BJP Declines Invitation, Calls Protest a Political Gimmick
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday declined the National Conference's invitation to participate in a protest scheduled for July 20 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma described the event as an 'eyewash' intended to divert public attention from the ruling party's governance failures.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Sharma accused the National Conference of using the statehood demand as a smokescreen to hide its poor performance on issues such as unemployment, corruption, and overall governance.
Statehood Restoration: Parliamentary Route vs. Street Protests
Sharma reiterated the BJP's commitment to restoring Jammu and Kashmir's statehood but stressed that the process would be carried out through Parliament, not through protests at Jantar Mantar. 'They have come up with new theatrics to hide their failures. This is an eyewash. Statehood will be restored through Parliament, not through protests at Jantar Mantar,' he said.
The National Conference had extended invitations to 52 political and religious leaders from across the country, including J&K BJP president Sat Sharma, to join the protest demanding statehood restoration. However, Sunil Sharma confirmed the BJP would stay away from the demonstration.
Criticism of National Conference's Governance Record
Sharma also criticised the National Conference for allegedly failing to make statehood a key election promise and accused the party of raising the issue now to evade accountability for its governance record. He claimed the party had not fulfilled several pre-election promises, including providing 10 kg of free ration, 200 units of free electricity, one lakh government jobs, and 12 free LPG cylinders annually.
BJP's Planned Mass Agitation Against Outsourcing Policy
Announcing the BJP's next course of action, Sharma said the party would launch a mass agitation against the government's outsourcing policy. He described the policy as the 'biggest-ever appointment scam' in the Union Territory, alleging it deprived meritorious youth of employment while facilitating backdoor appointments.
'We will begin this movement with a gherao of the Civil Secretariat. The BJP will not remain silent and will fight for the rights of unemployed youth,' Sharma said, urging the government to roll back the outsourcing policy. The agitation will start in Kashmir before expanding to every district, town, and village across Jammu and Kashmir.
Allegations of Corruption and Transfer Industry
Sharma further accused the government of institutionalising corruption, alleging that a thriving 'transfer industry' had emerged in which transfers and postings were influenced by money. He claimed that the National Conference had failed to address these issues effectively.
The BJP's stance underscores the party's strategy to differentiate itself from the National Conference by advocating for statehood through parliamentary means while simultaneously targeting the ruling party's governance record. The planned agitation against the outsourcing policy is expected to intensify political tensions in the region.
