Srinagar: Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday voiced their strong opposition to the Centre's move to vest more powers in the Union Territory's Lieutenant Governor for taking decisions on matters related to police and all-India service officers.
While main regional outfits -- the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) -- said the decision would "disempower" the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress termed it as the "murder of democracy" and the Apni Party urged all parties to shun differences and unitedly protest against the move.
NC Vice President Omar Abdullah said the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve better than a "powerless, rubber stamp" chief minister who will have to beg the Lieutenant Governor to get a peon appointed.
The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, however, said the move was "another indicator that elections are around the corner in J&K".
"This is why a firm commitment laying out the timeline for restoration of full, undiluted statehood for J&K is a prerequisite for these elections. The people of J&K deserve better than powerless, rubber stamp CM who will have to beg the LG to get his/her peon appointed," the NC vice president said.
NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq termed the decision "a blatant misuse of power" by the BJP-led government at the Centre to "disempower" the people.
"It is aimed only at weakening the democratic voice of the people of J-K. The Central government's preference of granting powers to an unelected lieutenant governor instead of an elected government is a clear attempt to undermine the future of a democratically elected government in J-K," he said.
Sadiq said the order shows how non-serious Delhi is to empower the people of J-K.
"We were promised by none less than the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of India that the statehood would be restored, this order nullifies all of that. This is saddening," he added.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti's daughter and her media advisor, Iltija Mufti, said the order seeks to disempower the powers of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir.
"At a time when there's been considerable speculation about GOI holding elections in J&K this new MHA order & farmaan widening the already unbridled powers of an unelected LG make a few things abundantly clear," Iltija Mufti said in a post on X.
She said the order makes it clear that assembly elections will be conducted this year itself, and that the Centre "is well aware if & when state elections are held in J&K a non-BJP government will be elected".
"The order seeks to disempower the powers of the next J&K state government only because BJP doesn't want to cede control or lose its iron grip over Kashmiris. Statehood is out of the question. An elected government in J&K will be reduced to a municipality," she added.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Vikar Rasool Wani termed the move a "murder of democracy".
"The murder of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is evident before the restoration of proper democracy and statehood. MHA gave more powers, including the Police, Law and order, and the transfer of officers etc have been vested in the LG," Wani said on X.
Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari appealed to Jammu and Kashmir's political parties to shun differences and unitedly raise voices against the Centre's move.
"This new decision aims at making the state hollow in which no powers will be left for an elected government... The people of Jammu and Kashmir do not support this," Bukhari said at a press conference here.
Bukhari, a former minister, said if the Centre wants to create a "powerless assembly" in Jammu and Kashmir, it will not be acceptable.
"If they want the chief minister to be a toothless tiger and befool the people, then I do not think this will solve any of the issues confronting the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
The Apni Party chief said this is not an issue that affects any one political party.
"We appeal to all parties to shun political differences and come together on this issue. If we cannot stand united today, then we will never be. We should ensure that the statehood that we get is not hollow and has all powers to serve people," he said.
"We have to be united to serve the interests of the people," Bukhari said.
The Centre has vested more powers in the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir for taking decisions on police, officers of all-India services such as the IAS and the IPS, and giving sanctions for prosecution in various cases.
Decisions regarding the appointment of advocate general and other law officers, besides matters related to the anti-corruption bureau, will also be taken by the Lt Governor.
The Union home ministry amended the rules under the Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which was enacted for the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh while abrogating Article 370.
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