SRINAGAR: Apni Party was slammed by the local political parties on Saturday for "forcibly gathering" people for its rally in a stadium here after videos on social media showed the crowd leaving the venue while the event was still on.
Reacting to the videos, Democratic Azad Party leader Salman Nizami alleged that the people were "forcibly gathered in the stadium as if they were prisoners."
"By managing gatherings of people with money, they cannot win the hearts of people and will spoil the future of youngsters," he said.
Nizami said if people were "forced" to attend a rally, then how could the party claim it was a political rally.
"It clearly shows the rally was sponsored by BJP," said Nizami, who in September this year defected from Congress to join DAP, launched by Ghulam Nabi Azad.
"These money-power leaders only need chairs for their luxurious life but not for benefit of the people of Kashmir. Now, democracy by the people, for the people, has now changed into Democracy by the money, for the money, and of the money," he said.
National Conference alleged that people were lured with food to the rally, which ended in chaos.
"What the hell is going on? Why would you cage people when they want to leave? They are saying they were invited for food and tea. Anyway, seems like the event ended in absolute chaos for Apni Party," the party's social media cell chief Sarah Hayat Shah said on Twitter.
The Apni Party rally which initially saw a good turnout, failed to hold people's interest, as many began to leave the venue even while party president Altaf Bukhari was addressing it.
Many party leaders were reportedly seen trying to convince the crowd to stay back as they left in droves.