Srinagar October (KNS):  The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader and MP Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi on Wednesday said DC Jammu’s order reinforces the party’s apprehensions of disempowerment of local people of J&K.

In a statement to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Masoodi, who is also the convener of 14 member Committee constituted by the political parties that attended the meeting at Jammu in September to discuss the inclusion of non-local voters, has in a statement labelled the order of DC Jammu dated 11.10. 2022 authorising Revenue Officers to issue, even in absence of documents, certificates declaring the recipients as “Ordinarily residing” in a constituency and facilitate their enrolment as voters as a steps towards addition of 25 lakh non local voters and disempowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Masoodi stated that not only is the Order beyond scope of Representation of People’s but the repeal of J&K Representation of People’s Act 1957 and application Representation of People’s Act 1950 is under a cloud as The Reorganisation Act 2019 where under the steps have been taken,  is under challenge before the top Constitutional Court of the Country. 

The Order is open-ended and designed to pave the way for inclusion of non-locals not “Ordinarily residing"  in a Constituency in the voter list. Masoodi has said that the Committee will shortly meet and discuss the matter and decide on response and strategy to meet the challenge.

Meanwhile Party's Provincial President Jammu Rattan Lal Gupta has also denounced the order, saying the order undermines the exclusive democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.(KNS)