PDP leader accuses Mehbooba of making party family fiefdom

Srinagar: In less than a fortnight after the collapse of the Mehbooba Mufti-led government in Jammu and Kashmir, fissures have surfaced within her Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). One of its key leaders, who is a former minister, on Monday publicly accused Ms Mufti of obliterating the party by promoting nepotism and “khandani raj (family rule).”

Speaking to reporters near here, prominent Shia cleric and former minister for information technology and higher education, Imran Raza Ansari, said, “We feel suffocated in the party. I told this to Mehbooba Mufti sometime ago when she was the chief minister.”

He added, “Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had a dream of making this party a force to reckon with but he never allowed his relatives to get on his nerves. Ever since Mehboobaji took over we do see mamaji, tayaji and bhai sahib ruling the roost. I feel sad to say this but the party we nourished with our blood has been turned into family fiefdom. They ruined this party and entire Kashmir as well”.

Mr Ansari’s outburst comes amid speculations that the PDP may ally with Congress and the two together with the support of other smaller parties and independents may seek to form a new government in the State. Though senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has already ruled out such a possibility, Mr Ansari pointed towards disillusionment among some other PDP MLAs and leaders and even his not being averse to support or even join any other party “to safeguard the interests of the people”.

He said, “Everybody says that in our government some people had crept in who made it difficult for it to endure. We have been telling Mehboobaji that there are some black sheep who will tear you down”. He added, “You must have seen in the past that the PDP was turned into a family enterprise – Family Democratic Party. People became disillusioned”. Replying to specific question about the PDP’s attempt to cobble up an alliance with the Congress for government formation, he said, “Only Mehboobaji can answer this question. As far as we are concerned we were never consulted on these issues in the past nor do they ask us about it now. It is true I was a minister in her government but for some time I have been telling her we feel suffocated in this party. Some people have hijacked this party and that is how and why the government collapsed”.

Mr Ansari said that if fresh elections are held he is ready to join the fray and face the people. “We have no problem...people are with us. Ours is not backdoor entry. We go to the people and seek their vote”.

He did not deny the rumours that some people are planning to leave the PDP either. He said “Every leader is free to decide on his future course of action. If he is not sure of a bright future why should he stick to a place where his career is going to be ruined? This party at present is for four people. Let them run it. We have said goodbye to them. When Mehboobaji was the Chief Minister we told her we have bid adieu to you”.

He added, “We being MLA are but trapped. Otherwise we are ready to fight elections afresh”.

Asked if he is planning to join any other party, Mr. Ansari said, “If I think there is a party where there is no room for family rule, where there is no craving for projecting your brother, your brother-in-law, your maternal uncle, your nephew, your uncle and where you have brave people to lead from the front and have sway on the people and the will to take Kashmir out of this obliteration and to eradicate this epidemic of Khandani raj (family rule) why not? We have joined politics for the people and if we have to change fifty parties in their interest we will do it. If you can’t do any good to the people what is the fun of remaining in the party”.

Meanwhile, CPIM state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has denied rumours purporting that he may extend support to a non-BJP government in the State which could be a PDP-Congress combine or that of PDP and National Conference (NC). “No question of extending support to any formation trying to form the government in the State,” he said.

Earlier former Chief Minister and NC vice president Omar Abdullah also ruled out possibility of forming a government with the PDP or the Congress. He while speaking to reporters in southern Anantnag said, “National Conference doesn’t believe in sacrificing its ideological basis for power and the party will not be a part of any attempts for government formation through rumoured permutations and combinations”. He added, “We believe in respecting the mandate of the people and will not be a part of any attempts to ridicule and manipulate the aspirations of the people. It is for this precise reason that the party has sought the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly”.

Asked if the NC is seeking dissolution of the Assembly to pave the way for fresh elections, he said, “While we understand that the situation is not conducive for immediate elections in the State, we are of the firm belief that only a fresh democratic exercise can repose the faith of the people in the institutions and system of democracy in the State. The dissolution of the present House is necessary also to discourage horse-trading and all other attempts which may prove detrimental to democratic values.”