Anantnag Administrator, PDP Lock Horns After 10 Party Workers Booked for 'Violating' Covid Norms

The top civil administrator of Anantnag district and the People’s Democratic Party are locked in a serious confrontation, which began on Friday after the party’s supporters were stopped from gathering for a mourning event of late patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

The district administration asked police to book 10 PDP leaders, including a former minister, for breaching Covid-19 protocols, on Saturday. The PDP hit back at Anantnag district magistrate Dr Piyush Singhla by releasing a video, in which a person who looks like Dr Singhla is seen “dancing without a mask”.

The video is apparently filmed on new year’s eve at Pahalgam resort. A large gathering is reported to have come for the celebration, and many can be spotted without masks.

The video was tweeted from the PDP’s official handle, seeking to corner Dr Singla on Covid safeguards. “Here DC Anantnag dancing on New Years eve without a mask where crowd ran into thousands but when it comes to PDP, COVID-19 suddenly resurfaces and turns political,” the party tweeted.

Before the video went viral on different platforms, an executive magistrate in Anantnag had directed police to book 10 PDP leaders, including former minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, for allegedly violating Covid protocols at an event to mark party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death anniversary.

These leaders include Sartaj Madni, Sayeed’s brother-in-law and former deputy speaker of the legislative assembly, and former minister Abdul Rehman Veeri. Leaders and hundreds of supporters had milled in Bijbehara township to offer fatiha to Sayeed on his sixth death anniversary.

Party president Mehbooba Mufti was seen arguing with a police officer asking why they had been stopped from taking part in a prayer function. “These people are holding guns or pelting stones. All they want is to hold a fatiha.(prayers for the dead). Why should that be a problem? Moreover, we have permission,” she told the official.

Dr Singhla said while the party had permission, there was a cap on the size of participation in view of Covid. “The organisers were briefed about the Covid SOPs and gathering numbers. Despite repeated requests, they come up with massive numbers. They were then asked to proceed for prayers as per given permission,” he said.

Mufti reacted saying it appears that Covid-19 norms only applied to her party and not others that were holding rallies regularly.

“Covid 19 restrictions apply only to PDP. Not to BJP’s protest in Kashmir yesterday, PM’s rally in Punjab or the mass pujas attended by hundreds of people to pray for his safety. Talks volumes about J&K administration’s brazen bias,” she tweeted.

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