Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Feb 21 : Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma on Saturday accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of betraying the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, alleging political deceit, double standards and governance failures, particularly on employment.
Speaking at the BJP’s Mega Joining Programme at SKICC, Srinagar, Sharma, per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the NC had misled voters during the 2024 Assembly elections by promising restoration of Article 370. He asserted that Article 370 “is history” and would not return.
He also questioned the NC’s repeated reference to “special status,” claiming the term has no constitutional basis as projected by the party, and said he had challenged the government in the Assembly to substantiate its claims.
Accusing the Abdullah family of double standards, Sharma alleged that while NC leaders criticise the BJP publicly, they have historically aligned with it for political power. He urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to question these contradictions.
Sharma further criticised the NC’s past governance, alleging failure to deliver on promises related to autonomy resolutions and financial packages.
He accused the government of outsourcing around 24,000 jobs instead of filling them through a transparent recruitment process. “The posts were handed over to a private company without open advertisements, written examinations or interviews, thereby depriving deserving youth,” he alleged.
“Poor parents educate their children with the hope of government jobs. Bypassing recruitment processes is an injustice to 24,000 youth,” Sharma said, warning of protests if the decision is not reversed.
He demanded that the government disclose details of the company involved and the recruitment mechanism, adding that the BJP would raise the issue both inside and outside the Assembly.
Sharma also criticised the government over its promise of providing 200 units of free electricity, alleging that it was attempting to attribute the benefit to central schemes instead of fulfilling its own commitment.
He urged party workers to counter what he described as misinformation at the grassroots level and said the BJP would continue to raise issues related to governance, employment and transparency.
The event also witnessed several political workers joining the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders—(KNO)
