In what seems to be an attempt to portray support for BJP in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the territory’s authorities have instructed over 7000 employees to attend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium on Thursday.
According to Kashmir Media Service, employees from 13 departments including education, sports, agriculture, social welfare, rural development and others have been ordered to ensure their participation in the event. Additionally, the Food Safety department has received specific instructions to ensure the presence of representatives from 62 bakery shops located throughout the city.
The employees are from different districts in the Valley. The New Delhi-installed IIOJK administration has ordered private schools in Srinagar to ferry these employees in their buses to the Bakshi Stadium.
Indian daily The Hindu quoting an official circular said, “All Departmental/Sectoral Nodal Officers shall strictly ensure that vehicles allotted to their respective sectors shall only be utilised at respective identified pickup locations, keeping in view of the security measures.”
According to reports, Indian agencies have been ordered to run a background check and find out whether the employees, who have been directed to attend Modi’s rally, have any links with the ongoing freedom movement.
The Telegraph reported that the authorities have prepared two lists — the first contains the names of “7,000 participants (government employees, including college professors) along with a transport plan for VVIP visit”. The other has the names of 221 nodal officers appointed to facilitate their attendance.
The newspaper said that it spoke to some of the employees whose names were on the list. “We found our names on the twin lists, which were widely circulated among employees. We have been told to present ourselves at the pick-up points at 5.30am on March 7. We do not know what we are supposed to do there,” an employee of the agriculture department requesting anonymity to the Indian newspaper.—KMS
