EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 24: Peoples’ Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone has been chosen as a spokesman of Peoples Alliance of Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Such a development in which the arch rivals have decided to stitch a common alliance have brought the bitter memories of the past.
Lone was the most vocal critic of both Abdullahs and Muftis, terming them the main reason for all the miseries Kashmiris have been witnessing for decades now.
Pertinent to mention that on November 22, 2019, when the political parties in Kashmir valley-NC and Congress declared support to the PDP to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, it was Sajad alone who fought against the move, strived to thwart it and claimed the support of enough MLAs to form the government of his own.
Talking to a new Delhi based News Channel, Lone, who served as cabinet minister in the previous BJP-PDP coalition in the erstwhile state of J&K, claimed that he wrote a letter to the Governor, staking claim for the formation of the government only after he was sure that he had enough numbers in the kitty. “I don’t know about PDP and NC but we had numbers to form the government. Now when we have accepted the Governor's decision to dissolve the assembly, the PDP which is making cry of a thief should move the court of law,” Sajad said.
The PC chairman while responding to the question about him being involved in breaking the political parties and forming the “third front”, said NC and the PDP has no right to give lectures on democracy as the duo are themselves involved in undermining the democratic institutions of the state with impunity. “Whatever I did and I am doing is within the ambit of the constitution and within the legal framework. However, what NC has done in the past was incorrigible and proved lethal for the state. It is they who rigged the 1987 elections due to which gun came to Kashmir and one lakh people died. PDP too was hand in glove with schemers to undermine the state's democracy in 1984 as well as in 1987. Therefore, they have no moral ground to question my actions,” Sajad said at that time.
Fast forward to the present date when Lone has been appointed as a spokesman of the Peoples Alliance, it will be interesting to watch how this one time vocal critic of Mehbooba and Farooq Abdullah will defend their present actions and legitimise their past moves.
Talking to the media persons, Sajad Lone, who has been appointed as spokesperson of the group, announced that Farooq Abdullah has been appointed as president of the group while Mehbooba Mufti will be its vice -president. He added that M Y Tarigami has been appointed as convener of PAGD while Hassnain Masoodi will be its coordinator. |
