Srinagar: National Conference Chief Spokesperson and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq on Wednesday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of inflicting the “lasting damage” on Jammu and Kashmir by aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after 2014.
“The PDP could never absolve itself of its role in enabling policies that stripped the region of its political, economic, and constitutional rights,” Sadiq said while addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for a Community Hall at Jogilanker, Rainawari.
Tanvir remarked that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would never forget the “political backstabbing” by the PDP. He said, “They campaigned against the BJP, warned people of its agenda, and then became partners in the very agenda they claimed to oppose.”
The NC leader said, “The damage caused by the PDP-BJP alliance could never be undone, highlighting how it weakened Jammu and Kashmir politically and plunged it into economic turmoil. By handing over the keys of the Secretariat to the BJP, the PDP unlocked a chain of problems whose consequences the people of Jammu and Kashmir are still suffering from.”
Referring to the significant developments in 2019, the MLA emphasized that the loss of special status and statehood would not have occurred had the PDP not “legitimized” the BJP’s presence in Jammu and Kashmir. “The groundwork for the 2019 events was laid much earlier when the PDP chose power over principle,” he said.
Reflecting on the 2014 elections, Tanvir recalled that both the National Conference and the PDP had campaigned with the promise to keep the BJP out of power. “The late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti repeatedly assured people that voting for the PDP was the only way to prevent the BJP. The people trusted them. But immediately after the elections, they shook hands with the BJP. That betrayal cost Jammu and Kashmir its identity,” he said.
Tanvir quoted a famous proverb, saying, “Lamhon ne khata ki thi, sadiyon ne saza payi” a moment’s mistake led to centuries of punishment.
He further accused the PDP-BJP government of sowing the seeds of destruction well before 2019. “Who imposed GST here? Who brought SARFAESI? It was the PDP-BJP government. They hollowed Jammu and Kashmir out from within,” Tanvir said, adding that the PDP had never even apologized for its actions.
Reaffirming the National Conference’s commitment to its core values, Sadiq stressed, “The National Conference chose principle over power. We refused to sell our conscience. Had we compromised, statehood would have come easily. But the National Conference will never trade the dignity of the people for political gain.”
NC Chief Spokesperson also accused the PDP, Apni Party, People’s Conference, and certain independent candidates of indirectly aiding the BJP by ganging up against the National Conference. “Their sole target is the National Conference leadership. None of them has the courage to take on the BJP directly,” he said.
Earlier, Tanvir laid the foundation stone for the long-pending Community Hall at Jogilanker, Rainawari. He stated that the new project would provide much-needed space for social, cultural, and community activities in an area that has been facing a severe shortage of public facilities.
PDP opened doors for BJP’s agenda in J&K: NC
