J&K Governor changing residency rules, now

The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir is again inaccessible, and it is not even Eid.

Trying to reach him on Sunday was former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who wanted to voice concern over the proposed changes in the procedure for issuing permanent resident certificates (PRC) in the state. Finally, Abdullah posted a letter addressed to the state Governor on his Twitter handle. The Permanent Residency Status is linked to the Constitution's Article 35A -which grants the state its special status and has been challenged in the Supreme Court. It classifies people who are eligible as permanent residents in Jammu and Kashmir and enjoy special rights and privileges.

The matter has brought together the political leaders in the Valley, who claim it is possible that under the garb of simplification, the rules can be diluted. This might help outsiders get residency status in the state, which will change its demography. They contend that the Governor, who is currently in the capacity of a caretaker, cannot make any change without consulting the stakeholders.

The two mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir - Omar Abdullah's Natioinal Conference and Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party - have vehemently objected to Governor Satyapal Malik's move. Sajad Lone, who wanted to form government in the state last week with BJP support, also found himself on the same page as Mehbooba Mufti.

"I'm trying to fax a letter to @j and k governor but the fax machine still isn't working. The operator who answered the phone says the fax operator is on holiday as it is a Sunday. Will attempt again tomorrow, in the meantime am forced to put the letter out through social media," he said in another post.

In his letter, which he posted on Twitter, Abdullah said, "The State administrative council (SAC) is unilaterally bringing changes in the working of institutions and procedures, a practice that is against the principles and spirit of democracy and participative governance."

Abdullah said it was a "brazen act to further create mistrust among people" and can have serious effects on peace and harmony in the state. The move, he said, comes when the state does not have an elected government. "This makes the move of your administration open to question as we believe the role of the government is more in the nature of a caretaker government," he added.