In a recent statement, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Modi administration to comply with the Supreme Court’s deadline for holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Kharge criticized the BJP’s policies in J&K and Ladakh, accusing the party of failing to honor the region’s cultural and democratic values, or “Kashmiriyat” and “Jamhuriyat.”
Kharge pointed out discrepancies between the government’s promises and the current situation, noting that the BJP had assured integration, economic growth, and a reduction in terrorism. Instead, he highlighted a rise in terror attacks and stagnating development, citing 683 attacks since 2019 that resulted in the deaths of 258 security personnel and 170 civilians. He also mentioned the troubling statistics of 25 attacks in Jammu since Modi’s third term began, which led to 15 soldier fatalities and 27 injuries. Furthermore, Kharge criticized the high unemployment rates and the underperformance of industrial investments and development projects. He emphasized that the people of J&K and Ladakh, as expressed during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, are yearning for stability and effective governance.