New Delhi, Dec 5: Opposition members in the Lok Sabha sought a timeline from the government on Monday for holding Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, saying a democratically-elected government is necessary in the Union Territory for its development.
Initiating a debate on two bills relating to Jammu and Kashmir, Amar Singh of the Congress asked the government about its plans on holding Assembly polls in the Union Territory.
Home Minister Amit Shah will respond to the debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, taken up together, on Wednesday.
One bill seeks to nominate not more than two members, one of whom shall be a woman, from the community of “Kashmiri Migrants” and one member from the “Displaced Persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir” to the legislative assembly of the Union Territory.
The other seeks to change the nomenclature of “weak and underprivileged classes” to “Other Backward Classes” in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Union Territory, which has the provision for a legislative assembly, is currently under central rule.
Singh said Shah should assert that the election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held, with security forces ready to deal with any situation.
He said while a provision is being made to provide reservation for two members from the community of “Kashmiri Migrants” and one from the “Displaced Persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir” to the legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, a representative from the Punjabi community from Jammu should also be provided. He said the “Punjabi” should not necessarily be a Sikh.
Jugal Kishore Sharma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who represents Jammu in the Lok Sabha, said the bill to change the nomenclature of “weak and underprivileged classes” to “Other Backward Classes” in Jammu and Kashmir will benefit people in getting reservation in other parts of the country for the first time.
Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said the government should announce a time-frame for holding polls in the Union Territory.
He said providing reservation and similar issues are state subjects and should be dealt with by the state legislatures. The hurry, he said, is to pass bills, but it should be for holding the Assembly polls.
Roy claimed that the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution has brought no changes in the lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said this was the first time that a state was converted into a Union Territory.
He said the government tells tourists that everything is fine in Jammu and Kashmir but in reality, that is not the case.
Speaker Om Birla intervened to say after the abrogation of Article 370, most of the MPs have been to Jammu and Kashmir and the region is at it was earlier.
The TMC leader said it was a matter of opinion.
He also said the people of Jammu and Kashmir and not the lieutenant governor should rule the Union Territory.
Roy’s remarks on the LG drew protests from the BJP members.
Union minister Anurag Thakur hit out at the TMC leader, saying things have changed in Jammu and Kashmir and now, there are no cases of stone-pelting in the Union Territory. He said the Indian tricolour is now hoisted in every street of Jammu and Kashmir but earlier, when the National Conference (NC) was in power, BJP leaders were arrested for trying to hoist the flag there.
Thakur alleged that the TMC government in West Bengal is not allowing the “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra”, which showcases the people-centric policies of the Narendra Modi government, in the state.
The Election Commission (EC) has recently said the Jammu and Kashmir polls will be held at the “right time”, keeping in mind the security situation there.
Announcing the poll schedule for five states on October 9, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said the election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held when the commission deems it the “right time”, keeping in mind the security situation and other polls being held in the Union Territory.
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