New Delhi/Srinagar, Dec 16: Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday hit out at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his remarks on EVMs, asking why he had changed his approach towards INDIA bloc partners after becoming the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister.
He said parties such as the Samajwadi Party (SP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have also spoken against electronic voting machines (EVMs).
In an exclusive interview with PTI, the NC leader dismissed the objections to EVMs, saying it cannot be that the Congress celebrates its win in polls held through the machines and then raises questions on their reliability when it loses.
Reacting to his remarks, Tagore said, “It’s the Samajwadi Party, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) that have spoken against EVMs. Please check your facts, CM Omar Abdullah.”
“The Congress CWC resolution clearly addresses the ECI only. Why this approach to our partners after being CM?” he said.
Meanwhile, JKPCC senior vice-president and chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma on Monday said the party was committed to addressing public concerns about electoral transparency and asked Omar Abdullah to focus on restoration of statehood to J&K.
News agency KNO reported Sharma as saying that the Congress party was duty-bound to “represent the apprehensions of the people across the nation, including intellectuals, lawyers, and civil society members, who had raised doubts over the reliability of EVMs”.
“It is our responsibility as the oldest political party in the country to uphold democracy and respond to the people’s concerns. While other parties, including the National Conference, are entitled to their views, the Congress will continue to chart its own path on such critical issues,” Sharma said.
Sharma said Omar Abdullah “should focus on pressing matters like the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and the rights of its people rather than criticizing Congress.”
Asked about Abdullah questioning Congress’s leadership role in the INDIA alliance, Sharma refused a direct response but said, “he (Abdullah) is entitled to his opinion, but the Congress remains steadfast in its leadership and commitment to the alliance’s goals.”
Sharma, however, added that the difference in opinions within the INDIA bloc was natural and that they do not undermine the collective mission to safeguard democracy and address public concerns. (With inputs from PTI, KNO)
