Home Minister Amit Shah Moves Resolution To Extend President's Rule In J&K For Six Months

Home Minister Amit Shah Friday moved a statutory resolution in the Lok Sabha to extend President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir for a period of six months.

The proposal to extend President's rule was opposed by K. Premachandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Manish Tiwari of the Congress.

While tabling the resolution, Shah said that the Election Commission had agreed to postpone the Assembly elections and that these will be held after the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.

"It is not possible to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir now. The Election Commission has decided to conduct the elections by the year end," he said.

"In the view of Ramzan and Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, preparations are underway to hold Assembly elections by the end of this year," Shah informed the House.

Shah, who was on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, spoke of the security situation in the state.

"We are monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Construction of bunkers in border areas will be done within the time limit set by the previous home minister Rajnath Singh Ji. Life of every individual is important to us," he said.

The Home Minister remarked that terror-related incidents saw a decline during President's rule while stressing that the government will continue to maintain a zero-tolerance policy against the menace in the state.

Talking about the successful conduct of Panchayat elections, Shah said, "Panchayat elections were not conducted in Jammu and Kashmir for many years. But in the last one year, our government held elections in more than 4,000 panchayats. Now, over 40,000 panch and sarpanch are serving for the people."

"Elections in the state have been bloody in the past, but there was no violence during Lok Sabha elections. Law and order situation has improved considerably," he added. 

He urged the members to rise above party lines to support the resolution.

Speaking in the house, Congress' Manish Tiwari opposed the move and urged the government to conduct Assembly elections in the state so that a popular government is elected in the state, which, he claimed, can help in winning the support of the people in the fight against terrorism.

This is the first proposal Shah has moved in the Lok Sabha after being appointed as the home minister in the second tenure of the Narendra Modi government.

Reservation

He also moved also a bill that seeks to bring persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border within the ambit of reservation, at par with a resident near the Line of Control.

"The Amendment proposes that people living along Line of Control, International Border and Line of Actual Control should be included in the 3 per cent reservation," The Home Minister said.

"Children living on International Border will also receive benefits. Over 3.5 lakh people will be benefitted from it. This bill is not to please anyone but for those living near the International Border," he added.

The Bill, which amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday. It paves the way for the people living near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir to get the benefit of reservation in jobs, promotion and educational institutions on par with those living along the Actual Line of Control (ALoC).

"Due to continuous cross-border tensions, persons living along the International Border suffer from socio-economic and educational backwardness. This situation often compels departure of these residents to other safer places thereby having an adverse impact on their economic condition and educational status," the statement of objects and reasons appended to the bill said.

"Therefore, there was a persistent demand from persons residing in the areas adjoining the International Border to bring them within the ambit of the said Act and bring them at par with the persons living in areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control," it said.

(With inputs from Agencies)