The crackdown on Jamat-e-Islami and the additional deployment of central armed police forces is “purely” part of an election exercise undertaken to ensure free and fair polls in Jammu and Kashmir, a media report quoting police said on Saturday.
Quoting a top police official, news gathering agency KNS reported: “the arrival of Central forces and arrests of leaders and activists of separatist groups including Jamat-e-Islami is part of election exercise undertaken to ensure free and fair elections in the state along with other parts of the country.”
The official, according to the report, said they won’t allow any election boycott campaign by the separatists. “… and all such people including separatists will be detained to ensure incident free fair and transparent elections in the state.”
He advised people not to panic because of reports of additional deployment of forces in the valley.
In a massive crackdown, authorities have detained dozens of Jamaat-e-Islami cadres in the Kashmir Valley, including its top leadership during a mass crackdown.
The nocturnal raids were conducted in south, central and north Kashmir districts to mop up the senior-most members of the political group.