New Delhi: 21 August, 2022 (Press Release). Reacting to the news about allowing people from outside Jammu & Kashmir to vote there, MK Faizy, National President of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) said that Government of India should use precaution when it comes to allowing people from outside Jammu & Kashmir to caste vote there. He said that Jammu & Kashmir is reeling under a number of crises and people’s confidence has been shaken after the region was brought under direct control of the Union government while the public already had an elected government there.

The SDPI leader said that allowing non-locals to vote, as announced by Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Electoral Officer, might lead to serious backlash against employees, students, labourers and other people from outside. Faizy further said that federal structure of the country is questioned when the Union Government goes against popular public mandate which, in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, can be known through fresh elections. Opinion of the people of Jammu and Kashmir should be respected especially when the region is suffering from a volatile situation which might be exploited by other interested groups.