SRINAGAR: MLA Pulwama, Waheed ur Rehman Para criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government in the Assembly on Wednesday, urging it to focus on issues within its control instead of “avoiding responsibility.”
Para said the ruling alliance has the support of over 50 MLAs and should use this to engage with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We understand that restoring special status and other political issues takes time. But why not address issues that are in your hands?” he asked. “You were voted for human dignity, and developmental works were taken up during the LG administration, but what has changed on the ground in the last year?”
He added that stability should not come at the cost of people’s rights and self-respect. “What was happening in the LG administration continues — employee termination, NIA raids, and attachment of properties. It indicates that your vision document lacks a roadmap for action,” he said.
Para accused the government of acting aggressively only against political opponents in Jammu and Kashmir, while showing less determination in meetings with central leaders. “You fight fiercely with the Leader of the Opposition and BJP leaders here, but that energy disappears when you meet the PM, HM, and others in Delhi,” he said.
He said ongoing blame games between the PDP and NC over past issues will not shape the future of Jammu and Kashmir. Para added that since Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting JK, the local government should ask him to engage with local people, as Shah “always says he will talk to the people of JK, not Pakistan.”
The MLA said the concerns of youth are being ignored. “This has led to a sense of defeat among them, with unresolved issues of merit, reservations, and empowerment,” he said. “People are losing hope because fairness is not being delivered.”
Para said none of the 15 development works sanctioned in his constituency last year had been tendered, and Rs 300 crore under the Special Assistance Scheme had seen no expenditure. “What is the point of sanctioning then?” he asked.
He also alleged that 28 departments submitted “copy-paste replies” in the Assembly, showing the same project status as a year ago. “This is a sign of stagnation, not governance,” he said.
Para said structural changes in Jammu and Kashmir’s administrative framework have weakened all legislators, including BJP members. “Today, all of us in this House are weaker than before, and there is no reason for Kashmiris to fight each other. The Chief Minister must fight for Kashmiris, not Kashmiri versus Kashmiri,” he said.
He claimed smaller parties are being “silenced” in the House. “Don’t dehumanise us because PDP has four MLAs and PC has one. Democracy is about voice, not numbers,” he said.
On reservations, Para said the issue could have been resolved administratively through the Social Welfare Department instead of prolonged political debate. He also proposed establishing two campuses of the National Law University, one in Jammu and one in Kashmir, to avoid regional disputes.
Para alleged that NC leader and CM’s advisor Nasir Aslam Wani was given ministerial status and his son received a state award without justification, while others, including Irfan Sarkar who organised the Valley’s first day-night cricket tournament, were ignored.
Following Para’s remarks, several National Conference MLAs raised counter-questions about PDP’s past decisions, including the appointment of Tasaduq Mufti as minister during the previous PDP government, leading to a heated exchange in the Assembly.
