KL Report

SRINAGAR

Boycott in North Kashmir was not observed by the people but was enforced upon them with the ‘criminal intimidation’, said Director General of Police (DGP), adding that the militants, separatists and stone throwers in unison threatened people not to go near to the booths.

The state police chief Prasad maintained that the appeal for the boycott of polls is unobjectionable but the same was carried out with the ‘criminal intimidation’. “The fear psychosis was created in the entire area that if people vote, they will be scorned and attacked.” Prasad said that the militants, separatists and stone throwers worked for a single point agenda and that all three were interconnected vis-à-vis the poll boycott. “Separatists issue the strike call, stone throwers enforce that and militants glue threat posters. What we are seeing on ground is the threat perception being created in the minds of people.”

He maintained further that the police are acting only in accordance to the law and when the law says that the stone pelting is illegal- it has to be stopped and that is the job of the police force. “The people who are objecting to the police action against stone throwers should contest elections and pass the law in the assembly to legalize the stone pelting.”

Pertinently, polling was held in North Kashmir’s Baramullah Lok Sabha seat on May 7 amid clashes and shutdown reported from various areas of the region. Five to six people including police and CRPF personnel were injured during the clashes between security forces and stone pelters. The stone pelting incidents were reported from the various areas of North Kashmir including Fateh Garh, Nadihal, Baharmpora, Saripora, Wadan, Hadipora, Bumai, Main Chowk Sopore, Dangerpora Sopore. The North Kashmir on Wednesday witnessed a total of 39.6 percent polling. District Kupwara recorded 63.19 per cent, Baramulla 25.4 percent and, Bandipora 35.5 per cent. (KNS)

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