Jammu, April 29
A cold war has finally begun between the two coalition partners — the Congress and the PDP — following defeat of the PDP in two Assembly constituencies in the Kashmir valley for which it is blaming the Congress.

The PDP chief, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, has rushed to New Delhi to appraise Ms Sonia Gandhi and other leaders of the “sabotage” done by Congress activists.

Replying to questions of mediapersons here today, the Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, said: “I cannot stop anyone from complaining.”

He denied that the Congress activists worked against the PDP candidates. Such reports were received from the Rafiabad constituency, but these got belied as the PDP candidate, Mr Dillawar Mir, won with a good margin from there.

Mr Azad said losing one or two seats did not matter in a coalition that enjoys a thumping majority. What should be viewed is the positive change in the minds of the electorate, who despite a boycott call turned out in large number to exercise their right to franchise.

However, the former Chief Minister, Mr Mufti Sayeed, has been avoiding meeting mediapersons.

The PDP had contested all three seats in the valley. It did not spare even a single seat for the Congress which has led to the current controversy.

PDP activists have accused Mr Abdul Gani Vakil and Mr Shaffi Bhat, both Congress legislators, of openly campaigning against the PDP during the byelections.

Mr Bhat shared the dais with the National Conference, while Mr Vakil launched a whisper campaign against the PDP.

There were reports that Ms Mufti was carrying with her newspaper clippings regarding the Congress campaign against the PDP. A clipping carries the picture of Mr Bhat sitting with NC leaders in an election rally.

Mr Vakil told this correspondent that how could the PDP expect the Congress to share the stage with them when the Mufti and his daughter in their rallies were questioning the accession of Kashmir with India and demanding introduction of “self-rule” in the state.

Jammu, April 29
The President, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, will address the joint session of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature in Srinagar in August.

The President has accepted the invitation of J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for addressing the monsoon session of the two houses at Srinagar.

Dr Kalam, who was interacting with Mr Azad while inaugurating the ISRO satellite connection to J&K, complimented him for efficiently handling the situation in the state.

The President said during his recent visit to Tangdhar, Uri and Uroosa to meet earthquake victims, he interacted with teachers and students and found them very bright. He was impressed by the mathematical knowledge of teachers, which he observed when he sat in a classroom in Kashmir.

Dr Kalam said he had advised the teachers to keep up the pursuit of higher knowledge and equip the children with the latest know-how in the field of science, technology and mathematics.

He hoped that the endeavor of ISRO in connecting maximum educational institutions in J&K through its network would be a landmark achievement for spreading education to all through the satellite system particularly in science and mathematics.

Dr Kalam said during his visit to Srinagar, he will interact with students who are in touch with him through correspondence.

On the occasion, the Chairman of ISRO, Mr G. Madhavan, announced that another powerful hub for satellite education will be launched in the state before May 20.

Srinagar, April 29
A self-styled battalion commander of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir today, a police spokesman said.

Acting on a specific information that Bilal Ahmad Dar, alias Mustafa was hiding in residence of one Showkat Ahmed Dar at Sambura, the Special Operations Group, assisted by 55 Rashtriya Rifles launched an operation and the house was cordoned off late last evening, spokesman said.

When asked to surrender, the militant opened fire on the police and Army personnel who retaliated and after a gunbattle lasting for several hours, the ultra was killed this morning, the spokesman said, adding one AK rifle, four magazines and a big quantity of ammunition were recovered from him.

Terming the killing of Dar as a “major achievement,” he said the militant was a ‘hitman’ functioning as battalion commander of Hizbul and was wanted in numerous killings in Pulwama district and police district Awantipora.

He said the area of his activities was the vast belt of Khrew, Pampore, Kakpora, Ratnipora of district Pulwama.

Dar was involved in the killings of civilians, policemen, political and social workers, notable among whom were poet-philanthropist and National Conference worker Ghulam Rasool Gayur, Congress activist Ghulam Mohammad Chaman, a released militant Reyaz Ahmad Andrabi besides in several murders in Awantipora and Pampore police station areas, he said. — PTI