Mufti seeks EC intervention over ‘harassment’, ‘arrest’ of PDP workers

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday sought intervention of the Election Commission to stop the alleged harassment and arrest of her party workers, a day ahead of the polls in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat Waheed Para has accused a senior IPS officer of trying to engineer a low voter turnout in areas where the party has a strong support base. In her letter, Mufti referred to the 1987 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying it is distressing to witness history repeating itself, reminiscent of the 1987 rigged elections that caused immense suffering and political disillusionment in the region. The former chief minister said she was “deeply troubled” by reports that the security agencies were conducting raids and harassing PDP workers in Pulwama and Shopian districts. “Numerous party members, sympathisers, and activists have been arbitrarily detained without justification, apparently as punishment for their efforts to organise public rallies and encourage voter turnout. In a democratic society, it is imperative that both election authorities and state officials promote political participation and ensure a fair electoral process,” she said. “Regrettably, the current situation in these areas is far from conducive to such principles,” she added.

Mufti pointed out that as the custodian of democracy, the Election Commission plays a crucial role in upholding the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring a level playing field for all political parties.