PDP complains to poll panel against Kashmiri minister

Srinagar, March 30 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sunday lodged a complaint with Election Commission against Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, of the National Conference, for allegedly trying to coax people to join her partyand vote for it by invoking religion.

Terming the issue as a major violation of Model Code of Conduct, the party has urged the poll panel to take action.

PDP's chief spokesman, Naeem Akhtar said a video that has gone viral in the social networking site including Facebook shows Itoo, the state's social welfare minister, and few of her supporters, compelling an old man to support her in the coming election.

He said the issue is very sensitive in nature and it has been brought to the notice of poll panel to show how "cheap tricks are being employed by the NC leaders to buy support".

The letter has pointed out that the minister and her associates are invoking Holy Quran and the affirmation of Muslim faith to seek the support of people shown in the video.

"They are clearly trying to force the people to swear by Quran and their Muslim faith that they would support and vote for the NC candidates," reads the PDP complaint.

Akhtar said it is not the first time that the NC leaders have adopted such methods to engage the electorate in their favour, but they have brazenly misused religion to exploit people in the past also.