A member of Parliament and seniormost member of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said that the Delimitation Commission has been tailored so as to increase the number of Assembly seats in a manner to benefit BJP and to help the party sail through the elections in J&K.
Abdullah, who was talking to media persons in Srinagar after the meeting of PAGD, said that the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission were “biased and whatever they have proposed has increased alienation among people across J&K”.
“I see a larger plan in whatever Delimitation panel has done. The Commission has worked in favour of BJP as I foresee that the plan is to get a resolution passed in favour of Article 370 in the J&K assembly and then BJP will itself take the case to the court and claim victory,” he said.
“As far as National Conference is concerned, we will fight elections in any case,” he said.
Replying to query whether PAGD would fight the polls jointly, Abdullah said, “It was too premature to comment on this issue. Let the elections come, many people will join us to fight polls.”
Briefing newsmen about deliberations in the PAGD meeting, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who is its spokesman, said that the Delimitation Commission’s proposals on redrawing constituencies were “unconstitutional”. He said that the PAGD’s stand on the issue was that everything is done under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 was illegal.
“We believe that the 5th August 2019 decision of abrogating Article 370 was unconstitutional.”
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and leaders of other constituents of PAGD participated in the meeting.
Tarigami said the delimitation is being done under the Act, which itself is “unconstitutional” and has been challenged in the court.
He said Delimitation is taking place without Ladakh and seven seats have been increased in J&K, one in Kashmir and six in Jammu. “Basic criteria for delimitation is population based on census, topography and accessibility but all these were thrown to the wind.”
The PAGD released a White Paper saying that the BJP’s claims post revocation of Article 370 on development, peace, jobs and investments, are nothing but a “bunch of lies”. The PAGD challenged BJP to counter the Alliance on facts.
Tarigami said that the “PAGD appeals to the people of India to listen to their conscience and understand the pain of the people of J&K”.
The White Paper alleged that BJP’s claim of ‘Naya Kashmir’ is based on “falsehood and deceit” and BJP is doing things at its will by destroying the “historic India.”
“It is not a New Kashmir, the foundation of which was laid by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. The foundation set by Sheikh ended autocratic rule and rights were given to the real owners of land and also to the farmers,” Tarigami said. “J&K was the only state and first state where education was taken up to the university level and made free for all.” He, however, said under BJP’s new Kashmir narrative entails UAPA, PSA and arrests besides gaging every single voice that objects to its policies.
“Article 370 was a bridge between India and the people of J&K under the constitution of India. Rolling back special status also hit the relation made at the point when J&K people acceded with India. Revocation of Article 370 was an assault on the constitution of India and J&K’s identity.