Tanvir Sadiq slams Sajad Lone over UT protest, calls his stand ‘ridiculous’

Srinagar, Mar 26: National Conference (NC) chief spokesperson and legislator Tanvir Sadiq on Tuesday criticized Peoples Conference (PC) president Sajad Lone over his stance on Jammu and Kashmir’s Union Territory (UT) status, calling it contradictory and “ridiculous.”

Sadiq questioned Lone’s political approach, highlighting what he saw as inconsistencies in his position. “Sajad Lone took an oath in the UT, contested elections in the UT, and sits in the UT Assembly. But when it comes to GST discussions in the Assembly, suddenly UT status is a problem?” he remarked.

Referring to NC leader and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s efforts to address the concerns of daily wagers, Sadiq noted that within four months, Abdullah had formed a committee comprising top UT bureaucrats to resolve their grievances.

He emphasized the significance of ongoing discussions in the Assembly, stating, “For the first time, people’s voices are being heard in the House, and issues that matter to the public are being raised.”

Reiterating his party’s commitment to the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, Sadiq said, “We want statehood to be restored and are trying our level best.” However, he questioned the objections raised by Lone and PDP leader Waheed Parra. “If Sajad Lone has such a problem with the word UT, why does he call himself an MLA of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir?” he asked.

Sadiq also blamed past political decisions for the current state of affairs, asserting, “Had these people not acted the way they did in 2014, the events of August 5, 2019, would not have unfolded the way they did.”