Omar Abdullah writes to Election Commission over ‘cancellation of election rallies’

National Conference (NC) candidate Omar Abdullah on Thursday addressed the Election Commission of India and accused the administration of “unfair cancellations of scheduled campaigns” in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.

“I am writing to express my utmost concern over the recent unfair cancellations of prior permissions granted to the JKNC by the Sopore Police Commissioner, where the police were informed about the campaign schedule and organization of events,” Mr. Abdullah said.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Sopore, demanded that the party “be postponed to other dates”. “The order is devoid of any reason why campaign rallies and meetings should be rescheduled. This denial of permission is aimed at derailing the party’s political campaign and preventing it from running its campaign effectively,” Mr. Abdullah said.

The police have asked the NC to reschedule election campaigns between May 9 and 18. This will likely have an impact on the campaign rallies to be organized by Mr Abdullah on May 9, 12 and 10.

“The decision to cancel these permissions is not only arbitrary, but also a blatant and blatant attempt to surreptitiously disadvantage the JKNC compared to other political parties. This discriminatory action constitutes a direct attack on democracy and the principles of fair competition in the electoral field. It is unconscionable that while some political parties enjoy unrestricted access and support from the administration, the JKNC is subjected to constant obstruction and harassment,” Mr. Abdullah said in the letter addressed to the ECI.

He said selective targeting was not only undemocratic but also gravely contrary to our fundamental rights. “It is requested that the Commission immediately take cognizance of the said matter and issue necessary instructions to SP Sopore so that the given campaign schedule is allowed to be executed,” the NC candidate said.

He said failure to quickly resolve this issue “will only serve to undermine the credibility of the electoral process and erode public confidence in the institution created to uphold the values ​​of democracy.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Abdullah lost his cool in Kalaroos area of ​​Kupwara when the administration ordered him to conclude his program “ahead of schedule”.

“It is this intervention that the administration, mainly external agents, engages in. I will tell stories from Pakistan, Russia and China, even from children’s books, but I will not finish my speech before the scheduled time of 2 p.m.,” Mr. Abdullah told his supporters.

Mr Abdullah’s fresh allegations come just a day after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti accused the administration of “denying him permission to hold rallies” in some pockets of Tral , in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.