Hurriyat (G) poll boycott call could encourage militant strikes: DGP

Srinagar: Stating that the poll boycott call issued by Huriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani could encourage militants to disrupt the forth coming Parliamentary and assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the Director General of Police Ashok Prasad said that the threats of the militant attacks are persistent particularly during the polls in valley.

Talking to news agency, Mr. Prasad said that Police will utilize all its resources so that the forth coming polls could conclude peacefully and without any militant attacks. “Police in the past also has discharged its duties during the most turbulent times and this time also it will take every possible step to thwart any militant activity during the polls.”
The DGP further stated that Geelani’s poll boycott campaign has given another reason to the militants to carry out attacks during the elections but Police here will never allow anything of that kind happen. “Militants always pose threats whenever there are elections in Kashmir, they did the same during the recently held Panchayat polls and they will certainly do the same in the coming time.”
The DGP further stated: “Geelani has always tried to disrupt the election process in Kashmir except during the elections in which he participated and won.”
However Mr. Prasad stated that this time threats will be less as compared to the earlier elections and that the peaceful elections are the priorities of the state police here. “We want that the elections here must be free, fair and without any fear and we will channelize all our efforts for the same.”
The DGP said that the security across the state will not be tightened more than the previous elections and that the militant threats are comparatively less than the previous ones. “If we will not increase the security during the elections but at the same time we will not decrease it.”