Srinagar: Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir will meet next month to discuss several issues concerning the Union Territory, including the delegation of more powers to the Lieutenant Governor, senior CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami said on Friday.
“Leaders of opposition parties are scheduled to meet on August 07,” Tarigami said.
The meeting will discuss issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir, including the amendments to the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019.
The amendments delegate more powers to the Lieutenant Governor on matters related to decisions on police officers of all-India services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS), and sanctioning prosecution in various cases.
All political parties, except the BJP, have criticised the amendments.
“All the leaders of opposition parties have been requested to attend the meeting,” Tarigami said.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party on Friday said that it has accepted an invitation of regional opposition political parties to participate in a meeting scheduled for August 07 in Jammu.
Quoting senior leader and vice-president Ghulam Hassan Mir, the news agency KNS said the party has received an invitation to take part in a meeting scheduled for August 07 in Jammu.
“We have received an invite for a meeting scheduled on August 07,” the news agency quoted Mir as having said.
Mir expressed concern about the current state of governance in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that when the central government issued an order, the Chief Minister’s power was given to the Lieutenant Governor, making the J&K assembly weaker than a municipality. He said this discrimination against J&K needs to be addressed,” Mir said.
“We need to unite and stop this discrimination to empower the J&K government and assembly. Political parties must rise above their differences to strengthen the interests of the people of J&K”, Apni Party senior leader said.
