SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah charged the central government with not restoring democracy in JK. Omar lamented that the country takes pride in calling itself the mother of democracy on global stages while the same democracy fails to reach Jammu and Kashmir
He was addressing a one-day delegate session at Surankote in Poonch, on Thursday.
Decrying the lack of democracy in JK, Omar said, “It has been nearly a decade since the Assembly elections were held last time in 2014. People across J&K are united in their quest to restore democracy but those at the helm are not ready to reflect upon the gravity of the situation,” he said in a statement issued to press.
Calling out the anti-people policies of the JK administration, Omar alleged that in the name of hiked electricity bills, toll taxes, inflation, and ration curtailment the people of the UT are being persecuted.
“PDD first brought in digital meters. It had not been even a few days since these digital meters were replaced by smart meters. The question arises why digital meters were installed in the first place? Who will account for the crores of rupees spent on them? The water tariff increases every year but there is a dire need for drinking water everywhere. Roads everywhere are in bad condition. The work of opening the road to Surankote has been going on for years and the government is not showing any seriousness in completing it. The only thing the government is proud of is to have opened wine shops in every corner of J&K,” he said.
Criticizing the government’s slack attitude on conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said that the people of New Delhi say that India is the mother of democracy, but what happens to the mother’s love as soon as they come to Jammu and Kashmir. “I do not understand why Jammu and Kashmir is being deprived of elections. People have the right to choose their government. It is clear that BJP is scared to hold elections in JK and after the results of Kargil elections, this fear must have increased,” he said.
Omar said that the government employees who were happy about J&K becoming UTs are now struggling to withdraw GP funds for their children’s marriages and other emergencies. “The situation of daily wage earners is no different, the deprived lot is being treated with hollow promises and lip service,” he said.
