In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah, has said his party is preparing to approach the Su-preme Court against the Delimitation Commission’s recommendations as it believes that the very basis of the exercise is “illegal”.
The veteran politician, also said the time has come for the opposition parties in India to come together and fight the forces who are bent on de-stroying the secular fabric of the country.
Giving a detailed account of his interactions during the Delimitation Commission meeting earlier this week, Abdullah told media that the very first point raised “by us at the meeting was that the commission was illegal” as the party’s petition chal-lenging the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir was pending in the Supreme Court.
However, commission chairperson Justice (retd.) Ranjana Desai countered the National Con-ference’s argument by saying that as far as the panel was concerned she had been given authority by the government and, therefore, she had done this job.
“But whatever the Supreme Court finally says, it will be binding on them (Commission) also. So that clears the position. Then they explained other pa-rameters also…. We are now preparing to go to the Supreme Court,” he said.
On the Supreme Court not interfering in rec-ommendations made by previous Delimitation Commissions, Abdullah said the present commis-sion was born after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, which has been challenged in the top court and no decision has been pro-nounced on it yet.
“That is why…we are going to the Supreme Court. Others have also gone,” he said. On Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh claiming after the Delimitation Commission meeting of December 20 that he and other NC members were satisfied, Abdullah said, “What did he (Singh) expect us to do. Fight? We are not goondas. We have no voting rights, we can only listen and put our objections which they have allowed us to do. And they have given us time till December 31. Our report will be there before that with our objections.—INP
