Ready to hold assembly polls in J&K whenever ECI wants: LG Manoj Sinha

Jammu, Nov 30 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said his administration is ready to hold assembly polls in the Union Territory whenever the Election Commission of India directs it to do so.

Taking a swipe at certain political leaders for spreading misinformation about elections, LG Sinha said he would leave Jammu and Kashmir only after successfully conducting the assembly polls.

“Whatever information has been sought by the ECI from J&K about arrangements, have been submitted to them. I want to tell from this platform that whenever the ECI tells us, the J&K administration is ready to hold elections,” Sinha said while addressing a conference, ‘Samvaad’, organised by Amar Ujala here.

Referring to the democratic processes in J&K, LG Sinha highlighted that the right to conduct assembly polls lies exclusively with the Election Commission of India. He also criticized political leaders for allegedly misleading the public.

“My task was to ensure that writ of the nation is established in Jammu and Kashmir and that has been established. That was (my) work and I have performed it,” he said.

“All top commanders of terrorist organisations have been eliminated. Those who are still alive will soon be eliminated. There is no place for terrorism here,” he said.

He said that there is good coordination between the army, CRPF and police. “Attempts are being made by our neighbour to foment trouble here and some incidents took place. There was martyrdoom of some jawans. We will avenge those killings”, he added.

On Kashmiri Pandits, he acknowledged the government’s efforts in providing jobs and homes for 3,000 people but expressed the need for additional measures for their resettlement.