Addressing a press conference, Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma, along with other BJP leaders, alleged that the NC had chosen “politics over humanity” by organising and participating in a protest in the national capital at a time when flashfloods, cloudbursts and landslides had claimed several lives across the Union Territory, particularly in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Sunil Sharma said that as head of the government, Omar Abdullah’s foremost responsibility was to remain in J&K, personally monitor rescue and relief operations, and ensure all available resources were mobilised to save lives and assist affected families.

The BJP demanded Rs 20 lakh compensation for families of those killed in cloudbursts and flashfloods, six months’ free ration, immediate rehabilitation of rain-affected families, restoration of damaged religious institutions and temporary housing for families living in slum areas of Rajouri district who had lost their homes, belongings, utensils and clothes in the floods.

The party also sought similar compensation and relief for families of those killed in shooting stone incidents at Ragi Nullah in Doda district and for people whose houses and structures were damaged in the Kyar-Dachhan belt of Kishtwar district.

Sunil Sharma further said that following reports of another cloudburst in Loran area of Poonch, a team led by former BJP president Ravinder Raina had rushed to the affected area to meet families and assess the situation so that immediate assistance could be extended at the party level.

“The Chief Minister should have been standing with the grieving families and supervising rescue operations instead of staging a political protest in New Delhi. Even today, several bodies remain buried under debris in flood-ravaged areas of Poonch and Rajouri, but the ruling party appears more interested in political optics than addressing the humanitarian crisis,” he said.