New Delhi, Jan 04: The Congress on Sunday described the
decision of the PDP to part ways with the UPA as "unfortunate"
and claimed it will only benefit divisive forces.
"This will only benefit the NDA and its divisive
political agenda. This is unfortunate," party spokesman
Shakeel Ahmed said.
The PDP severed its ties with the Congress and the UPA
after the decision of the ruling party to support the National
Conference for government formation in the border state of
Jammu and Kashmir.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti wrote a letter to UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in which she said that her party has
formally dissociated itself from the UPA alliance at the
Centre.
Ahmed, however, said that given the political realities
of the state, the NC decided to come to the UPA. He said the
Congress too decided to support the NC for stability in the
sensitive state.
"Tomorrow, the PDP will say that they would join the
third or the fourth front ... But if the UPA is weakened only
the communal forces are strengthened," the spokesman said.
The PDP becomes the third regional party in recent months
to withdraw support from the UPA. The TRS and the MDMK too had
withdrawn support from the government earlier.
Asked why were the parties withdrawing support from the
UPA in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, Ahmed said this
must be due to regional compulsions.
"During the July 22 trust vote, both the PDP and the NC
had voted for the government," he said, adding, the withdrawal
of support by the PDP now was contradictory to their previous
stand. He said it would have no impact on national politics.
The PDP has only one MP in the Lok Sabha and the
withdrawal does not affect the government.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, January 04, 2009, 00:00