Now Reading: Omar Abdullah criticises foreign diplomats’ visit to J&K polling booths
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Omar Abdullah criticises foreign diplomats’ visit to J&K polling booths
A delegation of foreign diplomats visited polling stations in Budgam and Srinagar on September 25 during the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir’s Assembly election. The Hindu reports that diplomats from 15…
The Story in Brief
A delegation of foreign diplomats visited polling stations in Budgam and Srinagar on September 25 during the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir’s Assembly election. The Hindu reports that diplomats from 15 countries praised the process, while another report puts the delegation at 16. Omar Abdullah called the visit a “guided tour” and said the elections were India’s internal matter. He also questioned why foreign journalists were not allowed similar access.
The second phase recorded about 57% turnout, compared with 61.13% in the first phase. Srinagar district recorded 29.81%, while five districts crossed 60%. Abdullah and PDP leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra blamed the Centre for the lower turnout. Abdullah said voters did not want their participation presented as proof of normalcy or acceptance of the 2019 Article 370 decision.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative that diplomats’ approval can settle Kashmir’s democratic legitimacy deserves little weight. So does the opposing claim that every low turnout is a deliberate rejection of the Centre. The reported 29.81% in Srinagar matters, but turnout varies by district and election. The fair test is whether voters, candidates and journalists can access the process freely, and whether the final results reflect each constituency’s count rather than any diplomatic tour.
Sources (4): thehindu.com, thehindu.com (2), thehindu.com (3), thehindu.com (4)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
