National Panthers Party threatens agitation to press for dissolution of J-K Assembly

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (NPP) on Saturday threatened to launch an agitation to press for dissolution of the Assembly which was kept under suspended animation after the fall of PDP-BJP government in the state in June.

Criticising the decision of keeping the Assembly in suspended animation for the last 116 days, NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh claimed that never before had any assembly been kept in a similar situation for such a long time where none of the parties had the requisite strength.

"We will hold state-wide protests besides demonstrations outside Parliament shortly if the Assembly is not dissolved forthwith," he told reporters here.

Claiming that keeping the Assembly in suspended animation for such a long period "unconstitutional", Singh sought intervention of President Ram Nath Kovind to "safeguard the constitution and rule of law" by ordering early dissolution of the same in conformity with the legal stipulations, prevalent practices and precedents on the subject.

The NPP leader said suspension of assembly was supposed to be temporary period so as to determine whether any political party or combination of parties had the requisite majority to form the government.

"It could not be kept in suspended state for indefinite period under the prevalent constitutional position," Singh said, adding its prolongation was not only bad but politically motivated as well.

He said it was ironical that governor rule and political rule were allowed to run concurrently in the state in circumvention of constitutional provisions.

"Several MLAs were announcing doles and Constituency Development Fund releases during the ongoing local bodies polls in violation of the model code of conduct with none to take cognizance," Singh claimed.