Mehbooba Mufti playing cheap politics, never bats for people of Jammu & Kashmir: NC leader Tanvir Sadiq

Srinagar, May 17: National Conference (NC) chief spokesperson and legislator Tanvir Sadiq on Saturday hit out at PDP president over inciting debate on Tulbul navigation barrage project in Wular Lake, stating Mehbooba Mufti is always resorting to cheap politics and has never batted for people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“No one is playing politics. I want to make a simple appeal to people of Jammu and Kashmir to think over whether they want a leader who will think and work for them, or who will serve interest of someone else,” NC leader Tanvir Sadiq said.

Notably a war of words broke out on Friday between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti over the former’s call to revive the Tulbul Navigation Barrage project on Wullar Lake in view of the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

While Mehbooba termed Abdullah’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “dangerously provocative”, the chief minister hit back saying she refuses to acknowledge that the IWT was a “historic betrayal” with the people of Jammu and Kashmir because of her “blind lust” to score “cheap” publicity points, and please some people across the border.

NC leader Tanvir Sadiq while hitting out at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said, “Though I’m respecting Mehbooba Mufti, but this is also a fact that in 2014 she shook hands with BJP which led to the devastation took place in August 2019 with the abrogation of Article 370, 35(A) and split of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. Had she not acceded with BJP, the situation would have been different today,” NC leader said.

The NC leader stated that even today when we think people of Jammu and Kashmir should use their waters without any difficulty, it is Mehbooba Mufti who is dragging others into the matter unnecessarily. “In past she combined with BJP and today she wants to go with neighbours,” he said.

“Due to anti-people policies Mehbooba Mufti and her party PDP were dusted in 2024 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

Replying to a query over rehabilitation of Dal dwellers, the NC leader who is also MLA Zadibal said in March 2025 the Supreme Court of India has ordered in which it stated that people living in and around water bodies have right to stay there without harming ecology of the Lake.

The NC leader appealed to the committee formed for rehabilitation of Dal dwellers and conservation of Lake that enough demolitions have been done in Dal peripheries; however there is a need to ensure eco-friendly houses for Dal dwellers to ensure their permanent rehabilitation at their original places.