‎Srinagar, Sep 23 (KNS) : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday called for corrective action by the Election Commission and the Union Government following a report on differences within the poll panel, saying that any loss of public trust in elections would raise questions about people’s participation in the democratic process.
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‎Speaking at the SKICC, Omar referred to an Indian Express investigation and said the report had raised questions about the functioning of the Election Commission. He also recalled the concerns raised in Jammu and Kashmir over the delimitation exercise.
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‎“Before SIR became an issue for the rest of the country, for us, delimitation was an issue,” Omar said, alleging that the process was opaque and flawed and had been designed to benefit one political party and its supporters.
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‎Referring to the reported differences within the Election Commission, Omar said these developments required the authorities to examine the functioning of the poll panel and take corrective measures.
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‎“Otherwise, if people's trust in elections is lost, then what is left in a democracy? The foundation of a democracy is elections,” he said.
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‎Omar said the Election Commission and the Government of India should consider the issue, particularly if eligible voters were prevented from exercising their franchise.
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‎He also referred to instances in which people whose names had been removed from voter lists were allegedly denied passports, questioning the basis for such action.
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‎“If you are stopping someone from voting, where it is their right to vote and they want to vote, and unfortunately, some people who were removed from the voter list were used as an excuse not to give them passports, so what if it is not an attack on the Constitution?” he said.
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‎Omar also responded to questions about the functioning of the J&K Assembly, saying legislative business had continued despite disruptions.
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‎“It is not that we did not do anything in the Assembly. Questions were raised and answers were given,” he said.
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‎He said BJP members had also raised questions in the House and participated in discussions on legislation.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
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‎“Even the BJP people asked questions. We also answered them. A Bill was issued. There was a discussion on the Bill and two members of the BJP took part in the discussion,” he said.
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‎Referring to the resolution moved by Education Minister Sakina Itoo on teacher training and the Teacher Eligibility Test, Omar said the discussion would continue and more resolutions would come before the House.
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‎“Some more resolutions will come before the House. It will continue,” he said.
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‎He also told reporters that Assembly proceedings provided news for the media, saying cameras became active when there was noise in the House.
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‎Asked about the removal of thousands of books and the issue of banning books, Omar said the matter raised questions about the scope of book restrictions in a democracy.
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‎“I have my own views on whether books should be banned or not,” he said, adding that the elected government in J&K did not currently have the authority to decide such matters.
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‎“Therefore, we just have to wait for that situation to change and then we will take a fresh look at what is happening,” he said.
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‎Omar also criticised the BJP over its position on the freedom movement, questioning what lesson could be drawn from those who, according to him, did not participate in the struggle for independence.
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‎He referred to the role of the RSS and the BJP’s predecessor organisation during the freedom struggle and said their record was known.
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‎Omar also referred to Sheikh Abdullah and the National Conference, saying the role of “Sher Kashmir” and the sacrifices made by National Conference members during that period could not be forgotten.
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‎He accused the BJP of presenting history differently when it disagreed with an account of the past.
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‎“When they don't like anything, they try to present history in a new way. They tried this too,” Omar said.(KNS)
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