Srinagar: Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) Chairman Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai strongly condemned and expressed concern over the nocturnal raids and detention of over three dozen youth by government forces in South Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian districts ahead of parliamentary elections.

Slamming New Delhi, Sehrai said, they are responsible for pushing Kashmir youth to the wall. “The forces have created havoc in the state and created a sense of insecurity among innocent youth particularly in South Kashmir,” he said.

He further added that New Delhi continues to ignore the basic reality and ground situation in Kashmir.

Sehrai said banning organisations, jailing leaders and activists, restricting every peaceful political dissent is not a democracy which Indian state chest thumping across the globe.

“These measures are against ethics of democracy and will have drag down effects .The rights of the people of J&K are muzzled and violated day in and day out,” he said, describing it as “dictatorial and unethical.”

He said “by chocking the peaceful means of protest and denying democratic and basic rights of the Kashmiri people, Indian authorities are negating their own claims.”

Terming ongoing fresh arrest spree and nocturnal raids as “most undemocratic”, Sehrai said that south Kashmir arrest spree is going on unabated, adding that “it is a virtually a political witch-hunt, nothing else.”

He said any opposing viewpoint is being crushed, adding that “these are hallmarks of a democracy which GOI claimed turning into fascism when it comes to dealing Kashmir.”