Sajad Lone on voting rights for non-locals: 'Will sit on hunger strike if rights of people of J&K are compromised'

New Delhi:  Ahead of the “all-party meeting” called by the National Conference today to discuss the issue of “inclusion of non-local voters” in the revised electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir, JKPC leader Sajad Lone on Monday said that they will sit on hunger strike in front of the Parliament If they feel there is a demographic intervention or the rights of the people of J&K are compromised. “It’s not the law that’s a threat to us, we’re scared of those implementing the law. If we feel there is demographic intervention or the rights of the people of J&K are compromised, then we will sit on hunger strike in front of Parliament in Delhi,” said Lone, chairman of the  Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference.

It's not the law that's a threat to us, we're scared of those implementing the law. If we feel there is demographic intervention or the rights of the people of J&K are compromised, then we will sit on hunger strike in front of Parliament in Delhi: Sajad Lone, JKPC pic.twitter.com/ny18m2TXpB

— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2022

NC president Farooq Abdullah had called the meeting to discuss the issue of the “inclusion of non-local voters” in the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir after remarks related to the addition of voters in the revised rolls by the UT’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar raised hackles of the regional parties. The government on Saturday issued a clarification, saying the reports of a likely addition of over 25 lakh voters after the summary revision of electoral rolls is a “misrepresentation of facts by vested interests”. The Kashmiri migrants “will continue to be given the option of voting at their place of enrolment or through postal ballot or through specially set up polling stations at Jammu, Udhampur, Delhi, etc,” it said. “This revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the increase in numbers will be of voters who have attained the age of 18 years as of October 1, 2022, or earlier,” it said. Mainstream political parties have alleged that the “inclusion of non-locals was a clear-cut ploy to disenfranchise the people of Jammu and Kashmir”. However, even after the clarification, the political parties will go ahead with the all-party meeting convened by the NC president at his residence. Lone said that JKPC neither accepts the clarification given by the government in totality nor does it reject it. “We as a party neither accept the clarification given by the government in totality nor do we reject it. We know the current administration here or in Delhi doesn’t hold political parties in J&K in high esteem,” said Lone.

Srinagar | We as a party neither accept the clarification given by the government in totality nor do we reject it. We know the current administration here or in Delhi doesn't hold political parties in J&K in high esteem: Sajad Lone, JKPC on voting rights for non-locals in J&K pic.twitter.com/wNT5cTXf0S

— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2022

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