J&K: Rahul Gandhi blames PDP-BJP govt for violence, poor voter turnout during elections

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has slammed the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir for failing to conduct smooth elections in the state.

New Delhi, April 11: As Kashmir is once again boiling in the wake of killings of eight civilians by security forces after violence erupted during bypoll in the Srinagar constituency on Sunday, the Congress has targeted the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly mishandling the situation.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said that the elections in Kashmir reflect the total failure of the BJP-PDP alliance and the Centre's Kashmir policy. He added, "Decades of hard work to build trust in the democratic process in Kashmir reversed in less than three years by the BJP government."

The Congress has also demanded the resignation of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. "The BJP-PDP government in Jammu and Kashmir should accept that they have failed the people of Kashmir and we demand the CM's resignation. The reason we demand her resignation is not to politicise the issue of Kashmir, but it is her people who by not turning out in the election have issued a vote of no confidence against the government," party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said.

Omar Abdullah, the former CM of Jammu and Kashmir and leader of the National Conference, also criticised the ruling PDP for failing to conduct smooth elections in the state.

Massive violence and a very poor voter turnout marred the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll on Sunday, while byelections for 10 assembly constituencies across eight states, including in the national capital, saw average to enthusiastic polling.

In Kashmir, eight civilians were killed and scores injured in clashes with security forces as mobs tried to attack polling stations in the Srinagar parliamentary constituency that recorded a poor seven per cent voting -- the lowest in the state in three decades.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has deferred Anantnag bypoll scheduled on Wednesday to May 25, in the wake of violence in the state.

OneIndia