SRINAGAR, Oct 21: Former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stated here on Saturday that although the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is “normal,” the ongoing delay in holding assembly elections is a cause for “grave concern.” Speaking at a public gathering in Batamaloo, Azad stated that although the current state of affairs has “not been more normal in the last 30-35 years” than it is, this may be the first instance in J-K’s history when assembly elections have not been held in such a lengthy period of time.Elections were held after five to six years, according to Azad, “when the situation was bad in J-K, there was bloodshed and leaders left the Valley, Kashmiri Pandits left the Valley.” “However, elections have not been held in the last nine years despite the fact that the situation is normal today and has not been more normal than this in the previous thirty to thirty-five years.” The head of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and a former congressman expressed significant worry over this. According to Azad, this was the area’s first rally in the previous 36 years.“I appreciate you being here; the quantity of people doesn’t important, but it’s amazing that there is calm in this region and that a political gathering could happen. In the past 35 or 36 years, this is, I believe, the first political gathering held here. “No one had the guts to hold a meeting here when I was the Chief Minister or in the Congress. Since, however, things were not going well in this department. Now that the city is at peace, I’m glad,” he remarked. Although the Lieutenant Governor’s administration was doing its duties, the former Chief Minister of Jamaica stated that it could not take the role of elected officials.While the administration is carrying out its duties, this is not one of them. We are expecting them to perform a task that is not theirs but rather belongs to ministers, MLAs, and elected representatives, he added. I’m not saying LG isn’t doing his duties, or that officers aren’t working hard enough. He remarked that a Chief Minister or an elected MLA goes around, talks to people, and finds out what problems they are facing. “That doesn’t happen now since an officer’s job is to operate the office, not to do that. He stated, “If MLAs are appointed secretaries, they will delete the files in a single day.Subsequently, in an interview with reporters, the chairman of the DPAP stated that his party has consistently insisted for assembly elections since only lawmakers are able to adequately represent the people. “The secretariat would suffer if the officers operate like MLAs, notwithstanding their intelligence and goodness. Thus, the MLA election ought to happen,” he declared. Azad mentioned the state of affairs in the Gaza Strip and said that people were expecting the powerful nations to bring about peace. Sadly, when the powerful nations themselves become interested in restoring peace and tranquilly, who will do so?He stated, “We can only pray because of the way things are in Gaza—the way children are dying, the way there is no food, water, or milk, and it has become the world’s largest prison—the powerful countries could have stepped in and helped, but since they haven’t, we are left with no other option. In order to put an end to their suffering, he urged everyone to pray for the people of the Gaza Strip.
