Srinagar: Peoples Conference (PC) chairman and former minister Sajad Gani Lone has claimed that the National Conference and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were “confabulating” with each other and that both the parties will form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir.
In an interview with Karan Thapar, broadcasted on ‘The Wire’ YouTube channel, Lone said the NC and BJP are “confabulating” with each other for “at least a year”.
As an alleged proof, Lone said that “although Omar Abdullah joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar none of the Abdullahs nor the National Conference party issued any statement in support of Rahul Gandhi when he was disqualified as an MP.”
He also claimed that Farooq Abdullah attended a meeting called by the government, which was boycotted by all other opposition parties.
Lone also claimed that the two parties will fight as opponents and during the campaign accuse other smaller parties (like his) of being “BJP allies” but then willingly form an alliance thereafter.
Targeting the party, Lone said that Farooq Abdullah and the NC are the problem and can never be the solution in Kashmir, and cited the alleged rigging of assembly elections in 1987 as having been responsible for the eruption of militancy here.
Lone also denied that either he or his People’s Conference would ever ally with the BJP in the future, adding that he had agreed to be part of the PDP-BJP governments between 2015 and 2018 because of certain compulsions, which he said were no longer there now.
Lone also contradicted and refuted former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik’s claim that the PM was ill-informed about Kashmir. Instead, he calls him “very well informed”.
Lone also said that before Malik dissolved the assembly in Srinagar he had called him from London pleading that he should not do so — “I had a hunch that once dissolved, it will not be recreated for at least 10 years.” He admits he did not have the numbers to form a government, but he was pleading that the assembly must not be dissolved because he knew it would not be recreated soon.
During the interview, Lone also said that elections should be held immediately. He also said that restoration of statehood must happen immediately.
“Remember it was a denial of democracy in 1987 through the rigging of elections which triggered disaffection here, and now you are again denying democracy to the people by not holding the election,” he said.
