Srinagar/ Dec 26: National Conference vice President and former Chief Minister on Saturday alleged that administration was using police and Civil Administration to force the winning candidates of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to join Apni Party.

“If Prime Minister Narendra Modi and J&K LG Manoj Sinha claims democracy has won, but on the other hand, democracy is being discredited,” Omar Abdullah said while addressing press conference at his Gupkar residence.

“Unfortunately, one of our PAGD candidate who contested the elections on NC ticket has been forcibly asked to join the Apni Party, while playing the recording in press conference, the husband of the lady was asked to tell his wife to join Apni party and then only his brother-in-law will be released within 3 days”, said Omar Abdullah while narrating the call recording.

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“I don’t know the reasons on whose command and behest this all is being done, winning candidates of PAGD are being threatened, humiliated and coerced to join Apni Party”, said Omar Abdullah.

“I don’t know what they are preventing by arresting our party colleagues, we have not given any programme which would create any law-and-order problem, we did not even celebrate the victory, I don’t understand the preventive detention and what are they preventing, if they can’t release leaders then authorities should produce their grounds of detention, I fear the democratic intuitions are being discredited”, said Omar Abdullah.

He said that if BJP leaders including its spokesmen are claiming that democracy has won in J&K through DDC polls, why same democracy is being discredited by the administration which is using police and Civil administration to force the winning candidates to join Apni Party. “As soon as the results of DDC Elections were out, I don’t know on whose command Civil Administration and Police authorities started interfering by arrests and threats, which is unfortunate.” I would urge both the Central Government and LG Administration to convey the Police and Civil Administration to not to interfere anymore”, said Omar Abdullah.    

On being asked by a reporter about the detention of Awami Itehad Party Chief Er. Rasheed, Omar Abdullah said, “since he is not under preventive detention, he is detained on some other charges, and he has been in detention for a long now and if there are any charges against him it should be produced in the court and he should have been given bail from court as well but unfortunately this is not the way law should function.” “Verdict of DDC polls was loud and clear that people voted for PAGD and the message is August 5, 2019 decision wasn’t acceptable to majority of people of Jammu and Kashmir”, Omar Abdullah said. (KNT)