Srinagar, Oct 16: Deputy Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir, Surinder Choudhary on Thursday said the National Conference (NC) will present a full report card of its performance after completing its five-year term.
Defending the National Conference’s performance, Choudhary said, “After completing our five-year term, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and the entire cabinet will sit with the media. We will show our manifesto in one hand and our achievements in the other. Whatever was left incomplete by the BJP, PDP, and the LG administration, we will finish.”
He said the party would set an example by facing the public directly. “We are not afraid to be questioned. The people deserve to know what has been done, but they must also ask those who ruled for eleven years before us what they achieved,” Choudhary said.
Turning his criticism towards the former BJP-PDP coalition and the current LG administration, Choudhary accused them of wasting public resources and leaving developmental projects incomplete. “In Hyderpora, a community hall started in 2016 at a cost of ₹5 crore is still incomplete. The Natipura housing community hall, launched in 2018 for ₹2 crore, is also unfinished. In Gahama, Ganderbal, a bridge is hanging mid-way. Look at Bemina hospital and Kupwara buildings—everywhere you see delays and decay,” he said.
Choudhary questioned the functioning of Raj Bhawan, asking, “I want to ask LG sahib—what has been achieved in the last six years under direct administration? Why are projects initiated before 2019 still pending? Who is accountable for the wastage of public money?”
He accused BJP leader and Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma of “acting like Raj Bhawan’s spokesperson” rather than an opposition leader. “Whenever BJP-PDP’s failures are highlighted, Sunil Sharma defends both. That shows he represents the alliance and the administration,” he said.
Alleging a “covert understanding” between the BJP and PDP, Choudhary added, “One day Sunil Sharma issues a statement, the next day Mehbooba Mufti speaks, then Sajad Lone joins in. These are the same people who worked together to break the status of Jammu and Kashmir and downgrade it into a Union Territory.”
He also pressed the LG administration for answers on unemployment and transparency. “Why weren’t daily wagers, Rehbar-e-Khel, Rehbar-e-Ziraat, and firemen regularised? What happened to the Sub-Inspector recruitment scam report? Why has no inquiry been made public?” he asked.
Expressing solidarity with journalists, Choudhary praised the media for “standing tall despite harassment.” “Our journalists have fought for truth even when attempts were made to silence their pen. They are the real voice of Jammu and Kashmir,” he remarked.
Reaffirming the NC’s stand on safeguarding Jammu and Kashmir’s identity, Choudhary said, “When Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah had the choice to go with Pakistan, he chose India instead. The Abdullah family brought Kashmir closer to India, and we are proud of that decision.”
He concluded with a challenge to the administration and political opponents alike: “Ask me after five years—I will answer every question. But today, ask the LG and Raj Bhawan what they did in the past eleven years. Why are so many promises still lying unfulfilled?”
