Jammu, Feb 5: The National Conference on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP and rival political parties, accusing them of pursuing divisive and “blatantly anti-Muslim” politics and warning that such an approach was a “cancer” eating into the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking during the discussion on the Lieutenant Governor’s address in the J&K Assembly, National Conference chief spokesperson and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq said the address failed to address core public concerns, particularly the restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees.
Calling the LG’s address a “continuation of earlier ones”, Sadiq said it reflected a pattern of ignoring “consistent and unresolved issues” facing the people of the Union Territory.
“From day one, the demand for restoration of statehood and constitutional rights has remained central to the aspirations of the people,” he said.
Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, Sadiq said the narrative that special status was responsible for J&K’s problems had proven false. “It was propagated that Article 370 was the root cause of all ills. Even after its abrogation, nothing has changed. The situation remains as grim as ever,” he said.
The NC leader also took aim at the opposition benches, naming Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone and PDP leader Waheed Parra.
“They appeared low on energy, directionless and completely lacking substance,” Sadiq said, claiming that the opposition had “lost its voice” in the Assembly.
He said the political vacuum had been “decisively filled by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah”, whose leadership, according to him, had restored “confidence, clarity and credibility”.
Citing recent incidents, Sadiq said Kashmiris were being subjected to “collective humiliation”. Referring to events following the Pahalgam incident, he said Kashmiris were “unfairly targeted and harassed without any fault of their own”.
“Despite Kashmir standing united, people from the region were profiled and targeted. Advisories issued by some states were deeply disturbing,” he said, adding, “Kashmiris are not terrorists.”
Sadiq also criticised the administration over the repeated detention of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the closure of Srinagar’s Jama Masjid on Shab-e-Barat.
“Detaining a religious leader every Friday without any justification is shameful,” he said. “This is not governance; this is collective humiliation.”
Accusing the BJP of prejudice, Sadiq alleged that the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College was shut down because Muslim students had secured seats on merit.
“For the first time in history, a medical college was shut down because Muslim boys and girls got admission on merit,” he said. “If this is not anti-Muslim, then what is?”
He warned that such a mindset could extend to other institutions in the region.
Sadiq also accused the BJP of attempting to politically divide the region. “Attempts to separate Jammu from Kashmir are aimed at deepening fault lines. This divisive politics is a cancer eating into the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
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