NEW DELHI, Sept 19: The Congress party launched a sharp critique of the Union Government ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, accusing the NDA government of overstepping the powers of the local political executive. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised serious concerns regarding recent amendments made by the Home Ministry in July 2024, under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. These amendments handed critical decision-making powers over police, all-India services officers, and prosecution approvals directly to the Union Government-appointed Lieutenant Governor, bypassing the future elected government of Jammu and Kashmir.
Ramesh contended that such measures severely undermine the autonomy of the political executive and compromise the future functioning of the region’s government. He questioned the central government’s intentions regarding statehood restoration, asking why, if it was committed to full statehood, it continued to limit the authority of the to-be-elected government in J&K. Ramesh further pointed out that the BJP and its allied proxies have consistently been rejected by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, despite the party’s claims that its 2019 actions, including the abrogation of Article 370, were popular.
Ramesh highlighted the BJP’s reluctance to contest elections directly in the Kashmir Valley, preferring instead to back proxy candidates, none of whom succeeded in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This, he argued, showed the disconnect between the BJP’s claims of popularity and the ground reality, where the party and its allies performed poorly.
In a pointed question to the Prime Minister, Ramesh also brought attention to the lack of investment interest in the region, particularly in the lithium reserves in Reasi District, despite initial excitement about the discovery of six million tons of lithium. He argued that the failure to attract investment, even in such a vital resource, stems not from financial disinterest but from the deteriorating security situation in the region, with a rise in terrorist attacks. He cited the martyrdom of 12 soldiers in July 2024 and a deadly attack on civilians in Reasi in June as evidence that the government’s promise to stabilize Jammu and Kashmir has not materialized.
Despite the repeated messaging from the government that its post-2019 actions would improve security and encourage investment, the Congress leader claimed these promises remain unfulfilled. As Jammu and Kashmir proceeds through the three-phase election process, with voting underway, the Congress continues to press the government on these issues, emphasizing the region’s security challenges and the erosion of its political autonomy.