Srinagar: National Conference vice-president and the former chief minister of erstwhile J&K State Omar Abdullah Saturday alleged that administration led by LG Manoj Sinah was “using police to force the winning candidates of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to join Apni Party”.

“On one hand Prime Minister Narendera Modi and J&K LG Manoj Sinha boats on DDC polls and claim democracy has won, but on the other hand, democracy is being discredited,” Omar said addressing press conference at his Gupkar residence.

The NC vice-president played a purported call recording as to how the husband of a woman candidate from Shopian who had won the DDC polls was allegedly forced to “make his wife join Apni Party forcibly in lieu of getting her brother in law released from detention” .
“I don’t know the reasons on whose command this all is being done,” a visibly upset Omar said.
He said that winning candidates of PAGD are being “threatened, humiliated and coerced to join Apni Party, which is a B-team of BJP.”

He said that if BJP leaders including its spokesman are beating the drums that democracy has won in J&K through DDC polls, why “same democracy is being discredited by the administration which is using police to force the winning candidates to switch sides to Apni Party.”

“Perhaps this all is being done to change the verdict of DDC elections, ” Omar alleged.
He said that in Shopian, NC’s former MLC Sowkat Ganai and senior NC leader Shabir Ahmed Kullay have been kept “under detention for no reason,” adding that “perhaps the price of setting these leaders is to join the Apni Party.”

Omar alleged that “democracy is being murdered in J&K”.
“I wonder if Parliament has anti-defection law, and the Assembly too has it, why the same is not being implemented in J&K and those switching sides being disqualified?” he asked.

He said the verdict of DDC polls was loud and clear that people voted for PAGD and the message is “August 5, 2019 decision wasn’t acceptable to majority of people of J&K”.
“ I don’t claim 100 percent people are with us but yes, majority have voted against August 5, 2019 decision,” he said—(KNO)

Reader correspondent