SRINAGAR: The bypolls to Srinagar parliamentary seat on Sunday was marred by violence and at least eight people were killed and dozens of others injured in security forces firing during clashes across the central Kashmir.
The voter turnout was only 7.14 percent, which is lowest in past 28 years of turmoil.
“7.14 percent voting took place in Srinagar parliamentary seat comprising 15 Assembly segments spread over three central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal,” J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shantmanu told reporters, hereafter conclusion of voting.
He said of 1261395 eligible voters, 90050 votes were polled.
It is the lowest poll percentage recorded for the Srinagar Lok Sabha in the Valley in last 28 years of turmoil.
The seat had recorded 26 per cent polling in 2014 elections.
The CEO said 200 incidents of stone pelting were reported during the day from the poll-bound areas.
The authorities had deployed 200 companies of paramilitary forces to ensure smooth conduct of polling in 1559 polling booths spread over three districts.
The mobile internet and broadband services in Srinagar and other parts of Central Kashmir were snapped since midnight.
As the polling started, youth at many places in central Budgam, Srinagar and Ganderbal district took to roads and staged protests. Chanting pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans, they pelted stones on the security men deployed for security of the polling booths and also attacked the polling stations.
The clashes were more intense in Budgam district, where three youth were killed in security forces near encounter site recently.
As the clashes persisted, security personnel fired live ammunition, pellets and tear gas shells on the protestors. Seven persons were killed and over 100 injured in the security forces firing.
Two people each were killed in Dalwan area of Chrar-e- Sharief, Beerwah and Chadoora and another in Narabal. All the seven deaths took place in Budgam district.
A youth identified as Omar Farooq was killed by security forces firing on protesters in Barsoo area of Ganderbal district in the evening, taking the death toll of people killed in the day to 8.
A health official said all the dead had bullet injuries while over 100 injured had bullet, pellet, tear gas shell and stone injuries.
CEO said 100 security personnel were also injured in the stone pelting incidents.
In today’s polling, the areas including Chrar-e-Sharif, Beerwah and Budgam in Budgam district and Ganderbal and Kangan in Kangan district and Fakir Gujri, Batamalooo, and interiors of Dal Lake and Shia-dominated areas, which used to witness brisk and heavy polling, witnessed very low turnout.
In two polling booths in Cheerwan area of Kangan town, only six people had cast vote out of 690 votes till the afternoon. The area used to witness heavy polling in the past but this time around people stayed away from the poll process.
Most of the polling booths presented a deserted look and in some areas, where voting took place, the voter turnout was very low.
All separatist groups and militant outfits had called for the poll boycott and asked people to stay away from the electoral process.
At a polling booth in Galwanpora, Budgam, the youth attacked a polling booth and took the polling staff hostage.
They chanted pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans inside the polling booth and in presence of the CRPF men. Later, they clashed with the security personnel, who resorted to baton charge do disperse them.
In another area, the protestors locked the main gate of the polling station and damaged the EVMs and poll documents. They took the polling staff hostage and they were rescued after five hours.
At some places, the polling was stopped in the afternoon after stone pelting incidents.
Although nine contestants are in the fray for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat but the main contest with between opposition National Conference’s president Farooq Abdullah and ruling PDP’s Nazir Ahmad Khan.
After casting his vote at a polling booth at Sonawar, Abdullah said PDP-BJP government failed to provide a conducive atmosphere for a peaceful election.
“The government failed to give peaceful atmosphere to people so that they can come out and vote. The government frightened them,” he said.
Abdullah said the situation has deteriorated and held the government responsible for it.
He stood by his statement that stone pelters were fighting for Kashmir resolution.
"They are not fighting for themselves. They are fighting for the cause of Kashmir. They are fighting for peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue," said Abdullah.
Meanwhile, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, who spearheaded over five-month-long agitations in Valley last year, have called for a two-day strike in Kashmir against the killing of seven civilians in security forces firing today.
“Boycott in central Kashmir serves an eye opener for Indian rulers and it a clear a message that people will never accept this forced occupation,” they said and asked the mainstream NC and PDP leaders to quit mainstream politics and join them.