Jammu, December 19
College students demanding an “open choice” in the annual examinations today turned violent as the police resorted to a mild cane charge to chase them away and stop them from holding a demonstration for the sixth consecutive day. However, a UNI report said that over six persons, including a driver of an official vehicle and a senior police officer, were injured when the police lathi-charged agitating students demanding ‘open choice’ in an annual three-year degree courses examination, outside Jammu University here.

The students, mostly from MAM College, boycotted classes, assembled in front of the Jammu University’s (JU) main gate and shouted slogans. The university was closed for public in view of the protest. Vehicles could not ply on the road from Vikram Chowk to Panama Chowk, giving a hard time to commuters.

However, the police arrived and resorted to a mild lathi charge. The agitated students turned violent and smashed the windscreens of some vehicles. Thereafter, vehicular traffic remained suspended for nearly three hours and could be resumed only after students dispersed on their own.

Sate ABVP secretary Suresh Magotra said, “As most of the holidays have been deleted from the university academic calendar, the students are being burdened.” He condemned the police action and termed it uncalled for and provocative. He said six students suffered injuries, while a second year student sustained fracture in the elbow.

Flaying the university examination cell for the delay in declaring the re-evaluation results for BA/BSc-II, he asked as to when they would get admission to the final year and complete their syllabus.

Giving a call for “college bandh” across the province, Magotra said, “All degree colleges will remain closed in support of the demand from Monday onward”.

He added, “Varsity students appearing in the exams after the land row agitation were given an open choice despite the fact that their syllabus had been completed, so why the university administration is keeping the college students in the dark.”

“Our college has been closed for studies as it has been converted into a polling and counting centre. So, there would be no classes till December 28. Teachers are not ready to hold extra classes. We can’t make out as to how our syllabus is going to be covered,” said a protesting student of MAM College. Meanwhile, the Progressive Students Association has extended support to the agitating students.

Udhampur, December 19
Three top militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, including a self-styled divisional commander of the outfit, were killed in a gun battle with the security forces in Gundana area of Doda district today.

An Army jawan also lost his life in the encounter that lasted for more than four hours in a remotest village of Doda district.

DIG, Doda-Ramban range, H.K. Lohia told The Tribune that on specific information, the Rashstriya Rifle along with the local police and the CRPF launched a joint combing operation yesterday. As soon as the security forces reached near the hideout, the militants resorted to indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons. Keeping in view the heavy firing from the hideout, additional enforcement of the Army and the police were rushed to the spot. The security forces cordoned off the area, and in the gunfire three terrorists were killed.

The slain militants have been identified as LeT divisional commander Mohammad Iqbal Malik, code name Mudassar, alias Abu Umer, Nawaz Ahmed, code name Marsab, alias Abu Bilal and Mohammad Ashraf Shah.

Three AK rifles and a huge quantity of ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

According to the police, Mohammad Iqbal Malik was active since 2002 and was responsible for selective killings in Doda district, while Nasir and Shoyab had joined the outfit in 2007 and 2005, respectively. It is believed that Malik had masterminded the infamous Kulhand massacre in which more than 24 members of the minority community were killed on April 30, 2006.

This is the second fierce gun battle in this area during the last 24 hours. Yesterday, the Doda police had killed a dreaded Pakistani militant Saifullah, who was also a self-styled commander of the LeT, in the Amritpura area of this belt.

Police sources said the LeT outfit had received severe a set back as two of its self-styled commanders had been eliminated by the security forces during the last 24 hours.

Jammu, December 19
Former Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed has refuted the allegations that his party has entered into a secret alliance with the Congress. He said the party would decide on any alliance only after the poll results.

Talking to mediapersons after addressing an election rally in the Jheeri area of the Marh constituency today, Mufti Sayeed said, “It is only after the results of the elections that we will decide over the formation of government, but before that it is impossible to tell anything,” the Mufti said. He said restoring peace and accelerating equitable development was the only agenda of the PDP.

Replying to another question, the former Chief Minister said with a good polling percentage the victory of the PDP had become imminent.

Earlier while addressing the rally, the Mufti attributed the huge voter turnout in the ongoing Assembly elections to the policies adopted by him during his tenure as Chief Minister.

The Mufti said, “Removing regional imbalance and creating atmosphere for initiating the peace process were the main achievements of the PDP-led government.”

While crediting his government, the Mufti said it was all due to the credibility of the PDP that the NDA regime headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee and the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh whole heartedly supported the initiatives taken by the PDP for restoring peace in the state.

“Before 2002, residents of border areas were living in a miserable condition due to tension and the PDP’s policies yielded encouraging results and peace prevailed in these areas”, he said.

Jammu, December 19
With 13 seats of the Jammu region going to the polls on December 24, the Congress and the BJP have stepped up attacks on each other.

The Congress is making attacks on the BJP, accusing it of resorting to divisive politics for garnering votes, as the latter has been raking up the Amarnath land row to the hilt in the remaining few days of the campaign.

However, the BJP, too, has been handed over an opportunity to attack the Congress on a platter by union minister A.R. Antulay. His controversial remarks on ATS chief Hemant Karkare's martyrdom has given the BJP fresh ammunition to attack the Congress on the issue of terrorism. The BJP has fired a fresh salvo at the Congress after Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's recent hint at forging a post-poll alliance with the PDP.

The BJP has launched a media blitzkrieg to remind the people of the Amarnath land agitation in the past three or four days of campaign. Be it huge advertisements in print media, ad campaign on Radio FM, or airing footage of land protests on cable TV, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to cash in on the land issue. A fresh ad printed in newspapers today carries the statements made by leaders of the Congress, NC and the PDP over the land row. It also has former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad's statement, saying that "the people of Jammu instead of protesting should distribute sweets as the state government has taken over the entire charge of arranging the annual Amarnath pilgrimage." Other leaders quoted in the ad include PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, NC patron Farooq Abdullah and president Omar Abdullah.

The Congress, on the other hand, is losing no opportunity to attack the BJP for "dividing the state on religious and regional lines for electoral gains". The Congress leaders contend that the BJP doesn't have a programme for the people of the state and it is banking on its divisive agenda to make gains in the electoral arena.

The Congress and the BJP have their pockets of influence in these 13 segments. In the 2002 Assembly elections, the Congress had emerged victorious in eight seats while the BJP, BSP, NC, Panthers Party and Independents had won one seat each. In 1996, the BJP and the NC had won four seats each, the Janata Dal and the BSP two seats each while the Congress could bag only one.

The final bout between the two parties will be witnessed on the weekend when BJP stalwart L.K. Advani addresses a rally in Jammu on December 20 and AICC chairperson Sonia Gandhi in RS Pura on December 21.

Suchetgarh, December 19
Settled largely in border areas from Kathua right up to Nowshera, over six lakh Jats are still craving for OBC status. The Jat community has always played a significant role during the elections.

However, except for platitudes nothing has come its way since 2002 despite the fact that the previous coalition government had two ministers from the community viz Choudhary Gharu Ram of the Congress from Suchetgarh and Manjeet Singh of the PDP from Vijaypur.

Six years later, NC president Omar Abdullah during his whirlwind tour of the constituency yesterday had promised the OBC status to the community, but its members see it as another political ploy to appease them.

“We had elected two representatives to the previous government, but ironically the OBC status had not been provided to us,” Ranbir Singh, a progressive farmer, here said.

Every political party had been promising to confer the OBC status, but, so far, it eluded the socially and economically backward community, he said.

Vikram Singh, an unemployed arts graduate from Jammu University, who eventually has to take up family profession of farming, said the Jat community had a sizable presence in Kathua, Samba, Vijaypur, Bishnah, RS Pura, Suchetgarh, Marh, Akhnoor and Nowshera but had been left high and dry by the successive regimes in the state.

“Being socially and economically underprivileged community, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal (in his first stint) had granted the OBC status to this community in their states, but we have been denied the same in this state,” Jyoti Singh, ex-Army soldier, said.

After doing requisite spadework, compiling data and socio-economic status of the community in the state, a delegation of the state Jat Mahasabha had met former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, but unfortunately things didn't move further, he said, adding that the file continued to gain dust in civil secretariat.

Suchetgarh constituency, which has 60,357 voters, including nearly 30,000 voters from the community, has 15 Jat candidates out of a total of 21 in the fray.

Jammu, December 19
Though Jammu East is all poised to witness a multi-cornered tussle on December 24, electioneering in Talab Khatikan and Gujjar Nagar, two Muslim-dominated localities in the heart of the city, remains low.

The two localities put together has nearly 10,000 Muslim voters, who eagerly want to cast their votes for development, yet the campaign of various parties, including independents, has not picked up here.

Tanveer Hussain, a man in his 40s, said though all major political parties had fielded their candidates in Jammu East and we too wanted to cast our votes, the electioneering did not pick up here.

It may be stated here that the Amarnath land agitation in July and August this year had created a fear-psychosis of sorts among the Muslims here.

Hussain said major parties like the National Conference (NC), PDP, Congress, BJP, Panthers Party and the BSP fielded non-Muslim candidates and this factor might be keeping some of them at bay.

However, he candidly admitted that going by the nightmarish experiences in the recent past, the Muslims here by and large preferred secular candidates, who could ensure their safety and security.

“The BJP has no takers here, while the National Conference, Congress and the PDP have an edge,” he said.

These localities had been neglected in the past, but still we had a firm faith in democracy and hoped that good sense prevails upon our politicians, said Rashid Ahmad, another local.

Jammu East, a Hindu-dominated constituency, has approximately 55,099 voters.

The BJP has fielded state party president Ashok Khajuria, while the Panthers Party has its loquacious orator and party chairman Prof Bhim Singh and the Congress former Jammu mayor Narinder Singh contesting.

Similarly, the NC has fielded Pardeep Bali, while the PDP has fielded Shanti Devi. The 
BSP has given ticket to Rajeev Gupta.

“Let bygone be bygone. Muslims in Jammu have been living here since centuries and they are indispensable part of Jammu. Whatever happened during the land agitation was unfortunate, but certainly we want to start afresh,” said Shehnaz, a Jammu University student.

However, she admitted that politicians had not been campaigning full-throttle in her Talab Khatikan locality.

If they (candidates) are sincere in their intentions, they should come to people here and apprise them about their manifestos and what special they offered for Jammu Muslims, she said.

Shehnaz said divisive and discriminatory politics had no space and time had come when politicians should read the writing on the wall.

Jammu, December 19
Union minister for minority affairs A.R. Antulay’s remarks of a conspiracy behind Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare’s killing in the Mumbai attack has stirred a hornet’s nest.

The remarks have given the BJP enough teeth to mount a fresh attack on the UPA. Taking a potshot on Antulay, former Union minister and senior BJP leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, who was here to campaign for the BJP today, said, “Antulay’s remark, which is akin to Pakistan’s opinion, is highly objectionable. A Union minister, who holds an opinion different to his Prime Minister, should either tender his resignation or be dismissed with immediate effect. This was not so in case of Antulay as he went on saying he need not explain to anybody on the day when the entire nation was paying homage to the martyrs. This doublespeak foretells danger for the defence of the country.”

The way all political parties came together on one platform to fight against terror and setting up a national agency, Joshi called for the same unity to repeal Article 370. “It is high time that we scrap the heinous Article 370 to end injustice against Jammu. When I was in government as Union minister for education, I dispensed equal justice in opening up Kendriya Vidyalayas and giving grant to universities in both Jammu and 
Kashmir.”

He also advocated citizenship rights for the migrant population. “I am shocked that the Prime Minister took light note of these serious problems of refugees by calling himself a refugee, and drawing comparisons with others. Not many are even able to fight even gram panchayat elections.”

Joshi blamed the UPA for its leniency that had led to the repeated U-turns in Pakistan’s stand. He also castigated the government for its failure in containing the economic downturn.

Srinagar, December 19
Security personnel in huge numbers are arriving here to ensure peaceful elections even as the city observed its usual Friday shutdown amidst major security arrangements.

The separatists had asked people to march to Jamia mosque in Nowhatta to protest against the elections but, as has been the story for the past several Fridays, elaborate security arrangements foiled any such plans. There was hardly any movement on the streets of Srinagar as checking and questioning of almost every common man forced people to remain indoors.

The police had set up nakas at all major intersections and stopped every vehicle for checking. "It's a major nuisance to be stopped at every minute and answering same questions. We have to show identity cards and undergo checking so many times. It is only a compulsion that will bring people out of their homes as it's a forced curfew, " Dr Abdul Jan, a private doctor, said.

The Hurriyat faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq criticised the severe pre-emptive measures , claiming that they did not allow the offering of namaz at the Jamia mosque. The Mirwaiz, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and many other separatist leaders are under house arrest while many more are in jail. The police said it never stopped people from offering namaz but supporters of the Mirwaiz stopped them because they wanted him to lead the namaz.

However, there were no clashes anywhere in the city and the day passed off peacefully amidst tension.

Reports from other towns of the valley say that many of them like Budgam, Bandipore and Kupwara were largely open and there was no or partial impact of the separatist call for protests.

Jammu, December 19
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party supremo Prof Bhim Singh has accused the Jammu station of the All-India Radio (AIR) of “misleading and spreading disinformation” in the news bulletin about the election activities and trends in the state.

He said the Panthers Party was the only Jammu-based recognised state party that had fielded 79 candidates out of 87 seats in the ongoing Assembly elections.

The Panthers Party is contesting all the seats in the districts of Jammu and Srinagar, which is going for the final-phase polls on December 24.

He said: “It is criminal on the part of the AIR to mislead the whole nation that only three parties are contesting polls in Jammu district namely the Congress, BJP and the NC.”

He blamed the AIR for deliberately neglecting the Panthers Party for what he termed as the ulterior motive and criminal intention.

The Panthers Party also burnt the effigy of the AIR to lodge protest over the issue and demanded “immediate intervention of the Election Commission of India.”