NEW DELHI: The Opposition Monday slammed the Centre’s decision to facilitate the visit of European parliament delegation to J&K on Tuesday while leaders of various political parties were detained and stopped from entering the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370.
The Congress said that the government rolling out the red carpet to EU MPs, briefing them and inviting them to visit J&K is disrespect to the sovereignty of the Indian Parliament and the violation of the privileges of Indian MPs.
“This stand of the government is self-defeating and contradicts the consistent position that J&K is India’s internal matter. Is this the new version of Indian nationalism?” questioned Congress’, Anand Sharma. His party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh called the move an outright insult to India’s own Parliament and democracy.
An all-party delegation led by Rahul Gandhi was detained at Srinagar airport and sent back to Delhi. Former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was given permission by Supreme Court to visit the valley.
Questioning Centre’s decision, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury asked why Indian political party leaders and MPs were repeatedly prevented from exiting Srinagar airport. “I was allowed to enter Srinagar only when the Supreme Court permitted over my habeous corpus petition. Even today Indian MPs are not allowed while Modi welcomes MEPs,” he tweeted. The EU delegation met the PM Monday and is scheduled to visit J&K Tuesday.
J&K admin orders continuation of officials in UTs
After the formal bifurcation of J&K into two Union Territories (UTs), the J&K government Monday ordered the continuation of the officers and officials in the Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The order to this effect was issued by Deputy Secretary to the government, General Administration Department, Mohammad Usman Khan. “In terms of the Section 91 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, every person who, immediately before the appointed day October 31, is holding or discharging the duties of any post or office in connection with the affairs of the existing state of J&K in any area which on that day falls within one of the successors UT shall continue to hold the same post or office in that successor UT...”