Centre may thrust ‘Delhi model’, fear J&K parties

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 10

Restoration of full statehood is a battle that the main political parties in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are hoping to win in a bid to dodge the “Delhi model”. While most key players want statehood to be restored before the UT goes to the polls, the Centre wants elections once the Delimitation Commission completes its exercise of reorganising boundaries of segments and carving out new ones.

Gupkar alliance spokesperson MY Tarigami said the mistrust between J&K and the Centre had given rise to the suspicion that the “Delhi model” of statehood may be imposed in J& K. “There is apprehension that statehood may not be restored anytime soon if the elections are held. There is no timeframe, no guarantee, but a lot of mistrust. The Centre should undertake confidence-building measures and assure the people that it is not playing games with them,” he said.

The Congress had raised the “Delhi model” apprehension at the meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held with J&K leaders. “In Delhi, the L-G and the Delhi Government are constantly engaged in a tug of war. This means little work gets done. We suggested that the L-G could be elevated as Governor,” Congress PCC chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, adding that there was talk of statehood being restored with the rider that the Centre would keep the Home and Finance Departments.

Political observers believe the parties are keen on restoration of statehood before the elections so that they can claim credit for it and woo the voter. “With the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act-2019, the state lost its special status and was made UT. On what grounds will the political parties seek votes? If the statehood is restored, they will have something to show to the people,” a faculty member of the University of Kashmir explained.