Srinagar, May 31
The Jammu and Kashmir United Forum of Islamic Scholars has denounced the act of reconstructing and renovating mosques and shrines under “Operation Sadbhavana” at the hands of the Army in Kashmir.

About 350 scholars, who met under the chairmanship of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq here today, passed a four-point resolution condemning the act and urging authorities concerned to desist from interfering in the religious affairs of the Muslims.

It has urged President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that the renovation of mosques and shrines under “Operation Sadbhavana” in Kashmir be stopped forthwith as it was interfering with the religious affairs of the people.

The meeting of “Muttaheda Majlis-e-Ulema Jammu and Kashmir” or the forum also expressed concern over the “attempts to introduce sex education” in educational institutions and warned against any eventualities in this regard. It instead demanded the introduction of religious education at the school level.

The meeting under the chairmanship of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at the Miwaiz Manzil, Rajouri Kadal, had been called in the wake of recent reports of the renovation and reconstruction of mosques and shrines by the Army.

The Mirwaiz had vociferously opposed the Army’s “Operation Sadbhavana” during his address at Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid. Today’s resolution, moved by president of Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith Moulana Shoukat Ahmad Shah and passed by prominent scholars, would be seconded by the Friday congregations across Kashmir tomorrow.

Earlier on Monday, the grand Mufti, Mufti Bashiruddin had issued a fatwa against the Army act and asked the community to resist the move tooth and nail. He had also stated that the Shariat law did not allow anyone other than the Muslims to do such an act.

Srinagar, May 31
Fissures in the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir deepened today as at least 10 senior office-bearers and leaders of the People’s Democratic Party joined the People’s Democratic Front led by Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen.

Those who joined the PDF, after quitting the PDP, included three zonal presidents, youth wing leaders and activists of the party which has been at the loggerheads with other coalition partners including the Congress over the issue of troop reduction and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

There were other leaders also who joined the party formed by Yaseen following the 2002 Assembly elections in the state.

There were 10 leaders oustide the PDP, who joined the PDF, including Chairman of the Migrant Joint Action Committee Chaman Lal Kachroo, President of the Purkhoo Migrant Camp at Jammu Ramesh Manwari and his deputy Ashok Dhar.

Yaseen said the coalition government was being run on the basis of the common minimum programme (CMP) under which the PDP has led the ruling alliance for three years and now the Congress is heading it for the rest of the term of the state assembly.

Asked about PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s statement about renegades supporting the rivals of her party, Yaseen said: “They need some self-introspection. We do not have any renegades in our ranks. The PDF has always opposed violence and believes that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.”

The wooing of PDP leaders, especially grassroots leaders, by the PDF is seen as an act of revenge by Yaseen against the PDP which made to defect the minister’s brother Hakeem Mohammad Aslam into its fold.

Although Yaseen was a confidante of PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed when the latter was Chief Minister of the state, the two fell apart after the former was found close to Ghulam Nabi Azad in the row between the PDP and the Congress over the troop reduction.

Former zonal president of the PDP for Bandipora, Mohammad Abdullah Wani, a key player in engineering these defections, said the PDP was going the National Conference way.

While supporting demilitarisation in the state, he said “things will not improve by just raising slogans. We want peace and solution to our problems like unemployment and lack of development”. — PTI

Udhampur, May 31
While the dreaded terrorist Abu Umar, who was responsible for killing a DSP yesterday night, managed to escape, the Doda police today claimed to have arrested two Hizbul Mujahideen militants after a search operation in the Banwar-Behota forests area of the district.

The arrested militants were identified as Mohammad Rafiq and Abdul Jabbar, both residents of the Behota-Marmat area of Doda district. In another incident a major tragedy was averted when a road opening party of the Army spotted an IED on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway today. According to reports, Army men who were engaged in road opening recovered the IED in Udhampur. Reports further said the IED consisted of two separate plastic boxes., which had a stamp of the MET Department.

Jammu, May 31
Jammu and Kashmir DSP (Operations, Jammu) Shally Singh, who was killed in the Bhadarwah encounter, was given a state funeral here today.

The coffin of the DSP was wrapped in the Tricolour as a contingent of the state police presented a guard of honour and reversed its arms as a mark of respect to the departed police officer.

The DSP died during an operation at a militant hideout in Bhadarwah yesterday.

Senior police officers, local politicians and other dignitaries paid floral tributes to the DSP at the cremation ground here.

Earlier during the day, the police officer’s body was brought to the state police headquarters here.