Srinagar, Oct 10 (JKNS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday criticised the reported suspension of internet services and restrictions in New Delhi ahead of protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the revision of voter lists.
The protests in New Delhi were organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with various opposition and student groups, with demonstrators alleging that the revision of electoral rolls could disproportionately benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and lead to the disenfranchisement of voters.
Reacting to a post about the suspension of internet services from Friday evening, Omar Abdullah wrote on X, as per news agency JKNS, “Kashmir model has been exported to Delhi. Welcome to the New Delhi, modelled on New Jammu & Kashmir.”
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the situation in Delhi reminded her of Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, alleging that people had been confined to their homes, internet services shut down and the region placed under restrictions.
“Today’s Delhi is a chilling reminder of Kashmir after the unconstitutional abrogation of Article 370. People were locked in their homes, the internet was shut down, and an entire region was placed under siege. The BJP then brazenly claimed that nobody had protested,” she wrote on X.
Referring to the reported restrictions in the national capital, Mehbooba said that with trains halted and roads leading to Jantar Mantar sealed, authorities could repeat the claim that nobody had protested against Gyanesh Kumar.
“First crush the protest, then deny it ever happened. This is how enforced silence is passed off as consent,” she added.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of conducting a targeted revision of electoral rolls. The demonstration was led by the Cockroach Janta Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, and was supported by student groups and opposition figures.
Meanwhile, a senior journalist, former executive editor of NDTV and anchor on Dekoder, also reacted to the developments, describing them in a brief post on X as “The Kashmirisation of India.” (JKNS)
