Srinagar (Kashmir): The Jammu and Kashmir's Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Saturday called upon the people to raise their voice against what it described as an attempt to manipulate the voter lists in the name of revision.
The leaders of PAGD held a meeting at Dr Farooq Abdullah's residence in Srinagar and discussed various issues including that of the now withdrawn effort by the administration to enlist non locals as voters.
Addressing a press conference later, PAGD spokesperson and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami expressed displeasure at what he described as the "rapidly deteriorating situation in Jammu and Kashmir". He alleged that "the people are being strangled on all fronts by the Centre."
Tarigami said, "The alliance leaders discussed the current political scenario in Jammu and Kashmir. Expressed their deep concern over the deteriorating situation." Tarigami was accompanied by PAGD Chief Dr. Farooq Abdullah, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, ANC Vice President Muzaffar Shah and Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi and others.
Taking strong objection, Tarigami said, "After taking away the constitutional right of Article 370, other avenues of survival are slowly being suppressed. Civil liberties, freedom of press, freedom of expression are under attack while police stations and jails have been filled with innocent people." In a strong appeal to the people, Tarigami asserted: "time has come for the people and political parties of Jammu and Kashmir to wake up and raise a collective and united voice against New Delhi's current attack on the people here".
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"Parents are waiting outside every police station to see their children out," he said. He termed the continuous visits of Union ministers as "a move to push the people of Kashmir further towards the wall". "These ministers are coming to ensure that the pressure is tightened and whoever raises their voice will be put behind bars," he said.
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying that power and democracy in Jammu and Kashmir have been taken to grassroot level, Tarigami said "decentralization was prioritized in the Naya Kashmir document and democracy was already at a grassroots level". He further questioned that if Jammu and Kashmir was being converted into Gujarat model, why was sale of liquor, beer and drugs freely allowed.
Over the move of the government empowering Tehsildars to give voting rights to outsiders, Tarigami said that it is the prerogative of the Election Commission to give the right to vote, "How is the government issuing orders? The day after the order, the media is being told that the order has been withdrawn. Isn't this a mockery of democracy?" he questioned.
Tarigami was referring to recent order by District Development Commissioner, Jammu, asking all Tehsildars that the non-local citizens residing in the province for the last one year be included in the voting list immediately. Earlier, J and K Chief Election Officer Hirdesh Kumar had courted a controversy saying that registration of new voters is going on and it is expected that 20 to 25 lakh new voters will be registered in this exercise.
Meanwhile, PAGD chief Dr Farooq Abdullah questioned the government over the 50,000 jobs it had promised to the youth of J&K. "The situation is serious as the number of unemployed youth is increasing. I visited Marwa, Dachan in Jammu region and saw that there is no doctor in a sub-district hospital," Farooq said.
