Nomination to J&K Assembly legitimate, long overdue: Chrungoo

Srinagar, Aug 12: Senior BJP and Kashmiri Pandit leader Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo has said that the recent statement of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti in regard to the issue of nominations to the J&K Assembly is completely “out of context” and devoid of constitutional standing, as per a press release.

Her position and allegation that the nominations are anti-democratic and are subversive of democratic principles are grossly misplaced, Chrungoo said in the press release.

“It needs to be clarified here that such an arrangement is already in vogue in the country and in this context, Pudducherry assembly is the best example. It requires to be added to the knowledge of Mehbooba Mufti that the Legislative Assembly in Pudducherry is having provision for nominations to the tune of 10 percent of its membership, that is thirty plus three,” said Chrungoo.

He said this particular arrangement has already been upheld by the Supreme Court of India decades back. “The procedure to nominate members has also been upheld by the Madras High Court several years ago. The J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019 refers specially to Pudducherry Assembly in regard to the new format of UT in Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, nominations of two women members in the J&K Assembly was already in the statute in J&K and was thus in practice for a long time.”

The government should have by now nominated 5 members to the Assembly as the law required, particularly in the scenario in which there was no stay granted by the court. The way in which the Home Ministry has clarified the matter before the High Court should be enough for the J&K government to proceed ahead in this matter without delay. The affected population eagerly awaits the positive decision of the government in this regard.