Jammu: An eight-member National Conference delegation on Tuesday met Lt Governor Manoj Sinha here and drew his attention to alleged attempts being made to mutilate the mandate of the people by encouraging horse-trading of the recently elected DDC members, the party said.
The NC stressed the crucial need of ensuring neutrality and impartiality of the administration in establishment of District Development Councils and said this is imperative for respecting the mandate and upholding people’s faith in the grass-roots level democratic institutions which hold promise for transforming rural landscape in Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation was by led by party’s Jammu provincial president Devender Singh Rana and included former ministers Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Surjeet Singh Slathia, Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Shah Bukhari and former legislators Javed Rana, S Tarlochan Singh Wazir, Rattan Lal Gupta and Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, the party said in a statement here.
“During their meeting with the Lt governor at Raj Bhavan, the delegation drew his attention to the attempts being made to mutilate the mandate of the people by encouraging horse-trading of the recently elected Councillors which is not good for democracy, it said.
The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) comprising of seven mainstream parties, including the NC and the PDP, swept the DDC polls by winning 110 seats and accused the BJP and Apni Party of forcing elected DDC members to shift their loyalties to control the post of DDC chairman.
“The people’s mandate has to be respected. This is actually the message sent out by the electors, loud and clear. They lauded the efforts of the Lt governor in ensuring peaceful conduct of the polls,” the delegation said, adding that the promise of upholding democratic values has to be kept by foiling the “machinations of reversing the will of the people”.
“This is imperative for the larger interests of democracy,” the senior leaders said.
They also referred to the impressive turn-out in elections despite weather vagaries and said this reflects people’s unflinching faith in democracy and the democratic institutions.
“The deep yearning of the people in becoming part of decision making is healthy sign of democracy and this spirit is required to be upheld by foiling the attempts of reversing the popular will by undemocratic means,” the delegation said.
It also sought a judicial probe into the recent brutal assassination of a gold smith and an encounter in Lawaypora area of Srinagar and called for measures to instil sense of security and trust among the people.
The NC leaders also called for inter-regional, intra-regional and inter-faith community people to people dialogue in order to defeat the designs of the elements creating polarisation and divide in the society.
“Jammu and Kashmir has been known for peaceful co-existence of the people and no attempt of vitiating this atmosphere should be allowed. The dialogue between a cross section of people will help promote better understanding and harmony as respecting each others’ sentiments is imperative for healthy societal growth, the delegation said.
The statement said the Lt governor assured the delegation that the administration would play a non-partisan role in the establishment of the DDCs and also assured transparent and fair conduct of enquiry in the two incidents.
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