Nothing wrong in granting voting rights to outsiders
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 21: Turning tables on People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and accusing it of misleading the people of Kashmir, BJP senior leader and Party co -incharge (Seh Prabhari) Jammu and Kashmir, Ashish Sood alleged that People’s Democratic Party has in past won the elections by taking the advantage of poll boycott calls given by Jamat-e-Islamia.
Reacting to the statements of the leaders of Kashmir-centric parties on the grant of voting rights to outsiders in J&K, at New Delhi today, Sood said that PDP had won the past elections by a margin of some hundred votes on the boycott call given by separatist and pro-Pak Jamat-e-Islamia which Jamat has been doing at the behest of PDP chief, Mehbooba Mufti.
Sood said the Kashmir centric parties taking the undue advantage of Special status granted to J&K under controversial Article 370 “looted the resources” of the erstwhile State for over 70 years by exploiting the common masses of the J&K.
He said the leaders of both National Conference and PDP are in great desperation since the annulling of Article 370 on August 5 in 2019 as their high-handedness and monopoly in looting the resources of J&K have ended. He said Mehbooba Mufti has no problem with any issue but her problem is with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, his pro- poor and pro -nationalist policies, his growing popularity and his commitment of taking democracy to grassroot level by holding three- tier elections to democratic institutions in J&K and empowering the common masses which earlier was a distant dream for the people of J&K.
Ridiculing the outbursts of PDP and NC leaders over grant of voting rights to outside workers, employees serving in J&K and army men deployed there, Sood asked what is wrong in it? This formula is in practice in rest of the country and it has now been applied in J&K with the annulling of the Article 370. But the Kashmiri centric parties are in desperation as the public has lost faith in them and their base is getting eroded day by day as people have now totally rejected them. These parties are now desperate to save their eroding base, he added.
Sood, while challenging both NC and PDP leadership said in 2020-21 DDC elections they failed to field candidates for all 280 seats. Neither NC nor PDP fielded their candidates for all 280 constituencies and it was only BJP which fielded the candidates for all the constituencies and emerged victories with thumping majority, he added.
He said the BJP emerged as the single largest party in these elections with its vote share highest than all while these parties were rejected by the masses.
He said what is harm in giving voting rights to outsiders who are residing in J&K for over five years. He said an Army personnel guarding our borders and fighting with enemy deserves the right to cast his vote where he is serving for over five years. Take the example of UT of Delhi where a students from other States preparing for Civil Services like IAS and IPS or a Government employee serving there for five years can get there voting rights.
In response to a question that NC president and former Chief Minister of J&K Dr Farooq Abdullah had called All Party Meet on grant of voting rights to outsiders, he said what is new in that, Dr Abdullah always calls All Party Meet since he constituted Gupkar Alliance. So there is nothing new in it. Even some media channels called it Gupkar Gang also, he added.
In response to a question that when the Assembly elections are to be held in J&K, Sood said that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has already made an announcement in this regard that Assembly poll will be held in J&K soon. The BJP as a political party is 24x7x365 in election mood. “We are always ready and party is making preparations on its level for the same”, he added.
“We emerged as a largest political party in DDC elections in J&K by getting highest vote share and we are consolidating the same by launching door to door campaign in the UT, meeting people listening their problems and issues”.
Sood said the BJP launched ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan’ all over the UT and party cadres visited right from Poonch -Rajouri to last village in Kathua bordering Punjab to take the party’s and PM Narendra Modi’s message to every nook and corner. BJP is ready every time for the elections. The Government has also started the process by revision of electoral rolls and delimitation of constituencies has been made. So the party and Government is for doing its work, now it is for the Constitutional bodies to do their part of work, he added.
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