Mehbooba Mufti didn’t walk away from BJP, they walked away from her: Ansari

Srinagar, May 29: People’s Conference (PC) General Secretary and former minister Imran Reza Ansari on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Kashmir’s major political parties, accusing them of systematic electoral deception and hypocrisy, especially regarding their dealings with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Responding to recent remarks by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, Ansari delivered a candid reality check, piercing through years of political rhetoric.
“It is surprising that Mehbooba ji thinks she would have been CM had she towed the BJP line,” Ansari said, drawing from his own experience as her former cabinet colleague. “I worked under her, and her working relationship with BJP was perfect.”
He systematically dismantled the narrative of BJP abandonment, saying, “Mehbooba ji didn’t walk away from the alliance; instead, the BJP walked away. If they hadn’t, I am sure Mehbooba Ji would have continued.”
The PC leader’s most striking allegation centres on what he describes as the deliberate deception of Kashmiri voters. “We must stop making the BJP a factor in Kashmir voting. Because after the elections, all parties end up supporting the BJP. How long will people be fooled?” he asked, exposing a pattern of political doublespeak that has shaped Kashmir’s recent history.
“In 2014, PDP sought votes on an anti-BJP plank but within two weeks sat in the BJP lap to form the government,” Ansari revealed. Shockingly, he added, “Irrespective of what NC claims publicly, they were also in talks with the BJP for government formation in 2014.”
The hypocrisy, he said, repeated in 2024. “This time, NC pretended to oppose BJP, branding everyone else as BJP, and claimed to be the sole protector of Kashmir’s interests,” he remarked. “Yet, after their electoral victory, the NC rushed to Delhi with shawls and presented them to BJP leaders. The number of times Omar Abdullah thanked Modi in the Assembly far exceeds the times the BJP’s leader did.”
The former PDP leader compared Kashmir’s political scene to a children’s game, saying, “Are you in the business of playing musical chairs? Now it’s Mehbooba’s turn to play anti-BJP. It’s like a game of ‘chor-sipahi’—one turn she’s the thief, the next a policeman—under the watchful eyes of their Delhi uncles.”
He also criticised the PDP Chief’s electoral record and her claims to the moral high ground. “Your party didn’t win many seats, and you personally lost a parliamentary seat, and your daughter lost an assembly election by a large margin. This should have humbled you. How can you claim to be a CM candidate? Did BJP make you CM in 2014, or was it the people?”
The PC leader didn’t spare her on human rights either. “When you shed tears over killings, do you forget the deaths, blinding, jailing, and silencing during your tenure? Do you remember that infamous press conference? Is this selective memory, or are you trivialising the dead?”
He pointed to systemic issues, criticising all rulers who preside over excesses. “Those who commit atrocities shouldn’t champion human rights when in opposition. NC, like others, talks high on human rights out of power but is the worst violator in power,” he said.
Ansari’s most caustic remark addressed political defections. “When leaders left your party, you shouted that agencies and Delhi were targeting you. Now, are the same agencies sending them back? And what’s with that ‘dry-cleaning machine’—the one that turns trash into angels? Only the BJP and PDP seem to have it,” he said.
The PC leader appealed to Kashmir’s voters: “Please vote based on ideology or development. Don’t vote for NC or PDP expecting them to oppose BJP; they only pretend during elections.”