Anantnag, May 25 (IANS): Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, Mehbooba Mufti sat on a dharna on Saturday alleging that her party workers had been arrested to prevent their participation in the voting process.

Mehbooba Mufti blocked the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Bijbehara area after she sat on a dharna on the highway.

She claimed that her party workers and some polling agents had been arrested to prevent their participation in the poll process.

“Why have my party workers and polling agents been arrested? Is this the participation in the voting process that the government has in mind?” she asked officials who came to persuade her to end the sit-in.

“I have not been able to make any calls since morning. There is no explanation for this sudden suspension of services on the day of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency”, she said.

Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti has written to the Election Commission seeking immediate intervention to protect the democratic process from becoming partisan.