Mehbooba playing to press gallery, PDP responsible for Article 370 abrogation: National Conference

Jammu, Mar 4 (PTI) The National Conference on Tuesday slammed PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for her remarks on the lieutenant governor not mentioning a resolution on the restoration of Article 370 passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly during his address in the House and accused her of playing to the press gallery.

The ruling party in Jammu and Kashmir also said people of the region would not forget the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) role in its abrogation.

Mehbooba had on Monday accused the National Conference of “validating” the abrogation of Article 370 and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to stand up for the rights and self-respect of his people.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary dismissed Mehbooba’s remarks as playing to the press gallery.

“Mehbooba Mufti is enacting a drama to address the press gallery,” he told reporters outside the House.

He also blamed the PDP for siding with the BJP, paving the way for the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its reorganisation into two Union territories.

“The PDP is responsible for the current situation. Now, by making such remarks, Mehbooba is trying to portray herself as a well-wisher of the people. People have understood her,” he added.

The PDP governed the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state in an alliance with the BJP between 2015 and 2018.

Choudhary pointed out that the National Conference passed the resolution for the restoration of statehood during the assembly’s first session. “We passed the resolution in the first Cabinet meeting, followed by its passage in the assembly.”

The Centre abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state and reorganised it into two Union territories in August 2019.

The deputy chief minister also urged the PDP to focus on public welfare and raise issues of development. “The PDP should address issues and problems of the people. People have faced difficulties during the last six years.”

Health Minister Sakina Itoo also hit out at the PDP for its role in the abrogation of Article 370.

“People trusted the PDP. They have learned from their mistakes,” she said.

The loss of statehood, abrogation of Article 370, and rampant unemployment were caused by the PDP, she added.

Reacting to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on the first day of the budget session on Monday, Mehbooba had said there was no mention of the resolution for the restoration of Article 370 passed by the House in November.

“This government did not dare make a mention of the resolution that it had claimed was for the restoration of Article 370,” the PDP supremo had said.

Terming Sinha’s address as a routine document devoid of serious issues, PDP MLA Waheed Para had said it was a vision document of the government.