SRINAGAR: Opposing the decision to authorise the Lieutenant Governor to nominate five additional MLAs to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that if it happens, they will take the matter to the Supreme Court to seek justice in accordance with the Constitution.
Abdullah asserted that only the elected government of the territory has the authority to nominate additional MLAs to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
“Under the Constitution of India, this cannot be done. The government that comes to power nominates MLAs. We will knock on the door of the Supreme Court if this happens, and we are hopeful that the Supreme Court will hear our plea and deliver justice as per the Constitution,” he said.
The territory’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is set to nominate five members in addition to the 90 elected members of the Assembly.
Reacting to PM Modi’s remarks on Congress, Abdullah accused him and other BJP leaders of spreading hatred in the Jammu region.
Farooq Abdullah said, “Who gave birth to hatred in Jammu, was it Congress? The Home Minister came, the Prime Minister came, many of their ministers came to stir up hatred… We have never supported terrorism and never will.”
A day after securing a historic win in the Haryana Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday criticised the Congress party, accusing it of dividing Hindu society for political gains.
“The Congress policy is to pit one caste of Hindus against another. Congress knows that the more Hindus are divided, the more it will benefit. Congress wants to stoke divisions in Hindu society to make political gains. Wherever elections are held in India, Congress applies this formula,” PM Modi said.
Meanwhile, the National Conference-Congress alliance secured an absolute majority in J&K by winning 49 seats, with the former taking 42 and the latter 6 seats.
Farooq Abdullah announced that party Vice President Omar Abdullah would be the next Chief Minister.
Omar Abdullah expressed his gratitude but emphasised that the final decision rests with the legislators and the alliance.
