National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Saturday hinted at his party staying away from the proposed alliance against the BJP in next year’s general election, saying most of the parties remained silent when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
He also said the talks on a pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir would be premature before the sounding of bugle for the Assembly election in the Union Territory.
"What we have [to contribute] outside Jammu and Kashmir? We have a total of five (Lok Sabha) seats and what storm these seats can create? We have to fight against the BJP on these seats and what is going outside J&K is a secondary question," Mr. Abdullah told reporters on reaching the border district of Rajouri.
The former Chief Minister was responding to a question on the possibility of the National Conference joining hands with other parties against the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
"Compulsions aside, I do not see any benefit from such an alliance for the party and Jammu and Kashmir. I am repeatedly saying that when they need us, they knock on our doors. When (Delhi Chief Minister Arvind) Kejriwal is in trouble, he needs our support, but where were these leaders in 2019 when we faced a big deceit?" he said, referring to the withdrawal of special status, granted to J&K under Article 370, and its bifurcation into two Union Territories by the Central government.
"Where were those who are raising a hue and cry today for safeguarding the Constitution and democracy when we faced the murder of democracy. They did not speak against it and the fact of the matter is that they supported the move (in Parliament)," the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said.
However, he said only four parties – the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and two Left parties - “always stood with the people of Jammu and Kashmir”. "Leave these parties aside, show me someone among other parties who wholeheartedly supported us. We will fight against the BJP on our five seats, let them do whatever they want to," Mr. Abdullah said.
On the possibility of a pre-poll alliance ahead of the Assembly election in J&K, he said the question was premature as elections were nowhere visible. "Let the election bugle be sounded, we will sit together to take a call on this. The opinion or decision of one person is not acceptable, all the leaders of the party (NC) will discuss the issue, weigh its pros and cons and reach a consensus," he said.
Mr. Abdullah said he was tired of answering questions about the delay in holding the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir. "It is evident that the BJP is not ready and had it been ready, elections would have taken place," he said.
"The Election Commissioner had himself said that after getting information from the Home Ministry on the (security) situation, they will announce the poll dates. Maybe they have not got the information so far, which is not understandable," he said, adding that the Chief Election Commissioner had admitted that there was a vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir. "Why is it not being filled up?"
Mr. Abdullah, who used the Mughal Road to reach Rajouri to express condolences to the family of a party colleague who breathed his last at Nowshera sometime back, said the efforts of the administration should be to minimise sufferings of the public and control growing militancy in the region.
“Unfortunately, there is a gap between the administration and the people under the Governor’s rule. An elected government is always better than a nominated government,” he said. “People suffer because the administration is least bothered whether their issues are addressed or not,” the NC leader alleged.
To a question on commuters facing inconvenience due to long queues at security checkpoints on the Mughal Road, he said the recent terror incidents in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch indicated growing militancy in the region.
"If the commuters are facing difficulty, it is proof that the administration has failed and the security situation has worsened instead of improving. The people are faced with problems that were not there before," he said.
On the BJP’s claim of “unprecedented” development in Jammu and Kashmir during the past nine years of the Modi government, he said “everything will be known” once the election takes place.
