Jammu: Panun Kashmir, an advocacy group for Kashmiri Pandits in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has openly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly exploiting the migration of Kashmiri Pandits as a political tool to garner Hindu votes throughout India.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Ajay Chrungoo, chairman of Panun Kashmir, expressed during a press interaction in Jammu that the BJP has utilized the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits primarily as a means to attract votes rather than addressing their needs. He claimed that despite the significant political changes like the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the subsequent reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Modi has neglected the promises made to the Pandit community.

Chrungoo elaborated that over the last decade, the government’s actions towards the Kashmiri Pandits have been largely symbolic, with little to no substantial steps taken to facilitate their return or improve their situation, effectively treating them as second-class citizens.