J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s has been sharply criticised by political parties for claiming that 80% of people wanted the L-G administration to continue.
“Meet the new king of J&K who is so desperate to remain the uncrowned ruler that he now invents surveys to justify his unwillingness to conduct assembly elections,” former J&K chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said.
He said India was truly the “mother of democracy” and we in J&K her orphan children. “Perhaps this is the logic BJP will start using to stop having elections nationwide - One Nation, No Election,” Mr. Abdullah added.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Firdous Tak also objected. “His highness believes that 80% population of J&K are against assembly polls. What a shame,” Mr. Tak said.
Speaking at a function in Budgam on Monday, L-G Sinha said he asked a media group to do a secret survey on people’s thoughts about elections in J&K. “Eighty percent people will vote for the current dispensation and want no other dispensation. This is ordinary people’s view. Some people are in pain. They can talk senselessly,” L-G Sinha said.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Surjeet Singh Slathia said J&K has been transformed by projects undertaken over the past four years, with large scale investments pouring in to infrastructure development.
“Rapid industrialisation and infrastructure upgradation is the preamble for Naya Jammu and Kashmir under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Mr. Slathia said the BJP’s focus has been to usher in a new phase of progress and development with restoration of peace remaining a focal point.
