Centre afraid to hold polls in J&K because of jobless youths: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Jul 26 (PTI) National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday hit out at the BJP over the high unemployment rates among youth in Jammu and Kashmir saying it is one of the reasons the ruling party at the Centre has been avoiding assembly elections in the Union Territory.

“This is their Naya J&K. They have governed the territory directly for the last 5 years. One justification for what was done on 5th Aug 2019 was that it would ‘open the floodgates of job opportunities.’ Another lie in a long list of lies. It’s no wonder the BJP is too afraid to allow an assembly poll in J&K,” Abdullah tweeted.

The former J&K chief minister’s remarks came in the wake of Union Home Ministry telling the Parliament earlier in the day that the unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir was 18.3 per cent in the age group of 15-29 years – much higher than the national rate.