"To Raise Our Voices": Banned Jamaat Leader On Fighting J&K Polls

The banned Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday announced that its members would participate in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to "raise their voices". Speaking to NDTV, Gulam Qadir Lone, a member of the central committee and ex-general secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami, said they are fighting the polls so that the ban can be lifted.

The organisation cannot take part in the elections due to the ban imposed on it by the Union Home Ministry. The outfit was first declared an 'Unlawful Association' in 2019, which was then extended for five more years in February 2024. Jamaat-e-Islami has not taken part in any elections since 1987.

"We have not done anything which is against the law and always carried out our activities within the framework of an Indian constitution. So when the Centre decided to impose a ban on us, we were surprised as to how this happened in a democratic nation. So we decided to participate in elections to raise our voice," Gulam Qadir Lone told NDTV.

The Jamaat had moved an application before the Election Commission of India for the registration of their party name - Jammu Kashmir Justice and Development Front - but when their ban was ratified, they decided to contest the elections as Independent candidates.

"We want our candidates to work for people. They should raise their voices on the ban imposed on us and also work at ground level," Mr Lone said.

On Jamaat Being Called BJP's "Proxy"

On many political parties accusing the Jamaat of acting as a "proxy" of the BJP, Gulam Qadir Lone put out a denial.

"There was a time when people used to say don't get associated with Congress and boycotted them. But today everyone feels proud to be associated with Congress. I feel that our candidates should go to the people and work for them and not act like political leaders. Then no other party can win here," he said.

He also said the BJP will automatically win if leaders of other parties get into frivolous activities.

Mr Lone also spoke on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) saying they would have accommodated candidates from the banned group if the outfit's leadership had approached party chief Mehbooba Mufti.

"We do not want any "inayat" (charity) from the PDP. If they wanted to help us, they would have done it earlier. Now what can they do," he said.

Countering the claim of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah who said that Jamaat was behind the bloodshed in the Valley, Mr Lone said they "did not shed any blood".

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"We always believed in the Constitution. We filled in affidavits and swore by the Constitution whenever we participated in elections," Mr Lone said.

On Jamaat Leaders Fighting J&K Polls

Four former Jamaat leaders are contesting the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, which are taking place for the first in 10 years. They have been fielded from Pulwama, Kulgam, Devsar, and Zanipura.

"We decided to field four candidates only due to financial constraints. Moreover, our candidates should also have grassroots support and should believe in our ideology," Gulam Qadir Lone said.

Talat Majeed, the former ameer (chief) of Jamaat who filed his nomination papers from the Pulwama constituency as an independent candidate, also spoke to NDTV.

"We will only say what we can do. Some parties have raised the issue of Article 370 again but then their leaders only say it will take 100 years to restore it. I want to ask if it will take 100 years then why are you raising this issue IN these elections," Mr Majeed said.

Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated by the Narendra Modi government on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Sayar Ahmad Reshi, another former Jamaat leader who is contesting the elections from the Kulgam Assembly seat, said unemployment and drugs are two main issues concerning the youth.

"We hope to work on both these issues," he said.

Assembly polls are being held in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370. The polls will be held in three phases from September 18 to October 1 and the counting of votes will take place on October 4.