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| ECI approves relocation of 61 polling stations in Baramulla constituency | | | Syed Tahir Bukhari
BARAMULLA, May 5: For security reasons Election Commission of India (ECI) today permitted the Returning Officer for Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency for relocation of 61 polling stations in North Kashmir's Baramulla district.
According to officials, 61 polling stations have been relocated and clubbed for smooth polling in volatile areas. Among the 61 relocated polling booths 37 are in Sopore Assembly segment, 18 in Baramulla Assembly segment and 6 are in Pattan.
The Election Commission of India has approved the move after approach of district administration to either shift some polling stations from volatile pockets or reduce their number. The authorities submitted the proposal to ECI following suggestions from intelligence and security agencies about possible trouble in some areas on polling day.
According to well placed sources, the move to shift the polling stations from volatile areas was actually to clear the way for voters to ensure smooth participation in polls.
Sources said that intelligence agencies earlier had suggested removing the polling stations from some pockets of Old Town Baramulla, Sopore main town and Palhallan areas to avoid any possible disruption in polls.
Pertinently Palhallan, down town Sopore and Old town Baramulla are considered as the most restive places in North Kashmir. Pro-separatist sentiments are running deep among the youth in these pockets.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir police have launched a major crackdown against alleged 'stone-pelters in which 35 youth have been arrested in different parts of North Kashmir, to prevent any untoward incidents like stone pelting and protests on the polling day May 7 in North Kashmir.
According to reports, complete shutdown was observed today in various parts of North Kashmir’s Bandipora and Baramulla districts
Sources said that, protests and stone pelting were started today in Hajin of District Bandipoa. The protests continued till late in the evening. Reports said that since early morning protests and stone pelting resumed and was going on.
Eyewitness said, police has been hunting for stone pelting youth since past two weeks and arrested of scores of youth has been made on charges of stone pelting in the area.
They said amid shut down, youth pelted stones on Police and CRPF after a father of Muslim League activist and a retired Doctor along with five youth were arrested during the intervening night of Sunday- Monday. Locals alleged that police thrashed old age persons and went brisk in the locality.
Reports said that police arrested at least 15 youth during nocturnal raids in different areas of Bandipora's Hajan area, who are allegedly involved in stone-pelting incidents.
"Police have already claimed that 100 stone-pelters have been identified and they would be nabbed any time. So in this regard people came on roads to foil any attempt of police to arrest youth in the area," the people were on roads for hours during the night, said eyewitness.
"There is apprehension that some miscreants may try to disrupt the law and order on the day of polling in different Assembly segments of north Kashmir. "We are vigilant and have launched crackdown against those miscreants," he added and said that some youth have become the source of 'nuisance' as they indulge in stone-pelting," said the police official. |
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