National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today said the idea of issuing ‘domicile certificates’ to the West Pakistan refugees was unacceptable and that the party won’t be a mute spectator to such extra-constitutional misadventures that aim at circumventing the state’s special constitutional status and character.
Speaking to reporters after an event here, Farooq said there was a clear effort to exploit the West Pakistan refugee issue to further a traditional agenda of weakening the state’s special status and eroding the state subject law.
“These belated sympathisers of the West Pakistan refugees have never done anything to help them in the pursuit of their day-to-day challenges and are exploiting the issue only to serve their own political interests. While we have always empathised with the refugees and will continue to do so, there is no denying the fact that they are not and cannot become the state subjects of Jammu and Kashmir. Any efforts by the state government to the contrary will be unconstitutional and illegal,” Farooq said.
“The government’s excuse that certain certificates and documents are being issued to the WPRs as proof of identification is an absurd justification. The WPRs have already been given Aadhaar cards and before that other proofs of identity that enable them to apply for the Central government and other jobs. Why the present government suddenly found the need to issue another form of an identity proof is incomprehensible,” he said.
The NC president also expressed serious concern over repeated statements by senior BJP functionaries on the sensitive issue calling it a “first step” towards granting full citizenship rights to the WPRs.
“These statements by senior BJP functionaries have exposed the intentions of the state government. Contrary to the explanations being provided by the PDP on the move, BJP leaders continue to maintain that this is a first step in the direction of granting the WPRs full state subject rights. This then becomes a serious problem and is a challenge for the state that will have to be confronted with responsibility and sincerity. The National Conference will do everything necessary to ensure such machinations to erode the state’s special status are defeated,” he said.
Farooq Abdullah opposes Domicile Certificate for West Pak refugees
