PDP Prez Mehbooba Mufti accuses NC for ‘breaking’ PAGD

Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday accused the National Conference of “breaking” the People’s Alliance For Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) alliance.
PAGD- an alliance of four parties was formed in 2020 to fight for the restoration of Article 370- that gave special status to the erstwhile state. The NC and PDP are two main constituents of the PAGD with veteran politician Farooq Abdullah being its President.
Hours after Omar Abdullah hit out at the PDP, Mufti said the PAGD was a unique alliance and it is disappointing to see it shattered.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, the PDP President said that NC by unilaterally deciding to contest all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir has made PAGD a joke.
Mufti said there used to be a discussion even on smaller issues within the PAGD.
“But the NC took such a decision without consulting us,” she said, adding what BJP couldn’t do (breaking PAGD), and it has been done by a member of the alliance.
The former Chief Minister said had the NC leadership discussed the issue with her over seat sharing, the PDP could have let them contest on all the three seats in the valley.
“I regret that what we nurtured (PAGD) for five years has been shattered,” the PDP President said and added that it was difficult to see the unity break.
The former chief minister said she wanted PAGD to remain intact and attributed its breakdown to NC.
“Omar (Abdullah) has himself said that PDP is out of the alliance. …You can see who has broken the alliance. We did not want this to happen. …They have reduced PAGD to a joke,” Mufti said. “With this decision, the NC has changed the goal post as it has made us come face to face when we wanted to fight the bigger enemy.”
She said that the PDP will now discuss the future course of action with the Congress.
“We will also deliberate it within the party and soon take a decision on contesting the Lok Sabha polls,” Mehbooba added.
When asked about Omar’s remarks that how come a party that third in the previous polls be given a seat in upcoming Lok Sabha polls, she said the electoral losses suffered by Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah in past didn’t stop them from contesting the polls.
She said ‘the PDP may be down, but they are not out.’
UNI