Farooq Abdullah: Not ready to accept inclusion of non-locals in J-K voter list

Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the "inclusion of non-local voters" in the electoral rolls of Jammu and Kashmir was not acceptable to the parties here and that it would "end J-K's identity.

 Abdullah, who had called an "all-party" meeting to discuss the issue, said the decision would be contested by all means including by mounting a legal challenge to it.

 The meeting convened by Abdullah at his residence in the high security Gupkar area was attended by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Congress' J-K unit president Vikar Rasool, CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami and Shiv Sena leaders.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Abdullah said the government's move will “end J-K's identity”. “The assembly will be in the hands of the outsiders and the people here will be denied it. We discussed the issue and have come to a decision that we do not accept it,” he said.

 He said all parties, which participated in the meeting, were united against the move to provide voting right to outsiders.

"We are not ready to accept it,” he said. Abdullah had called the meeting to discuss the issue of "inclusion of non-local voters" in the electoral rolls in J&K.