National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah stated on Sunday that the recent increase in terrorist attacks should not be a reason to delay assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
He pointed out that elections were held even in 1996 when militancy was at its peak.
"Some claim the situation has worsened, so there should be no elections. Are we so weak that we cannot hold elections? We held elections in 1996, and the situation was far worse then," Abdullah said.
He criticised those opposing the elections, suggesting they were surrendering to armed forces and disregarding the sacrifices of security personnel. He reminded that the Supreme Court has ordered elections by September 30.
"If you say the situation isn't conducive for polls, you are ignoring the sacrifices of our 55 martyrs over the past three years," Abdullah added during a public rally in Gurha Slathia, Samba district.
Abdullah also criticised Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for delaying a high-level meeting to address the surge in terror incidents.
"This meeting should have occurred long before the first incident. It only happened after we raised concerns," he said.
Addressing the gathering, Abdullah highlighted the differences since his party's tenure ended in January 2015.
Meanwhile, he claimed that despite the revocation of J&K’s special status in August 2019, the threat of terror persists everywhere.
Furthermore, He accused the current administration of failing to develop the region and compromising security, leading to the loss of lives among security personnel.
From Kathua to Reasi and Rajouri to Doda, he noted, terror attacks on security forces occur almost daily.
Abdullah urged a brave response to these forces but lamented that such courage was not expected under the current administration.
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