Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 13: Describing the prolonged suspension of J&K Assembly as unconstitutional, JKNPP chairman and former Minister, Harsh Dev Singh today called for personal indulgence of the President of India to safeguard the Constitution and rule of law by ordering early dissolution of the same in conformity with the legal stipulations, prevalent practices and precedents on the subject.
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Talking to media-persons here today Singh said that suspension of Assembly was supposed to be temporary period so as to determine whether any political party or combination of parties had the requisite majority to form the Government It could not be kept in suspended state for indefinite period under the prevalent constitutional position, Harsh Dev said adding that its prolongation was not only bad in few but politically motivated as well.
With none of the parties or combination of parties coming forth or claiming to form the Government except occasional veiled statements made by BJP, it was highly unjustified to keep the Assembly in suspended animation for the last around four months. He reminisced that in July 2008, when Gulam Nabi Azad Government fell and none of the parties could muster requisite members, the Assembly was dissolved within one week. Likewise, he claimed, that in 2005 the Bihar Assembly was dissolved within one month after the fresh elections as none of the parties or combination of parties could convince the Governor of having the magic numbers to form the Govt.
Describing the decision of keeping the Assembly in suspended animation for the last more than 116 days, Singh claimed that never before had any Assembly in the country been kept in suspended state for such a long time in a similar situation where none of the parties had the requisite strength. Not only that, all powers and privileges of regular Assembly were restored to members of suspended Assembly after the same were withdrawn by the erstwhile Governor.
It was ironical that Governor rule and political rule were allowed to run concurrently in the State in circumvention of Constitutional provisions. He further claimed that several MLAs were announcing doles and CDF releases during the Local Bodies elections in violation of the model code of conduct. He cautioned to hold state wide protests besides demonstrations outside Parliament in Delhi.
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