The Jammu and Kashmir Congress deemed Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the Union Territory ‘cosmetic’ and asserted that people want their dignity restored and the much-delayed assembly polls to be held. Raman Bhalla, the J-K Congress working president, condemned the frequent visits of central ministers to the region as a futile exercise, claiming that not a single public demand has been met despite Jammu and Kashmir’s administration working on the BJP’s directions. While welcoming new members into the party, Bhalla said, The home minister’s visit is cosmetic as he refuses to acknowledge the ground realities. These visits are an eyewash and a strategy to divert public attention from the government’s failure.
Bhalla added that the central government should dispatch its ministers with funds in hand to address public concerns realistically. He lamented that the public outreach campaign has remained a flop show, and high expectations of the public from these visits have been shattered. Bhalla also accused the civil administration in Jammu and Kashmir of having completely collapsed. He argued that it is the right time to restore the confidence of the people who are feeling sidelined with no elected representative or government in place.
The comments come in the midst of Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the Union Territory to assess the security situation, as well as the pace of development activities, and interact with political representatives and civil society groups. Nevertheless, the Congress remains unimpressed and called for concrete steps to address public concerns and restore their dignity.
