Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is back from a recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday said he would submit a report to the Supreme Court to highlight the plight of the common citizens caused by the “government-made disaster”. He claimed that “thousands of daily wage earners don’t have enough to eat”.
Mr. Azad, who had gone on a six-day tour of J&K after being permitted by the top court, said an “environment of fear” prevailed there and alleged the “local administration was being used to repress people”.
He said officers of the J&K administration intimated all those people who wanted to meet him and videographed all those who visited him at government guesthouses.
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“The government tried to make sure that people are not able to meet me. People were made to believe that they will be picked up and and locked in prison. And all those who came to meet me in government guest houses were videographed,” Mr. Azad claimed.
Mr. Azad said nearly 50% of the population was engaged in handicraft, tourism-related occupations like operating houseboats and taxis and growing and transporting fruits; but since August 5, when the Centre diluted Article 370, business has come down to “zero”.
“Only the very courageous came and met me. They were anyway starving, so they decided that it is better to speak up. I am not sharing here what they told me as they be picked up but I will tell the Supreme Court in my report,” he told reporters.
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He demanded that daily wage earners and workers be given free food by the government until they can earn their livelihood.
“They don’t have anything to eat now. Initially, they were given food by their neighbours but it is difficult to do so for weeks together,” he said.
Rejecting that the Centre’s claims that most of the restrictions have been removed, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said normal life is still crippled with students not attending schools and educational institutions and majority of the markets remaining shut.