News Analysis India

Tag: jammu and kashmir delimitation

  • CPI(M) leader Tarigami files plea in SC for early hearing of petition on Article 370

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami on Friday filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

    In his petition, Tarigami said despite the challenge to the constitutional validity of orders by the Centre on August 5, 2019, as well as the J-K (Reorganisation) Act, 2019 is pending before the Supreme Court, the central government has taken some “irreversible actions.”

    He said the Centre has constituted a Delimitation Commission to mark boundaries in the territory for all the constituencies before an assembly election can be held.

    “Amendment of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act allowing persons who are not permanent residents to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir if it is not agricultural land. Closing down of institutions such as the J-K State Women’s Commission, J-K State Accountability Commission, J-K State Consumer Protection Commission and J-K State Human Rights Commission,” the petition said, listing out some decisions by the Centre.

    The petitioner said in view of the aforesaid actions being taken by the central government, it is submitted that the challenge to the constitutional validity ought to be heard on an expedited basis otherwise the petition itself would be rendered infructuous in view of the irreversible actions of the respondents and the applicant would be rendered remediless.

    The CPI(M) leader said if the matters were not heard urgently, “grave injustice will be caused to the applicant.”

    “In view of the above facts and circumstances this Hon’ble Court may have kind indulgence to direct the respondents accordingly, in the interest of justice, otherwise the Applicant will be put to irreparable loss, injury and hardships,” the petition said.

    Tarigami submitted that the court may be pleased to list his writ petition (Civil) no. 1210 of 2019 on an early date, in the interest of justice and pass such other order or further orders as the Court may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case.

  • Amid calls for separate UT for Kashmiri Pandits, J&K Lt Governor asks Centre to facilitate their return

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  Amid calls for a separate Union Territory for Kashmir pundits, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday set deadlines for the completion of 6,000 transit accommodations being built in the Valley to accommodate Pandit migrants employed in the local government.

    The L-G asked the officials to register the entire Pandit population to facilitate their return to the Valley.

    ALSO READ | Panun Kashmir objects to Jammu and Kashmir delimitation exercise based on 2011 Census

    “We must ensure that the entire Pandit population is registered with the J&K government,” Sinha said. The Pandits migrated en-masse from the Valley after the outbreak of militancy in J&K in the 1990s.

    They are now living in Jammu, Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the country. Meanwhile, a Kashmiri Pandit group – Panun Kashmir on Sunday demanded the creation of separate Union Territory for Pandits in the Valley.

  • PDP says cannot take part in JK delimitation process as party has no MP or MLA

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR:The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said it cannot participate in the ongoing delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir as only elected representatives can take part in it and the party has none at present.

    Addressing a press conference here, chief PDP spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said the delimitation commission has been designed in a way that only elected representatives can be part of the exercise.

    Bukhari was asked about the stand of his party as well as that of the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) — of which the PDP as well as the NC are constituents — over the issue.

    “I cannot say anything on behalf of the alliance. However, as far as the PDP is concerned, I want to tell you one thing that it is not about the alliance taking part in it or not. It is the decision of the individual parties of the alliance,” he said.

    The PDP cannot participate in the proceedings of the commissions as the party has no members in Parliament or in the legislative assembly, he said.

    “The way the commission has been designed, only elected representatives are part of the exercise. The PDP as of now has no MP or legislator, so we cannot participate in the process,” he said.

    “As far as the NC’s participation is concerned, I think it is that party only that can answer this question,” he said.

    While the PDP has no MP in the Lok Sabha, its MPs in the Rajya Sabha have either completed their term or were expelled.

    Asked to comment over the remarks of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that the immigrant Muslims should follow family planning norms for population control, Bukhari said Sarma was not the first person to say something like that.

    “We have been hearing many people, especially BJP leaders, say this for some years now. There is no sense in finding any sense in these remarks,” he said.