Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Oct, 02
Lambasting the Central Government for keeping the J&K Assembly in suspended animation for over 4½ months by coercion following the collapse of BJP-PDP government in the state, a strong battalion of Panther activists spearheaded by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP, Mr. Yash Paul Kundal State President Young Panthers and other leaders held a massive protest demonstration outside the Parliament in New Delhi. The party activists were stopped by the Parliament Street Police Station but Mr. Harsh Dev Singh along with more than a dozen activists managed to break the police cordon and reached near the Parliament where they held vociferous demonstration. While raising slogans against the GoI, the agitated protesters urged upon the central govt to immediately dissolve the State Assembly and pave way for the fresh elections to save the state from authoritarian and dictatorial rule being run through proxy government.
Speaking to media persons, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh divulged that following the fall of BJP-PDP alliance the Governor Rule had been imposed in the State on June 19thand the State Assembly was kept under suspended animation. He said that it had been more than 4½ months now that the Assembly was being kept under prolonged suspension which had never happened before in the history of the country. “It is unprecedented, bizarre and anomalous.
This is blatant defiance of constitution. Suspension of Assembly was supposed to be a transitory period under the constitution in which the Governor has to decide its fate and its unlawful prolongation was violation of law besides prevalent practices and precedents. If no political party or combination of parties was in a position to form the govt, the only option was to dissolve the Assembly so as to prevent defections, horse trading and unfair means in the formation of the govt. In view of all major political parties including the BJP having conveyed their inability to form the popular government in the State due to lack of numerical strength, why the Assembly has been kept under suspension for such a long time? Save the State from fascist rule being run by the GoI in the interest of democracy”, Harsh maintained. Asserting that constitution and democracy were held hostage in J&K by vested political interests, he reckoned that in the prevailing scenario the unlawful grant of all perks, amenities, emoluments and CDF to members of suspended Assembly whose rights and privileges stood suspended during the period was no less than a loot and plunder of public money which needed to be curbed immediately.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Gagan Pratap Singh, Rajeshwar Singh, JP Sharma, Surjit, Kundan Saini, Vishambhar Dass, Brij Mohan besides others.
