Srinagar, July 26
Seventh anniversary of ‘Op Vijay Divas’ to commemorate the Kargil war of 1999 was observed with military fervour at Dras War Memorial in Kargil district of the Ladakh region today.

Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, laid wreaths at Dras War Memorial at the base of the Tololing features. Senior Army officers, a large number of ex-servicemen, civil dignitaries and political leaders attended the function this morning. Warm tributes were paid to the officers and soldiers, who laid down their lives in the Kargil war. “It was on this day that the Indian Army added a new chapter to the annals of our long and cherished tradition of courage and bravery by evicting the enemy from the icy peaks along LoC”, Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor said on the occasion. Lt Gen J.K. Mohanty, 14 Corps, Commander and Maj Gen V.S. Tonk, Division Commander, also paid tributes.

Mr G.L. Batra, father of late Captain Vikram Batra, Mr Gopi Chand Panday, father of late Captain Manoj Panday, Col (retd) V.N. Thapar, father of captain Vijayant Thapar, and Mr Kelshing Peter, father of late captain K. Clifford Nogrum. Mrs Jalajya Vishwanathan, wife of late Lt Col Vishwanathan, Mrs Kiran Adhikari, wife of late Major Rajesh Adhikari and others also attended the function.

A polo match between the local teams and Army units was also played. Light and sound show, depicting op Vijay battles was organized by Mr Amir Raja Hussain and Mrs Viraat Raja Hussain, theatre artistes.

The Army displayed equipment used in the Kargil war, which included captured weapons. 

Jammu, July 26
The confrontation between the hardliners and the moderates in the Jamait-e-Islami in Jammu and Kashmir has further increased with the former having set up a “save constitution committee” for countering what they call unconstitutional steps having been taken by the Jamait leadership in organising the organisational elections.

Mr Abdul Khaliq Sofi, a staunch supporter of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, heading the hardliners, has been appointed convener of the committee.

Jamait sources said today that the party leadership was contemplating a move to expel Mr Geelani and 14 of his supporters from the Jamait-e-Islami on the charge of encouraging revolt within the organisation.

Earlier, Mr Geelani and three of his supporters, including Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, were suspended from the organisation and when the dates for the organisational elections drew near, the moderates, led by the Jamait Amir, Mr Nazir Ahmed Kashani, issued a notice to Mr Geelani and his associates to quit the Tehrik Hurriyat Conference so that they could remain members of the Jamait-e-Islami by June 30.

Mr Geelani was informed that under the Jamait constitution, a Jamait member could not float another organisation and be a member of another organisation.

The faction, led by Mr Geelani, did not respond and instead staged demonstrations during the party poll in the districts of Srinagar and Kupwara forcing the Jamait leadership to defer polling in these two areas.

However, Mr Kashani and his supporters have hit back and completed the organisational elections at the district level in the Kashmir valley, which was to be followed by the election of Amir and other office-bearers.

The hardliners have accused Mr Kashani of having “violated” the party constitution by “manipulating” the ouster of Mr Geelani’s supporters from the ongoing party poll.

The faction, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has announced to launch an agitation against Mr Kashani and his associates.

Jamait sources said Mr Kashani had been left with no other choice except to expel Mr Geelani and at least his 14 supporters who were creating problems in the smooth functioning of the religious organisation.

And if Mr Geelani and his supporters were expelled from the parent organisation it will lead to a major split in the Jamait-e-Islami.