BJP anti Muslim, PDP directionless, Politics of Division a Cancer to J&K: Tanvir Sadiq
Jammu, 05 Feb: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Chief Spokesperson and MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq Thursday said that the third address of the Lieutenant Governor was a continuation of the earlier addresses and reflected the consistent and unresolved concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir—foremost among them the restoration of constitutional guarantees and full statehood.
Speaking in the Assembly, Tanvir said that from day one, the demand for restoration of statehood and constitutional rights has remained central to the aspirations of the people. “It was falsely propagated that the special status was responsible for all ills. Even after its abrogation, nothing has changed. The situation remains as grim as ever,” he said.
Taking a sharp dig at the opposition, Tanvir said that the Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, Sajjad Lone, and Waheed Parra appeared low on energy, directionless and completely lacking substance. “They have lost their voice and failed to articulate anything meaningful. That vacuum, however, has been decisively filled by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose leadership has restored confidence, clarity, and credibility,” he said.
Referring to recent incidents, Tanvir said that despite Kashmir standing united after the Pahalgam incident, Kashmiris were unfairly targeted and harassed without any fault of their own. “Houses were demolished merely because a family member was suspected. Advisories from places like Gurgaon suggesting that foreigners and Kashmiris should be ‘investigated’ are deeply disturbing. Kashmiris are not terrorists,” he asserted.
He strongly condemned the repeated detention of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, stating that detaining a religious leader every Friday without any justification is shameful. “Even on a sacred night like Shab-e-Barat, Jama Masjid was locked. This is not governance; this is collective humiliation,” he said.
Speaking on July 13 Martyrs, Tanvir Sadiq said it was a disgrace that those because of whom democratic institutions exist today are denied even prayers. “They live in our hearts, and we will continue to honour and remember them—come what may,” he said.
On the issue of SMVD Medical College, Tanvir accused the BJP of pursuing blatantly anti-Muslim policies. “For the first time in history, a medical college was shut down because Muslim boys and girls secured seats on merit. If this is not anti-Muslim, then what is? Tomorrow, if Muslim students top the merit list in an NLU which they demand for Jammu, will you shut that down too?” he asked.
Calling BJP’s politics divisive and dangerous, Tanvir Sadiq said that attempts to separate Jammu from Kashmir are aimed at deepening fault lines. “This divisive politics is a cancer eating into the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir,” he warned.
Hitting out at the PDP, Tanvir said it was unfortunate that the vision once articulated by Mufti Sahib of self-rule and shared sovereignty—has been completely abandoned. “Not once in recent years have they spoken about it. Instead, they endorsed the narrative that students would turn into militants if they studied in colleges. We will never forget the politics of ‘doodh and toffee’—the darkest phase in Kashmir’s political history,” he said.
Tanvir congratulated the Omar Abdullah-led government for the successful revival of the Darbar Move, saying it reaffirmed unity between Jammu and Kashmir. “What BJP wanted was Jammu versus Kashmir. What we delivered is Jammu with Kashmir always and forever,” he said.
Concluding his speech, Tanvir said, “Ajeeb siyasat hai—ek Sharma kehte hain Jammu alag, doosray kehte hain Jammu aur Kashmir ek. Sharma sahib, thodi sharam kijiye. Kisko bhai bana rahe ho aur kisko dhokha de rahe ho?”
He added, “We stood with Jammu when it gave us no political benefit and we will stand with Jammu even if it gives us none in the future. That is the difference in our politics, our intent, and our conscience.”
