Mehbooba Mufti, President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused the National Conference (NC) of “betraying the people of J&K for New Delhi” following former RAW chief AS Dulat’s assertion that NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah sought involvement in the abrogation of Article 370.
Addressing PDP workers, Mufti stated, “Right from 1947, the National Conference betrayed people of J&K for New Delhi and in order to get the votes, it let down New Delhi. This has been an ongoing process and there is nothing new in it.” She dismissed Dulat’s revelation that Dr. Abdullah wished to have been consulted on the abrogation, so he could have facilitated its passage through the J&K Assembly, as unsurprising. “They (Omar and Dr. Farooq) went to New Delhi just before the abrogation of Article 370. I am not surprised at all with regard to their close proximity with the BJP,” she added.
Mufti criticized the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), initially formed to demonstrate Muslim unity in J&K, stating, “But what was done to PAGD is self-explanatory. I even extended support recently (to Omar and Dr. Farooq), hoping we could unitedly oppose the Waqf amendment Bill but they (Abdullahs) have not lived up to the occasion.”
She also blamed separatist leaders for hindering potential dialogues with New Delhi during the 2016 unrest. “When Hurriyat closed doors in 2016, it put Kashmir in a bad light. We had senior leaders from New Delhi ready to talk to Hurriyat, which failed to gauge the importance of that opportunity,” she said. Mufti acknowledged a current improvement in the situation but cautioned against repeating past “mistakes committed by militants and separatists.”
Recalling her efforts to facilitate dialogue in 2016, she said, “I clearly remember when the situation in Kashmir during 2016 was fragile and felt like a storm. I wrote letters to separatists including Yaseen Malik, Shabir Shah and Syed Ali Shah Geelani inviting them for a dialogue with senior leaders from New Delhi. But unfortunately the Hurriyat was riding on fast-paced horses back then.”
Mufti also pointed out the ineffectiveness of youth engaging in stone-pelting, despite the withdrawal of cases against 12,000 individuals. She drew a parallel between the “high-headed approach” of separatists and the BJP’s “misuse of acts such as PSA.” “Don’t make Muslims face what Pandits faced here in the 1990s,” she warned.
She further criticized the current administration for its treatment of Muslims, contrasting it with a past era of communal harmony. “Almost 10 years ago, the presence of Muslims in India exemplified communal harmony. Taunting the same population today is unjustified,” she said. Mufti lamented the “injustice to Muslims and forcefully taking possession of Muslim properties” under the current government, despite its “God-sent” opportunity to rectify past injustices.
Speaking to the media, Mufti clarified that the event aimed to reassure Muslims across India of the support from the people of J&K. She criticized the restrictions on peaceful protests, citing the denial of permission for a rally against the Waqf Bill Amendment and in solidarity with Palestine.
Addressing Dulat’s comments, Mufti reiterated her lack of surprise, highlighting the NC’s past interactions with the BJP. “Dulat sahab is like a family member of Farooq sahab. He (Dulat) has mentioned in his book that Farooq sahab wanted that deliberations be held with him regarding abrogation of Article 370. It has also been mentioned that he was ready to remove Article 370 through the Assembly but he was not taken on-board. This is not the first time. In 2014, the National Conference approached Home Minister Amit Shah offering to form a coalition with it without any conditions,” she stated.
Finally, Mufti expressed hope that the Supreme Court would revoke the Waqf Bill amendment, invoking the “collective conscience of the nation,” similar to the Babri Masjid verdict. “Our case is very strong. PDP has approached the court and we are hopeful that keeping in view the same collective conscience, the Supreme Court will revoke the Waqf Bill amendment,” she concluded.
