DDC poll candidate shot at
Srinagar: In the first attack on a District Development Council (DDC) election contestant south Kashmir, militants shot at and injured an Apni Party candidate in Anantnag district on Friday, police said.
Aneesul Islam Ganaie was shot at by the terrorists in Sagam area of Kokernag in the south Kashmir district, a police official said.
Ganaie, who is contesting the ongoing DDC polls on an Apni Party ticket, sustained minor injuries to his hand and leg.
“Today at about 1200 hours Anantnag police received information about a terror crime incident at Sagam Kokernag area of District Anantnag, where terrorists had fired upon a DDC candidate. Senior police officers immediately reached the terror crime spot,” a police spokesperson said.
This was the first attack on a candidate contesting the eight-phase DDC polls in Jammu and Kashmir being held from November 28 to December 19.
The spokesperson said Ganaie was allocated cluster accommodation in Khanabal.
“After the end of the scrutiny period, Ganaie was instructed to get escort personnel for campaigning purposes which he did not take,” he added.
The police spokesperson said all the candidates have already been instructed to inform the police before going out for campaigning.
“The information regarding Ganaie’s movement was neither conveyed to PCR nor to concerned police station,” he added.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar has requested all the candidates and vulnerable people to inform concerned PCRs or police stations as and when they are desirous of going for poll campaign or other such movements so that appropriate security arrangements are accordingly provided to them, he said.
Meanwhile, several political parties including the Apni Party and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami condemned the attack.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commissioner K K Sharma has condemned the attack on an independent DDC candidate.
SEC said that the candidate had been advised by police on 3rd December after scrutiny of nominations to get escort for campaigning which he unfortunately did not take. He further said that the candidate has suffered minor injuries and his condition is stable.
A case has been registered by the police and they have advised all the candidates to follow the security SOPs. SEC maintained and added that a security review of candidates is also being under taken. (with PTI inputs)
