Disputing the claims of development, normalcy, and a corruption-free system in J&K being repeatedly made by the central and state BJP leaders after the abrogation of Article 370, Harsh Dev Singh, senior AAP leader, and former minister, accused the BJP regime of indulging in self-praise and self-adulation by ignoring the ground realities.

Addressing a rally in Chenani town of Udhampur on Tuesday, Singh said that a government that promised a visible change in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 has failed to curb even the gradual deterioration in the law and order situation and provision of general services with a “highly ascendant bureaucracy averse to the woes and sufferings of common masses”, Singh said.

He said with its delivery being an inverse proposition to the articulation of its promises, the people were fast losing faith in the BJP regime and pinning their hopes on Aam Aadmi Party. He said that there were tensions in various parts of the erstwhile State after its reorganization into UTs in view of the centre’s failure to allay the apprehensions of the people of various regions.

He said that the BJP government had failed to address the concerns of various aspirational groups which has sparked outrage in various regions as was being manifested in the shape of ever-increasing protests and public demonstrations being organized on day to day basis.

“Downgrading of the oldest historical State of J&K to two UTs has been the most obnoxious dent upon the pride of its people. A feeling of deprivation and demotion which hurt the people could have been assuaged to some extent by compensating them in other ways but the government failed to do that. The tall slogans of the employment package for J&K have all evaporated into the air. Instead of providing gainful employment to educated youth, the recent past witnessed large-scale retrenchment in public and private sectors. The education, power, water, and health sectors, in particular, are in a mess with an acute deficiency of manpower having adversely impacted the functioning of these significant departments. While the people continue to suffer the government is busy patting its own back”, lamented Singh.

He said J&K continues to bleed as the merciless killing of Rahul Bhat and other civilians in the valley has exposed all claims of the government of curbing militancy in J&K. Even in otherwise peaceful Jammu, there were incidents of bomb blasts and terror activities in Jammu, Udhampur, and Katra as noticed in the recent past. There is an all-around feeling of disenchantment and AAP is the only alternative to overcome the prevalent crisis, asserted Singh.