Srinagar: The ruling National Conference’s struggle for greater authority has run into an unusual headwind with its unelected rival Mehbooba Mufti chairing a review meeting of the under-construction AIIMS in Kashmir, underscoring how the NC feels politically squeezed while battling a larger challenge from the LG Manoj Sinha administration.
Mehbooba, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former chief minister, on Friday visited the upcoming central government institute in Awantipora in Pulwama district to review its construction with senior officers. She later said she was delighted to visit the site, describing it as a dream of her father and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The PDP president said there was some delay in construction, but work was progressing well now.
Her visit has raised the hackles of the NC and some other parties, but she rubbed it in by dialling Union health minister J.P. Nadda on Saturday and requesting him to expedite the ongoing work.
“Spoke with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda ji and requested him to expedite the ongoing work at AIIMS Awantipora so that it doesn’t get delayed any further. He was kind enough to assure me about its completion well on time,” Mehbooba posted on X.
NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq told reporters it was “unfortunate that a former chief minister has given an opportunity to unelected people to take their MLAs to chair a meeting. This sets a very wrong precedent”.
The development has angered Jammu and Kashmir health minister Sakina Itoo, who questioned Mehbooba’s locus standi.
“Some people seem to be suffering from political amnesia. They still behave as if they are in power, even though they lost office in 2018 and have since been repeatedly rejected by the people. The elected government today is led by Hon’ble Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,” Itoo posted on X.
She also suggested Mehbooba was doing it at the Centre’s direction.
“Yet, one wonders in what capacity former rulers are conducting reviews of the AIIMS Awantipora project. More importantly, who is signalling them to undertake such exercises? Which power centre in Delhi is directing these actions?” she wrote.
Itto said the project was announced by the previous Congress government at the Centre and regretted that it “moved at a painfully slow pace” when Mehbooba was in power in alliance with the BJP.
“The fact is that the project is moving towards completion because of the focused efforts, monitoring and commitment of the present government under the leadership of CM Omar Abdullah. The people of Jammu & Kashmir are wise enough to distinguish between those who delayed development and those who are ensuring its delivery,” she said.
Opposition PDP, which has only four MLAs in the Assembly, has defended the action and said the area where the AIIMS was coming up fell within the constituency of PDP legislator Rafiq Naik, who accompanied Mehbooba on Friday.
Itto, according to political sources, chaired a review meeting on Saturday to assess the progress of the AIIMs.
The 1,000-bed medical facility has missed several deadlines since it was announced in November 2015 by the BJP-led government. Jammu and Kashmir was then headed by Mehbooba’s father. Another AIIMS was announced for Jammu, which became operational in 2024.