Hizb warns people over poll participation

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s biggest indigenous militant group has warned the people of acid attacks if they participate in the local bodies’ polls scheduled to be held from September to December.

The warning from Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) on Tuesday came as officials said the preparations for holding the elections were in final stages and the dates for them could be announced soon. As many as 16 sarpanches (panchayat heads) and panchs (rural local bodies’ members) have been killed over the last four years. A record 75% voter turnout was recorded when Panchayat polls were last held in 2011.

“Those people who are thinking about participating in the polls should also get shrouds along with election forms,’’ Hizbul Mujahideen’s operational commander Riyaz Naikoo warned in a purported audio message. Naikoo accused the armed forces of harassing “innocent people and ransacking their properties” as they prepare the ground for holding the elections. He said they have got hydrochloric and sulfuric acid and those participating in the polls should remain prepared.

Naikoo said the Army would guard the house of alleged informer Shameema Bano in South Kashmir’s Pulwama to protect her from them after tipping the forces about Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sameer Tiger’s whereabouts. “How long could the forces manage to protect her,’’ he said, referring to Bano’s murder on August 17. Tiger was killed in April.

Naikoo claimed they can kill anybody at any place. “We do not have personal animosity with anybody, but the people who will work against our struggle or sacrifices will be punished.’’

He criticised the media for failing “to highlight the atrocities of the forces” and blamed them for “working for the intelligence agencies”.

“The news portraying militants negatively gets prominence while houses of militants and other people, which get ransacked, find very little space on the inner (newspaper) pages.’’

Militants have issued poll boycott calls since 1996 when first elections were held in the state following the beginning of the armed insurgency in 1980s.

Authorities have retained over 16,000 central forces deployed in Kashmir for the Amarnath pilgrimage for security during the local bodies’ polls.

The elections were due in January but they were deferred after the PDP-BJP coalition government told the Centre the situation was not conducive for them.

The electoral process has been accelerated since the imposition of governor’s rule in June after the BJP withdrew support to the coalition government.