Two dreaded militant commanders, who were released in exchange of the passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC 814, are casting their ugly shadows on the elections in the Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) led by Moulana Masood Azhar and al Umar Mujahideen led by Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar have threatened the electorate to stay away from the polls. But what has added a new dimension is the JeM threat to BJP candidates asking them to stay away from the polls.
Azhar and Zargar were among the three top militant commanders who were released in lieu of the passengers of the IC 814 flight in 1999. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the third militant commander released in exchange of the passengers, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for killing Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
Fifteen years on, the Azhar led JeM and Zargar led al Umar are at the heart of the anti election rant in Jammu and Kashmir. "We urge people not to participate in the election process. Candidates fighting election on BJP ticket should stay away from the poll process," JeM spokesman Mohammad Hassan Shah told a local news agency.
Al Umar chief Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar said the voting tantamount to the betrayal with the sacrifices of the martyrs. "I appeal people to boycott the elections. Until UN resolutions are implemented, any election in the state is a futile exercise," he said.
Zargar, who is hiding in Pakistan after his release, said Kashmir is a disputed issue and the people only want the right to self determination. "Till Kashmir issue is not solved according to the wishes of its people all elections are exercise in futility," he added.
Police said they are looking into the threat statements issued by the militant outfits in the Kashmir valley. "We are looking into the statements," said a senior police officer.
The ultras statements have come two days after militants assassinated the brother of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Sarpanch in Dogripora village of south Kashmir in a bid to instil fear among the voters ahead of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP has strongly reacted to the threats to the voters and its candidates saying they would not be cowed down by such rants.
"There are certain groups across the border which are threat to democracy. People of J&K are well aware of it. Previously they have failed and this time also people will come and vote," said Khalid Jahangir, BJP spokesman in Kashmir.
Khalid said the authorities have made elaborate security measures for the candidates. "When candidate is ready for election he is aware of the threats. The government has taken the security measures and three-tier security has been provided to the candidates," he said.
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