LoP Sharma hits out at CM over proposed 20% power tariff hike

In a sharp attack on the National Conference (NC), Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma on Saturday accused the party of committing an “electoral fraud” by promising free electricity ahead of the polls and now burdening the public with a proposed 20 per cent tariff hike.

Sharma said the NC’s 2024 election manifesto had “collapsed under its own lies and false assurances.”

“Omar Abdullah promised 200 units of free electricity to every household in Jammu and Kashmir. Today, more than a year later, instead of fulfilling that promise, his government is preparing to loot people with an outrageous 20 per cent increase in peak-hour consumption charges,” he said in a statement.

Challenging the Chief Minister directly, Sharma added, “Omar Abdullah should reveal how many households have actually received the so-called free 200 units. The people deserve to know how badly they’ve been misled.”

Sharma asserted that the BJP would strongly oppose any move that increases the financial burden on ordinary citizens of J&K. He said that the proposed tariff hike had already sparked widespread anger among political parties, traders and consumers, who view it as an “unjust, exploitative and anti-people decision.”

Sharma reiterated that the NC government must withdraw the proposal immediately and deliver what it promised during the elections, “instead of punishing the very people it vowed to support.”