Congress Accuses BJP of Betrayal in J&K Ahead of Assembly Polls

In its 'Chargesheet', the Congress has accused the BJP of betrayal over issues like unemployment, agriculture, education, health, and statehood in Jammu and Kashmir. The document also targeted Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, alleging widespread corruption and suppression of the people's voice.

In the lead-up to the assembly polls in the Union Territory, the Congress released a 'Chargesheet' on Wednesday titled 'Kya khoya, kya paya Jammu and Kashmir: sab kuch khoya, kuch nahi paya'. The party accused the BJP of betrayal on numerous fronts, including unemployment, agriculture, education, health, and statehood. The document specifically targeted Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, claiming that the people's voice in J&K is being suppressed.

The Congress alleged that an unelected Lieutenant Governor, appointed from Delhi, holds all power, and despite promises, statehood restoration has been denied to the proud people of Jammu and Kashmir, treating them as second-class citizens. Outsiders are reportedly being allocated land, resources, and jobs, while locals grapple with rising prices, high taxes, water shortages, poor electricity supply, and excessive billing through smart meters. According to the document, J&K has the second-highest unemployment rate in the country, twice the national average, with 65% of government posts remaining vacant since 2019.

The 'Chargesheet' further accused the BJP of encouraging corruption, claiming it starts at the LG's own office, with lucrative contracts for mining, liquor, and construction awarded to cronies. It said anyone attempting to expose corruption faces ruthless prosecution. Over the last five years, promises of peace, employment, water, and electricity have fallen flat, replaced by rising unemployment, water shortages, power outages, and drug addiction. Youth job opportunities remain unfulfilled, and the abolition of the biannual Durbar Move has brought immense suffering to Jammu.

The Congress also highlighted that, according to government data, Jammu and Kashmir had a youth unemployment rate of 28.2% as of March 2024, with the highest unemployment rate for young women in the country at 48.6%. Despite the introduction of the 2021 New Industrial Policy, only 3% of investments have materialized, and 40% of projects under the PM's Development Package of 2015 remain pending. Electricity billing has surged since the compulsory introduction of smart meters, despite the reliability of power supply plummeting.

Last November, Kashmir experienced its worst electricity crisis, with power generation hitting a record low of 50-100 megawatts against the demand of 1,800 megawatts, severely impacting the lives of over 70 lakh people. Additionally, a 2021 report by NITI Aayog indicated that J&K has only 17 hospital beds per lakh population in district hospitals, far below the national average of 24. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, crimes against women in J&K grew by 15% in 2021. The 'Chargesheet' also condemned the closure of around 4,400 government schools in J&K, which it attributed to efforts to promote expensive private schools to the detriment of the poor and vulnerable sections of society.

The assembly polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes set for October 8. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)