KL Report
SRINAGAR
The random and late night checking has been intensified in Valley especially in Ganderbal and Bandipora districts which go to polls in the first phase on 25 November.
In the first phase of polling on November 25, voting will be held in 15 Assembly segments spread across seven districts of Bandipora, Ganderbal in Kashmir Valley, Kargil, Leh of Ladakh region, Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban of Jammu region. Of these 15 Assembly seats going to polls in the first phase, Congress and National Conference had bagged seven seats each while PDP had won one seat in 2008 Assembly polls.
Sources said that security has been tightened in entire Kashmir to foil any attempt to disrupt the poling. Large numbers of Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength at all the sensitive areas in valley.
Eye witnesses told KNS that late night and Random frisking of pedestrians and checking of vehicles was witnessed in Ganderbal, Bandipora and other areas of the North Kashmir on Wednesday. Police say these are “security measures” taken in view of the poling.
In Bandipora, cops were seen frisking haphazard searches of vehicles and frisking of commuters. Policemen were also checking documents of bikers and light motor vehicles.
“At several places we were ordered to get down from our vehicle. The cops asked for identity cards,” said Waseem, a school teacher, who travelled from Bandipora to Ganderbal.
“We are fully prepared to foil any design of miscreants to disturb the polling. We are ready for holding polls without any disturbance,” Inspector General Police (IGP) Kashmir A G Mir told KNS.
Almost all separatist groups have called for a boycott of voting in the valley.
