Independent poll candidate winners denied ‘fake news’ of joining Peoples Conference

Akhtar Ali/ ANN News Desk

Srinagar, Dec 25: With results of District Development Council (DDC) polls over, some political parties have started ‘horse trading’ in an effort to have its chairman in the DDC.

However, amid the horse trading reports, the “fake news” of joining political parties by independent winner candidates is also doing rounds on social media.

A Panch and Sarpanch from Zangam Pattan area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district Friday accused Imran Raza Ansari and Jammu and Kashmir People Conference (JKPC) of peddling a ‘fake news item’ claiming that the duo have joined their party.

Talking to ANN News, Bilal Ahmad and Tajamul Ahmad Khanday who elected as Sarpanch and Panch respectively in recently concluded Urban Local Body (ULB) by-polls, said that a ‘fake news item’ along with their pictures was shared on various social media handles allegedly by the media cell of Peoples Conference claiming that they have joined their party. The duo contested polls as independents.

“The claims made by Imran Raza Ansari and Peoples Conference are totally incorrect, baseless and bereft of any facts,” they told ANN News.

They accused Peoples Conference of playing ‘dirty politics’ thereby playing with the sentiments of people.

“After being insisted by a party worker of the party, we went to visit Imarn Raza Ansari as a social courtesy only,” they said.

“After reaching there, we congratulated the party and Imran Ansari for the win their candidates had registered. In return, he also congratulated us,” they said, adding, “that we also exchanged garlands with each other and left the place.”

But to their utter surprise and shock, the same evening a news item with their pictures went viral on social media claiming that they had joined the Peoples Conference.

“We were shocked to see our pictures along with the fake news. We never joined the party. We just went to congratulate Ansari as a courtesy that too after their worker insisted,” they said.

“We have nothing to do with their party and we request people not to pay heed to the fake news peddled by the party for their selfish interests,’’ they added.