The JKNPP today claimed that the appointment of a career politician as Jammu and Kashmir governor could prove counter-productive for the state.
It also accused the BJP of using political governors to subvert democracy and forge "dirty" alliances in various states.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik will become the first career politician to be appointed to the position in the last 51 years, indicating a change in the strategy of the Centre which has so far relied on ex-babus to run show in the troubled state.
"The appointment of a career politician as governor here can prove counter-productive. We have accused the BJP of using the political governors in the past to subvert democracy and to forge dirty alliances in various states", Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), Chairman, Harsh Dev Singh told reporters here today.
Citing examples of Goa and Manipur, Singh alleged that the BJP by abusing the gubernatorial office formed "bizarre" coalitions by dishonouring the people's mandate.
"Likewise, in Meghalaya, which threw a fractured mandate in the elections, the impulsive BJP once again stood first in the 'queue' to tie the knot with NPP (National People's Party) and forged an unexpected alliance to form the government," he said.
Singh said having regard to the regional, religious and political sensitivities of a state such as Jammu and Kashmir, past governments at the Centre had always refrained from appointing political governors in the state.
They gave non-political governors for unbiased governance and to win over the trust of multifarious sectionsin the troubled state, he said.
During all these years only civil servants, diplomats, retired army generals and intelligence chiefs, and others, having no political affiliations were appointed as governors to insulate bureaucracy from political interference, the JKNPP leader said.
"Why did it appear to the Union government to appointment a political person as the governor of a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir at this crucial juncture is for the BJP to explain," Singh said
He said incumbent Governor N N Vohra should have been allowed to continue in view of the security scenario and his initiatives to restore democracy at the grass root level.
Singh said Vohra needed to be complimented for the peaceful conduct of the Amarnath pilgrimage and his efforts to bring a corrupt and derailed administration set up back on the rails.
Expressing hope that new governor Malik would live up to the expectations of various groups, he said any faltering, aberration or mishandling of affairs of the state could prove counter-productive and fritter away the gains achieved in the past.
Singh also expressed confidence that despite his political antecedents , Malik would do justice with all sections of society, irrespective of their political affiliations.
Drawing the attention of Malik towards certain legal aspects of the suspended Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, he hoped that the new head of state would uphold the most sacrosanct provisions of the Constitution.
On Section-53 of the state constitution dealing with prorogation and dissolution of the assembly, Singh alleged that it was being circumvented under pressure of the Centre and sought the immediate intervention of Malik after taking over as governor.
He said Section 53 (1) stated that "six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session".
The existing assembly has failed to hold session during the last six months and under the provisions of the section the assembly should be dissolved.
The last sitting was the Budget session February 12, the next session should have been convened by August 11, he said.
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