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Omar Abdullah welcomes Jamaat’s decision to field candidates for assembly polls
Highlighting democracy’s characteristic of everybody getting a chance to fight elections, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah said that he had read Jamaat were trying to get their ban lifted to field their representatives but it was not lifted before polls
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Sunday welcomed the banned politico-religious organisation Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JeI) decision to field candidates in the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting democracy’s characteristic of everybody getting a chance to fight elections, the former CM said, “I also read that perhaps JeI were trying to get their ban lifted to field their representatives but their ban was not lifted before the announcement of elections. They are now perhaps trying to field independent candidates, Bismillah - start with the name of Allah.”
Earlier this week, JeI leaders had hinted at returning to the electoral arena after considering launching a political party for the upcoming assembly elections. The organisation would be fielding independent candidates, many of their members before the ban, in the assembly elections.
With the registration of party names taking time and the UAPA tribunal on Friday upholding the ban on the Jamaat as an unlawful association, the leaders of the organisation have meanwhile decided to field the candidates from the very first phase as independents and plunge into the democratic arena.
They are mulling contesting 15 to 20 seats in case they get suitable candidates, even considering fielding former separatist activists as their candidates. The party will pursue politics under a new banner or name which will be later registered as a political party, its members said.
Abdullah, who has been an advocate of lifting the ban on JeI, said he had wanted them to field their candidates on their own symbol and party, JeI. “But if that is not possible then at least field independent candidates. Let them join and come with their manifesto, promises and intentions and then it is up-to people whom they would like to vote,” he said.
In 2019, the Centre imposed a five-year ban on the Jamat, citing the outfit’s ties with terrorist groups.
The first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade will be held in three phases on September 18 and 25, and October 1. This is also the first assembly polls in the restive region since its special status and statehood were scrapped five years ago and is likely to be the last step before the Union territory’s statehood is restored.
The Jamaat was first banned in 1975 and again in 1990, at the beginning of the militancy in Kashmir. Later, police also blamed it for running the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. Since 2019 changes, 77 properties linked to the Jamaat across the UT have been attached across J&K.
On Saturday Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti released her party manifesto vowing to work towards lifting the ban on JeI. “Govt of India should lift the ban from JeI. Why ban JeI which had a great role in education, flood rehabilitation and who helped people during Covid. Their talking part in elections is fine but the ban on them should be lifted,” she said.
