Centre chipping away on J&K’s autonomy, demands elections at earliest: Hasnain Masoodi

SRINAGAR, JUNE 28 (PTK): National conference leader and Anantnag Member of Parliament (MP)Hasnain Masoodi said Centre chipping away on Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy, demands elections at the earliest.

Hasnain Masoodi said that there was no valid reason for the Centre to defer the Assembly elections and extend the President’s rule.

Hasnain Masoodi of J&K National Conference, speaking on the J-K bill, said, “Article 370 promised a special status to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There is no reason to not to hold assembly elections in J-K . Why is J-K being kept out of the democratic process? I appeal that elections are held at the earliest.

He added, “It’s being said the extending President’s Rule will create better conditions in the state but in a state, where there is an alienation and a gulf between the administration and the people, it is imperative to hold elections.”

“People were expecting that the home minister will announce polls on his recent visit to J-K,” Masoodi said.

“It is important that an accountable government be formed. There are no conditions in Jammu and Kashmir those calls for presidential rule,” Masoodi said.

He said that as has been pointed by BJP’s Poonam Mahajan that the situations have improves; why not announce the elections as well. “After the massive mandate, Jammu and Kashmir people had been hoping for a new attitude on the part of the government.

They were hoping that elections would be announced.” With the current step, alienation will get worse. Against this backdrop, I ask for Assembly elections without delay,” he said.

He further that reservation of three percent exists in jobs for people residing on the LoC. “People on international borders are of course disadvantaged, but now that small quota meant for 3.5 lakh people will have to be shared by one million people.”

Masoodi said, “We are in a way depriving people worst hit by shelling. The fallout of the bill on the people living around the LoC needs to be taken into account.”

He said that either the percentage of reservation should be increased, or the new beneficiaries should have a separate window of quota.  (PTK)