New Delhi : Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone has said that his late father Abdul Ghani Lone, who was a senior leader of separatist Hurriyat Conference, never asked anyone to pick up gun.

Sajjad Lone told media in an interview that he firmly believes in secularism and that statehood should be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest.

“He (Abdul Ghani Lone) never asked anybody to pick up the gun. My father never supported stone-pelting,” Sajjad Lone said.

Abdul Ghani Lone, who was founder of People’s Conference, was assassinated at a gathering in Srinagar in May, 2002. Sajjad Lone later joined mainstream politics.

Sajjad Lone, who is contesting the Jammu and Kashmir polls from two seats, said that the “gun came in” the valley after the alleged rigging of the 1987 election and also led to separatist politics. He said that his father was “a moderate” voice in the Hurriyat Conference.

“The gun came in. It swept everything. There was a romantic version of the gun. The backdrop was always 1987 (election). The backdrop was always rigging. Then my father was a part of the Hurriyat Conference. He was the founder. And he was supposed to be a moderate voice within the Hurriyat Conference,” Sajjad Lone said.

“Nobody can ever say that I had any relationship with them (Pakistan) or anything. I like that country; they are nice people, but given the chance I am with India, I am not with them. I have never liked them, in the sense politically. My wife is from that place. I have a lot of friends there,” he added. Answering a query, Sajjad Lone said he is “secular to the core”.

The People’s Conference leader is contesting the assembly polls from Handwara and Kupwara seats.

Regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Lone said it can only be achieved through parliamentary action.

“See, statehood can only be restored by the Parliament. We can’t. And I think there should be a policy for all the people who are elected that beyond a certain time, if they don’t give us state back, then we should stop. We should leave the assembly. There is no point in being a part of an assembly, which is humiliation. I think one year or two years or six months or three months after that, we should all en masse resign and leave,” Sajjad Lone said.

Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 18, 25 and October 1 and votes will be counted on October 8.

CNI