SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said his government would not implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the Union Territory and backed the INDIA bloc’s march to the Election Commission over alleged deletions from electoral rolls.
Abdullah also welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention on the issue of voter deletions, saying the court had sought responses from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Union Government.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah said the INDIA bloc had recently finalised a calendar of programmes in Delhi and that its Members of Parliament were taking part in a march to the Election Commission as part of the campaign.
“This process will continue,” Abdullah said, referring to the opposition alliance’s programme.
On alleged deletions from voter lists during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Chief Minister said he had repeatedly raised concerns over the issue and welcomed the Supreme Court’s scrutiny.
“It is a good thing that the Supreme Court is also raising questions now, especially regarding the deletions that took place from the voter lists,” he said.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and election authorities on petitions questioning the decision-making process within the poll panel and matters related to the electoral-roll revision. The court also declined to grant an interim order suspending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
On the Uniform Civil Code, Abdullah said a law described as “uniform” should apply across the country and asserted that his government would not implement the UCC in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Uniform Civil Code is not uniform until it is applicable everywhere. We will not apply Uniform Civil Code here,” he said.
Abdullah challenged the BJP-led Union Government to bring the legislation before Parliament for debate and passage instead of pursuing it through individual states.
“These things are not done through states. If you have the courage, bring the law in Parliament. Debate it in Parliament. See if it gets passed in Parliament or not,” he said.
His remarks on the UCC represent the position of the J&K Government and should not be read as a judicial or constitutional determination on the applicability of any future central legislation.
Abdullah was also asked about the reported deportation and action against Rohingyas in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said he was concerned about what he described as the sudden action against Rohingyas, while acknowledging that the J&K Government does not control the agencies carrying out the deportation process.
“We did not have any problem with them staying here. But it is also true that they cannot stay here legally,” Abdullah said, distinguishing between people who entered India from Bangladesh without permission and Rohingyas who had fled Myanmar.
He said the Centre was taking the current action with the assistance of the police and that the police were not under the control of his government in this matter.
Abdullah also remained non-committal when asked whether he was satisfied with his government’s performance as it approached two years in office.
“Let it be two years. After that, we will tell you what we did and what we did not do,” he said.
The remarks came amid heightened political activity over electoral-roll revisions, the functioning of the Election Commission and the Centre’s action concerning foreign nationals in Jammu and Kashmir.
The article first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse at https://kashmirpulse.com/politics/omar-abdullah-rules-out-ucc-in-jk-backs-india-blocs-ec-march/116718.html
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