Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Sunday, 2 December, accused People’s Conference Chief Sajad Lone’s father Abdul Gani Lone of introducing militancy to Kashmir. He also called Lone a product of dynastic politics, The Indian Express reported.
“Uske(Sajjad Lone) walid mere pas aaye the jab mujhe dismiss kiya tha Jagmohan ne aur kaha tha ‘Main Pakistan ja raha hun. Main bandook lane wala hoon.’ Maine use kaha, bandook mat laiye.’ (“Sajad’s father came to me when (the then J&K Governor) Jagmohan had dismissed me (in 1984). He said ‘I am going to Pakistan, I am going to get the gun. I asked him not to get it.”Farooq Abdullah, NC President
“With folded hands, I had pleaded him not to get the gun here. (I told him) our jawans will get killed, our homes will be destroyed. But he brought the gun here. When he came back, he apologised to me,” the NC leader added.
According to the report, Abdullah told reporters in Baramulla, “What is he (Sajad Lone)? He is also the product of dynasty politics.”
He added that his party had decided to support its traditional rival Peoples Democratic Party to save Article 35A and Article 370.
“We didn’t want to form the government because we wanted to enjoy power, but we wanted to protect all that which the Governor is doing now. We wanted to defend Article 35A. The government would not have sustained for long. It was to be toppled one day and elections had to be held.”Farooq Abdullah
Last month, the National Conference, along with the Congress, had extended support to PDP months after the Bharatiya Janata Party had withdrawn from its alliance with the Mehbooba Mufti-led party in the state. The Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik then dissolved the state legislative Assembly after both the PDP-NC-Congress combine and the BJP-Peoples Conference staked claim to form the government.
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