Though a governor has to oversee the routine working of the state government in the absence of a popular government in Jammu and Kashmir like other states of the country but shockingly the governors in Jammu and Kashmir are tinkering with the legislative matters concerning constitution and working of some key institutions. Last time then Governor N N Vohra tinkered with the controversial industrial policy when the governor’s rule was imposed in the state and the industrial policy was amended by the Mehbooba government after it took over from Vohra . Governor becoming the head of Jammu & Kashmir Wakf Board an institution regulating the functioning of muslim shrines in the only muslim majority state of the country is against the spirit of non intervention in religious affairs of the people and invoking amendments needlessly for putting the powers of the Wak Board head in the hands of a non muslim governor is both an extra constitutional measure and as well as an attempt of an unwarranted intervention in the affairs of a religious body of muslims in the only muslim majority state of the country. Even in recent years the governor did not amend the wakf board rules to retain the powers of the board president in the absence of a popular government and this was not done when the governor’s rule was imposed after the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and not again when Mehbooba Mufti resigned as Chief Minister after the withdrawal of support to her government by BJP and then Governor N N Vohra took the charge of the government in June this year . Not only amending the Wakf Board rules for taking the charge of the Wakf Board head but also an unwanted remark over the elections of a particular individual as Mayor Srinagar Municipal Corporation has landed the incumbent Governor Satya Pal Malik into a controversy over the fair conduct of ongoing municipal elections in the state.
Better it would be for the governor to withdraw the amendments he has invoked in the Jammu & Kashmir Wakf Board rules to retain with him and offer some candid clarifications over the remarks he has made on the poll boycott decision of mainstream political parties and the candidature of a particular individual for position of Mayor Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) as other he could face the trouble which late Lt General S K Sinha faced in the year 2008 as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir state.
Unfortunately Governor has also passed unwanted remarks over the boycott of municipal and panchayat elections by National Conference (NC) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Governor is expected to maintain the constitutional, political, institutional and administrative impartially of the office he holds but not to comment over decisions of political parties like the head of any political party in the state. Better it would be for the governor to withdraw the amendments he has invoked in the Jammu & Kashmir Wakf Board rules to retain with him and offer some candid clarifications over the remarks he has made on the poll boycott decision of mainstream political parties and the candidature of a particular individual for position of Mayor Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) as other he could face the trouble which late Lt General S K Sinha faced in the year 2008 as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir state.
