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Making J&K a UT was humiliation; Won’t contest polls: Omar Abdullah

Hitting out at the Narendra Modi government for the complete dilution of the “indispensable” Article 370 of the Constitution, Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has vowed not to contest any Assembly elections till J&K remains a union territory.

“Having been a member of the most empowered Assembly in the land and that, too, as the leader of that Assembly for six years, I simply cannot and will not be a member of a House that has been disempowered the way ours has,” Abdullah wrote for the Indian Express as the revocation of the erstwhile state’s special status nears its first anniversary.

He also recalled his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi days before the centre’s big Jammu and Kashmir move.

Describing the move as a humiliation heaped on the state, he said he still fails to understand the need for this move, “except to punish the people of the state”.

Hundreds of politicians including Omar Abdullah and his father, Farooq Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti were detained or arrested in August last year as part of the centre’s massive clampdown after its decision to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the constitution and split it into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Omar Abdullah was freed after nearly eight months of detention in Srinagar on March 24. Days before that, his father and former Union Minister Farooq Abdullah was also released from house arrest. Mehbooba Mufti is still in detention.

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Amarnath Yatra called off due to coronavirus Pandemic

Spike in corona virus infections has caused the cancellation in Amarnath yatra. The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SABS) on Tuesday cancelled the annual Amarnath yatra due to rise in COVID-19 epidemic, which has taken a grasp on over 1.19 million people across India and affected more than 14,650 people in Jammu & Kashmir.

The decision was taken at the 39th video conference meetings of SABS by lieutenant-governor of J&K, Girish Chandra.

The Amarnath is recognized as one of the Hinduism’s holiest Sanctuaries in the south Kashmir Himalayas, where almost all devotees wish to visit for the annual pilgrimage.

Keeping an eye on the prevalent occurrence, the board decided with a heavy heart that it is not preferable to go ahead with the Shri Amarnathji Yatra this year and conveyed its regret to announce the cancellation of Yatra 2020. However, he also announced that the board shall continue the live telecast/ virtual Darshana of the morning and evening aarti. Further, the traditional rituals shall be carried out as per past practice. Also, the Charri Mubarak shall be facilitated by the government,” said an official spokesman.

Charri Mubarak is a ritual in which the holy mace of Lord Shiva is taken from Dashnami Akhara temple in Jammu to the holy cave, marking the beginning of pilgrimage.

SAB’s CEO Bipul Pathak, and senior officers of board also attended the meeting along with chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam. They considered the Supreme Court order on July 13 that left the decision to conduct the Yatra was left to the state administration after assessing the ground realities; the arrangement for the annual pilgrimage; and how the pandemic has pushed the health care system to the limit, people aware of the proceedings said.

According to the reports, religious places and places of worship is closed for the public since the announcement of the nationwide lockdown in the month of March, J&K. Cases has taken a grasp in the region this month, with around 49% of the state’s total coming since July 1, 2020.

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After almost 7 months, J&K people can now access their social media accounts

J&K

For the first time in seven months, people in Kashmir will be able to use WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and other social media services without any fear. This is because the internet services have been restored in the valley.

Wired broadband internet services in Kashmir have been restored in full and access to social media websites have been permitted.

However, mobile internet services will continue to be restricted, with only low-speed 2G networks operational and high-speed 4G networks still blocked.

While the fixed line internet services by BSNL are yet to be operational, the access to the websites, including social media platforms, will be given till March 17, according to a notification of J&K Home Department.

Earlier, only access to white-listed sites was allowed as the service was restored for a week on January 25 and subsequently extended from time to time, after being snapped on August 5 last year when the Centre abrogated the special status to the erstwhile state and bifurcated it into two union territories.

Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is one of three senior opposition leaders detained by the government since August, tweeted after the ban on social media websites was lifted, saying the J&K administration had “finally realised the futility of a ban”.

“Seems like J&K admin finally realised futility of ban on social media since Kashmiris circumvented it through VPNs (virtual private network). Simply became a cat & mouse chase where Kashmiris outwitted state apparatus i.e., Big Brother,”Mufti tweeted.

Meanwhile, after 29 cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in India, the Jammu and Kashmir has also been put on alert to deal with the fast spreading infection. The administration has announced various efforts to control the virus.

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J&K panchayat polls postponed, PDP hails the move

Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled from March 5, have been postponed due to security reasons. The government has cited the law and order situation in the state for the move. This is in contrary to its claims of normalcy returning in the area.

By-election to over 12,500 panchayat seats in Jammu and Kashmir was scheduled to be held in eight phases from March 5. The Model Code of Conduct came into force with the announcement of the bypolls on Thursday.

The election for a local government was expected to be the first big political exercise since the state was bifurcated into two union territories.

He said this step was taken after inputs given to him by the home department over security issues.

The officials are expected to come with a fresh schedule soon after addressing all the concerns suitably.

The last panchayat election was held in Jammu and Kashmir in November 2018 – months after the ruling coalition between the BJP and Mehbooba Mufti collapsed and the state was placed under Governor’s Rule. Assembly elections have not been held since, and Jammu and Kashmir continues to be under Central rule.

The National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had boycotted these polls and there were many places where no candidate had filed nomination papers. Over 12,000 seats were left vacant from that poll, which were expected to be filled now.
Three former J&K chief ministers — NC’s Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti– are under detention since last year when the Centre had abrogated Article 370 provisions of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and split it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Reacting to the postponement of Panchayat polls, Iltija Mufti, daughter of Mehbooba Mufti said, ” The exercise of carrying out Panchayat polls would have been a complete sham, especially when they have moved former CMs to a different jail. And hold elections when there are fear and repression. It just shows that the Indian Government is not clear-headed. But it is a good decision, not to hold polls.”

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It is upto the Centre to start J&K delimitation process: ECI

MeraVote.Org

Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora clarified on Friday that it was up to the Centre to start the delimitation process for the new Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and that the poll panel had only offered its legal expertise in the matter.

Responding to a question at a press conference here, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, the Delimitation Commission is to set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

“Depending on who heads the Delimitation Commission, an appropriate representative of appropriate seniority will be given by the Election Commission,” Arora said.

No Assembly election can be held in Jammu and Kashmir without a delimitation since the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of August, which created the new Union Territory, also increased the number of its Assembly constituencies.

The act, which came into force on October 31, divides the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and that of Ladakh, while allowing an Assembly only to Jammu and Kashmir.

On Friday, Arora clarified, “Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, the delimitation commission is to be constituted under this section (62) only, by them (the Centre)…. Whether the notifications (are) issued by MHA (ministry of home affairs) or the ministry of law — that they will decide between themselves.

“But they initially requested help…. The secretary, law and justice, had (held) one or two meetings. They wanted some legal help from us; we sent our officers. And the moment we hear further from them, depending on who heads the (delimitation) commission, an appropriate representative of appropriate seniority shall be given by (the) ECI.”

Sub-section 60(5)(c) says that after the commission notifies the order or orders for delimitation, they “shall have the full force of law and shall not be called in question in any court”.

However, Section 63 appears to suggest that a delimitation exercise cannot be held anytime soon.

It says: “Notwithstanding anything contained in Sections 59 to 61, until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year 2026 have been published, it shall not be necessary to readjust the division of successor Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir into Assembly and parliamentary constituencies….”

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J&K to see assembly elections in 2021: Sources

After the removal of Article 370 in the state which was then bifurcated into two Union Territories, the newly formed UT, Jammu and Kashmir, will see assembly elections in 2021. According to Election Commission sources, the reason behind the move is delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to sources, the process of delimitation may take a span of over 10 to 15 months after it gets a nod from the Home Ministry and the Delimitation commission that is constituted.
The process that will begin after 31st October will be completed in ten phases. The EC will take time to finalise the sub-committees and schedules for undertaking the exercise in 9 to 10 phases, as it mandatorily requires completing the procedure established by law.
The poll panel has already prepared a blueprint for the delimitation process which is based on its experience in Uttarakhand in 2000-2001.
Earlier, delimitation took place in Jammu and Kashmir in 1995 following which there were a total of 111 seats in the Assembly in the state. Now after carving out Ladakh, a separate UT now, J&K is expected a fall of 4 seats with current assembly seats totalling up to 107 now, in the UT.
According to Election Commission sources, after delimitation, 7 assembly seats will be increased in Jammu and Kashmir. After which the total number of assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir will be 114.
Out of those seats, 24 assembly seats are reserved for PoK. This indicates that the next assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in 90 seats.
Currently, while Kashmir has a total number of 46 assembly seats, Jammu division has 37. It is expected that Jammu would be benefitted following the creation of seven new Assembly seats, as provided in the reorganisation Act, as the delimitation process will take into account the geographical area and the population of the two regions.
Since the Ladakh division is being created as a separate UT, the total number of seats in the new J&K Assembly will come down from 87 to 83, as the four seats of Leh, Kargil, Zanskar and Nubra would no longer be part of it.

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EC meets over delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir

The Election Commission has begun the process of delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir. It held the first meeting regarding the same on Tuesday.
Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province with a legislative body.
The meeting was attended by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, election commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra, among other senior officials of poll body.
According to sources, the commission is also familiarising itself with the provisions of the Bill that will divide the state into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh that will come into effect on October 31.
“It was a meeting to inform the commission members about the provisions of the Act and the process that was followed for carrying out delimitation when new states such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were carved out,” the official said.
The meeting comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government made a historic move and revoked Article 370 in J&K. It announced that the state would be divided into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly, Ladakh without Assembly.
According to earlier reports, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs was mulling the appointment of a delimitation commission to study the feasibility of the exercise.
The exercise of delimitation will be carried out in J&K after over two decades, in 2002, the J&K Assembly had passed a law putting a freeze on fresh delimitation of seats till 2026.
Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he firmly believed that Article 370 has never helped the country of Jammu and Kashmir and should have been removed long ago.
“As a Home Minister, there was no confusion in my mind about the consequences of removing Article 370. I am confident terrorism in Kashmir will finish and it will move ahead on the path of development now”, Shah said.

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Special Speech: PM Modi explains why they revoked Article 370 in J&K

Narendra Modi led BJP government recently created a worldwide furore and buzz when it announced to revoke Article 370 in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories. The big move called for mixed response with many lauding the brave action, across the world.

Two days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a special broadcast and explained why his government took the drastic decision.

He said, the provision has not given anything except separatism, corruption and family rule to the state, and Pakistan has used it as a tool to spread terrorism.

The PM promised free and fair elections to be held soon, greater employment opportunities, tourism development and return of normalcy, in the state.

Modi added that the concern of people of Jammu and Kashmir was also the concern of every countryman and “their happiness, sorrow and their suffering are no different from us.”

He was happy that most Kashmiris welcomed the move and “freedom from Article 370”, barring few who disrupted the peace as they supported Pakistan.

Accepting that the decision has not been universally praised, the Prime Minister says it is very natural in a democracy that some people are in favour of this decision and some have differences over it. He says he respects their differences as well as their objections.

He assured that the ‘union territory’ status for J&K was not permanent and the move was taken after a lot of thought and discussion.

The Prime Minister, in a major announcement, says that all government employees in Jammu and Kashmir, including those from the J&K Police, will get the same benefits as government employees in other union territories.

He added that Kashmiris could now avail all benefits which they were deprived off till now, because of special status.

PM Modi also thanked security forces for maintaining peace in the Valley all through out.

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J&K to go finally for polls, BJP hopeful of a good show

According to sources, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will be held along with Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana, in October this year.

Violence-hit J&K will join the electoral process after it witnessed a major turmoil when it comes to forming the government.

Jammu and Kashmir was brought under Governor’s rule on June 20, 2018 after the BJP withdrew support from the ruling coalition led by the PDP. Six months

after the Governor’s rule, the President’s rule was implemented as per the relevant provisions in the state and central Constitution.

Meanwhile, BJP is confident of performing well in the state.

“We are expecting better results in the Valley too as the party has started preparations including candidate selection for the state polls,” a senior party leader said. BJP had won 25 seats in the 87-member J&K assembly in 2017. However, all its wins came from the Jammu region and the party could not open its account in Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

BJP leaders will take stock of the party’s preparedness for the upcoming elections, whose schedule is likely to be announced by the Election Commission after the Amarnath Yatra is completed next month.

Meanwhile, an official said deployment of additional forces was a prelude to state polls, contrary to apprehensions of opposition parties that the Centre may abrogate Article 35A.