Jammu, Nov 02: Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President of the J&K National Conference, on Thursday said the BJP government at the Centre has pushed Jammu and Kashmir into unprecedented political uncertainty due to its “inability” to maintain law and order in the Union Territory and not restoring democracy.
Responding to a statement by the General Secretary of BJP that “Jammu and Kashmir is writing a new story of development day by day”, the senior NC leader sharply criticized the governments at the Centre and UT for the “failure” to ensure the safety and security of Jammu and Kashmir’s citizens and police personnel. He drew attention to the increase in targeted killings and consistent attacks on the police and civilians, pointing out the significant discrepancy between the BJP leadership’s claims of ‘normalcy’ in J&K and the actual situation on the ground.
The Provincial President said that the BJP leadership’s fear of a poor performance in upcoming elections is leading them to offer unfounded excuses for delaying the polls. “The BJP’s reluctance is not merely strategic but a clear neglect of democratic governance principles,” he said, adding that statehood is a basic right of every J&K citizen and must be reinstated promptly. The call for statehood echoes strongly among the people, he added.
Correcting the BJP leader about the DDC polls in 2020, Rattan Lal reminded the BJP leadership that the alliance led by the National Conference had secured 112 seats in 2020, whereas the BJP had won only 75 seats. In Kashmir, the BJP managed only 3 seats in the DDC election out of 140.
The senior NC leader claimed that the Modi government has not only failed to eliminate corruption but also seen corruption increase significantly in Jammu and Kashmir under its regime. “The corruption situation is evident from the case of IAS Officer Ashok Parmar, who became a whistleblower about widespread corruption in the Jal Shakti Department,” he added.
“The Modi government’s real accomplishments include dividing the Dogra State into two parts increasing unemployment, inflation, recruitment scams, and selective killings,” he said. The NC leader criticized the Central government for its “low measures, such as profiting from the sale of government office scrap and earning Rs 500 crores, thus boosting the economic condition of the country,” he said
Rattan Lal reaffirmed his dedication to the well-being of Jammu and Kashmir’s inhabitants, asserting that only the NC can meet the area’s expectations. He vowed to keep advocating for their rights and striving to reestablish democracy in the region.
