In a significant development, the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) on Wednesday expressed its willingness to participate in the forthcoming Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir if the central government lifts the ban on it.
“We are in talks with the centre on lifting the ban. If the ban is lifted, we may think of participating in elections. We will rather take part in the elections,” Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Ghulam Qadir Wani told reporters today.
He said while there are other issues, the revocation of the ban is their primary condition to engage in the electoral process.
These crucial decisions, he said, have been taken after a meeting of the top decision-making body of the group.
“A session of JeI's Majlis-e Shoora (decision-making body) had taken place, resulting in the decision to contest elections. Our commitment to democracy remains unwavering," Wani said.
The Jamaat was banned by the centre in early 2019 under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), on grounds of allegedly supporting militant activities.
Jamaat was accused of being the ideological mentor of Hizbul Mujahideen -- the largest indigenous militant group in Kashmir in the 1990s.
The ban on Jamaat was in February this year extended by another five years by the central government.
After the ban was imposed on Jamaat, the government launched a massive crackdown against the politico-religious organization. All its top leaders and hundreds of activists were detained and lodged in jails within and outside Kashmir.
The authorities have also seized many properties of Jamaat-e-Islami in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Jamaat Amir said the organisation believed in democracy and never called for any poll boycott in the past.
“This is totally misleading. We never gave a call for the boycott. When nobody voted, we followed suit. But it is a fact that we never called for boycott,” said Wani, who recently voted in his home town Pulwama in the just concluded election for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
He said Jamaat believes in democratic process and has taken part in the elections in the past well.
“We will take part in the assembly elections because we have faith in the democratic process. We will have to take part as we used to do earlier as well,” he said. “We want to play our role in society”.
Wani said socio-religious reforms. drug abuse and growing immortality would be the poll plank of the party.
Wani said there should be democracy as it is the solution to all issues.
He appealed to Jamaat workers to come out and cast their votes in the elections without any fear.
The Jamaat has not taken part in any elections in J&K since the eruption of militancy in J&K in 1990.
“In my house, there are all Muslim families around me. Eid was also celebrated in our house, and there were other festivals in our house. Food was not cooked in our house on the day of Eid. Food used to come to my place from all the Muslim families.”