Srinagar  August (KNS) : The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference  Additional General Secretary Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal on Friday said that the recent announcement by J&K’s Chief Election Officer on giving voting rights to non-locals has made mockery of participatory democracy in J&K.

Reacting sharply to the announcement that non-locals will be allowed to vote in J&K, Kamal said, “It is against the very basis of local self-government. What is the fun of having a federal legislative Assembly, if unrelated people are able to influence the government. The move should not be seen in isolation, rather a part of the well-orchestrated plan to disenfranchise the people of J&K. It started with gerrymandering of legislative Assembly seats, which were carved out according to the wish list of the ruling party,” he said in a statement to KNS.

He further said that the all party meeting convened by Dr Farooq Abdullah is a step in the right direction. “I hope all the political parties will positively respond to the call and attend the meeting to discuss the implications of the move and devise a common united strategy,” he said.(KNS)