Srinagar, November 25
Militants hurled a grenade at supporters of the National Conference during a party’s door-to-door campaign in separatist hotbed Sopore, killing one person and injuring at least three others.

The police said NC candidate Mohammad Ashraf Ganie was leading the crowd when militants hurled a grenade.

Though he did not suffer any injuries, several accompanying him were wounded and Afaq Ahmad Ganie succumbed to his wounds later. The deceased had suffered serious head injuries. It is not clear if he was a NC supporter or a civilian.

The NC candidate or his house has been targeted at least twice so far and it was the most serious attack yet.

The electioneering was cancelled and the security escorted Ganie to safety and he called off all public programmes for the day.

Sopore along with six other constituencies of Baramulla district will go to polls on December 7 in fourth phase and separatist ideology is firmly embedded here.

Called apple-town due to its high production of Kashmir's premier fruit, this is also the hometown of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and has seen some of the fiercest encounters in the valley.

BSP candidate in Sopore, Ishfaq Yusuf Bhat, whose house was attacked a few days back, was roughed-up by separatist protesters yesterday when he was campaigning in Duroo in Sopore.

Meanwhile, Baramulla continued to simmer today and saw intermittent clashes between protesters and security personnel. Sopore also saw clashes throughout the day.

Tension has been prevailing there since the death of two youths on November 22 in police firing. The town has been resembling a scene of curfew for the last three days except for the clashes.

Large parts of Pulwama town in south Kashmir was also closed today a day after the cavalcades of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and some other leaders belonging to different parties were attacked by anti-election crowd when she was on her way back after filing her nomination papers for Wachi assembly seat.

Campaign vehicles of the NC and PDP were attacked in different parts of north Kashmir today. In Langate in Kupwara district, anti-election protesters stoned NC vehicles while some vehicles of PDP suffered similar fate in Sangrama in Baramulla district.

Dinesh Manhotra
Tribune News Service

Udhampur, November 25
Terrorists have stepped up their campaign to terrorise people against participation in the Assembly elections.

Some suspected militants killed a shopkeeper, who was missing since Sunday night. According to sources, Farid Ahmad was abducted by unidentified gunmen from Bharat village in Doda district and taken to an abandoned house where he was shot dead.

Although it appeared to be the handiwork of militant organisations like the Hizbul Mujahedeen or the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the police is also investigating the political angle into the killing.

The deceased was actively participating in political activities. The motive was unclear but it appeared that it was aimed at terrorising people in the run up the elections, said a police official.

Meanwhile, over-ground workers (OGWs) of the militant outfits have started threatening people through posters and pamphlets. It came to light when the police recovered some pamphlets, which were distributed in Doda town by three youths. In these pamphlets people have been warned against participating in the democratic process.

Although police officers have maintained a guarded silence over distribution of pamphlets, sources said cops have arrested a shopkeeper on whose shop these computer printouts were taken out.

“On the directions of their bosses, some over-ground workers printed some posters in Urdu and later made copies of them from a local shop,” the police sources.

The police have identified the youths, who were engaged in distributing threatening pamphlets, likely to arrested them soon.

Security in Doda and adjoining localities has been strengthened after the killing of a youth and recovery of threatening pamphlets.

This mountainous belt goes for polls on December 17, in the sixth phase of the seven phased assembly elections.

Srinagar, November 25
Union minister of water resources and state president of the Congress Committee Saifuddin Soz has said his party alone could create conditions for vigorous dialogue and discussion for which people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh wanted to seek resolution.

He was addressing election rallies, along with former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, in Anantng district of south Kashmir and parts of Kishtwar district in Jammu region today. The two leaders also addressed a series of public meetings in Keran, Machil and Kralgund areas of Langate in north Kashmir yesterday.

Soz asked the people to join electoral process in large numbers and vote for the Congress party for their secure future and development. He assured the people of backward areas of Dacchan, Marwah, and Warwan that if the Congress party comes to power, it would devise special project for development of infrastructure.

The former Chief Minister Gulam Nabi Azad thanked the people for remembering that during his tenure as a Chief Minister, an unprecedented development had taken place. He told the people that during his recent visit to several district in the state, he felt confident that the Congress party would form the Government on its own and therefore, urged the people not to waste their vote by supporting candidates other than the Congress party. Azad told the people that based on their trust the Congress party would endeavour to usher in an era of hope, peace, development and fulfillment.

The Congress that governed the state before the imposition of the President Rule has lost whatever advantage it had gained on account of being in power due to party infighting and internecine conflict.

As other parties are taking on rivals, the Congress leadership, candidates and party cadres are all slugging it out among themselves. This has resulted in a severe blow to the party image and also led to propping of rebels on many seats.

The signs of internal squabbling, which were apparent from the very beginning with the party divided between the loyalists of former Chief Minister Gulam Nabi Azad and J&K Pradesh Congress president Saif-ud-din Soz, have not ended even after the second phase of polling.

The first two phases of polls in the state saw a flustered Congress. The situation now is no better. The latest blow to the Congress has come from its former minister Babu Singh, who on being denied the party ticket has filed his nomination as an independent from the Kathua constituency.

Considered to be an Azad loyalist, Babu Singh contested the 2002 election as an independent, but later on Azad’s request joined the Congress.

Kathua will go to the elections during the fourth phase on December 13. Here, the Congress has fielded sitting MP from Kathua, Chaudhary Lal Singh.

Chaudhary Lal Singh’s wife Kanta Andotra has been fielded from the neighbouring Basohli constituency.

Also, in the other adjoining constituencies of Billawar in Kathua, the Congress has two strong rebels in Balbir Singh and Pankaj Dogra pitched against the official Congress nominee, Manohar Lal, who had won the 2002 elections as an independent.

The official nominee had joined the Congress, but later disassociated from the party by issuing a public statement severing all ties with the party. He rejoined the party on the eve of the elections after being offered the ticket.

Similarly, in Nagrota adjoining Jammu, Shiv Dev Singh has been denied ticket twice and is repeating Abdul Hamid Chowdhary. In Marh, Bhalwan Singh has been ignored to field Dharampal Sharma, who once represented Akhnoor. But Shiv Dev and Bhalwan have sounded a war cry that will hamper the outcome.

Similarly, the seven constituencies of Rajauri and Poonch districts that went to poll in the first and second phases, three Congress rebels at Dharal, Kalakote and Rajouri saw rebels mars the prospects of official Congress nominees.

Jammu, November 25
Even as exit polls have been banned on the premise that it may influence the voters, the counting of votes for state Assemblies of five states on December 8 prior to the last three phases of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir may well affect the voting trends here.

While the regional players like the National Conference and the PDP are least concerned about the election results of five states, the Congress and the BJP have compromised with the fate and are ready to face the situation arising out of it.

In the last three phases on December 13, 17 and 24, the state’s 48 out of the total 87 Assembly seat would go for polling. Out of these 24 constituencies are in Jammu region where the Congress and the BJP have high stakes.

State BJP spokesperson Ramesh Arora said: “The poll results of five states will certainly affect the polling in the last three phases of Jammu and Kashmir. We never supported a seven-phase election, but now that the EC has decided the schedule we will comply with it.”

However, he felt that if the elections were held in three or four phases the situation could have been avoided. According to him, while opinion and exit polls affect the voting pattern by two to three per cent, the poll results of December 8 may leave a larger impact on the polling in the state.

Senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister Mangat Ram Sharma also echoed similar sentiments. However, he said the Election Commission had its own compulsions and it had to ensure foolproof security for the smooth conduct of the elections. “Now that the schedule is in place and we can hardly do anything, we will face the situation, hoping for the best,” he added.

On the other hand, National Conference Kashmir Province president Dr Mehboob Baig said the poll results of December 8 would have no impact on the state's polling, as main stakeholders here are the regional parties. However, he too opined that it may affect the poll prospects of the national parties. He said the kind of situation Kashmir valley is into the Election Commission has done the right thing in principle. 

Mahore (Reasi), November 25
Politicians, who are seeking mandate from voters, need to travel just 80 km from Reasi to Mahore to get themselves acquainted with the miserable conditions of the inhabitants of this belt, which falls under two assembly segments namely Gulabgarh and Gool-Arnas.

Pathetic conditions prevailing in this belt, located on the West of Reasi town, negate all claims of the politicians to develop neglected areas.

Deplorable condition of the roads can be gauged from the fact that it takes about four long hours to cover a distance of 80 km.

As this dangerous Kuccha track is full of potholes, the politicians mostly avoid travelling on this road and prefer to use chopper to address public meetings in this belt to lure gullible people who have been virtually living in “Dark Ages”.

Except exploiting masses in the name of ethnicity, the politicians have done nothing for their development.

The voters are themselves seem to be virtually “hypnotized” by the politicians as instead of talking about development and mitigation of the miseries of the inhabitants of this most backward belt of the state, they are more concerned about candidates of their own community.

From Arnas to Koderdhan - the last village of Reasi district bordering Rajouri - Gujjar Muslims are rallied behind the candidates of their community while as Kashmiri-speaking Muslims are working overtime to avoid division of votes of their community.

Even after 60 years of Independence, majority of villages lack basic amenities like schools, dispensaries and electricity, but for the people of this belt victory of the candidate of their community is more important than schools or electricity.

Being a Gujjar, one and the only issue before us in the election is to ensure victory of the candidate of our community, says Shafiq-ur-Rehman of Koudardan village.

Condition is almost same for the Kashmiri-speaking Muslims. For years together, the people are being exploited in the name of Gujjar Muslims and Kashmiri-speaking Muslims by the political masters to further their political interests.

Jammu, November 25
The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has sought damages from the state presidents of various political parties who were found indulging in defacement of the public property during the election campaign.

As per notices issued to them, they have to deposit the penalty with the chief accounts officer of the JMC within three days.

Chief enforcement officer (CEO), Jammu West, Ravi Sharma said he had sent notices to state presidents of the National Conference and the BJP and they had been asked to deposit Rs 3,764 and Rs 3,648, respectively. He said a similar notice would also be sent to the state BSP president.

However, CEO, Jammu East, S.K. Tak, seems to be unaware about the defacement done by various political parties in his zone as he denied having sent any notice to the party presidents.

Meanwhile, official sources said as per the notices issued, the BSP had to deposit Rs 12, 000, whereas the BJP had to deposit Rs 6,500 for defacing the public property in the city.

As they don’t restrain themselves from defacing public property, the MC had taken this step, joint municipal commissioner J.S. Tandon said.

Jammu, November 25
A couple of days after NC president Omar Abdullah slapped legal notice on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and former finance minister Tariq Hamid Qarra, the latter claimed “neither it had been a calculated move nor a vicious attempt aimed at Omar’s character assassination during elections.”

Close on heels of the first phase polls Qarra, on November 20, had created ripples displaying a photograph of Omar sharing podium with Malegaon blast accused Dayanand Pandey in a function.

It was a sheer coincidence that we got the photograph after the first phase polls, says Qarra.

Subsequently, Omar on November 22 had sent a notice to him and Mehbooba Mufti asking them to either recant the statement within seven days or face Rs 1 crore defamation suit.

Talking to The Tribune, Qarra said I came to know from media that a legal notice had been served, but I had not yet received it and hence could not spell my course of action without going through its contents.

Qarra, however, maintained that he had sought a high-level probe since Omar Abdullah was seen sitting next to the controversial God man in that photograph.

All I demanded was a probe by an independent investigating agency to know whether Omar had gone to seek blessings of the controversial God man in that function or there had been some fishy affair, a tacit understanding between the two, he said.

When asked whether the PDP intentionally raked up the controversy at a time when six assembly constituencies, including Abdullah dynasty’s home constituency Ganderbal, had to go to polls in the second phase on November 23, he said it was a sheer coincidence that the PDP came across the photograph when elections were on.

Firstly, Dayanand Pandey controversy came to the fore very recently and then we got Omar’s photograph after the first phase of polls, he said.

I was not keeping the picture with me from the past one year with malafide intentions to be used during elections, he said, adding even Omar also admitted that he was sitting next to Pandey and the photograph was not morphed at all.

About the photograph, he said after the ATS Mumbai confiscated Pandey’s laptop he got it from the media.

Nowhere, in my remarks I had cast aspersions on Omar and I had categorically demanded a thorough high-level probe, said the former finance minister.

If Qarra has demanded a probe into alleged Omar-Dayanand connections then former chief minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, too, had opened a Pandora’s box in recent times when he had reportedly accused former Governor Lt-Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha of hosting the controversial Swami at Srinagar Raj Bhawan in 2007.

Jammu, November 25
The Jammu State Morcha (P) has accused the candidates contesting the elections from Jammu west Assembly constituency of using muscle and money power to influence the voters to cast votes in their favour. But such tactics would not work and we would emerge victorious, said morcha president Virender Gupta.

He said it was a fight between muscle, money power, corrupt practices versus honesty, sincerity and dedication for the public cause.

He said the morcha would fight against the discrimination and injustices done to the people of Jammu region.

Gupta said we would take up the cause of PoK refugees, Chamb refugees and the migrants from the West Pakistan.

He said the morcha would also raise its voice against the unemployment, the undue importance given to the Kashmir valley in Assembly, in state services, in development and in admission to the professional institutions.

He assured that the JSM (P) would create and equilibrium wherein all regions of the state were taken care off.

Gupta said our party would struggle to achieve parity with the Kashmir valley in all matters. It would strive to give reservations to OBC, SCs, STs and economically weaker sections.

“We shall try to get the Singhal Committee recommendations get implemented. We will also stress for giving pensions to the widows of ex-servicemen, pension to gallantry awardees at par with the other states and reservation of jobs for the ex-servicemen and their wards. We will strive to provide benefits of BPL schemes to the genuine people and promote the small scale industries at the village level,” Gupta added.

Jammu, November 25
Senior BJP leader and party candidate from Gandhi Nagar constituency, Dr Nirmal Singh, today accused the Congress, the PDP and the NC of “indulging into corrupt practices and misusing massive central funds.”

Addressing election rallies here today, Singh said the Central government had sanctioned a whopping amount of Rs 84,000 crore, but it was misused as no development work was carried out in the state.

He said the Congress government had promised an arterial expressway in Bikram Chowk, a subway in Gandhi Nagar and another arterial expressway on BC Road, but nothing had been done.

Referring to the massive turnout of voters in the first and second phase of polling, he said parties, which had been shying away from participating in elections, were now attributing the overwhelming response to their performance.

He said fearing a complete rout at the hustings, the Congress and the PDP had been trying hard to sabotage election process in the state.

However, heavy turnout of voters speak volumes about yearning among the people for a change, he added.

He said overwhelming response to the elections had silenced separatists, who had been intimidating the people so as to keep them away from the democratic exercise.

Despite aware of the present arrangement of assembly constituencies in the state, he went a step further and claimed that the BJP with its people-friendly policies would be in a position to form the government.

Udhampur, November 25
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Kishtwar Assembly constituency Sayed Asgar Ali today asked people to give absolute majority to the party to establish sustainable peace and to accelerate developmental activities in the state. He said the PDP was seeking mandate from the people to carry forward the pro-peace and development agenda in the state.

Addressing series of public meetings at Kishtwar, he said it was all due to the sincere efforts of the PDP leadership that sustainable peace had been established in the state. He said as Chief Minister of the state, Mufti Mohammad Sayed convinced the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to extend hand of friendship towards Pakistan. He said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, through his pro-peace policy, had convinced both India and Pakistan to announce ceasefire that led to permanent truce on border.

Asgar Ali said the party had formulated a comprehensive policy for rural people. He cautioned the people against malicious campaign launched by some vested interests against the party.

Srinagar, November 25
Former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has expressed hope that the ongoing visit of Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to New Delhi, would not only rejuvenate the sagging peace process, but also infuse a new life in the J&K-specific cross-LoC confidence-building measures.

“While the opening of Srinagar-Muzafarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote roads for trade is a significant move, the two countries must, however, remove the existing hiccups to make the cross-LoC trade meaningful and fruitful for the people of state on both sides of the divide,” Mufti said in a statement issued here today.

Mufti added that issues of communication, currency transaction and banking facilities needed to be addressed with a sense of urgency.

The PDP patron said people of Jammu and Kashmir would like the two countries to work out a cooperative mechanism in which the whole State substantially benefits by growing cross-border commerce, trade and tourism in the region.

Jammu, November 25
Panthers Party president Bhim Singh today alleged that candidates of his party had been given inadequate security exposing them to militant attacks.

Addressing mediapersons here, he said his party candidates — Syed Rafiq Shah (Kupwara) and Abdul Shahid Ganai (Kangan) — came under grenade attacks.

According to him, some PSOs had been attached with his party candidates for their security.

Meanwhile, he said it seemed that the Congress and the National Conference had already finalised an agreement for sharing power. He blamed the Congress for exploiting the “state government machinery for achieving its ends”.

Jammu, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir Refugee Front, a body of PoK refugees, today took out a martyrdom rally in the memory of those who laid down their lives fighting Pakistani raiders and the Army in 1947, 1965 and 1971 wars.

The rally that started from Canal Bridge in the afternoon passed through areas like Maheshpura colony before culminating at Netaji Chowk in Bakshi Nagar.

According to the Front general secretary, Rachpal Singh Chib, the raiders and the Pak Army in Mirpur killed 17,000 people, including women and children, on November 25, 1947. Similarly, he said the people of Muzaffarabad and Poonch were rendered homeless, as a chunk of their area was captured by Pakistan, which again launched massive attacks in 1965 and 1971 wars, annexing the remaining part of Chhamb sector of Bhimber tehsil in Mirpur.

“The Government of India then entered into Tashkent and Shimla agreements with Pakistan and gave away these areas to the latter as gift,” he added.

On the current plight of the refugees, he said the successive state governments had not provided any compensation to them for their movable or immovable property and they had become homeless in their own state.

He said there were refugees who had hundreds of kanals of land in PoK, but the government here neither gave them a single marla of land nor a single penny in compensation.

Jammu, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has allowed a writ petition filed by Bashir Ahmad and Sajda Begum while quashing the J&K State Haj Committee’s communication dated October 12, 2008, and further directed the committee and its functionaries to issue requisite permission and travel documents to the petitioners forthwith. The respondents shall take all such measures as may be necessary to facilitate petitioners proceeding for Haj pilgrimage 2008.

The petitioners were selected by the J&K State Haj Committee for Haj Pilgrimage 2008. After having deposited requisite Foreign Exchange and Airfare, when waiting for getting permission and travel documents, were informed by deputy commissioner, Reasi, that their pilgrimage had not been cleared on the ground that petitioner No. 1 was involved in FIR No. 67/2007 under Sections 212/216 of the RPC and Sections 18/20 of the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act, 1967. Petitioner No. 1 though released on bail had been directed not to leave the state except after obtaining permission of the court.

The judicial magistrate Ist. Class (Munsiff) Reasi, after hearing the state in this behalf, permitted petitioner No. 1 to leave the jurisdiction of the state for a period of two months with effect from November 10, 2008, for Haj Pilgrimage, after completing other formalities, subject to his furnishing two securities and a personal undertaking for an amount of Rs 70,000 each, undertaking that he would return to the state on or before January 11, 2009.

The state had questioned judicial magistrate’s order before session’s judge, Reasi, in a revision petition.

The petitioners questioned the J&K State Haj Committee’s order on the ground that restraint placed on petitioners proceeding for the Haj was not only arbitrary, but also in violation of their fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.

The HC while allowing the petition observed that “perusal of official record indicates that no new material other than FIR No. 67/2008 appears to have been collected by the state and its functionaries on the basis whereof it may be said that petitioners going to Haj would, in any way, be detrimental to the interests of state or would affect the security or maintenance of public order in the state. Petitioners fundamental right to profess their religion, which includes going for Haj, may be curtailed only if such curtailment is in the interest of public order, morality and health or in violation of any law in force regulating the religious practices. No such case have been projected much less substantiated by the state, refusal of permission to petitioners to go for Haj would, in my opinion, amount to violation of Article 25 of the Constitution of India. The petitioners are, therefore, held entitled to perform their Haj Pilgrimage without any interference.”

Leh, November 25
Cold wave in Ladakh has intensified over the past two weeks. In Leh, the night temperature has dipped from 10° C to 15° C and in Changthang, eastern part of Leh, the temperature has gone down from minus 15° C to 20° C.

With the beginning of cold wave, host of other problems too have erupted in the region. The power supply has been reduced to five hours during daytime and it’s available from 6 pm to 11 pm.

Tsering Paljor, assistant executive engineer, PDD, Leh said: “Due to decrease in the level of water due to freezing, Stakna Hydel Power House generates just 1 MG from its capacity of 4 MG and 3 kw from Igoo-Marstelang Hydel project from its capacity of 4 MG. Power is presently supplied through diesel generators.”

Paljor said: “If the cold wave continue to intensify, we may have shut down both the hydro projects by the end of this week.”

To supply power without interruption, the PDD has banned the use of heavy gadgets like heater and boiler.

Paljor said: “The department has formed two groups in Leh town headed by an AEE to check misuse of power.”

In Leh town, the residents have to heat the iced water taps in the morning when water is supplied. They burn woods for the purpose.