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Srinagar: Three paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured in a militant attack their at Sopore area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district late Tuesday evening. Barely 10-hours before the start of election in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.

CRPF’s Srinagar based spokesperson; Kishore Prassad told GNS that some unknown militants attack CRPF party of 179 bn near state Bank of India in Sopore.

“During the attack three of our men have sustained injuries and they have been immediately evacuated to nearby hospital for treatment”, he said.

Block Medical Officer (BMO) Dr Syed Massod told GNS that two injured CRPF men were brought to the hospital and both of them have been referred to Bone and Joint hospital Srinagar. He said that the duo had leg injuries.

Sources identified both the injured CRPF men as Manoj Kumar and K Sujan.

However, unconfirmed reports said that a civilian also got injured in the firing incident.

Meanwhile, army’s 22 RR, CRPF and SOG cordoned off the whole area and started searches to nab the attackers.

However, the sources told GNS that the militants after carrying out the attack fled from the spot. (GNS)

They will be released once polls are over: Police

Srinagar: In view of the polls, scheduled to be held in Baramulla on May 7, police has detained more than 200 people including the former militants. According to the reports received by KNS, several people at various places of North Kashmir were called to their respective police stations and were kept under preventive detention in view of the polls scheduled to be held in 15 segments of North Kashmir. Reports maintained that police has also detained the former militants who had joined the militant ranks earlier and then surrendered. Also some activists from various separatist groups have been taken into custody reportedly for affixing poll boycott posters in various areas. The stone throwers against whom the cases were registered in the year 2008, 09 and 10 have also been detained at various police stations.

Police sources while confirming the reports stated that more than 200 people have been taken into preventive custody to ensure smooth conduct of polls on May 7. A senior police officer wishing not to be named told KNS that the top priority for the police is to ensure smooth conduct of elections and that the preventive measures have been taken so that the law and order is not disrupted.  He added that the detained persons will be released once the elections in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency are over.

Police maintained further that an attack carried out at a local school of Watergam was aimed to create panic in the area and to instill fear in the minds of people. Police claimed that the attack was carried out using a petrol bomb and that the reports of the IED blast are incorrect. Police informed that the additional forces have also been deployed in North Kashmir to ensure safety for the voters and that the forces have already been deployed in various far flung areas of North Kashmir including Gurez, Keran, Uri and  Tulail.

Pertinently, with 18 candidates in fray in North Kashmir’s Baramulla seat and a registered electorate of 11, 5200, a close fight between the big wigs is expected on Kupwara- Baramulla turf on May 7. Various areas of this Lok Sabha seat are being considered as volatile in terms of militancy related activities.  The Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad Monday stated that the police implemented the security plan of 2008 for the polls in North Kashmir .The state police chief told KNS that whatever the measures taken by the police in the year 2008- the same is being done in the current year during polls to avoid any disruption of law and order. “In terms of the police deployment at various places, to thwart protest demonstrations and stone pelting and any other activity that would disrupt law and order in the state- the security plan of the year 2008 is being implemented this year also.”

Commenting over the security scenario of the Baramulla during polls on May 7, Ashok Prasad stated that there are three major challenges being faced by the police at present. “First is that the militants could carry out soft target killings in the area. Second is the strike call during polls issued by the separatists. It could instigate people for stone pelting. Third is the direct attempt of stone pelting at various places to disrupt poling and to create panic in various areas that will go for polls on May 7.”

Srinagar: Prof. Saifuddin Soz President Pradesh Congress Committee has said: “It is really unfortunate that the Election Commission of India (ECI), despite its achievements in respect of electoral reforms of various kinds, has failed to check violations of Model Code of Conduct committed by Mr. Modi and his cohorts in various parts of India particularly in Uttar Pradesh.”

According to a statement issued to KNS, Soz added: “To cite just one example, it could be pointed out to ECI that it was clearly wrong on its part to allow Shri. Amit Shah to resume campaign in Uttar Pradesh on behalf of Shri. Modi, after his poisonous and dangerous  hate speech in UP openly directed against Muslims. Allowing him to indulge in the same nefarious game of extreme communal polarization  on the basis of just an  affidavit was absolutely wrong.”

“A series of violations of Model Code Of Conduct by Shri. Modi, Shri. Amit Shah and others, including display of Ram Lalla at Faizabad on the occasion of Modi’s visit there and his potentially dangerous speech with communal overtones, occurred only because the Hate Mongers got conscious of the fact that ECI had not shown the will to check blatant malpractices.”

The PCC chief has said: “Some conscientious citizens of India have started fearing that fascism has already arrived at the threshold of democratic and secular India! The ECI also had not shown its nerve to go into the vital questions of quantification of Mr. Modi’s enormous funding for the unprecedented media hype for Mr. Modi and the enormous level of black money that got into the Modi’s campaign by way of Paid News. Perhaps the time has come when the Peoples Representation Act will need provision for the Supreme Court’s direct intervention, when the ECI goes wrong as visibly as during the course of the present General Election 2014.”

Terms Pak army chief’s statement ‘realistic’

Srinagar: Reiterating the call for boycott in North Kashmir, Huriyat Conference (M) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Tuesday urged people to stay away from the polls scheduled to be held in Baramulla parliamentary constituency on May 7.

According to the KNS correspondent, Mirwaiz while speaking in the convention of Awami Majlis Amal (AMA) stated that the people of North Kashmir must follow the suits of the Srinagar and South Kashmir so that a clear message is given to the outer world. Kashmir’s chief cleric also urged people to observe complete shutdown in North Kashmir against the elections being held for the Lok Sabha seat.

The convention led by Mirwaiz also hailed the recent statement of Pakistan’s chief of Army staff, terming it a ‘realistic’ one. It was also observed that the role of Pakistan in supporting the ongoing struggle has been tremendous and encouraging. “The country is not only supporting Kashmir cause at international level but is also striving for the people here so that right to self determination could be given to them.”

The convention also took a jibe at what it termed the double standards being adopted vis-à-vis the recent statement of Pak army chief. It stated that the first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru promised people their birth right and that it is the moral responsibility of the establishment of the country at present to fulfill the unfulfilled. Mirwaiz has also condemned the killing of a 26-year old youth at Nawa Kadal on April 30 and the use of force on the ‘peaceful protesters’. It expressed solidarity with Bashir’s family at this time of great loss.

‘Has asked CMs of all State’s to ensure safety of J&K Students’

‘Condemn the harassment of Kashmiri Students in Noida’

Srinagar: National Conference Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu has said that Omar Abdullah’s hand-holding of the youth and students is above considerations of politics and votes and that the NC Working President has always reached out to students and youth in distress, both within and outside the State.

“Omar Abdullah has ensured that the youth of J&K have a sense of support by never hesitating to take up their issues and ensuring that no injustice is done to them. The Chief Minister ensured that the sedition charges against students from J&K studying in Meerut were withdrawn without any delay and personally monitored the situation till the sedition charges were dropped,” Mattu said according to a statement issued to KNS.

Junaid Mattu said that Omar Abdullah deputed a high level team to Meerut in the wake of the situation that had developed there a couple of months ago. Junaid Mattu said “54 students out of 67 have been permitted to attend their classes and a decision on the remaining 13 students will be reached within two weeks. We have asked the University to keep us in the loop and give us detailed findings of their investigation including on what basis punitive action has been taken against particular students.”

The NC Spokesman while condemning the incident of harassment of Kashmiri students at a University in Noida reiterated NC Working President and J&K CM Omar Abdullah’s demand that Chief Ministers of all States ensure the safety and well-being of students from J&K studying in educational institutions in their State. “The Chief Minister has unambiguously and unequivocally stated that such harassment is not acceptable and the University authorities as well as the State Administration in Uttar Pradesh should either give these students a sense of safety or admit their reluctance to do so,” Mattu said.

Junaid Mattu said that under the directions of NC Working President and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah a helpline has also been established at the Resident Commissioner’s Office in Delhi so that students can immediately reach out to the State Administration in case of any trouble. “We are strengthening our reaction mechanisms and outreach programs to ensure that students studying outside have access to a more sound grievance redress and SOS mechanism and significant steps have been taken to achieve this goal,” Mattu added.

“Those who are now feigning sympathy for J&K students studying outside the State for political mileage did precious little to help the students in Meerut or elsewhere. They used these students as pawns in their political battles and forgot them within two days. Today they are again out to exploit the situation in Noida to the disadvantage of the particular students,” Mattu said while adding that National Conference was committed to the hand-holding of youth and will not allow a sense of fear and insecurity crop in.

He has been appointed Nodal Officer: Taj

Srinagar:  The government has dropped all charges against Dr Javid Choudhry former medical superintendent and head of the department pediatrics who was earlier indicted by the one man commission of inquiry for high infant mortality rate in G B Pant hospital. He has been appointed as Nodal Officer of newly created government medical college Baramulla.

The order issued by the government vide number 218-HME of 2014 dated April 22, 2014 reads: “…Whereas the report of the inquiry officer/crime branch has been examined…and it has been found that nothing can be established against Dr Javaid Choudhry  …except that he has been held responsible as supervisory authority ..to the maintained of records. And whereas it has been found that neither any criminal charge has been made ..by the crime branch nor anything substantial could be established against  him by the inquiry officer. Accordingly the competent authority has accepted the recommendation…and decided to drop the charges framed against Dr Javaid Choudhry.”

“The government has dropped charges against him in view of the Bipul Pathak committee report and in light of the high court directions,” Taj Mohiuddin, minister for health and medical education told KNS while confirming about Dr Choudhry’s appointment as Nodal Officer of GMC Baramulla.

The minister for health and medical education said that the high court has given government one week to appoint Dr Chuhdry against a proper post commensurate to his merit. “Let us the honourable high court directions would be studied and a decision will be taken accordingly.”