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Basharat Peer in New Delhi
While the prime minister's hint at imposing presidential rule in Jammu and Kashmir before the assembly elections may have irked Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, the opposition parties in the state have welcomed it.
Though People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti described it as 'only a hint,' she said: "If there is a step like that, it would be a step in the right direction."
She said imposition of presidential rule in the state before the elections would boost the confidence of the voters and increase their participation in the polls.
"After the 1987 elections, voters lost confidence in the electoral process. Things got worse after Farooq [Abdullah] took over, which shows in the decrease in turnout in the elections conducted under his government since 1996," Mehbooba said.
"Around 30-35 per cent voters do not caste their votes because either they want to boycott the polls or they fear for their life. They have lost faith in the election process. Imposition of president's rule can get them back into the fold," she said.
Making common cause with Mehbooba is People Democratic Liberation Party chief Hashim Qureshi. "This government was elected by just 10 per cent of the voters. Those votes too were reportedly cast under duress from the police and security forces. So it would be fair to remove this government and impose president's rule before the next election is held," Qureshi said.
He said the NC government has given Kashmiris nothing but "economic exploitation, environmental degradation and nepotism."
The presidential rule, he added, should not be aimed only at ensuring free and fair polls but also to look into misappropriation of funds by the National Conference government.
"Why are the enforcement agencies only raiding the houses of the separatists? Why is there no accountability for the mainstream politicians? The NC ministers too need to be raided," he added.
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