National Conference Party Says Federal Agencies 'Clear Path for BJP' as Ex-Kashmir Chief Summoned

Farooq Abdullah was accused by India's CBI probe agency of having a role in the misappropriation of funds meant for the promotion of cricket in Jammu and Kashmir between 2002 and 2011. India's top cricket board the BCCI gave the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association some $15 million, of which nearly 40% were allegedly siphoned-off, the CBI claimed.

Jammu and Kashmir's National Conference (NC) on Friday accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Federal Economic Intelligence Agency, of “clearing the path” for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of legislative assembly polls.

The statement came after the NC's president and former Jammu and Kashmir state chief, Farooq Abdullah, was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate over his alleged role in a money laundering case.

Abdullah is currently a parliamentarian and one of the top politicians from Kashmir.

Although there has not been any official announcement regarding the elections, NC spokesperson Imran Dar said: “Every time elections are expected to be announced in any state, the investigative agencies move in first to clear the path for the BJP".

“This appears to be the case this time as well and this is the price opposition parties pay for opposing this government”, Dar said.

He added that the BJP-led federal government has only targeted leaders from the People's Alliance of Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a group of Kashmir-based political parties that advocate a return of the region’s semi-autonomous status abrogated by the Indian parliament in 2019.

The erstwhile state now exists as the federally administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2020, the PAGD contested the local body elections against the BJP and secured 110 of the total 272 seats. The BJP won 75 seats.

Abdullah, who is also the PAGD's president, was earlier questioned for five hours by the ED in October 2020, days after the various regional political parties formed the PAGD.

“ED summons to JKNC President Dr Farooq Abdullah nothing new, this is common for all opposition parties in India. It’s also not a coincidence that the only leaders targeted in J&K belong to the PAGD alliance parties”, he said, adding that no such summons were sent against the BJP's members or its allies.

“He (Abdullah) has continued to maintain his innocence in the matter and has cooperated with the investigative agencies and will do so in this case as well”, the NC spokesperson added.

Abdullah, three-time chief of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, has been summoned by the ED in a case related to a money scam in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).

The 84-year-old politician will have to appear before the ED on 31 May.