Ahead of polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat on Monday, all major parties, including the NC, PDP and Apni Party, have accused J&K police administration of arresting their workers to ensure a low voter turnout.
At a press conference on Thursday, NC’s Srinagar candidate Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi described his party workers as the “soldiers of democracy” and alleged that they were being intimidated and arrested. “They are threatening the voters. They are threatening political workers and parties. What do they want to achieve?” Ruhullah said.
He added: “We were promised that this country would be a functional democracy, that it would be run by the Constitution. However, we don’t see any functional democracy here. The principles and spirit of democracy are being openly violated.”
The NC leader further said: “The consequences of these actions of the police will be dangerous. They should stop frightening people. They should stop working for one party. We urge the police to release all NC workers. We also seek the release of PDP workers.” NC leader Ali Mohammad Sagar said party workers were summoned to the police station. “It will not be good for the democracy,” Sagar added. “When Kashmiri youth are ready to vote, they should be allowed to vote,” he said.
Aga claimed that more than 100 workers of his party were either intimidated and called to the police station or detained. Ruhullah said the administration was trying to create a “conducive” atmosphere for the “proxies” of the BJP through such moves, but it would not be good for the larger interest of the country.
The NC candidate said the government feared that the polling percentage would be high and it would be against the BJP and its proxy parties.
“That is why they have started arresting NC workers. But I don’t think it will have any impact on polling. People will come out to express their sentiment and they will come out in large numbers,” Ruhullah said.
