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Criticising the Centre on the 5th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said the BJP neither respects "Kashmiriyat nor upholds 'Jamhuriyat' (democracy)."
In a post on X, Kharge said, "BJP's policy on Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh neither respects 'Kashmiriyat' nor upholds 'Jamhuriyat'! The Modi Govt had claimed that this move would help to fully integrate Jammu and Kashmir, boost the economic development of the region, and prevent terrorism and separatism." The Congress chief claimed that the "reality is starkly different" and said, "Since 2019, there have been 683 fatal terror attacks, resulting in the martyrdom of 258 security personnel and the loss of 170 civilian lives. Notably, 25 terror attacks have occurred in the Jammu region since PM Modi's third oath, claiming the lives of 15 soldiers and injuring 27." He claimed that "targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits have become a norm" in the past few years. Kharge further said during Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh conveyed to Rahul Gandhi that they "yearn for normalcy." "A staggering 65 per cent of government department posts in Jammu & Kashmir remain vacant since 2019. The unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir stands at 10 per cent, with an alarming 18.3 per cent youth unemployment rate. Despite the introduction of the New Industrial Policy in 2021, a mere 3 per cent of investments have materialized on the ground. 40 per cent of projects under the PM's Development Package, 2015, remain pending. Jammu and Kashmir's net state domestic product (NSDP) growth rate has declined from 13.28 per cent (April 2015- March 2019) to 8.73 per cent post-2019," he mentioned in his post. The Congress chief further demanded that elections in J-K be held according to the Supreme Court's set deadline. "So that people can elect their representatives, secure Constitutional rights, and put a full stop to this mechanism of being 'ruled by bureaucracy'. The Indian National Congress stands firmly with the people of these regions, which are an integral part of India," he added. In August 2019, the Centre revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. (ANI)
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