Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 15: National Conference today alleged that Government is making concerted efforts to discourage the opposition from coming out and campaigning by downgrading their security and appealed the Election Commission to direct the alliance to provide necessary security to the functionaries of NC and Congress.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, NC leader and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah said: “Concerted efforts are being made now on the part of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and BJP alliance Government to discourage the opposition from moving out to campaign. Our security is being downgraded. Bullet proof vehicles of party functionaries are being withdrawn and escort vehicles are being taken away”, he alleged.
The former Chief Minister said candidates, who contested elections in 2014 polls, are now being told to manage without a Personal Security Officers (PSOs) in highly volatile areas in districts of Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian.
“So on behalf of NC and Congress I would like to make an appeal to the Election Commission that they need to direct the State Government to provide all necessary security to all the functionaries of the two parties (NC and Congress), so that we can take our message to the people,” he said.
Lashing out at the Government over these concerns, Omar said let the people decide in which direction they would choose to go.
Asked if his party will ask EC for re-introduction of ballot papers amid a growing chorus questioning the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Omar said he is not concerned about the issue right now.
The NC leader said that NC and Congress will contest the Parliament by-polls together through seat sharing arrangements in the Kashmir valley. “The NC president, Dr Farooq Abdullah will contest the Parliament by-polls from Srinagar seat while the JKPCC chief, G A Mir will contest from Anantnag seat”, he said.
Omar said that alliance between the two parties is not compulsion but it is a strategy to emerge as winner in the by-polls. “The alliance didn’t take place due to the shortage of candidates but for the reason that anti-establishment vote should not get divided. We think that there was no better way besides going for alliance to emerge as winners in the Parliament by-polls. There are no compulsions in the politics but all the decisions are being taken after the proper discussion,” he said.
He further said that from today, his colleagues will start campaigning for the victory of G A Mir. “We had various discussions regarding the alliance and before addressing presser, we met at the residence of Farooq Abdullah to discuss the matter. The Congress party has assured us that they will extend their full support in the by-elections”, he said.
Mir, while addressing the press conference, said that after the notice of ECI was made public regarding the by-polls, they decided to choose the candidates together. “Besides NC-Cong discussion, we met with the people as well who suggested us to go for by-polls together. We will strongly contest the elections to defeat our political rivals,” he added.
The Congress president said that it is a challenge to contest the elections at present. “The State Government must provide adequate security so that the campaigning for the seats won’t get affected,” he said.
He said that Government has snatched all the security from them. “The bullet proof vehicles and other major security have been withdrawn from us by the Government. We appeal to the ECI to direct the Government to provide adequate security so that the campaigning won’t get affected,” he added.
The parties also said that since 2014 particularly from last year, both the parties are working together to highlight the plights of Kashmiris. “We will try to focus on the sufferings of youth and will try to highlight the plights of people of Kashmir. Besides, we will stress upon the dialogue process, which is the only way to resolve the Kashmir issue,” he said.
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