Raising the bogey of "'inclusion of non-locals as voters" in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah Monday said it would “end J-K’s identity".
Dr Abdullah, however, failed to forge a unity among the Kashmir-based regional political parties over this 'contentious' issue. The Sajad Lone- led People’s Conference and Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party decided to boycott the All Parties meeting convened at the Gupkar residence of Dr Abdullah.
Putting up a brave front after the meeting ended Dr Abdullah announced the decision was not acceptable to the political parties here in Kashmir.
Dr Abdullah warned, “The assembly will be in the hands of the outsiders and the people here will be denied it. We discussed the issue and have come to a decision that we do not accept it,” he said.
He said all parties, which participated in the meeting, were united against the move to provide voting right to outsiders. “We are not ready to accept it,” he said.
Responding to a question after the meeting Dr Abdullah told reporters, "We'll invite the leaders of all national parties to Jammu & Kashmir in September & keep our issues before them". We are against this new law (voting rights for non-locals in J&K), we oppose it. We are also thinking about going to court on this," he further stated.
The meeting convened was attended by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Congress’ J-K unit president Vikar Rasool, CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami and Shiv Sena leaders. In Jammu, senior BJP leaders brainstormed to chalk out a “counter-strategy” against the meeting called by the National Conference leader.
Addressing a separate press conference in Srinagar Sajjad Lone said we will sit on hunger strike in front of Parliament in Delhi if the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are compromised. Referring to the All parties meeting at the residence of Dr Abdullah Lone said “If this effort was serious, it would not be held under media gaze. Had it been serious, we would have met and you (media) would not even know about it. I don’t agree with the politics of Farooq Abdullah but I have immense respect for him".
He claimed that the gathering appeared to be a contest for points and that he would not want to participate in it. Attacking PDP Chief, Lone said, “Mehboobaji, desperate to retrieve her (lost) ground, issues diktat for calling all party meeting .... Maharaja Hari Singh’s era has long gone by,” he added.
The Union Territory administration had earlier issued a clarification on Saturday, saying the reports of a likely addition of over 25 lakh voters after the summary revision of electoral rolls is a “misrepresentation of facts by vested interests”.
In Jammu, J&K BJP Chief Ravinder Raina Monday slammed the NC, PDP and others for raking up the issue of “inclusion of non-local voters” in the revised electoral rolls in the Union Territory and alleged they were spreading propaganda to disturb the peace. Former CM Mufti 1989 contested elections in Muzaffar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh and later he took oath as Home Minister. Former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad won election from Maharashtra and nobody called him non-local.
When they need to contest elections they feel home in every part of Nation but when it comes to give rights to everyone they are unsafe, Raina asked.
Raina said, "West Pakistani Refugees (WPRs), Valmikis, Gorkhas were residing in J&K for decades but were denied their rights by these parties to vote in assembly, DDC, BDC etc. There were gross human rights violations with these people. Why these parties are opposing rights to these all?"
Raina added that the people of J&K are residing in Delhi, Maharashtra etc for many years, they have surrendered the vote in J&K and have got voting rights there. There was no propaganda there and no one called them outsiders in those places.
"The Congress party will have to answer to the people of the country, the law which Pandit Nehru brought in 1950, why is the Congress party opposing that law?" said Ravinder Raina. For 70 years, there was discrimination with Paharis, Gujjars-Bakkarwals, OBCs but these were never given their rights. These parties are the enemies of people enemies of peace and progress in the Nation, Raina said.