Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday alleged that the J&K administration is threatening government employees to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium on March 7.
In a long post on ‘X’, Abdullah claimed that the employees who don’t show up for the PM’s rally have been threatened with disciplinary action by their department heads.
“The dictatorial J&K Govt has pulled out all stops to give the PM a crowd because the BJP can’t manage anything in J&K without the administration. Employees, men & women both, in their 1000s are being asked to assemble between 4:30 AM & 5:30 AM in the freezing temperatures to be bused to the venue. This participation isn’t optional, it’s compulsory. Employees who don’t show up are been threatened with disciplinary action by their Dept heads,” the NC leader said.
He further claimed that have a list of thousands of employees who have been asked to attend the PM’s rally.
“I have lists running in to the 1000s with department details, addresses & mobile numbers plus transport details. I’ve redacted a portion of one page out of 140 pages,” he added.
According to sources, the J&K Lieutenant Governor’s administration has directed over a dozen departments to send their employees to the venue of PM’s rally.
Elaborate security arrangements have also been made in Srinagar ahead of the prime minister’s rally. This will be Modi’s first visit to the Kashmir valley after 2019 when the Article 370 was abrogated and J&K split into two Union Territories.
The BJP is trying hard to make it a mega rally as it is being held days before the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections is enforced.