Srinagar, Dec 03 : Several politicians including the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah Friday condemned the attack on District Development Council (DDC) candidate in Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Earlier in the afternoon, unknown gunmen shot at and injured a DDC candidate in Kokernag, who is contesting the polls from Sagam Kokernag block.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Omar Abdullah in a tweet said that elections have always brought out the worst in those forces who have remained inimical to peace in Kashmir.
“Disturbing reports coming in from Kokernag in South Kashmir of an attack on a DDC election candidate. I hope & pray that he survives the attack. Elections have always brought out the worst in those forces who have remained inimical to peace in Kashmir,” Omar tweeted.
The former minister and Peoples Conference (PC) Chairman, Sajad Gani Lone, who is also the spokesman of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), in a tweet said that the attack on him is detestable to say the least.
“The attack on a contesting DDC candidate is detestable to say the least. Violence has been the biggest facilitator in our disempowerment,” Lone tweeted.
Meanwhile in a statement issued to KNO, Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari condemned the attack on Anees-ul-Islam Party’s contesting candidate for DDC elections from Sagaam-Kokernag in district Anantnag.
Bukhari said such violent incidents add to the miseries and sufferings of people and cannot be condoned by anyone in civilized society across the world. “This dastardly attack on our contesting candidate is a manifestation of frustration among forces inimical to peace and rising popularity of the Apni Party among the people,” he said while urging the government to take serious cognizance of this incident and take all necessary security measures in this regard.
Bukhari said those involved in this incident should not be allowed to go scot free and the administration must identify and nab the culprits behind such attacks and book them under stringent laws.
He said that the attack on unarmed grass root level political activists is a show of cowardice which cannot be justified by any means and philosophies patronizing such attackers. He expressed solidarity with the family of Anees-ul-Islam and prayed for his speedy recovery.
Bukhari also sought a thorough security review for vulnerable political workers who reside in more violence prone areas in J&K. “The J&K government should take a review of the security situation and take measures to prevent recurrence of such attacks in future,” he added.
CPI (M) senior leader and former MLA Kulgam, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami in a statement issued here said that the attack on a DDC candidate at Kokernag area of Anantnag by gunmen is highly condemnable and such incidents have no place in civilized society.
“Such acts suit none other than those who want less participation in polls so that the results of these elections can be manipulated, peoples grievances are not redressed and their voices not heard. They want agonies and miseries of common man to remain unattended,” he said.
“To vote or not to vote became a topic of discussion for several years in Kashmir. History and experience sufficiently demonstrates that neither voting nor the boycott changed the political course of Kashmir. However, the boycott of elections virtually leads to disempowerment of people which is the reason that the political parties in J&K decided to participate in DDC polls though announced abruptly,” he added.
He said people must not succumb to such tactics as these have been going on for the last three decades. “There are pressures from the administration on ones side on voters and on the other such elements are harassing and threatening them,” he added—(KNO)
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