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Former Kashmir Police Chief Had Advised Centre Against Holding Panchayat Polls

Both National Conference and J&K Peoples Democratic Party have boycotted the elections but the centre still plans to hold them in October.
A file photo of Vaid, who was transferred and posted as Transport Commissioner earlier this month.
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A file photo of Vaid, who was transferred and posted as Transport Commissioner earlier this month.

NEW DELHI -- At a time when Jammu and Kashmir's political parties have boycotted the upcoming civic polls, which are being held for the first time since 2005 on the centre's initiative, reports have surfaced about the state police's advice last month to the Home Ministry against holding the polls.

SP Vaid, J&K's former Director General of Police S.P. Vaid had, in a report submitted in the last week of August, suggested that "the situation was not conducive to hold any election in Kashmir valley right now", The Hindu reported. Vaid had been transferred and posted as Transport Commissioner earlier this month after militants targeted the families of policemen in a tit-for-tat kidnapping.

The municipal body polls will be held in four phases from 8-16 October.

The Hindu report comes a day after Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to the state's regional parties to take part in the civic polls. The state's two major regional parties—the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party—have announced that they would not take part in the elections as the centre has not cleared its stand on Article 35A of the Constitution.

Article 35A was incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order and accords special rights and privileges to citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. The Article, which denies property rights to a woman who marries a person from outside the state, has been challenged in the Supreme Court and the matter is being heard.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.