ibn sultan
Srinagar, October 29: Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mohd Rafique Rather has expressed serious concern over the blatant misuse of government vehicles, official fuel, and other state resources by National Conference (NC) leaders while campaigning for their candidate in Budgam.
In a statement issued today, Rafique Rather said that dozens of government vehicles with official protocols are seen in every village of Budgam campaigning for the NC candidate, adding that such actions constitute a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and reflect a complete disregard for democratic ethics and administrative propriety.
Urging the Lieutenant Governor-led administration to take immediate cognizance of the matter, Mr. Rather demanded that authorities ensure a strict separation between government resources and party activities.
Rafique Ratherfurther stated that the misuse of official machinery not only undermines the credibility of the electoral process but also exposes the hypocrisy of those claiming moral high ground while indulging in open violations of law and ethics.
He slammed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for encouraging violations of the Model Code of Conduct by NC leaders by allowing the misuse of official machinery unabated. Mr. Rather also questioned the timing of the announcement to establish a Law University in Budgam, saying that such decisions could have been made after the elections. “This announcement is clearly aimed at luring the youth of Budgam, the same youth whom NC ignored for over five decades,” he said.
Urging the people of Budgam to vote for PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, Mr. Rather described him as a highly educated and grounded leader who represents integrity and vision. He added that the PDP is committed to the genuine development of Budgam, a region that has been deliberately kept backward by successive NC regimes only to exploit it during elections.
Reaffirming the PDP’s commitment to transparent, accountable, and democratic politics, Mr. Rather said the party will continue to fight for the people’s genuine aspirations and safeguard democratic values in Jammu and Kashmir.
