India News | Include Minorities in Consultations on Redrawing Assembly Constituencies in J&K: APSCC

Srinagar, Jun 21 (PTI) All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Monday demanded inclusion of minorities like Sikhs, Gujjars and Paharis in the ongoing consultations of the Delimitation Commission as part of its exercise in Jammu and Kashmir.

The APSCC in a statement said the exclusion of minorities is unacceptable and it would be fought tooth and nail by the members of concerned communities.

APSCC chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said that members of different minorities need to be taken on board by the Delimitation Commission before any decision about the redrawing of assembly constituencies is taken.

Raina said that any exercise without the participation of minority community members would be useless and meaningless.

"It is imperative that members of minority communities like Sikhs, Gujjars and Paharis are consulted by the Delimitation Commission since their population is large in many assembly segments. The suggestions put forward by the political parties and minority community members should be put in public domain before any final decision is taken by the Home Ministry," he said.

Raina said that in case members of minority communities are left out in the exercise then they would be constrained to come on roads and lodge protest.

He said that minorities have suffered in Jammu and Kashmir and time has come to apply balm on their wounds.

The APSCC has demanded reservation of three seats in Kashmir and four seats in Jammu division for the Sikh community.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)