Aqib Khan
Srinagar, Sep 2: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani on Wednesday said the government had been left with no option but to protest over the delay in restoring statehood and taking a decision on rationalisation of reservations.
Wani said the issues had remained unresolved despite the government waiting for nearly two years for commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be acted upon.
“We have been waiting patiently for the last two years, hoping that the promises made to us would be fulfilled,” Wani told reporters on the sidelines of a protest here.
He said the restoration of statehood was among the major expectations following the Assembly elections, but there had been no meaningful discussion on the matter so far.
“We had hoped that statehood would be restored, but there has been no discussion on it,” he said.
On reservation rationalisation, Wani said the matter had already been cleared by the Cabinet and sent to the Lieutenant Governor but was yet to be finalised.
He said the issue was particularly important for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that its resolution had been delayed.
According to Wani, the government was informed that certain queries had been raised by authorities in Delhi, following which the matter was sent back to the Cabinet for a response.
“The Cabinet was expected to respond to those queries and send the matter back to the Lieutenant Governor, but that has not happened,” he said.
Wani also questioned the delay in the appointment of the Advocate General, saying the absence of a regular appointee was affecting the functioning of the government.
“Even the Advocate General has not been appointed. Those who are responsible for ensuring that work is carried out should do their job,” he said.
Taking aim at the opposition, Wani alleged that attempts were being made to shift public attention away from issues affecting the people.
He claimed the opposition had not accepted its defeat in the Assembly elections and was seeking to create hurdles for the elected government.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir have given their verdict and taught them a lesson,” Wani said.
He further alleged that the people were bearing the consequences of what he described as the opposition’s inability to accept the electoral outcome.
“Our ministers, MLAs and colleagues are being pushed and treated badly. I feel the people are being made to suffer,” he said.(KNS).
