Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 29: In a major violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the Parliamentary elections, a National Conference (NC) senior Minister, has been caught on camera, raking religious sentiments of a man, to forcibly persuade him to enter her party.
In the video, Minister for Social Welfare, Sakinaa Itoo, is seen persuading the man by invoking his religious sentiments to work for her party in upcoming elections.
The National Conference senior leader and sitting Member Parliament (MP), Mehboob Beg is contesting elections from the Anantnag constituency against People’s Democratic President, Mehbooba Mufti that is going for polls next month.
The man in the video is surrounded by Sakina Itoo and her supporters. They are pressing him to support the party in upcoming elections.
In the video, that has gone viral on the social networking site, Itoo is asking the worker to swear on Holy Quran that he would work for the Minister in campaigning for Parliamentary elections and persuade people in her party’s favour.
“Swear on Quran that you will follow Madam (Sakina Itoo) during elections and ensure your support to her. You should not deviate this time from your path,” the supporters are heard saying to the man in the video.
Despite repeated refusal, Itoo even asks the worker to swear on Allah and his beloved Prophet (SAW) to ensure votes of his family in her favour.
The worker in the video keeps on resisting, and refuses to swear by Holy Quran. He pleads them to believe him on humanitarian grounds that he would support the Minister in getting maximum votes.
The Minister and her supporters force the man to recite ‘Kalima’ and join hands with the Minister. “Holy Quran is not meant for swearing. Either you don’t believe me or there is something else. Inshallah (by God’s will) I will work for madam (Sakina Itoo) in future,” replies the man in video to Itoo and her workers.
Itoo’s workers even lure the worker that all his demands would be fulfilled, if he supports her in the upcoming election. “You will have to work for the madam (Itoo) like you did in 1996 and in return all your demands will be fulfilled. Swear now and promise that your family will vote for us,” say the supporters of Itoo in the video.
In return, Itoo asks the worker to forget all the complaints and accusations and puts garland round his head which the worker also resists.
Additional Returning Officer Kulgam, Mohammad Haroon told Excelsior: “We haven’t received any complaint or copy of such video. Whenver we get video, we shall send it to the Video Reviewing Committee. They shall check the genuineness of the video and then it shall be forwarded to Election Authorities for appropriate action. Seeking votes in name of religion is a violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and any such violation will be dealt seriously.”
Returning Officer of Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency, Saugat Biswas, told Excelsior: “Since it has not happened in my jurisdiction, the Deputy Commissioner Kulgam will take action.”
Sources in the Election Commission say that use of religion for garnering support is a major violation of model code of conduct. “If there is any evidence it should be immediately brought to the Elections Commission so that action can be initiated”, sources added.
Sakina Itoo when approached for her comments didn’t pick the phone.
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