Omar Abdullah calls Jamaat-e-Islami’s decision to contest J-K polls a ‘huge development’

SRINAGAR — Former Chief Minister of the erstwhile J&K and Senior Vice President of JKNC, Omar Abdullah on Monday termed the reports of Jamaat-e-Islami members contesting the upcoming Assembly elections as a huge development, saying “those who had declared elections Haram and were talking about J&K not being part of India are now willing to contest the same elections.”

Reacting to the reports of Jamaat-e-Islami fielding its former members as independent candidates, Omar Abdullah while talking to a national television channel, said, “I think it’s an important development. An organization that spent the last 30 plus years telling the people of Kashmir that elections are Haram and that they should not participate in these elections.”

“The organization that was talking about Jammu and Kashmir not being part of India is today willing to take the same oath on the Constitution of India that mainstream political parties have taken. This is a huge development. Let’s see now what happens,” he said.

“I was hoping that the ban would be lifted so that they could fight on their own symbol. If not, let them come as independents,” Omar Abdullah added.

Pertinently, the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir is set to field its former members as independent candidates in several seats in the upcoming Assembly polls, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.

Jamaat leaders, according to the report, had earlier said they are waiting for the Centre to lift the ban, in place under the UAPA since February 2019, with sources saying several rounds of talks had happened with the government. However, on Friday last, the UAPA orders passed by the MHA were upheld, declaring the Jamaat as an unlawful association under the Act.