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Friday, February
15, 2002,
Chandigarh, India  
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BJP
stalwarts to boost campaign in Jammu Two
militants killed in valley
Efforts on
to revive pashmina industry |
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BJP stalwarts to boost campaign in Jammu Jammu, February 14 Those expected to boost the BJP campaign for the Lok Sabha byelection to the Jammu constituency during the next six days include Mr Arun Jaitly, Union Minister for Law, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, both former Delhi chief ministers, and the party President, Mr Jana Krishnamurthi. The Congress candidate, Mr Madan Lal Sharma, who has received ample support from Mr Sat Mahajan, a senior Congress leader from Himachal, is expecting Mr Digvijay Singh, Mr Arjun Singh, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ms Mohsina Kidwai and Mr Satyajit Gaekward to play the last-minute vote-catching exercise through rallies. Congress campaign managers, headed by Mr Sat Mahajan, have targeted the BJP and the National Conference in their bid to woo voters. Mr Mahajan and Mr Mangat Ram Sharma have started raking up the issue of the greater autonomy demand to convey to the voters that the National Conference is trying to reverse the process of integration and integrity of Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Sat Mahajan, who, along with a senior party leader, Mr Gulchain Singh Charak, addressed at least 14 pre-poll rallies in the Nagrota and the Bishna Assembly segments wherein Mr Mahajan said the Congress had handed over power to Sheikh Abdullah in 1975 simply to strengthen the integration of the state and the country. However, his son, Dr Farooq Abdullah, was trying to reverse this process by demanding the restoration of the pre-1953 constitutional status to the state. He said if people did not vote for the BJP and the National Conference it would not affect the Central or the state government but vote against these two parties would definitely force the state and the Central governments to take suitable steps for mitigating the problems of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. The Panthers Party candidate, Prof Bhim Singh, has been fulminating against the Resettlement Act, which provides citizenship rights to those who had migrated to Pakistan and the occupied Kashmir since 1947 provided they returned to this side, alleging that if it was implemented it would open floodgates for terrorists. He is trying to project himself as the saviour of the people of Jammu by having succeeded in getting a stay from the Supreme Court. And he and his party supporters have decided to set ablaze copies of the Resettlement Act in Jammu tomorrow during a rally. However, National Conference campaigners, led by Dr Farooq Abdullah, do not pay any attention to the Panthers Party accusations on the plea that it “does not merit any recognition.” Dr Abdullah, during his rallies, has been sharp in lambasting Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, whose PDP has fielded Mr Tasaduq Hussain, by telling people that even when the Mufti was heading the PCC he had secret links with the Muslim United Front and at present he and his daughter were visiting houses of militants killed in operations by the security forces. Dr Abdullah has been emphasising on peace, better Indo-Pak relations and in this context he has urged the US President to mount pressure on Gen Pervez Musharraf to stop aiding cross-border terrorism. Since the PDP candidate has the potential of splitting the vote-bank of the National Conference, especially in Poonch and Rajouri districts, Dr Abdullah has, in a series of rallies in these areas, targeted the Mufti and his party. He tried to secure a sympathy wave for himself when he told the voters that he was keen to serve the country by getting elected either to the post of President or Vice-President of India and his son, Mr Omar Abdullah, would fill the vacuum created by his march to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Pak-bashing has been the main content of his party’s campaign in favour of Mr Talib Hussain whose main asset is that he is being regarded as one of a few decent and gentle leaders in the National Conference. The BSP candidate, Sheikh Abdul Rehman, has been crippled by meagre resources with the result that his campaign has been limited to the belts considered to be the BSP strong hold. He, too, like the Congress has started fearing rigging in the poll and has gone to the extent of justifying the Hurriyat Conference charge that elections in Jammu and Kashmir have never been free and fair. |
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Two militants killed in valley
Srinagar, February 14 A foreign mercenary was killed in an encounter with security forces at Malhan in Poonch district in Jammu last night. Some ammunition and explosives were recovered from him, the spokesman said. Militants killed one Mohammad Tajum after chopping off his nose and ears at Pattiyan-Thanamandi village in Rajouri district last night, he said. Body of one Abdul Rashid Bhat was fished out from Nullah Limber in Boniyar area of Baramula district in north Kashmir last night. Militants fired on Solian-Mankote village in Poonch district yesterday causing injuries to a civilian. Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police apprehended three Hizbul militants from Goonikhan and Maharaj Bazaar in the heart of Srinagar last night, the spokesman said. The arrested ultras were identified as Imram Ahmad alias Deepu, Muddasir Shafi Dar alias Sajid and Bilal Ahmad Khan alias Bilu, he said, adding five hand grenades, three rifle grenades, two detonators and some explosive were recovered from them. SOG apprehended two more militants of the outfit, Abdul Hamid Shah and Mushtaq Ahmad Changa, from Arampora and Shalapora areas of Sopore in Baramula district and recovered a pistol, two rifle grenades and four detonators, he said. Another Hizbul militant, Abdul Rashid Mir, was arrested from Sheermarg-Handwara in Kupwara district, he added. JAMMU: Two persons, including a Border Security Force jawan were injured in Pakistani firing near International Border (IB) in R.S. Pura-Akhnoor area of Jammu frontier, official sources said here today. Pakistani troops continued small arms firing along IB in Akhnoor, Samba, Hiranagar and R.S. Pura areas of Jammu frontier since last night, they said adding the BSF retaliated and the intermittent exchange of fire was still continuing. One BSF jawan identified as P.K. Singh, was injured critically in the firing at Pindi Border Out Post (BOP) and was later hospitalised, the sources said. Another villager identified as Chandan Ram was injured in the fire exchange from across the border this morning at Faqira Chak near in Akhnoor area and was hospitalised, the sources added. In another incident, one militant was killed in an encounter with troops in Malan area of Surankote hills of Poonch district today, the sources said.
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Efforts on to revive pashmina industry Srinagar, February 14 The state government, he said, had taken up the matter with the Centre so that artisans, including women, marginalised by the introduction of machines might not suffer any more. Reviewing the functioning of the Department of Handicrafts at a state-level meeting here recently, the Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Commerce and Industries, Dr Mustafa Kamaal, said the handicraft sector which had sustained people, especially artisans, to a great extent during periods of turmoil, would be strengthened further. A comprehensive plan which would benefit four lakh families of the handicraft sector in the state had been formulated, he added. The meeting was attended by the Director, Handicrafts, Mr G.H. Khan, the OSD Ministry of Industries, Mr Rafiq Ahmad Qadri and senior officers of both divisions of the state.
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