Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting in Srinagar on Thursday, the Congress party said Modi disappointed the people of Jammu & Kashmir by skipping the issue of restoration of statehood and avoiding the core issue of holding assembly elections in the Union Territory (UT).

Senior JKPCC Vice-President Ravinder Sharma said the people were pinning hopes on Modi touching these issues in his speech. But there was no mention of the restoration of democracy in his speech.

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In his reaction to the PM’s speech during the rally “attended by a large number of government employees”, Sharma termed it old rhetoric and a pre-election rally targeting the Opposition, especially those with whom BJP enjoyed power in the past. At that time all these serious allegations of mismanagement, etc. were ignored for sharing power.

Criticising the administration for the participation of government employees in PM’s rally, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami wrote on X; “The administration, at all levels, is operating akin to BJP Parachraks. The forced mobilisation of employees and other sections of the society, including the beneficiaries of various schemes, for the PM’s rally is bound to contribute to both Dilli ki doori and Dil Ki doori. Moreover, this approach is poised to subvert the democratic and legitimate rights of the people further.”

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti shared a picture with a post on X. She wrote, “Government employees are being herded at 5 am in sub-zero temperatures into vehicles at Budgam bus stand ferrying them to the PM’s rally. Disheartening to see employees being forcibly mobilised to paint a pretty picture that all is well post-2019 & that people here are celebrating their own collective disempowerment & humiliation. Stands contrary to earlier visits by previous PMs like Vajpayee ji & Dr Manmohan Singh ji at the peak of insurgency. Common people then thronged to the venues with great enthusiasm & returned with hope in their hearts. But this time Kashmiris know that everything spoken at Bakshi stadium will be to showcase the so-called benefits of illegal abrogation of Article 370 akin to putting salt to their wounds. This visit is only meant to address & drum support amongst BJP’s core constituency in the rest of India for the upcoming parliament elections.”