Srinagar– Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir reacted to Union minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Saturday that the UT’s statehood would be restored once the situation gets normal, saying the Centre’s statement was self-contradictory and that every stateless day was an affront to federalism.
“After quite literally terrorising people of Jammu and Kashmir into silence to create a false normalcy narrative, GoI’s admission that the situation still isn’t normal is self contradictory. Also proves that silence shouldn’t be misconstrued as normalcy,” PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti wrote on Twitter.
Reacting to Shah’s remarks, Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone asked who will define normalcy.
“Who will define normalcy? And in a federal structure, can we really use normalcy as an excuse to assume power. Irrespective of the definition of normalcy, possibly coined by the union government, every single stateless day is an affront to federalism and to the people of J&K,” Lone said on Twitter.
He said “non-popular” governments mean a “humiliating existence” for the inhabitants of that particular place.
“And to the people of India who are mute bystanders, Inshallah you too will one day taste statelessness and helplessness. We don’t wish it for even on our worst enemies (sic),” Lone said.
The People’s Conference chairman said the central rule in any place is a “kick in the teeth for federalism”.
“And self-styled pat on the back, oh, doing so well, this is all so nauseating,” he added.
CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said the people of the Union territory were being denied the right of participation and representation which was one of the fundamental principles of good governance.
“One of the principle fundamentals of good governance is participation and representation, a right which continues to be denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Releasing such indexes is intended to help the government in optics-wise,” he said.
Tarigami said the “ground reality” of dilapidated roads, erratic power supply, inaccessibility of portable water combined with huge unemployment, social unrest is reflecting the “contrasting picture”.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after completion of the ongoing delimitation process and statehood will be restored once the situation in the union territory becomes normal, Shah said on Saturday.
Virtually releasing India’s first “District Good Governance Index”, he said Jammu and Kashmir is a priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and multipronged efforts are being made for the all round development of the union territory.
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