BJP blaming previous J&K regimes and non BJP central governments for the non stop trust deficit in Jammu & Kashmir is now going back on it’s own promises which it as a party in power at the centre made to the people of Jammu & Kashmir after August 5, 2019 constitutional moves on erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state. The people of Jammu & Kashmir would be happy if the incumbent central government by dint of it’s actions would prove it’s critics and political opponents wrong but day in and day out decisions are either put on hold or reversed one way or the other against the democratic aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. The latest pronouncement of the Home Minister that statehood would be restored at appropriate time has been undoutedly received with contempt by both mainstream parties and as well as the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Even the J&K Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari vehemently condemned by his political opponents for going against the public currents in Kashmir has said that earlier the statehood is restored the better it would be for the purposes of peace, security and political stability in Jammu & Kashmir but unfortunately despite endorsing every move of the central government after it’s August 5, 2019 constitutional moves on erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state the demands and proposals of Apni Party President are virtually put into dustbins randomly by the central government. With the U-turn in change in the timing for restoration of statehood the central government has contributed to the increasing trust deficit instead of reducing it to restore the confidence and trust of people across Jammu & Kashmir. Question can be asked that if in rest of the union territories popular governments are in place, why the central government controlled by BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is delaying the restoration of popular rule in Jammu & Kashmir. To keep it’s promises on democracy and development the restoration of the popular rule could have been a good beginning .
Announcements on both the timing for restoration of statehood and as well as the imposition of property tax have gone against the commitments of the Home Minister and Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor respectively and both the announcements have hugely increased the trust deficit instead of reducing it. Better it would for both the Home Minister and as well as Lt Government to ensure fulfillment of their promises on both restoration of statehood and as well as immediate cancellation of the notification on property tax.
District Development Councils (DDCs’) to which elections were recently held can’t be a substitute to an elected assembly and a popular government. Amid U-turn over the timing of the restoration of statehood by the Central Government the Jammu & Kashmir Government has in yet another U-turn directed imposition of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir through an official notification. Knowing that non else than Lt Governor himself promised roll back of the proposed imposition of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir only few months back, the Jammu & Kashmir ceases the moral right to go against the commitment of Lt Governor over property tax. So announcements on both the timing for restoration of statehood and as well as the imposition of property tax have gone against the commitments of the Home Minister and Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor respectively and both the announcements have hugely increased the trust deficit instead of reducing it. Better it would for both the Home Minister and as well as Lt Government to ensure fulfillment of their promises on both restoration of statehood and as well as immediate cancellation of the notification on property tax.