Situation in J&K not under Centre’s control, belies BJP’s claims: Omar Abdullah

The Centre’s move to arm village defence groups is ‘admission’ of deteriorating security situation, says the NC leader

National Conference (NC) vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is not under Centre’s control and belies the BJP’s claims made in 2019.

“The Centre made promises to the people of India in 2019. It claimed that guns in Kashmir were because of Article 370 and will decline once it goes. The statement was not true. The kind of attacks taking place in J&K, especially in Rajouri, showed that the Centre is not in control of the situation,” he said.

Mr. Abdullah said the Centre’s move to arm village defence groups and deploy additional troops in J&K “was an admission” of the deteriorating security situation.

On the delay in holding elections, Mr. Abdullah said, “People of Kashmir were not beggars. Election is our right. But if they don’t want to hold elections, let it be.”

Mr. Abdullah accused the government of “enjoying harassment of locals of J&K”. “The government seems hellbent to disempower the people of J&K. They enjoy it,” he said.

He said the Centre was worried that if elections were held in J&K, then the elected representatives “will come to the side of common people and heal their wounds, which were inflicted by the BJP after August 2019 till date”.