Omar Abdullah accuses BJP-led Centre of trying to silence him

Omar Abdullah accuses Delhi of conspiring against him in elections, aiming to silence his voice in Kashmir.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday (September 6, 2024) claimed that the BJP-ruled Centre was fielding independent candidates against him in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections in a bid to silence him.

"I always knew that Delhi would want to silence me in some way but I never thought that they would go to this extent. In Baramulla (Lok sabha elections), when a person (Sheikh Abdul Rashid) stood against me in the polls, having filed the papers while in jail, he recorded his message from jail and sought votes based on emotions. He defeated me in the elections," he said.

"I did not see it as something worrisome," Mr. Abdullah told election rallies in the Ganderbal Assembly segment from where he is contesting the polls.

The former Chief Minister said after the results of the Baramulla Lok Sabha’s seat, he thought luck was on Rashid’s side and “it was my bad luck”.

"But when I decided to contest (Assembly) polls from Ganderbal, reports started pouring in that another citizen (Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati) who is in jail is going to contest against me. I was forced to think why these people are put after me only. Is there a conspiracy?' he asked.

Mr. Abdullah said he could understand Mr. Rashid contesting the Lok Sabha polls against him as he was a local from the constituency.

"When they could not find a local (Ganderbal) person in jail, they brought one (Barkati) from Zainapora-Shopian. I still thought maybe it was a coincidence. I consulted a few of my colleagues and told them that I want to prove that it is a conspiracy from Delhi against me," he said.