Accusing Congress of "sowing the seeds of divisive and communal politics" in Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said it can't wash its hands off the morass of J-K's political uncertainty and economic instability.
"It is ironic that (Congress vice-president) Rahul Gandhi is criticizing his friend Omar Abdullah now after having destroyed Jammu and Kashmir together during the past six years," Mehbooba said while addressing a series of election rallies in Dooru assembly segment in south Kashmir.
She alleged it was Rahul Gandhi who provided the lifeline to Omar in 2010 when hundreds of youth and children were being killed by NC-Congress coalition government in Kashmir.
"Rahul pleaded for giving Omar 'more time as he is young and learning' while innocent blood was being shed on the streets of Kashmir by the government headed by his friend," she said.
"Congress also extracted its pound of flesh when it needed to hang (Parliament attack convict) Afzal Guru in its failed bid to stop BJP march as Guru was pulled out of the row and sent to gallows out of turn," she added.
She alleged Guru was picked out of turn "only as a return favour by Omar to his friend who had owed his survival to Rahul Gandhi in spite of his repeated failures."
Member parliament Mehbooba said Congress even shielded Omar in the Haji Yousuf case, "which would rate as one of the most sensational cases of political corruption and murder in JK."
"Even the Rs 113 crore Cricket Association scam, involving Dr Farooq Abdullah, was hushed up by Omar Abdullah-led government with the help of his friends in Congress," she said.
Mehbooba said the Congress and NC are equally responsible for creating political space for BJP in the state which has, in the last six years, seen the most incompetent and corrupt government headed by Omar Abdullah.
"Congress kept Omar Abdullah government on life support system for its entire tenure as its ministers tried to outdo their NC colleagues in amassing wealth and looting the state," she said.
"Unfortunately all the Congress ministers involved in various scams and scandals were given mandate by the party like their cohorts in NC," she added.
