‘J&K Government led by Omar Abdullah Has No Power’
President National Conference and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said it was important to restore the statehood to “preserve and strengthen the foundational principles and spirit of federalism”.
Farooq said strength and resilience lies in diversity, plurality and the “constitutional balance” between the Federal and the states.
“Empowering states, safeguarding their constitutional space and strengthening their institutions are essential to preserving the spirit of cooperative federalism,” the JKNC said in a statement quoting Farooq Abdullah.
“In the same spirit, the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir must be restored without any further delay. This would not only honour the democratic aspirations and sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir but would also reinforce the federal character,” the statement added.
Quoting Farooq Abdullah, the statement said the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir “continues to function without the full constitutional and administrative powers ordinarily available to a state government.”
“The people’s mandate must translate into meaningful authority. The restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is, therefore, both a democratic imperative and an important step towards strengthening public confidence in federal structure,” it added.
