Srinagar: Asserting that democracy is India’s soul, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said elections in the union territory will “surely” take place after the completion of the ongoing electoral revision and that the restoration of statehood would follow at an “appropriate time”.
Sinha’s remarks came at an event here late on Saturday after veteran Congress leader Karan Singh reiterated the demands to conduct assembly elections and also restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
The event was organised to felicitate Singh for his contribution to the erstwhile state.
“Democracy is India’s soul. Democracy and India are synonymous with each other. The prime minister and the country’s home minister have said it many times in the Parliament that elections (in Jammu and Kashmir) will take place,” Sinha said.
The LG said the process of delimitation in the union territory has been completed and the electoral roll revision started.
“After this, there will surely be elections,” he stressed.
Referring to the demand to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, Sinha said, “It has also been said many a times that (first) delimitation, then election, then restoration of statehood at an appropriate time. I do not think there is any scope of doubt in it,” he said.
The Centre had revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019.
The LG said Singh was an MP and would understand the significance of the government’s assurance in Parliament.
“You have been an MP and you understand the significance of an assurance given in the Parliament much better than me. The government’s assurance in Parliament is a truth like the sun rising from the east,” the LG said.
Earlier, the veteran Congress leader expressed hope that J&K’s union territory is a temporary measure just as the BJP projected Article 370 temporary.
“When drastic changes took place (on August 5, 2019) and we became a union territory, the way you were saying that Article 370 is temporary, I am sure that our union territory (status) will also be temporary and very soon we will get back our statehood,” Singh said.
On assembly elections, Singh said, “The political process must continue.”
“Whenever the political process gets frozen, the society also gets frozen. So, we are hopeful that the political process will begin soon and we will start a new phase,” he added.
