Gone with the wind: PDP members avoiding their otherwise-forte social media

By Mudassir Kuloo

Srinagar, Jun 26: Since BJP withdrew from the coalition, the PDP leaders have been avoiding social-media to evade getting trolled.
The PDP-BJP alliance formed in 2015 ended on June 19.
Since then, most of the PDP leaders have been either avoiding social media or have given up discussing politics.
In the last one week, spokesperson of the fallen government, Naeem Akhtar, who was often seen resorting to social-media, didn’t attempt to discuss politics or defend his party over the internet.
Khalil Bandh, PDP’s senior leader from south Kashmir, has not posted on social media since Eid ul Fitr.
Youth leader of the party, Waheed Para, recently shared a story that had appeared in media, followed by a comment. “Great going, Irfan Pathan has organised a cricket tournament,” he wrote.
However, he retweeted Mehbooba Mufti tweet where she hit back at Amit Shah.
She tweeted on Sunday, which was first reaction from the PDP against the BJP, which pulled out support from the alliance, leading to fall of the government.
Shah had accused Mehbooba Mufti of failing to maintain peace in the state during the three-year PDP-BJP rule.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Mehbooba took on Amit Shah saying, “Many false charges are levelled against us by our former allies. Our commitment to the Agenda of Alliance (AoA), co-authored by Ram Madhav and endorsed by senior BJP leaders like Rajnath, never wavered. It is sad to see them disown their own initiative and label it a soft approach.”
An official Facebook page of the PDP has not shared anything since June 17. It shared the last post when Mehbooba Mufti visited Kreeri, Baramulla, on Shujaat Bukhari’s death.
Senior PDP leader, Abdul Rehman Veeri has avoided posting anything on social media.
Another PDP leader Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has not shared posted since the fall of the government. He has last time shared on June 18 when several delegations called him about their grievances.
Amitabh Matoo, who was advisor of Mehbooba Mufti, too avoided posting anything related to politics.
Several PDP leaders have reportedly gone to New Delhi or to tourist destinations along with their families.
A national daily has reported that PDP leaders were fasting, doing yoga, family outings and relaxation since fall of the PDP-BJP government.
The report says that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti rarely comes out of her Fair View residence on high security Gupkar Road ever since she resigned.
“I now get time to do Yoga in the morning and go for a walk at Royal Spring Golf Course in the evening. I attend select marriage functions, as we cannot go everywhere due to security reasons,” the paper quoted Naem Akhtar.
Some PDP ministers and legislators, including Imran Raza Ansari, have gone to New Delhi, while others have gone to Jammu or to tourist resorts in the valley.