We Neglected People During 6 Yr Rule: NC MLA

Omar’s joining NDA was a grave blunder: Lone

Srinagar: Admitting that National Conference completely ignored the people of Kashmir during its six years rule, former Higher Education Minister Muhammad Akbar Lone Sunday said that that joining of Omar Abdullah in NDA Government was still haunting the party. 

In an interview with Srinagar based news gathering agency CNS, National Conference leader Muhammad Akbar Lone said that National Conference severed all its communications with the BJP, once party leader Aga Ruhullah opposed the move to form the government with it. 

“A day after the Assembly results were out, Davindhar Singh Rana met some BJP leaders in New Delhi but the working president of the party, Omar Abdullah directed all the prominent members of the party to desist from meeting any BJP leader as the two top leaders of the National Conference publically opposed it and asked party to stop consulting BJP leaders for government formation purpose,” Lone said adding that he also opposed the party decision to forge an alliance with the BJP.

“People’s Democratic Party will suffer badly once it will form the government with the BJP support in Jammu and Kashmir. The joining of Omar Abdullah with the NDA is still haunting the party and there are scores of leaders within the party that still blame Omar Abdullah for the downfall of the party. It was a blunder on part of our party that Omar Abdullah joined National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We still repent and will always repent over that decision. It was the major mistake of National Conference and we suffered heavily due to this,” Lone said.

He added that PDP is all set to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of BJP. “Mark my words, PDP will suffer badly once it will form the government with the support of BJP. People of Kashmir will feel cheated and they will come on roads against this alliance. They will ask PDP why it formed the government with a party against whom people of Kashmir voted,” he said.

Lone said that BJP is misleading people and trying to defame National Conference by claiming that Omar Abdullah was the first person to approach him to form the government in the State. “It were BJP leaders who requested NC working president to meet him, but we flatly refused. If BJP leaders have any proof that NC approached them, then they must come forward with facts and tell the public about this. But I know they can’t come forward as no NC leader ever met them and assured party support to them,” he said.

Coming down heavily on PDP for ignoring the support of NC, Lone said that post Assembly result developments made it clear that PDP  was interested in BJP as it never gave an indication to form the government with the support of NC and Congress party. “This party (PDP) will suffer in the same way as NC has suffered. Being pro-India, Mufti has decided to join hands with BJP as he does not like NC to figure anywhere,” he said adding that almost all the leaders of NC had conveyed to Omar Abdullah in advance that they don’t want any kind of alliance with the BJP.

Former Education Minister Muhammad Akbar Lone admitted that people voted NC out of power as this party ignored them and committed some major blunders. “We as a party failed to live up to the expectations of the people. We ignored those people who voted for us in 2008. We pursed anti-people agenda and were insensitive towards the apathy of common people. We got what we deserved and it is a lesson for us,” he said. (CNS)