J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Azad adopts anti-NC posture
Jammu, April 10
The Congress welcomed PCC chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on his first visit to the winter capital, who fired the first salvo against the ruling National Conference by announcing at a largely attended public rally that the next government in the state would be that of the Congress.

‘Give Shiv Sainiks arms to fight ultras’
Jammu, April 10
The state unit of the All India Hindu Shiv Sena, while bearing the state government and the Centre for not formulating an effective strategy for containing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, has urged the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to sanction sophisticated weapons for over 1,000 activists of the organisation for fighting militants in the hilly areas.

Threat to kill contestants
Srinagar, April 10
Radical pro-Pakistan militant outfit Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, banned under POTA, today threatened to kill those who contested or campaigned in the next Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir. “Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir cannot stand as candidates and fight elections under the Indian Constitution as it amounts to strengthening the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by India,” JuM said in a statement.

Azad adopts anti-NC posture
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 10
The Congress welcomed PCC chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on his first visit to the winter capital, who fired the first salvo against the ruling National Conference (NC) by announcing at a largely attended public rally that the next government in the state would be that of the Congress.

“Do not have any misgivings that I have an alliance with the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah,” he said, adding that in the ensuing Assembly elections the Congress “will fight against the National Conference to win power.”

Mr Azad said: “I have not come here to rule but to apply balm to the hurt feelings of people of the state.” Blaming the NC for having failed to tackle militancy, he said during the past five years of its rule, militancy-related violence had increased and had spread to several areas in the Jammu region which had been free from the menace before 1996.

Adopting an anti-NC posture, he said the government had failed to check corruption and unemployment.

Mr Azad said gun was not the solution to violence and suggested that all parties sit together to reach a solution. He said Pakistan continued to aid and encourage terrorism and of late, attempts were being made by Pakistani agencies to cause communal divide in the state.

Earlier, Mr Azad, accompanied by Mr Satyajit Gaekward, AICC Secretary, was given a rousing reception at the Jammu airport. Large crowds waited for several hours to listen to Mr Azad despite the sweltering heat.

All senior and prominent leaders, including Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Mohammad Aslam, Mr Ayub Khan, Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, Mr Raman Bhalla, Mr Yogesh Sawhney and Mr G.S. Charak, were present at the airport and also addressed the rally.

They crtiticised the “nexus” between the BJP and the NC. They said the party would now function as a single unit, free of groupism.

After a gap of about 10 years, Congressmen were seen sharing the same platform today. Reports said the work done by Mr Gaekward and Mr Sat Mahajan, party leader from Himachal, in forging unity among the warring Congress groups during the recent byelections, had been further cemented with the appointment of Mr Azad as PCC President.

‘Give Shiv Sainiks arms to fight ultras’
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 10
The state unit of the All India Hindu Shiv Sena, while bearing the state government and the Centre for not formulating an effective strategy for containing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, has urged the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to sanction sophisticated weapons for over 1,000 activists of the organisation for fighting militants in the hilly areas.

Stating this the president of the organisation, Mr Yogesh Gupta, told newsmen here today that he had handed over a list of 1,000 Shiv Sainiks to the Union Home Minister who were prepared to fight terrorists in collaboration with the security forces. He said there was no response from the Centre so far.

Mr Gupta referred to the positive role members of the village defence committees were playing but they were handicapped by paucity of weapons and ammunition. He referred to recent carnages in Udhampur district and said that had the VDC members been equipped with sophisticated weapons, 50 militants who had surrounded Dhandli village and killed seven persons would have been eliminated and the massacre could have been averted.

He and the district president of the party, Mr Vishal, said there was no security picket in the mountain belts of Udhampur and Doda districts and the terrorists were free to carry out strikes against the innocent civilians. They demanded the establishment of atleast one security picket in each village.

The All India Hindu Shiv Sena demanded that the Kashmir valley and Doda district be handed over to the Army if the government wanted terrorism to be ended. He wondered why the BJP-led NDA government did not handover the valley and Doda district to the Army when these very leaders favoured it at the time they were in the opposition.

Mr Gupta announced that his organisation would support any move by the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to fight terrorists.

He also supported Dr Abdullah’s plea that Srinagar airport be given to the US troops if they decided to carry out strikes against Pakistan.

Threat to kill contestants

Srinagar, April 10
Radical pro-Pakistan militant outfit Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen (JuM), banned under POTA, today threatened to kill those who contested or campaigned in the next Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Elections under the Indian Constitution are in the interest of New Delhi. Therefore, all adult Muslims cannot take part in the electoral process,” it said, adding that “anybody who violates the decree and stands as a candidate or campaigns will attract death penalty.” PTI