Political Parties Pitch For Early Elections

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir on Monday completed five years without an elected government, prompting a scathing attack from the mainstream National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party over the delay in restoration of democracy in the J&K.
On August 5, 2019, the Centre revoked Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the state into two Union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti resigned from the post of the chief minister on June 19, 2018 after alliance partner BJP withdrew support to her coalition government.
In a sarcastic tweet, National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday said democracy in India ends where Jammu and Kashmir begins.
“Democracy is in our veins, it is in our culture’; India is the mother of democracy’; India is the temple of democracy’. Great sounding words that the international community lap up & regurgitate ad-nauseam. Meanwhile J&K completes 5 years under central rule today. Democracy ends where J&K begins,” he tweeted.
Expressing concern over the unending President’s rule in Jammu & Kashmir which completes five years today, Party’s State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said that the erstwhile state has been under president’s rule in early nineties which lasted for five years and ended on 6th of March, 1996. ” The lingering presidents rule in J&K has completed five years, it’s just a few months before it breaks the record of the longest spell of presidents rule in J&K. Is it an oblique acceptance on behalf of the government of India that the situation in J&K is as grave as ‘90s.”
On one hand they cry from roof tops that the situation in J&K has witnessed marked improvement but on the other hand hand the people are denied their right to elect peoples’ government. What’s holding them back? If the security situation is admittedly better, then what is holding them back. People are fed up with the lingering undemocratic rule and want an end to it. They want an end to their miseries that have been aggravated by the lingering undemocratic rule,” he said.
“Why have the doors of the temple of democracy been closed on us? Why isn’t democracy not allowed to enter Jammu & Kashmir? Why are our people kept away from tasting the fruits of the democratically elected government?” he asked.
PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan said the entire nation should hang its head in shame.
“Entire nation & its leadership must hang their heads in shame for calling itself ‘Mother Of Democracy’. J&K languishes under central rule for a staggering 5 years, with the last election held 9 years ago. The blatant disregard for people’s rights & representation is appalling,” he said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, the chorus for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is growing with all political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), urging the Election Commission to announce the poll dates.
The last assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir took place in 2014.

  BJP, Kashmir, Kashmir 370, Omar Abdullah

Press Trust of India