Srinagar- In a blistering critique, Sajad Lone, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, accused the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of abandoning his aggressive anti-BJP stance post-election and instead displaying “rookie enthusiasm in surrendering” to the BJP. The fiery post criticized the Chief Minister for actions such as gifting shawls to BJP leaders, which Lone described as a “comedown” from the rebellion promised during the election campaign.
“During the election period, your body language and utterances were aggressive. Your whole campaign was customised against the BJP. Your electoral script was a blend of escalation and scapegoating. And it worked for you. A massive mandate you got,” Lone wrote on X.
Lone expressed dismay at the Chief Minister’s perceived transformation, saying, “From a rebel with a sword in his hand mounted on a horse to a minion grovelling on his knees, sword replaced by a shawl. What a comedown.” He accused the Chief Minister of humiliating Kashmiri voters who believed they were voting for someone who would stand up to the BJP, adding, “Your shawl draping visuals of surrender meant that BJP had actually taught the people of Kashmir a lesson. The BJP had the last laugh.”
Lone raised concerns about the growing confusion caused by the parallel power structure of the elected government and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) administration, stating, “There are no business rules in sight. Business rules are in essence demarcation of respective competencies. And there is total confusion. You have been ring-fenced. You come across as a horse shot through the legs.”
He warned that the ongoing erosion of Kashmiri identity would continue unabated unless the region’s statehood was restored, calling the Union Territory a “ticking bomb.”
Lone accused the Chief Minister of betraying the trust of the Kashmiri people, questioning his motives and courage:
“Are you scared? Or are you compromised? Whose side are you on? The Kashmiris have given you the mandate. Go out there and fight for them. Where is the roar that you threatened to roar? Why am I and many more like me hearing a meow?”
He criticized the Chief Minister’s silence on key issues, including the termination of government employees, suggesting that the administration lacked the courage to stand up to Delhi but had no qualms about targeting Kashmiri locals. “Not a single day passes when the elected government is not undermined. Again you are quiet,” he noted.
Lone concluded his scathing post by accusing the Chief Minister of being pliable to Delhi’s interests, saying:
“This feeling of being over privileged and you being some precious cargo which India or Delhi can’t do without—Get off that high horse. They let you prosper because you are pliable. And may I say Shawl-able.”
He further added a sharp Urdu phrase to underscore his critique, “Jab Khuda husan deta hai nazakat Aa he jaati hai.” Struggling to find an equivalent in English, Lone quipped:
“A bull does not become king just by entering the palace, but the palace becomes a barn.”
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