In an interview arranged at his specific request, because he wanted to refute and rebut points made by former R&AW chief A.S. Dulat in an earlier interview on April 24, Sajad Lone, the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference and a former minister in both PDP-led governments between 2015 and 2018, also went on to dispute comments made by Satya Pal Malik about the prime miniser’s lack of knowledge of Kashmir.
Lone said that Farooq Abdullah and the National Conference are the problem and can never be the solution in Kashmir. Lone also claimed that the National Conference and the BJP have been “confabulating” with each other for at least a year, although they have hidden this from everyone else.
He also refuted former Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik’s statement (made to The Wire on April 14) that the prime minister is “ill-informed” about Kashmir. Lone first said that the prime minister was “very well informed” and then moderated it to say he is “well informed”. However, Lone also denied that either he or his People’s Conference would ever ally with the BJP in the future, adding that he had agreed to be part of the PDP-BJP governments between 2015 and 2018 because of what he called his “majboori” and that, he said, no longer applies.
In an interview to The Wire, Lone first spoke with passion and anger about Farooq Abdullah and his alleged role in rigging the 1987 election which, Lone repeatedly said, was the starting point of disaffection and militancy in Kashmir. Lone repeatedly said the political problems of Kashmir do not date back to 1984, when Farooq Abdullah was dismissed by Governor Jagmohan. At the time, no doubt, Kashmiris were upset and annoyed but this was forgotten and resolved when Farooq Abdullah was restored to chief ministership prior to the ’87 elections. It was what happened in ’87 that is the cause of the militancy and that is the main reason why Lone believes Farooq Abdullah cannot be the solution to the present problems of the union territory.
Lone also talks about the Satya Pal Malik interview. He contradicts and refutes Malik’s claim that the prime minister is ill-informed about Kashmir. Instead, he calls him “very well informed” before altering that to “well informed”. He cites several examples where the prime minister was well aware not just of the details of the situation but also the names of officers down to SSPs. Lone also said the prime minister has a parallel source of information.
Lone also says that before Malik dissolved the assembly in Srinagar, he rang him from London pleading that he should not do so on the grounds that once dissolved it will not be recreated for at least 10 years. He admits he did not have the numbers to form a government but he was pleading that the assembly must not be dissolved because he knew it would not be recreated soon.
In the interview, Lone also speaks about elections, which he believes must be held immediately. He also believes restoration of statehood must happen immediately. Whenever elections are held Lone said his People’s Conference will fight on its own and will not ally with any party.
Lone says the National Conference and BJP are “confabulating” with each other. He says this has been going on for at least a year. He offers as alleged proof of this the fact that although Omar Abdullah joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar none of the Abdullahs nor the National Conference party issued any statement in support of Rahul Gandhi when he was disqualified as an MP. He also claims Farooq Abdullah attended a meeting called by the government which all other opposition parties did not attend.
Lone also says that the BJP-NC will form the next government in Srinagar in an alliance. He says they will fight as opponents and during the campaign accuse other smaller parties (like his) of being BJP allies but then willingly form an alliance thereafter.
