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Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the National Conference (NC) and its president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, accusing them of decades-long political opportunism and betrayal of public trust. Her remarks come in response to revelations made in former R&AW chief A.S. Dulat’s new book, which has reignited debates around Kashmir’s political leadership and its shifting loyalties.
Speaking at a public rally in Srinagar’s Sher-e-Kashmir Park, Mehbooba dismissed the disclosures in Dulat’s book as “nothing new,” claiming the people of Jammu and Kashmir have long witnessed the NC’s double standards. “Back in 2014, when PDP was in talks with the BJP, NC leaders were secretly holding late-night meetings in Delhi, offering unconditional support for government formation,” she said.
Taking a swipe at NC patriarch Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba said, “I am not surprised by the revelations in Dulat’s book about Dr. Abdullah’s tacit support for the abrogation of Article 370. The NC’s relationship with New Delhi has always been transactional, when in power, they parrot the nationalist line; when out, they cry autonomy and resistance.”
She added that A.S. Dulat has always been close to the Abdullah family, making his disclosures even more telling. “Even in 2014, Omar Abdullah rushed to Delhi and met Amit Shah, pleading for a deal. The NC can go to any extent to cling to power, even if it means sacrificing the special status of J&K,” she asserted.
Referring to the historic betrayals, Mehbooba reminded the audience of the rigged 1987 elections, widely believed to have triggered the armed insurgency in Kashmir. “The NC stole the people’s mandate for the sake of the Chair, and the price was paid in blood, by our youth, our families, our future,” she said.
On the ongoing Wakf controversy, Mehbooba criticized the J&K government for maintaining a studied silence while the Muslim community across the country voiced their outrage. “I stand firmly with the people, not just in Kashmir, but across India, on the Wakf issue. It is shameful that the administration here hasn’t uttered a single word in defense of our religious institutions.”
Taking a swipe at the Hurriyat Conference’s inaction during the 2016 unrest, she said, “That was a defining moment. Had Hurriyat leaders shown courage and come forward for dialogue, the trajectory of Kashmir’s political future might have been different. Silence isn’t always resistance; sometimes, it’s abdication.”
With political temperatures rising ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Mehbooba framed the current political contest not as a race for seats, but as a battle for the very soul of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Today, the fight is not for power or positions; it’s for identity, dignity, and the constitutional rights of our people. Unlike others, the PDP has never bartered those ideals for political crumbs,” she said, drawing a sharp contrast between her party and its regional rivals.
As Dulat’s book stirs public memory and political tempers, Mehbooba’s salvo has added fresh fire to the brewing contest among the Valley’s mainstream parties, all vying to reclaim credibility in a post-Article 370 Kashmir.
