Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the further delay in Assembly elections in J&K, saying the decision will precipitate the suffering of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, party State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the decision has dispirited the political parties and the people of J&K. “The decision is bereft of any logic. Delay in the publication of the final electoral roll by a month obliquely means that elections are far away. The decision has come as a setback to the people particularly, those who have been pushed to the margins due to lingering Bureaucratic rule. It is a big disappointment for the furtherance of Democratic voices in the region as well,” he said.
“Knowing that the BJP has diminished its credit with the common people of Jammu and Kashmir, the decision didn’t come as a surprise. They know that J&K is not a safe bet for them which is why they prefer to drag their feet over assembly polls. People across J&K have now for over four years been ruled by a de facto BJP government. People in Jammu are also berating the ruling party for their failure to live up to their promises. Delaying the elections clearly bespeaks a damaging new low, which the ruling dispensation is going through,” he added.
The unrelated and air-dropped bureaucratic set-up of Jammu and Kashmir is bereft of democratic moorings with no say of local people in the decision-making process. “The consequences of derailing democracy in J&K would not augur well for the prized freedom, stability, and strength of our country. Having air-dropped bureaucratic setup in place in Jammu and Kashmir will compound alienation among people, especially the youth, and put the entire region on the path of further alienation,” he said.
