DH NEWS SERVICE
Srinagar, Apr 18
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a scathing attack on the National Conference (NC) government in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing it of “scrambling for scraps of administrative control” while ignoring the systematic targeting of Muslim institutions across the country.
In its monthly newsletter ‘Speak Up’, the PDP said the Wakf Amendment Bill, aggressively pushed through Parliament by the BJP, marked yet another deliberate move to “disempower and dispossess” the Muslim community in India.
“Rammed through without meaningful debate or consultation, the legislation raises grave concerns about the erosion of minority rights and the systematic targeting of Muslim institutions and endowments,” the newsletter said.
The PDP noted with dismay what it called the disheartening silence from Jammu and Kashmir—India’s only Muslim-majority region.
“At a time when unity and collective resistance are most urgently needed, the absence of a strong, unified response from J&K sends a troubling message. It was expected that the region would stand in solidarity with Muslims across the country, offering both moral support and political defiance. Instead, the leadership has been preoccupied with bureaucratic reshuffles rather than rallying an all-party alliance to confront this alarming legislation,” the newsletter stated.
“What we witnessed was not leadership, but a display of helplessness—a ruling party scrambling for scraps of administrative control.”
Referring to the joint meeting convened earlier this month by the National Conference and its alliance partners—held in response to the controversy over the transfer of second-rung officers by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha—the PDP said the gathering amounted to a “public admission of political irrelevance”.
“The all-party meeting wasn’t a show of strength; it was a public confession of political irrelevance. Worse still, it was an insult to the people who had overwhelmingly placed their trust in them. In a moment of crisis—when religious endowments like the Wakf are under assault—the National Conference chose appeasement over resistance, aligning themselves with the very forces responsible for this injustice,” the newsletter said.
“They (NC) were expected to stand with the crores of Muslims across India in their hour of need, not serve as passive conduits for the normalisation of this systemic marginalisation. Instead, the NC has willingly played a role in legitimising an onslaught on the dignity, identity, and possessions of Muslims. They chose the comfort of power over the courage to confront injustice. In doing so, they’ve blurred the line between the elected and the oppressor,” it added.
The PDP said Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t need a government that simply exists.
“It needs a government that fights—not only for Kashmiris, but also for minorities across India, especially Muslims, who today find themselves the most marginalised, vilified, and vulnerable,” the newsletter read.
