NC, PDP leaders raise concerns over harassment, arrests ahead of Srinagar elections
Srinagar: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir-based regional parties, including the National Conference and People’s Democratic Party, have claimed harassment and illegal detentions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, National Conference candidate for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency Agha Ruhullah Mehdi on Sunday took to Twitter to demand the immediate release of workers of his party and rival PDP who have been arrested ahead of the polling.
Voting in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled tomorrow.
“Our workers are being picked up by the police since yesterday. I got a call from a senior colleague like A R Rather sb informing me about the arrests of our workers from Chrarsharif. Similar calls from the colleagues from Khansahab and Chadoora have also been received,” Ruhullah Mehdi posted on X. He called for immediate release of his party workers and also those of the PDP.
PDP leader Firdous Tak also took to social media, calling for an end to the alleged arrests and harassment of his party workers.
PDP candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat Waheed Para said that officials in the Jammu and Kashmir administration were trying to manipulate the Lok Sabha polls.
Without naming anyone, Para — a youth leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) — said the events are akin to the “rigging” of elections in 1987. The 1987 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections are widely perceived to have been rigged, with the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference sweeping the polls.
In another post, Para said police had arrested his party’s polling agents.
