SRINAGAR: Slammed by non-BJP parties for allegedly keeping their candidates locked up in hotel rooms while providing personal guards to their rivals to step out and campaign for the DDC polls, J&K Police on Thursday said “collective security” was being arranged for everyone to move about and engage with voters Friday onwards.
“It is difficult to individually provide security to every candidate. So, the strategy is to secure the area where campaigning is underway so that everyone is covered,” IGP (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar said.
In a video that went viral on Wednesday and was shared on Twitter by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Congress candidate Mohammad Shafi is seen alleging that the electoral process has been reduced to a farce. “The government asked us to join the DDC polls, but after filing our papers, we are being locked up in hotel rooms. In contrast, BJP candidates have been provided all the facilities. They have security cover, besides transportation. This is an absolute betrayal.”
Mehbooba’s tweet about the “pretence of security” led her poll ally, National Conference’s Omar Abdullah, to ask, “If the security situation isn’t conducive to campaigning what was the need to announce elections?”The first phase of DDC elections is scheduled for November 28 and the eighth and last one on December 19. The results of elections to 280 seats — 14 each in the 20 districts — are to be declared on December 22.
