Malik to launch anti-poll campaign

Srinagar, Apr 12: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik today said he would launch the anti-election campaign in Baramulla district from tomorrow.

''The JKLF's poll boycott campaign would be launched from tomorrow. I will travel in all the three constituencies to urge the people not to take part in the by-elections,'' he told a news conference here.

Mr Malik said it was a democratic right of every citizen to take part or not in the electoral process.

The by-elections will be held in three Assembly constituencies -- Pattan, Rafiabad and Sangrama -- of Baramulla district on April 24.

The JKLF Chief, who returned here early this week from a month-long visit of Pakistan, expressed the hope that the government will not create hurdles in their election boycott campaign as it was their democratic right.

Mr Malik also came down heavily on the recent statements by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference chief patron Dr Farooq Abdullah and described these as ''election stunts''.

''The same people who swear by India are now trying to arouse the passions and play with the sentiments of the people. These are all election stunts and political gimmicks,'' he added.

In an exclusive interview to 'Kashmir Uzma', an Urdu weekly from here, Dr Abdullah had accused India of insincerity in resolving the Kashmir issue and alleged that New Delhi was converting the entire Valley into an Army cantonment.

UNI