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Up to the community to decide whether to vote or boycott elections: APSCC

“All parties have betrayed our trust, won’t support any party”

 

Srinagar: All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Thursday said that the Sikh community of the state will not support any candidate in the upcoming by elections.

APSCC, in a press conference also made it clear that the community will decide whether they want to cast their ballot or boycott the elections.

“This time, we are not going to support any party or any individual as all the successive regimes have betrayed the trust of Sikh community so far. It is up to the people belonging to Sikh community whether they boycott or cast their ballot, “said Jagmohan Singh Raina, Chairman of APSCC.

He added that the community did put in their trust in various parties previously who all promised them minority status, which was never granted.

“All the successive regimes including NC, Congress and PDP have failed to fulfill their promises made with the Sikh community but unfortunately after assuming the chair, they failed to fulfill those promises.

Raina pointed out that PDP had even mentioned in their 2014 election manifesto that Sikhs would be granted minority status but once coming to power, did nothing.

“However, the party forgot this promise and despite being in power for the past couple of years PDP along with its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken no step to grant minority status to Sikhs of the state. The extension of National Commission for Minority Act to the state as promised by PDP has not been done so far much to the disappointment of Sikh community, “Raina said.

APSCC chairman also said that it was because of Sikhs votes that many PDP leaders won seats which traditionally belonged to National Conference. Raina said that they should resign as they have ditched the community.

“Many PDP members won elections on basis of Sikh votes. These legislators should resign if they have some moral ground. Many of these legislators should thank the Sikh voters since they became ministers in the present government. Some of the seats from which PDP won were traditionally bastions of NC and it was due to the Sikh voters that PDP members emerged victorious, “Raina said.

With inputs from KNS  

 

 

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