The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused the National Conference (NC) government of using its proposed Jantar Mantar protest on the issue of statehood to divert public attention from what it described as the ruling dispensation’s “poor performance” and alleged failures in governance.
Addressing a press conference here, Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Sharma alleged that the Omar Abdullah-led government had failed to fulfil its promises made to the people and was now resorting to “political drama” instead of addressing pressing public issues.
“The proposed protest at Jantar Mantar is merely an attempt to divert attention from the government’s failures. It is eyewah… Instead of answering questions on unemployment, corruption and unfulfilled promises, the government has chosen to stage a drama,” Sharma said.
He alleged that despite being in office for nearly two years, the government had failed to deliver on its commitments, including providing jobs, free electricity, food grains and other welfare measures promised to the people.
“What happened to the signature campaign for statehood restoration that the Chief Minister had promised last year?” he asked.
The LoP reiterated that the restoration of statehood remains the BJP’s commitment and asserted that it would be achieved through Parliament rather than street protests.
National Conference has announced protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, to press for the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Asked about the National Conference’s invitation to Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sharma to join the proposed Jantar Mantar protest, Leader of Opposition ruled out any participation by his party, launching a sharp attack on the NC leadership.
“Why should we join them at Jantar Mantar? Why should we stand with these corrupt people…? They are now taking along people who promoted separatism. These are the same people who were responsible for the killing Wamiq and Tufail. We completely reject them,” Sharma said.
Sharma also launched a scathing attack on the government’s outsourcing policy, claiming that nearly 25,000 appointments had been made through outsourcing, depriving deserving youth of opportunities based on merit.
He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had admitted in the Assembly that the government was engaging in outsourcing of jobs, a practice which the BJP considers unjust to educated unemployed youth.
“Young people spend years studying with the hope of securing government jobs on merit. Outsourcing has shattered those aspirations and opened the door for favouritism and backdoor appointments,” Sharma alleged.
Describing the outsourcing policy as an “appointment scam” rather than a recruitment process, the BJP leader demanded an independent probe into the matter and urged investigating agencies to examine the alleged irregularities.
Sharma announced that the BJP would launch a agitation against the Jammu and Kashmir government’s outsourcing policy.
He said the party would soon begin protests with a gherao of the Civil Secretariat from Srinagar before expanding the agitation across all districts of the union Territory.
“The movement will not remain confined to Kashmir. It will reach every district and every locality of Jammu and Kashmir. This is not merely a BJP movement but a fight for the rights of the youth. We will continue our agitation until the outsourcing policy is rolled back,” Sharma said.
