New Delhi: The CPI(M) on Friday hit out at the Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission, saying the recommendations made by it are “unjustified” and “illogical”.
The Delimitation Commission on Jammu and Kashmir, which was formed in March 2020, on Thursday notified its final report giving six additional assembly seats to Jammu region and one to Kashmir Valley and bringing areas of Rajouri and Poonch under the Anantnag parliamentary seat.
The Jammu division will now have 43 assembly seats and Kashmir 47 in the 90-member house.
“The recommendations of the J&K Delimitation Commission are blatantly unjustified and illogical. It has recommended to increase six seats in Jammu region while only one in Kashmir valley,” the party said in a statement.
“The Commission considered the 2011 census for delimiting territorial constituencies. Population is the cardinal parameter in such a process. According to the census, the population of Kashmir is 68.9 lakh while that of Jammu is 53.8 lakh,” it said.
The commission has recommended 47 seats for Kashmir and 43 for Jammu while a fair delimitation, based on population, should have given 51 seats to Kashmir and 39 to Jammu, the party said.
“With 44 per cent of the population, Jammu will have 48 per cent of seats while Kashmir with 56 per cent of population will have only 52 per cent of the seats,” the statement from the party said.
“Thus, these recommendations are clearly politically motivated aimed at changing the demographic character and composition of J&K. These recommendations must, therefore, be rejected,” it added.
The party also said that the “imposition” of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act would divide the country on communal grounds.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Thursday said the CAA will be implemented once the COVID-19 wave is over.
“Religion can’t be the criterion for citizenship. Amit Shah ji shouldn’t forget that India is a secular country,” the CPI(M) said as it accused the BJP of fanning “communal frenzy with an eye on elections”.
CAA should not be implemented to ensure that the country remains united, it said.
