Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani on Saturday lashed out at the BJP-led central government, saying the outgoing year will be remembered in the Union territory for youth unrest, minority killings, fresh migration and political uncertainty. “It was another year of political uncertainty as the Centre failed to fulfil its commitment to restore the statehood and democracy in J&K as promised on the floor of Parliament, even after more than three-and-a-half years of lieutenant governor rule,” the J-K Pradesh Congress Committee chief said in a statement here.
Wishing a happy New Year to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Wani hoped that the new dawn would bring some respite to the sufferings of various agitating sections, especially the unemployed youth. He said it would also hopefully see the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir and holding of early assembly elections. “The year 2022 has gone down as a year of youth unrest due to multiple job scams, record unemployment, minority killings and fresh migration from Kashmir, besides uncertainty on the political front,” the Congress leader said.
He said targeted killing of innocents especially the minorities has led to panic, unrest and migration of employees from Kashmir. “It was a grim reminder of the situation of 1990,” Wani said. The Congress leader said the incidents of targeted killings nullified the claims of normalcy of the ruling party and “rather brought to square one, the efforts and achievements of the previous government in the direction of return and rehabilitation of minorities in the Valley”.