Target talks, militants storm Srinagar rally, kill 7, injure 20

Two militants, one in police uniform, opened indiscriminate fire at a Congress rally this afternoon, killing seven persons and leaving another 20 injured.

Two militants, one in police uniform, opened indiscriminate fire at a Congress rally this afternoon, killing seven persons and leaving another 20 injured. Both militants were later gunned down by police.

The attack comes three days ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Srinagar for a crucial round-table conference on Kashmir. Only yesterday, four militant outfits—the Save Kashmir Movement, Al Mansoorian, Farzandaan Milat, and Al Arifeen—had threatened to disrupt the conference.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba and Al Mansoorian were said to be behind the attack.

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In New Delhi, the Prime Minister said he would go ahead with his visit to Srinagar despite the attack. A statement from his media adviser Sanjaya Baru said: “The Prime Minister is looking forward to visiting Srinagar and participating in the second round-table meeting on Jammu & Kashmir scheduled for May 24-25.”

The Hurriyat has said it will decide on Monday whether or not to attend the meeting.

The attack on the Congress rally, held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Park, came as party leaders were waiting for Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was to address the rally. Among those on the podium was Pradesh Congress Committee chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed. Some 2,000 people were present, and many more were entering the grounds.

The state government had deployed hundreds of police and securitymen at the venue and people going inside were being thoroughly frisked. For the last three days, the administration had been busy securing the place, laying barbed wire and bamboo barricades.

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Mohammad Imtiyaz, a Congress worker from Anantnag, said he was standing in queue to enter the venue when he saw a man in police uniform entering the main gate unchecked.

“A policeman shouted at him, perhaps suspecting something was amiss,” said Imtiyaz. “The militant turned around and opened fire.”

Inspector-general K Rajinder and some other officers started moving towards the podium when a volley of bullets came their way. Rajinder and another officer, Faisal Ahmed, were injured. They are being treated in hospital.

ISI hand? May be, says Pranab

KOLKATA: Asked if Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) may have been behind the attack on the rally, Union Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said: “May be. In order to frustrate the peace process, terrorists want to demonstrate to the world that they exist. It’s high time Pakistan stopped aiding and abetting them.” PTI