Congress releases damning chargesheet against BJP’s policies in IIOJK
New Delhi: In a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Indian government’s policies in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress has unveiled a detailed chargesheet outlining New Delhi’s systemic suppression and a series of anti-Kashmir measures.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took to the social media platform X to reveal the charge sheet. The document emphasizes the suppression of local voices and the centralization of power in IIOJK, with a specific focus on the role of an unelected Lieutenant Governor (LG) appointed from Delhi.
“The voice of the people in Jammu and Kashmir is being suppressed,” the charge-sheet asserts. “An unelected Lt Governor, appointed from Delhi, holds all significant authority, and despite repeated promises, the restoration of statehood has been denied, leaving the people of J&K feeling like second-class citizens.”
The Congress further says that the local population is being sidelined while outsiders are given preferential access to land, resources, and job opportunities. The charge-sheet underscores severe issues affecting the territory, including soaring prices, high taxes, water shortages, unreliable electricity supply, and excessive billing through smart meters. It also points to IIOJK’s alarming unemployment rate, which stands as the second-highest in India with 65 percent of government positions vacant since 2019.
The document also said that the Indian government was fostering corruption, adding that lucrative contracts in mining, liquor, and construction are being awarded to cronies, while those who attempt to expose such corruption face severe persecution.
The Congress’s chargesheet is released in the run-up to the so-called IIOJK Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the vote counting slated for October 8.