The Hurriyat Conference today asked the Centre to hold a referendum in Kashmir to test its claim that the J-K elections were a vote for its (India’s) rule in the state.‘‘If it was a vote for India, they should organise a referendum in J-K,’’ said the amalgam’s chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat. ‘‘If you are confident that people want to join you, go for a plebiscite and let the people decide what they want.’’ He asked New Delhi to be more flexible and ‘‘give something which will ensure stability in the entire region’’.‘‘Those who participated in the elections voted on two accounts: Coercion by the security forces and the element of anger. Anger against incumbency may be part of it, but it was also anger against excesses by the security forces and anger against New Delhi,’’ Bhat said.He said their demand was not elections but a referendum.‘‘Plebiscite is held once in the life of a nation unlike elections.’’ Bhat said. ‘‘The people of J-K have yet to choose whether they want to stay with India, join Pakistan or remain independent. If a majority of people decide to stay with India, the Hurriyat will have no objection and we will accept the verdict of the people.’’‘‘Plebiscite should be held in Kashmir, as was was in East Timor, in accordance with the democratic tradition as well as in keeping with the principles of the international law,’’ he said.
