Say outcome of DDC polls is rejection of abrogation of Art 370
Leaders of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) separately asserted on Wednesday that the outcome of the DDC poll was a rejection of the abrogation of Article 370, but even after winning 112 seats the PAGD constituents shied away from coming together on one platform to “unitedly” celebrate their victory.
The top brass of the National Conference organised a function at its own headquarters in Nawa-e-Subah, while PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti addressed a separate press conference at her Gupkar residence, with no party leader sitting by her side.
PAGD Spokesman Sajad Lone remained conspicuous even on social media.
No official statement was issued by the PAGD in connection with the poll results either.
Meanwhile, upbeat Omar Abdullah while addressing the party workers said the people have made clear their view by supporting the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) in the District Development Council polls.
Omar also observed he did not foresee Assembly elections in the Union Territory anytime soon because of the poll results.
“If you really say that democracy has won, then you will have to listen to the voices of the people, and the people of Jammu & Kashmir have said it with a huge majority that they do not accept (the decisions of) August 5, 2019,” Omar said.
The Centre abrogated Article 370 — which gave special status to Jammu & Kashmir — and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories on August 5 last year.
Omar said the results of the DDC elections have proved that the BJP will not be able to “bury” the NC.
“We also accept it (that democracy has won). When did we say that we do not trust democracy? It is another thing that you do not trust us. We have been saying this from day one that we will fight for our rights but not unlawfully or unconstitutionally. We are not for disturbing the atmosphere in this State, but to make it better,” Omar said.
Omar said the results of the DDC elections have proved that the BJP will not be able to “bury” the NC.
“The next elections in J&K are very far because of the defeat of the BJP in this election. I do not think they will have the Assembly elections here anytime sooner. If they believed in democracy, they would have sounded the bugle of the Assembly elections,” he said.
Emotionally surcharged National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah in his brief address to the party workers said he will not bow before anyone. Farooq is currently facing an ED probe in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) money-laundering case. Last week, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth Rs 11.86 crore of Farooq in connection with the JKCA scam.
In Jammu, BJP’s DDC polls in-charge Anurag Thakur said the election results are a befitting reply to Mehbooba Mufti who had refused to unfurl the Tricolour. “Independent candidates have polled more votes than the Congress and the PDP. The same Mehbooba Mufti who’d refused to unfurl the Tricolour has got a befitting reply today,” Anurag Thakur said.
In Srinagar, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti accused the Government of India and BJP of “terrorising her family” in the name of investigations stating that BJP must fight her politically and not involve her family, friends and party colleagues in the “battle.”
Addressing a press conference at her Gupkar residence, Mehbooba said that today’s press conference may be her last one given the BJP’s approach and the way agencies like “CBI, NIA and ED are being used against her.”
“Irony is that these agencies that are supposed to probe cases of sensitive order are probing where from PDP got money for Late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s graveyard at Anantnag. Not just this, they are investigating my mother’s bank accounts and have sought property details of my sister, who is a doctor by profession,” the PDP chief said.
In an obvious reference to the BJP, she said that GoI should fight her politically. “The BJP won’t gain anything by using agencies against me. If they want to face me, they should fight me politically,” she said, adding the poll result has shown that people have rejected the abrogation of Article 370.