Lok Sabha approves President's Rule imposed in J&K

The Lower House of Parliament approved by voice vote the Statutory Resolution on Imposition of President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir which was moved by the government even as several Opposition parties expressed strong objection to it.

The state was placed under Governor's Rule and the Assembly was placed under suspended animation after the PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed on June 19.

At the end of the six-month Governor's Rule, the Assembly was dissolved and the President's Rule was imposed in the state on December 20, as mandated by the Constitution. This measure needed Parliamentary approval.

Piloting the resolution, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha that the President's Rule was imposed as the Governor had submitted a report to the Centre saying that no party was in a position to form the government.

 

He said the Governor had spoken to all parties in the state.

Singh said while the Centre was willing to have early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the responsibility of holding the polls was that of the Election Commission.

He said the government was totally committed to the democratic process and rejected allegations by the Opposition parties that the BJP was trying to prop up a front in the state to form a government there.

Questions should not be raised on the government's intentions, the Home Minister said, adding if it wanted to prop up any party in the state, it could have done that in the six months that followed the collapse of its government with the PDP.

Talking about the BJP's coalition with the PDP which was formed in March 2015, he said, "We tried our best to make it work".

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, while opposing the resolution, said the imposition of central rule on the state was improper and unconstitutional as his party, along with PDP and National Conference, had come together to form a government.

He said a floor test should have been conducted to ascertain whether the Congress, PDP and National Conference had the requisite numbers in the 87-member Assembly.

He also slammed the coalition between PDP and BJP, terming it as "unnatural marriage".

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah also slammed the action of the Governor to dissolve the Assembly, saying a floor test should have been conducted before taking any step.

The former Chief Minister said there was no doubt that terrorism exists in Jammu and Kashmir and the state is witnessing turmoil.

He said the problem cannot be solved only through military force but by talking to all stakeholders, including the separatist Hurriyat Conference.