SRINAGAR, May 6: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti accused the ruling National Conference of using religious scripture to shift focus from its governance failures during a press conference in Srinagar. She condemned their actions as an attempt to hide mismanagement over the past two years.
In her statement, Mufti urged politicians to refrain from dragging the Quran into political discussions. “For God’s sake, do not drag Quran into politics. They are doing this to conceal their inefficiencies. People are disheartened with them,” she remarked, responding to questions about NC officials’ allegations regarding the PDP’s voting behavior in the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The comments came after NC chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq prompted PDP to swear by the Quran regarding their voting decisions. This followed a request made by MLA Zadibal, which highlighted tensions between the two parties. An RTI reply revealed that the PDP had not appointed a chief agent for the Rajya Sabha polls held last October, leading to accusations that PDP MLAs had voted for the BJP.
Mufti vehemently refuted these claims and reiterated her stance on the National Conference. She claimed the NC seeks distraction from its failures with divisive tactics. “Houses are being demolished under the garb of fighting drugs and earlier similar actions were taken under the pretext of combating terrorism,” she stated.
The former chief minister highlighted the adverse impact on citizens, particularly with government employees facing dismissals and students suffering from inadequate civic amenities. She argued that the National Conference has largely remained inactive while the community grapples with pressing issues.
“All this government has done is stand by as a mute spectator while these societal problems increase,” Mufti added. She emphasized that although political competition is welcome, using religious scriptures to settle political scores is unacceptable.
As electoral politics intensifies in Jammu and Kashmir, this exchange illustrates the growing tensions between the PDP and the National Conference amidst allegations and counter-allegations. Political analysts suggest that such rhetoric may resonate with the electorate as parties gear up for future challenges in the region.
