Centre trying to silence me: Omar

Srinagar: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday claimed that the BJP-ruled Centre was fielding independent candidates against him in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections in a bid to silence him.
“I always knew that Delhi would want to silence me in some way but I never thought that they would go to this extent. In Baramulla (Lok Sabha elections), when a person (Sheikh Abdul Rashid) stood against me in the polls, having filed the papers while in jail, he recorded his message from jail and sought votes based on emotions. He defeated me in the elections,” he said.
“I did not see it as something worrisome,” Abdullah said during election rallies in the Ganderbal Assembly segment from where is contesting the polls.
The former chief minister said after the results of Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, he thought luck was on Rashid’s side and it was his “bad luck”.
“But when I decided to contest (assembly) polls from Ganderbal, reports started pouring in that another citizen (Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati) who is in jail is going to contest against me. I was forced to think why these people are put only after me. Is there a conspiracy?’ he asked.
Abdullah said he could understand Rashid contesting the Lok Sabha polls against him as he was a local from the constituency.
“When they could not find a local (Ganderbal) person in jail, they brought one (Barkati) from Zainapora-Shopian. I still thought maybe it was a coincidence. I consulted a few of my colleagues and told them that I want to prove that it is a conspiracy from Delhi against me,” he said.
Abdullah said his team collected nomination papers from a couple of constituencies without revealing where they will file the papers from.
“We collected forms and decided to take a call in the morning where to contest from (for second seat). Yesterday, it was proved that it is not a coincidence. Otherwise tell me, this person files papers from Ganderbal and then he collects papers from Beerwah, thinking that I was an MLA from there and would contest from there only. However, when I filed papers from Budgam in the afternoon, they were caught out,” he said.
The NC vice-president claimed this incident showed that Delhi was not trying to silence any politician in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Kashmir, as much as they are trying to do it with Omar Abdullah.
“It is because when I speak, I speak for the people, I raise their issues, I talk about our dignity which has been snatched from us. When I take off my cap, It is not only my dignity. It is everyone’s dignity.
Abdullah said when he fights against Delhi, it is not only for himself or his family but for all of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The BJP does not like this, which is why conspiracy after conspiracy is being hatched against me. But this conspiracy has succeeded only once. This time I have full faith in the people of Ganderbal that they will vote wisely,” he added.
Asked about the significance of the upcoming assembly elections in the union territory, the former chief minister told reporters that these elections hold importance for everyone.
He said the polls are significant as they would be held after 10 years and also mark the first after more than six years of central rule in the union territory.
“They (assembly elections) are also coming after everything that was done to us on the August 5, 2019. So, in no way can one underplay the importance of these elections,” he added.