Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Wednesday alleged that deferment of elections on Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat is a conspiracy of the ruling BJP to deprive nomads from exercising their right to vote.
Abdullah accused the Election Commission of India of dancing to the tunes of the BJP lamenting that keeping any hope from this institution is futile. The ECI on Tuesday informed that elections on Anantnag-Rajouri seat have been deferred citing a report from union territory administration following the postponement request of the BJP, J&K Apni Party, J&K People’s Conference, Democratic Progressive Azad Party and others. The NC and People’s Democratic Party had opposed the deferment and wrote letters to the ECI as well.
“We had also sent a letter to ECI stating that deferment of elections is a conspiracy as those people are demanding deferment who are not even fighting in this constituency. The aim of deferment is not to help the candidates or voters but to help BJP and its conspiracies,” said Abdullah. The BJP and J&K PC have not fielded candidates in this constituency. The NC leader, who is fighting elections from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in northern Kashmir said that the ECI isused the order citing weather conditions on a day when rain stopped.
“Opening the (Mughal) road is not difficult. One can reach Rajouri or Poonch via Jammu and Reasi as well. However, ECI’s decision is not surprising. Unfortunately ECI has started dancing to the tunes of the BJP. Keeping hope of justice from them (ECI) is futile,” said Abdullah. “This is a conspiracy to deprive nomads from exercising their right to vote as they will now be moving with their livestock,” he said.
The PDP also took out a protest demonstration in Srinagar against the ECI decision alleging that the ECI is fast becoming a tool of the BJP. “We see ECI becoming a tool of the BJP,” said Naem Akhtar, senior PDP leader. “They have snatched everything from J&K including its identity and constitution but people saw hope in this vote and unfortunately BJP is even snatching that…this is a national interest problem,” said Akhtar. The PDP leader said that the weather was just a ruse to deny people the right to vote. “We want that the report from UT on which ECI took the decision should be made public so that we know which officers in Kashmir are on what side,” he said.
