Jammu and Kashmir: Home Minister Rajnath Singh appeals to parties to contest local body elections

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday appealed to political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the upcoming elections to panchayat and municipal bodies, PTI reported.

The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party have announced their decision to not contest the elections because of concerns about the Centre’s position on Article 35A of the Constitution.

While Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP urged the central government to reconsider conducting them, the National Conference said it would boycott elections until the central government clarifies its position on Article 35A of the Constitution, which grants special rights and privileges to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Supreme Court is at present hearing petitions challenging the law’s validity. On August 31, the court adjourned the hearing on them till January 2019 after the Centre and the state administration said hearing the matter now could create law and order problems, particularly during the local body elections.

“I would like to appeal that all the political parties should participate in the political process,” Singh said at a press conference in Jammu. “This will provide [them] an opportunity to interact with the people.”

The panchayat elections will be held in nine phases between November 17 and December 11, while elections to municipal bodies will be held in four phases between October 8 and October 16.

‘India has made efforts to improve ties with Pakistan’

On Pakistan, Singh said India has made all efforts to improve its relations with the neighbouring country and cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan in 2015 to wish former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday. However, ties between the two countries deteriorated when an Indian Army base in Pathankot was attacked in January 2016.

“But we cannot change the behaviour of Pakistan,” Singh said. “They will have to understand how to behave with a neighbour.”

Singh, who is in Jammu to inaugurate two pilot projects of “smart border” fencing, said border security was “top most priority”. “We have already identified vulnerable areas and gaps on all borders,” he said. The minister said the government was working to upgrade border infrastructure, and more than 600 km of roads have been constructed in border areas and hundreds of outposts have been built.

“Initially the CIBMS [Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System] project will be implemented to cover gaps in the physical fencing on the border,” Singh said. “Subsequently, these technological solution will be implemented on the entire border.”