Welcoming signing of 39 MoUs by the Jammu and Kashmir administration with the country’s real estate investors, the BJP on Tuesday accused the National Conference and the PDP of issuing “misleading and baseless” statements linking the “productive initiatives” with attempts to alter the demography of the union territory.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday opened the union territory to the country’s real estate investors by signing 39 MoUs worth nearly ₹19,000 crore for the development of housing, hotel and commercial projects.

Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta welcomed the maiden J-K Real Estate Conference in Jammu.

“There is a dire need to create an optimum congenial atmosphere in this terrorism-infested region for the bright future of our youth,” he said.

Gupta said the most positive aspect is that investors from across the country and even abroad are evincing keen interest to invest in a variety of sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is after the abrogation of Article 370 that J-K is on the path of unprecedented development after decades of turmoil,” he said, appealing to the people to come forward and support the development policies of the administration.

The J-K BJP leader said while the administration is initiating productive measures inviting investors with the sole aim of development, creating multiple job avenues for the youth in various sectors including the real estate, the NC and the PDP have started “misleading” the people by issuing “baseless statements” terming these “result oriented and productive initiatives” as attempts to alter the demography of the UT.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Monday hit out at the administration for opening the union territory to real estate investors, alleging that it is being done to change the demography of the region.

Reacting to the statements of the former chief ministers, Gupta claimed that these leaders have always misled the gullible masses for their “petty vested interests”.

He said, “If NC government took initiatives in the past to settle down the Pakistan residents then why are they today objecting to the so-called settlement of people of the nation who are likely to come and invest in Jammu and Kashmir,” he asked.