1987 elections forced Kashmiris to take arms : BJP

Jammu, Apr 23: In a noteworthy statement, a senior state BJP leader Saturday said the rigged elections of 1987 forced United Jihad Council (UJC) chief Muhammad Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salah-ud-Din to take to arms, reports Greater Kashmir.

“Faulty administrative functioning in the state and rigged assembly elections of 1987 forced the UJC chief Syed Salah-ud-Din to pick up the gun,” former union minister of state for defence and BJP legislature party leader, Chaman Lal Gupta told reporters here today.

“If we go into the history of Jammu and Kashmir, former minister Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah, who was losing 1987 assembly elections with a huge margin, was declared winner on the directions of the then government. Everybody knows that Syed Salah-ud-Din who was at that time in mainstream and had contested the said election was forced to pick up the gun alongwith his colleagues following mass rigging of that election by the government,” Gupta said.

Gupta made these remarks in the backdrop of action against him by the party high-command for cross-voting in the recent Legislative Council polls which he said were also `rigged’.

“This is also the matter of probe that whether our seven MLAs have betrayed the party or not. There should be probe as how seven MLAs cross-voted. Mera Yeh Maanana Hai Ki Yahan Par Bahut Kuch Hota Hai (Anything is possible in Jammu and Kashmir,” he remarked.

Gupta said a bigger conspiracy was being hatched by “external and internal forces” aimed at taking Jammu and Kashmir to the pre-1953 position.

“Some external forces in collusion with internal forces are bent upon to take the state to the pre-1953 position by implementing the recommendations of Interlocutors. These external forces couldn’t succeed unless they get the logical support of internal forces (insiders),” the BJP leader said.

He said all-out efforts were being made to implement the recommendations of the Interlocutors who have recommended pre-1953 status for Jammu and Kashmir. “These elements are bent upon denting BJP’s image as they know that it is the only party which could oppose all such manipulations and fight against these forces,” he said, adding “All such developments and attempts will harm the interests of Jammu.”

He alleged that attempts were also being made to uproot BJP from Jammu and Kashmir.

Gupta, who is among the seven MLAs suspended of the party high command for cross-voting in April 13 LC polls, also questioned the suspension, saying the central leadership should make public the parameters and criteria for singling out seven MLAs while sparing other four in cross-voting fiasco.

On Friday, two suspended MLAs of the party, Baldev Raj Sharma and Lal Chand had also questioned the central leadership’s action and had asked the party high command to show the evidence and criteria on the basis of which seven MLAs were suspended.

Gupta termed the cross-voting fiasco as “unprecedented tragedy” and “unforgivable”, saying the incident is “highly condemnable” and it never happened in the history of the BJP.

He, however, denied that he has “betrayed” the party and remarked, “Time and again I have proved my loyalty. It was highly painful moment of my life when I was included among those seven MLAs who were suspended for cross-voting. I want to fully deny it as I have never betrayed the party and whatever party high command directed me, I followed that with full zeal and honesty.”

“I want to know as to what parameters they have used to single-out the seven MLAs while sparing the other four. The criterion should be made public and the decision should be judicious so that public come to know who the real culprits were,” he demanded.

Meanwhile, in virtual revolt against the party action, another BJP MLA, Prof Gharu Ram, has requested the Speaker Muhammad Akbar Lone to “treat his resignation withdrawn” as and when forwarded to him by the BJP high command.

Joining other five suspended MLAs, Gharu Ram shot a letter to the Speaker, requesting him to turn down his resignation if the BJP high command forwards it to him.

Sources said that he also reposed faith in the leadership of Chaman Lal Gutpa, saying he was their leader in the Legislative Assembly.

On Thursday, five BJP legislators had met the Speaker and gave in writing that the resignation letters which they gave to the party high command should be considered withdrawn.

Sout-ul- Haq Chief among 3 arrested ‘Rival group hatched plan with militant aid’

Details: http://jkmpic.blogspot.com

Srinagar, April 17: Police Saturday claimed to have solved the murder case of Jamiat Ahlehadith president Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah by arresting three persons including the chief of religio-political organization Sout-ul-Haq. Police also claimed that Jamiat’s rival group had hatched the conspiracy to eliminate Maulana with militant support, reports Asem Mohiuddin in Rissing Kashmir.

Addressing media persons here, IGP Kashmir S M Sahai said after killing of Jamiat president in IED blast on April 8, police had set the investigation into motion.“During the probe, the criminal conspiracy behind the killing was unearthed,” he said.

“Some of the members of Jamiat Ahlehadith had shown displeasure over the working of Moulana. They alongwith members of religio-political organization Sout-ul-Haq attempted to dislodge him from the post through electoral process in 2010. However, they could not achieve their goal through electoral process and took an extreme step to assassinate Maulana and hatched the conspiracy to eliminate him,” he claimed.

Sahai said detained Muslim League chairman, Dr Qasim Faktoo who is serving life time imprisonment, hatched the conspiracy with Abdul Gani Dar alias Abdullah Gazalli, president of Sout-ul-Haq after later visited him in jail and discussed the broad contours of conspiracy. 

He claimed that the actual execution of the plan was left to one Javaid Ahmad Munshi alias Bill Papa of Chanapora, Srinagar who sought help from Lashkar Commander Abdullah Uni. “He received some material from Abdullah Uni from Sopore and arranged some of it locally. Various parts of execution were done by various other members. However, the actual triggering of the IED was entrusted to one Nisar Ahmad Khan alias Ishaq of Chanapora,” he said.

“The IED was prepared by Javid Ahmad and he handed over it to Nissar, who planted it near mosque gate and exploded it with remote control when Moulana was entering the mosque on April 8,” IGP claimed.

He said, “The conspirators were also in touch with Jameel-ur-Rehman, general secretary of Muzaffarabad based United Jihad Council. The conspirators saw Moulana’s efforts to establish  Transworld University” in Kashmir as his  compromise with the government. His proximity with certain separatist leaders was also not liked by them”.

“Moulana’s engagement in defusing the sectarian clashes and not allowing his organization to work on the separatist front had also not gone well with these people. Due to his (Moulana’s) efforts to keep Jamiat-e-Ahlehadith away from separatist politics, some members in the organization were not happy with his functioning,” he said.

“Police have arrested Abdullah Gazalli, Bill Papa and Nisar, who are prime accused in executing the murder. Further arrests are expected in connection of the killing as the investigations are on,” IGP added.

Ilyas Kashmiri

US announces $5 Mn reward for info on Ilyas Kashmiri
Johan Simith
Washington Apr 7: The US has announced a bounty of USD 5 million on the head of Pakistan-based dreaded global terrorist Mohammad Ilyas Kashmiri, a key suspect in the Mumbai terror attacks who is now called the "new bin Laden". He is also behind the killing of top APHC leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz. The State department said Kashmiri is the commander of the terrorist organisation Harakat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), which is linked to al-Qaeda, and has launched several attacks in India and Pakistan.

HuJI is believed to be behind the March 2006 suicide bombing at the US consulate in Karachi that killed four people, including US diplomat David Foy, and injured 48 others. Kashmiri, according to Pakistani media reports, has been named as al-Qaeda chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan in place of Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, who was killed in a drone strike in May last year. He is presently believed to be holed up with commanders of al-Qaeda Lashkar al-Zil.

In January 2010, a US federal grand jury indicted Kashmiri for terrorism-related offences in connection with a plot to attack the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Denmark, over cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

Last August, the US branded Kashmiri as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" and HuJI was labelled as a "Foreign Terrorist Organisation."

Born in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1964, Kashmiri is six feet tall and weighs about 90 kilogram, the State Department said in a statement.

He has black hair and brown eyes and has been seen with a thick beard dyed white, black or red at various times. He has lost sight in one eye, often wears aviator-style sunglasses and is missing an index finger too.

Kashmiri is also known by several aliases such as Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri, Elias al-Kashmiri, Ilyas, Naib Amir, and Commando Commander.

"We encourage anyone with information on Mohammad Ilyas Kashmiri's location to contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, any US military commander, or the Rewards for Justice office via the website ( www.rewardsforjustice.net), e-mail (RFJ@state.Gov) or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, DC 20520-0303, USA). All information will be kept strictly confidential," the State Department statement said.