AIIMS Awantipora caught in political crossfire after Mehbooba’s visit

A visit by PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to the under-construction AIIMS Awantipora has sparked a sharp political debate, with opposition leaders and members of the ruling establishment questioning her role in reviewing a major Central government-funded project.

The controversy erupted after Mehbooba, accompanied by party leaders and local representatives, toured the AIIMS campus in south Kashmir on Friday to assess the pace of work. During the visit, she described the institution as a landmark healthcare project and urged authorities to ensure its timely completion.

Her engagement with the project, however, drew criticism from political opponents who argued that a former chief minister holding no constitutional office has no mandate to conduct reviews of a public institution.

The issue gained further traction when Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakina Itoo questioned the circumstances surrounding the visit. Without naming anyone directly, she suggested that certain political figures were acting beyond their current roles and hinted at the involvement of influential quarters outside the Union Territory.

“Some people continue to behave as though they are still in power despite being out of office for years,” Itoo said, adding that the elected government is presently headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. She also raised questions about who was authorising such review exercises and whether any political direction was coming from New Delhi.

The debate intensified after Peoples Conference president and MLA Sajad Lone launched a strong attack on the PDP chief. Describing the episode as indicative of a “third power centre” emerging in Jammu and Kashmir, Lone argued that constitutional and administrative norms could not be altered through informal political influence.

He dismissed suggestions that Mehbooba’s interaction with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda could justify her involvement with the project. According to Lone, approval or communication from a Union minister does not change the constitutional framework governing public institutions.

Taking the argument further, Lone questioned whether the same principle would allow non-elected functionaries from other political organisations, including the BJP or RSS, to review government projects despite holding no official position.

The political row deepened on Saturday when Mehbooba revealed that she had spoken with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda regarding the progress of AIIMS Awantipora. In a post on X, she said she had requested the minister to expedite construction work and ensure that the project does not face further delays.

According to Mehbooba, Nadda assured her that efforts were being made to complete the institution on schedule. She stressed the need for the facility to become operational at the earliest, citing mounting pressures on Jammu and Kashmir’s healthcare system and the need for advanced medical services in the region.

AIIMS Awantipora, one of the Valley’s most ambitious healthcare infrastructure projects, was approved in 2015 when the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed headed the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. Following his death, Mehbooba Mufti took over as chief minister and continued the alliance until 2018, when the BJP withdrew support, leading to the collapse of her government.

With leaders trading accusations over authority, governance and political ownership of the project, AIIMS Awantipora has now become the centre of a wider political confrontation even before the premier healthcare institution opens its doors to the public.