KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
National Conference on Monday asked the PDP and the Prime Minister’s Office to come clean on what demands were made by Mehbooba Mufti as a pre-requisite for Government formation in the State and what concessions if any were granted in the meeting with the Prime Minister.
NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said PDP was answerable to the people of the State to justify its imminent surrender after two and a half months of steep posturing and refusal to form the Government with its alliance partner.
“This State was pushed into a phase of political uncertainty and chaos as PDP not only refused to form the Government with its alliance partner but also refused to divulge what demands if any it had asked of the Central Government. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has publicly stated that she won’t be able to form the Government unless and until the Central Government takes some confidence building initiatives in the State. Today, PDP is set to form the Government with the BJP without any visible confidence building measures having been demanded or announced publicly. What was the reason for the two and a half month delay then?” NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said in a party statement.
The NC General Secretary said the secrecy that has surrounded the PDP President’s meeting with top BJP leaders was in stark contrast to the unabashed public expression of complete faith in the BJP and the Prime Minister that PDP had demonstrated when it held similar meetings with the BJP leadership last year. “What changed in a year to make PDP and Mehbooba Mufti so reluctant and embarrassed to own up to its political allegiances and leanings that Mufti Sahab had expressed pride and faith in? Also, one wonders what concessions if any were granted by the BJP to allay PDP’s concerns over the PDP-BJP alliance paving way for Government formation in the State,” the NC General Secretary stated.
“Has PDP surrendered its demand for the return of the power projects? Have they sold out on their demand for the revocation of AFSPA? PDP had promised that the Central Government would open up additional trade and travel routes across the Line of Control, that they would ensure New Delhi engages with the Hurriyat leadership and that BJP would give up on their long-standing demand to abrogate Article 370. What happened to PDP’s commitment to uphold these promises in the previous years when BJP openly and categorically refused to fulfil a single promise? Today another meek political surrender by the PDP would be a validation by Mehbooba Mufti of how BJP has treated PDP’s political promises with contempt,” Sagar added.
The NC General Secretary said PDP owed answers to the people of the State and any efforts to ignore their expectations after two and a half months of shrill rhetoric and posturing would have serious long-term political implications in the State where thousands of youth continue to be disillusioned and disenchanted because of dramatic U-turns by the PDP.
