Srinagar, June 6: Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone on Saturday questioned PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s decision to chair a review meeting at AIIMS Awantipora despite not being an elected legislator, terming the move a “constitutional impropriety” and warning that it could set an undesirable precedent in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a post on X, Lone raised concerns over unelected political leaders chairing official review meetings of government institutions.
“Now I have a question for Mehbooba Ji. If she chairs a review meeting of a central institution today, without being an MLA, what stops an RSS or a BJP non-MLA functionary from chairing similar meetings?” Lone wrote.
He argued that if such a practice were accepted, leaders from various political parties who are not members of the legislature could also claim the authority to preside over official meetings.
“What stops Dr Farooq Abdullah Sahib, Azad Sahib or Nirmal Singh Sahib from chairing similar meetings? The list can go on and on,” he said.
The Peoples Conference chief questioned whether such political entitlement existed elsewhere in the country and expressed concern over what he described as the erosion of established constitutional norms.
“Is the elected political space in J&K destined to be a fish market?” he asked.
Lone said Mehbooba Mufti should acknowledge that chairing the meeting was an error of judgment.
“I will still say it is imperative that she admits that it was an error of judgment. If she doesn’t, it means she has opened the door for all sorts of unelected species and most likely politically undesirable species, especially in Kashmir, to chair similar meetings,” he said.
The Handwara MLA also called upon Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to clarify the constitutional and administrative framework governing such engagements.
“And please, will the Chief Minister once and for all clear these issues,” he said.
Lone further alleged that the authority of opposition legislators had been weakened, contributing to the present situation.
“Had the Chief Minister not set his ministers against the opposition MLAs and eroded their authority, this event of constitutional impropriety may not have taken place,” he wrote.
Referring to Mehbooba Mufti’s recent statement that she had spoken to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda regarding the progress of AIIMS Awantipora, Lone said the issue was not about the project itself but about constitutional propriety.
“Nadda Sahib is the Honourable Health Minister of India. But he does not have the power to redesign constitutional roles. So whether Mehbooba Ji called him or not hardly changes anything,” he said.
“The chairing of the review meeting at AIIMS by a non-MLA was an unconstitutional trespass and will remain an unconstitutional trespass,” Lone added.
