Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin on Monday welcomed Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) doctoral scholar Abdul Manan Wani into the militant outfit.
“The entry of Abdul Manan Wani of Tekipora Lolab, Kupwara, exposes the Indian propaganda that youth of Kashmir are joining militant ranks due to unemployment and economic distress,” Salahuddin was quoted as saying at a meeting in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
The AMU, meanwhile, expelled Wani, who has been missing for the past four days, after images of him holding an AK-47 surfaced on social media.
Senior Superintendent of Police of Aligarh Rajesh Pandey, however, said, “There are reports of Wani joining the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, but I cannot confirm without verification.”
The Jammu police also cautioned against concluding that Wani had joined militancy. The image might well have been photo-shopped by miscreants, it said.
AMU Proctor M. Mohsin Khan said, “AMU has zero tolerance for such activities and accords top priority to national security and will give full support and cooperation to the police and investigating agencies.”
Threat to participants of panchayat polls
Amid this development, Hizb's operational commander Riyaz Naikoo has threatened to blind those taking part in the panchayat polls scheduled for February.
“Whosoever fights elections, he will be dragged out of his home and concentrated acid will be poured into his eyes, so that he loses his eyesight and becomes a burden for his families for life,” Naikoo is heard as saying in an audio clip that had gone viral online.
Reacting to the threat, former Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah said, “If it isn’t pellets, it’s acid. One way or the other people are threatened with being blinded.”
