Congress does what Abdullahs decide: LOP Sunil Sharma

Srinagar, Oct 24: Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Sunil Sharma, on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, National Conference (NC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of double standards and promoting dynastic politics in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to reporters outside the J&K Legislative Assembly complex here, Sharma said that the Congress had become a “puppet” of the ruling NC and that its decisions are taken in the “kitchen of Abdullahs.”

“The Congress does only what the Abdullahs decide. Its office-bearers here act on instructions that come from the kitchen of Abdullah with the approval from Delhi. The party is not independent anymore, and its support for the NC was expected.”

The BJP leader’s remarks came on the day elections for four Rajya Sabha seats were held in Jammu and Kashmir.

On Thursday, the Congress announced its decision to support the NC candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls, citing the need for unity against what it termed the “BJP’s agenda of atrocities and subjugation.”

Congress on Thursday said that the party had chosen to stand with the NC “primarily and necessarily to stay united in the face of paramount challenges,” setting aside internal differences “for the greater political good.”

Sharma intensified his attack on the NC and PDP, claiming that both parties were controlled by two political families who were determined to keep power within their circles.

“The way PDP and NC have announced a joint fight in this election shows that both families do not want a common man to enter politics or power,” he said. “These two families come together whenever they feel their interests are in danger. They are very clever people, and they showed that cleverness again.”

On whether abstentions in the Rajya Sabha vote benefited the BJP, Sharma said, “We achieved what we aimed for.”

Criticising PDP and NC’s stance on the BJP, Sharma accused the two parties of maintaining “double standards” in their political conduct.

He said that while their leaders publicly criticise the BJP, they maintain cordial relations with senior BJP figures in private.

“PDP and NC leaders regularly meet BJP leaders in Delhi and share meals with them,” Sharma said. “They call association with the BJP ‘impure’ when it involves ordinary Kashmiris, but for them, it’s perfectly fine when they do it themselves.”

He alleged that both families had for long had cordial relations with top BJP leaders, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite maintaining an anti-BJP stance in public.

“These interactions expose their hypocrisy and selective politics,” Sharma said.

The senior BJP leader urged all political parties to conduct themselves with honesty and avoid creating unnecessary hostility between communities.

“Political competition should not turn into hatred,” he said. “The approach of the NC and PDP has divided people and fostered mistrust.”

Sharma also accused the regional parties of suppressing transparency and working collectively to conceal their actions from the public.

“They fear the truth and work to prevent it from reaching the people,” he said.

Referring to the recent remarks by PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, Sharma said that her statements were aimed at “creating a false narrative” against individuals associated with the BJP for political gains.

“The people of J&JK are aware of their tactics,” he said. “The time has come for the truth to prevail and for genuine leaders from among the common people to take the lead.”