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UPA hanged Afzal Guru for political reasons: Omar Abdullah

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He said no as he had signed the paper and warrant has been issued and asked me to deal with the implications.”

omar-abdullah

New Delhi: The controversial hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had been carried out for “political reasons” by the UPA government which had informed him “only hours before,” former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said today.

Out for a dinner with his sister at a Delhi restaurant, Omar received a call from the then Home Minister SushilkumarShinde informing him that he had signed the papers for Guru to be hanged early next morning and asking him to make law and order arrangements.

Even as a last minute effort, Omar told PTI, “I asked the Home Minister whether he was sure that nothing can be done.

He said no as he had signed the paper and warrant has been issued and asked me to deal with the implications.”

Pointing out that the cases of assassins of Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh had been handled differently, he said, “the fact is whether we like it or not he was hanged for political reasons. It’s a fact.”

“I had said I will not pass judgement on it until I see how Government handles other cases… I have seen other cases. Look how they handled assassins of Beant Singh and Rajiv Gandhi and look how they jumped this guy up the queue.

“Clearly what other conclusion can you arrive at other than this that they wanted to deny BJP another handle to beat them with in the general elections and, therefore, the easiest two people to be hanged were AjmalKasab because he was a foreign national and Afzal Guru. Whether I like it or not, but they did it,” he said.

Guru, who was at serial number 28 in the list of condemned prisoners, was hanged on February 9, 2013. A controversy broke out as his family got news of his hanging on television.

Omar Abdullah’s National Conference was part of the UPA government at the time of the hanging and his father, Dr Farooq Abdullah, was a Cabinet Minister at the Center. The alliance continued till the General Elections of May 2014.

Omar, working President of National Conference which lost power in the December 2014 Assembly elections, termed the Guru issue a ‘sword of Damocles’ hanging over him, saying he had been apprising the Centre from time to time about the implications of Guru’s execution.

“The Afzal Guru execution was something that was discussed all through my tenure. Because we knew it was like a sword of Damocles hanging over us. So from time to time the implications of it were conveyed to the Government of India both to Mr P Chidambaram and to MrShinde,” he said.

The implications were always conveyed to the Centre but the concerns multiplied when Kasab, lone survivor of the terrorist team which created mayhem in Mumbai on 26/11, was hanged, he said.

“The general feeling was this that once they have done this, Guru is going to be next and I did place my reservations on record at the time as to what the implications of this would be,” the former Chief Minister said, adding that he was “told that a decision hasn’t been taken but it is being contemplated”.

(PTI)

Hung verdict puts NC, PDP in quandary

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Omar Abdullah Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar: The fractured mandate in Jammu and Kashmir has left both NC and arch-rivals PDP caught in a cleft stick — with second-placed BJP appearing to be their sole saviour.

With 15 seats, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC) is out of power, but it has an option of supporting the BJP and thereby keeping its arch-rival the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) out of power for the next six years.

The PDP’s dilemma is even bigger. With 28 seats it has fallen short of its estimated projection of getting closer to 44, the simple majority needed to form the government.

The PDP’s problem is also compounded by the fact that its most likely future ally, the Congress, has got just 12 seats. The two together have only 40 seats — still short of the vaunted mark by four.

The vote count of the staggered five-phase assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir took place Tuesday.

There are seven independents who have won. Two of these are with Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference whose proximity to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is well known.

Barring the PDP, Sajad’s party will support anyone.

Saeed Mohammed Bakir Rizvi, the lone independent candidate from Zanskar constituency of Ladakh region, has won with NC support and cannot support the PDP.

Pawan Kumar Gupta, the lone independent candidate from Udhampur, is a BJP dissident and is likely to return to the party.

Then there is Yusuf Tarigami of the CPM against whom the NC had not fielded a candidate.

This leaves Hakim Yaseen and Engineer Rashid, the other independent candidates who would support any dispensation that provides power to them. Many, however, believe Engineer Rashid might support no alliance.

This leaves just two possibilities, the PDP aligning with the BJP or the NC aligning with the BJP.

The PDP would have to compromise if it is forced to align with the BJP and the most difficult of such a compromise would be the BJP’s push for a Hindu chief minister for at least half the term if the alliance is worked out on a three-year rotational basis.

On the other hand, the NC can keep the PDP out by supporting the BJP, but Omar Abdullah would be the biggest opponent of such a move even if his father, the NC president, Farooq Abdullah advised him to be more friendly to the BJP now that the hype raised against each other by the NC and the BJP during election campaign was over.

It is a catch-22 situation for the NC and the PDP and gives the controlling handle to the BJP that has 25 seats.

Ram Madhav, BJP national general secretary, is arriving here Thursday to spell out his party’s terms to both the NC and the PDP — if either of them is willing to cobble up a ruling alliance with the BJP.

Madhav will first meet Omar Abdullah and later call on Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, the PDP patron.

Omar has left for winter capital Jammu to submit his resignation to Governor N.N. Vohra before he flies back to Srinagar for his meeting with Ram Madhav.

(IANS)

Nine soldiers indicted for Kashmir killings

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Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

Srinagar: Nine soldiers have been indicted for killing two youth in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district Nov 3 and will face court martial, the army said here Thursday.

“Nine soldiers of the 53 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), including a junior commissioned officer, have been indicted for the firing incident in Chattergam area in which two youth were killed.

“The court of inquiry appointed to probe the firing has found gross violation of rules of engagement by the involved soldiers. They have been indicted. There has been a total failure of the command by the officer in charge,” a senior army officer told IANS here.

Widespread public anger followed the killings of two youth – Faisal Yusuf Bhat and Mehrajuddin Dar – in Chattergam area of Budgam district Nov 3 by a mobile vehicle check post set up by the soldiers of 53 RR.

The army had initially said the car in which the youth were travelling had not halted at the security checkpoint.

Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, GOC-in-C of army’s northern command, later admitted the deployed column of the RR had overstepped its brief and violated the rules of engagement while opening fire at the car.

(IANS)

As hundreds are detained, Kashmir set to vote tomorrow

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Over a million voters registered with the Election Commission of India in 15 assembly segments of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions are expected to exercise their franchise on Tuesday.

Over a million voters registered with the Election Commission of India in 15 assembly segments of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions are expected to exercise their franchise on Tuesday.

Srinagar: The first phase of voting for the state assembly elections is set to be held on Tuesday in Kashmir where the ruling party is facing a rout by the opposition.

Over a million voters registered with the Election Commission of India in 15 assembly segments of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions are expected to exercise their franchise on Tuesday for deciding the fate of the ruling party which has been marred by charges of corruption, misgovernance and rights abuses.

“12 sitting MLAs, including seven ministers, are among 123 candidates trying their luck in 15 constituencies that will go to polls on Tuesday,” PTI news agency reported.

“More than 200 battalions of central forces have been deployed in 15 constituencies to ensure there is no violence on the day of elections,” a senior Jammu Kashmir Police officer who didn’t wish to be named.

Authorities have also launched a crackdown against anti-election protesters and Hurriyat leaders to ensure incident-free polls with over 300 detentions made every week, as per as a report in Indian Express.

Capitalizing on the anti-incumbency wave against chief minister Omar Abdullah’s National Conference and buoyed by the victory in the recent Lok Sabha elections – the party won three out of six seats in the region, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is hoping to form the next government which will be a historic first in the Muslim majority state.

The party has reportedly set up its base in a hotel in Srinagar where a team of BJP strategists are working closely to increase their party’s membership in the Kashmir Valley under “Mission 44+”, but many political analysts and journalists say it is going to be a “tough road” ahead for the party.

The PDP which won three Lok Sabha seats in the recent parliamentary elections in Kashmir Valley was emerging as a strong contender to form the next government but the September 7 floods and some controversial inducts into the party took away the sheen from its poll prospects.

“We will form the next government in the state,” a PDP spokesperson said.

Officials say there has been less violence ahead of elections in the region as compared to previous elections which may encourage people who have traditionally stayed away from polling booths to come out and vote.

“The situation has been peaceful and we are hoping that calm prevails till the end of polling day,” Shah Faisal, the district administrator of Bandipora which is going to polls on Tuesday, said.

He said 74 battalions of central forces have been deployed in Bandipora where 24 candidates are in the fray with 13 from Bandipora, 7 from Sumbal and 4 from Gurez.

The Hurriyat leaders including pro-Pakistan Syed Ali Geelani and pro-independence Yasin Malik have called for a general strike on Tuesday in protest against the election.

Nearly 1800 polling stations have been set up in the region and the polling will begin at 8 am.

Chattegram Killings: Questions to ponder upon

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Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

by Abdul Majid Zargar

Kashmir’s tryst with peace has proved short lived yet again, thanks to the vacuous & barbaric killing of two young men Meraj-ud-Din Dar and Faisal Yusuf. As if the recent floods were not sufficient to devastate Kashmiris physically, emotionally & economically, the killing was thought necessary to notify them that besides God there is also a demon on earth to batter them.

According to Army’s official version, the men travelling in a car did not stop on being signalled to do so and hence were fired upon resulting in instantaneous killing of two young men & critical injuries to two other young boys. While acknowledging the incident as a case of mistaken identity, it has provided no answers to questions as to why bullets were not used to deflate the car tyres instead of being pumped on inmates or for that matter why the massive security presence in the area and vast communication network available with them was not used to catch them alive? It’s expression of regret over the loss of innocent lives is merely an attempt to cool down immediate tempers. The callousness of our Chief Minster can be gauged from his statement terming the killings as “avoidable”. He seems to have lost even the sense of describing an unfortunate incident.

Kashmiri Muslims have been mauled, cleaved and dehumanised by a system in which only the writ of security forces work. These trigger happy forces have the unfailing habit of creating reasons for mass disruption at regular intervals just to remind the natives that they are here and you cannot live in peace unless & until you are fully & truly subjugated. A bereft political leadership at the centre and a state leadership playing a mercenary role for them has neither the desire nor the will to investigate at the macro level the reasons behind the recurring episodes of mindless killings by the various wings of the police and the military, which by their regularity and timing must certainly be significantly more than the aberrations they are made out to be. We need to ponder over the question – whether the current killing of two young boys is a stage-managed military-politico operation to raise our anger level to a point of total & massive boycott of forthcoming elections which at present suits the ruling junta at the centre? After all there is a widespread belief that a military-politico operation in the form of massive firing at LOC was also a stage-managed event used to enhance the electoral fortunes of BJP in Mahrashtra & Haryana. Credence to that belief is lent by the sudden stoppage of firing after the elections were over and the rich electoral dividends it reaped in both these states compared to earlier reversals in Uttrakhand, Bihar, UP & Rajashtan etc. by-polls.

We are told that an enquiry has been ordered into the gruesome incident. We have also been assured that the enquiry this time will be fair, transparent & meaningful. But Kashmiris wonder that whether such assurances have any meaning in view of the past record of both the state & central Govt. Even where security forces have been held guilty of cold blooded murder, by none other than New-Delhi’s own premium investigating agency CBI, in Pathribal fake encounter case, the highest judiciary has come to its rescue & provided it a safe passage. After all national interest weighs more than the lives of ordinary Kashmiri Muslims in the scale held by blindfolded statue of Justice installed in Indian courts. Pathribal is only one instance & scores of such instances can be quoted to prove that Justice in Kashmir is and has always been, subservient to national interest of retaining Kashmir’s land mass with or without its masses.

About the reporting of this unfortunate incident by National media, less said the better. While most of the media, both print & electronic, by & large, ignored the incident, Times of India, a national daily of repute, reported that two “soldiers” were killed by “terrorists”. The news went viral on Social media inviting sharp comments by many that it is the only correct & truthful reporting. I take pity on reporting standards of this giant media house, incidentally a co-sponsor of “Aman ki Asha” along with another media house of Pakistan.

Great nations never try to correct the history, but only learn from it. India is doing exactly the opposite in Kashmir. Without learning anything from what Pandith Kalhana has said that Kashmiris may be conquered by love but cannot be suppressed by force, it is trying to re-write and change the Kashmir discourse through military pen & ink. A crass & compliant media is helping it to advance that false discourse. It needs to be reminded that greater the injustice, ferocious is the resistance. A physical act of resistance may be temporarily foiled, but the spirit behind it cannot be so easily subdued.

The author is a practicing chartered Accountant. Feed back at abdulmajidzargar@gmail.com

Army admits to killing two teenagers in Kashmir by ‘mistake’

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Mother of one of the slain youths consoled at her Nowgam residence by relatives and neighbours. Photo: Faisal Khan

Mother of one of the slain youths consoled at her Nowgam residence by relatives and neighbours. Photo: Faisal Khan

Srinagar: The Indian Army took responsibility and apologised for the recent firing incident in Kashmir’s Budgam district in which two teenagers were killed and two other people were injured. Army men had fired at a Maruti car on Monday.

“Army fully takes responsibility for the civilian killings at Chattergam in Budgam district,” Lieutenant General D S Hooda, Army’s Northern Command chief said at a press conference on Friday.

Army said there will be a transparent probe into the firing incident.

“I assure that there will be a transparent probe in the firing incident,” he said.

Two youth – Faisal Yousuf, Mehraj-ud-din- were killed and two – Zahid Ayoub, Shakir Rehman – critically wounded when army men fired indiscriminately at a car these youth were traveling in. While one youth – Basim Amin- escaped unscathed from the car.

“See mistake has been done. Dos and don’ts of operating procedures are being constantly taught to troops. We will get to know about the incident fully once the probe is over,” Hooda said.

“We sincerely wish the incident should not have happened. Inquiry has been ordered. We have recorded testimony from 15 civilian and service witnesses. The testimonies are being examined. The inquiry will be completed within 10 days,” Hooda said.

He said that the Army shares the sorrow and grief of the families.

Following the outrage over the incident, army replaced 53 RR unit with 35 RR in Chattergam.

Army had earlier claimed that the car refused to stop at two check posts, the claim which was rejected by a government inquiry conducted after the incident.

Clashes and restrictions continue in the native place of these youth from last four days. All the youth are residents of Nowgam locality in Srinagar.

NHRC notice to defence ministry over Army killing of two teenage boys in Kashmir

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Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission Wednesday issued notice to the defence ministry and the Jammu and Kashmir police over the killing of two youths in firing by the Army, said a statement.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the commission issued notice to the secretary, ministry of defence, and the superintendent of police of Budgam district, calling for a response within two weeks.

Two teenage boys – Faisal Yousuf and Mehrajuddin Dar – were killed when army men opened fire on their Maruti car on Nov 3. The slain youth hail from Nowgam area and were friends. Although an army statement said, “The youths were travelling in a car and as claimed by the Army, they did not pay heed to signals to stop at the barriers set up by the security forces,” a government inquiry into the killings has contradicted the claims made by them that the car in which the youths were travelling tried to “sped away” when asked to stop in Chattergam.

As per the inquiry report, five persons were travelling in the car and they were all residents of Nowgam. An eyewitness account recorded by the committee states that the Maruti 800 car was stopped by the Army naka party and it “skidded off the road and hit a pole on the road side”.

“In the meantime one of the detachment of the naka party fired upon the vehicle, resulting into death of Burhan alias Faisal and Mehraj-ud-Din,” the report says.

Two more youths were injured in the firing incident who have been identified as Shakir and Zahid.

Ishfaq Ahmad, quoting his brother, Zahid, told KNS news agency that their car skidded as a speeding load carrier was about to run over them.

“The driver tried to save us and in the process our car ran into an electric pole. All of a sudden, Army started firing,” he said.

The fifth, Basim, emerged unscathed in the attack and ran away from the spot.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah Monday said the victims have “no connection” with the insurgency in the region and his party has demanded revocation of AFSPA, a draconian legislation which provides immunity to government forces from prosecution in civil courts.

Modi won’t visit any flood-hit area in Kashmir

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In this October 18, 2014 photo, protestors hold placards at Lal Chowk in Srinagar demanding Prime Minister Naredndra Modi's intervention for rehabilitation of the Kashmir flood victims. Photo: PTI

In this October 18, 2014 photo, protestors hold placards at Lal Chowk in Srinagar demanding Prime Minister Naredndra Modi’s intervention for rehabilitation of the Kashmir flood victims. Photo: PTI

Srinagar: Though Narendra Modi had said he would spend his time in Srinagar; ““sit and sip tea” in a relief camp as a gesture of solidarity with the flood victims on the occasion of Diwali” as reported earlier, however, according to details provided by local BJP leaders, the Prime Minister would hold indoor interaction only with some delegations.

“Modi Ji will interact with delegations of almost all political parties apart from civil society, traders, hoteliers and flood-affected people either at Raj Bhawan or SKICC. He is not scheduled to visit any flood-hit area in Srinagar,” BJP’s Valley-based leader Fayaz Ahmad Bhat told Kashmir Reader on Wednesday.

Modi arrived on Thursday afternoon in summer capital Srinagar after visiting troops at the Siachen glacier, the world’s highest battlefield in Ladakh region.

Modi was received in Srinagar by state Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior civil personnel, police and security force officers at the airport.

“He will hold a meeting with army as well. The purpose of that meeting is to appreciate the role of army in rescue operation during the floods. On the evening, he will return to New Delhi,” Bhat said.

On Tuesday, Modi had announced on his Twitter handle that he is coming to Kashmir on Diwali to spend the day with flood-hit people. Both ruling National Conference and opposition PDP appreciated his “gesture” of coming here on this occasion. However, two factions of Hurriyat Conferences have called for a shutdown on Thursday and holding of peaceful protests against the visit.

Chairman Hurriyat Conference(M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Wednesday dismissed Indian Prime Minister Narednra Modi’s visit Kashmir on Diwali as a mere “publicity stunt.

Mirwaiz, during his visit to flood-hit areas, said “the theatrics of false mourning and tears were a hollow show of sympathy over the hardships faced by the flood-hit Kashmiris.”

He said that people were immensely suffering due to floods since past two months, rendered homeless, and had nothing to left to fend their families.

Security has been beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the valley on Thursday.

Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength and are conducting random checking of vehicles. Special checking points have been set up at various places in the city including entry and exit points as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.

This is Modi’s fourth visit to Jammu and Kashmir since taking charge as Prime Minister in May.

Jammu & Kashmir asked to pay Rs. 650 cr bill for IAF and NDRF rescue operations

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kashmir-floods

Srinagar: The J&K government has to pay Rs. 650 crores to Indian Air Force (IAF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the rescue operations they carried out and the relief material distributed during the recent floods in Kashmir.

According to a report published by Rising Kashmir, a bill of over Rs. 650 crores has been drafted in Delhi and verbally communicated to the state government through official channels.

“However, the state government has not received the hard copy of the bill so far,” sources said, the paper reported.

They said the bill also includes charges for food items dropped from the choppers and for the boats that were used during the rescue operations.

The disclosure of this bill was discussed in a meeting of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah with traders prior to their road show protest to press for their demands to expedite rehabilitation process.

Citing official sources, the paper quoted that, “during the meeting, the CM disclosed that the bill has been prepared by IAF and NDRF for their relief efforts in the valley.”

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday said they haven’t received any such bill so far.

However, he added: “I don’t have any information about it yet, but anyways we have to pay the bill as per the procedure.”

Khanday said it was on the recommendation of the state government that services of IAF and NDRF were availed at the time of disaster to be paid for from the funds of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

“Whenever IAF and NDRF services are availed by any state at the time of disaster, they have to be paid from the treasury of state’s SDRF,” said Khanday.

Earlier, the central government came under criticism for allegedly dropping expired food items from the choppers in the name of relief.

“It is a cruel joke, first they provide us expired food items and now they are charging for it,” a trader said requesting anonymity.

The development has come at a time when flood victims are desperately seeking financial package for their rehabilitation.

It has also infuriated the business community which has been badly affected in the floods.

“It is an irony that instead of sending relief package for the revival of Kashmir, Centre is sending such kind of bills,” said another businessman.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had announced Rs. 1000 crore relief package for J&K along with Rs. 320 crore State Disaster Relief Fund, but the affected families have not been paid so far.

Youths displaying ISIS flags not involved in militancy: Omar Abdullah

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omar-abdullah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said here on Tuesday that all the local boys who displayed ISIS flags in recent days in Srinagar have been identified, but none of them has been found to be involved in militancy.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of the Police Commemoration Day, Mr. Abdullah said: “All the boys who displayed the ISIS flags in the city have been identified and cases have been registered against them.”

“None of them has been found involved in militancy so far. Now what are the reasons for them to display such flags would be established by the inquiry going on in these cases.”

A media flutter was created here during the last few months because some masked youths displayed the flags of the outfit ISIS that is active in Iraq and Syria.

It should be noted that a similar alert in reference to Goa was rubbished by the state’s Chief Minister last week. Goa CM Manohar Parrikar said that there was no specific terror alert for the state and media reports quoting a top NSG official indicating the same were “incorrect”.

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