Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 3: Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed today said that credibility of the most vital democratic institution Legislature was lowering in the State.
Addressing a meeting of party activists in Jammu West constituency here today, Sayeed said much efforts have been utilized for revival of democracy in the troubled State by several parties including Congress and BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the PDP led the Coalition Government in the State. “But now the situation is different as the State Assembly, which is the ultimate authority in democratic set up, is facing crisis of credibility in view of ruling coalition’s inability to tolerate dissent and debate.
“Where do we discuss the issues of public importance,” Mufti said adding that streets and use of force are no options but it seems this Government is pushing people out of the institutional debate.
Referring to the efforts to discuss the aftermath of Afzal Guru’s secret hanging by the ruling combination, Mufti said this attitude would disillusion the people from the system. He said the Government is repeating the same tactics that was adopted when a resolution was moved in the House seeking clemency of Guru two years back.
“Running away from debate is no answer. Democracy is not just an exercise to cast vote but it is constant process of scrutiny, discussion and engagement in forums like Parliament and State Legislature”, he said and claimed that in last four years this Government has not allowed any serious debate on any important issue in the Legislature.
While condemning the killings of two policemen in Handwara on Saturday, Mufti said, “Gun is no answer to any problem. We have witnessed too much of destruction and death and have to come out of that vicious cycle. But I want to make it clear that ideas can meet only with ideas and can neither be arrested nor killed by force. This was the message from the three years of PDP leadership in Government when it became clear that the people of the State had reaffirmed their faith in vote and non-violent methods to stress their rights, ” he added.
Sayeed said people of the State have now realized the importance of vote. The people have to make the right choice in electing their representatives to avoid repenting for the next six years as most of them have been doing ever since the present Government took over. Mufti said it is not just the Legislature that has suffered erosion at the hands of present Government but virtually every other institution has been rendered idle. Though the State was the first to establish an Accountability Commission on the pattern of much talked Lok Pal, the Government scuttled its functioning through every possible means. The recruitment system which had been streamlined by his Government has again derailed, he added.
Prominent among others present in the meeting included former Minister Rangil Singh, Nayeem Akhtar, Daman Bhasin, R K Bali, Jagjeet Singh, Ashok Jogi, Falail Singh, Capt Anil Gaur, Susheela Jamwal, Anita Thakur, Anju Bhan, Puneet Jamwal, Vimal Dogra and others.
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