J&K, Centre differ on forces’ deployment
JAMMU, Aug 29 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Union Home Ministry have different perceptions regarding the deployment of security forces for ensuring incident-free Lok Sabha elections and counter-insurgency operations.

16 left in fray for Udhampur seat
KATHUA, Aug 29 — Sixteen candidates have been left in the fray for the Udhampur parliamentary constituency.

J&K, Centre differ on forces’ deployment
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 29 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Union Home Ministry have different perceptions regarding the deployment of security forces for ensuring incident-free Lok Sabha elections and counter-insurgency operations.

The state government had repeatedly urged the Centre to send at least 20 additional battalions of the paramilitary forces.

Informed sources said during his meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, in Delhi yesterday, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, discussed the security environment in the state which warranted the deployment of additional forces.

The sources said the Prime Minister assured Dr Abdullah that he would take up the matter with the Defence Minister also so that battalions of the Army could be deployed for anti-insurgency operations.

A senior officer of the Union Home Ministry, who is on a three-day visit to the state, said the ministry had come to the conclusion that Jammu and Kashmir did not require additional forces. "I do not think the situation warrants the deployment of additional forces," he said, adding that the Centre could have sent additional battalions, but their transportation was not easy.

When reminded that the Director-General of Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, and the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, had made repeated pleas for rushing additional security forces, the officer said "I will discuss the matter in Srinagar with the authorities concerned".

Senior state government functionaries said that the ensuing Lok Sabha poll in Jammu and Kashmir was different from the elections in the rest of the country. In the troubled state, an incident-free poll would be a defeat of secessionists.

The sources said since the Union Home Ministry had commitments to other states regarding security arrangements, the Defence Ministry might direct the Northern Command to deploy at least 10 to 15 battalions for maintaining law and order in five of the six constituencies as there was no major threat from secessionists and militants in the Ladakh constituency.

What seems to have compounded the problems of the state government is the need for providing a 10-member security team to each candidate. The state may require a large number of police and paramilitary forces for carrying ballot boxes and the staff to polling stations in the far-flung areas and bringing them back to counting centres.

More than 60 per cent of the 6511 polling stations in the state have been declared as highly sensitive.

NC manifesto ill-conceived: BJP
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 29 — The BJP has described the National Conference manifesto as an ill-conceived pledge aiming at reversal of the hard-earned integration of Jammu and Kashmir state with the rest of the country. No nationalist can support this pledge.

Reacting to the manifesto of the National Conference, BJP leaders and party nominee for Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, alleged that leaders of the National Conference in the garb of secularism intended to restore despotic rule of dynasty by having a republic within the Republic of India.

He pointed out that prior to 1953, there was permit system for entry of any Indian into the state and going out of the state like an independent the state was having customs system for import and export of the goods. People of the state were denied democratic rights as there was no jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India and no jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The auditor and comptroller of India could not check accounts of the state spendings. No central labour laws and the people of the state were subjected to the mercy of leadership of one party and no Opposition party was allowed to function and the leaders of pro-India outlook were jailed without trial.

He said Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and reversal of the integration process would not be tolerated just because of the communal exploitation of the certain leaders. Professor Gupta questioned the leaders of the National Conference and their associates in the Congress who had ruled the state during the past 52 years on the plea of the special status but they should explain to the masses that how this so-called special status had benefited the common man.

Taking advantage of this situation they deprived the people of their democratic rights and ‘looted’ the exchequer at will. He added eruption of militancy was the result of the follies of the leaders of the Congress and the National Conference and their wrongs being exploited by Pakistan for which the entire country was still paying a heavy heavy price, in blood and money.

16 left in fray for Udhampur seat
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, Aug 29 — Sixteen candidates have been left in the fray for the Udhampur parliamentary constituency.

Disclosing this here today, the Returning Officer, Mr Chaman Lal, said that a candidate Mr Ram Singh who had filed his nomination papers as an Independent, withdrew his nomination today which was the last day for the withdrawal of nominations.

Later, the Returning Officer allotted symbols to 16 candidates. Five of the candidates belong to national and state parties and were allotted their party symbols. They are Mr Balbir Singh of the Indian National Congress, Mr Jagjivan Lal of the J& K National Conference, Prof Chaman Lal of the BJP, Mr Roop Lal of the BSP and Mr Kabir Shah of the Janata Dal Secular. The other seven candidates who belong to registered parties and were also allotted symbols are Prof. Bhim Singh of the J & K National Panthers party, Mr Pradeep Singh of the Nationalist Congress Party, Mr Des Raj of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. Mr Rajinder Sharma of the Janata Party. Mr Shashi Kumar of the Jana Sangh, Mr Abdul Kabir of the Samajwadi Janata Party and Mr Ghulam Mohd of the Rashtriya Lok Dal. Besides, four Independent were also allotted symbols.