SRINAGAR: The militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has threatened to pour acid on the eyes of those, who contest panchayat elections in Jammu Kashmir scheduled to begin next month.
An audio clip of a purported conversation between two Hizbul Mujahideen commanders has gone viral in which outfit’s operational commander Riyaz Naikoo tells another commander Sameer Tiger to pour acid into the eyes of the people who participate in the panchayat polls.
During the conversation, Tiger can be heard asking Naikoo for orders regarding the panchayat elections, which are scheduled to be held in the State from February 15.
Naikoo tells him that the plan was to not threaten or kill anyone. “Threatening people in last 28 years has not yielded anything.”
“We should blind them. The concentrated acid should be poured into the eyes of those, who contest the elections, to blind them for life,” he said.
Naikoo further states that many people were killed some by them and some by the agencies during elections last year.
“It yielded nothing. We should blind them,” he said adding, “Instead of helping these people get rid of their unwanted family members, pouring acid into their eyes will ensure that they become a burden on their families".
The state government has announced that the panchayat polls would be held on non party basis in the State from February 15.
The panchayat polls were scheduled to be held in 2016 but were postponed due to security concerns in view of turmoil in the Valley.
Reacting to Hizb commander’s threat, former chief minister and opposition National Conference working president Omar Abdullah said earlier people were blinded by pellet guns and now they are being threatened with blinding by acid.
"If it isn't pellets, it's acid. One way or the other people are threatened with being blinded," he added.
The opposition parties have questioned the government for announcing to hold panchayat elections in the State from next month saying security situation in the Valley was not conducive for holding such an exercise.