SRINAGAR, May 6: In a sharp critique, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of dragging religious scripture into politics to divert attention from its “failures” over the past two years. This statement came during a media briefing in Srinagar, where she urged the ruling party not to manipulate the Quran for political gains.
“For God’s sake, do not drag the Quran into politics. They (NC) are doing this to hide their failures over the past two years of being in government. People are disheartened with them,” Mehbooba told reporters, expressing concern over the deteriorating political conditions in the region.
The former chief minister’s comments followed a remark by MLA Zadibal and NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, who demanded that Mufti and her MLAs testify with the Quran that they did not vote for the BJP during the Rajya Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir last year.
An Right to Information (RTI) reply revealed that the PDP did not appoint a chief agent for the Rajya Sabha elections held in October, prompting allegations from the NC suggesting that the opposition party’s three MLAs had voted in favor of the BJP.
In her response, Mehbooba accused the National Conference of attempting to shift public focus away from significant governmental failures. She stated, “Houses are being demolished under the garb of fighting drugs. Earlier the same thing was done under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Employees are being summarily dismissed while open merit students are going through tormenting times. All this government has done so far is being a mute spectator.”
The atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be charged, with both major parties grappling for political supremacy. Mehbooba emphasized that the National Conference is welcome to contest her party on political grounds but should refrain from employing religious texts as tools in this struggle.
This brewing tension signals a growing divide between the PDP and NC, suggesting a potential escalation in political discourse as both parties prepare for future electoral battles. The relationship between politics and religion remains a contentious issue in communal harmony, making this debate all the more significant in the socio-political fabric of Jammu and Kashmir.
