When in alliance with PDP and NC, BJP didn’t question credentials: Mehbooba

NEW DELHI: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday hit out at the BJP for alleging that regional parties were working at Pakistan’s behest, saying credentials of the NC and the PDP were not questioned when they were in alliance with the saffron party.nnMehbooba’s remark came after BJP general secretary Ram Madhav alleged that the PDP and the NC had boycotted local body polls in the state earlier because of instructions from Pakistan.nnThe BJP leader, however, withdrew his words following a dare by NC leader Omar Abdullah to prove his charge.nnShocked to see baseless allegations against mainstream parties in JK following dictates from Pakistan levelled by @rammadhavbjp ji, PDP chief Mehbooba said in a series of tweets.nnOn Wednesday, PDP with the support of the National Conference (NC) and the Congress staked claim for forming government, but their efforts were cut short as Malik decided to dissolve the assembly, which was in suspended animation since June 19.nnQuestioning the BJP over casting aspersions over a party’s nationalistic credentials, Mehbooba expressed sadness over deteriorating standards of political discourse in the country.nnSad to see what the political discourse of our country has been reduced to. How does one define a party’s nationalistic credentials? Nationalistic and patriotic only if you are with the Centre and Pakistan sponsored and anti nationalistic otherwise? she said.nnMehbooba said all mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir have taken grave risks to bridge the trust deficit that exists between people of the state vis a vis the country and it was strange that their credentials were not questioned when the NC or the PDP was in alliance with the BJP.nnBoth PDP and NC have been allies of BJP at some point. Strange that our credentials werent (were not) questioned then. But just because our MLAs had enough integrity to stand up to your (BJP’s) failed attempts of defection, they are now anti nationalistic? she tweeted.nnThe former chief minister said India is a great country and democracy is a battle of ideas and lets not make a mockery of those very institutions and people .nnWe had aligned with the BJP to change this pernicious mindset. Undoubtedly Pakistan has an impact on the situation in J&K. But its upto our country to change that from negative to positive and tread the path that was taken by (former prime minister A B) Vajpayee ji, she said.nnSource: Press Trust of India