Gundaraj is over: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, Nov 21: National Conference (NC) President and three-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah Thursday said that the “gundaraj” was over and that people had every right to question their representatives and the government.

“The ‘gundaraj’ is over,” he told media persons at Srinagar.

The NC chief was responding to a question on his party’s Member of Parliament MP Aga Syed Mehdi seeking a review of reservation.

“This is a good thing that the Lok Sabha member is raising people’s issues. The job of the government is to bring forth all the issues of the people. We are answerable to people because they have voted for us,” he said.

Abdullah said that both the people and the media had the right to hold the ruling party accountable for any mistakes made by the government as the era of fear in questioning those in power was over.

“There is now complete freedom for everyone to question the government over any wrongdoing while the media can raise issues that were previously suppressed,” he said.

The NC chief said everything would be investigated gradually, including the Rs 3000 crore Jal Shakti fraud reported by an officer.

“This is Omar Abdullah’s government, and people have the right to know everything,” he said.

Abdullah said that poverty had increased and unemployment was on the rise and urged the government to address these issues and take steps to tackle them.

He said that the Centre should take the allegations against the Adani Group seriously and investigate the matter thoroughly.

The former chief minister said there had been allegations of wrongdoing against the Adani Group earlier as well.

“If it has happened, it needs to be investigated,” he said.

“There is a demand for JPC. I hope the Central government will take the issue seriously and investigate it thoroughly,” Abdullah said.

The billionaire industrialist has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts.

This was concealed from the US banks and investors from whom the Adani Group raised billions of dollars for the project, the prosecutors have alleged.

US law allows pursuing foreign corruption allegations if they involve certain links to US investors or markets.