Sajad Lone accuses NC of ‘gifting’ 7 MLAs to BJP, Omar says don’t act like professor after boycotting RS polls

Srinagar: People’s Conference (PC) chief and MLA Sajad Lone on Saturday accused National Conference (NC) of “gifting” seven MLAs to the BJP in Rajya Sabha polls, while Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted by telling Sajad not to act like a “professor” after boycotting the polls himself.

PC chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone accused the NC of “gifting” seven MLAs to the BJP during the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference here, Sajad also announced that his party will soon start a “full-fledged campaign” against the ongoing reservation policy in the UT, which he claimed is killing merit and depriving Kashmiri candidates of government job opportunities.

“This government is out to kill merit. Open merit has been buried. We are going to start a ground-level registration drive against this policy,” Sajad Lone said, warning that the current system is “pushing Kashmir towards a major disaster”.

Lone further said that if necessary, his party will take to the streets.

“If hunger strikes or mass protests are required, we will not hesitate. Enough is enough,” he said.

He accused the NC of facilitating cross-voting in favour of the BJP.

In the Rajya Sabha polls held on Friday, NC won three and BJP one seat out of the four that went to polls.

Omar Abdullah has hit out at Sajad Lone, accusing him of boycotting the recent Rajya Sabha election to protect the BJP.

He said that Sajad Lone did not want to vote against the BJP.

“Lone had some compulsion and did not want to harm the BJP, so he openly boycotted the election and abstained from voting,” CM Omar remarked.

Taking a jibe at Lone, the chief minister added, “Now he is making big reels like a professor, but people should remember what he did during the election.

Omar Abdulah made these comments while reacting to the BJP’s “unexpected win” in one Rajya Sabha seat from Jammu and Kashmir, even as the NC claimed all its votes remained intact.

IANS