PAGD's Protest Against Delimitation Panel's Proposal Conspiracy Against J&K's People: BJP

?The Delimitation Commission, set up to redraw the assembly seats of the union territory, is learnt to have proposed six additional seats for the Jammu region and one for the Kashmir Valley in its 'Paper 1' discussed with its five associate members - three parliamentarians of the National Conference (NC) and two of the BJP from Jammu and Kashmir - in New Delhi on Monday.

?The people are watching the "drama" of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and the Congress, and will give a befitting reply to them during the assembly polls, which will be held after the completion of the delimitation exercise, the BJP leader said while addressing reporters here.

?The PAGD, an alliance formed by five Jammu and Kashmir-based mainstream political parties, including the NC and the PDP, on Tuesday termed the panel's recommendations as "divisive and unacceptable", and announced a peaceful protest in Srinagar on January 1 against its proposal.

Raina said that with honesty, the Delimitation Commission, with the support of the Election Commission, has put forth its recommendations after a lot of hard work to provide justice to deprived communities and regions. "But this has not gone down well with the National Conference, the PDP and the Congress, who have ruled the erstwhile state (of Jammu and Kashmir) for 70 years and deprived many sections of society of their rights," he alleged.

He said the PAGD's protest is a "conspiracy against the people" of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. "The Gupkarians and the Congress are the biggest enemies of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and during their rule, they failed to provide justice to scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, West Pakistani refugees, Valmiki Samaj, Gorkhas, nationalist Kashmiris and even Pahari-speaking people," the BJP leader said.

"When the BJP-led central government abrogated Article 370 and is providing justice and due rights to all these deprived communities, they are feeling discomfort and are conspiring under desperation and frustration after finding their political turf decreasing with each passing day," Raina said. Accusing PAGD and Congress leaders of conspiring to "poison and divide" society, he said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are watching their "drama" and they will not forgive them.

"When the assembly polls will be held after the completion of delimitation, they (PAGD constituents) will even lose their security deposits," he claimed, adding "despite ruling Jammu and Kashmir for so long, their presence has been restricted to mohalla (locality) level".

Asserting that the time of "injustice and exploitation" has ended in Jammu and Kashmir under the BJP rule, Raina said the party will continue to work for the upliftment for all sections of society, in accordance with the government's 'basic mantra' of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas'.

He claimed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are happy over the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission, and the functioning of the BJP-led government which provided them their rights. Raina questioned NC president Farooq Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, both former chief ministers, for not providing "justice to deprived communities" during their rule.

The BJP leader also welcomed the recommendation for reserving nine assembly seats for scheduled tribes and seven seats for scheduled castes, saying this is happening for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. He claimed that previous governments "deliberately" ignored the Jammu region in big developmental projects and even "discriminated" against north Kashmir. The BJP leader said the people belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC) would also get justice after the Delimitation Commission submits its report.?

-With PTI Inputs