Updated: December 14, 2020 7:42:21 am
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha tried to allay fears expressed by top political leaders that Assembly elections would take a backseat, particularly after the ongoing DDC elections.
Kashmir and Jammu are the “two eyes” of the J&K Union Territory, and in the future, for overall progress, both have to work together without one being favored over the other, said Manoj Sinha, J&K deputy governor.
“Samaan bhav sey dono ke vikas ke liye humein kaam karna hai aur dono milke hi is UT ko aage badha sakti hai (We have to work for the development of these two regions equally, and only when both work together can they take the UT forward) Sinha said in an interview with The Indian Express. “I think that if the administration’s intentions are clear and the government doesn’t favor one over the other, then there will be no opposition.”
The LG spoke on a variety of topics from the annulment of the Roshni Law and its disintegration to the fear of demographic change in the Valley following the repeal of the land laws, the timeline for the Assembly elections and the restoration of the 4G services, and the ‘Gupkar Gang’ gybed by the Union Interior Minister Amit Shah. The full interview will be published on Tuesday.
Sinha, who was sworn in on August 7 and has visited all 10 Kashmir districts and six (out of 10) in Jammu over the past four months, said there were “some people” who have “vested interests” in differentiating Jammu from Kashmir. on the lines of “region, religion, caste, color or area”.
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LG Sinha tried to allay fears expressed by top political leaders that the Assembly elections would take a back seat, particularly after the ongoing District Development Council (DDC) elections. He said Assembly elections are held in states that have CDDs. “The function of the assembly is different from that of the DDC or Parliament. So where is the contradiction? ” he said.
There was no reason to fear, Sinha said. The Prime Minister has spoken of the Assembly elections from the walls of the Red Fort on August 15; The Minister of the Interior has said it in the plenary session of Parliament, he pointed out. “Is mein kisi ko aapatti nahi hai (No one has objections to this). And the Prime Minister said on August 15, that when the Delimitation Commission completes its work, elections to the Assembly will be held, ”he said.
Responding to a question about fears of demographic change in the Valley, especially after the repeal of certain land laws and amendments to some others, the Lieutenant Governor told J&K that 90 percent of the land is agricultural. “No one outside of J&K can buy farmland. Even within J&K, only farmers can buy that land, ”he said.
While the amendment to certain laws has allowed outsiders to buy land in the UT, Sinha said there was no treatment for the “imagined” fears.
“Give me just one example of any outsider who bought land here. Since August 5, 2019, tell me a single name. I challenge anyone to name an outsider who bought land here. This is unfounded, ”he said.
Asked about Shah’s tweet Referring to the dominant political parties – which formed an alliance prior to the DDC elections – as the ‘Gupkar Gang’, Sinha said: “As the leader of a party, you have every right to issue a political statement. If the leaders of a political party can make certain statements, others are also free to say what they think … Constitutional post hum hold kar rahein hain, humko is se matlab nahi (I have a constitutional position and I don’t care). “
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