SRINAGAR: As part of its election boycott campaign, leaders of the Hurriyat Conference Jammu Kashmir (HCJK) Friday addressed a rally in Sopore area of  north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
According to a statement, the HCJK leaders while addressing the rally said that “New Delhi can never suppress Kashmir’s freedom movement by involving the people of in so-called elections.”
“The freedom movement is aimed at creating self-reliance among people by liberating the nation from the clutches of slavery while as the so-called power politics is the game-plan of the elements who exploit the nation for their petty self interests,” Shabir Ahmad Shah, said while addressing the gathering.
Other Hurriyat leaders who spoke on the occasion included Mushtaq ul Islam, Shabir Ahmad Dar, Muhammad Yusuf Naqash , Wajahat Quershe and Muhammad Yasin Ataai.
Stating that the main aim of elections “organized by India and held under Indian constitution was to prolong the slavery of Kashmiris, to legislate new tyrannical and oppressive laws against people of Jammu Kashmir and to subject Kashmiris to torture and repression,” Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Friday asked people to stay away from the upcoming parliamentary polls due to be held from next month.
In a statement, the Front spokesman said that JKLF leaders addressed several Friday congregations in south Kashmir as part of its “public awareness program to ask people to keep away from Indian elections,” which started from south Kashmir on Friday.
“Many JKLF leaders and activists addressed people at many places throughout the south Kashmir and informed people that the participation in these elections on any name and pretext cannot be termed but as enmity with Kashmir,” the statement said.
According to the statement, “the places visited by JKLF leaders include Jamia KMD Islamabad, central Jamia Pulwama, Jamia Khanabal, Jamai Rajpora, Jamia Muran Pulwama, Jamia Gudroo Pulwama, Central Jamia Kulgam, Jamia Kaimoh Kulgam, Jamia Athoora Shupian, Jamia Newah Pulwama, Jamai Pir Pora Pulwama, Jamia Dooru Shahabad Islamabad, Jamai Watoo Shupian, Jamia Khudwani Kulgam, Jamia Matan Adda Islambad etc.”
Meanwhile, the JKLF statement said that “police arrested its leaders in a nocturnal raid at JKLF office Bohiri Kadal (Shuhada Manzil Maqbool Centre).”
“Those arrested include Abdul Gaffer, district president Baramullah, Abdul Rashid Magloo, district president Kupwara, Mohammad Rafiq War, district president Bandipora, Syed Nisar Jeelani and office bearer Ghulam Qadir Khan,” the statement said.

Reader correspondent