Delhi trying to silence me: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Sep 6: In a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in New Delhi, National Conference (NC) Vice President and former chief minister Omar Abdullah Friday accused the Centre of strategically undermining his political campaign by pitting jailed separatist candidates against him in the upcoming elections.

Speaking at a gathering of party workers in Ganderbal, Abdullah expressed concerns over what he termed a “conspiracy to silence his voice”.

Flanked by key party leaders, including MP Mian Altaf Ahmad, Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, and senior members Ghulam Nabi Rather, Sheikh Gayas-ud-Din, and Mushtaq Mir, he aimed at the alleged political manoeuvring that has, in his view, specifically targeted him.

Abdullah referenced his earlier electoral defeat in Baramulla, where Engineer Rashid, a candidate who was campaigning from jail, triumphed using an emotional appeal recorded from behind bars.

“I always had a suspicion that Delhi would try to silence me, but I never thought they would go to this extent,” he said.

Abdullah’s comments were met with murmurs of agreement from the crowd, which had gathered at several of his rallies in Ganderbal.

He then turned his attention to the candidacy of Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Sarjan Barkati, a jailed separatist leader who filed his nomination from Ganderbal.

Abdullah questioned the timing and nature of Wagay’s candidacy, asking whether it was mere coincidence or a calculated effort to undermine his chances.

“When I chose Ganderbal, I started hearing rumours that this individual would be my opponent. It made me wonder, was this all part of a larger plan?” he said.

Abdullah expressed surprise that a candidate from Shopian would be fielded in Ganderbal, further fueling his belief that his opponents had gone to great lengths to obstruct his political campaign.

“They couldn’t find anyone from Ganderbal in jail, so they brought someone from another district,” he said. “It’s not just about me, it is an attack on the voices of the people I represent.”

In a move to protect his candidacy, Abdullah revealed that his team had collected nomination papers from several constituencies on the last day of filing, keeping their strategy under wraps to avoid interference.

“Yesterday, all of my doubts were confirmed. It’s no coincidence that this jailed man filed nominations from Ganderbal and also took papers from Beerwah, assuming I would contest from there. But when we filed from Budgam, they were caught off guard,” he said.

Abdullah alleged that the BJP’s broader agenda was to suppress voices from Jammu and Kashmir, with him being a prime target.

“This is not just an effort to silence me, it’s an effort to silence the dignity and rights of my people,” he said.

His words echoed across the assembly, where supporters listened intently to his emotionally charged speech.

Abdullah’s campaign trail included a visit to Jamia Masjid Lar, where he joined his associates for Friday prayers.

He concluded his speech by stating that while conspiracies might have succeeded in the past, this time, he was confident that the people of Ganderbal would make the right choice.