SRINAGAR: The verbal duel between the JK National Conference (JKNC), Kashmir’s oldest political party and JK Apni Party (JKAP), the youngest of the parties is getting interesting. In JKNC’s allegations that JKAP is the B-team of BJP, the Apni Party has been insisting that Omar Abdullah has been a former ally and minister of the BJP-run government of the centre.
In a series of tweets, former JKNC spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu shed light on alleged discussions between JKNC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a possible alliance back in 2014. Mattu, who is now associated with the Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari, responded to recent allegations by JKNC that Apni Party is a “BJP B team.”
“Before PDP, it was NC that wanted to align with BJP in 2014,” Mattu tweeted, unveiling a sequence of events that purportedly occurred during the period. He recalled how senior NC leaders, including Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, were allegedly involved in negotiations with the BJP.
Mattu recounted a scenario where the BJP offered the deputy Chief minister (DyCM) post to JKNC, with former JKNC leader Ali Mohamad Sagar (AMS) allegedly expressing enthusiasm at the prospect. According to Mattu, Omar Abdullah personally engaged in discussions with the BJP leadership, even expressing his willingness to become the Chief Minister in a potential NC-BJP alliance.
Highlighting the dynamics within the NC leadership, Mattu suggested that there was internal tension regarding leadership roles and aspirations. He indicated that some within the JKNC perceived some leaders as potential threats to the existing power structure.
“There was another DyCM aspirant from NC in Jammu but both CM and DyCM from Jammu wasn’t thought feasible,” one of the tweets said. “This — as expected — made the Abdullahs anxious. Like Late Mohiuddin Shah — AMS was seen by the family as a potential usurper.”
Besides, Mattu pointed out alleged expressions of regret from Farooq Abdullah for not allying with the BJP before the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He challenged the notion propagated by JKNC, labelling Apni Party as a “B Team” of the BJP, by asserting that JKNC itself had explored such alliances.
Mattu invited NC to contest his claims, expressing his readiness to share further details if needed. His tweets have sparked discussions on social media platforms, reigniting past political debates and prompting responses from various quarters. The responses are mixed and some even challenge his credibility. “Noted the amount of parties u have changed u are part of A-Z teams your opinion seldom matter,” one response reads.
