Srinagar: National Conference leader and Member of Parliament Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday sought an explanation from the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the latest transfers and postings within the police department in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Assembly election.
On Friday, the J&K government after the approval of ECI posted new police chiefs in four districts of Kashmir. Ruhullah said that ECI must explain the motive behind these transfers as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is already in place.
At a press conference in Srinagar, Mehdi expressed concern over these transfers and postings, which he believed may compromise the fairness of the upcoming election. “During the CEC and Election Commissioners visit, our party had emphasized the need for a level playing field, free from government machinery bias or prejudice. We had specifically requested no interventions that could benefit or favour any particular political party. However, the motive behind the police department’s recent transfers and postings, need an explanation from the EC,” he said. The NC leader said that the party has also written a letter to ECI, seeking reasons behind these transfers. He explained that Baramulla SSP was transferred within 10 days after his posting. “Because of this we are worried,” the NC MP said. Mehdi said that restoring Article 370 is just the first step, with the party’s ultimate goal being full autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. He also criticized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lacking a clear plan to resolve the Kashmir issue, despite expressing a desire for a solution. “The National Conference has a structured approach to restoring autonomy,” the NC leader said. He said through the assembly they would begin the fight to restore what has been snatched from J&K. “If we get the majority the first business of the Assembly will be to pass a resolution against the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370,” Mehdi said. ‘With this, we will start the struggle through the legislative assembly to get back what we lost.”
