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| EC move will make non-locals vulnerable: Farooq | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 22: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the likely inclusion of non-locals as voters in Jammu and Kashmir was unacceptable and this will only make them vulnerable to militant attacks.
He said this after an all-party meeting called by him to discuss the proposed voting rights for non-locals in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We discussed all options during the meeting. If needed we can approach the court as well to oppose the Election Commission's move of giving voting rights to non-locals,” he told reporters.
Abdullah said his fear was that the move by the Election Commission will make non-locals and others more vulnerable to militant attacks.
He said there were differences among political parties who attended the meeting but all have come together realising that tomorrow they could be left out of the Assembly.
“We fear that the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will become an Assembly of outsiders and not remain of the locals any more. That is why we are not going to give up the fight. We are doing this for our people. We have to unite even with our differences,” Abdullah said.
He said five days ago he had urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to call a meeting of all parties on the issue. "But there has been no response."
The veteran politician said in September they will invite the leaders of national parties in Srinagar or Jammu and put forth the issues before them. The parties who participated in the meeting included the NC, Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Awami National Conference, Shiv Sena, CPI(M), JD-U and Akali Dal. Peoples Conference and Apni Party stayed away from the meeting.
On August 17, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Hirdesh Kumar announced that those living ordinarily in the Union Territory can register themselves as voters. The has been an uproar over the statement and Kashmir-based parties have alleged the decision was a ploy by the BJP to disempower the natives and grab power.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on August 20 clarified that reports of a likely addition of over 25 lakh voters after the summary revision of electoral roll. |
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