Ahead of crucial Ass💃embly elections in Jammu an🤪d Kashmir, Congress has painted the picture of the erstwhile state, now Union Territory, as “grim” and has “charge-sheeted” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s administration in J&K, while targeting BJP’s policy in the region.
The party has said the local people of Jammu and Kashmir are trꦯeated as “second class” citizens with their voices “suppressed” as their land, jobs, and resources are being provided to outsiders by “unelected” Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha, who it said has been “appointed over the local populace”.
On the day Congress leader and Leader of Opposition(LoP) Rahul Gandhi kickstarted the party’s poll campaign in J&🌜;K, the party came up with allegations against LG Sinha-led administration in the state.
Congress has a question in its “chargesheet”: ‘Kya Khoya, Kya Paya(what we lost, what we got)?’ The party also answered it for the masses: “sab kuch khoya, kuch nahi paya(everything lost, got nothing)”.
Congress has also said the situation of Jammu and Kashmir has b💖een made such that locals “grapple with rising prices, high taxes, water 🌃shortages, poor electricity supply, and excessive billing through smart meters.”
The party has also accused LG Sinha of encouraging corruption, saying “mi🅰ning, liquor, and construction contracts are awarded to cronies.” Besides, Con🌺gress has alleged that “those who attempt to expose corruption face ruthless prosecution.”
Congress General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir, also the former president of the party’s J&K unit, told Outlook that their “charg🦋esheet” reflects a 𓃲“simple meaning”.
“It is what BJP has done in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 10 years, especially in the past five years, since August 5, 2019. ဣThe injustices they (BJP) did with J&K,” said Mir.
On August🌜 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was abrogated. ♔Subsequently, the state was downgraded and divided into two UTs—J&K and Ladakh.
"They (BJP) claim that by abrogating꧑ laws, they did something huge for the country, which, in reality, is a lie. All they(BJP) did was do injustice to J&K," he added.
Another Congress leader, Ravinder Sharma, the party's Chief Spokesperson in Jammu and Kashmir, told Outlook that their "chargesheet" is "all abo💞ut failures of government."
"We have just portrayed the situation of Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever happened in last 10 years," sai꧒d Sharma🏅.
On “second class” citizen allegation, S❀harma said, “There are no democratic rights at par with the rest of the country right now in J&K.”
“If someone talks about rights, the person is threatened and harasseﷺd. This kind of tyrannical treatmentꦦ has been happening with Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“It is situation of despair. People were given hopes; however, they instead ⭕lost everything,” Sharma c✤laimed.
Congress has also stated that des🅠pite promises of a prosperous future, the people have faced “profound disappointment and betrayal”.
The party has cited recent amendments by🐠 the Centre, which consolidate power with the LG. Congress has calleꦗd the move “bypassing the people’s rights and subordinating their wishes to the power of an unelected person.”
Congress has ꦆalso said, “The promises to eradicᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚate corruption and terrorism have failed; instead, resources continue to be looted, and terrorism has spread to Jammu.”
Congress also claimed that job opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir are being reduced. “Over 12,000 domicile certificates were granted to ‘outsiders’ b🎶y 2024, reducing job opportunities for J♍&K youth,” it said.
Post 5 August 2019, the domicile certificate was introduced in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a legal document p🌱roving residency in Jammu and Kashmir, wherein the criteria to obtain it include years of residing or studying in the region, being a migrant, or having specific affiliations.
꧙The party also said that the UT’s Jammu region has “immensely suffered” s🔯ince the abrogation of biannual Durbar move was abolished.
Before August 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir had twin capitals—Srinagar for six months in summer and Jammu f💝or the remainder of the year.
Congress also brought up the issue of electricity shortages and p🅺ower cuts in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party said, “There is record low power generation”. It said, “Kashmir faced its worst electricity crisis with power generation hitting a record low of 50-100 megawatts (MW) against the demand of 1,800 MW, badly impacting the life of oveไr 70 lakh people in November 2023.”
The party has said it has resulted in "This caused the longest power cuts in two decades, with 12 to 16 hours of cuts per day. They came when the nigh🌳t temperatures were already sub-zer🧸o in the Valley."
The party has said the land and resources are being "looted by outsiders." Itℱ has been alleged that land is being snatched from farmers.
"The repeal of laws such as the Alienation of Land Act and the Big Landed Estates Abolition Act has result🌃ed in the displaceme🐲nt of many local farmers," Congress said.
The party has also said there is "discrimination" againsꦯt local J&K contractors.
"In 2021, the J&K government awarded mining contracts for various minerals, including sand and gravel, to external companies...Out of 450 mineral blocks auctioned, appro🌜ximately 200 were awarded to firms from outside the region," it said.
It has also allege💦d that "the liquor mafia from outside the state secured the majority of liquor vends by allegedly manipulating the bidding process. Some groups from outside J&K secured multiple lic♔ences by using proxies."
The party has also cited instances when alleged irregularities🌞 surfaced in the recruitment processes.
One𓂃 such instance that the party has cited is the Fire an🦂d Emergency Services Department hiring process, where the test was administered in 2020 and came to light in 2022.
Another instance of alleged irre🍰gularities that the part🌞y has cited to corner the LG administration is J&K in selecting 1200 sub-inspector positions in the Jammu and Kashmir Police Department, 1300 junior engineer positions and 1000 financial account assistant positions in the Finance Department.
Congress has also lis🐟ted an instance of Ashok Kumar Parmar, now a retired IAS officer, who during his tenure in J&K𒆙 had “unveiled a massive Rs 13000 crore scam within the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in J&K when in office” to corner LG Sinha administration.
Congress has also mentioned in its “chargesheet” about IAS officer Parmar’s CBI inv﷽estigation demand into the “LG’s use of an upscale New Delhi bungalow in 2021 for a per🎀sonal function whose cost was borne by the J&K government”.
Congress leaders question why no enquiry was ordered even when one officer, Ashok Parmar, and former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik raised th🐠e alarm about “rampant corruption”.
Mir and Sharma refer to the Rs 13000 🙈crore alleged scam within 🌸the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in J&K and Malik’s claim about being given Rs 400 crore as a “bribe”.
Mir said: “Officers are on record to say that there is bungling, and the former governor is also on record to say that he got a Rs 400 crore offer, so wꦉhy is there no investജigation?”
Sharma also states: “Contracts being given to out🦄siders. Tꦐhese allegations remain unchallenged. Let them say if it is true or not.”
Both Congress leaders claim that the party has evidence to b🌊ack its “chargeshee🦩t”.
“Let there be an enquiry🍎. We will presenꦰt evidence,” said Mir.
