National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday claimed that the BJP-ruled Centre was fielding independent candidates against him in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections in a bid to silence him.

“I always knew that Delhi would want to silence me in some way but I never thought that they would go to this extent. In Baramulla (Lok sabha elections), when a person (Sheikh Abdul Rashid) stood against me in the polls, having filed the papers while in jail, he recorded his message from jail and sought votes based on emotions. He defeated me in the elections,” he said.