Crediting militants for smooth polling insult to people: Congress

JAMMU: Slamming Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister for praising Hurriyat and Pakistan for smooth elections in the state, Congress today said, giving such a credit was insult to the people of the state.

"Militants killed the elected panches and sarpanches (elected village representatives) in the valley to spread a fear psychosis amongst the voters there, giving credit to the militants for the smooth conduct of polls is insult to the people who were killed by them," Congress MLA from Bandipora Usman Majid said.

By killing the elected panches and sarpanches during the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir militants had made their designs clear as they were hell-bent to scuttle the poll process in the state, he said.

Terming Mufti's statement as his first gift to people of the state as the CM, Majeed said, "It is an insult to the people of Jammu and Kashmir but Mufti Sahab who is a senior politician and now Chief Minister of the state has discredited the people of the state who had made the elections successful."

Demanding that Mufti takes back his words, the Bandipora MLA said ,"it is the people of the state, election commission and the security forces who had made elections possible and successful in the state."

"Pakistan has always tried to scuttle the poll process in the state, Hurriyat too had launched an anti election campaign whereas militants killed Panches and sarpanches to create fear psychosis amongst the voters, how is he giving credit to them", he said.

Majid said that Mufti has discredited people and the organizations who were actually responsible for the smooth conduct of the elections in the state.

"By such statements he has discredited the institution of election commission, people of the state and security forces and such a statement from chief minister was uncalled for," he said.

"The PDP has its core agenda of self rule in bargain to power with BJP," Majid added.