SRINAGAR: A visit by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti to an upcoming AIIMS in Pulwama's Awantipora on Friday and her review of the project with officials has sparked a political storm in Jammu and Kashmir, with the governing National Conference (NC) alleging the Centre orchestrated the move at a time it has intensified demands for restoration of statehood.
NC Accuses Centre of Using PDP
National Conference spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq accused the BJP-led Centre of using the PDP to create a political counterweight against the Omar Abdullah-led government. The allegations intensified as former chief minister Mehbooba spoke to Union Health Minister JP Nadda after the review, requesting him to expedite work on the project.
PDP's Response
The PDP hit back, saying a government with a comfortable majority should not feel threatened by a visit to a public health project site, and that it should be concerned about patients in Kashmir still waiting for access to a premier healthcare institution.
Background of AIIMS Projects in J&K
Jammu and Kashmir received two AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) in 2015. While the one in Jammu's Samba is operational, the Awantipora facility remains under construction. Both projects started in 2019.
The Awantipora project has repeatedly missed completion dates, and the new deadline is December 2026. Visiting the site, Mehbooba recalled that her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had envisioned the project when he was chief minister. This prompted the PDP, which counts the area as a stronghold, to accuse the Omar-led government of failing to monitor and expedite the project effectively.
NC Suspects Larger Design
The NC, however, suspected a bigger design in Mehbooba's visit. "After the 1996 polls when we passed an autonomy resolution in the J&K assembly, Delhi countered it by facilitating PDP's emergence as an alternative political force. Now when we have decided to go to New Delhi to protest for the restoration of statehood, the Centre has once again involved PDP by arranging a briefing for Mehbooba," Sadiq said.
J&K Health Minister and NC leader Sakina Itoo claimed Mehbooba was acting at the Centre's behest. "Which power centre in Delhi is directing these actions? It is ironic that the people because of whom the AIIMS project moved at a painfully slow pace are now trying to claim ownership of its progress. The fact is the project is moving towards completion because of the commitment of CM Omar's government," Itoo said.
PDP's Counter-Attack
The PDP pushed back against the assertions. Party functionary and Mehbooba's daughter, Iltija Mufti, recalled that the NC government publicly criticised the location of the Awantipora project and "studiously avoided a review meeting since 2024 just to delay the institute's inauguration."
Pulwama PDP MLA Waheed Parra accused Omar of not giving the project priority. Like Iltija, Parra claimed Omar had remarked last year that the site was selected due to political considerations during the PDP's tenure in office.
Peoples Conference Criticism
Peoples Conference chief and MLA Sajad Lone slammed Mehbooba's review as "nothing short of a constitutional crisis." "I can't believe the CM has not reacted to an event which further erodes J&K's already eroded power structure," Lone said.
