We are not surprised by traditional parties’ hoodwinking in J&K: Muntazir Mohiuddin

NC and PDP have always represented Delhi in Kashmir, not Kashmir in Delhi

JK News Today

Srinagar, April 28: Apni Party’s Chief Spokesperson and State Secretary Muntazir Mohiuddin on Tuesday launched a strong attack on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) after a Right to Information (RTI) reply revealed that the party did not appoint authorised agents to verify how its MLAs voted in the 2025 Rajya Sabha elections.

Pertinently, the PDP had issued a whip directing its legislators to vote for the National Conference (NC) candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections in October last year, aiming to prevent the BJP from gaining additional seats. However, in response to an application filed under the Right to Information Act, 2009, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the J&K Assembly Secretariat revealed that the PDP did not appoint authorised agents to verify whom its MLAs voted for. This has raised questions, with Apni Party alleging that the absence of authorised agents may have been intended to indirectly support the BJP.

In a statement issued here Muntazir Mohiuddin said, “We are not surprised at all by the deception of the PDP. This party has always hoodwinked people with its dual face. NC, too, cannot absolve itself of responsibility for the deceptive politics that both parties have practiced over the decades. In reality, they are simply two sides of the same coin. We are not surprised, but we want to make people cautious about this deception.”

He further said, “We must not forget how PDP committed electoral fraud against the people in 2014 by seeking votes in the name of keeping BJP away from power in J&K, and then, soon after the elections, forming an alliance with the same BJP. This was a clear betrayal of the public mandate.”

“And, in 2018, when the BJP withdrew support from its coalition partner, the PDP did not seek a floor test. This was likely because it wanted to keep the BJP in good favour. The PDP could have approached the courts to request a floor test after the BJP withdrew its support, but the Chief Minister resigned almost immediately. Had the PDP not resigned and instead asked the Governor to convene the Assembly for a floor test—and, if necessary, approached the Supreme Court seeking directions for such a test—the situation might have unfolded differently. However, the PDP did not want to risk annoying its long-time ally, the BJP.”

Muntazir went on to say, “PDP has often played a double role: on one hand, it adopted the Jamaat-e-Islami symbol “Qalam Dawat” as its party symbol to mislead people; on the other hand, it left no stone unturned in ensuring that Hurriyat leaders and several individuals associated with Jamaat-e-Islami were jailed.”

“There is a long list of examples showing that traditional parties have always been deceiving and befooling the people of Jammu and Kashmir—sometimes through fake promises and sometimes through emotional sloganeering. The reality is that these parties have often been hand in glove with the Sangh Parivar for their own political dividends,” said Muntazir, adding, “ The way the PDP ensured support to the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, similarly, traditional parties were aligned with the Centre at the time of the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. The biggest proof of this is that these parties formed an alliance in the name of PAGD, again to deceive the people. They claimed that through this platform they would restore Articles 370 and 35A. However, after gaining electoral dividends from PAGD, they shamelessly buried it silently. This is how they deceive people. The people must understand this deception and remain cautious.”

Muntazir further said, “Now, after being exposed by the RTI reply, the PDP is misleading people by claiming that it did not had to appoint authorised agents as per the law. The fact is that, according to Rule 39AA of the Conduct of Election Rules (Amendment), 1961, the Election Commission of India has empowered political parties to appoint authorised agents to verify the votes of their MLAs, regardless of whether the party has fielded its own candidates in the election or not. The responsibility of appointing authorised agents lies with the party’s President and General Secretary, not with the candidates.”

“People must understand that these traditional parties are misleading them with false promises, such as restoring the abrogated Articles 370 and 35A or bringing back full statehood. Their primary aim is to gain and retain power, not to genuinely serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We must stand against this deception and ensure that such parties are kept out of power in the future, so they cannot exploit the people any longer,” Muntazir concluded.