Hundreds detained in Kashmir ahead of vote

Paramilitary soldiers arrive at their assigned polling station for election duty on the eve of polls in Srinagar yesterday.

Agencies/Srinagar

More than 500 people were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of another phase of general elections in the state scheduled today, police said.

The suspects had been detained as a precautionary measure after incidents of stone-throwing and other violence during voting in southern Kashmir on April 24, deputy commissioner of police Farooq Shah said.

“Nobody will be allowed to disrupt the electoral process,” Shah said, adding that 400 “trouble-mongers” had been taken into preventive custody in the state capital Srinagar and its surrounding areas alone which go to polls today.

“We will continue to make these arrests to instill confidence among voters and so that no one attempts to intimidate people by resorting to violence against those who want to exercise their electoral franchise,” he said.

Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in five phases, with two more to go.

Voting in Anantnag constituency on April 24 saw a poor turnout of 28%, with militants calling for an election boycott and local youths holding protests.

An election official was killed and five others wounded the same day when militants attacked their vehicle in Shopian district, about 50km south of Srinagar.

On Sunday, 14 people were injured when an unidentified man hurled a hand grenade at a rally led by federal Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah in the central town of Magam.

Abdullah, a member of the state’s ruling National Conference Party, and an ally of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, addressed the gathering later in the day.

His son Omar Abdullah is the state’s chief minister.

Kashmir sends six members to the 543-member Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.

More than 10,000 poll staff deployed at 1,546 polling stations in Srinagar reached their places of duty and will spend the night there while over 50 paramilitary troopers and local policemen began securing the sites.

Due to security reasons, all the polling staff would spend the night at polling stations set up at 968 places.

A total of 241 companies of the central paramilitary forces and over 10,000 local policemen have been deployed for polling duties in Srinagar.

"Every official of the state administration connected with the poll process and every policeman in the constituency has been kept at the disposal of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair voting tomorrow," said a senior state government official.

It is one of the heaviest deployments of security forces even by standards of Kashmir where Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and armed policemen have been a common sight in cities, towns and villages during the last 23 years since armed violence started there.

For the first time, CCTV cameras mounted on vehicles have been parked outside sensitive installations, traffic crossings and other vulnerable places.

This is in addition to the CCTV cameras already installed in the city.

Quick reaction teams (QRTs) have been formed for quick and prompt response to any untoward incident during the voting.

A total of 1.2mn voters would be exercising their franchise in the three districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal and Badgam which comprise the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat constituency.