Senior CPI (M) leader M Y Tarigami on Friday said the government’s decision to extend President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir for six more months has disappointed the people of the state.
In a statement Tarigami said, “In absence of an electedgovernment, uncertainty in the state is deepening day-by-day anddissatisfaction among large section of people is increasing. Only effectiveresponse to this situation would have been to hold early Assembly polls asthere is no justification to delay it, neither political nor constitutional.”
He said, “Not holding Assembly elections on time and nothave an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir is not in the interests of thecountry.” “Last year in December, thethen Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the Parliament had said that Centrewas ready to hold assembly polls in the state. What happened to thosepromises,” Tarigami said.
He said, “If Urban Local Bodies, Panchayat and Lok Sabhaelections were held, what is the logic for deferring Assembly polls which aredue since last November when the assembly was dissolved by the governor? Anelected government’s rule is in any day better than governor’s rule andbureaucratic rule.”
“The overall situation is very bad in Kashmir. The first responsibilityfor this is with the BJP because they hold power in Delhi and are directlyruling the state for last more than a year. They should without any furtherdelay recommend to the Election Commission for announcing assembly polls,”Tarigami said.
He said, “Also, a bill moved to amend the Jammu and KashmirReservation Act, 2004 in the Parliament to bring persons residing in the areasadjoining International border within the ambit of reservation, at par withresidents near the Line of Control, should have been left to the StateAssembly.”
“CPI (M) supports spirit of the bill, but the State Assemblywould have been the appropriate forum to address this issue,” he added.