Ramgarh (Samba): In a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Working President and former Minister Raman Bhalla on Saturday said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are passing through one of the most difficult and uncertain phases in recent history due to the “misrule and misdeeds” of the BJP.
Addressing a large gathering of Congress workers, party leaders, and residents at Ramgarh town in Samba district, Bhalla accused the BJP of having “betrayed the people of Jammu and Kashmir” despite being in power both at the Centre and in the Union Territory.
“The common man is suffering silently. Prices of essentials are skyrocketing, youth are unemployed, farmers are distressed, small traders are struggling, and employees feel insecure about their future. Yet, BJP leaders are more interested in publicity and political drama than addressing real concerns,” Bhalla said.
The Congress leader was in Ramgarh to launch the party’s new public initiative — the “Vote Adhikar” (Right to Vote) signature campaign — which he described as a collective movement against “growing electoral manipulation, misuse of institutions, and erosion of democratic values” under BJP rule.
He said the campaign aims to protect the sanctity of the ballot and ensure that the will of the people is not undermined by money or muscle power.
“The ‘Vote Adhikar’ campaign is not merely a petition drive; it is a people’s movement to remind the nation that democracy survives only when every citizen’s vote counts equally and fearlessly,” he asserted.
The campaign evoked an enthusiastic response in Ramgarh, with people from all walks of life — students, farmers, women, traders, and retired employees — signing the pledge demanding transparency and accountability in the electoral process. Congress leaders said the drive would soon be extended to every block and panchayat of Jammu and Kashmir.
Launching a scathing critique of the BJP-led administration, Bhalla alleged “gross negligence” in key economic sectors, particularly tourism. He said the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack had severely hit Kashmir’s tourism industry, yet authorities had done little to restore public confidence.
“The Valley’s tourism, once the backbone of our economy and a symbol of our composite culture, has almost collapsed. Hotels are empty, local artisans are idle, and taxi operators are struggling to make ends meet,” he said.
He also referred to the August 26 landslides that disrupted the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, saying the administration had failed to ensure smooth restoration of the yatra even weeks later. “Pilgrims continue to face hardships, reflecting total administrative apathy,” Bhalla added, terming the government’s claims of promoting tourism as “mere headlines without ground results.”
Reiterating the Congress’s demand for the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Bhalla said the BJP had gone back on repeated assurances.
“Before every election, BJP leaders promise that statehood will be restored soon, but after the polls, they conveniently forget their commitment. The people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be fooled any longer,” he said, adding that Congress would “take this fight to every doorstep until the rights and dignity of our people are restored.”
Bhalla emphasized that the denial of statehood has weakened democratic institutions and centralized power in bureaucratic hands. “The bureaucracy is unaccountable, decisions are delayed, and the voice of the common man is being suppressed,” he remarked.
Continuing his tirade, the former minister accused the BJP of diverting attention from its failures through propaganda and polarization.
“Instead of development, they have given disillusionment; instead of jobs, joblessness; instead of peace, uncertainty. They have divided people on communal lines but failed to unite them for progress,” Bhalla said.
He announced that the “Vote Adhikar” campaign would be followed by a series of district- and block-level programmes to mobilize youth and rebuild public faith in democracy.
“Our fight is not just political—it is moral and constitutional. Congress is determined to revive democratic culture and strengthen public institutions. We will not rest until Jammu and Kashmir regains its statehood and dignity,” he asserted.
Saturday’s programme was organized by former minister Yash Paul Kundal and attended by several senior party functionaries and grassroots leaders.
