Major parties in J-K slam order by Jammu admn on registration of new voters
The National Conference, PDP, Congress and other prominent political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday flayed the Jammu administrations order on facilitating the registration of new voters who are from outside the union territory, while the BJP defended it saying it is in line with the laws.
They were reacting after the Jammu administration authorised tehsildars (revenue officials) to issue a certificate of residence to those residing in the winter capital for more than a year to enable their registration as voters.
While Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the Centres “colonial settler project” has been initiated in the region, the National Conference urged people of J-K to defeat these conspiracies at the ballot box.
Former Congress leader and Democratic Azad Party chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad said the order would increase social tensions in J-K, while the Peoples Conference termed the Jammus DC order “highly suspicious”.
“The ECIs latest order for registration of new voters makes it clear that GOIs colonial settler project has been initiated in Jammu. They will bear the first blow to Dogra culture, identity, employment & business,” Mufti tweeted.
Talking to reporters in Kulgam district in south Kashmir, Mufti said her party has been saying that the BJP has an illegitimate intent behind the abrogation of Article 370.
“Their aim is to change the population ratio in J-K. It will start in Jammu when a sea of people will come from outside, which will not only harm the Dogra culture there but the business, employment and resources there will be attacked. The crime rate there has increased manifold since they opened the doors for the outsiders,” she alleged.
The National Conference (NC) claimed the BJP is “scared” of the elections and knows it will lose badly.
“The Government is going ahead with its plan to add 25 lakh non-local voters in J&K and we continue to oppose this move. BJP is scared of the elections & knows it will lose badly. People of J&K must defeat these conspiracies at the ballot box,” the NC said in a tweet.
NC state spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the fresh order was an extension of what the then Chief Electoral Officer Hridesh Kumar had said at his press conference in Jammu.
The party had opposed it then and continues to oppose it now, he said. ” “The only antidote that will defeat all these controversies is that the people of Jammu and Kashmir that includes Dogra Muslims, Kashmiris, Gujjars, Paharis and other sections, they need to register themselves as voters and when the election comes, they should come out and vote in large numbers. That is the only way we can defeat their nefarious designs,” Dar told
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