Opposition Slams Omar Abdullah’s Budget, Dubs It ‘Misleading’ And ‘A Complete Failure’

Srinagar: The budget presented by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has sparked strong criticism from opposition parties, with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the ruling National Conference (NC) of misleading voters, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed it a “complete failure”.

PDP leader and MLA from Pulwama, Wahid Para, on Friday criticised the budget, saying it was presented with “good intentions but weak implementation and zero action on the ground”.

Talking to reporters outside the Legislative Assembly in Jammu, Para said, “The budget presented by the Chief Minister deserves zero marks. We are not opposing it just for the sake of opposition, but we believe that while it sounds good on paper, there is no tangible action. It looks more like a distribution of centrally-sponsored schemes than a budget that addresses the concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

He further accused the government of failing to fulfil its pre-election promises.

“NC assured people that 200 units of free electricity would be provided to every household, but the budget proves that their promise was just an election gimmick,” he said.

Also read: Mahayuti Meltdown: Shinde Ministers Walk Out As Fadnavis Asserts Control 

The government’s decision to limit the 200-unit free electricity scheme only to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration card holders has also drawn sharp reactions.

“Out of 16 lakh ration card holders, only 95,000 will benefit from this scheme, which is barely 5-7 per cent of the population,” the PDP leader said. He also questioned why 1,27,000 AAY ration card holders were removed from the list right before the announcement.

People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone also slammed the budget, calling it a “disappointment” and accusing the NC of parroting Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

“It glorified and endorsed the BJP’s ‘Naya Kashmir’ discourse, using statistics that the NC itself had previously dismissed as fudged or fictional,” he said.

Lone also criticized the budget for failing to address job creation, contractual employees, and daily wagers.

“The soul of our stolen statehood was relegated to just another statistic,” he said, adding that the government’s praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders was nothing more than a continuation of the “love letter” trend.

The BJP, too, came down hard on the NC government, accusing it of deceiving the people. “This budget is nothing but ‘Jumla bazi’ and a stark betrayal of the promises made during elections. Where are the 12 free gas cylinders? Where is the one lakh job guarantee? Where is the free ration?” asked BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur.

Thakur also slammed the government for restricting the free electricity benefit to a small percentage of the population.

“This is outright deception. Omar Abdullah came to power by making grand announcements, but his government has failed on every front. The people will not forgive this betrayal,” he said.

Awami Ittihad Party (AIP), spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, called the budget a betrayal of the working class and accused the government of abandoning thousands of daily wagers, casual labourers, vocational trainers, and contractual employees.

“This budget offers them nothing—no job security, no mention of their regularization,” said Inam Un Nabi.

“Before the new year, the CAPD minister announced that free gas cylinders would be given as a ‘New Year gift.’ CM Omar Abdullah was supposed to make the official announcement. Now it’s March, and the budget has no mention of it. Where did the promise vanish?” he questioned.

He also criticized the NC for its hollow assurances on reviving press clubs in Jammu and Srinagar, stating that without financial allocations, the move seemed tokenistic at best.

Also read: We Marched With the World on 5G, We Will Lead on 6G: Jyotiraditya Scindia at Republic Plenary Summit 2025