J&K Police dismisses allegations about harassment of the political workers ahead of Srinagar polls

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday dismissed the allegations leveled by political parties about harassment of the political workers ahead of the elections being held for Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency on Monday.
A day ahead of the polls all major political parties, National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, Peoples Conference, and Apni Party accused J&K’s police of arresting their workers and fearing rigging the elections. The parties even wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking the intervention.
Police said that the allegations were without any basis.
“Statements and speculations of political parties suggesting that Police has been harassing their party workers in different ways at the behest of the other are without basis”, police said in a statement.
J&K Police is committed to enforcing the law and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) guidelines about security in furtherance of free and fair elections, police said.
“There have been actions regardless of party affiliation about violations such as the seizure of cash, narcotics, liquor and preventive actions against miscreants and potential offenders with a background of linkages to terrorism and separatism”, the police statement reads.
J&K Police and its leadership are resolved to secure candidates and political workers, their places of stay, political rallies, and roadshows irrespective of which party one belongs to, as it considers elections as sacrosanct and all players participating in it are therefore equally sacred and also that together we face a common adversary.
“History bears testimony to this. Notwithstanding the common cause and the sacrifices on each side, criticism of the police has been always accepted as a professional hazard”, it said.
However, speculative statements when made against individual Police Officers and put in the public domain, expose the individual to security hazards as seen in the past, the statement further reads.
“Nevertheless, we reiterate our dedication and commitment to impartial enforcement of law”, the statement concludes.
UNI