Bhalla rallies business community in push for statehood; Slams BJP’s ‘anti-trader’ policies
Jammu, August 2: Stepping up the Jammu and Kashmir Congress’s ongoing public outreach campaign demanding restoration of full statehood, Working President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former Minister Raman Bhalla on Saturday strongly criticized the BJP-led administration for what he termed as anti-trader policies and economic mismanagement that have adversely impacted the business community in the region.
A team of Senior leaders led by Working President Raman Bhalla accompanied by Former ministers Shri Mula Ram & Yogesh Sawhney, Treasurer Rajnish Sharma , DCC President Jammu Urban Th Manmohan Singh, DDC Sdr. Taranjit Singh Tony, Satish Sharma, Dwarka Choudhary, Vijay Sharma ,Neeraj Gupta, Kapil Singh, Sonu Dogra, Sat Pal Sapolia, Latish sharma, Vinay Gupta, Vijay Shastri, Sanjeev Katal, Pardeep Bhalla, Vijay khajuria, Rajinder Singh Randhawa , Viyaant Pathania, Viju, Jatin Vashist, Tanveer Singh, Shilpa, Aman Bawa & ors, today met the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) House in Jammu and discussed the issue of movement for the restoration of statehood to J&K as promised on multiple occasions in the past six years.
Addressing a gathering of prominent traders and industrialists during a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) House in Jammu, Bhalla said the prolonged denial of statehood has created a serious governance vacuum, leaving the people of Jammu and Kashmir disempowered and the economic fabric of the region severely disrupted.
“Every section of society is suffering, but the business community of Jammu is especially bearing the brunt of the BJP’s apathetic and unresponsive approach,” Bhalla said. “Instead of providing relief to traders grappling with mounting losses, the administration has taken decisions that have further burdened them.”
He alleged that the BJP-controlled administration has implemented arbitrary and anti-business measures without consulting stakeholders, further straining an already struggling economy. Bhalla said this approach reflects a lack of sensitivity and accountability, which could only be rectified through the restoration of a full-fledged state in Jammu and Kashmir.
Expressing solidarity with the business community, Bhalla called on them to join the broader democratic movement for the restoration of statehood, assuring that their issues would be addressed more effectively under a responsive state government.
“Our demand for the restoration of statehood is not just political—it is essential for the economic, administrative, and democratic revival of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “We need a government that is answerable to the people, not to bureaucrats sitting far away.”
He accused the current dispensation of stifling dissent and curbing democratic rights, warning that attempts to silence public voices through oppressive measures would only deepen alienation.
Bhalla reiterated the Congress Party’s unflinching resolve to fight for statehood and urged the business community to support this cause as stakeholders in the region’s future. He assured CCI members that once statehood is restored, mechanisms would be put in place to ensure transparent governance, ease of doing business, and policies that reflect local aspirations.
The interaction saw an active exchange of views, with members of the Chamber highlighting issues such as unilateral taxation decisions, lack of incentives for local businesses, delays in industrial policy implementation, and growing unemployment.
The meeting concluded with a consensus that restoration of statehood is not just about political identity, but also about securing economic justice, administrative efficiency, and democratic accountability.
