The Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir has responded to grievances circulating on social media regarding the alleged intimidation of political workers from certain parties and the use of Section 144 orders during the ongoing elections in the Union Territory.
In a statement posted on X by @ceo_UTJK, the Chief Electoral Officer, stated that the Election Commission of India has taken cognizance of the matter. He has personally spoken to political leaders to address their concerns.
https://twitter.com/ceo_UTJK/status/1789561587197517852/photo/1
Clarifying the use of Section 144 orders, which prohibit the assembly of four or more people, the Chief Electoral Officer explained that as per rules, these orders are issued in all districts for the last 48 hours before polling day. This period is known as the “silence period” for campaigning.
Accordingly, Section 144 orders were recently issued in the Udhampur and Jammu Parliamentary constituencies, and have now been extended to all districts of the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency, including Pulwama.
Regarding permissions for rallies and political meetings, the Chief Electoral Officer clarified that during the entire period under the Model Code of Conduct, which comes into effect with the announcement of elections by the Election Commission of India, specific permissions from the concerned authorities are mandatory.
These permissions are being issued without any discrimination through the centralized ‘Suvidha Portal’ online system, the statement said. The Chief Electoral Officer advised candidates to consider the security concerns of specific areas while planning their campaign events.
The statement from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer comes in response to concerns raised on social media platforms about the alleged intimidation of political workers and the perceived misuse of Section 144 orders during the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
