Declare Banihal, Inderwal hypersensitive: BJP to Election Commission

 The J&K BJP today approached the Election Commission for declaring areas like Banihal, Inderwal among others, falling in Kathua-Udhampur Parliamentary constituency as "hyper sensitive" regions.

"The state BJP has approached Election Commission by submitting an application that Banihal, Inderwal, Mahore and Gool-Gulabgarh areas falling in Kathua-Udhampur Parliamentary constituency be declared as hyper sensitive segments," National co-convener of J&K cell of BJP, Chander Mohan Sharma, told reporters. The party has also demanded deployment of CRPF personnel in these areas along with polling staff from outside the state. The party has reasons to believe that there is a "conspiracy of rigging" of elections, Sharma alleged and said that the deployment of J&K Police personnel in these areas will not be desirable in such circumstances.

Sharma also drew attention of Election Commission towards the "frequent" use of chopper by Congress candidate Gulam Nabi Azad.

The expenditure of one hour of helicopter use comes to nearly Rs 1 lakh, which indicates that Congress candidate Azad has already spent Rs 70 lakhs as allowed, and if at all the chopper is being used by him and the chief minister in their official capacities then it is clear case of misuse of government machinery during the currency of Model Code of Conduct, he alleged.