NC urged EC to ‘respect’ SC directives, announce poll date, says spokesperson

Kulgam, Aug 09: The National Conference (NC) delegation has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to “respect” the directives of the Supreme Court and announce the date for the “long-pending assembly election” in Jammu and Kashmir.
NC State Spokesperson, Imran Nabi Dar said the party delegation apprised the ECI that the region has been without a government for five years, with no election held in the last decade.
“National Conference is not begging for the election but demanding their rightful opportunity to have an assembly election. It is our right to have an assembly election, to strengthen the constitution, to strengthen the democratic institutions here,” he said. “If there is a way to do this, it is to make a government of the people of Kashmir and Jammu.”
Dar criticised the current administration, saying, “J&K shouldn’t be ruled by those people who have nothing to do with Kashmir and Jammu. Here is the rule of the bureaucracy, and people are facing all kinds of problems at this time.”
The NC delegation, in their meeting with the ECI on Thursday, also appraised the delegation about the importance of adhering to the Supreme Court directive that an assembly election should be held before September 30. “Our delegation has also requested the ECI team, that as soon as possible they should announce the notification,” Dar said.
When asked about the demand for statehood, the NC spokesperson said, “The BJP government has also talked about statehood. Home Minister Amit Shah has promised on the floor of the parliament that statehood to J&K will be restored. And our demand is that there should be statehood, not a truncated statehood, like Delhi or Goa.”