Mehbooba Mufti claims outgoing calls on her mobile number suspended

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday, 25 May, claimed that outgoing calls on her mobile number have been suspended without any explanation.

"I am not able to make any calls since morning. There is no explanation for this sudden suspension of services on the day of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency," Mehbooba told PTI.

The former chief minister sat on a dharna alleging that her party workers had been arrested to prevent their participation in the voting process.

Mehbooba Mufti blocked the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Bijbehara area during the protest, the IANS reported.

“Why have my party workers and polling agents been arrested? Is this the participation in the voting process that the government has in mind?” she asked officials who came to persuade her to end the sit-in.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, where voting is currently underway.

The PDP also flagged the issue in a post on X.

"Just ahead of the polls, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti's @MehboobaMufti cellular phone service has been abruptly snapped. Yesterday evening and in the early hours today (25 May), scores of PDP workers and polling agents were detained across polling belt," it said.

On Friday, Mehbooba had written to the Election Commission claiming that PDP workers and polling agents were detained by police.

"Many of our PDP polling agents & workers are being detained just before voting. When the families went to the police stations they are being told that it's being done at the behest of SSP Anantnag & DIG South Kashmir. We've written to @ECISVEEP hoping for their timely intervention," the PDP chief had said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti also campaigned for her mother on 25 May. According to media reports, Iltija is hopeful that her campaign will work and the voters will come up in large numbers in Anantnag parliamentary constituency.

During the campaign, Iltija said, "Polling is deliberately being slowed down in Khanabal polling station number 26."

However, the PDP has appealed to the Election Commission for an urgent intervention to ensure free and fair elections. In a letter to the chief election commissioner, the party said it seeks the commission's immediate attention towards "a grave matter that threatens the integrity" of the polls.

The PDP appealed to the commission to direct the state police to release all detained polling agents of the PDP without delay and ensure that no further "hindrances" are created by the state administration that could affect the conduct of free and fair elections.

With PTI inputs