Probe rigging, else we boycott polls, says NC

On a cold autumn day, Opposition National Conference suddenly raised the political temperatures in the valley when its president Omar Abdull...

On a cold autumn day, Opposition National Conference suddenly raised the political temperatures in the valley when its president Omar Abdullah, former chief minister Farooq Abdullah along with party legislators rushed to Raj Bhawan and threatened to boycott all future elections if the 8216;8216;rigging8217;8217; in recent Assembly by-polls was not properly investigated.

The party also accused the Mufti Mohammed government of facilitating the assassination of its leaders by withdrawing their security cover and sought the government8217;s intervention on the issue.

Omar Abdullah said they met the Governor, Gen Retd S.K. Sinha, to 8216;8216;highlight the complete violation of model code of conduct by the Mufti government during the recent by-elections, and the blatant misuse of state government machinery8217;8217;. The party has also sought an inquiry, preferably by an SC Judge. 8216;8216;We have no faith in Mufti government after the Lok Sabha elections. We had some hope that the Election Commission would not take a partisan role but they too disappointed us this time around,8217;8217; said Omar. 8216;8216;If our faith in the democratic process is not restored and an inquiry not ordered, we may come to a situation where NC will boycott all future elections,8217;8217; said the leader.

He also questioned as to why all the killings of political leaders and other such incidents were taking place in South Kashmir, 8216;which is a PDP hub8217;8217;. 8216;8216;I told him Governor that it alarms us and we want this issue to be probed. We raised the issue of the withdrawal of security to our colleagues by the Mufti government. Mirza Safdar Beigh is a classic case. He was evicted from his government quarter in Srinagar without providing him any alternate accommodation. He had no choice but to go back to his ancestral home in Anantnag. If he was allowed to live in Srinagar, he might not have become victim of the militants,8217;8217; said the NC chief. 8216;8216;Now they are throwing out Mushtaq Lone8217;s wife,8217;8217; he lamented.

However, when contacted, Minister of State for Home, Abdul Rehman Veeri termed the NC accusation as baseless and laced with 8216;8216;ulterior political motives8217;8217;. 8216;8216;As far as the withdrawal of security is concerned, there is a committee set up by the former NC government itself, comprising all security agencies. They assess as per the threat perception and calculate the security needs of a protected person. The government has no role in it,8217;8217; said Veeri. 8216;8216;And if you go by the statistics of political workers killed in South Kashmir during the past two-three months, we PDP have lost 17 workers. This clearly proves that their NC allegation is baseless. Most of the times, the killings of political workers takes place because of their own complacence. He Safdar Beigh had three PSOs and at the time of the killing, there was just one with him and he too was not carrying his rifle,8217;8217; the minister said.

National Conference has meanwhile decided to boycott all the functions of the CM, including his speeches in the State Assembly to protest the alleged rigging in polls.

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More