By Anzar Mehraj and Sajid Abbasy
The regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir have accused BJP of hindering their campaign by misusing law enforcement to detain party workers amid the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
Even though the BJP has not fielded own candidates in either of the three parliamentary constituencies in Kashmir – Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag-Rajouri – the party is believed to have extended tacit support to Apni Party and People’s Conference.
Just a few days before voting began on May 13, 2024, for the Srinagar constituency, the PDP, NC, and Apni Party alleged that the Jammu & Kashmir police were detaining and imprisoning their campaign workers.
ADGP wanted minimum turnout: PDP
PDP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Srinagar, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, accused senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar of directing officials to minimise voter turnout by detaining and harassing PDP workers. Waheed also highlighted issues on voting day, noting that presiding officers attempted to reject duly signed polling slips, causing significant problems for PDP’s polling agents. This concern was also raised by senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar, who alleged that voting was deliberately slowed at various polling stations in Pulwama.
“They (BJP) want to control the outcome. They tried to influence the elections and disrupt the PDP. All of this was done to benefit BJP’s proxy parties. They did their best to sway the elections, but in the end, their efforts didn’t achieve as much as they hoped,” said Waheed.
Irshad Abhama, a 55-year-old PDP worker who was detained by the police, said, “I am a zonal coordinator. I, along with three other PDP workers, were picked up by the police for merely campaigning. We were locked up at the Rajpora police station in Pulwama and were only released after the voting concluded. When I asked why we were being detained, the police officers said it was at the direction of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pulwama.”
Workers intimidated to help BJP proxies: NC
The NC Lok Sabha candidate from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, also accused the police of detaining their party workers. On X (formerly Twitter), Ruhullah posted a letter to EC raising the issue of arrests. Ruhullah also alleged that NC polling agents were arrested during the voting day.
“Their (BJP’s) intention was to intimidate my party and our workers to discourage us from campaigning. The BJP was scared because it was becoming clear that the election was leaning towards the NC, as people were enthusiastically supporting us during the campaign. Realising their proxy parties wouldn’t gain any traction, they resorted to intimidating our workers. They also attempted to slow the polling process, discouraging people from coming to vote. When you see the police intimidating any particular political party, it means the playing field is uneven, and the fairness and conduct of the election are questionable. I may not use the word ‘rigging,’ but they did employ unfair means to tilt the ground in favour of BJP’s proxy parties. That’s not how elections should be conducted, and that’s not how law enforcement agencies should behave; they should remain neutral. In this election, it was evident that law enforcement agencies were working at the behest of the ruling party, the BJP,” said Ruhullah.
An NC worker who was picked up on May 12, a day before voting, alleged that he wasn’t even allowed to vote and was locked up on the polling day.
“I was called to the police station by the Station Head Officer (SHO) on May 12 after the Maghrib prayers around 7:30 pm. When I arrived, I saw my name and mobile number written there, but no reason was given for my detention—no crime, no report, nothing. They asked who I was and what I did, even though they already knew I was a campaign worker for the NC,” said an NC worker, requesting anonymity, fearing harassment by the police.
He added: “The SHO asked if I had any prior FIRs. I had none. A young NC worker was also detained with me. I requested the SHO to let me vote, and he initially agreed. However, on voting day, he changed his mind and said I had to remain in custody, so I wasn’t allowed to vote. They released me only after the voting had concluded. It was clear that I was detained solely because I was an active NC worker.”
Apni party workers harassed?
The Apni Party, considered a proxy of the BJP by other regional parties, also alleged that their workers and polling agents were detained just before voting day. They accused the PDP and NC of colluding with the administration to have their workers detained. However, when contacted for a comment, the Apni Party declined to provide a statement, saying they would address the issue soon.
The detentions extended beyond the Srinagar constituency. On May 17, 2024, just days before the Baramulla constituency election on May 20, former J&K chief minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti took to X to highlight the detention of Shoukat Pandit, the main campaigner for jailed leader Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittihad Party (AIP).
“Shoukat Pandit, Engineer Rashid’s main campaigner, has been picked up by Jammu and Kashmir police and detained at Chugal police station. This has been done at the behest of those who want to prevent him from campaigning and thus help their proxy candidate instead. Democracy is being ripped apart in Kashmir,” Mufti tweeted.
Speaking about his detention, Shoukat Pandit said, “I received a call from the police post in Chogul, Handwara, on Friday, May 17th. I was informed that I was being placed under preventive detention, despite having no prior cases against me. I was then locked in the district jail in Kupwara and released on the 21st after voting had concluded. Although the official reason was preventive detention, I believe it was because I was campaigning for the AIP.”
On May 24, 2024, just a day before polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, Mufti again took to X, stating, “PDP polling agents & workers are being asked to report to local police stations. Why are the people of South Kashmir being punished for showing their faith in democracy? Many of our PDP polling agents & workers are being detained just before voting. When the families went to the police stations, they were told that this was being done at the behest of the SSP Anantnag & DIG South Kashmir.”
Baseless allegations: EC
Chief Electoral Officer J&K Pandurang Kondbarao Pole responded to the allegations, saying, “These are baseless allegations. Police have a list of known stone pelters and individuals who attempt to create disturbances during elections. The police call them to the station from time to time for security reasons. It is not at all what the political parties are claiming. As for the claims of slow polling, it was due to the large turnout of voters in Kashmir after such a long time. The increased participation naturally took more time. Otherwise, the voting machines were working properly, and there were no significant issues.”
Advocate Sajid Yousuf Shah, in charge of BJP Media Department Kashmir, responded to these allegations, saying, “These are mere allegations. Apni Party has also made similar claims; does that imply BJP is supporting NC or PDP? Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are conducted by the ECI, and I commend the transparency they have maintained throughout the process. The BJP as a party believes in democracy, and the ECI conducts elections not just in J&K but across the country, ensuring transparency without any doubt.”
Efforts were made to reach ADGP J&K Police Vijay Kumar for comments on these allegations, but there was no response by the time of publication.
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