Jammu, May 23: Advocate Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President of National Conference (NC), on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using Operation Sindoor for political mileage and dividing people on communal lines to serve their vested interests.
In a statement issued here, the senior NC leader strongly criticised the “irrelevant, unwarranted and misleading statement” made by BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma.
He said Sharma made the statement to “distort facts and malign the National Conference’s unmatched legacy of standing by the nation and the people of Jammu and Kashmir in times of crisis”.
“BJP’s leader’s remarks are not only factually incorrect but reflect a dangerous mindset aimed at dividing the people of J&K who expressed support for the first time against the terrorists at a time when national unity is most crucial. The National Conference has always stood with the nation and the people—during tragedy, during conflict, and post Operation Sindoor,” he said.
After the Pahalgam tragedy, the senior NC leader reminded, it was the National Conference and its leadership immediately extended its full support to the Central government, urging for a strong and decisive response to terrorism.
Gupta said the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led from the front, calling an All-Party Meeting following the terror attack in Pahalgam, where representatives of all major political parties, including BJP, participated. He appreciated CM’s “mature leadership” and “inclusive approach”.
The NC Provincial President underscored that during the tense period following the Pahalgam incident and the Indo-Pak conflict, the entire NC cadre – from the Chief Minister and cabinet ministers to local party workers – were actively present on the ground, working day and night to support affected civilians.
Gupta came down heavily on the BJP for allegedly using national security and tragedies as political tools. He asked the BJP to clarify their stand on the issue of derogatory remarks made by Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Vijay Shah against brave Col Sofiya Quershi, which have been condemned all over the nation. “But the BJP remained mum on this crucial issue,” he said. “Even the Supreme Court of India snubbed the minister. This shows how much respect the BJP is giving to the armed forces.”
The NC leader also questioned the BJP’s complete silence on the attacks on J&K students and traders outside the Union Territory amid the Indo-Pak conflict. “Not a single BJP leader had the courage or conviction to speak out when our students and traders were being targeted in other states. Where was Mr. Sharma’s concern then?” he asked.
He added, “We deeply respect the sacrifices of our armed forces and their strategic victories, including Operation Sindoor. But patriotism is not measured by press statements. It is lived through action—and the NC has proven its commitment time and again, in words and in deeds.”
