Srinagar: A day after being served notice by the Jammu and Kashmir poll body over his “referendum” remark, the People's Democratic Party youth leader and Srinagar Parliamentary segment candidate, Waheed Para, in his reply on Friday clarified that he had not violated the model code of conduct as his referendum remark is being misunderstood “based on conjectures and surmises”.
Para in his two-page reply to the poll body said that the speech in which he referred to the parliamentary elections as a referendum against New Delhi was in fact lending importance to the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir. "Though, the statement made does not require any clarification, however, for the sake of greater clarity, it is submitted that the reference to the aspect that the 'ensuing election is no less than a referendum', only points towards the importance the present election holds and nothing else," Para said.
He said his statement was taken out of context and the inference drawn there “is based on conjectures and surmises". “Any other inference drawn by any person was not his intendment and as such cannot be attributed to him,” he said.
The District Election Officer Srinagar’s nodal officer for the Model Code of Conduct had on May 9 served notice on Para citing one of his campaign speeches in which he has equated election with referendum against New Delhi. The officer has pointed out that Para’s speech has the “potential of aggravating the differences among communities and can cause discontentment in society.”
Para is contesting his first parliamentary elections from the Srinagar seat and is pitched in a tough contest with the National Conference’s three-time legislator Aga Ruhullah Mehdi. Srinagar is slated for voting on May 13 and the campaigning will end on Saturday evening. In all, 24 candidates are in the fray in Srinagar, but the main contest is between the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party.
Read more: Srinagar Lok Sabha Election 2024: PDP's Waheed Para, Apni Party's Ashraf Mir File Nomination
