JAMMU, Sept 12: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said today that he will quit if 75 percent people of Jammu and Kashmir say that works haven’t been done for their welfare and asserted that 85 percent Kashmiri Pandits are satisfied with the facilities given to them. He said there should be no doubts about grant of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and quoted Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that it would be given at an appropriate time after the Assembly elections.Speaking at the programme of a national news channel on the banks of Dal lake in Srinagar, Sinha said a secret ballot can be conducted to gauge public sentiments following abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019
“He (Rahul Gandhi) should take the opinion of the public, he will be more aware. Get a secret ballot done. If more than 75 per cent of the public does not say that work has been done for their welfare in the last five years, then I will resign,” he declared.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi while addressing election rallies in Dooru and Banihal Assembly constituencies had compared functioning of the Lieutenant Governor with the kings of the past.
Without naming Rahul Gandhi, he said the people are now enjoying food late in the night at restaurants of Srinagar and playing with snowballs which indicates how the situation has improved in the Valley.
It may be mentioned here that Rahul Gandhi and some other Congress leaders during their alliance talks with NC leaders visited Srinagar City restaurant late in the night for a dinner. In Gulmarg earlier, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were seen playing with snowballs.
To a question that Kashmiri Pandits are also annoyed, Sinha said 85 percent of the Pandits will say they have now better facilities. “Yes, it is true that some Kashmiri Pandits were killed. There can be no compensation for the life,” he said.
On terrorism, the Lieutenant Governor said all top commanders of the militant outfits have been sent where they should be. Stoning has ended. Stone pelters have disappeared. Schools, colleges and business establishments are running smoothly. Ecosystem of terrorism is ending, he added.
“During last one-and-a-half year Pakistan has been sending foreign terrorists to both Jammu and Kashmir divisions. However, our security forces are taking positions in the hilly areas in the Jammu region. The militancy will end soon,” Sinha said.
He maintained that local recruitment of the terrorists has ended which has worried Pakistan.
Sinha, however, said whichever party formed the next Government in J&K would have his full support. The remark comes after the opposition raised concerns over the Centre extending the scope of the Lieutenant Governor’s administrative powers.
“In the Union Territories, the Lieutenant Governor has such powers. Whichever Government comes, if they have peace, prosperity and development of Jammu and Kashmir, Viksit Bharat and ending terrorism as their agendas, they will have my full support,” he said.
To a question on restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor said Home Minister Amit Shah has made it clear that the Statehood will be restored at an appropriate time after the Assembly elections and there should be no doubts to anyone on the issue.
“Some persons are unnecessarily making this an issue,” he added. Sinha also said that the Assembly elections, which will be held in three phases from September 18, would be completely free and fair.
On the record voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha polls, he said it was due to the people understanding the conspiracy of Pakistan and realizing that their future was with India. Jammu and Kashmir recorded 58.46% voter turnout, the highest in a Lok Sabha poll in the last 35 years.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the people of the Valley, have expressed faith in the democracy of India,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Sinha, who has been the J&K Lieutenant Governor since 2020, said the Congress and opposition should know that Article 370 is now no longer part of the Constitution. He said even the Supreme Court has upheld the Centre’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
