Jammu : PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para on Tuesday launched a sharp political attack on the Jammu and Kashmir government during the ongoing Assembly session, urging Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to use his mandate to initiate meaningful dialogue instead of what he termed as “hiding behind powerless procedures” in a Union Territory setup.
Speaking during the proceedings, Para said that governance in Jammu and Kashmir has been reduced to a mechanical process with little political agency left in the hands of elected representatives. “We know the process has been rendered powerless in this Union Territory. But governance cannot be limited to business rules and procedural formalities,” he said.
Para strongly pitched for political engagement, calling upon the Chief Minister to invite the Union Home Minister for direct talks with the youth and people of Jammu and Kashmir. “If you truly believe in the mandate given by the people, then use it to engage them. Invite the Home Minister for dialogue instead of allowing a sense of political defeat to take root,” he asserted.
Referring to the developments after August 5, 2019, Para said that the pain and political disempowerment experienced by the people cannot be normalised through administrative narratives. “Do not attempt to reduce a historic political struggle into a matter of governance files and rules of business. Our pain will neither be silenced nor normalised,” he told the House.
The remarks triggered murmurs across the Assembly, with Para’s intervention being seen as a direct challenge to the Chief Minister’s approach towards Centre-UT relations. He cautioned that continued political disengagement would only deepen alienation among the youth, particularly at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing prolonged uncertainty over democratic empowerment.
While the Chief Minister did not immediately respond to the remarks, Para’s statement is expected to add pressure on the government to articulate a clearer political roadmap on engagement, dialogue, and restoration of trust.
The intervention comes amid growing political calls within the Assembly for addressing post-August 2019 grievances through dialogue rather than administrative management, underlining the continuing tension between elected representatives and the existing power structure in the Union Territory.
