I.N.D.I.A in J&K breaks as Omar Abdullah openly targets PDP

The former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday openly saying he would have never joined Congress led bloc if he knew that he would have to weaken his own party for Mehbooba Mufti's PDP, and with that, I.N.D.I.A bloc in Jammu and Kashmir has finally met its end.

“The party (PDP) that stands on number 3 (in 2019 Lok Sabha elections) has no right to ask for a seat. If I had been told before joining the INDI alliance that we would have to weaken ourselves for another member of the alliance, then I would have never joined it,” Omar told reporters, here.

Defending his party’s decision to not give any LS seats to the PDP in Kashmir, he said, “We (NC) didn’t out PDP, rather the situation has kept them out. It is the duty of every constituent to maintain the sanctity of the alliance. NC alone cannot be made responsible.”

“They (PDP) talk about alliance but target only NC in rallies and tweets. From the last two years the PDP on its raising day functions has been abusing NC in one way or the other. Even they drag us into Pakistan elections citing 1987 rigging, and thus blaming us for the entire mess,” the Abdullah scion said.

Reacting to Omar’s assertions, Mehbooba Mufti said that she was hurt after NC’s decision “as the party has done what BJP can’t do by damaging the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).”

“I’m disappointed and sad, they (NC) as a member of PAGD, did what BJP couldn’t. I’m always advocating for unity (but) PAGD is nowhere today because of them (NC),” she said.

“Omar Abdullah himself said that they are not in the alliance. We wanted The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to continue but everyone knows who ended it. Kashmir is a laboratory for whatever is happening in the country that is facing a big challenge and hence we should have made a collective effort,” the firebrand PDP leader said.

The PAGD, an alliance of political parties in the Valley was formed in 2020 to fight for the restoration of the erstwhile state’s special status with the NC and the PDP as its main constituents.

On the question of future course of action, Mehbooba Mufti said, “We will talk to Congress as we are in the INDI alliance and see how to go forward.”