Controversy Erupts Over Nominating MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti, has openly criticized the central government's decision to nominate five members to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, describing it as a 'blatant subversion of democratic principles.'

A report from The Hindu highlighted that the Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed to the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court that the lieutenant governor has the authority to nominate five members to the assembly without consulting the elected state government. Mufti condemned this move as an unprecedented central intervention in regional governance.

Mufti, in a social media post, emphasized that this decision is a significant setback for democracy in India's only Muslim-majority region, which has historically been unstable. She urged for immediate action to contest this move, warning that silence from other political leaders, like Omar Abdullah, would be tantamount to complicity.

(With inputs from agencies.)