The popular support base of the Peoples Democratic Party, carefully nurtured by the party patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed here in Jammu suffered another dent as three more leaders quit the party, two days ahead of the maiden elections of the district development council, on Thursday.
In a joint letter issued to media houses, former state general secretary PDP Dhaman Bhasin, state secretary Fallail Singh and ex-district President Doda, Pritam Kotwal alleged that the PDP has become the “B team” of the National Conference (NC).
Both Bhasin and Singh were counted among the close aides of Mufti Mohd Sayeed and were also the founding members of the PDP from Jammu.
Feeling suffocated in the party for a long time these leaders even claimed the PDP has abandoned Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s vision and that “unscrupulous, communal elements with mysterious character” have taken over.
“Putting our political career at stake, we joined PDP -- from the very first day of its formation -- with an aim to provide a secular alternative to corrupt and dynast NC as late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had a vision to frustrate evil designs of communal and parochial elements but the party leadership has, unfortunately, abandoned Mufti Sahib’s agenda to become B team of NC,” the letter, signed the three, read.
The letter submitted to the PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti further noted “The party leadership has recently given some highly provocative and controversial statements against the basic principles of the founder of the party.