Srinagar | 16 January
The Janata Dal United (JDU), Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday accused the National Conference (NC)-led government of pushing Jammu and Kashmir into a deep political and socio-economic crisis due to what it termed as reckless governance and a confrontational approach towards the Centre.
In a statement issued here, JDU President, J&K, G.M. Shaheen said the prevailing crisis in the Union Territory was neither accidental nor inevitable, but a “direct outcome of political immaturity, misgovernance, and deliberate hostility” adopted by the NC government against the Government of India.
Shaheen alleged that the ruling dispensation had systematically damaged its working relationship with the Centre, resulting in weakened institutional coordination and administrative paralysis. He claimed that stalled development projects, disrupted welfare schemes, and a widening governance vacuum were consequences of this strained relationship, with ordinary citizens bearing the brunt.
Warning of growing socio-economic distress, the JDU leader said the Valley was witnessing alarming levels of youth unemployment, declining business activity, deteriorating public services, and a sharp erosion of public trust in governance. “Instead of focusing on these pressing challenges, the government has chosen confrontation over cooperation and rhetoric over results,” he said.
Shaheen further asserted that the present government had failed to operate within a federal governance framework, turning administration into what he described as a battleground of egos. “Development cannot take place when a government remains in constant conflict with the Centre, nor can public welfare be ensured through defiance and obstinacy,” he added.
Accusing the NC leadership of thriving on chaos and victimhood narratives, Shaheen said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were being “held hostage by failed leadership.” He termed the situation as “gross administrative negligence bordering on political sabotage.”
Holding the National Conference government fully responsible for instability, uncertainty, and economic distress in the Union Territory, the JDU president said the time had come for the ruling regime to restore cooperative governance with the Centre or step aside. “The people deserve leadership rooted in responsibility, coordination, and development—not arrogance, defiance, and chronic mismanagement,” he added.
