‘Our party workers locked up’: Farooq, Omar Abdullah question PM Narendra Modi

Amid phase 4 voting in Jammu and Kashmir, former CM Farooq Abdullah alleged that his party workers have been locked up since two days.

Published on: May 13, 2024, 12:42:11 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Vaishnawi Sinha

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Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah over their 'normalcy' claim, saying his party's workers have been detained by law enforcement agencies for the last two days. The remark came amid voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Farooq Abdullah (L) along with his son and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah (AFP)

After casting his vote along with his son Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah questioned PM Modi over claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

“...It is sad that they say that there is no violence and everything is smooth but I want to say that the workers of our party have been locked up for 2 days. On one side, they are saying that elections are taking place in a free environment,” he said.

Abdullah said if there was normalcy, why his party's workers were detained ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the union territory.

“I want to ask the Union home minister and PM Modi: Why have our workers been locked? Are they scared that they will lose? They will lose," he said.

Omar Abdullah claimed the administration was trying to vitiate the poll process.

"We have even written their names. Others have only said that their workers are being harassed but we gave the names of our 8 workers. This is an attempt from the administration to vitiate the poll process and it is condemnable," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"We have been waiting for this day for a long time. We were expecting that along with parliament elections, Assembly elections would also take place. I want to appeal to the people of Srinagar, Budgam, Shopian to come out and cast their votes...," he added.

On Monday, three generations of the Abdullah family cast their votes together in Srinagar - National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and grandsons and first-time electors Zahir and Zamir.

It is for the first time since 1998 that no member of the Abdullah family is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar. BJP and Congress have also not fielded any candidate from the Srinagar seat.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)

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