Even as most of the city electorate boycotted LS polls, bogus voting was witnessed at a polling station in Srinagar during which a Kashmir Reader Correspondent was assaulted by a mob, while he was covering polls in Srinagar parliamentary constituency.
Chaotic scenes were witnessed at a polling station 91 Sultan Mohalla, Mir Behri, Bud Kadal (18 - Hazratbal) as polling agents were seen arguing with presiding officers.
Although the polling station, which is situated in Shia dominated Mir Behri area of Dal, witnessed brisk polling with 448 polls out o 645, the polling officials described the polling as ‘not peaceful.’
Junaid Nabi Bazaz, a Kashmir Reader correspondent was assaulted by a mob while covering polling at the same polling station.
Kashmir Reader said the booth had been overtaken by polling agents and supporters of a particular party, while the poll and security staff were being intimidated.
The poll staff was silenced into submission inside the booth, and their queries about the identity of voters responded with threats, he said.
The ire turned towards Junaid as some of the men suspected him of shooting the incident on his mobile phone.
Junaid was rescued from the mob by the CRPF personnel.
“At least six men grabbed me by the collar and attempted to trample me, before I was rescued by the paramilitary personnel,” KR reporter said.
Illegal practices were witnessed at the polling booth as a minor girl was allowed to vote despite the presiding officer objecting to her age. Few persons calling themselves as polling agents of a particular party were seen harassing the polling officials and threatening and intimidating them.
A polling agent accompanied voters to the EVM machine several times despite frequent objections by the polling officials. Another polling agent was seen arguing with the polling official to allow him to vote for an aged relative as the aged relative was at home and could not walk to the polling booth.
Some voters, when asked to produce a voter card, argued with the presiding officer terming that ‘these are unheard of rules, which they have never followed’.