Srinagar | Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) President Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday announced that party will not participate in the upcoming Panchayat and Municipal elections.
Addressing a Press Conference after the core group meeting at party headquarters, Abdullah said, “Jammu and Kashmir National Conference will not participate in these elections (panchayat), unless & until, the Government of India & the state government clears its position in this regard (35 A) & takes effective steps for the protection of Article 35 A in & inside the court.
J&K National Conference will not participate in these elections (panchayat), unless & until, the Government of India & the state government clears its position in this regard (35 A) & takes effective steps for the protection of Article 35 A in & inside the court: Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/wpJ4ojrcEL
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2018
Abdullah further added, “The core group (of NC) unanimously decided that the National Conference will not participate in these elections unless and until the government of India and the state government clarify their positions in this regard and take effective steps for protection of Article 35-A in and outside the courts.”
The decision of the National Conference has come days after the separatist group Hurriyat Conference had announced the boycott of the panchayat elections. National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah too had said that the Centre should first clarify their stand on Article 35(a).
Earlier the Supreme Court on August 31, had adjourned the hearing of the petitions challenging Article 35-A till January 19 next year. The representative of the Central and State government in Supreme Court had demanded the hearing on Section 35-A after the Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir as the security forces are busy preparing for the upcoming local body elections. The local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be held in the month of September, However, the state election commission is yet to decide the final schedule.
Incorporated by a presidential order in 1954, Article 35-A accords special rights and privileges to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and denies property rights to women who marry those from outside the state.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
