Poll in valley was farce: Mufti
SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Describing the recently held parliamentary elections in the Kashmir valley as a "farce", former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed here today held that the Election Commission had lost its credibility in Jammu and Kashmir.

2 militants, two others killed
SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Two militants and two civilians were killed and four securitymen injured even as security forces averted a major disaster by detecting an improvised explosive device in Kashmir valley since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Jammu Katra Srinagar

2 BJP MPs oppose NC move
JAMMU, Oct 9 — Two newly-elected BJP MPs from Jammu and Kashmir have opposed the induction of National Conference into the NDA government to be formed at the Centre.

Ex-minister of J&K dead
SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Former Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and freedom fighter Sheikh Noor Mohammad today passed away at his upper Soura residence on the outskirts of Srinagar, official sources said. He was 70.

• Scribe dead
• Chaman Lal Gupta

Poll in valley was farce: Mufti
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Describing the recently held parliamentary elections in the Kashmir valley as a "farce", former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed here today held that the Election Commission had lost its credibility in Jammu and Kashmir. He also blamed the ruling National Conference for indulging in gross violation of rules and misuse of official machinery during the elections.

"The National Conference tried to create fear psychosis and those who voted lost faith in the democratic process", the Mufti said at a press conference held at his Nowgam residence this morning. He said the government used the task force and surrendered militants to harass people, adding that "bogus voters" were moved in special vehicles from place to place to cast the votes.

The people in general were forced to polling stations only to get marks of indelible ink on their fingers, he said.

The Mufti's newly-floated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost all six seats in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Mufti, who contested the Anantnag constituency, lost to Ali Mohammad Naik of the National Conference, while his daughter, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, lost to Mr Umar Abdullah, son of National Conference President and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah from the Srinagar parliamentary constituency. The PDP candidate and Supreme Court lawyer Muzaffar Hussain Beigh lost to Mr Abdul Rasheed Shaheen of the National Conference from the Baramula constituency.

2 militants, two others killed

SRINAGAR, Oct 9 (PTI) — Two militants and two civilians were killed and four securitymen injured even as security forces averted a major disaster by detecting an improvised explosive device (IED) in Kashmir valley since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Security forces averted a major tragedy when they recovered an IED planted by militants near Kaigam on Charar-e-Sharief-Pakherpora road in Badgam district of central Kashmir today. A bomb disposal squad defused it.

Security forces arrested a militant and smashed one of their hideouts even as militants exchanged fire with them at two places during the period.

The two militants were killed and a special police officer injured in a clash with security forces at Malangkote near Sawjian sector in Poonch of Jammu region last evening, the spokesman said.

While two militants were killed in the encounter, the others, some of them believed to have been injured, escaped taking the advantage of dense forests and darkness.

The cops deployed at Sawjian police post were caught unawares when a group of militants opened fire on them from two directions last night, official sources said in Jammu.

The cops returned the fire and reinforcement was rushed to the site to assist the jawans who went after the militants and cornered them from three different directions, following which a fierce encounter took place for several hours, the sources said.

Meanwhile, two civilians were shot dead by militants last night in Kupwara, the spokesman said.

He said three security personnel escaped with some injuries when their vehicle came in contact with IED at Jalalabad-Adipora on Sopore-Bandipora road in Baramula yesterday.

Militants also blasted a hotel in Poonch. However, nobody was hurt, the spokesman said, and added the police arrested a militant from Tengpora-Batmaloo in Srinagar last night, while a self-styled section commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit surrendered at Soura.

Security forces smashed a militant hideout and recovered five RPG rockets and five RPG boosters from the hideout, he said.

JAMMU: A woman was injured in firing from across the border while India and Pakistan exchanged intermittent firing along it here since yesterday, police sources said.

A stray bullet fired by Pakistani Rangers hit a woman on the chest, when she was reportedly outside her house which falls near the border outpost of Jabowal in R.S. Pura. She has since been hospitalised and was stated to be out of danger.

Firing between the two sides along the international border (IB) was stated to be intermittent during the intervening night of October 8 and 9, the sources added.

The two sides fired uninterruptedly at each other along the Line of Control (LoC) the preceding night, the sources said.

No casualty or loss of property to either sides along the LoC was stated.

Katra gears up for Navratras
From Kavita Bhargava

KATRA: Come Navratras and Katra, a placid town nestling amidst Trikuta Hills in the Himalayas, presents a festive look. Thousands of devotees pour in from across the country to witness the nine-day long Navratra festival. This year the festival is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department from October 10.

Continuing for the past 100 years, the festival was declared official by the Jammu and Kashmir Government with the objective of projecting the rich culture and heritage of the region.

The festival has on display a wide range of ancient Dogri art objects.

The town, 55 km north of Jammu and the base camp for the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, is well-decorated arches are erected and local people can be seen dancing at every crossing.

The festival is aimed at highlighting Dogri culture to attract more and more tourists and pilgrims to the Jammu region, says Mr Surjit Singh Bhalla, Director of Tourism, Jammu.

People visiting the festival get acquainted with Dogri music, folk dance and customs. Devotional songs, traditional Dogri music, band concerts, wrestling competitions,horse shows, plants and flower displays, illuminations and festive decorations form part of the festival. Besides, special Navratra and Dogri cuisines are the main attractions of the festival. Handloom products, handicrafts exhibition, a book exhibition and photo exhibitions on pilgrim centres in Jammu and Kashmir would also be on display this year.

Mr Bhalla informed that more than one lakh people had visited the festival last year. To seek the blessings of the Divine Mother in her three manifestations of Maha Saraswati, Maha Kali and Maha Lakshmi, approximately 4.5 million pilgrims visited the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi during the period.

A pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi during the Navratras is considered most auspicious. A lot of cultural activities are organised during the Navratras.

Mr Bhalla said the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board here will be a co-sponsorer of the festival. During the festival, a competition of devotional bhajan will be held daily. Cash prizes would be awarded to the winners. The final competition will be held on October 18 in which winners of first three prizes on the eight days would be eligible to contest.

2 BJP MPs oppose NC move

JAMMU, Oct 9 (UNI) — Two newly-elected BJP MPs from Jammu and Kashmir have opposed the induction of National Conference into the NDA government to be formed at the Centre.

Mr Vaid Vishnu Dutt Sharma (Jammu) and Prof Chaman Lal Gupta (Udhampur) held the party responsible for causing downfall of the central government after its member voted against the Vajpayee government.

NC President and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah last night expressed the party’s willingness to join the NDA government at the Centre. On being asked about induction of Mr Omar Abdullah, his son and party MP from Srinagar, in the Vajpayee government, Dr Abdullah had said it was for the Prime Minister to decide.

Prof Gupta and Mr Sharma said the state BJP unit was vehemently opposed to this proposal and would try to convince the national leadership not to induct the NC into the government.

Both leaders said that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners had fought the just-concluded Lok Sabha election on the basis of national agenda, unlike the NC. "Now the induction of NC is not in the favour of the BJP and the NDA," they said.

Ex-minister of J&K dead

SRINAGAR, Oct 9 (PTI) — Former Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and freedom fighter Sheikh Noor Mohammad today passed away at his upper Soura residence on the outskirts of Srinagar, official sources said. He was 70.

Mr Noor, who first became minister in 1967, held his post till 1972 in the cabinets of GM Sadiq and Syed Mir Qasim.

He was elected to the assembly in a by-election in 1963 from Amirakadal constituency and was appointed Parliamentary secretary the following year.

A graduate from Lahore, Mr Noor entered politics at an early age and joined the then National Conference in 1944.

He was arrested during "Quit Kashmir" movement in 1946.

Scribe dead

JAMMU, Oct 9 (PTI) — O.N. Ganjoo, Special Correspondent of The Hindu, died here last night after a prolonged illness. He was 65.

Ganjoo is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.

During his 45 years of journalistic career, Ganjoo worked with Blitz, UPI, Kashmir Post, Partap, Milap, AFP, National Herald and The Statesman.

Several journalists and social workers attended his cremation ceremony here this afternoon.

Chaman Lal Gupta wins third time
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, Oct 9 — Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, the BJP candidate from the Udhampur-Doda-Kathua constituency, made it a hat-trick by winning the seat for the third straight term with a margin of 1,18,307 votes. Professor Gupta secured 1,94,678 votes while the National Conference candidate, Mr Jagjivan Lal, and the Congress candidate, Mr Balbir Singh, polled 76,371 and 75,838 votes, respectively.