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Reacting to this, senior National Conference leader and former MLC Sheikh Bashir Ahmed said it is not a big issue and small matters are being blown out of proportion
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in conversation with Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary. File pic/PTI
The infighting within Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference has come out in the open, exposing cracks within the party, particularly among legislators from the Pir Panjal region. The latest flashpoint is an Instagram post by Budhal MLA Javid Iqbal Choudhary, in which he openly attacked Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and called him a “thug”.
Choudhary made the remarks while reacting to a post on Instagram about his absence from the Deputy CM’s event in Rajouri. In his comment, Javid wrote: “The Dy CM is a thug and does not deserve my presence at his functions. My self-respect and the interests of my people come first.”
Javid Iqbal Choudhary is a first-time MLA. He won from Budhal for the first time and entered the Assembly with high expectations. However, his disillusionment has been growing. He believes that despite being an elected representative of the ruling party, he is not being given his due share in development.
He is not alone. Other MLAs from the region, too, have been unhappy for a long time. They claim that more than Rs 400 crore under different heads, including NABARD, SASCI and other schemes, has been spent by the Deputy CM largely in his own area.
According to these MLAs, more than 100 bridges are being constructed and roads are being built, but almost entirely in the Deputy CM’s own constituency. “He is building everything only in his own area and giving us nothing,” one MLA is learnt to have said. They further allege that even funds meant for their constituencies were diverted towards Nowshera.
It is this long-standing anger over alleged discrimination that has now erupted in public. The MLAs say they have raised the issue repeatedly within the party, but no concrete action has been taken.
On June 3, the MLAs had slammed the Deputy CM in front of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Dachigam over the functioning of the Roads and Buildings Department headed by him. In a memorandum to the party high command, the dissident group had also demanded that the Deputy CM be stripped of the R&B portfolio.
At A Glance
Budhal MLA Javid Iqbal Choudhary attacked Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary in an Instagram post by calling him a thug.
Dissident MLAs claim that more than Rs 400 crore under different schemes has been spent by the Deputy CM largely in his own area.
On June 3, MLAs slammed the Deputy CM in front of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Dachigam over the functioning of the Roads and Buildings Department.
Senior NC leader Sheikh Bashir Ahmed downplayed the issue, stating that small matters are being blown out of proportion.
The latest controversy began when the Deputy CM visited Nowshera. Javid did not attend those programmes. His absence was noticed on social media. Soon after, Javid went to meet the Lieutenant Governor, which further fuelled speculation. According to Javid, after that, posters were allegedly put up at the behest of the Deputy CM, suggesting that Javid and other MLAs were in league with the BJP. This infuriated Javid further.
It was in this background that he posted the controversial comment on Instagram. Speaking with News18 later, Javid said he was compelled to put up the post. He said he is an elected representative, and not just he alone, but other MLAs too are facing the same situation. “We cannot keep silent forever,” he said.
Javid maintained that his self-respect is non-negotiable. He said he cannot compromise on the dignity of his people. He added that despite repeated appeals, their demands have not been met by the Chief Minister. The demand to change the R&B portfolio has not been accepted. “Now enough is enough,” he said, adding that the Chief Minister should take cognisance before it goes further out of hand.
The National Conference has tried to downplay the whole issue. Reacting to this, senior NC leader and former MLC Sheikh Bashir Ahmed said it is not a big issue and small matters are being blown out of proportion. He said it is not good to use social media as a tool to express views.
Bashir said the National Conference is a democratic party and all issues can be discussed within the party forum and not through the media. He said it is always better to raise concerns inside the party platform rather than making them public. Bashir added that he does not believe the Deputy CM has done anything like what is being alleged.
Meanwhile, the BJP has taken a jibe at the NC over the open war of words. BJP leader and MLA RS Pathania said the incident shows that all is not well within the NC. He said when MLAs of the ruling party themselves are making statements against each other in public, it reflects the real condition of the party.
Pathania said this kind of public mudslinging indicates that the NC can split into two at any time. He described the current situation as a spark that is slowly growing. According to him, the internal fight, which started as a demand for development funds, is now turning into a full-blown political crisis.
For now, all eyes are on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The dissident MLAs want him to intervene, ensure equitable distribution of funds, and address the R&B issue. Whether he can pacify the angry MLAs remains to be seen.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Budhal MLA Javid Iqbal Choudhary posted the controversial comment on Instagram after reacting to a post about his absence from the Deputy CM’s event in Rajouri. He was frustrated over alleged regional discrimination and the diversion of over Rs 400 crore in development funds exclusively to the Deputy CM’s constituency.
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Srinagar, India, India
November 14, 2026, 20:08 IST
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