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NEWS Updates - 25
Dec
Nov 2008 |
* Govt. Says 20 % Turnout In Srinagar, 68% Jammu, 64% in
Samba
* Pro-freedom camp elated,
We salute peoples’ commitment for freedom’
*
Protests, boycott, and polling in Eidgah, Zadibal
* Old City
prefers Azadi to ballot
* Garrison city
* 12 bogus voters arrested,
Activists, CRPF Men Thrash Players,Injure 8
*
Police beat women protesters in Tengpora
*
Amid media curbs, bogus voters make hay |
Govt. Says 20 % Turnout In Srinagar, 68% Jammu, 64% in
Samba: Srinagar, Dec 24: Government on Wednesday
said that eight constituencies in the Srinagar district
which went to polls today recorded 20 percent polling,
while 13 constituencies in twin districts of Jammu and
Samba witnessed 68 and 64 percent voting respectively.
Describing the seven-phase elections in Jammu and
Kashmir as “one of the most peacefully conducted and
keenly contested,” the chief electoral officer, B R
Sharma, said 54 percent voter turnout was recorded in 21
assembly constituencies in the state in the final phase.
Giving the tentative figures, Sharma said the turnout in
eight assembly constituencies in Srinagar was recorded
as: Hazratabal 26.5 percent, Habba Kadal 11.28 percent,
Eidgah 13.30 percent, Zadibal 16.60 percent, Sonawar
33.64, Batamaloo 18.06 percent, Khanayar 16.54 percent
and Amira Kadal 13.5 percent. “The final phase of polls
was incident free,” Sharma, who was flanked by the
secretary information, K B Jandial, divisional
commissioner Kashmir, Masood Samoon, deputy commissioner
Srinagar, Mer’aj Ahmad Kakroo and inspector general of
police- Kashmir zone, Dr B Srinivas, told a news
conference here.
Sharma said the voter turnout in 13 constituencies in
Jammu and Samba districts was recorded as: Samba 78
percent, Vijaypur 72.89 percent, Nagrota 73 percent,
Gandhi Nagar 63 percent, Jammu East 61 percent, Jammu
West 60 percent, Bishnah 72 percent, R S Pura 75
percent, Suchetgarh 70 percent, Murh 72 percent, Raipur
Domana 70 percent, Akhnoor 75 percent and Chamb 77
percent.
“There was a single-digit voter turnout in Srinagar in
2002, but this time it is higher than that,” Sharma
said. “The district had recorded a turnout of 5.06
percent in 2002 polls,” he added.
COMPLAINTS
Sharma said some people had tried to act as polling
agents in some booths. “This was unacceptable. So the
police chased them away,” he said.
He said some incidents of stone-pelting, hooliganism and
exchange of Kangris between supporters were received
from booths in Srinagar. “But all the incidents were
brought under control,” he asserted.
He said police had to fire some rounds in the air at
Hazratabal after some people resorted to rioting.
‘LANDMARK EVENTS’
Sharma said the 2008 elections were “one of most keenly
contested’ vis-à-vis number of candidates and rallies,
political parties and their cooperation in the poll
process. “Some landmark events took place this time.
This time we had the highest number of 1354 candidates
for seven phases compared to 709 in 2002 polls,” he
said, adding, “The women candidates were also high, 64
women participated in the polls this time against 30 in
2002.”
He said there were some fresh political parties in the
poll fray. “Seven national parties, 3 state parties, 9
registered but unrecognized parties, and 24 other
parties participated in the polls,” Sharma said.
POLL CAMPAIGN
He said the poll campaign in the 2008 elections had
greater emphasis on social issues. “Apart from road
shows, rallies and door-to-door campaigns, the
commercial ads in print and electronic media saw an
upsurge,” the CEO said.
He said the noise pollution during campaigning was
lesser and the defacement of public property was avoided
to a greater extent.
He said the EC received 247 complaints of violation of
Model Code of Conduct during the seven-phases. “Of these
215 were disposed off. Four complaints were found worth
action and the defaulters have been proceeded against,”
Sharma said.
5 KILLINGS
Sharma asserted the number of “militancy-related
incidents which were one or the other way related to
polls” was less in the 2008 elections. “We have had 21
militancy related incidents so far as against 140 in
2002,” he said, adding the civilian deaths this time
were five against 63 in 2002 elections. “The number of
civilians and troopers injured this time was less as
compared to 2002,” he asserted.
‘WELDONE MEDIA’
The secretary Information and B R Sharma praised media
for co-operating with the electoral office. “902 passes
were issued to the print and electronic media personnel
to facilitate coverage of the elections. Of these, 500
were issued to the local media persons and 402 to those
representing national and international media
organizations,” they said, adding that helicopter
sorties were also arranged for media to cover the
polling in hilly, far off and difficult areas.
DAYS TAKEN
Sharma said from the date of notification of the first
phase on October 19 to the conclusion of the process on
31 December 2008, the days taken for completion of the 7
phases will be 73 against 76 in 1996 and 72 in 2002
assembly elections that were held in four phases each.
TURNOUT IN 7-PHASES
Sharma said the state recorded an overall turnout of 62
per cent turnout in 87 constituencies. |
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Pro-freedom camp
elated,
We salute peoples’ commitment for
freedom’:
Srinagar, Dec 24: Elated by boycott of
elections in most of the areas of
Srinagar, the pro-freedom leaders
expressed gratitude to the people and
urged them to continue the resistance
movement till it reaches its logical
conclusion.
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq said, “Despite heavy
presence of troopers, the people of
Srinagar boycotted the polls. New Delhi
should see writing on the wall and
resolve the Kashmir dispute according to
the UN resolutions,” Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz accused the mainstream parties
of using bogus and mobile voters in many
areas of Srinagar.
“To give some respectability to the low
voter turnout, the mainstream parties
used mobile voters in the city. This
exposes the façade of elections,”
Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz questioned the legality of
holding the election in presence of over
ten lakh troopers. “We fully understand
that most of the people of other
districts voted under the shadow of gun
and some were lured to vote in lieu of
jobs and basic amenities,” he said.
Chairman of his faction of Hurriyat
Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani termed
the boycott as victory of people. “I
salute the courage and resilience people
of Srinagar who have given their
referendum by boycotting the polls,” he
added.
Geelani said New Delhi has been holding
election for past 60 years in the
Valley. “But elections have failed to
resolve the dispute. I want to make it
clear that Kashmiris will continue to
offer sacrifices till they are not given
the right to self determination,”
Geelani said.
“The authorities tried every tactic to
crush our anti-poll campaign. Still
people foiled the evil designs and
boycotted the polls. This is a slap on
the faces of those who were elated after
managing huge turnouts by hook and
crook,” Geelani added.
Chairman of Peoples Conference, Sajad
Gani Lone said the whole electoral
process has given a room for
self-introspection for both New Delhi
and pro-freedom camp. “There has been
voting and boycott too. Both sides need
to review their polices on Kashmir and
work for resolution of the dispute
according to international covenants and
aspirations of Kashmiris,” Lone said.
Acting chairman of JKLF, Advocate Bashir
Ahmad Bhat said, “by boycotting polls,
people of Srinagar have reaffirmed their
support to free Kashmir from chains of
bondage,” he said. |
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Protests, boycott, and polling in
Eidgah, Zadibal : Srinagar, Dec
24: Polling in Eidgah and Zadibal
constituencies was marked by a very low
turnout and anti-election demos in
response to boycott call of the
pro-freedom groups.
In Umar Colony, Lal Bazar, at least five
persons were injured when police and
CRPF troopers cane-charged the anti-poll
demonstrations who took to streets
Wednesday morning. Shouting pro-freedom
slogans, the protesters accused the
political parties of ferrying
“mobile-voters” to polling booths in the
area. “This colony has a history of
boycotting the polls. However, the
supporters and activists of NC and PDP
ferried fake voters to malign our image.
But we won’t let it happen,” said Ali
Muhammad, a resident of Umar Colony.
As the scores of protesters were joined
by others, police and troopers charged
at them and beat them up with bamboo
sticks. “Leave this place or we’ll teach
you a lesson,” a CRPF trooper shouted at
the protesters. The troopers chased away
the protesters for more than 100 meters.
Of 1200 votes, 44 had been cast in the
Umer Colony polling booth till 11.45 am.
A polling booth in Lal Bazar, housed in
a higher-secondary school, had witnessed
thin polling till noon. “We expect
increase in the voter turnout as the day
proceeds,” said the presiding officer.
The Zadibal High School, however,
witnessed a decent voter turnout. Of 730
votes, 157 had been cast till noon in
one of its booths while the number was
165 out of 551 in another booth. “We
voted so that our educated youth get
employment,” said Abdul Khaliq Dar of
Zadibal, who said he voted for 8th time.
Residents of Dagdar Mohalla in Zadibal
said they boycotted the polls. Inside
the area, a group of angry youth ran
after our vehicle, taking us for mobile
voters. “This is a media vehicle. Don’t
throw stones,” we told them, and they
stopped throwing stones.
The anti-poll mood was evident in many
segments of Eidgah constituency. In
Ganderpora polling station, of 805
votes, only two had been cast till 1.15
pm. In another booth, the number was 12
out of 588.
The situation was similar in other
booths in Safa Kadal, main Eidgah, and
Nalamar road. The streets wore a
deserted look as heavy contingent of
police and CRPF troopers guarded them.
“We have been boycotting the polls for
years. Those who vote are workers and
activists of political parties,” said a
group of youth. |
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Old City prefers Azadi to ballot :
Srinagar, Dec 24: Widespread boycott of
polls and more than a dozen protest
demonstrations coupled with complaints
of ‘mobile and bogus’ voters marked the
election in the old city, a trend
inverse to surprisingly high turnout in
first six phases of the elections.
People who boycotted the polls said
there is no substitute for right of
self-determination.
Most of the polling booths in the Old
City wore a deserted look as people
boycotted the elections and staged
anti-election protests. With heavy
deployment of troopers in lanes and
bylanes, curfew like situation prevailed
in Bohri Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Nowhatta,
Khanyar and its adjoining areas.
Pertinently, the Old City has been nerve
centre of pro-freedom demonstrations and
violent clashes during the past five
months. At least five youth have been
killed and hundreds injured by the CPRF
troopers and police during these clashes
in Nowhatta and adjoining localities.
In the morning, hundreds of people took
to streets at Tankipora near deputy
commissioner’s office and staged
pro-freedom and anti-election protests.
“We want freedom,” the protesters
shouted.
However, troopers swung into action and
used force to disperse the protesters,
injuring at least five persons,
including nine-year old Sahil Bhat and
photojournalist Abid Bhat.
The locals alleged that after the
incident, the troopers detained many
youth and ransacked residential houses
there. “It is our right to boycott the
polls and nobody can force us to vote,”
said Ghulam Ahmad of Tankipora.
A police sub-inspector guarding a
polling station in Saraf Kadal, a
stone’s throw away from Hurriyat chief
Mirwaiz Umar’s ancestral residence, told
these reporters there was no need to
enter the station and inquire about the
details of voting. “Two voters turned up
so far,” he said. The polling staff of
the four polling booths inside the
station said that of total 2245 voters
only two have been polled by 1.45 PM.
At polling booth number 25-Naqashpora,
only three people out of 1038 had cast
their votes till 9 am while in 23-Sathu
Balla Barbarshah, a single vote out of
904 had been polled in the first one
hour.
None of the 25 odd polling agents had
turned out at the polling station in
Animal Husbandry Department’s office
near KMD Bus stand, not to speak of the
voters.
At 5-Reshi Mohalla, Habbakadal, three
votes had been polled out of 593 in the
first two hours of polling while in
22-Malik Bagh, no voter had turned up
till 10 am.
However, moderate polling was witnessed
at 54-Shahampora in Nowhatta area of
Khanyar constituency where 190 voters
out of 833 had cast their votes till
11:15 am. Similar was the case with
52-Tujgari Mohalla where 183 people had
cast their votes out of 700 till 11:35
am. Some people were also waiting in
queues outside these two booths.
In Rainawari area’s 39-Naid Booni
station 52 votes had been polled out of
601 till 12:25 pm while at 40-Naid Yar
only 26 voters out of 1010 had turned up
till 12:30 pm. The local residents of
these areas said that only a few workers
of political parties and fake voters
brought from other areas voted.
At 42-B Nowpora polling booth, out of
485 votes only 17 votes had been polled
till 1 pm. In its adjacent 41-A Nowpora
polling booth, 59 votes had been cast
out of 642. “We can’t do sell-out of
blood of thousands of youth who
sacrificed their lives for freedom of
Kashmir,” said the residents of Nowpora.
In Miskeen Bagh area inside polling
station number 47, 311 of the total 907
voters had voted till 1.20 PM. Here also
some local residents claimed that a
particular political party used mobile
voters.
But the situation was entirely different
at 13-Anderwari Khanyar where only four
votes had been polled out of 364 till
1:30 pm.
At 24-Kadi Kadal, no voter had turned up
till 1:35 pm. The booth had 774
registered voters. Similarly, in
20-Chandpora lone voter had cast his
vote out of 568 electors. “He was the
polling agent of National Conference,” a
polling staffer told Greater Kashmir. At
22-Saraf Kadal no vote had been cast out
of 464 till 1:40 pm while one vote had
been polled out of 439 at 21-Tanki
Mohalla till 1:42 pm.
Witnesses said the locals attacked the
mobile voters at Wantpora with firepots
and stones forcing them to escape from
the spot.
Witnesses said angry youth attacked the
cavalcade of NC candidate for Eidgah,
Mubarak Gul with firepots and stones
when he visited a polling booth at
Pather Masjid. Till afternoon, only 27
votes had been polled out of 297 at
7-Naquashpora polling booth. “He (Gul)
offered us money in lieu of casting
votes in his favour. We threw Kangris at
him and his hooligans,” the angry locals
said.
“Elections under the Constitution of
India is not acceptable to us as we
don’t consider as Kashmir as its
territory. We want plebiscite and our
boycott should serve as an eye-opener
for the world,” the locals said.
In Nawab Bazar locality people knew that
three votes out of a total of 700 votes
had been cast by the local NC leader and
his family. “We were keeping an eye on
who will vote; mobile voters have not
dared to come here,” said Ashiq, a local
youth. In nearby locality of
Qalamdanpora, people said four or five
votes have been cast by the “polling
agents” of political parties. They said
the locality has boycotted the elections
for freedom.
“You saw those five men entering the
station for voting; they are drug
addicts and they have been given charas
and some cash,” said a group of youths.
The polling of the two stations said
that out of total 1175 voters only 8
votes were polled by 2 PM.
Near Nawa Kadal Degree College, people
exchanged heated arguments with NC
activists outside a polling booth there.
“Your party has always exploited the
Kashmiris. You are traitors,” the angry
people shouted at the NC activists. To
prevent the situation from escalation,
the troopers rushed to the spot.
The people in native locality of
chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation
Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik boycotted
the elections and took out an anti-poll
rally.
“We have boycotted the polls, however,
the mobile voters cast 7 votes in the
polling booth here,” the residents said.
Later the JKLF activists tried to march
towards Lal Chowk. However, they were
intercepted by the troopers and beaten
by the batons.
Anti-election protests were also held at
Fateh Kadal, Chiunkral Mohalla, Eidgah,
S R Gunj, Mallrata, Aali Kadal and
Khaiwan Malpora tried staging
anti-election protests. However,
policemen and paramilitary CRPF troopers
used force to quell the protesters and
chased them away.
Later in the evening, residents of Gager
Masjid, Zaina Kadal alleged that CRPF
troopers broke down windowpanes of
several houses. “They avenged our
boycotting the polls,” they complained.
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Garrison city
: Srinagar, Dec 24:
Unprecedented security measures and
restrictions were in place in the
Srinagar district for second consecutive
day today.
A curfew-like situation prevailed as
large contingents of police and the
paramilitary CRPF troopers were guarding
the deserted streets. The authorities
had deployed additional 60 companies of
CRPF in the district for special poll
duty. All the entry and exit points
between the constituencies were sealed
by erecting barricades in the form of
armoured vehicles, drop-gates and spools
of concertina wire for restricting the
vehicular movement.
Police and CRPF, in riot gear, also were
present in the volatile areas like
Maisuma, Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal and
other areas of old city.
The troopers allowed a few vehicles only
after seeking passes, apart from
thorough frisking and checking. No
vehicle was allowed to enter the city
from other districts.
A heavy deployment was in place in city
centre Lal Chowk, where Hurriyat-led
Coordination Committee had asked people
to assemble. Lanes and by-lanes
connecting different areas with Lal
Chowk were also sealed. |
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12 bogus voters
arrested,
Activists, CRPF Men Thrash Players,
Injure 8:
Srinagar, Dec 24: The people of Methan
Chanapora today caught 12 bogus voters,
thrashed them severely outside a polling
booth and later handed them over to the
police.
According to witnesses, the Sumo-borne
men were stopped by the people after
they grew suspicious. “The people caught
hold of the men and checked their
identity which revealed that they were
from Shopian, Kulgam and Islamabad and
had come to cast vote for a particular
political party,” locals Nissar Ahmad
and Shabir Ahmad told Greater Kashmir.
They said the people thrashed the
persons and handed them over to the
police. The people said that they have
completely boycotted the polls. The
remarks made by the residents regarding
less voter turnout were substantiated as
the number of votes polled in the
polling booth at government Middle
School Methan was very low. One of the
two booths recorded two out of 522 votes
while as another recorded 13 out of 447
votes.
The police officers at Chanapora police
post acknowledged that 12 persons were
handed over by the people. “We are
investigating into the incident,” a
police officer told Greater Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the activists of a party
accompanied by paramilitary CRPF
alighted out of two Sumo vehicles and
severely thrashed youth playing cricket
at a playground in Lone Mohalla at
Chanapora.
According to witnesses, the activists
and forces caught hold of the youth and
thrashed them with rifle butts and
batons. Eight youth were wounded, two of
them critically. The seriously wounded
have been identified as Irshad Ahmad and
Shahnawaz Ahmad.
According to the locals, the activist
had threatened the youth of dire
consequences if they didn’t turn up for
voting in the area.
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Police beat women protesters in Tengpora
: Srinagar, Dec 24: Police fired
several tear smoke shells and baton
charged the girls and women holding
anti-election and pro-freedom
demonstration near a polling booth at
Tengpora.
The protest march taken out by women
marched through the interior roads of
the area shouting pro-freedom and
anti-election slogans. The women
protestors joined by other females in
the area gathered near the polling
station established inside an
educational institution and raised their
sloganeering pitch making fervent
appeals to the people to stay away from
the poll process. Slogans like Geelani
Wali Azadi, Lashkar Wali Azadi, PDP Ko
Ragda, NC Ko Ragda, Dr Farooq Ko Ragda,
Mufti Ko Ragda reverberated in the air
frequently. “We want absolute freedom
and nothing else and the sacrifices
given by the people won’t go waste,” the
agitated protesters said.
The girl leading the protest said the
people of the area have completely
boycotted what she termed as farce
elections. “They have brought people
from other areas to cast vote and show a
high poll percentage,” she added.
Police personnel led by the SHO of the
local police station reached the spot
and straightaway fired several tear
smoke canisters to disperse the women.
The personnel also baton charged the
women and chased them away from the
polling booth.
Amid continuous booing by the people,
the personnel also removed a green flag
hoisted on a water tank by the people of
the area.
The area was also dotted with election
boycott banners and posters ‘reminding
the people of the sacrifices made by the
people during the ongoing freedom
movement’ and during the land agitation.
One of the elders in the area also
addressed a gathering urging people to
adhere to the poll-boycott campaign
launched by the Coordination Committee.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, a youth said
that many youths belonging to different
militant outfits were killed by the
troops and paramilitary forces during
the ongoing struggle and casting a vote
would be treason with the blood of
martyrs.
In Batmaloo, the people applied dirt on
a person who cast his vote near Ziyarat
Batamaloo Sahib. According to witnesses,
the voter was caught by the youngsters
and dirt was applied on his face. The
people of Parimpora also staged
anti-election and pro-freedom protests.
WAR ZONE BARZULLA
The youth at Old Barzulla engaged the
personnel of Central Reserve Police
Force in pitched battles since Wednesday
morning due to which the paramilitary
forces completely sealed off the area.
The personnel sealed off the boundaries
and didn’t allow anyone to move. Even
the journalists were barred from
entering into the ‘war zone.’ “The stone
pelting is going on from the morning and
the paramilitary forces haven’t allowed
anyone to leave the area,” a resident
told Greater Kashmir. When the media men
tried to move inside the area, the
paramilitary forces stopped the vehicle
and asked to retreat. “You can’t go
there as some youth are pelting stones,”
a CRPF man told Greater Kashmir. The
exhausted CRPF man said the stone
pelting started from early morning in
the lanes and by-lanes of the area.
Meanwhile, the people of Rambagh also
staged anti-election and pro-freedom
demonstration in the area where
paramilitary forces were deployed in
strength. They also held an
anti-election rally. |
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Amid media curbs, bogus voters make hay
: Srinagar, Dec 24: At 8.30 am,
somebody knocked at the door of Sofi
Akhtar, 33, of Ganpatyar, Barbar Shah.
“Are you voting today,” he asked Akhtar.
Before he could respond to the query,
the stranger made a straightforward
offer. “Vote for the candidate of our
choice and you can make some money.”
Akhtar did not appreciate the offer and
returned the stranger empty-handed.
“Since early morning, poll agents of
different parties approached us and
offered money,” Akhtar said.
Eyewitness accounts suggested that bogus
voting fattened the turnout by a
considerable percent as polling in the
last phase of the state assembly
elections concluded in the
constituencies of Srinagar district amid
massive paramilitary deployment under a
bright winter sun on Wednesday.
“We’ve strict instructions not to allow
mediapersons inside the polling station
premises,” a Border Security Forces
officer manning the Suthrashahi polling
station housed in a higher secondary
school said. “If you’re from Press Trust
of India (PTI), we can let you in.”
Not far from Akhtar’s house, polling
agents in groups squatted on bare floor
outside the Gadoodbagh polling station,
were hastily running their fingers on
the lengthy voter lists and writing
names on pieces of paper. “Don’t miss a
single voter,” cried an agent to his
mate. “Madam would like to see her party
got the maximum votes.” He was
apparently referring to one of the
females contesting elections from Habba
Kadal constituency.
Apart from 19 other contestants, two
females, Shamima Firdous of National
Conference and Saira Sameer of
Nationalist Congress Party, are in the
poll fray in Habba Kadal constituency
where migrant voters hold the key.
A group of burqa clad women rushed past
the group and hurried their way into the
polling station which was abuzz with
hectic poll activity. The paramilitary
CRPF manning the station held the
mediapersons back with a similar
argument. “We’ve been instructed not to
allow mediapersons to enter the polling
station premises,” a CRPF man wielding
as plastic baton said.
A voter who came out from the polling
booth said one of the CRPF men was
shooting the proceedings with a camera.
Eyewitnesses said that polling agents
who they say were ‘surrendered
militants’ brought outsiders for filling
the boycott void. “They had made prior
arrangements by keeping labourers from
UP and Bihar ready,” said a resident.
Close to the old residence of Hurriyat
chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, CRPF men
guarded a Rajouri Kadal polling station
even more forcefully where 116 votes had
been cast by 3 pm. The area witnessed
fierce clashes between mobile voters and
the residents. Reports of similar
clashes from neighbouring Wantpora also
came in.
Interestingly, voters were conspicuously
absent from the neighbouring polling
stations. “No body came out to vote,” a
resident said. “God alone knows who cast
the votes here.”
Mobile voters were voting freely in
Bemina on Wednesday, residents told
Greater Kashmir over phone.
Firdaus Ahmad Bhat, a young businessman
of Reiteng Khanyar, who said, “I saw
city Mayor taking whirlwind rounds of
the city in a vehicle with a ‘Press’
tag,” explains the reasons behind the
‘extraordinary’ instructions given to
the paramilitary forces. “Because locals
did not participate, they resorted to
their time-tested mechanism of bogus
voting,” he said. “I saw almost
two-dozen vehicles ferrying bogus voters
from different parts.”
He said the security forces did not a
stop the vehicles at a single
checkpoint.
Few days before, PDP’s Tariq Hameed
Karra had said that after “having sensed
the public mood and complete rout” in
the first five phases of polls, the
National Conference was now “desperately
trying to operationalize its traditional
dubious tactics of bogus voting in
Srinagar”.
Karra said he had reports that “NC has
set up paraphernalia in a village in the
vicinity of the city where bogus voter
identity cards are being prepared and
issued to NC cadres from the outside.”
However, reports of Peoples Democratic
Party leaders touring the city also came
in. “I saw PDP leader entering a
Nawakadal polling station,” said
Muhammad Ashraf, a Nawakadal resident.
In many areas, people said their names
had deliberately been omitted from the
electoral list. “We wanted to vote for
National Conference,” said Ghulam
Muhammad, 43, a resident of Kalwal
Mohalla. “Because this is a stronghold
of the National Conference, our names
have not been included in the list.”
“We’ve seen people voting but we don’t
recognise them,” Abdul Majid Matoo whose
electronic voting card showed him a
female by the name ‘Firdausa’. “This is
nothing but a mockery of elections. I
don’t know why the government is
allowing fake voters to vote.”
Many a youth addicted to drugs are lured
into voting because they simply have no
money to buy them. “Youth have taken to
drugs to vent out their frustrations of
joblessness,” said Abdul Ahad Ganai, a
resident of Qalamdanpora. “In absence of
any means of income, polling agents have
targeted them by giving them a little
money while asking them to vote in
return.”
The staff on polling duty did not rule
out the possibility of bogus voting.
“Yes, there are several instances where
bogus voting has taken place,” a
presiding officer on condition of
anonymity said. “The only foolproof
method to establish one’s identity is
the electronic voter cards which are not
there.”
The Reiteng businessman, Firdaus Ahmad
Bhat, saw a ploy in bogus voting. “The
government would sell the turnout to
hoodwink the international organisations
favouring Kashmiris’ right to self
determination,” he said. “Our one lakh
youth did not die for so called
development and roads.”
“I would stick to my cause even if it
takes my life,” he said. |
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NEWS /
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