by Yawar Hussain
SRINAGAR: National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah Sunday said that his party’s two differing memorandums in Srinagar and Jammu presented to Delimitation Commission stem from the different problems faced by the two regions of the union territory.
Farooq’s comments come after the backslash on his the party seeking delimitation on the basis of population only in Kashmir while siding with Bharatiya Janata Party’s view point in Jammu who want geography, topography and communication facilities to be considered as well.
Speaking to media persons on the occasion of death anniversary of his mother Begum Akber Jehan, Dr Farooq said, “Why would you (the reporter asking the question) have a problem with our two memorandums. Jammu has its own problems while Kashmir has its own.”
The NC delegation in Srinagar, which met the commission, had asked for delimitation only on basis of population to counter the BJP’s demand for considering other criteria including area to end ” discrimination” with Jammu.
However, NC Provincial President Jammu Devender Singh Rana, who headed the party delegation in Jammu pitched for the inclusion of all the criteria presented by the BJP as well for delimitating the new assembly constituencies.
NC, which is part of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, has also witnessed a Jammu Declaration championed by Rana.