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| Diminishing credibility of legislature cause of concern: Mufti | | | ET Plus Report
JAMMU, Mar 3: Stressing that democracy was the only way to tackle problems facing the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today expressed concern at the diminishing credibility of institutions like the legislature.
He was addressing a meeting of the card holders of Jammu West constituency where he said the present government had emerged as a serious threat to democratic institutions.
Speaking in detail about the efforts that had gone into revival of people's faith in democratic process, Mufti said all parties including the Congress and BJP under Atal Behari Vajpayee had contributed to it when he led the PDP congress coalition government.
"But now it is different as the assembly which is the ultimate authority in a democratic set up is facing a crisis of credibility in view of the ruling coalition's inability to tolerate dissent and debate", he said. Where do we discuss issues of public importance he asked and said surely streets or use of force are no options but it seems this government is pushing people out of the institutional debate.
Referring to the stonewalling of efforts to discuss the aftermath of Afzal Guru's secret hanging by the ruling combination, Mufti said this attitude would disillusion the people from the system once again after some semblance of faith in them had been restored.
"Running away from debate is no answer. Democracy is not just an exercise to cast vote every five or six years but is a constant process of scrutiny, discussion and engagement in forums like parliament and state legislatures." he said.
Strongly condemning the killing of two policemen in Handwara on Saturday Mufti said gun is no answer to our problems. We have witnessed too much of destruction and death and have to come out of that vicious cycle, he said. "But I want to make it clear that ideas can be met only with ideas and can neither be arrested nor killed by force." he said.
Mufti said it is not just the legislature that has suffered erosion at the hands of present government but virtually every other institution has been rendered idle. |
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