Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Apr 23: Apni Party vice president and former Minister, Ch Zulfkar Ali has strongly criticized Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir for dropping hint on delayed Assembly Elections while stating three elections being held during current financial year in JKUT.
He was speaking at a worker’s meeting at Taryath in Sunderbani- Kalakote constituency in district Rajouri. He expressed serious concern over the ignorance of holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Zulfkar said that when elections are held on a regular basis across the country, why J&K is being ignored and the people are deprived of their democratic right to elect own Govt.
While criticizing the statement of CEO of Jammu and Kashmir wherein he has stated that during the current financial year, the elections for Panchayats and Local Bodies will be held besides Lok Sabha, the former Minister questioned the intention of the CEC J&K who has ignored demand of holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“In fact, J&K’s Assembly elections have been much delayed against the wishes of the people and it has strengthened the authoritarian rule of bureaucracy by weakening the democratic institutions,” he said.
“It’s a fundamental right of the people of J&K to have the Government of their choice. In the rest of the country elections are being held on a regular basis and people are given the opportunity to form the Government of their choice. After electing their Government, the people have their role in the Government decision making with regard to development, administration, legislation, making bodies and other public related issues,” he added.
“The people of J&K have been restricted to the Municipal, Urban Local Bodies and PRI elections. Only five members are chosen to the Lok Sabha in the house of 543 which makes no difference for raising any voice,” he said.
Zulfkar said that the delaying of elections has adverse impact on the lives of the people with regard to development, increase in unemployment, poverty, exploitation of natural resources, unsustainable policy for developmental projects etc.
The meeting was also addressed by District president Rural-Rajouri, Bushan Uppal, Block president Th Baldev Singh, Sarpanch Abdul Rehman and others.
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