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A hurried delimitation

may deepen Kashmir crisis

Majority of people in the state suspect delimitation is aimed The proposal has been met with opposi-
at manipulating the number of seats in a way that reduces tion from the major regional parties in the
the dominant role of Kashmir Valley in formation of the state state. “When delimitation takes place in the
government, points out riyaz wani rest of the country, the BJP is welcome to ap-
ply it to Jammu and Kashmir. Until then we
in the National Conference will oppose, tooth
alk of delimitation in Jammu ance” between Kashmir and Jammu. Some and nail, any attempt to make changes without
and Kashmir has become a fresh government officials in their state- a mandate from the people of the state,” said
source of unease in the troubled ments to media have argued that the NC vice-president and former Chief Minister
state. The majority of people in move would facilitate the installation of a Omar Abdullah.
T the state suspect in this a design to Hindu Chief Minister in the state. “The freeze on delimitation was
manipulate the number of seats in a way that “The plan is to appoint a delimitation com- applied to J&K and was done to bring the
reduces the dominant role of Kashmir Valley in mission and redraw the scope and size of As- state in line with the rest of the coun-
formation of the state government. And the BJP sembly constituencies and determine the try. The same was challenged & up-
itself has made no secret of its inten- number of seats to be reserved for Scheduled held in both the High Court of J&K & the
tion to do so. The move, the party’s lead- Castes,” an unnamed government official was Supreme Court,” Omar tweeted.
ers have argued, will correct the “imbal- quoted to have said this in the media. “A freeze on delimitation has been

tehelka / 30 june 2019 20 www.tehelka.com