Restore statehood & democracy in J&K: Bhim Singh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 2: Demanding restoration of statehood for J&K, Prof Bhim Singh, founder of Panthers Party, has accused the Central Government of committing fraud with people of Jammu Kashmir in the name of DDC elections.
Addressing media persons, here today, Prof Bhim Singh strongly criticized the Govt of India headed by BJP for ordering election in the J&K without holding delimitation of the respective constituencies. He said that this act of the BJP Government at Centre & UT is totally discriminatory, unethical and unacceptable to the peace-loving and secular masses of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh.
He lamented that democracy and DDC elections in J&K have been apparently hijacked by the present Government at the Centre and their agents in J&K. “The Government has blindly ordered 14 DDC constituencies in every district of the Union Territories without following any norms of the delimitation,” he said adding that no consideration has been taken note of so far as population differential is concerned.
“Doda District having population of 4.10 lacs, Jammu District has 10 lacs, Kathua District has 6.158 lacs, Bandipora has 3.85 lacs, Kulgam District has 4.23 lacs. and all districts have been allotted 14 DDC seats each least caring for population and area of separate district. Same differential is in all other 20 districts,” he said.
“This is unconstitutional discrimination for distribution of DDC constituencies to install democracy at the grass-root level, it all looks bizarre and a joke with the helpless and innocent population of J&K at the hands of the BJP Government at the Centre,” he alleged.
Prof Bhim Singh demanded immediate restoration of statehood to J&K State which was founded by Dogra ruler Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1846 following great sacrifices of the Dogra dynasty.
He appealed to the electorates of J&K to vote NPP candidates contesting election to the District Development Council and strengthen democracy in the State which has been denied to the people of J&K.
The others, who were present in the press conference, included P K Ganju, Anita Thakur, Neeraj Diwan, Nirmal Kishore and others.