Centre may ‘delay’ J&K polls

Srinagar: Restoration of statehood and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir seem to be on hold as the BJP feels that both the Union Territories of Ladakh and J&K should remain under the direct control of the Union government in the present circumstances.
Recently, in the current session of Parliament, Srinagar MP and PAGD president Farooq Abdullah appealed to the BJP government to reconsider their decisions regarding J&K, including the division of the state into two Union Territories.
The government recently moved the bill in the Houses, known as the Jammu and Kashmir amendment bill, merging the cadres of AGMUT which shows that J&K has to remain a Union Territory for more time.
“I want to ask Home Minister Amit Shah that if the present cadre was working well, what was the need to merge it? You had promised that statehood will be restored. But bringing this bill creates suspicion that the Government of India wants to keep J&K permanently a Union Territory,” leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the government.
Azad said that delay in the restoration of statehood is adding to the chaos and inertia in the development of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that even after the abrogation of Article 370, hundreds of industrial units have closed their operations, there is no new investment and gave figures on the floor of the House about the dismal state of affairs.
“No new industry is coming up at present; of the 12,997 industries in Jammu, only 5,890 are functional, while 7,160 i.e. 60% are closed and development remains stalled,” Azad said, tabling figures in Rajya Sabha. On the basic question of why the government is delaying restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, a senior PAGD leader told this newspaper, “They want to tire us on the demand for restoration of Article 370. They feel that the restoration of statehood is a bargaining chip and by delay, they feel all mainstream political parties will finally demand state and election.”
PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, in her recent tweets and interviews, have made it clear that the PAGD will not settle for anything other than the restoration of Article 370. She said that she was ready for all the consequences to fight to get back special status of Jammu and Kashmir.