Omar, Lone spar over ‘cancellation’ of nod for campaign events

My opponents have been unnerved by the tremendous response to my campaign... They have taken to hiding behind the administration. OMAR ABDULLAH,

The electoral battle in Baramulla Lok Sabha is heating up, with former chief minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples Conference chairperson Sajjad Lone trading barbs over what the former has described as “arbitrary cancellation” of prior permissions granted to his election-related events.

With the constituency, spread over four districts, set to go to polls on May 20, both National Conference and the Peoples Conference are running high-decibel campaigns..

Abdullah on Thursday blamed the administration for helping the BJP proxy candidate, a reference to Lone, writing on ‘X’, “My opponents have been unnerved by the tremendous response my campaign is receiving throughout North Kashmir... They have taken to hiding behind the administration which is going out of its way to help these BJP proxy candidates. I hope the @ECISVEEPwill take note of this move by the administration to sabotage my campaign.”

Later, Abdullah the National Conference vice-president, also wrote a letter to the chief election commissioner of India against the arbitrary cancellation of prior permissions granted to his party to carry out election-related activities by the office of Sopore SP.

He while addressing a rally in Kupwara claimed that the BJP was rattled at seeing the huge public participation in his rallies, adding, “They (BJP) never wanted that I should be able to reach to the people.”.

Lone, meanwhile, termed the allegations as “lies” being peddled by the former CM.

NC V-P

For your opponents to get unnerved you have to have crowds. Don’t expect us to get unnerved with nonexistent crowds. SAJJAD LONE,

PC chief

Our party events also rescheduled: Lone

“Can we stop this ‘Tarbaazi’? We have now stooped to Tarbaazi-Pro. It seems we will need to create a special section to counter lies manufactured by you on an hourly basis,” he wrote on ‘X’ in response to the allegations. Lone said his party has also been instructed to reschedule their programmes, writing, “In fact, both PC and NC have been intimated in the same order, which I have attached for your reference. In wonderment why you couldn’t read the whole order.”

Lone asked Omar to come up with lies which have a longer shelf life. “I was accosted out of a village just two hours back. Ohh God this entitlement of yours is sickening.” he said, adding that he should instead of playing a perpetual victim should rather focus on getting crowds to attend their events.

“A humble advice. For your opponents to get unnerved you have to have crowds. Don’t expect us to get unnerved with non-existent crowds. Introspect on non-existent crowds. And youngsters chasing you away,” Lone said.