Jammu, July 8
After an unceremonious end to Ghulam Nabi Azad’s government and the state standing on the threshold of President’s rule, political parties are anticipating free and fair Assembly polls.

Political parties feel the elections would be free from rigging and government machinery would not be misused this time. The parties also feel that under the President’s rule, they would get an equal opportunity to contest.

Leader of opposition and senior National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather said, “Certainly under the President’s rule, every party contesting the elections would get a levelled playing field.”

“Not only political parties, but voters would also get a congenial atmosphere to exercise their mandate and this is what we want,” added Rather.

Responding to a query, Rather said, during the stint of Ghulam Nabi Azad as the Chief Minister, there were less instances of government machinery being misused during byelections at Pattan, Sangrama and Poonch Haveli.

However, Panther's Party legislator and former education minister Harsh Dev Singh said, “There is no denying the fact that the ruling party misuses government machinery and other resources to change the course of elections.”

“For electoral gains, the party in office takes full advantage of power, but once the President’s rule is imposed, a non-political system sets in where no party enjoys any edge over the other,” he added. He, however, exuded confidence that in the upcoming elections, all parties would get a fair chance to prove their mettle.

“Had the Congress been still in power, all malpractices in the form of rigging and misuse of government machinery, would have been rampant during the elections,” he added.

Meanwhile, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti also echoed similar views. She, however, held Ghulam Nabi Azad responsible for the present turmoil in the state.

Mehbooba added, “We feel Governor N.N. Vohra, who understands the sensibilities of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, would encourage the peace-process like he did in the past and free and fair elections would be held.” Mehbooba said she was confident of free and fair polls under the President’s rule.

Though BJP president Ashok Khajuria also welcomed the President’s rule, yet he favoured early elections in the state. He also urged the Election Commission to depute employees from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh during the forthcoming elections, the way the apex body had done in the 2002 polls.

Jammu, July 8
Following the fall of the Ghulam Nabi Azad government, while the Congress leaders from the Jammu region, who are back among their electorate, would hope to undo the damage done to the party by the land row stir prior to the Assembly elections, the arch rival BJP would like to keep the issue alive till polls.

Senior Congress leader Gulchain Singh Charak said, “Some political parties had flared up communal and regional passions in the state for their vested interests, but the people have seen through their nefarious designs and they won't be misled so easily.”

“We have now come to the field and we will see to it that the electorate understands our party's stand on the entire issue,” he said.

Charak ruled out any damage to the party’s electoral prospects due to the land row. “The Congress had diverted the land to the Amarnath shrine board for ensuring better arrangements for the yatra, but when the Governor, who is also the chairman of the board, denied taking possession of the land what we could have done,” he asked.

“We will explain it to the common public that we were not against the Amarnath yatra and whatever we did was to make sure smooth pilgrimage for the yatris,” he added.

Similarly, Raman Bhalla, Congress MLA from Gandhi Nagar, said, “I have been working at the grass-root level throughout my tenure as an MLA here and share a good rapport with my electorate. I hope that my people will understand our party’s position on the issue.”

He opined that till now the people of Jammu were only acquainted with one side of the story. “We will present before the other side of the story and tell them that all our party wanted to do was to facilitate better amenities for yatris,” he added.

On the other hand, state BJP vice-president Prof Hari Om said, “Firstly, let me tell you that we haven’t created this issue.

However, at the same time, we consider it a fundamental issue. It has given birth to a discussion that will decide whether secularism will survive in the country or promotion of naked fundamentalism. The issue has also evoked sharp reaction in other parts of the country too. We will definitely take it to the elections.” He also said the BJP would like to see early elections in the state.

Jammu, July 8
Following eight days of violent protests over the Amarnath land row, the situation is slowly limping back to the normal in Jammu region.

Curfew was today totally lifted in Samba and Kathua districts, while it was relaxed from 6 am to 12 noon in the winter capital, which was later extended to 3 pm and again to 8 pm. However, the authorities said night curfew would continue in the city.

People heaved a sigh of relief as shops, petrol pumps and ATMs opened after almost over a week. The hustle and bustle of a routine life returned to the city's streets, with the residents thronging the markets.

Meanwhile, protests continued in areas like Gangyal, Muthi and Damana . However, no violent clash was reported. Agitators burnt the effigies of Governor N.N. Vohra, PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Kathua ADC D.R. Sharma said Section 144 would remain in force in the district for the next 15 days.

Udhampur: With the decision of the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samittee to suspend the ongoing bandh after seven days, life returned to normal in Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts.

However, curfew was imposed on the sixth consecutive day in Bhaderwah town, although it was relaxed for sometime in the evening in a phased manner. While in the majority-dominated areas, curfew was relaxed for four-hours, in minority-dominated areas, it was lifted for two hours.

After eight days of complete shutdown, shops and business establishments also opened in Udhampur town.

Vikram Slathia, convenor, Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samittee, Udhampur, announced that they had decided to open the market in response to the call of the central body. He, however, said agitations would continue.

Srinagar, July 8
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concern over the “constant diatribe” against the party unleashed by former Governor Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd).

“After putting the state on fire through his communal overtures, Gen Sinha is now, out of frustration, trying to fuel these fires through his spiteful tirade against the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” senior PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra said here today.

Blaming Sinha for fomenting trouble in the state, the PDP leader urged him not to add fuel to the fire. This, Karra said, while reacting to the latest utterances of Gen Sinha wherein he had charged the PDP of being a pawn in the hands of fundamentalists and militants backed by Pakistan.

The former Governor nursed grudge against the PDP leaders, as they scuttled his “concealed strategy of coercing Hindutva agenda” on Jammu and Kashmir by trying to use Amarnath Yatra, Karra said.

The former finance minister also demanded a CBI probe into the reported massive financial irregularities committed by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and Mata Vaishnavdevi Shrine Board authorities during the tenure of Gen Sinha.

“Let the government unmask the faces who have been committing wrongdoings in the financial matters of these boards during the last five years,” Karra said. He added that now when a new and upright team has assumed charge at the Raj Bhawan, the financial transgressions of the former Governor and his coterie must be made public.

“There are reports that the board authorities have, during the past five years, siphoned of crores of rupees to their personal coffers and sweeping irregularities have been committed in appointments, awarding contracts, purchase of vehicles, operationalisation of helicopter services and through fraudulent withdrawal of medical and TA bills,” he said.

Such complaints needed to be looked into at the highest level as any financial misconduct by the board authorities amounts to breach of faith and contempt of the people’s trust, the former minister added. Expressing dismay over the alleged dubious role of some politicians in furthering the communal and commercial agenda of the former Governor, Karra said in a misconstrued effort to settle scores with the PDP, some unconsidered politicians in the state became the pawns in the hands of Gen Sinha.

Jammu, July 8
Jammu's agitation on Shri Amarnath land row may or may not benefit the BJP in future but it will harm the three main political parties -the Congress, the NC and the PDP which are losing grip on grassroots level workers.

Despite ruling Congress's stand that it had done nothing wrong by revoking the orders of transfer of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), a large number of party workers in Jammu city, Kathua, Hira Nagar, Samba, Akhnoor, Nagrota, Reasi, Katra and Udhampur have parted ways with the party and took to streets to protest against the Cabinet's decision.

"Not a single senior or district-level leader of the Congress has quit the party, but it is true that many workers of our party dissociated themselves from our leaders," a Congress leader said on condition of anonymity and added that some politicians were cashing in for their vested interests.

"I voted for Congress candidate and also campaiged for the party during the last assembly as well as parliamentary elections but and was hopeful that the Congress supported the Jammu issues," Rajinder Kumar of district Kathua, who was a staunch Congress worker said. He added, "Now, I am realising that I was wrong and now I will not vote for the Congress any more and also will not join or support any party in the future."

Srinagar, July 8
After the fall of Ghulam Nabi Azad government yesterday, Jammu and Kashmir is poised for the President’s rule ahead of the Assembly elections due later this year.

Governor N.N. Vohra started consulting parties after accepting the resignations of Azad and his council of ministers.

None of the three major political parties, the Congress, the PDP and the National Conference, are in a position to stake any claim to form the government after the coalition arrangement broke down, four months before the completion of its term.

The Governor had “invited the leaders of various political parties in pursuance of the constitutional consultative process,” a spokesman of the Raj Bhawan here said.

Based on the consultations with the leaders of the various political parties, the Governor was in the process of firming up his assessment of the constitutional situation for initiating the future course of action, the spokesman said.

Those who met the Governor at Raj Bhavan yesterday included president of the National Conference (NC) Omar Abdullah, who was accompanied by Abdul Rahim Rather, leader of the opposition in the state Assembly. Omar informed the Governor about his party’s position.

Mehbooba Mufti, president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) along with Muzaffar Hussain Beig and Abdul Aziz Zargar conveyed their party’s position in regard to obtaining political situation.

A five-member delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panther’s Party (JKNPP) led by its president Bhim Singh also met the Governor here yesterday. He was accompanied by four members of the Legislative Assembly belonging to his party.

The Governor concluded his consultations by having a discussion with Mohammed Yousf Tarigami, CPM state secretary and MLA from Kulgam.

Jammu, July 8
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chief Bhim Singh today termed the fall of the Congress government as a victory of Indian democracy.

Addressing a press conference after returning from Srinagar along with four party MLAs, Bhim said, “The war is not yet over. People have to teach a lesson to corrupt political leaders of this ousted government in the forthcoming Assembly elections.”

He said the Congress-PDP government had failed to implement delimitation in the state despite it being a part of their common minimum programme (CMP). He said his party was looking forward to a free and fair Assembly election in the state under the Governor’s rule.

He also extended an invitation to separatist leaders to participate in the elections. Bhim also urged Governor N.N. Vohra to lift curfew in Jammu and release all those arrested during the protests.

He alleged that the BJP wanted to exploit the issue and lashed out at those demanding Governor’s removal over the land row. He also advocated reorganisation of the state on the occasion.