Srinagar, April 2
The Chief Election commissioner of India, Mr T.S. Krishnamurthy, has made it clear that appropriate action would be taken against officials found guilty of violating the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. He said “the commission seeks a strict compliance to the rules, and no officials or ministers are free to canvass for any candidate or take any biased action”.

“The political parties have made some complaints about the violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the ruling coalition, particularly some ministers travelling with officials”, Mr Krishnamurthy said here today. “We do not approve of such practices. We shall be watching and taking necessary action”, he said at a press conference on the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir. He added that the commission had taken a note of the complaints and necessary action would be taken to ensure strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct.

Accompanied by the two Election Commissioners, B.B. Tandon and M Gopalaswami and Deputy Election Commissioner Noor Mohammad, the commission arrived on a three-day tour of the state here yesterday. The visit is to take stock of the arrangements for ensuring free and fair elections to six Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

Mr Krishnamurthy said the commission had met leaders of recognised and registered political parties, officers of the district administration and police officers and unified command to get a feedback on the arrangements made for the elections. He held that last Assembly elections in the state had been a “very significant event as these were absolutely fair and free”. We are keen to maintain the highest standard to ensure that election is not only on the same level but even better”, he added.

Replying to questions about the boycott of election by some separatist organisations, Mr Krishnamurthy clarified that it was not a democratic process. “We will create conducive conditions for every voter to exercise his franchise freely”, he said.

He held that the voters had full choice adding that the EC was concerned about ensuring that no one was physically prevented from voting, either by fear or prejudice. “We will not allow any person to stop the normal process of elections”, he pointed out.

When asked about the allegations of coercion by security forces during elections, the Chief Election Commissioner held that clear instructions had been given to them to stay neutral. The security forces will not be used to force the voters but to create conducive conditions for the smooth conduct of poll. He said the commission was satisfied that all its instructions had been complied with substantially, adding that lapses, if any, would be looked into.

Mr Krishnamurthy said electronic voting machines would be used at all polling stations and training was being imparted to the staff even in the remotest corners of the state. He said arrangements had also been made for migrant voters to enable them to exercise their right by postal ballots and also by special polling booths. Mr Krishnamurthy said 60 per cent of the electorate in Jammu and Kashmir were provided with the photo identity cards. He said arrangements had also been made for the redressal of grievances related to the elections at the district headquarters.

Jammu, April 2
Several Hurriyat leaders of the group headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, have gone underground after senior Muslim Conference leader, Ghulam Nabi Sumhji, was arrested in Srinagar recently.

Hurriyat hardliners fear police crackdown to prevent them from carrying out anti-Lok Sabha election campaign. So the hardliners are keen to evade arrest so that their movement against people participating in the election was not hampered.

Though leaders of the APHC (Abbas) too have appealed to people to stay away from the poll, the anti-poll campaign in the Kashmir Valley has been launched by the factors led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Indications are that leaders and supporters of the APHC (Abbas) are not to be untouched as the dialogue between them and Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, is under way.

The government has not yet finalised plan of sending hardliners to jails because the ruling coalition is divided over the issue. Those who oppose crackdown on the separatists, engaged in anti-poll campaign, argue that arrest of fellow travellers and supporters of Syed Ali Shah Geelani may help them in regaining political stature. However, others favour their arrest so that people were not scared from voting.

A senior police officer said “anti-poll campaign launched by the Geelani faction of the APHC might not force voters to remain indoors during polling because in 2002 over 43 polling percentage was registered in the state despite call for boycott given by the separatists.”

Shah, who heads the Democratic Freedom Party, and five of his associates were intercepted by the police at Mirgund, near Pattan, 27 km from here, when they were on the way to Kupwara to campaign for the boycott of parliamentary elections, the sources said.

They were taken into preventive custody and lodged in the local police station, the sources said.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik, his deputy Javid Ahmad Mir and another senior leader Sheikh Rashid, were detained in Baramula district before a Friday congregation, the sources said.

Nine more separatist leaders belonging to the Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference were also detained from Mirgun and Watlab in Baramula district shortly before Friday prayers, the sources said, adding Hakeem Abdul Rashid, Maulvi Bashir Ahmad and Mehraj-Ud-Din were among those detained.

Jammu, April 2
The state unit of the BJP today urged the Election Commission to freeze the secret fund and the discretionary grant of ministers that was being “misused” for election purposes.

Srinagar, April 2
Five persons including two militants and a jawan, were killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, official sources said today.

The sources said the body of Jamal Mir, a surrendered Hizbul Mujahideen militant, was recovered from the woods at Panzalla last evening. He was missing since March 31.

Militants shot dead a women at Bona Bazar Shopian in south Kashmir district of Pulwama last night, they added.

An official spokesman said security forces killed a militant at Sumlar, Bandipora in north Kashmir district Baramula today.

Another militant was killed by security forces at Dalwas Darpora in south Kashmir.

The encounter at both the places took place after search parties were attacked by the militants, he said.

Jammu, April 2
As many as 9.37 lakh people paid obeisance at Vaishno Devi shrine in the first three months.

Of them, 1.7 lakh devotees had offered prayers in the just concluded Navratri festival, official sources said yesterday.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor S.K. Sinha visited the base-camp of the shrine at Katra and inspected the work for the darshan deodi (the gateway to the shrine), pilgrim sarai comprising 70 dormitories to accommodate 700 pilgrims, registration counters and lodging houses raised by the Shrine Board.

Mr Sinha, who is the chairman of the Shrine Board, inspected the yatra registration counter, that has been computerized to meet the pilgrim rush smoothly, and interacted with the devotees.