Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that those who are outsiders should not be allowed to cast their vote in the Union Territory.
“People outside shouldn’t cast their vote in the UT. Only local voters should be allowed. They can vote in their states in a sealed envelope, as per the system. The importance of voting in Jammu and Kashmir has been that only locals vote – be it Jammu or Kashmir,” said the chief of the newly announced Democratic Azad Party.
The Jammu administration on Tuesday issued an order authorising tehsildars (revenue officials) to issue certificates of residence to those residing in the winter capital for more than one year to facilitate their entry in the ongoing special summary revision of electoral rolls.
The purpose of the certificate of residence is to ensure that no eligible voter is left for registration in the ongoing special summary revision of electoral rolls. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday attacked the ruling government stating that the value of the vote of a Jammu and Kashmir voter will be finished.
She further said that this law is not applied anywhere in the country except in Jammu and Kashmir and the “BJP wants to eradicate the original citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and settle the outsiders.”
“With the help of delimitation, they strategically planned to divide the constituency in such a way that it favours the vote of BJP, but people of J-K discovered that BJP is using to gain their vote,” she added.
Speaking to media persons in Kulgam, the PDP chief said, “This means that the value of the vote of a J&K voter will be finished. This law is not applied anywhere in the country except Jammu and Kashmir.”
“I have been telling for 23 years that the desire of BJP to abrogate article 370 is illegitimate. They want to eradicate the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir,” the former Chief Minister said.
Mufti said that if people in the Union Territory come from outside and settle over there then the culture, society and employment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be lost.
“There is already high crime rate in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. BJP want to bring a clash among communities of UT. People of J-K need to understand that our destiny is unique,” she said.
She claimed that the people of Ladhak, Leh and Kargil sabotaged the strategy of divide and rule of BJP adding that similarly, people of J-K need to unite and sabotage the evil conspiracy of BJP.
“With the help of delimitation, they strategically planned to divide the constituency in such a way that it favours the vote of BJP, but people of J-K discovered that BJP is using to gain their vote,” she added.
Earlier, taking to Twitter, Mufti had said that the Centre’s “colonial settler project” has been initiated in the region. “BJPs attempts to create religious and regional divisions between Jammu and Kashmir must be thwarted because whether it’s a Kashmiri or a Dogra, safeguarding our identity and rights will be possible only if we put up a collective fight.
She further said, “The ECI’s latest order for the 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 and business.”
Notably, in August, Election Commission announced the schedule of the Special Summary Revision in Jammu and Kashmir, and announced that the people who were not voters in the Assembly after the abrogation of Article 370 from the region can now be named on the voter’s list.
According to an official, the person needs not to be a “permanent resident” of the Union Territory for the same. The final electoral roll after due disposal of all claims and objections filed within the stipulated time period would be published on November 25, 2022.
