Inclusion of non-local voters: Police stop PDP leaders from staging protest in Srinagar

Police on Friday stopped Peoples Democratic Party leaders from holding a protest against the inclusion of non-local voters in the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir

Police on Friday stopped Peoples Democratic Party leaders from holding a protest against the inclusion of non-local voters in the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir.

PDP president and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti termed the likely addition of 25 lakh new voters in Jammu and Kashmir including non-locals as the last nail in the coffin of electoral democracy in the union territory. (HT)

PDP leaders led by party chief spokesman, Suhail Bukhari, tried to take out a protest demonstration from the party office on Residency road. However, police didn’t allow them to move towards Lal Chowk and they were pushed back inside the office.

“From August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated, the government of India started the process to disempower people of J&K and now they are adding a new chapter to it by giving voting rights to every non local. Even outsiders living temporarily in J&K are being given voting rights which is an attack on the identity and democratic rights of people of J&K,” said Bukhari.

Another PDP leader Zuhaib Mir, said, “BJP has figured out that people of differing ideologies in Jammu and Kashmir are becoming cohesive and uniting together against the abrogation of Article 370. That’s why they are rigging the whole process by adding 25 lakh voters and creating new political parties.”

PDP president and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti termed the likely addition of 25 lakh new voters in Jammu and Kashmir including non-locals as the last nail in the coffin of electoral democracy in the union territory

Peoples Conference, Apni Party urge Centre to issue statement

Peoples Conference and Apni Party leaders have urged Centre to make a statement on whether non locals can vote in the upcoming polls in J&K.

Peoples Conference president Sajjad Lone and Apni party president Altaf Bukhari were both senior ministers in the PDP-BJP coalition government that ended in 2018 after BJP withdrew its support.

Lone said the government needs to make a statement and come out with unvarnished truth. “The statement of ECI officials has heightened the fears of demographic intervention and change. We know of the set of laws that prevail across the country, but what matters here is not the application of the law but the intentions of those implementing it,” Lone said.

Bukhari also made similar appeal to the PM, requesting him to end the confusion brewing among the people of J&K. “When it came to our notice that non locals could vote here or get themselves enrolled as voters, people began thinking whether this is a ploy to change our demography. How can a person can vote at two places?”

Bukhari said the party leadership is again meeting on Sunday to chalk out its future plan on this issue.

Meanwhile, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has called for an all-party meeting in Srinagar to discuss this issue on Monday. Leaders of all parties, except BJP, have been invited for the meeting that will be held at Gupkar residence of Farooq Abdullah.