As Jammu and Kashmir reached the halfway point of its five-year period without an elected government on Monday, the mainstream National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party launched a stinging attack on the Union Territory’s delay in reestablishing democracy.
On August 5, 2019, the Centre repealed Article 370, which had given Jammu and Kashmir special status, and divided the state into Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, two Union territories. Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the PDP, resigned as chief minister on June 19, 2018, after the BJP lost its support for her coalition government.
Omar Abdullah, vice president of the National Conference (NC), joked in a tweet on Monday that Jammu and Kashmir is where democracy in India ends. ‘Democracy is in our veins, it is in our culture’; ‘India is the mother of democracy’; ‘India is the temple of democracy’. Great sounding words that the international community lap up & regurgitate ad-nauseam. Meanwhile J&K completes 5 years under central rule today. Democracy ends where J&K begins,’ he tweeted.
The entire country should hang its head in shame, according to PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan. ‘Entire nation & its leadership must hang their heads in shame for calling itself ‘Mother Of Democracy’. J&K languishes under central rule for a staggering 5 years, with the last election held 9 years ago. The blatant disregard for people’s rights & representation is appalling,’ he said in a tweet.
All political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are pleading with the Election Commission to provide the polling dates as the call for holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir grows. In Jammu and Kashmir, the most recent legislative elections were held in 2014.
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