Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 9 

Senior People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehboob Beg on Saturday accused the National Conference (NC) leadership of undermining democracy through alleged manipulation of the 1987 Jammu and Kashmir elections, saying the episode fuelled public alienation and militancy in the region.

Addressing a party rally in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Beg said alleged electoral malpractices during the 1987 assembly election had damaged public faith in democratic institutions in Kashmir.

Beg, a former member of parliament and chief spokesperson of the PDP, said the disputed election transformed Muhammad Yusuf Shah, a former candidate of the Muslim United Front, into Syed Salahuddin, who later became the chief of the Pakistan-based militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

“The manipulation deprived people of their democratic rights and caused permanent damage in how people in Kashmir perceive local elections,” Beg said.

The 1987 election in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has long been viewed by political analysts and separatist groups as a turning point that contributed to the outbreak of armed insurgency in the region in the late 1980s. The National Conference, then allied with India’s Congress party, has repeatedly denied allegations of large-scale rigging.

Beg also criticised Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of attempting to appease the federal government in New Delhi while failing to address public grievances within the region.

“It is insulting for every Kashmiri to see the chief minister, who was elected to give a democratic voice to their sufferings and grievances, bend backwards and make desperate attempts to please those at the helm,” Beg said.

There was no immediate response from the National Conference to Beg’s remarks.