Former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday asked chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar why he was denying the democratic right to elections to Jammu and Kashmir residents.
Omar’s question was prompted by Kumar’s insinuation that the time for elections in Jammu and Kashmir has not arrived yet.
“With regard to Jammu and Kashmir, you will be informed about the decision about whatever the right time is, in the eyes of the commission, taking into consideration security and other elections in the state,” Kumar said at a media conference in Delhi on Monday.
Kumar was asked what was “holding up the Election Commission” from announcing the polls and whether they had any discussion with the government on it.
Jammu and Kashmir is without an Assembly since 2018. Calls for holding elections here have gained momentum after the INDIA combine trounced the BJP in Kargil’s civic elections, the results of which were announced on Sunday. The results are seen as a rebuff to BJP’s claim that its policies are backed by residents of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state.
Omar, whose National Conference emerged as the major partner in the Kargil elections, appeared shocked by the chief election commissioner’s remarks.
“I do not have much to complain about the BJP, which is a political party and sees everything through (the prism) of gain or loss. If I have any complaint, it is against the Election Commission. With regrets I am saying that even today when the chief election commissioner was asked about elections… his reply was that the decision will be announced after taking into consideration all factors,” Omar told a news conference.
“I want to ask him what are these factors? We think the only factor is the fear factor, the BJP’s fear factor. Before this, the BJP would hide behind the Raj Bhavan, now it is hiding behind the chief election commissioner. Regretfully, the chief election commissioner and Election Commission, instead of taking its decisions independently, are taking decisions exclusively on the BJP’s directions. Otherwise, they have no excuse,” he added.
Omar said the BJP has no courage to even hold urban and panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir (which are due next month), and holding Parliament elections here was a compulsion for them.
The former chief minister said he wanted to hear from the chief election commissioner whether the situation has worsened in Jammu and Kashmir to the extent that they can’t hold elections here.
“If they have worsened, tell us. So far the world is told that the situation has vastly improved here since 2019... that more than a crore tourists have visited the place. If that is all true, then tell us what factors you are considering,” he asked.
“You cannot deprive people of their rights. Election is their right. Do we not have the same rights as states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram? If elections can be held there in time, why not here?”
Omar said he has a direct question from the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the chief election commissioner to “please tell” them about the factors because of which they are denied their democratic rights. He reminded Kumar of a statement that he made earlier this year that there was a vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir, which needed to be filled.
Asked about lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha’s recent claim that 80 per cent of people backed his dispensation, Omar said the LG was fond of the figure 80. He cited Sinha’s claims about Rs 80,000 crore investment coming to Jammu and Kashmir and 80 per cent of people not paying electricity dues here to buttress his claim.
