SRINAGAR: The son of veteran National Conference leader and former finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather on Saturday joined Sajad Gani Lone’s People Conference, a move that is set to create ripples in the NC after its key Jammu man joined BJP.
Although businessman turned politician Hilal Rather, who has a tainted past, said that he did not consult his father prior to the decision, but it is definitely going to impact the career of Abdul Rather at NC.
At a presser Sajad Lone said that Hilal who has been his friend for two decades had told him 15 years ago that he will join him.
“We were sitting together on a cup of tea, and I asked him to join me. He told me that whenever he would join anyone, it would be me. So today was the day,” Lone said.
“People’s Conference has arrived. Let there be no delusions. There are many who refuse to see reality as it exists and want to create reality as they want to see it. I want to tell those delusional people that we have arrived to conquer for the best of the people of J&K,” he said.
On his part, Hilal said that in Sajad he found a dynamic and progressive leader, qualities he liked about him. He did not mention any reason for parting away from NC, where he was a leader.
“I haven’t consulted my father while joining PC. I have huge respect for him. He has always given us that space to independently decide for us,” he said.
Before Hilal, fromer JK Bank Chairman Parveez Ahmad and PDP’s senior leader Nizamudin Bhat had joined the PC.
Hilal was welcomed into the party fold by Sajad himself along with other party leaders including General Secretary Imran Reza Ansari, Syed Basharat Bukhari and Safina Baig among others.
Abdul Rahim Rather, Hilal’s father, is known to be close to NC chairman Farooq Abdullah, and his son, former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah. He has represented Charar-e-Sharief constituency six times, for nearly four decades.
Earlier Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a money laundering case against Rather for criminal conspiracy with the then officials of the J&K Bank to get loans of about Rs 177.68 crore in alleged violation of rules and guidelines. Hilal’s businesses are spread over many verticals and employes hundreds in his ventures.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz