The Biz Reporter
JAMMU, Feb 4: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed sharp exchanges after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed ur Rehman Para targeted the National Conference (NC) government over the conferment of a State Award on the son of senior NC leader Nasir Aslam Wani, alleging nepotism.
Raising the issue during the Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s Address, Para criticised the government for awarding Saadat Nasir Sogami, son of Nasir Aslam Wani, in the category of Social Reforms and Empowerment on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day. He alleged that the ruling party believes in extending “special status” to its leaders and their families, instead of recognising grassroots achievers.
Para argued that the award should have been given to Irfan Sarkar, a youth from Pulwama, whose cricketing initiative was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his radio programme Mann Ki Baat. “This government talks of merit and transparency, but its actions send a different message,” he said.
The PDP legislator also launched a broader attack on the NC government, alleging failure on issues of merit, reservation and youth welfare despite enjoying a strong mandate in the Assembly. He said a sense of disillusionment prevails among the youth of Kashmir, claiming the government has failed to translate public trust into meaningful governance.
Para questioned the utilisation of central funds, stating that while the leadership claims to have secured substantial assistance from the Centre under various schemes, the impact is not visible on the ground. Referring to Pulwama district, he said Rs 25 crore had been released last year, but not a single work had been tendered so far.
He further accused the government of misleading people on the reservation issue, arguing that it could have been resolved through a simple notification by the Social Welfare Department instead of constituting a Cabinet Committee. On the issue of National Law Universities, Para said the matter could be addressed by establishing two institutions—one each in the Jammu and Kashmir regions—if there was political will.
Strongly reacting to Para’s remarks, several NC legislators rose in protest. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary rejected the allegations and reminded the PDP leader of his party’s own record when it was in power.
Choudhary recalled that during the PDP-led government, a close relative of the Mufti family was elevated to the Cabinet despite having served earlier as a photographer—an apparent reference to Tasadduq Hussain Mufti, who was made Tourism Minister in the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government.
Other NC members, including Salman Sagar, Arjun Singh Raju, Abdul Majid Larmi and Altaf Kuloo, also objected to Para’s charges, terming them politically motivated and aimed at diverting attention from PDP’s own governance record.
The heated exchange underscored continuing political friction between the PDP and the ruling NC, with allegations of nepotism and counter-allegations dominating proceedings in the House.
