Srinagar- Objecting to PDP candidate Waheed Parra’s statement asking youngsters to consider the general election as a “referendum” to send New Delhi a “message”, the Jammu and Kashmir election department has asked him to explain the remark within two days and refrain from making such statements in the future.
In a letter to the PDP’s Srinagar Lok Sabha seat candidate, the nodal officer for monitoring the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct said that such statements have the potential to aggravate differences among communities.
Para’s office received the letter dated May 8 on Thursday. In the letter, the poll official drew Para’s attention to his speech available on social media in which the PDP candidate was purportedly heard asking people “not to treat this election as less than a referendum”.
In his speech, Parra had said that a message needs to be conveyed to New Delhi that “people’s silence here should not be construed as their contentment.”
“The future of youth is uncertain; people are scared, uncertain about their security,” the PDP also said.
Talking to media persons on the sidelines of a party convention in Srinagar on April 20, Parra had said there was a need to convey to New Delhi that the “people of Kashmir are not happy” and have apprehensions about the safeguarding of their identity, land and contracts.
The notice also mentioned a part of Parra’s speech in which he had said, “…entire generation is slipping away from us, children caught in drug addiction, educated under depression and future generation is in danger… to save this, we want people to take this election not less than a referendum and send a message to New Delhi that people are not happy…”
The notice gave Parra two days to respond and mentioned that it has been explicitly stated in the MCC guidelines that any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes, communities or religious or linguistic groups shall not be attempted.
“…this act of yours has the potential of aggravating the differences among communities and can cause discontentment in the society… you are asked to refrain from issuing such statement forthwith and also to make clear the exact context and message you wanted to convey to the people and also to clarify your position to the District Election Officer, Srinagar, within two days…,” it read.
The notice further said that non-compliance would invite action under the law.
When contacted, Parra told PTI that he owed allegiance to the Constitution of the country and by using the word “referendum”, he wanted to ask people to come out in large numbers to vote so that the dream of democracy could flourish.
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