Dozens of PDP workers from Gool join National Conference in Banihal

Banihal, August 9: Dozens of prominent workers and activists associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Gool on Sunday joined the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC) in Banihal, with senior NC leader and Banihal-Gool MLA Sajjad Shaheen describing the development as an endorsement of the party’s politics of development, secularism and protection of the rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.

Welcoming the new entrants into the party fold, Shaheen said the growing influx of workers into the NC reflected what he described as increasing public support for the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the development agenda of the NC-led government.

He also criticised the PDP’s 2014 alliance with the BJP, alleging that the alliance had left a “deep political and institutional legacy” for which, he said, the people of Jammu & Kashmir were still paying a heavy price.

“Those who promised to safeguard the interests and special status of Jammu & Kashmir ultimately joined hands with the BJP,” Shaheen said, alleging that the alliance contributed to the political circumstances that subsequently led to the downgrading and erosion of Jammu & Kashmir’s special constitutional position.

“The people have neither forgotten nor forgiven this betrayal,” he said.

Shaheen accused the PDP leadership of pursuing what he termed “dual politics”, alleging that it claimed to champion the interests of Jammu & Kashmir while simultaneously aligning with forces whose political agenda, according to him, was contrary to the aspirations and constitutional rights of the people.

He said the National Conference, in contrast, had consistently remained committed to the political, constitutional and democratic rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.

“From Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, the National Conference has never abandoned the people of Jammu & Kashmir,” Shaheen said, adding that the party had continued to raise its voice for the dignity, identity, rights and democratic aspirations of the people.

On development, Shaheen said the NC-led government was pursuing what he described as a renewed and equitable development push across Jammu & Kashmir, with infrastructure, roads, education, healthcare, power, water supply, tourism and sports receiving focused attention.

He said the objective was to ensure that remote and hilly areas also received their share of development, rather than concentrating development only in urban centres.

“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, development is being pursued on the principle of equity. From the plains to the mountains and from towns to remote villages, every region is being brought into the development process. Banihal-Gool is also witnessing this transformation,” he said.

Referring to the Banihal-Gool constituency, Shaheen said several development initiatives had either been sanctioned, approved or taken up during the present tenure. He said the initiatives were aimed at improving connectivity, creating employment opportunities, strengthening educational and healthcare facilities and expanding economic opportunities, particularly in remote mountainous areas.

Welcoming the former PDP workers, Shaheen said their decision to join the NC demonstrated that political workers were increasingly seeking a platform rooted in public service, inclusive development and democratic values.

“The doors of the National Conference remain open to all those who believe in democratic values, secularism, social justice, development and the political and constitutional rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir,” he said.

Shaheen termed the political shift in Gool more than an organisational gain for the NC, describing it as a reflection of what he said was a broader change in public sentiment in favour of performance, accessibility and “principled politics”.

He called upon NC workers to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and maintain close contact with the people, saying the party would continue working towards what he described as a more equitable, peaceful and prosperous Jammu & Kashmir.