Kupwara, May 4: Peoples Conference chairman and Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone on Monday said, “I wanted Mamata Banerjee to win,” reacting to the West Bengal election outcome, which he said did not align with his expectations.
Lone was speaking to reporters during an inspection of developmental works in Handwara town.
Taking a dig at the Omar Abdullah-led government, he alleged an absence of governance on the ground. “The government is missing, and Omar Abdullah is busy running marathons across different parts of the country,” he said.
Responding to a question about a recent FIR against PDP leader Iltija Mufti over sharing separatist content on social media, Lone said the law must be applied equally to all.
“She is like my daughter, but I want to ask — if a common Kashmiri had done the same, would they not have been behind bars by now? Many poor people face prolonged detention for minor actions. If there is a law, it should be the same for all. Any deviation creates a sense of injustice among ordinary citizens,” he said.
He cited instances where youth were allegedly detained for months over social media activity, including liking posts.
Lone questioned what he described as selective enforcement of the law and asked whether governance was tilted in favour of the wealthy. He said he wanted to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha whether they were leaders only for the rich.
Lone, however, reiterated that he does not support violence in any form, stating that what is wrong for one child is wrong for every child. He urged the government to act within the framework of law and avoid selective enforcement.
