Jammu: Describing the new government business rules for Jammu and Kashmir as “repulsively bizarre”, the National Panthers Party (NPP) on Sunday said the notification seemed to be a move on the part of BJP-led government to “undermine the authority” of J&K Legislature.
“The new rules which provide for allocation of powers and government business between the legislators of J&K, Lt Governor and the union government will almost make the elected representatives redundant by snatching majority of the powers which are conferred upon them in a regular state,” NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said in a statement here.
He said while majority of the powers of council of ministers have also been transferred to the Lt Governor, the Centre too would wield huge influence over the administration as well as the day to day functioning of the J&K government.
On August 28, the Centre issued rules for a smooth functioning of the Jammu and Kashmir administration, specifying that the police, the all-India services and the anti-corruption bureau will be under the direct control of the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory.
The rules, notified by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, also made it clear that in case of a difference of opinion between the LG and the council of ministers (when it is formed) with regard to any matter, the former shall refer it to the Centre for the decision of the president and shall act according to that decision.
“It is bizarre that under the new rules, the chief minister of J&K would not have the powers to transfer even a constable of the police force. Not only that the Lt Governor can veto any decision of legislature even if passed unanimously in the assembly. An assault on the very soul of democracy,” Singh said.
The NPP leader said it was on August 05, 2019 that the BJP government demoted the state into a Union Territory. “And one year down the line, it has withdrawn the powers of the proposed legislature as well as executive thereby completing the process of mockery of democracy in J&K,” Singh said.
He claimed that the BJP government is taking decisions, which were completely out of sync with the principles of a healthy democracy, in its desperation to browbeat some selected Kashmir-based leaders.
“You ruined the state only because you wanted to settle scores with some Kashmiri leaders. It could have been done even without dismantling the state and without destroying the institutions of democracy,” he said.
