J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

DIG hurt in blast
Srinagar, January 1
A Deputy Inspector General and nine policemen were among 17 persons injured in a massive explosion triggered by militants on Saturday in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said.

BJP blames Cong for revival of Praja Parishad
Jammu, January 1
The state unit of the BJP has held Congress leaders, especially the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, responsible for the revival of Praja Parishad in Jammu.

Civic poll in J&K from January 8
Jammu, January 1
After a gap of 25 years, municipal and local bodies elections would be held in Jammu and Kashmir in a phased manner from January 8, an official spokesman said here.

• Appeal

DIG hurt in blast

Srinagar, January 1
A Deputy Inspector General and nine policemen were among 17 persons injured in a massive explosion triggered by militants on Saturday in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said.

DIG, South Kashmir, Ravinder Kotwal, was the target of the militants who detonated a powerful improvised explosive device (IED), believed to have been planted inside a scooter, at Naibasti, 55 kms from here, around 5.10 pm, the sources said.

Kotwal, nine other policemen and seven pedestrains were injured in the blast which shook the entire township of Anantnag, the sources said adding that the injured had been taken to hospital.

Kotwal was travelling in his bullet-proof vehicle from his office to the Naibasti area when the blast took place. He was slightly injured and being rushed to Srinagar for treatment, the sources said.

The IED-laden scooter was parked on the roadside by militants. The device was set off when the DIG’s vehicle passed the road, they said adding that his official vehicle bore the brunt of the explosion.

The blast was so powerful that panes of several houses in the locality and adjacent areas were smashed the sources said, adding that a high tension electricity wire also got snapped, plunging the whole area into darkness. — PTI

BJP blames Cong for revival of Praja Parishad
Our Correspondent

Jammu, January 1
The state unit of the BJP has held Congress leaders, especially the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, responsible for the revival of Praja Parishad in Jammu.

According to the party President, Dr Nirmal Singh,the Congress saw in the BJP “its main political rival and in order to weaken our organisation the split was engineered by the ruling Congress.”

Dr Nirmal Singh told this correspondent here today that disciplinary action was taken against six BJP leaders, including Mr Chander Mohan Sharma, vice-president of the state unit, on the charge of anti-party activities.

He said “we had evidence of support the Congress candidates received from the BJP men in the Assembly poll and the Lok Sabha election” but instead of sending a reply to our show-cause notice the dissident leaders resigned to form the Praja Parishad.”

Mr Nirmal Singh agreed that the revival of Praja Parishad was aimed at weakening the BJP in Jammu. “We are ready to contest the 71 seats for Jammu Municipal Corporation election for which will be held in February,” he said.

The BJP chief claimed that as a partner in the ruling coalition the Congress had been exposed as it had failed to “fulfil the promises it had made during the 2002 Assembly poll.”

He said despite the fact that all three Assembly seats in Jammu city had been won by the Congress in 2002 and two Lok Sabha seats were held by the Congress they have “not been in a position to improve drinking water and electricity supply. No improvement can be seen in roads and sewage system.” As such the split in the BJP “cannot help the Congress in the ensuing civic elections,” he said.

However, the Prajya Parishad President, Mr Chander Mohan Sharma, said, “We have revived the organisation that had merged with the erstwhile Jana Sangh in 1965 only after we were convinced that the state unit of the BJP was run by dictators.”

He said “we have nothing to do with the Congress leaders and we expect Congressmen to join our organisation as our’s will be a secular party.”

Mr Sharma said those who “accuse us of reviving the Praja Parishad at the behest of Congress leaders were trying to conceal their misdeeds.”

Civic poll in J&K from January 8

Jammu, January 1
After a gap of 25 years, municipal and local bodies elections would be held in Jammu and Kashmir in a phased manner from January 8, an official spokesman said here.

State Chief Electoral Officer Rakesh Gupta today issued notification for eight-phased election schedule except Leh, Kargil and municipal committee Tangmarg in Baramulla district and municipal committees of Achabal-Kokernag in Pahalgam district.

As per the notification the whole election process of the remaining municipal bodies would be completed in phases starting from January 8 to February 17, 2005, the spokesman said.

With the announcement of election schedule the Model Code of Conduct shall come into force with immediate effect, he said. — PTI

Appeal

Jammu: The BJP has urged Kashmir-based separatist organisations, particularly the Hurriyat Conference, to shun the path of violence and join the national mainstream by participating in the forthcoming elections to the civic bodies. In a statement issued here on Saturday, Prof Hari Om, vice-president of the state BJP, said the forthcoming elections were an opportunity for the separatists to prove their representative character and contribute to the welfare of the common Kashmiris who wanted peace.