All-party meeting led by Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah over the issue of inclusion of outside voters in J&K electoral rolls is underway at Srinagar.
Sources said that Dr. Farooq Abdullah is chairing the meeting which has just started at his Gupkar residence at srinagar. The senior political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir representing their respective parties are participating in this meeting, they said.
Earlier this week, the J&K Election Commission said that even outsiders residing in J&K can get their names registered on electoral rolls.
This has triggered a strong resentment from the political parties within J&K that are accusing the Centre of changing the demography of the region by bringing outsiders into the Union Territory.
On last Thursday, Dr Farooq Abdullah had invited leaders of all political parties for a meeting to discuss the recent announcement by the J&K govt regarding the inclusion of non-locals in the voter lists.
said that leaders from all the parties except Peoples Conference and Apni Party have reached to the residence of Dr Farooq, where the meeting was scheduled.
Notably, for the first time, Shiv Sena has also joined hands with the Kashmir based parties and attended the meeting to discuss the issue
Earlier, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone in a presser said that they will not attend the all party meeting called by NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah
On expected lines, Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party stayed away from an all-party meeting underway in Srinagar to discuss the issue of inclusion of non-locals in electoral rolls of Jammu & Kashmir.
Meanwhile, People’s Conference President Sajad Gani Lone on Monday said that his party will sit on hunger strike in front of the Parliament if there is demographic intervention in J&K.
He also said that we will not attend all-party meeting today over the issue of inclusion of outside voters in Jammu and Kashmir electoral rolls.
“I’ll not will not attend the all party meeting as no specific outcome has ever come out of it which is being pretended in the media,” he said in response to a question whether he will attend all party meeting which has been called by the National Conference president Farooq Abdullah at his Gupkar residence on Monday.
He also said that “We have been abusing each other every single day. How much and how come we pretend that everything is alright. Believe me outcome of the government move with regard to the voters will not change whether we attend the all party meeting or not. If Farooq abdullah needs us, we are just a phone call away but we do not agree that Mehbooba Mufti will give any order that a party meeting should be called as the time of Mahraja Hari singh has passed.”
Lone added that he does not want to be a point scorer. “If something concrete comes out, then we will also support them. If they feel any unfavourable outcome on October 01, then they should also support us.”
He also said that “if anything have to be done, then it should be away from media gaze.”
