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Jammu, The Indian National Congress in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir has openly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government for undermining the rights of the people in the region. This statement comes amidst growing discontent over the federal government’s policies affecting local governance and autonomy.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the IIOJK Congress working president, Raman Bhalla, made these remarks during public meetings in the Sunderbani area of Rajouri. Bhalla accused the Modi administration of betraying the local population by stripping away their statehood and eroding their rights to land, employment, and local governance.
Bhalla highlighted several issues currently plaguing the region, including significant increases in living costs and record-high unemployment rates. He criticized the central government’s decision to downgrade the former state to a union territory, which he claimed insulted the local populace by denying them assembly elections for over five years and governing the territory through appointed bureaucrats rather than elected officials.
Moreover, Bhalla voiced concerns over the deliberate delay of assembly elections by the Indian government, suggesting that it stems from fears of electoral defeat. He affirmed the local demand for the restoration of statehood, declaring it a rightful claim that the people of Jammu and Kashmir intend to secure.