NEW DELHI: The union ministry of house affairs on Monday defended the ability granted to the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir to appoint 5 contributors to the legislative meeting.The ministry submitted a sworn statement to the Jammu and Kashmir top court docket in accordance with plea of Congress chief Ravinder Sharma difficult the constitutional validity of sections 15, 15-A and 15-B of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, which authorises the governor to make the nominations with out the help and recommendation of the council of ministers.Ravinder Sharma, former legislative council member and leader spokesperson of the J&Okay Congress, mentioned in his petition that those sections may just probably flip a minority govt right into a majority, or the opposite direction round.In its affidavit, the ministry referred to as the plea politically motivated and defended the supply as essential for the inclusivity and good enough illustration of all communities within the meeting. “The enactment of the sections used to be necessitated to verify good enough illustration and inclusivity within the legislative meeting of the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir,” the centre mentioned.Beneath those provisions, the LG may just nominate 3 meeting contributors — two from the Kashmiri migrant group, together with a minimum of one girl, and one from amongst the ones displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.The affidavit mentioned that girls weren’t adequately represented within the meeting, and the supply would lend a hand elevate the voices of such traditionally underrepresented communities. The MHA additional mentioned two contributors from the Kashmiri migrant group have been wanted as a number of portions of the area have confronted unrest for decade. It added that there’s these days no meeting consultant for the ones displaced from Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, making this provision very important.The affidavit added that as a union territory, J&Okay used to be ruled via the parliament of India. “J&Okay does no longer retain any particular standing and all rules made via the parliament of India might be appropriate to the UT of Jammu & Kashmir,” it learn. In step with the affidavit, the supply follows the statutory authority to the LGs of the union territories of Delhi and Puducherry.PDP president and previous leader minister Mehbooba Mufti sharply criticised the MHA’s statement, calling it a “blatant subversion of democratic ideas.” She instructed the Omar Abdullah govt to oppose this “undemocratic precedent,” caution that “silence now could be complicity later.”