Bandipora, Dec 08 (KNO): Senior PDP leader and former MLA Bandipora, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat Tuesday refuted the allegations of distributing money among voters in Bonakoot Panchayat block of Bandipora district stating that the allegations are baseless.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Nizamuddin Bhat while addressing a press conference here at Mantrigam said that the party workers did not distribute the money among the voters, however, the money that was being distributed in the viral video was “a kind of refreshment to the polling agents”.
He said that the polling agents were also made to take oath on holy Quran as they were reports of mischief being done by the rival candidates who were contesting the DDC election from Bonakoot block.
"We don't deny the video, video is authentic but they that is being distributed in that video was a kind of refreshment to the polling agency and not to the voters, which is clear from the video itself, And that were also asked to take an oath just because they don't go betray the party candidate as there were reports of mischief and misconduct being done by the rival candidates," he said.
He further said some Twitter user by the name Nasir Khuihami tweeted the video and made baseless allegations against the party and the alliance candidate without even verifying the veracity of the video.
"It is really unfortunate that some Twitter user without even verifying the facts about the video makes false and baseless allegations against the party. The election machinery should not only verify the facts about the viral video but should also verify those baseless claims that were made by the Twitter user," he said.
He said that every party has a procedure to pay for the refreshment of the polling agents who spare whole day to ensure every worker of party votes in the election and under people's representation act and election rules every party needs to pay the refreshment charges to the polling agents and later on they have to mention that in the election expenditure form.
"With the same intent, our BDC chairman was giving refreshment charges to the polling agents as they had not provided them packed breakfast and lunch for the pooling day. The video is being misinterpreted and the election machinery should verify this without any favour," Bhat said—(KNO)