Asks EC to clarify reports about foreign interference in elections
Yogesh
Srinagar/Jammu, Feb 20 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that Government of India won’t talk to Pakistan till it stops abetting terror.
In an interview with a wire agency, Omar, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “It will be foolish for any of us to suggest that what J&K has been witnessing is purely indigenous without any outside assistance what so ever.”
Asked is Pakistan still meddling in the region, the Chief Minister said, “I don’t think Pakistan has ever stopped meddling in J&K.”
He said that the his party National Conference has always tried to take Pakistan on board to address concerns of the Government of India (GoI) so that a friendly working relationship is established.
Asked does he see it (working relation with Pak) happening, the J&K Chief Minister said, “I don’t see it happening.”
Replying to a query whether anytime has he advised the Bharatiya Janata Party led government in New Delhi to hold talks with Pakistan, Omar said, “At the moment I don’t see any scope of India holding talks with Pakistan.”
“There is no scope when you have sort of attacks that you have had in J&K over the past few years the way security forces and construction camps have been targeted. It becomes very difficult to tell the GoI that it has to talk.”
*‘EC SHOULD CLARIFY REPORTS ABOUT US SPENDING MONEY ON VOTER TURNOUT IN INDIA’*
Meanwhile, reacting to US President Donald Trump questioning the need to spend money on voter turnout in India, Omar told reporters in Jammu that “The Election Commission should clarify its stand on reports that the US spent USD 21 million for voter turnout in India.”
Omar said that till now there was no proof of foreign inference but he was quick to add, “The Election Commission has to clarify whether foreign interference had taken place or not.”
Pertinently, Donald Trump after taking over as the United States President has been speculating that the money was spent on the voter turnout in India and the erstwhile Biden administration was attempting to “get somebody else elected” in the country—(KNO)
