Restrictions mandated under ECI’s SOPs: DC Pulwama
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 11: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti alleged today that the imposition of Section 144 was aimed at harassing people and preventing them from casting their votes, terming it “unprecedented.”
Addressing a press conference here, the PDP president also accused the administration of selectively targeting her party, stressing that there was no point in the “election drama” if they want to repeat what happened in 1987.
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“From today, Section 144 has been imposed in Pulwama, which is unprecedented. At the same time, for the last several days, our workers have been detained in police stations. Not only in Pulwama, but even in Surankote where nearly 60 workers have been detained,” she said.
Mufti said that they (the administration) are creating a strange atmosphere and “if the ECI wants to repeat 1987, then why are they resorting to the election drama? They are saying that the militancy is over, then why have they imposed Section 144? It is to harass people so that they do not come out to vote.”
She said that the people of Kashmir are still struggling with what happened due to the alleged rigging of the 1987 elections, stressing the support which her opponents are getting.
“The entire machinery is working for their support. A 70-year-old worker, Azam Malik, was detained for 2 days; our movement has been curtailed there. I ask the LG, if they want to do this, why this drama? We are still struggling with what happened in 1987,” she said.
“Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave trust to the people of J&K in the electoral process, but today it is being decimated” she said.
Mufti urged people that they will have to tell Delhi that those who were put into jails-making a reference to Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra who is the party’s candidate for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat-“we have now made them our advocates, representatives to be sent to Parliament; BJP put people in jails, and one among them has been made as the candidate who was in jail for 3 years”.
In reply to a question, the PDP president asserted that PDP has been talking about the issues which J&K faced for the last 5 years and “they believed that we do not exist, as was said by the NC that PDP does not exist.” She noted that, however, “on the ground, the situation is opposite and that’s why they are targeting PDP.
Meanwhile, the District Administration of Pulwama today stated that the restrictions imposed under Section 144 in the district have been mandated by the specific SOPs of the Election Commission of India for the last 72 and 48 hours of poll campaigning.
In a post on X, DC Pulwama informed that such orders have been issued by other districts as well. He said that the ECI guidelines mandate specific SOPs for the last 72 hours and last 48 hours.
“Under Section 126 and Section 130 of Representation of People’s Act 1951 and SOPs edition 2 Para 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3 mandate issuing of Order under Section 144 CrPC,” he added.
The DC said that such orders have been issued by other districts also who went to polls or are going to polls. “The restrictions apply to specific activities related to campaign, being silent period. Restriction relate to only specified points in order and not general restrictions,” he said.
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