Jammu: Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Central Government over the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, with the party’s Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma describing it as a deliberate attempt to suppress dissenting voices and undermine democratic rights.
Sharma told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the bill will be introduced not in the interest of the people but as a political weapon against those opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“This bill is being presented to scare and suppress the parties that are not aligned with the BJP. People of Jammu and Kashmir had genuine hopes that statehood would be restored, but instead, the government is bent on muzzling their voices,” he remarked.
He questioned the timing of the legislation, stressing that instead of empowering the region, the BJP was resorting to centralised control. “BJP wants to run Jammu and Kashmir through remote control, caring little for the people and their democratic aspirations. This bill is draconic and against the spirit of representation,” Sharma asserted.
The Congress leader further alleged that the ruling party intends to exploit the bill for electoral and political gains. “This move is nothing but a tool to harass and target those who refuse to fall in line with the BJP’s agenda. It strikes at the very roots of democracy and the rights of elected representatives,” he added.
Sharma confirmed that the Congress party will firmly oppose the bill in Parliament, calling it an assault on the constitutional rights and sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]