Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 5: In a major crackdown ahead of polls in Baramulla constituency on May 7, over 400 youth were arrested by police from various parts of North Kashmir to ensure that protesters don’t disrupt the polls.
Sixty one polling booths were relocated for security reasons by the Chief Electoral Officer of the constituency, Farooq Ahmad Lone. These polling booths were located in the sensitive localities of Baramulla, Sopore and Pattan towns. The areas where these polling booths were located were prone to stone pelting and protests.
An official spokesman, however said: “For the facilitation of voters, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved relocation/clustering of 61 polling stations in the Baramulla, Sopore and Pattan Assembly segments of Baramulla Parliamentary constituency.”
A notice issued by District Election Officer, Baramulla today said that among the 61 relocated polling booths, 37 are in Sopore Assembly segment, 18 in Baramulla Assembly segment and six are in Pattan Assembly segment.
Meanwhile, police conducted raids at various places since Friday arresting at least 400 youth who were in the past allegedly involved in stone pelting and holding protests. Besides this, activists of separatist political organizations in the constituency were also rounded up.
These arrests have been mostly made in Baramulla, Sopore, Palhalan, Rafiabad, Hajan, Bandipora, Kupwara and Handwara area. In some cases, youth were asked to report to the police stations and were detained there.
A police official said that these youth were taken into preventive custody and will be released after the voting ends in Baramulla constituency on May 7. He said that these arrests were made as a precautionary measure.
Police today arrested four persons for pasting anti-election posters at Singpora area in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The arrested persons have been identified as Mehraj-ud-Din Mir son of Ghulam Hassan, Mohammad Jamal Dar son of Ghulam Mohammad, both hailing from Karhama Kunzer, Abdul Rehman Gogree of Hardaboora and Abdul Hamid son of Abdul Gaffar of Archanderhama.
Police on Saturday arrested Dr Ghulam Qadir, a scholar and a noted writer after addressing a Friday congregation at Rafiabad in which he asked people to stay away from elections. A group of students today protested against his arrest in Kashmir University. They demanded his immediate release.
The Hajjan town in North Kashmir today observed shutdown against the arrests including a cleric. Pulwama town in South Kashmir also observed shutdown against booking of a youth, Waseem Bashir son of Bashir Ahmad Sofi, under Public Safety Act.
His family members said that Waseem is a minor as according to school records, he was born on September 2, 1998. Waseem has been sent to Kathua jail. However, SSP Pulwama, Tejinder Singh said that the age in the documents provided to him showed that Waseem is 23 years old. “He admitted before the Judicial Magistrate that he is 23 old,” the SSP said.
In the meantime, authorities have made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of polls and to deal with Anantnag and Srinagar like situations where poll parties and security forces were attacked by protesters on poll days.
Over 30, 000 police and para-military forces are on poll duty to ensure smooth polls and deal with the law and problems. Besides this, Army is also sensitizing the areas to put pressure on the militants and prevent any militant strike on the eve of polls.
The Army, police and CRPF has already started night patrolling in the sensitive areas to prevent any militant strikes against the security forces or polling staff. It may be mentioned here that a poll official was killed and 5 others were injured when militants attacked a poll party in Shopian on April 17.
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