State Election Commissioner KK Sharma today said that the former Chief Minister and PDP President “has not been detained” in Kashmir.
“I came to know about her detention through the press only. We have checked it with the police and came to know that she was not detained,” Sharma said.
He said: “Mehbooba Mufti wanted to go to Pulwama and the police officials told me that the area where she wanted to go was 50 kms away. It was due to security risk, she was advised not to go there.”
With regard to the complaints that the candidates are “not being allowed to go for poll campaigning” in Kashmir, Sharma said: “When this thing was raised we held detailed meetings with the IG Kashmir along with all SSPs of all ten districts in the Valley. It is not good to deprive anyone from election campaigning. However, in some areas of Kashmir Valley, the security aspect for the candidates has also to be kept in mind.”
He added: “The candidates are asked to share their plans for the election campaign so that appropriate arrangements are made including their security. Due to security concerns, the proper schedules are being prepared for the candidates to facilitate their election campaigns and the police also provide them vehicles. No candidate is being stopped from poll campaigning.”
He said: “We want candidate’s personal life to be secured and at the same time, they should be able to campaign. The message has gone loud and clear in Kashmir. I had said that if there are specific complaints that any candidate was stopped from campaigning, but we have not received any of the complaints.”