Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Separatists, stone throwers, militants enforced boycott in North Kashmir: DGP

    Separatist groups in close coordination with militants

    Srinagar: Boycott in North Kashmir was not observed by the people but was enforced upon them with the ‘criminal intimidation’, said Director General of Police (DGP), adding that the militants, separatists and stone throwers in unison carried threatened people not to go near to the booths.

    The state police chief Ashok Prasad maintained that the appeal for the boycott of polls is unobjectionable but the same was carried out with the criminal intimidation. “The fear psychosis was created in the entire area that if people vote, they will be scorned and attacked.” Prasad said that the militants, separatists and stone throwers worked for a single point agenda and that all three were interconnected vis-à-vis the poll boycott. “Separatists issue the strike call, stone throwers enforce that and militants glue threat posters. What we are seeing on ground is the threat perception being created in the minds of people.”

    He maintained further that the police is acting only in accordance to the law and when the law says that the stone pelting is illegal- it has to be stopped and that is the job of the police force. “The people who are objecting to the police action against stone throwers should contest elections and pass the law in the assembly to legalize the stone pelting.”

    The polling was held in North Kashmir’s Baramulla Lok Sabha seat on May 7 amid clashes and shutdown reported from various areas of the region. Five to six people including police and CRPF personnel were injured during the clashes between security forces and stone pelters. The stone pelting incidents were reported from the various areas of North Kashmir including Fateh Garh, Nadihal, Baharmpora, Saripora, Wadan, Hadipora, Bumai, Main Chowk Sopore, Dangerpora Sopore. The North Kashmir on Wednesdaywitnessed a total of 39.6 percent polling. District Kupwara recorded 63.19 per cent, Baramulla 25.4 percent and, Bandipora 35.5 per cent.

  • By saying NC voters were divided in Uri, Taj trying to cover up his failure: Shafi Uri

    12 Congress Sarpanches openly supported, voted for PDP candidate

    Srinagar: Taking strong exception to the affirmation made by Taj Mohiuddin that half of the National Conference (NC) voters in Uri have voted for PDP candidate Muzaffar Hussain Beigh in just concluded Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla Constituency, senior NC leader Mohammad Shafi Uri on Friday blamed the Congress minister for failing to meet his commitment of support to the coalition candidate.

    “He (Taj) is simply trying to cover up his failure of not fulfilling his commitment that he will make Congress voters to support the coalition candidate Shareef-u-Din Shariq. Instead of blaming the NC former workers, he should have told you how 12 Panchayat representatives affiliated with Congress met Mr Beigh pledging their support in elections. He should have told you how his right hand Congress associates in Uri worked in broad day light in favour of  Mr Salam-u-Din Bajad (Peoples Conference candidate from Baramulla constituency),” Mohammad Shafi Uri told KNS.

    The senior NC leader who has remained cabinet minister many a times till 2002, said that Rafiq Balote, a prominent Gujjar leader and Sarpanch of Garkote village in Uri who is also a close associate of Taj openly worked for PC candidate Salam-u-Din Bajad. “Besides Balote, Congress Sarpanches of Zehanpora, Hakapalhi, Ijara, Pahlipora, Limber B, Bimyar, Nowshera A&B, Barnate, Trikanjan, Buniyar, Zamoorpattan, Salamabad, Chulan, Kalsan, Dachi, Sultan Daki, Shahdara, Nowarunda, Kalgaie, Jabla, Niloosa, Lacipora A& B, Miaan, Bijhama, Buniyar, Mohra have worked and voted for PDP and PC candidate,” Mr Uri alleged.

    Besides, these  areas, the NC former minister said that block president Buniyar Abdul Hamid, Halqa presidents of Dawaran, Bagna, Salamabad, Dachina, Pahlipora, Manzgma, Zehanpora, Nowshera, Buniyar, Zamboorpattan, Sultan Daki, Miarian, kamlkote, Nowarunda, Gawalta, Dardkote, Kalgaie, Salamabd Nambal, Garkote, openly supported PDP and PC candidates and voted for them.

    “This is a total betrayal of Congress workers in Uri against a commitment Mr Taj had made with the NC and Congress state leadership at Baramulla prior to the elections. Mr Taj had committed that his workers will give a lead to the coalition candidate wherever they have their own pockets but he even failed to get over a 1000 people in a public rally where Mr Omar Abdullah was scheduled to address,” Mr Uri informed.

    He said that one fails to understand why Mr Taj is now blaming the NC former workers who have no connection with the NC for the last over seven years. “The NC workers whom Mr Taj has mentioned in his cover up exercise have left the NC since 2007. Some of them are not in touch with the party since 2004. He had made a commitment in front of Mr Farooq Abdullah, Mr Omar, Mr Soz, Mr G A Mir, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir and other NC Congress leaders that he will support our candidate in Uri but now has resorted to cheap politics by saying that the so called NC voters did not vote because of resentment against my son in that constituency,” Mr Uri observed.

    The NC senior leader said that soon after the Congress workers including 12 Sarpanches meet with PDP candidate Muzaffar Hussian Beigh, he had already conveyed the same to Congress leadership. “But there was no action on part of Congress. In some booths Congress voters did not turn up or they openly voted for PDP and PC,” Mr Uri said, adding that still the NC candidate will take a lead in Uri because of NC’s own voter share which according to him has always remained intact. “It is the anti incumbency against Mr Taj that Congress voters have not come forward to vote for the coalition candidate,” he added.

  • Mirwaiz calls for shutdown on May 21

    Srinagar: Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday appealed people to observe complete shutdown on May 21. Mirwaiz was addressing congressional meeting at Jamia Masjid Srinagar on Friday. Hurriyat (M) observes May 21, as ‘The martyrs day’ to commemorate the death anniversary of late Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq. Late Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was assassinated on May 21, 1990 at his Nigeen residence. Later, in 2002, Abdul Gani Lone was also assassinated on the same day at Eidgah Srinagar. Lone played a key role in the formation of the separatist amalgam, Hurriyat Conference in 1993. The sons of both the assassinated leaders are a part of Hurriyat (M). Mirwaiz Umar Farooq heads it and Bilal Gani Lone is one of its executive leaders.

     

  • Accession is final, irrevocable: Soz

    Reacts to remarks of Omar, Farooq on Modi as PM

    Srinagar: Reacting to the recent statement of chief minister Omar Abdullah and NC patron Dr Farooq Abdullah that ‘Kashmir will separate from India if Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister, state Congress chief Saif-ud-din Soz maintained that Kashmir can never secede from India and that the accession is ‘final and ‘irrevocable’.

    “Yes as far as the elevation of Modi as a Prime Minister is concerned, I want to make clear that Kashmir was not acceded to the ‘fascist’ India but to the secular one,” Soz told KNS, adding that Kashmir is a Muslim majority state and its accession with India was purely done on the secular grounds.

    He stated further that Kashmir is India’s part and other  demands over which the discussions are going on is the ‘quantum’ of Autonomy. “General Musharraf had understood the reality of the issue and that the same is an established fact that accession is irrevocable and unquestionable.”

    Taking jibe at Modi, Soz stated that if Modi becomes prime minster- the same will be problematic for all the political groups. “It is not possible that Modi will become the prime minster, nobody wants him to lead India, and we won’t allow him for that.”

    Soz claimed further that Muslims in India are not the minorities but the second most majority and that they must be taken seriously.  “What at present are we saying is that if Modi becomes prime minster, we will continue to protest against his policies, and will remain steadfast in our struggle against fascists.” Pertinently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday warned that Narendra Modi’s success in ongoing Lok Sabha elections would lead to disastrous consequences especially for Jammu and Kashmir.

    In an interview with leading English daily The Hindu, Omar Abdullah said that: A Narendra Modi-led government could “end up severing Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of the country”. He said that proposed review of Article 370 of the Indian constitution by Modi was fraught with serious significances as any attempt to repeal or abrogate 370, which provides a special status to Jammu and Kashmir within Indian union, would mean “that the constitutional bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Union will be destroyed.”

    “Well, If Modi goes ahead and fulfils his poll promises; he will end up severing Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of the country. That is what Modi will do. He has promised to revoke Article 370 from the Constitution, which means that the constitutional bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Union will be destroyed. This basically means that the structure of Jammu and Kashmir’s position in the Indian Union will be undermined”, Omar told the interviewer. Also Farooq Abdullah, had said Kashmir will not be a part of India if the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was voted to power.

    Abdullah, who is also Union New and Renewable Energy Minister, said people of Kashmir wouldn’t accept a communal person. “If it happens then Kashmir will not remain a part of India. I say it publicly. Kashmiris will not accept a communal person,” Abdullah had stated. He further had attacked BJP’s prime ministerial stating those who vote for Modi should drown themselves in sea.

  • Voters thrashed, stripped: Geelani appeals for calm

    Srinagar: A day after voters were thrashed and stripped in North Kashmir by groups of youth, Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani Friday expressed his displeasure over the incidents and appealed people to maintain calm.

    In a video appeal posted on YouTube, the octogenarian leader said: “There are reports of Sopore traders being asked to shut shops in Handwara and people from Kupwara and Handwara being troubled, this is unpleasant and is against the ethos of Islam and our nation.”

    Groups of youth on Thursday in Baramulla town and Sopore area had stripped and thrashed voters from Kupwara district which saw a high voter turnout on Wednesday. The glasses of many vehicles were also smashed.

    Reports said today traders from Sopore were asked to shut their shops in Handwara and were asked to retreat.

    Geelani said: “The voting process was over and we must live like brothers and must not indulge in activities that can lead to a civil war.”

    He said: “Such acts would help India’s designs on Kashmir and I appeal to all the people especially youth to refrain from such acts and live in peace.”

    The resistance leader, who is under house arrest since his return from Indian capital in April, said: “I hope everyone listens to my appeal and my Allah help us to come out of the oppression.” (GNS)

  • Action will be taken against those who terrorise voters: Omar 

    Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday took a strong exception to the attacks by youth on people in volatile twin townships of Baramulla and Sopore for coming to exercise their franchise.

    Omar on social networking site Twitter wrote “First things first – the gangs moving around trying to terrorise those who voted will not be tolerated.”

    On Thursday scores of people who cast their vote in North Kashmir district were hounded, searched and in some cases stripped by groups of youth in Baramulla district.
    The Chief Minister said that, “Action will be taken against anyone found trying to terrorise voters & the police have been instructed accordingly.”
    Lashing out on those who try to restrict the freedom of people who want to vote, CM said that “can’t have freedom to choose not to vote without allowing people who want to vote a similar choice.”

    In backdrop of brisk voting in Kupwara and Hadwara areas of Baramulla constituency, youth at volatile Baramulla and Sopore bus stand were reportedly seen stopping vehicles from remote areas like Uri, Kupwara and other places and were asked to show index fingers.

  • Journalists allege ‘police interference

     Srinagar: Several video and photojournalists of Barmulla alleged that policemen misbehaved with them and barred them from covering protests on Cement Bridge.

    “Police stopped us from covering protests and asked us to leave the spot. We were sent back from the area,” Nisar Malik, who works with Kashmir Reader as photo-journalist, said. He said there were scribes associated with Rising Kashmir, Daily Excelsior, Munsif TV and Kashmir Times.

    The Superintendent of Police (SP) Baramulla, Suhail Munawar said the measure was taken in order to secure journalists as stone-pelting was going on. “See, we told them to keep some distance and not to go close because we don’t want that they should get hurt or injured.” He said police have nothing against journalists and didn’t interfered or stopped them from doing their job. “It was for only their protection,” he added.  (GNS)

  • NC condemns harassment, humiliation of voters

    Srinagar: National Conference Spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu has said that National Conference condemns the harassment and humiliation of voters in Sopore and Baramulla by miscreants. “We strongly condemn the brazen vigilante scanning of people by goons in Sopore and Baramulla and the subsequent physical assault and humiliation meted out to those who had voting marks on their fingers”, Mattu said.

    Demanding stern punishment to the culprits, Mattu said “This brazen, fascist assault on innocent fellow Kashmiris by goons and glorified hooligans in North Kashmir underlines everything that is wrong with separatist politics in the Valley. While they have a right to appeal for an election boycott, citizens have an equally sacred right to defy that appeal and exercise their right to vote. How can you demand that your right to boycott should be respected when you do not respect the right of others to disagree with you and vote? Why this inherent hypocrisy?”

    Junaid Mattu said that certain political quarters in the State had glorified anarchy, hooliganism and vandalism under the fig-leaf of the political sentiment. “Those who parade elders in broad daylight, slap them and tear their clothes off cannot represent anything but anarchy and madness. The separatist leaders, either through their glorious statements or through their inglorious silence have given a certain amount of legitmacy to anarchy and vandalism in the Valley. Their condemnations are selective, if not quantitatively but certainly in terms of the stark qualitative contrast between condemnations to such acts committed by security forces and acts committed by such glorified goons”, Junaid Mattu said.

    Junaid Mattu said that National Conference speaks up for the rights of the people of this State irrespective of their political ideologies or leanings. “Every single citizen of J&K – those who vote as well as those who dont vote – have equal rights to dignity and liberty. No power on earth will be allowed to victimize people of J&K based on their political leanings and ideologies. People have a right to not vote and it is also a fact that people have an equal right to vote. Both rights need to be safeguarded for upholding if not the spirit of democracy but at least the spirit of human civility”, Mattu added. (GNS)

  • Baramulla traders on indefinite strike to protest raids, arrests

    Srinagar: The trade organization in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district Friday called an indefinite strike and has accused the police of ‘looting’ during nocturnal raids in the Old Town of the district.

    While accusing police of ‘loot’ and ‘robbery’, the Baramulla Beopar Mandal has called for indefinite shutdown in the town which began from today with all the shops and business establishments shut. The trade body has demanded release of detained youth and ‘elderly’ persons and transfer of two senior police officers.

    All the markets of Baramulla town were closed with traffic off the roads while clashes also took place at Cement Bridge – which connects Old Town with Civil Lines. There was huge deployment of police and paramilitary forces in all the markets of the town while police had erected concertina wires on Cement Bridge restricting the movement of civilians.

    While talking to GNS, the president of Baramulla Beopar Mandal, Abdul Rashid Mir, said: “Police have created hostile situation in the town. They have detained around 30-40 youth and elderly persons during nocturnal raids from last few days from various parts of the town including in Azad Gunj, Ganai Hamam, Jamia Mohalla and Stadium Colony.”

    “Last night at around 2:00 am, police raided the house of a businessman Ghulam Din Mir of Stadium Colony Azad Gunj. They went berserk, smashed glasses and other belongings. They thrashed him and his son. His son, Abdul Rashid was picked up by police without clothes,” Mir alleged.

    While leveling serious allegations on the police, he said: “They stole gold worth 16 lakhs from his house and 3 rupees three lakh in cash. Besides, all this, his house was damaged by police.”

    He said Beopar Mandal demands compensation to the businessman, release of the detainees, return the gold and cash ‘stolen by police’ and transfer of Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters)  and Station House Officer Baramulla. “Till these demands are not met, the town will observe a complete shutdown. It is a collective decision,” Mir said.

    The Superintendent of Police (SP) Baramulla, Suhail Munawar told GNS that he is unaware about ransacking issue. “I will have to check the facts,” he said. (GNS)

     

  • Brutal Attitude of Indian Forces in North Kashmir Vulnerable is Condemnable: Yasin Malik

    Honorable people should to join hands and eradicate the atmosphere of confusion and mutual tensions immediately: Detained Yasin Malik

    Srinagar: Chairman Jammu Kashmir liberation front (JKLF) Mohammad Yasin Malik who is still languishing in police custody has strongly condemned the brutal use of force by Indian forces and police throughout Sopore, Bandipora, Baramullah, Palhalan,Hajin and Pattan etc and termed it as mere frustration of the rulers and their forces after an exemplary election boycott by the people. Yasin Malik who along with JKLF leaders advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Mir Siraj ud din Davood, Imtiyaz Ahmad Bitta,Ashraf bin Salam, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Mohammad Azam Zargar, Mohammad Jamal, Abdul Rehman Pahalwan,  Mohammad Akbar Wani and Mohammad Sultan and hundreds of innocent youth in still in police custody in his statement said that police and forces are continuously practicing their revengeful activities in Sopore, Baramullah, Bandipora, Palhalan, Hajin and Pattan etc. These forces have gone berserk and are beating and arresting people and also are continuously damaging residential houses and business centers and other assets. This brutal attitude has made the lives of people living in these areas vulnerable. Yasin Malik said that all these acts of state terrorism show the level of frustration of rulers who feel defeated by the peop0l’s exemplary boycott and want to take revenge from the common people.

    Yasin Malik while expressing his concern over the news reports of Mutual tensions and chaos between some people in Sopore, Baramullah,Kupwara,Handwar and Bandipora , said that overwhelming majority of the people of Kashmir, demonstrating their Zeal  and passion, boycotted the drama of Indian elections and thus clearly showed their allegiance with freedom movement and love for the great martyrs .For this show of resilience we all are thankful to these gallant  people .But at the same time we all must bear in mind that we will have to keep vigil and safeguard our unity and brotherhood and defeat the nefarious conspiracies of those who want to divide us for their own benefits and interests  . Yasin Malik appealed to all honorable people to join hands and eradicate the atmosphere of confusion and mutual tensions as it was necessary for the sacred cause of martyrs.

    Yasin Malik also condemned the atrocities being committed against JKLF leader Mir Siraj ud din Davood and others who are languishing in Pattan police station and said that police behavior with these political activists is inhuman and uncivilized. Putting dozens of political prisoners in a dark cell, refusing them a meeting with their kith and kin and even stopping the important medicine to reach them cannot be termed but as brutal and uncivilized behavior. Yasin Malik strongly condemned this police behavior.