BANIHAL: National Conference leader and MLA Banihal Sajjad Shaheen on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing its 2014 alliance with the BJP as a “historic betrayal” of the trust and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a joining function in Banihal, Shaheen said the PDP had sought votes on the promise of protecting the political identity, dignity and interests of Jammu and Kashmir, but chose to ally with the BJP after the elections despite what he termed fundamental differences between the two parties’ political positions.
“The people had voted for the PDP believing that it would stand as a safeguard against forces seeking to undermine Jammu and Kashmir’s special position and political identity. Instead, the PDP entered into an alliance with the very forces whose agenda was fundamentally opposed to the aspirations it had claimed to represent. That was the beginning of the betrayal,” Shaheen said.
He alleged that the consequences of the alliance were far-reaching and said the PDP could not escape political responsibility for developments that followed.
“The PDP cannot escape its political responsibility for the course of events that followed. The party entered into an arrangement with the BJP in 2014, shared power with it and helped create the political circumstances in which Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional and political position was ultimately dismantled. The people will not forget this,” he said.
Shaheen said there was a stark difference between the PDP’s political narrative before the 2014 elections and its conduct after the polls.
“Before the elections, the PDP spoke the language of resistance, dignity and safeguarding the interests of Jammu and Kashmir. After the elections, the pursuit of power became more important than the principles on which it had sought the people’s mandate. This contradiction exposed the hollowness of its claims,” he said.
Referring to the developments of August 5, 2019, and the subsequent reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory, Shaheen termed them a major setback to the region’s political status and democratic aspirations.
“Those who were partners in power with the BJP cannot now wash their hands of the consequences of that partnership. History will judge every political decision, every compromise and every alliance. The people have a right to ask the PDP what it achieved through that alliance and what Jammu and Kashmir lost,” he said.
Taking another dig at the PDP, the NC leader said political parties could not selectively invoke history according to their present convenience.
“Political memory cannot be convenient. You cannot stand before the people today and speak about dignity after having compromised your political position for power yesterday. The people are intelligent enough to distinguish between genuine conviction and political opportunism,” Shaheen said.
He also claimed that the movement of political workers from the PDP and Congress towards the National Conference reflected a changing political mood in Banihal.
Welcoming the new entrants, Shaheen said their decision showed that political workers were increasingly looking towards the National Conference as a credible platform to represent the aspirations and interests of the people.
“The National Conference does not need to borrow its commitment to Jammu and Kashmir from election to election. Our history, our struggle and our politics speak for themselves. We have stood with the people in difficult times and will continue to do so,” he said.
The Banihal MLA said development, employment, roads, power, healthcare, education and better connectivity remained key concerns of the people of the constituency, but added that these issues could not be separated from what he called the larger question of dignity and political empowerment.
Shaheen said he would continue to raise issues affecting Banihal and pursue development projects across the constituency.
“My politics is not about making tall claims; it is about remaining accessible to the people and delivering wherever possible. I will continue to pursue every genuine demand of Banihal-Gool, irrespective of how difficult the terrain or how complicated the administrative process may be,” he said.
He maintained that people were moving away from what he termed politics based on “betrayal, opportunism and shifting positions” and were looking for leadership that remained consistent in its principles.
“The message from the ground is clear: people want politics of conviction, not convenience; politics of service, not power; and leadership that stands with them through difficult times. The National Conference will continue to carry that responsibility with sincerity,” Shaheen said.
