New Delhi: Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday raised concerns over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir while speaking on the Finance Bill 2026 in Parliament, alleging continued injustice since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Addressing the House, Mehdi said Jammu and Kashmir has not been empowered but “stripped of its autonomy,” claiming that governance and bureaucracy have been increasingly centralised, distancing decision-making from the people.
He asserted that the current framework departs from the commitments made at the time of accession, stating, “This is not the India we acceded to. These are not the promises made to us.”
Highlighting resource concerns, the MP said electricity generated in the region is largely utilised outside Jammu and Kashmir, while locals do not receive a fair share of the revenue. He termed the arrangement “extraction” rather than cooperative federalism, and called for royalty, equitable revenue sharing, and reinvestment in the region.
Mehdi stressed that a budget should go beyond financial allocations, describing it as “an instrument of justice, dignity and rights,” and urged the government to address what he described as structural inequities faced by the Union Territory.
