SRINAGAR, DEC 18: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of capitulating to the BJP-led central government and misleading the people of Kashmir.
Lone was reacting to recent remarks by Abdullah in which the Chief Minister praised the BJP-led government for releasing funds in excess of the allocated budget. Expressing surprise, Lone said the comments marked a sharp reversal by a leader who, during the election campaign, had repeatedly accused his political rivals of being agents of the BJP.
Questioning the Chief Minister’s stance, Lone said he found it difficult to reconcile Abdullah’s past rhetoric with his present remarks. He alleged that even if a conciliatory approach towards the Centre was intended, it could have been conveyed “in a less humiliating manner”.
Describing the development as a cautionary message for voters, the Peoples Conference president said the episode exposed what he termed a “fixed match” between the National Conference (NC) and the BJP. He claimed that many Kashmiris had supported the NC believing it would oppose the BJP, a belief he said had now been proven misplaced.
Lone further pointed to what he described as a contradiction in Abdullah’s political conduct, noting that while the Chief Minister frequently criticised the Lieutenant Governor, he had remained silent on the fact that the LG is appointed by the Prime Minister.
Stepping up his criticism, Lone accused the National Conference of seeking alignment with the BJP and described the party as the “A team of the BJP”
