Rajouri/Jammu, Jan 25: An independent MLA allied with the National Conference-led government in Jammu and Kashmir has attributed the mysterious deaths of 17 individuals, including 13 children, in a remote village in the Rajouri district to the existing dual power system.
Former judge Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, who secured a seat in the Assembly elections from the Thanamandi constituency as an independent after his party, the National Conference (NC), denied him a ticket following a coalition agreement with the Congress, called for the prompt restoration of statehood to eliminate the ‘dual power’ structure in the Union Territory.
Khan, accompanied by NC leader and MLA Budhal Javaid Iqbal Choudhary and Congress MLA from Rajouri Iftikhar Ahmad, expressed their intention to resign as a protest against the “mishandling of the situation” in Badhaal village, where 17 members from three families succumbed to a mysterious illness between December 7 and January 19.
“This press conference was convened to voice our dissatisfaction with the dual governance system operating in Jammu and Kashmir, which must be addressed. It not only affects public health but also impacts the mental well-being of the citizens who turned out in large numbers to vote for their representatives and are now left disappointed,” Khan shared with PTI in Rajouri.
He emphasized that maintaining a dual governance system in Jammu and Kashmir is not in the national interest, advocating that the Omar Abdullah government should be granted full authority to prevent persistent issues.
“We aim to convey a message to the Union government, which has pledged the restoration of statehood for J-K both in parliament and beyond. The prime minister has publicly assured that statehood will be reinstated,” he remarked.
Alleging that certain officials mishandled the patient treatment situation, Khan mentioned his discussions with the Budhal MLA but noted, “Assigning accountability is difficult as there is no single governing authority.
“Some officers are under one authority while others report to different bodies. This fragmentation causes significant distress to the public,” he added.
He expressed concerns over the fear and anxiety gripping the community due to the unexplained deaths, hoping for a swift resolution of the mystery.
Choudhary highlighted the pressing need to rectify systemic flaws to provide relief to the populace.
“The GMC Rajouri is operating with a staff shortage of 62 per cent, which includes doctors and paramedics. There is no MRI facility available, although it serves a population exceeding 1.4 million,” the MLA stated.
He contended that the inability to arrange an air ambulance in a timely manner for patients due to the dual governance structure was a factor contributing to the high death toll.
“I sought assistance from all quarters to secure proper treatment for patients, but this bureaucratic environment proved to be the greatest obstacle as our pleas went unanswered,” he claimed, describing the current state in J&K as one of “anarchy” and emphasizing the urgent need for centralized power restoration.
Meanwhile, GMC Rajouri Principal Amarjeet Singh Bhatia reported that there are 11 patients currently in the hospital, with nine under observation and two in ICU wards.
“All nine patients are showing improvement and responding well to treatment; the two in ICU are also hemodynamically stable. The most recent admission was an 11-year-old girl, and we have not received any new patients in the last 48 hours,” he confirmed. (Agencies)
