Srinagar: As Modi arrives in Kashmir today and will shortly address a gathering at Bakshi Stadium, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah hit out at the Jammu and Kashmir administration for allegedly coercing government employees to attend Modi’s rally.
Contrary to the expected praise in the media, it’s revealed that the overwhelming crowd is not there by choice but due to coercive measures by the administration, Omar claimed in his post on social media as he also shared a list of employees.
According to the former chief minister, thousands of employees, both men and women, are reportedly being forced to assemble between 4:30am and 5:30am in freezing temperatures to be transported to the venue. This attendance is not optional; it’s mandatory, and employees who fail to comply are being threatened with disciplinary action by their department heads.
He said private schools like DPS have allegedly had their buses requisitioned to transport these mandatory attendees to the rally venue. Detailed lists, spanning over 140 pages, containing department details, addresses, mobile numbers, and transport arrangements have been compiled. A redacted portion of one page has been revealed, shedding light on the scale of forced participation.
This unveils a different side of the “new era” in Jammu and Kashmir, where attendance is compelled, and dissent is met with threats, Omar claimed, adding, it remains to be seen whether mainstream media will report on this aspect, given their preference for narratives such as “three families” and a “new era of development.”
