Most political parties in Jammu & Kashmir, except for the BJP, on August 22, opposed the move to implement the Representation of the People Act, 1951, in J&K, and to allow outsiders to register as voters for Assembly elections in J&K.
“The fallout of granting voting rights to non-J&K residents will be that the next Assembly will be in the hands of outsiders. We do not accept this. We have differences but all parties present here have come together realising that tomorrow, we could be left out of our Assembly,” former Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, who convened an all-party meeting in Srinagar, said.
Dr. Abdullah said the leaders who had participated in the all-party meet had, “unanimously decided to oppose the recent announcement of the Election Commission of India about granting voting rights to non-J&K residents”.
“We can even approach the court to oppose the move,” Dr. Abdullah said.
The meeting was attended by top leaders of the parties affiliated to the Peoples Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration, headed by Dr. Abdullah, and also by political parties outside the amalgam, including the Congress, Akali Dal, Janata Dal (Union), and the Shiv Sena.
Dr. Abdullah said leaders of the national parties will be invited to J&K in September. “We will keep our issues before them,” he said.
“At present, the number of non-J&K residents who have been given voting rights is 25 lakh. Tomorrow, the number may go up to 50 lakh or one crore. J&K’s identity is facing a direct assault as Dogras, Kashmiris, Sikhs and other communities are losing their identity,” he said.
Dr. Farooq said he had even approached J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha and requested him “to convene an all-party meeting like the one held on the issue of Amarnath Yatra”.
However, he said, “There was no outcome.”
J&K Shiv Sena chief Manish Sahni said, “After the abrogation of Article 370 from J&K, there is a continuous conspiracy to erase the culture and identity of Dogras, Kashmiris, Paharis and Gujjar-Bakarwals under a well thought-out strategy.”
He said if non-local people got the right to vote, it would be very difficult to drive out “illegally settled Bangladeshis, Rohingyas, and people with criminal backgrounds”. “This would lead to an increase in anti-national and anti-social activities in this highly sensitive border territory,” Mr. Sahni said.
The Altaf Bukhari-headed J&K Apni Party and Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference did not attend the all-party meeting.
“We will wait and watch. If there is an attempt to change the demography of J&K, we will go on hunger strike. The law [Representation of the People Act, 1951] is not a threat to us but the intentions of the government are a threat to us,” Mr. Lone said, in a separate press conference in Srinagar.
Reacting to Mr. Lone’s statement, BJP leaders Seh Prabhari and Ashish Sood said, “The government is implementing the [Indian] Constitution in the Valley. In J&K, there is no demographic intervention. The government is just trying to give people their right to vote. These people are living in the State [Union Territory] and contributing to its development. The government is implementing the Constitution in the Valley. People like Mr. Lone should understand this.”
J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had recently said many people who were not enlisted as voters in the erstwhile State of J&K were now eligible to vote after the reading down of Article 370.
“In addition, anyone who is living [here] ordinarily can also avail the opportunity to get enlisted as a voter in J&K, in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act,” Mr. Kumar said.
