‘Govt employees, not common people, in crowd’: Omar, Mehbooba target PM Modi’s Srinagar rally

Government employees are being herded at five am in sub zero temperatures into vehicles at Budgam bus stand ferrying them to the PM’s rally. Disheartening to see employees being forcibly mobilised to paint a pretty picture that all is well post 2019 & that people here are… pic.twitter.com/NJePtET2P9

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 7, 2024

“Common people then thronged to the venues with great enthusiasm and returned with hope in their hearts. But this time Kahsmiris know that everything spoken at Bakshi stadium will be to showcase the so-called benefits of illegal abrogation of Article 370 akin to putting salt to their wounds. This visit is only meant to address and drum (up) support among BJP’s core constituency in the rest of India for the upcoming parliament elections,” she posted.

National Conference vice-president and former CM Omar Abdullah posted a screenshot of the list of employees from Srinagar purportedly directed to attend the rally.

“Tomorrow the godi media and agencies will be gushing about the ‘historic crowd’ gathered to hear PM Modi in Srinagar. What they will conveniently forget to mention is that almost none of the people there will be attending of their own free will. The dictatorial J&K government has pulled out all stops to give the PM a crowd because the BJP can’t manage anything in J&K without the administration,” Omar wrote on X.

Tomorrow the godi media & agencies will be gushing about the “historic crowd” gathered to hear PM Modi in Srinagar. What they will conveniently forget to mention is that almost none of the people there will be attending of their own free will. The dictatorial J&K Govt has pulled… pic.twitter.com/NawQGPn8Zf

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 6, 2024

“Employees, men and women both in their 1,000s, are being asked to assemble between 4.30 am and 5.30 am in the freezing temperatures to be bussed to the venue. This participation is not optional. It’s compulsory. Employees who don’t show up are being threatened with disciplinary action by their department heads. Private schools have had their buses commandeered to transport all these employees to the venue. I have lists running into the 1,000s with department details. I’ve redacted a portion of one page out of 140 pages. This is naya J&K…,” he wrote.

Around 7,000 government employees from Srinagar and many from outside the district were directed to attend the rally. They ranged from departments such as school education, Srinagar municipal corporation, higher education, agriculture and social welfare.