SRINAGAR: Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed his views on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the need for elections in Jammu and Kashmir in a statement on Friday.
Azad emphasised that implementing the UCC would not be as simple as the abrogation of Article 370.
He highlighted that the UCC would impact various religions, including not only Muslims but also Sikhs, Christians, tribals, Jains, and Parsis.
He cautioned against taking a step that could potentially upset multiple religious communities simultaneously, stating, “Angering so many religions at the same time will not be good for any government, and my advice to this government is that they should never think of taking such a step.”
Discussing the pending elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Azad mentioned that since the dissolution of the Assembly in 2018, the region has eagerly awaited the announcement of election dates. He expressed the desire for the democratic setup to be restored in the state, allowing elected representatives to become MLAs and govern.
Azad emphasised the importance of elected representatives in running the government and stated, “Because only elected representatives can do this work in a democracy.”
Reflecting on the changes that took place on August 5, 2019, when Article 370 and 35(A) were abrogated, Azad stressed the need to bring back elected representatives to power. Jammu and Kashmir was subsequently divided into two Union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Azad reasoned, “Across the world or in any part of India, the ‘officer sarkar’ can’t run for more than six months. It is essential that elected representatives are brought back to power,” lending his support to the call for elections in the Union Territory.
Azad reiterated the longstanding demand for prompt elections, emphasizing that it had been voiced consistently for the past six years, five years, three years, and even at present.
