Summarize

Simplifying... Inshort

Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief, staged a sit-in protest alleging poll rigging and unlawful detentions in Anantnag-Rajouri, also claiming her phone's outgoing calls were disabled.
Anantnag Police refuted these claims, stating detentions were minimal and involved individuals with a questionable past.
This controversy comes amidst the first general election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the 2022 delimitation exercise.

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Mehbooba Mufti protests against alleged detentions

Mehbooba Mufti stages sit-in protest, alleges poll rigging in Anantnag-Rajouri

By Chanshimla Varah

May 25, 2024

11:58 am

What's the story

People's Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti staged a sit-in protest on Saturday, alleging that her party workers and polling agents are being detained "without any reason." "PDP workers are being locked up in police stations without any reason. DG, LG, and all officials from top to bottom are involved in this," she stated. Mufti, who is contesting the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, also claimed that there were attempts to tamper with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

EVM issues

Mufti raises concerns over alleged EVM tampering

She further alleged that her mobile phone's outgoing calls have been disabled. "I am not able to make any calls since morning. There is no explanation for this sudden suspension of services on the day of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency," Mehbooba Mufti told news agency PTI. The PDP chief had already written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday regarding the alleged detention of party workers.

Twitter Post

Mufti stages protest with party workers

#WATCH | Anantnag, J&K: PDP chief and candidate from Anantnag–Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, Mehbooba Mufti says, "...They are lying. They have been given the responsibility to rig the elections... This is just to induce fear in the minds of the people so that the Kashmiris don't come… https://t.co/5tZ7uigSNv pic.twitter.com/yh0vEd0yda

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2024

Counterclaim

Anantnag Police refutes Mufti's detention claims

Anantnag Police, however, refuted Mufti's claims of unlawful detentions. They stated that the detentions were few and only involved individuals with a checkered history. "Claims were made by a political party that their workers have been detained. Firstly, detentions are very few & restricted only to those who have a tainted past and based on credible inputs of potential threats to law and order & security on polling day," they wrote.

Election update

Election significance and rescheduling in Jammu and Kashmir

This election is the first general election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. It's also the first election in Anantnag-Rajouri following the 2022 delimitation exercise, which combined Poonch and Rajouri into one constituency. Five Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir are going to the polls in the 2024 elections: Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag-Rajouri, Udhampur, and Jammu. Voting has already concluded for the Jammu, Baramulla, Srinagar, and Udhampur seats.