SRINAGAR: In a significant development that will have political implications in Jammu and Kashmir politics, the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, which was one of the constituents of separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference, has expressed its willingness to contest the forthcoming Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir if centre lifts ban on the organization.
“We are talking to the central government about lifting ban on Jamaat. We want to get this ban lifted so that we can play our role in the society,” said Jamaat-e-Islami J&K senior leader Ghulam Qadir Wani.
In February this year, the centre extended the ban on Jamaat by another five years for continuing activities that pose a threat to the security of the nation.
The centre banned Jamaat-e-Islami for anti-national activities in 2019 after February 14, 2019 suicide bombing on a CRPF convoy at Lethpora, Pulwama in which 40 paramilitary personnel were killed.
The Jamaat Amir said they believe in the democratic process and will participate in forthcoming Assembly polls in J&K if the ban is lifted.
“At present Jamaat is a banned outfit and banned organizations cannot participate in the polls. We cannot even participate in social activities due to the ban,” said Wani, who voted in his hometown Pulwama in south Kashmir in the recently concluded election for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
The Jamaat leader said if the ban is lifted then they will think about contesting the Assembly polls.
“If ban is lifted then we can decide whether to contest the polls or not. We will definitely contest the polls. If the situation permits us, then we will contest the polls,” he said. “We will revive our old tradition when we used to contest the polls.”
“We will participate in the democratic process and there is no other solution for the society. We will have to contest the polls as used to be the case in the past,” he said.
Before the eruption of militancy in J&K in 1990, Jamaat used to contest Assembly polls in the erstwhile state and even late separatist leader Syed Ali Geeani was elected to the Assembly from Sopore seat twice on Jamaat ticket.
If Jamaat decides to contest the polls, it will be a significant development and is bound to reshape the dynamics of electoral politics in the valley.
When told that Jamaat has been boycotting polls, Wani said, “Jamaat was not calling for a boycott. We never called for a boycott. The situation was that when people used to sit at homes, we too sat at our homes. When nobody voted, we too followed the suit”.
“Some groups, who had called for the boycott, were linked with Jamaat. We did not call for a boycott and we have evidence to prove it,” he said.
Asked why Jamaat workers voted in this election, Wani said, “We want to move forward in the democratic process and Majlis-Shoora, the highest decision making body of the organisation, approved the participation in polls”.
The top Jamaat leaders and hundreds of its activists have been arrested since being banned by the centre. The Jamaat properties have also been seized by the authorities.
J&K police’s Special Investigation Agency (SIA) has identified about 188 properties of Jamaat across J&K worth hundreds of crores of rupees for further action.
