SRINAGAR, Sept 16: Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma today called for dissolution of the J&K Assembly if the NC Government continued to cite lack of powers for its failure to address issues confronting people.Speaking to reporters in Baramulla, Sharma said the Government should step aside if it believed it lacked the authority to address public grievances, rather than continue in office while waiting for restoration of Statehood.”If they have got any dignity, they should dissolve the Assembly till the powers come,” he said, questioning the relevance of an elected Government if it claimed it could not act on basic issues.
Sharma said the Government was repeatedly citing the absence of Statehood when people raised grievances, and questioned whether the 90 MLAs would continue giving the same explanation for the remaining three years of their term.
He said the powers being referred to essentially concerned restoration of Statehood, arguing that its restoration would entail a fresh electoral process because of the different constitutional and administrative arrangements applicable to a State and a Union Territory.
“If Statehood comes tomorrow, there will be new elections. Why do we have to wait till elections? We will sit idle,” he said.
Sharma’s remarks came ahead of the Autumn Session of the Assembly, beginning September 21.
He said the BJP, as the principal opposition party, would raise public grievances gathered through its ‘Jan Samvad’ programme during the session.
The BJP legislative group has been visiting district headquarters to interact with people and compile grievances related to routine governance and basic amenities.
Sharma said the exercise was not political but aimed at listening to common people and understanding their problems.
“We listened to everyone patiently. People are facing a lot of difficulties,” he said, claiming that people were disappointed with the Government and youth were particularly upset.
Sharma said the BJP would raise genuine public demands in the Assembly, while issues falling within the domain of the Government of India would be taken up with the Centre.
The party, he added, would return to the people with responses on such matters.
He also criticised the Government over the number of Assembly sittings, saying only seven sittings had been scheduled for the Autumn Session and alleging that this reflected “irresponsibility”.
