For PDP, LS polls a means to safeguard J&K’s identity: Mehbooba
Mehbooba was taking part in a roadshow in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam area during her election campaign.
Mehbooba was taking part in a roadshow in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam area during her election campaign.
The minister also accused the Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of staging fake encounters and handing over guns in the hands of the Kashmiri youth and these parties are responsible for encouraging terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Political parties are worried that the migration is bound to upset their poll calculations.
The NC had unilaterally announced that it would field its candidates on all the three seats and fielded Mian Altaf from Anantnag. The NC had left two seats in Jammu for the Congress as part of the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing agreement.
Nasir Aslam Wani, who led the NC delegation, said they impressed upon the Election Commission the need for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir together with the Lok Sabha polls.
Mehbooba accused the Modi government of trying to break the economic backbone of people of Kashmir by suspending the cross-LoC trade with Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and also ordering twice a week restrictions on the movement of civilian traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
Incidents of stone pelting near polling stations were reported from various parts of Kulgam district but the situation remained under control due to the timely action of the security forces.
Authorities have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure smooth, fair, and peaceful conduct of polling with a heavy deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and the local police amidst the separatists’ call for the boycott of the elections and also the looming threat of terror attacks by Pakistan backed terrorists.
Supporters of separatists and terrorists tried to create a scare among the electorate by pelting stones at several polling stations on Monday evening.
Madni said that the Government of India cannot ignore the mounting concerns of the people of the state about the deteriorating health of the JKLF Chief.
