Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 6: Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti today accused the ruling National Conference of “dragging the Holy Quran into political discourse” and attempting to deflect attention from governance failures.
Addressing reporters here, Mufti said the National Conference had “fallen to a new low” by invoking religious sentiment instead of engaging in substantive political debate. She argued that if the party wished to challenge her politically, it should do so on policy and performance rather than religion. “They don’t understand the greatness of the Holy Quran,” Mufti said, adding that those invoking it in politics had remained silent on several key issues affecting the region.
She cited the passage of the Waqf Bill, the closure of Siraj-ul-Uloom School, and alleged surveillance of mosque committees, clerics, and imams as instances where, according to her, the party failed to speak up. She also raised concerns over what she described as the “erosion of the Urdu language.”
Without naming him directly, she referred to decisions taken under departments linked to Omar Abdullah, questioning recruitment practices and alleging that jobs were being filled through “backdoor entries” and outsourcing to banks without public advertisement.
Mufti further accused the National Conference of attempting to divert public attention from pressing issues, including unemployment and administrative actions such as demolition drives. She claimed that houses were being demolished under various pretexts, including alleged links to drug peddling and militancy sympathisers, and that government employees were being dismissed without adequate accountability. “The youth, especially those from open merit categories, are struggling while the Government watches like spectators,” she said.
Mufti appealed to keep religion out of political rivalry. “If they want to fight us, they should do so politically. But for God’s sake, do not involve the Holy Quran,” she said.
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