Srinagar, April 3: People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Wednesday slammed the regional political parties, saying a case must be registered against those involved in the 1987 rigging. He said that if his party comes to power, he will ensure those responsible for the heinous activity are sent to jail.
He lashed out at the National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah for making “grand claims” against him and his party. He reminded Abdullah of his tenure as the Foreign Minister during the BJP government led by Atal Bihari Vijapayee, labelling him as a “poster boy” for the BJP.
Addressing questions, Lone asserted that his father was never involved in creating any militant groups, stating that militancy only erupted after the mass rigging in the 1987 polls. He blamed the NC, terming them “white-collar killers” and accusing them of being responsible for the bloodshed in Kashmir.
The PC chief claimed that neither his father nor his party was involved in any bloodshed in the Kashmir Valley. He alleged that the NC, in power for the past 70 years, brought killings, imprisonment, and deals with the Centre.
Lone said that upon coming to power, he would seek the registration of an FIR against all those involved in the 1987 rigging, which he claims gave birth to militancy and resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives in the Kashmir valley.
Sajad added, “We are a Kashmiri team and want people to know that during the BJP regime, Omar Abdullah was a Foreign Minister and a poster boy, and now he is calling us different names, A, B, C Teams of BJP. I will become the voice of the common people in Parliament. I will seek equal rights for our local youth. I will question Parliament on why our youth are denied passports, and why they are treated harshly for crimes they never committed. What rights do youth in Gujarat have that our local youth do not? We must advocate for the removal of AFSPA from Kashmir, but some leaders here are calling this a lie; they are only saying this for their political gains.”
When asked if the JKPC would contest Assembly elections if statehood was not restored, Lone said they would participate in every election, expressing confidence that statehood would be restored.
He also stated that all political leaders including Er Rashid, Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, and others, should be released on humanitarian grounds.
