Peoples Democratic Party president and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks that she didn’t allow the BJP to crack down on the separatists and Jamaat-e-Islami during her tenure as the CM reeks of hypocrisy in the face of the imminent downfall of her party. The PDP chief doesn’t need to be reminded that it was under her tenure as the chief minister that the state authorities registered a case against moderate Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. It was under her tenure that the worst ever crackdown was launched against the protesters who had hit the streets in the aftermath of Hizb commander Burhan wani’s killing. It was under her tenure that the historic Jamia Masjid was shut for months. It is obvious that the PDP chief is making these false statements for political gains. Following the alliance with the BJP, the credibility of her party has been dented permanently perhaps. The PDP is now seen as an extension of the Hindu rightwing party in Kashmir. What was touted to be the most promising coalition government turned into a disaster. Even when the PDP chief was at the helm of the affairs, the Hindu rightwing party snubbed her decisions, including the calls for holding talks with the separatists and the return of power projects to the state government. She was never taken seriously by the BJP. But even then she clung on to the chair with no consideration for the welfare of the people of Kashmir who had made the PDP the single largest party after 2014 state assembly elections. When the forces were on a rampage, she accused the kids of provoking them to open fire. When Kashmir was burning, she blamed people for igniting the flames. It was a typical case of Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burned. Now that the party is out of power, Mehbooba is making U-turns on almost daily basis. She has been staging protests to demand revocation of ban on the Jamaat. But people don’t forget easily. They won’t forget the epidemic of dead eyes. They won’t forget the body bags that are reaching Kashmiri homes on almost daily basis. Mehbooba might play the emotional card but people can’t be befooled for long. Her party opened the doors of Jammu and Kashmir for the BJP. Whatever the Hindu rightwing party has done or is going to do in coming days in the state, PDP shares equal blame. No statements, no protests or no amount of condemnation can change that!