Mehbooba Mufti stages sit-in protest against alleged detention of PDP workers on polling day – Firstpost

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday staged a sit-in outside a police station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district to protest against the alleged detention of party workers and polling officials. Mufti also alleged that her mobile phone had been blocked. Police, however, said those who had been detained were over ground working women (OGWs) and that the step had been taken to ensure smooth conduct of elections.

Mehbooba, one of the 20 candidates contesting from the Anantnag Rajouri constituency, staged a sit-in in front of Bijbehara Police Station on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

The protesters shouted slogans against the Jammu and Kashmir government and demanded the immediate release of those detained. “PDP election officials are being targeted and arrested. I am asking them why but they are not saying anything. If I am so afraid of going to Assembly, the lieutenant governor should tell me not to contest the elections,” Mehbooba told reporters. She said this kind of “injustice” was witnessed in 1987, which many believe led to the rise of militancy in Kashmir.

Police said only a few people had been detained who had a “tainted” past and could pose a threat to law and order on polling day. “Those detained were ground workers and were taken into preventive custody to ensure peaceful voting,” a police official said.

Yasmin, who took part in the protest, said her husband had also been detained. “I have been very worried since last night. He has not done anything illegal but he has been detained,” she said. “We are not even allowed to see him. Today is the voting day and everyone has the right to vote. Why are they being detained and prevented from voting? The law should be the same for everyone,” she said.

Police and civilian officers rushed to the scene and tried unsuccessfully for over an hour to persuade the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader to lift the blockade, authorities said. Police personnel resorted to light baton attacks to disperse the growing crowd, authorities said. Media personnel covering the protests claimed some people were injured by baton strikes.

Mehbooba left the protest briefly to cast her vote. Media personnel were not allowed inside the polling station and were stopped by security personnel 100 metres from the polling station.

Mehbooba is still at the protest site, according to officials. Officials said additional forces have been deployed to quell the situation. On Friday, Mehbooba wrote to the Election Commission alleging that PDP workers and polling station officials had been detained by police.

“Many PDP polling officials and workers have been detained just before voting. When their families go to police stations they are told it is being done on the orders of SSP Anantnag and South Kashmir DIG. We have written to @ECISVEEP and hope for their timely intervention,” the PDP leader said in a post by X.

Early on Saturday, Mehbooba told PTI that calls to his mobile number had been suspended without any explanation. “I have not been able to make calls since morning. There is no explanation for the sudden suspension of services on the polling day of Anantnag Assembly constituency,” Mehbooba said. The PDP also raised the issue in a post on X.

“In the run up to voting, Mehbooba Mufti’s @MehboobaMufti mobile phone services were suddenly disconnected. A large number of PDP workers and polling officials were detained around the polling stations between yesterday evening and early hours today,” the party said in a statement.

With inputs from PTI.

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