'Isolated' PDP boycotts Delimitation Commission; shoots off letter to panel members [details]

As the main constituents of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) announced to meet the visiting Delimitation Commission, the 'isolated' leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) avoided any interaction with the panel.

Instead of meeting the visiting panel, PDP general secretary and former minister Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura wrote a letter to the Delimitation Commission to express his party's viewpoint.

Exercise pre-planned to in favour of a party

Announcing its decision not to meet the Delimitation Commission, PDP described the whole exercise as "pre-planned"  in favor of a particular party and "aimed to further hurt the interests of people of J&K".

"On 5th of August 2019, the constitutional and democratic values of our country were trampled upon with the people of Jammu & Kashmir being robbed of their legitimate constitutional and democratic rights by means of abrogation of Article 370 and 35 (A) of the Indian constitution, illegally and unconstitutionally," PDP letter reads.

The party further said, "There are apprehensions that the delimitation exercise is part of the overall process of political disempowerment of the people of J&K that the Government of India has embarked on."

"There are apprehensions that the process is aimed at realizing the political vision of a particular political party in J&K wherein, like other things, the views and wishes of the people of J&K would be considered the least", the party observed.

Party 'isolated' after other constituents of PAGD announce to meet panel

Till late Monday evening, all constituents of the PAGD were undecided on the issue of meeting the Delimitation Commission. In the official handout issued by the PAGD on Monday morning, not a single word was mentioned about the visit of the Delimitation Commission. On late Monday evening, the main constituent of PAGD, National Conference announced to meet the panel by constituting two teams - one for Kashmir and another for Jammu.

Other constituents of the amalgam-CPI, CPM, and Awami National Conference have also given their consent to meet the Delimitation Commission at Srinagar. As per the itinerary of the visiting panel, meetings slots of other constituents of PAGD have already been fixed for their meeting with members on Tuesday evening.

After main constituents of the PAGD gave their consent to meet the visiting panel, PDP this morning announced to boycott the Delimitation Commission.

We are disappointed after the all-party meeting: PDP

In its letter to the Election Commission, the PDP leadership observed that no sincere initiative has been taken after the all-party meeting. "We are disappointed to see that after the all-party meeting nothing has moved and no effort has been made to bring ease into the lives of people, giving credence to those, who had in the first instance, called the meeting a mere photo opportunity," the letter reads.

"….despite the utter humiliation of the people of J&K, undermining of our constitutional and democratic rights, vilification and incarceration of political leadership and ordinary citizens when the Hon'ble Prime Minister convened an all-party meeting we didn't let our hurt come in way of what could have been an initiation of a reconciliation process aimed at restoring the rights of people of J&K," the party stated while defending the decision to attend June 24 meeting.