As the frozen politics of Jammu and Kashmir is thawing slowly but steadily, the BJP has decided to intensify its activities to counter the opposition's "propaganda" against the inclusion of non-local voters in the Union Territory (UT).
The decision was taken during the BJP core group meeting in Jammu, which was attended by the party’s J&K chief Ravindra Raina and other senior leaders. "While discussing the prevailing political situation, the leaders stressed intensifying activities in both Kashmir and Jammu regions to counter the opposition parties’ malicious and misinformation propaganda against non-local voters with full force,” a senior party leader told DH.
The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and other opposition parties including Congress have expressed concerned that the inclusion of 2.5 million new voters in the Muslim-majority region will permanently disenfranchise Kashmiris.
The PAGD — an alliance of National, PDP, CPI, CPM and Awami National Conference — was formed in October 2020 by Kashmir-centric leaders with the pledge of perseverance and steadfastness towards restoration of the special status of J&K revoked by the Centre in August 2019.
The BJP lambasted its leadership for opposing the grant of voting rights to non-locals and made it clear that in the entire country, only one voting right pattern will persist in accordance with the People’s Representation Act of 1951.
The BJP’s J&K chief Raina accused the PAGD of misleading people of J&K on this account. “The People’s Representation Act of 1951 which was not earlier implemented in the J&K will be now enforced in letter and spirit and no power on earth can stop its implementation in the UT,” he asserted.
Raina while criticising the statement of Farooq Abdullah asked why the law passed in the Parliament of which the NC patriarch is a member, can’t be implemented in J&K. “There should be one rule in the entire country,” he added.
Raina asked party men to strongly and forcefully defend the voting rights for non locals. “Why Valmiki Samaj and Gorkhas have been deprived of this right for seven decades now. These communities are entitled to vote in J&K and BJP solidly stands behind them,” he said.