News and Events |
Kashmiri Pandits lathi-charged, 4 arrested during elections in Jammu Jammu (India) April 30, 2009 |
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Report and Images by Raman Raina
t least four Kashmiri Pandit voters were arrested and half a dozen were injured when police resorted to mild lathi-charge while they were protesting over non issuance of Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) to exercise their franchise at the polling booths set up in Muthi area on city outskirts for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. As hundreds of migrant voters, lined up since early morning to cast their votes, some of them staged a massive protest after they found their names missing from the voters list and complained about non issuance of EPICs, sources here said.‘’As section 144 CrPC has been imposed in and around the polling stations, the Kashmiri Pandit voters assembled outside the booth and started protesting against the state government on finding themselves missing from the lists,’’ sources told. They took to the streets and blocked the Jammu-Rajouri National Highway near Muthi area amid slogans, sources maintained. However, police tried to pacify the situation but despite an-hour long efforts when the situation went out of control, the police resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse them, sources added.’They were requested to maintain discipline but despite warnings, they continued with the protest and finally we resorted to mild cane-charge to maintain law and order around the polling stations,’’ a senior police official said. The officer, further, said that four protestors were arrested as a preventive measure and the electoral process resumed peacefully after some time. Around 12 polling booths were set up at Muthi, Domana and Purkhoo area for the migrated Kashmiri Pandits for 9,981 voters to exercise their franchise for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections for Anantnag Parliamentary constituency in Srinagar. |
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Raman Raina is Shehjar's Chief Photo Journalist based in Jammi, India. |
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