Omar Compares Cancelling Of Polls To CM Mehbooba's Sister's Kidnapping In 1989

Opposition leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accused Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of bringing Jammu and Kashmir back to the early 1990s on Tuesday. Reacting to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to cancel Lok Sabha by-polls for Anantnag constituency, he also accused her of clinging to power shamelessly.

Omar compared cancellation of the polls with an incident involving the kidnapping of Mehbooba’s younger sister, Rubaiya Sayeed, by militants in 1989 and her release in exchange for five militants.

“In many ways, this is similar to the symbolic victory against India scored by the release of militants for Mehbooba Mufti’s sister in 1990,” Abdullah tweeted.

In December 1989, militants of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, kidnapped Rubaiya, then 23. Her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was then the Home Minister of India in the V. P. Singh government. The kidnappers demanded the release of five of their militants in exchange for Home Minister’s daughter. The then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah did not want to accept the demands of militants. It is said Farooq had argued that the release of militants in exchange would give sense of victory to militants and push the State towards further militancy. But the Central government overruled Farooq and accepted the demands and freed the five jailed militants. The release of militants in exchange was celebrated in the entire valley.

Omar said Mehbooba’s government was responsible for the “regression” in Kashmir. “It’s depressing to see how far we have regressed in Kashmir from the highs of the Assembly polls of 2014 to the cancelled election of 2017 (SIC),” he tweeted.

Omar accused Mufti of “shamelessly clinging to power” with her “5 percent of the people” despite pulling the valley back to the situation it was in during the 90s.

The NC spokesperson, also, criticized the alliance for present situation in the Valley. The spokesman said the PDP-BJP alliance had brought the State on the verge of complete chaos and turmoil as the situation was now–in a lot of ways –worse than the most tumultuous years of armed turmoil and militancy.

“An election has been cancelled after being aborted earlier to save the Chief Minister’s brother from imminent and embarrassing defeat. The turnout in the other election was dismal and unprecedented. Civilian protestors are being mowed down by the security forces in violation of all mandated SOPs as there are unofficial orders of ‘shoot-to-kill’. In the light of these circumstances and backdrop, the continuation of the PDP-BJP Alliance is detrimental to the very survival of electoral democracy in the State”, the NC spokesperson said.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) Monday evening cancelled the by-polls, scheduled to take place on May 25, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag parliamentary constituency. The ECI decision came after five policemen and two bank guards were killed by militants in south Kashmir on Monday afternoon.

“Taking note of the fact that no immediate improvement in law and order situation is in sight, the Commission is of the considered opinion that this is not the opportune time to continue with the exercise of the conduct of the bye-election from Anantnag constituency,” reads an order issued by the ECI late Monday night.

The ECI order reads: “The bye-election in Anantnag will be held by the commission in due course when the situation becomes conducive to the holding of free, fair and peaceful election.”

The bye-election to the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat was necessitated following the resignation of Lok Sabha MP Mehbooba Mufti last year to take over as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. In this election, Mehbooba’s brother, Mufti Tassaduq Hussain, 45, was in the poll fray.

The uncertainties about Anantnag bye-elections started on the day when Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency went to bye-polls on April 9. Srinagar recorded 7.11 percent poll participation – the lowest in the history of elections in J&K. That day eight people were killed and dozens injured. Later Mufti Tassaduq Hussain appealed to the ECI to cancel the polls. The ECI first deferred the Anantnag polls till May 25 and has since cancelled the polls.