Srinagar: People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Wednesday said National Conference president Farooq Abdullah raising the issue of outside interference in the Jammu and Kashmir elections was an insult to one lakh people who have died following the electoral malpractices by the then ruling party in 1987.
Lone alleged that the National Conference rigged the Assembly elections in 1987, of which his father and the People’s Conference were victims.
“There is outside interference but we will talk about it because it is directed against us. Farooq Abdullah talking about interference is an insult to the one lakh people who have died since 1987,” he added.
“Farooq Sahab is a senior politician but it’s not his role to accuse army and agencies for interfering in electoral process as he was the sole benefactor of 1987 election rigging. The robber of 1987 elections should be ashamed of talking about rigging and interference; at least he should leave this role to us to play being the victims of election rigging,” Lone told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Abdullah, after his re-election as the National Conference president on Monday had warned the government and the armed forces not to interfere in the Assembly elections, whenever they are held.
Replying to a question on the government’s move to relocate former CMs and legislators from their official bungalows, and reducing their security cover, Lone said this is condemnable.
“I completely agree with Omar Sahab that official residences and security of mainstream politicians should not be taken back. But it’s we who could say so, what about those whose security and official residences were taken back during their tenure. They should condemn that also. We will condemn that and this as well, this is condemnable and it’s also condemnable as to how security agencies were used as political tools some 20 years ago,” he added.
“Those having committed wrongs should not go scot-free, they should own up their mistakes and realize that they were wrong then and they are wrong now. When my father was shot dead, Farooq Sahab did not provide security to me for at least six months. There was no security at his funeral; they denied it. They are cruel people and when they cry I too feel bad,” Lone added.
On TRF threats to Kashmiri Pandits, he said it’s really condemnable and demanded a thorough probe on how the state secret was leaked.
“It’s really condemnable, they (Pandits) are our brothers. We demand a probe on how the state secret was leaked. People’s lives should not be jeopardized, we don’t have any issues if they (KPs) demand relocation, its central governments be it Congress or BJP which always have problems,” he said.
