"We are only getting betrayed": Omar Abdullah blames Centre for "power cuts"

Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir): National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday unleashed an attack against the BJP-led Central government over the "power cuts" and other unresolved issues in Kashmir.

Speaking to the media, Omar Abdullah said the Kashmiris are being betrayed in the name of elections, employment and development.

"We are only getting betrayed. We are betrayed in the name of election, in the name of solving unemployment and development. What is the reason that the problem of electricity has not been solved yet? Today, they say that they have a lot of money. What is the reason behind electricity cuts for 14 hours?" said Omar Abdullah while speaking to reporters in Kulgam.

Meanwhile, addressing a rally in Kulgam, Abdullah alleged that after the abrogation of Article 370, there is no normalcy in Kashmir and said that the Centre had promised that if Article 370 is revoked, there will be relief from guns.

"If there are people with different mindsets in Kashmir, it is only due to Article 370. If Article 370 is revoked, there will be relief from guns, and everything will be alright. It has not even been a week since there was an encounter in this area. Five people were killed in the encounter. The government said that they were terrorists. Four of them took up arms in 2020, and the fifth in 2021. It was after 2019," Abdullah said.

"It shows the government's failure. It shows your deception. You deceived the people of not only J-K but also the entire country," he added.

Earlier on Sunday, former chief minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti also expressed grave concern over the ongoing power crisis in Jammu and Kashmir.

"After August 5, 2019, we were politically disempowered... But the way in which the lives of common people have become, the way in which collective punishment is being given--the worst example of this is the situation of electricity this year... The electricity bill is increasing day by day," Mufti said.

The PDP president also expressed concern over the frequent unscheduled power cuts and called for an end to such practises.

"The situation is so bad that electricity comes for a few minutes and goes away for hours. If this is the situation in the city, then it is worse in villages,' she added.

On August 5, 2019, the Central government announced the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two Union territories.

The Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

The Constitution bench comprises Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant. (ANI)