Irfan Ahmad Mir
Srinagar, November 20 (KNS): National Conference (NC) senior leader and former MLA Ganderbal, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar on Sunday broke his silence over party affairs, saying “I will expose everyone at an appropriate time”. He said “If I have started to talk, so many mouths would get shut”.
The NC leader said that party’s present leadership is “incompetent” to deal with the affairs within and it is why the violation of party’s constitution has become a new normal there.
“Though I have been in politics since long but I have kept silence from quite some time. I am not in slumber. I will expose everyone at an appropriate time”, the disgruntled NC leader Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar told news gathering agency – KNS.
He said those at helm in the party have made violation of party’s constitution a new normal and are “incompetent” to deal with party affairs.
The NC leader Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar whose father was also a veteran NC leader and close confidante of Late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah – the founder of National Conference – said “I have not severed my ties with NC so far. Although I have been associated with politics from a long time but factually I have kept myself silent from quite some time. Our ancestors including my Late father rendered immense sacrifices to make the party pride of J&K. But unfortunately those at helm today have made the violation of party’s constitution a new normal”.
“I was ignored in recently formed constitutional heads by party. Though I was District President Ganderbal but unfortunately was taken out of board”, the NC leader said.
He also said that there are numerous political leaders and their workers who had expressed their reservation to party leadership on several issues but nothing was done so far. “We made several requests to NC vice president Omar Abdullah, but every time our pleas failed to hit their deaf ears”, he said.
The NC leader added those at helm inside the party don’t want new people to come and new leadership to emerge.
To a query, the former MLA Ganderbal said “Neither I am close to BJP nor I have switched to some other party. But yes I met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha several times only to apprise him about issues of my people”.
When asked about his futuristic plans, the disgruntled NC leader said “I am not alone in the queue. I have many who endorse my belief. They too feel suffocated with the present affairs within the party. We are in touch with each other. Don’t. Worry, some concrete decision will come out soon”, he continued.
“If I have started to talk, so many mouths would get shut”, he added.
On current political scenario, the NC leader said the political space in J&K is shrunk post abrogation of Article 370 and 35(A). “The political parties find no space to breath. Their activities are limited. People are also frightened”, he said.
He also said everyone in J&K is eagerly waiting for assembly elections so that long pending grievances of people will be addressed.
“Like others I also want statehood should be restored and elections should be conducted without any further delay”, the NC leader maintained.
Meanwhile sources who wished not to be named, told KNS that the NC leader will part his connections with NC and will likely to join some other political party in times to come.(KNS)