Srinagar : A complete shutdown was Wednesday observed in various parts of Kashmir against the conduct of ongoing Municipal polls in the state. Meanwhile Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has in a statement said that boycott and shutdown in poll bound areas was an indication of total rejection of what it called “shame elections”. The shutdown call was given by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
All the shops and business establishments remained closed in the poll bound areas while as the traffic was also thin on the roads. Director General Police Dilbagh Singh said the phase two of the municipal elections according passed off peacefully. Tight security was put in place in the poll bound areas to ensure peaceful atmosphere for the voters to cast their ballots, police officials said, adding that no untoward incident took place through the day.
Meanwhile, witnesses said that the restrictions were also put in place at several Old city areas during which the commuters were not being allowed to pass through the restriction bound areas. The mobile internet speed was once again reduced to 2g on Wednesday and continued to remain working on the same speed till late evening hours.
Meanwhile Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik said that people again rejected and dismissed the elections through a boycott and protest shut down against it.
JRL in a statement said “with the prior announcement of mayor of Srinagar city by the state authority, manipulation of election timing to 6 am, further military deployments across the valley, continuous arrest of pro-freedom activists and youth, internet bans, the farce of this discredited and preposterous election being undertaken by the authoritarian state gets more and more exposed with each passing phase..”
Saying that “the only purpose behind this highly manipulated and authoritarian exercise is as always, by fudging facts and figures to sell to the outside world the myth of Indian democracy at work in J&K and people’s ‘participation’ in it, and hence push back the narrative of J&K disputed status and the need for conflict resolution”, JRL said “Let GOI try all the tricks and artful ploys up its sleeve, the fact of the matter is that J&K was is and will remain a dispute till it is addressed as per the political sentiments and aspirations of its people in deciding their future,” JRL said, adding that people’s slogan is clear “No to all election only right of self determination.”
