Sajad Lone accuses National Conference of aligning with BJP’s agenda

SRINAGAR: People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone on Friday accused Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference (NC) of aligning with the BJP’s agenda, calling the regional outfit the “A-team” of the saffron party.

In a statement, the People’s Conference MLA from Handwara claimed the NC “betrayed” the people of Jammu and Kashmir by “failing” to bring an unambiguous and strong resolution condemning the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019.

“You can’t be so naive. The reason the prime minister and the home minister spoke so much about the resolution was purely electoral. It was wielded as a stick against the Congress, but not as forcefully as it should have been,” Lone said.

His remarks came hours after J&K Chief Minister and NC Vice President Omar Abdullah said the BJP targeting the Congress during the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand was an answer to those who said there was nothing in the resolution passed by the J&K Assembly asking the Centre to work out a mechanism for restoring the special status of the erstwhile state.

Lone and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have said the resolution was not clear in condemning the Centre’s decisions taken on August 5, 2019, and in seeking the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.

“If there was nothing in the resolution, why did the prime minister and the home minister raise it regularly? It is obvious that there was something in it,” Abdullah said on Friday.

However, Lone said only two parties — the BJP and the NC — perceived the resolution as demanding the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.

“Others probably couldn’t understand it due to their poor command of English,” Lone said sarcastically.

The People’s Conference chief also claimed the pre-election ferocity about Article 370 has now turned into a “tame surrender” — one that “normalises and endorses” the events of August 5, 2019.

“This silence makes it appear as though the first elected J&K Assembly post 2019 endorsed those events. If this is not betrayal, then what is,” he asked.

Lone also said the “lack of an unambiguous resolution” condemning the events of August 5, 2019, and demanding the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A reflects the “NC’s failure to stand up for J&K”.

Referring to the ‘People’s Resolution’ — a resolution moved by Lone and PDP members along with an Independent MLA — as the “real voice of dissent”, Lone warned that the issue would continue to “haunt” the Assembly throughout its term.

“The ruling party will eventually have to accept or reject this resolution. The truth will prevail,” Lone said. (PTI)