Omer should focus on statehood restoration instead of criticizing Congress: JKPCC

Srinagar, Dec 16  In a sharp response to Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s criticism on Congress over its stand on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), senior vice president & chief spokesperson JKPCC Ravinder Sharma on Monday said the party was committed to addressing public concerns about electoral transparency.

Notably, the chief minister Omar Abdullah, in a recent interview had accused Congress of ‘inconsistency’, suggesting that the party celebrates EVM results when it wins but questions their integrity when it loses.

Sharma, while speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), responded by dismissing the jibe, stating that the Congress part was duty-bound to represent the apprehensions of the people across the nation, including intellectuals, lawyers, and civil society members, who had raised doubts over the reliability of EVMs.

“It is our responsibility as the oldest political party in the country to uphold democracy and respond to the people’s concerns. While other parties, including the National Conference, are entitled to their views, the Congress will continue to chart its own path on such critical issues,” Sharma said.

Notably, this is not the first time the National Conference party and Omar Abdullah have spoken out against the Congress.

With a pre-poll alliance agreement ahead of the general assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir between the National Conference and Congress party, soon after the results, Abdullah criticised Congress for paying a lot of focus to Kashmir when the elections were about the party’s performance in Jammu.

Sharma said Abdullah should focus on pressing matters like the ‘restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood’ and the rights of its people rather than criticizing Congress.

Asked about Abdullah questioning Congress’s leadership role in the INDIA bloc alliance, Sharma refused a direct response but said, “He is entitled to his opinion, but the Congress remains steadfast in its leadership and commitment to the alliance’s goals.”

Sharma, however, added that the difference in opinions within the INDIA bloc was natural and that they do not undermine the collective mission to safeguard democracy and address public concerns—(KNO)