"It's gone underground...": JKPC chairman Sajad Gani Lone on 'Azadi' sentiments in Kashmir

New Delhi, Sep 10: Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference (JKPC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday said that the 'Azadi' sentiments in Jammu and Kashmir are not over and have "gone underground," adding that as Kashmiris, they can feel it.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, when asked, is the Azadi concept over?, the JKPC chairperson said, "No, I don't think it's totally over. It's gone underground, but it's scared. It was going until you came with a muscular policy. It was going to go away. It's going to fade for all time to come. Muscularity has given it a longer lease of life. But in invisible ways of life. It is there, but you can't see it. But we can feel it as Kashmiris. It's somewhere there. As politicians, we know it's... The tone of my interview should tell you that there is a problem."

Asked whether he thinks it is 'fragile peace' in Jammu and Kashmir, Lone said that "it seems so."

"It didn't seem so before. But now I think it is. Before my defeat, I thought it was eternal. The defeat I had in the elections in parliament. So I think, after that, to be very honest, I do want my field. I just hope it's total peace for all," he added.

When asked whether the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls 2024 affected him badly, Lone said, "No, it's not hit me badly. People have expressed. It was a vote against Delhi. It was a vote against the BJP."

Sajad Lone fought the election from his home constituency, Baramulla, securing 173,239 votes. The election was won by independent engineer Sheikh Abdur Rashid after defeating his nearest rival, former chief minister Omar Abdullah, by a margin of over 2.04 lakh votes.

In the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Sajad Gani Lone will contest the polls from the two seats in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. He will fight the elections from Handwara and Kupwara assembly constituencies.

The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.