New Delhi: After a Supreme Court-mandated visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said half of the population of the state, which was involved in daily labour, have lost their means of livelihood and demanded that the government provide them free ration for the next six months.
“One half of the population of Kahsmir is linked to vocations like handicraft, rest are Shi-karawalas, Ponywalas and Taxiwalas. Basically, it is an economy which is deeply linked to tourism,” Mr Azad told the media here.
He said that the government should also postpone loan repayments by at least one and a half years to help people overcome their financial troubles. The Rajya Sabha members said that contrary to claims by the government, not only was nothing right in Kashmir but things were also not normal in Jammu as the economy of that region was completely dependent on Kashmir’s.
“Business in Jammu was zero. Firing and tension has increased on the borders,” he claimed asserting that “Jammu and Kashmir was a government-made problem”.
Mr Azad also claimed that since the Union Territories were formed out of Jammu and Kashmir, the Central government has been threatening the local adminsitration.
“The state had been running fine. Terrorism had been at its lowest. Tourism was at its peak till the government took this decision on August 5,” he added.
The Congress leader also demanded that all politician under detention should be released immediately.
Home minister Amit Shah had earlier in the day claimed that there is no restriction in Jammu and Kashmir any longer and the Opposition was just spreading “misinformation” about the situation.
