Employees forced to attend PM Modi’s Srinagar rally, say Mehbooba, Omar

Former J&K CMs criticize forced attendance at PM Modi's rally, highlighting manipulation and coercion by the administration.

J&K’s former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah on Thursday claimed the J&K Lieutenant Governor’s administration “forced” government employees to attend the public rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium and Kashmir International Convention Centre.   

Ms. Mufti, president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed the government employees were herded at 5 a.m. in sub-zero temperatures into vehicles at Budgam bus stand, ferrying them to the PM’s rally.

“Disheartening to see employees being forcibly mobilised to paint a pretty picture that all is well post 2019 and that people here are celebrating their own collective disempowerment and humiliation,” Ms. Mufti said.

She said this stands contrary to earlier visits by previous PMs like Vajpayeeji and Dr. Manmohan Singhji at the peak of the insurgency. “Common people then thronged to the venues with great enthusiasm and returned with hope in their hearts. But this time Kashmiris know that everything spoken at Bakshi stadium will be to showcase the so-called benefits of illegal abrogation of Article 370 akin to putting salt to their wounds. This visit is only meant to address and drum support amongst BJP core constituency in the rest of India for the upcoming Parliament elections,” she said.

Earlier, Mr. Abdullah, vice president of the National Conference (NC), said the dictatorial J&K government pulled out all stops to give the PM a crowd, “because the BJP can’t manage anything in J&K without the administration”. 

“Employees, men and women, both in their thousands are being asked to assemble between 4:30 AM & 5:30 AM in the freezing temperatures to be bused to the venue. This participation isn’t optional, it’s compulsory. Employees who don’t show up are being threatened with disciplinary action by their department heads. Private schools like DPS (Delhi Public School) etc. have had their buses commandeered to transport all these employees to the venue. I have lists running into the 1,000s with department details, addresses & mobile numbers plus transport details. I’ve redacted a portion of one page out of 140 pages,” Mr. Abdullah said, while posting a list of government employees on X (formerly Twitter).

CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami said the administration, at all levels, is operating akin to BJP Parachraks.