National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Saturday said democracy was being discredited in Jammu and Kashmir by “brazen horse trading”, a day after two newly elected District Development Council (DDC) members belonging to the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) joined the Apni Party.
Mr. Abdullah alleged that the J&K administration under Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha was using the police “to force candidates of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) who emerged winners in the DDC polls to join the Apni Party”.
“Prime Minister Narendera Modi and Mr. Sinha boast about the polls and the victory of democracy but, at the same time, democracy is being discredited. The winning PAGD candidates are being threatened, humiliated and coerced to join the Apni Party which is a B-team of BJP,” he alleged
He claimed that a newly elected woman representative from Shopian was “forced to join the Apni Party in lieu of the release of her brother-in-law”.
“Why is the anti-defection law not being implemented to disqualify candidates switching parties? If there is anti-defection law in Parliament and Assembly, why is it not being implemented in J&K,” he asked.
Referring to the recent arrests of NC leaders Sowkat Ganai and Shabir Ahmed Kullay, Mr. Abdullah said this was done “with the aim to force them to join the Apni Party”.
“The majority of people voted against the decision of August 5, 2019 [dilution of Article 370], which they found unacceptable. The message is loud and clear,” he added.
Reacting to the allegations, Apni Party vice-president Ghulam Hassan Mir said, “Those who have won are not anyone’s property. If someone has been detained mistakenly, we condemn it.”
