Express News Service
SRINAGAR: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said on Monday after an all-party meeting that the parties did not accept the inclusion of non-locals in the voters’ list in J&K, as it would end J&K’s identity. The parties are exploring the possibility of moving the Supreme Court, he said.
Besides the Gupkar Alliance parties, including the NC, PDP, ANC, CPI and CPI-M, the meeting was attended by Congress and three former BJP allies – the Shiv Sena, JD-U and the Akali Dal. However, two Valley-based parties – the Peoples Conference of Sajad Lone and Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari – stayed away.
Farooq Abdullah and MehboobaMufti in Srinagar on Monday | ptiAbdullah said parties that attended the meeting stood united against the move to provide voting rights to outsiders. “The identity of J&K — Kashmiris, Dogras, Sikhs, Paharis, Gujjars, and others — would be under threat. The Assembly will be in the hands of outsiders with little participation of the locals. We fear the Assembly will not be ours,” he said.
J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had said last week that non-locals can now vote in the Assembly elections in the UT. About 25 lakh new voters were likely to be added to the voters’ list. “At present the number of non-locals who have been given voting rights is 25 lakh. Tomorrow, the number can go to 50 lakh or one crore. So the government’s move means J&K’s identity is facing a direct assault,” Abdullah said.
He said the parties condemn the killings of Pandits, labourers, Muslims, police and Army personnel. “The government cannot provide security to every non-local. We fear that they could be the target of attacks,” he said. The next such meeting, he said, is due in Jammu, where they would hold more consultations with those who could not attend Monday’s meet.
CPI-M’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said, “We will check the possibility of seeking justice from the Supreme Court. We have trust in SC though we are disappointed that our petitions challenging Article 370 abrogation have not been heard. We will knock that door as we are working in our voters’ defence.”
Shiv Sena leader Manish Sahini said the issue involved J&K people. “After the abrogation of Article 370, they introduced the domicile law. Now they are ending that also by giving voting rights to outsiders,” he said.
SRINAGAR: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said on Monday after an all-party meeting that the parties did not accept the inclusion of non-locals in the voters’ list in J&K, as it would end J&K’s identity. The parties are exploring the possibility of moving the Supreme Court, he said.
Besides the Gupkar Alliance parties, including the NC, PDP, ANC, CPI and CPI-M, the meeting was attended by Congress and three former BJP allies – the Shiv Sena, JD-U and the Akali Dal. However, two Valley-based parties – the Peoples Conference of Sajad Lone and Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari – stayed away.
Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba
Mufti in Srinagar on Monday | ptiAbdullah said parties that attended the meeting stood united against the move to provide voting rights to outsiders. “The identity of J&K — Kashmiris, Dogras, Sikhs, Paharis, Gujjars, and others — would be under threat. The Assembly will be in the hands of outsiders with little participation of the locals. We fear the Assembly will not be ours,” he said.
J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had said last week that non-locals can now vote in the Assembly elections in the UT. About 25 lakh new voters were likely to be added to the voters’ list. “At present the number of non-locals who have been given voting rights is 25 lakh. Tomorrow, the number can go to 50 lakh or one crore. So the government’s move means J&K’s identity is facing a direct assault,” Abdullah said.
He said the parties condemn the killings of Pandits, labourers, Muslims, police and Army personnel. “The government cannot provide security to every non-local. We fear that they could be the target of attacks,” he said. The next such meeting, he said, is due in Jammu, where they would hold more consultations with those who could not attend Monday’s meet.
CPI-M’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said, “We will check the possibility of seeking justice from the Supreme Court. We have trust in SC though we are disappointed that our petitions challenging Article 370 abrogation have not been heard. We will knock that door as we are working in our voters’ defence.”
Shiv Sena leader Manish Sahini said the issue involved J&K people. “After the abrogation of Article 370, they introduced the domicile law. Now they are ending that also by giving voting rights to outsiders,” he said.
