A day after the Hurriyat doves decided not to call for boycott of the ongoing polls,the alliance aggressively defended its decision against the criticisms from militant groups,telling them to mind their own business. The Hurriyat reiterated its stand that it will not call for a poll boycott and leave the decision to the people. The United Jihad Council slammed the Hurriyat decision,saying the moderate group had let the people down. Those who say that they have nothing to do with the polls are deceiving people, UJC chairman Syed Salahuddin said on Wednesday. Salahuddin also termed the Hurriyat moderates as hypocritical in their approach draped in Hurriyat garb but working to strengthen Indias interests in Kashmir. However,unlike in the past,the moderates this time rejected the objection. The Hurriyat will not accept diktats. We do not recognise the UJC, acting Hurriyat chairman Molvi Abbas Ansari said. Ansari even called Salahuddin confused. UJC chose not to interfere in the Assembly polls and now,they are calling for boycott of parliamentary polls, he said. Ansari even exhibited an understanding of Sajad Lones decision to contest the polls,saying that he had made a choice and was responsible for it. He cited the example of National Conference founder Shiekh Abdullah,who had also participated in polls despite espousing separatist ideology. Ansaris outburst is likely to further sour the moderates relations with militant groups,which will see this as a challenge to their political authority in the state. The UJC has always ridiculed the mass sway of the moderates,contending that it is their military force that has underpinned the political strength of the Hurriyat leadership rather than any actual ground support. The doves relation with the hawkish Hurriyat faction is also likely to come to a head. The agreement on an active boycott campaign was at the heart of the separatists unity in the Valley and now the show of indifference by moderates is likely to set them on divergent paths. Ansaris statement has already led to some stone-throwing incidents in parts of Srinagar,with protesters accusing him of crossing the limit and demanding an apology from him. But this is unlikely to dissuade the moderates who are reeling from their own contradictions. The heavy turnout in the polls has made the separatists more mindful of the peoples basic needs,forcing them to come around to the utility of the polls as a democratic mechanism close to the lives of common people. Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq,however,reiterated that the people had delinked polls from the Azadi movement and there was no shame in voting for Sadak,pani and bijli.
