Jammu, Oct 10: National Conference Additional General Secretary and former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra Saturday lashed out at the BJP for its failure to address the growing problem of educated unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir during its nearly decade-long tenure (2014 to 2024) of misgovernance through alliance and proxy governments.
Addressing a meeting at Janipur Ward No. 37 Near Gurdwara in Jammu North Assembly Constituency, which was organised by Anju Mehra, Rita Gupta, Chand Gupta and Surekha Sharma, Sadhotra, as per a statement, said the BJP owed a clear answer to the people of J&K, particularly the educated youth, on what it had actually delivered on the employment front beyond making tall promises.
“Thousands of young men and women spent their most productive years preparing for competitive examinations, acquiring professional qualifications and waiting for recruitment opportunities. What did the BJP give them? Promises, delays, uncertainty and, in several instances, controversies surrounding recruitment,” he said.
Sadhotra said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir had been made to pay a heavy price for the failure of successive BJP-backed arrangements for nearly a decade between 2014 and 2024 to create meaningful employment opportunities.
He said educated unemployment was not merely an economic issue but had serious social consequences. “The most painful consequence of this neglect is the frustration and despair among our youth. When a qualified young person repeatedly faces closed doors, delayed recruitments and uncertain prospects, frustration naturally grows. A section of desperate and vulnerable youth can become easy prey to substance abuse and other destructive influences. Families are being devastated, parents are watching their children lose direction and precious lives are being damaged,” he said.
He accused the BJP of being more interested in political slogans than in creating a credible employment ecosystem in J&K. The youth do not need lectures. They needed jobs, transparent recruitment, a growing private sector, skill opportunities and an administration that respects their aspirations.
Sadhotra said, adding that the so-called Double Engine Government miserably failed in delivering jobs. He said the National Conference had consistently maintained that employment must remain at the centre of the development agenda. The government, led by Jenab Omar Abdullah he said is working towards this objective.
