Politics
Questions raised over ‘farce elections’ after Governor reveals ‘foreign educated person becoming Mayor’
Srinagar: In a tweet, NDTV journalist Sunetra Chowdhry had claimed that the Governor of jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik told her that the new mayor of Srinagar will be a ‘foreign educated person’.
Malik has come under fire for his statement as the Municipal elections are still going on.
Incidentally the governor told @ndtv a foreign educated person is becoming Srinagar mayor. Viewers and Kashmir friends ask how Satyapal Malik knows who will be Srinagar mayor #JammuKashmirElection I should have pinned him down on this
— sunetra choudhury (@sunetrac) October 8, 2018
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of the Hurriyat (M) while retweeting has reiterated that these elections are a farce.Fake, Fudged, Farcical Elections! https://t.co/eVp9Pwzbzb
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) October 9, 2018
‘Big question mark on the impartiality of governor’s office’
Meanwhile, National Conference has said that the Governor’s remark favouring a particular individual for the post of Mayor is shocking and puts a big question mark on the impartiality of the governor’s office.
In a joint statement released from party head quarters Nawa –e- Subah, Senior leader and MLA Eidgah Mubarak Gul, Women’s Wing President Shameema Firdous, Central Secretary Irfan Shah, Provincial Vice President Muhammad Syed Akhoon and District President Srinagar Peer Afaq Ahmad said the ongoing election process is a smokescreen to hide the machinations of the governor’s office to throttle the democratic institutions in the state.
The leaders said that the party wasn’t against any person becoming the mayor. “But the way governor has unequivocally expressed his intentions, while talking to a private news channel, by hinting towards a particular individual before-hand for mayor’s post of Srinagar is what casts a shadow on the whole election process.”
The leaders said that the councilors elected from various wards exercise their democratic right and elect a mayor after following the whole process as enshrined in the rule books.
“There is already a big question mark on the fairness of ongoing ULB elections in the valley. Adding to the confusion, governor’s remarks reveal that he has no reverence for the due process of elections.”
‘BJP, RSS have already decided who will be Mayor’
Reacting to the assertions of Governor, the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Vice President & MLC Gulam Nabi Monga while expressing surprise said that ongoing ULB Election has lost credibility, as that BJP RSS has already decided as to who would be the Mayor.
He also hit out at the Governor for failing to uphold the constitutional authority of the Raj Bhavan, saying that Governor being the Constitutional head of the State should not play in the hands of BJP RSS.
Monga said it was surprising to see that such an irresponsible statement has come from none other than the Governor of the State and sought clarity from him over his assertions, as the statement is going to cause severe damages to electoral exercise currently underway in the state.
He said Congress Party believes that the BJP RSS has decided as to who would be the Mayor of Srinagar SMC and the Governor has been assigned the task to complete the process before the outcome of the ULB Elections, which is something that needs to be ascertained, for the fact, the people in the state will again loose the faith in the democratic process.
While replying to the journalist’s tweet, Independent MLA Engineer Rashid said that Governor’s statement has shamed democracy in Kashmir.
People used to say Khaliq DC made MLAs till mid Sevnties & now we may call it Satipal made mayor’s as J& K Governor has declared even before marginal voting could take place that who will be the next mayor for Sgr city. Democracy being shamed in J& K as usul.Contolled democracy !
— Er. Rasheed (@mlalangate) October 9, 2018
