PDP leader accuses Mehbooba of making party family fiefdom

Party turned into family fiefdom: Ex- minister

In less than a fortnight after the collapse of the Mehbooba Mufti- led government in Jammu and Kashmir, fissures have surfaced within her PDP. One of its key leaders who is a former minister on Monday publicly accused Ms Mufti of obliterating the party by promoting nepotism and “khandani raj ( family rule)”.

In less than a fortnight after the collapse of the Mehbooba Mufti- led government in Jammu and Kashmir, fissures have surfaced within her Peoples’ Democratic Party ( PDP). One of its key leaders, who is a former minister, on Monday publicly accused Ms Mufti of obliterating the party by promoting nepotism and “khandani raj ( family rule).”

Speaking to reporters near here, prominent Shia cleric and former minister for information technology and higher education, Imran Raza Ansari, said, “We feel suffocated in the party. I told this to Mehbooba Mufti sometime ago when she was the chief minister.”

He added, “Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had a dream of making this party a force to reckon with but he never allowed his relatives to get on his nerves. Ever since Mehboobaji took over we do see mamaji, tayaji and bhai sahib ruling the roost. I feel sad to say this but the party we nourished with our blood has been turned into family fiefdom. They ruined this party and entire Kashmir as well”.

Mr Ansari’s outburst comes amid speculations that the PDP may ally with Congress and the two together with the support of other smaller parties and independents may seek to form a new government in the State. Though senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has already ruled out such a possibility, Mr Ansari pointed towards disillusionment among some other PDP MLAs and leaders and even his not being averse to support or even join any other party “to safeguard the interests of the people”.

He said, “Everybody says that in our government some people had crept in who made it difficult for it to endure. We have been telling Mehboobaji that there are some black sheep who will tear you down”. He added, “You must have seen in the past that the PDP was turned into a family enterprise – Family Democratic Party. People became disillusioned”. Replying to specific question about the PDP’s attempt to cobble up an alliance with the Congress for government formation, he said, “Only Mehboobaji can answer this question. As far as we are concerned we were never consulted on these issues in the past nor do they ask us about it now. It is true I was a minister in her government but for some time I have been telling her we feel suffocated in this party. Some people have hijacked this party and that is how and why the government collapsed”.

Mr Ansari said that if fresh elections are held he is ready to join the fray and face the people. “We have no problem... people are with us.”