National Conference candidate for Baramulla parliamentary constituency Mohommad Akbar Lone has stoked a major controversy by raising "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans and prayed for its well-being, during an election rally
“ Mera paar wala wo musalmaan mulk hai, wo abaad rahay would kamyaab rahe, hamari aur unki dosti baday, uss dosti ka mai ashiq hun…Agar unko koi aik gali dega mai unko yahan se dass galiyan dunga...(On the other side they are Muslim country. Let they prosper they succeed Let the friendship between them and us (Pakistan and India) bloom. If anyone will abuse them once. I will abuse them 100 times”, said Lone.
National Conference leader, who represented Sonawari assembly constituency and is former minister and speaker, is not new to controversies.
Last year in February Lone embarrassed his party after he shouted `Pakistan Zindabad' slogans in the Legislative Assembly at a time when security forces were battling the highly entrenched Jaish-e-Mohommad fidayeens in the 36 brigade headquarters in Sunjuwan Jammu. Lone was responding to the BJP members slogans of 'Pakistan Murdabad' to protest the fidayeen attack on the 36 brigade headquarters in Sunjuwan Jammu.
National Conference leader's controversial remarks has brought him into the crosshairs of BJP which has decided to approach Election Commission to seek nullifying his candidature.
"It is the same party which once propgated bombing Pakistan. It is the same party which banned Jamaat-e-Islami. Now they are protesting the ban. They are doing votebank politics. We will be approaching the Election Commission urging them to nullify his candidature in the light of his pro Pakistan statement", said Altaf Thakur, state BJP spokesman.
Lone is pitted against BJP's MM War, PDP's Abdul Qayoom Wani besides others in the Baramulla constituency which is going to polls in first phase.
Six Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir will go to polls in five phases. Baramulla and Jammu constituencies will go to polls in the first phase. Srinagar and Udhampur constituencies will go to polls in the second phase. Anantnag constituency will go to polls in third, fourth and fifth phases given the precarious security situation in the south Kashmir region. Ladakh constituency will go to polls in fifth phase