National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday questioned the Election Commission of India (EC)'s silence over the assembly election not being conducted in Jammu and Kashmir.
"....Election is our right. If they (Centre) want to snatch away the rights of the people of J&K and if that gives them some kind of satisfaction, then do it. We too have self-respect. We won't cow down before them. Election Commission should answer this, we want to hear from them," said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister.
Why elections being delayed, asks Farooq Abdullah
Earlier, Omar's father and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah also raised similar questions over the delay of the election in the UT. Abdullah, the 85-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, said that when BJP leaders announce publicly that they will win 50 seats in elections, what prevents them from holding the democratic exercise.
On the delay in conducting Assembly elections, Abdullah said as far as the government goes, it has been saying all the time that conditions are alright here. "If the conditions are alright then what prevents them from holding elections. After all, we are living in a democratic country, and for so many years we haven't had an elected government. We have a lieutenant governor with advisors and he can't meet the problems of people, it has become a bureaucratic government." "It is time for an elected government," he said.
Abdullah said he had raised this issue with the opposition parties and they have done what best they could.
"Finally, it rests with the Election Commission. We made a representation and opposition parties have also pressed for holding elections...It is now up to them to decide."
"I can't understand if they want to hold panchayat elections and hold other elections in J and K, why not the general elections to the Assembly. What prevents them from doing that?" he asked.
Abdullah referred to a statement made by BJP Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina in Anantnag in May that there were chances of his party winning more than 50 seats in the Assembly elections and forming its government.
There are 90 seats in the Assembly following a delimitation exercise.
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