Jammu: As the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Election gets underway, polling has also begun in the he Anantnag seat of Jammu and Kashmir which was earlier scheduled for voting on May 7 but was deferred by EC citing adverse weather conditions. Soon after the polling process begun, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti staged a protest by sitting on the road and alleged that PDP polling agents and workers are being detained just before voting without any reason.

Mufti said, “PDP workers are being locked up in police stations without any reason. DG, LG, all officials from top to bottom are involved in this. They have locked up PDP polling agents in police stations. You had said that there will be free and fair elections but you are doing all this...Complaints are being received from places that efforts are being made to tamper the machines (EVMs).”

Meanwhile, she also claimed that outgoing calls on her mobile number have been suspended without any explanation. “I am not able to make any calls since morning. There is no explanation for this sudden suspension of services on the day of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency.”

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, where voting is currently underway.

The PDP also flagged the issue in a post on X. "Just ahead of the polls, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti's @MehboobaMufti cellular phone service has been abruptly snapped. Yesterday evening and in the early hours today, scores of PDP workers and polling agents were detained across polling belt," it said.

On Friday, Mehbooba had written to the Election Commission claiming that PDP workers and polling agents were detained by police.

"Many of our PDP polling agents & workers are being detained just before voting. When the families went to the police stations they are being told that it's being done at the behest of SSP Anantnag & DIG South Kashmir. We've written to @ECISVEEP hoping for their timely intervention," the PDP chief had said in a post on X.