Jammu, 06 May (H.S.): PDP leader Waheed Para on Wednesday said the NationalConference outcry over the Rajya Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir last year was “counterproductive” and a ploy to “divert attention” from substantive issues like attachment of the Sirajul Uloom school under the UAPA.

The National Conference (NC) has accused the PDP of helping the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls.

The NC had won three seats in the polls while the BJP had got one. The loss of one seat was blamed on cross-voting.

“The National Conference’s outcry over the Rajya Sabha vote is misplaced. This is not fundamentally about the Rajya Sabha – it serves as a diversion from substantive concerns, notably the Siraj-ul-Aloom controversy and the erasure of Urdu from official records,” Para said in a post on X.

The Darul Uloom Jamia Sirajul Uloom at Imam Sahib in Shopian was last month declared an unlawful entity under the UAPA.

The administration had said the school allegedly run by individuals affiliated with a banned organisation in Shopian district has been declared an “unlawful entity” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The PDP MP also accused the National Conference or disintegrating the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, an amalgam formed for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

“The National Conference disintegrated the PAGD. It further strained electoral unity by ensuring that the PDP was excluded from the INDIA alliance arrangement during the J-K Assembly elections,” he said.

Para said against this backdrop, it is clear that the PDP did not owe cooperation to the NC in the Rajya Sabha elections to four seats of Jammu and Kashmir last year.

“Yet, we extended unconditional support, even while being aware of internal dissent within the National Conference. Hence blaming the PDP for the Rajya Sabha outcome is both inaccurate and counterproductive. The failure, Omar Sahab must realise, lies close to Nawai Subh,” he added.

The MLA from Pulwama said by making these accusations, the NC has responded adversely to the “magnanimity” of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

“She neither abstained – an act that could have indirectly aided the BJP- nor imposed conditions. Her only suggestion was to secure the third Rajya Sabha seat and avoid turning the uncertain fourth seat, declined by Congress, into a blame game,” he said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar