1987 polls were rigged in J&K, Congress stole votes: Sunil Sharma

Srinagar, October 12 : Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma on Monday accused the Congress of rigging the 1987 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that the National Conference and the Abdullah family had benefited from the electoral malpractice.
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‎Speaking to reporters at Dalgate in Srinagar, Sharma made the remarks while responding to the opposition INDIA bloc’s campaign over alleged electoral irregularities and protests seeking greater transparency in the electoral process.
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‎“If this allegation applies to anyone, then it applies to the rigging of 1987. The biggest allegation in the country is the rigging of 1987. It is the theft of 1987,” Sharma said.
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‎He alleged that the Congress had stolen votes in Jammu and Kashmir and questioned the National Conference leadership over its position on electoral transparency.
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‎“Congress has stolen votes here. 1987 is an example in the whole world,” he said, adding that the Abdullah family needed to answer questions about the allegations surrounding the elections.
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‎Sharma also targeted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his participation in the opposition’s campaign, questioning his position on the conduct of elections after his earlier remarks praising the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir.
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‎Referring to Omar Abdullah’s previous comments on the Assembly elections, Sharma said the Chief Minister had described the polls as exceptionally good but was now questioning electoral transparency.
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‎“Two years ago, he said that such a beautiful election had happened for the first time in history. This came out of Omar Abdullah Sahib’s mouth,” Sharma said.
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‎He also referred to Omar Abdullah’s reported remarks on the use of electronic voting machines and asked why the Chief Minister was now raising questions about the electoral process.
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‎“If it went wrong, then your election was also bad. You resign on moral grounds,” Sharma said.
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‎Criticising the INDIA bloc’s street protests, the BJP leader said political parties should seek public support through democratic processes rather than demonstrations that disrupt daily life.
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‎“If you want to show your strength, gather two lakh or five lakh people. Gather in a stadium or at Ramlila Maidan if you do not have a place at Jantar Mantar. Raise your slogans, and when people accept you, they will bring you to power,” he said.
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‎Sharma said protests should not obstruct essential services or inconvenience the public, including students, patients and businesses.
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‎“People have to go to school, people have to go to hospitals, people have to open businesses. If you close all the roads, no one will allow you anywhere,” he said.
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‎He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his reported interaction with a woman police officer during the protests, saying such conduct was unacceptable.
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‎On the issue of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Sharma said it would be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir along with the rest of the country, rejecting Omar Abdullah’s reported assertion that the legislation would never be implemented in Kashmir.
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‎“UCC will be implemented in India, and Kashmir will also be part of it,” Sharma said.
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‎The 1987 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections remain a contentious episode in the region’s political history, with allegations of electoral malpractice frequently cited in discussions about the emergence of armed militancy. The Congress and National Conference entered into an electoral alliance for the polls, which were won by the NC-Congress combine.(KNS)
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