Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 13: Pandit Moti Kaul, senior leader of BJP, today raised various issues regarding the election process started recently for coming Assembly elections in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference, here at Jammu, he expressed displeasure on the arduous and complicated procedures set for displaced Kashmiri Pandits. ‘They have been facing enormous difficulties in exercising their democratic right of franchising votes’, said Kaul. He appealed Chief Election Commissioner of India that filling up the ‘M’ Forms has become the most cumbersome and stumbling block in taking part in the election process and as such this process should be stopped in the coming elections. “Instead of ‘M’ Forms the ration cards should be used as the displaced Kashmiri Pandits who are registered in the office of Commissioner, Relief and Rehabilitation and the voter lists should be prepared by the Relief Commissioner office. The past experience has shown that filling up ‘M’ Forms has dejected the displaced lot and they feel alienated in this biggest democratic country,” he explained. Kaul also apprehended that the deletion of the names of Kashmiri Pandits from the voter lists, without assigning any reason, is a well knit design to deny Kashmiri Pandits from taking part in electing the representatives of their choice. “Despite filling up of forms repeatedly in the past by the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, neither they have been given photo identity cards, nor their forms have been updated,” he said and appealed Election Commission of India to facilitate these cards well before the electioneering dates. Kaul also demanded that the last date of enrolment for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community should be well extended with the advertisements given in leading newspapers and in the community newspapers and magazines. He also asked Election Commission to appoint efficient BLOs and ABLOs in good numbers. Kaul was flanked by Vir Saraf who was recently appointed Poornakalik for Kashmir, Triloki Nath Bhat, Pushkar Nath Pandita and Ashok Bhat.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 06:00:08 +0000