Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 14: Accusing the Govt of India for using coercion to keep J&K Assembly in suspended animation, the activists of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (NPP) held a protest demonstration near Parliament at Jantar-Mantar in Union capital, seeking immediate dissolution of the State Assembly followed by fresh elections in the larger interest of the democracy.
The protesters were spearheaded by Harshdev Singh, chairman of NPP and former minister, Balwant Singh Mankotia, State president and Yashpal Kundal, State president Young Panthers. The protesters assembled at Jantar Mantar in the morning and after holding a demonstration proceeded towards Parlia-ment House where they were restrained by the police and stopped from proceeding further.
Addressing the media persons, Harshdev disclosed that following the demise of the incumbent Chief Minister, Mufti Mohd Sayeed, the Governor rule had been imposed in the J&K State nearly 70 days ago amid continuance of political logjam created by the coercive approach adopted by BJP led Central Government. He pointed out that Governor had sought a concrete reply from both the PDP and the BJP over the Government formation on plethora of occasions i.e first on January , this year, second on January 31, anticipating the response within two days time, third on February 2 in which the PDP had putforth unwarranted conditions for negotiating an alliance while the BJP preferred to implore ten days to review the conditions, fourth on February 12 and fifth on March 3.
He said that the repeated opportunities given by the Governor were used by PDP and BJP to buy further time and thereby to keep the Assembly in suspended animation in defiance of constitutional provisions and Parliamentary precedents. Terming the prolonged suspension of J&K Assembly as extra-constitutional, Mr Singh maintained that with none of the ex-allies “agreeing” or “disagreeing” to form the Government, putting conditions or buying time on the invitation of the Governor to his office only ridiculed the sanctity of a constitutional and democratic apparatus. He said that Governor’s office should not be used as a forum by political parties for negotiations and settlement of their political agendas.
He urged upon the Governor and the President of India to act in conformity with the Parliame-ntary precedents and the mandate of constitution by immediately recommending the dissolution of the Assembly to pave way for the fresh elections.
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