People’s Conference decries poll panel’s notice to Sajad Lone

Srinagar, May 11

People’s Conference on Saturday expressed concern over the recent notice served by the Election Commission (EC) targeting a song shared by party president Sajad Lone on X.

“The video in question is not an official song of the party but rather, a creation by Kashmiri youth. It embodies heartfelt sentiments of the Kashmiri people, vividly portraying the enduring pain and suffering experienced in the region over decades. We firmly believe that sharing such a song, which reflects the painful history of the region, should not be seen as a violation of electoral norms,” stated PC spokesperson Adnan Ashraf Mir.

He further urged the EC to apply the rules uniformly and desist from selective scrutiny, and that fairness and equality are indispensable in preserving the integrity of the electoral process. “It is disconcerting to observe a pattern where the Election Commission singles out our party for scrutiny while displaying leniency towards others. We firmly assert that mistakes of the past, such as those in 1987, characterised by biased approaches of the administration, should not be repeated. A level playing field must be extended to all political entities without prejudice. The Election Commission must avoid disparate treatment of political parties. Rules applied to JKPC should be uniformly applied to all political entities, including the NC,” he added.

The Election Commission had issued notice over the posting of a video by Lone on his X handle. In the notice, the DEO Kupwara has asked him to explain why he uploaded a video on his X handle without prior clearance/pre-certification from Media Certification and Monitoring Committee.