir sabotaged that because they do not want to hand over power to the people again. They are ruling like uncrowned kings."

He blamed the local bureaucrats for getting "spoiled". Addressing party workers at a meeting in Damhal Hanjipora village of the constituency, he questioned the UT administration.

"You yourself say that the situation is better, normalcy has been restored, 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 need it, then you should have held elections. The reality is that they are getting spoiled," he said.

Omar Abdullah, however, expressed hope that Assembly elections would be held in J&K before September 30.

"We thank God that they will have to conclude elections here before September 30 according to the Supreme Court. The Chief Election Commissioner has also said that polls will be held before the deadline,” he said.

About the CAA, he said the amendment is not just against Muslims only and "there are many other minorities who have been kept outside its purview". "This is BJP’s old habit and they will not mend their ways," he said.

Omar Abdullah declined to accept that the PAGD had become irrelevant after the NC announced it was fielding candidates for all 3 Lok Sabha seats in the Valley.

"What has happened to the status of PAGD? We run our different parties. We have held press conferences together as well as individually. And today, I am talking to you individually, does that mean there is no PAGD? It stands and they will meet in a day or two," he said.

Asked if senior Gujjar leader, Mian Altaf Ahmad, would be the party candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, he said: "We will announce candidates at the right time."

"Altaf has attended whenever the party has invited him. He is our party colleague and it is not something new for him to attend our programmes and he will continue doing so."

About the Electoral Bonds, he compared the amounts the BJP was paid and what his party got. “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," he said.