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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President and former J&K Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, criticized the National Conference (NC) on Tuesday, accusing them of hypocrisy for raising accusations against the PDP. She warned that if NC revisits past issues, it may backfire on them.
Mufti emphasized that the PDP has never sought power for its own sake, instead focusing on maintaining the party’s core principles. “There is a party that consistently enters elections, but their only goal is to seize power, with no clear purpose beyond that,” she remarked.
Reflecting on the NC’s past governance, Mufti expressed surprise at the party’s repeated electoral victories, saying, “From 1947 to 2002, this party frequently won with 70-75 seats, yet their achievements are negligible. In contrast, the PDP, under the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, accomplished much more with just 16 seats, surpassing the NC’s performance.”
Addressing the 1987 election controversies, Mufti accused the NC of widespread electoral manipulation, claiming that since then, violence has plagued Jammu & Kashmir, leading to countless deaths, orphaned children, and widows due to the NC’s actions.
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She highlighted that when the PDP formed alliances with Congress and BJP, it was based on principles. “In 2016, the PDP formed a government, and any future government will be difficult to establish without our involvement,” she added.
Mufti also questioned NC Vice President Omar Abdullah’s performance during his tenure as a minister in the BJP-led government, accusing him of introducing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in 2002, banning the shahtoosh trade, and downplaying the significance of the Kashmir issue on the international stage.
Regarding the 2009 Shopian rape and murder case, she criticized the NC government for arresting the complainants, contrasting it with the PDP’s response to the Kathua incident, where two ministers were dismissed. She reiterated her warning to the NC, stating that reopening past debates with the PDP could lead to significant challenges for them.
Mehbooba ruled out any future alliance with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing that her party will play a critical role in forming the government following the upcoming assembly elections.
Mufti reiterated that the PDP is focused on contesting elections based on a clear agenda, asserting that no government will be established without the participation of her party. “In 2002, we established a government with just 16 seats. If all goes well, this time too, no government will be formed without the PDP’s involvement,” she stated.
However, she clarified that the PDP’s primary objective is to advance its agenda, with less emphasis on securing power. Mufti, whose party formed a coalition government with the BJP in 2015, firmly dismissed any possibility of partnering with the saffron party after the elections.
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Responding to a question about former NC leader Devender Singh Rana’s claim that the NC attempted to form a government with the BJP in 2014, Mufti pointed out that the PDP has always conducted its actions transparently, unlike the NC, which she accused of operating in secrecy.
“When we engaged in discussions with the central government, not the BJP, through Ram Madhav, it was all out in the open. We presented an agenda and followed through with it. We did nothing in secret, unlike Omar Abdullah ” she said.
“Rana is making these statements now, and Ghulam Nabi Azad has previously mentioned that NC leaders secretly met with BJP officials in Delhi under the cover of darkness. We don’t conduct our affairs in secret,” she added.
Mufti also confirmed that her party currently has no interactions with the BJP and hinted that such interactions are unlikely to occur in the future.
In addition, the PDP leader accused certain police officers of “harassing” the public. “Some police personnel have once again become active, detaining and harassing people under the pretext of labeling them as OGWs (Over Ground Workers). Many were arrested during the last elections,” she noted.
She urged the Lieutenant Governor, who has promised free and fair elections, to instruct SSPs and SHOs to cease these activities and stop intimidating ordinary citizens.
