Jammu, Leader of the Indian National Congress chapter in Jammu and Kashmir, Raman Bhalla, has voiced strong criticism against the BJP-led central government’s decision to revoke the region’s special status, a move he described as shocking and offensive to the local populace.

According to Kashmir Media Service, during a series of public meetings in Samba, Raman Bhalla condemned the actions of the BJP, asserting that the demotion of the region to a Union Territory and the stripping of its special privileges concerning land and employment have profoundly impacted the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that these changes introduced after August 5, 2019, particularly the opening up of local jobs and land to non-residents, were unexpected and deeply unsettling for the local community.

Bhalla criticized the central government for undermining the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that development had been neglected in favor of trivial matters since the region’s reorganization. He highlighted the plight of daily wage workers across various departments who have been left unpaid for months, underscoring a lack of governmental attention to their grievances.