Sajad Lone ended ties with Gupkar Alliance at BJP’s behest: Farooq

Srinagar, May 5

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday claimed that Peoples Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone ended his ties with the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) at the BJP’s behest to facilitate his wife’s return from Pakistan.

The PAGD was formed by several parties, including the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, CPI(M), CPM, Peoples Conference and the Awami National Conference, in 2019 to demand the restoration of the special status of J&K within the Constitution.

However, Lone, a separatist-turned-mainstream politician, left the alliance in January 2021, claiming that there was a breach of trust among the alliance partners during the district development council elections. “Till yesterday, Sajad Lone was with Pakistan. He took money from the neighbouring country. When his wife went to Pakistan to meet her mother, wasn’t Lone called to New Delhi and told to cut ties with the Gupkar Alliance if he wanted his wife back in India. Please ask him. He is also their agent and I pray to God that people understand this now,” Abdullah said.

Lone, who is pitted against National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah in north Kashmir’s Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, on Saturday asked Omar to prove his allegation that he was collaborating with the BJP. Lone also demanded an apology from Omar if he failed to prove the allegation. “BJP has nothing here (in Kashmir) and the A, B and C candidates here belong to them,” Abdullah said in an apparent reference to the candidates filed by the Peoples Conference, the Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari and the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad.

On counter-allegations that the National Conference which shook hands with the former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee-led government, he said, “Vajpayee’s government was an organisation of 23 parties. It was not just an organisation belonging to the BJP. We did not make any coalition with them (BJP).” He said Azad’s decision not to fight from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat despite the announcement by his party proves where he stands.

“BJP is using the regional parties for its own benefits. Do you think it will take them along? It will sink them,” Abdullah added.