Omar Abdullah terms Amit Shah's argument justifying use of Article 356 in Jammu and Kashmir 'unacceptable'

Srinagar: National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Friday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s argument justifying the use of Article 356 of the Constitution to extend President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir is “unacceptable”. His remarks came after Shah moved a statutory resolution in the Lok Sabha to extend President’s Rule in the state for another six months with effect from 3 July.

Later, replying to a debate in the House over the resolution, the minister hit out at the Congress, saying that Article 356 (President’s Rule) has been imposed 132 times of which the opposition party used it 93 times to dismiss state governments.

“So the Home Minister’s argument is that because the Congress has used Article 356 more times than anyone else the Modi government is justified in denying the people of Jammu and Kashmir an elected government. That’s an unacceptable argument,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.

So the Home Minister’s argument is that because the Congress has used Article 356 more times than anyone else the Modi government is justified in denying the people of J&K an elected government. That’s an unacceptable argument. https://t.co/IOsi9aUIKT

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 28, 2019

Jammu and Kashmir do not have an elected dispensation since the PDP-BJP coalition government fell apart in June 2018. Early this month, the Election Commission said it will announce the schedule of assembly polls in the state after the Amarnath Yatra concludes.

The pilgrimage, which will begin on 1 July, will conclude on 15 August.