Senior People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader and District President Baramulla Mohd Rafique Rather has launched a scathing attack on the National Conference (NC) government, accusing it of indulging in ceremonial politics while ignoring the basic and core issues faced by the people, particularly in District Baramulla.
Rafique Rather expressed deep concern over the ongoing water crisis affecting large parts of the district. “The NC leadership has turned a blind eye to the sufferings of the people. Their focus remains on ribbon-cutting functions and protocol-driven events while essential services lie in disarray,” he said.
Rather further lashed out at the NC for failing to fulfil the promises made during election campaigns, saying, “They hide behind the slogans of restoring statehood but have conveniently forgotten the very commitments they made to the people.”
Rafique Rather also strongly criticised the misuse of rural and urban development programs under the current dispensation. “Pertinently, the rural development plans recommended during Gram Sabha meetings have been manipulated by NC MLAs and NC workers only have been accommodated through the sanctioning of works, sidelining genuine and deserving beneficiaries. This is a sheer insult to the public mandate and a direct blow to the spirit of grassroots democracy and empowerment of the poor,” he alleged.
He accused the NC government of running the administration like a private fiefdom. “They expect government officers to follow their personal dictates as if they are their slaves, which is undemocratic and unacceptable,” he remarked.
Rather called on the administration to immediately shift its focus towards resolving real public grievances and ensuring that welfare schemes reach the needy without political bias. “The people of Baramulla deserve accountability, not arrogance,” he concluded.
