Mehbooba unruffled by FIR

The PDP chief seemed unperturbed by the FIR lodged against her for allegedly intimidating a voter and trespassing in a polling booth.

Peoples' Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti appeared unperturbed by the FIR lodged against her on Tuesday for allegedly intimidating a burqa-clad woman and trespassing in a polling booth during voting for the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary seat on April 26.

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The Jammu and Kashmir state authorities had been asked to file the FIR by the Election Commission (EC).

"The EC has its own credibility and if it feels that action should be taken against me for exposing a bogus voter, let the law take its course," said Mehbooba, who is the PDP candidate from Anantnag

The PDP chief said her action during the polling on April 26 was taken in the capacity of a responsible citizen. "As a responsible citizen, I challenged the woman as she had already made two futile attempts to cast her vote at Burn Hall polling station in Sonawar," she said.

Chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed defended his daughter's action, saying that the National Conference (NC) had been indulging in bogus voting and since Mehbooba was a woman only she could have exposed the fraud perpetuated by the NC using burqa-clad women.

Mehbooba criticised the NC and said during its regime personnel of the Special Operation Group of the police used to throw off the veils of women in the Valley.

EC checks

On HC order: EC will file an appeal in the Supreme Court on the recent Patna HC order asking it to consider countermanding polls in constituencies where jailed candidates whose right to vote has been suspended

Chapra: No date has been fixed for a decision on repoll in Chapra. The two-men EC team is yet to submit its report

Chhindwara: Taking cognisance of poll-eve violence in Chhindwara, EC ordered suspension of two police officials