Congress Accuses BJP of Misleading on J&K Employment Crisis

The Congress party has accused the BJP of misleading the public about employment in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming it faces the highest unemployment rate in 45 years. They argue BJP's claims of job growth are unfounded, highlighting issues like unfulfilled government promises, unemployment among youth and women, and alleged corruption in recruitment processes.

The Congress party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday of misleading the public regarding employment issues in Jammu and Kashmir. According to Congress, the region faces the highest unemployment rate in 45 years, ranking second highest nationally.

''Contrary to the claims made by Union Minister Anurag Thakur and LG Manoj Sinha, Jammu and Kashmir has an unemployment rate of 28.2 per cent, marking it as the second highest in the country," said AICC National Media Coordinator Dolly Sharma.

Sharma asserted that around 25 lakh young individuals in Jammu and Kashmir are currently seeking jobs. She also criticized the BJP's claims on employment, stating that J&K has the highest unemployment rate in 45 years and the second-highest in the country. Young women are particularly affected, facing a 48.6 per cent unemployment rate. She highlighted that 65 per cent of government posts have remained vacant since 2019, amid recruitment scams and unfulfilled promises.

Addressing the issue further, JKPCC Senior Vice President and Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma critiqued the administration's poor handling of vulnerable groups, emphasizing the need for urgent reforms.

AICC Media Coordinator for Jammu, Onika Mehrotra, pointed out instances of corruption and irregularities in government recruitments and criticized the issuance of 12,000 domicile certificates to non-natives, which she claims have further compounded job challenges for the local youth. Responding to BJP's criticism of the Congress-NC alliance, Ravinder Sharma questioned BJP's past alliances and accused them of aligning with separatist forces in Kashmir for political gain.

(With inputs from agencies.)