‘Baseless’: J&K Police refute allegations

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, May 12

As three major political parties — the NC, PDP and Apni Party — have been accusing the police of arresting their workers ahead of Monday’s poll in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, the police on Sunday said the allegations were without any basis.

“Statements and speculations of political parties suggesting that the police have been harassing their party workers in different ways at the behest of the other parties is without any basis,” a police statement said.

“The J&K Police is committed to enforcing the law and MCC guidelines pertaining to security in furtherance of free and fair elections. There have been actions regardless of party affiliation pertaining to violations such as seizure of cash, narcotics, liquor and preventive actions against miscreants and potential offenders with a background of linkages to terrorism and separatism,” it added.

“J&K Police and its leadership is 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 sacrosanct and all players participating in it are therefore equally sacred and also that together we face a common adversary,” the statement further said. “History bears testimony to this. Notwithstanding the common cause and the sacrifices on each sides, criticism of the police has been always accepted as a professional hazard,” the statement added. “However, speculative statements when made against individual police officers and put in the public domain expose the security hazards as seen in the past,” it said.

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