India: Jailed separatist leader Nayeem Khan’s brother, Muneer, to contest Lok Sabha polls

India: Jailed separatist leader Nayeem Khan’s brother, Muneer, to contest Lok Sabha polls

After two daughters of separatist leaders disassociated themselves from their family ideologies, jailed separatist leader Nayeem Khan’s brother, Muneer, has joined mainstream politics to contest the Lok Sabha polls from North Kashmir’s Baramulla district after joining the Jammu Kashmir Nationalist People’s Front (JKNFP).

Jammu Kashmir Nationalist People’s Front Party was launched by Pune-based Sanjay Nahar two years ago and is named similar to Nayeem Khan’s separatist party National Front, which is a banned organisation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The party will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and Muneer Khan will be its candidate from the Baramulla constituency in the Kashmir Valley.

Muneer Khan, while speaking to reporters after joining mainstream politics, said, “Nayeem Khan is my brother, and that can’t be changed, but in a democratic setup, we all have individual mindsets. We all have different ideologies. I believe we should focus on our new generations so that we create a platform where there is no mainstream and separatism but the welfare of the young.”

Muneer further said, “I want to start with a small party and show that with a new party, we will be doing new things and making things easier for the youth. If you stay with separatism, you will only have dead bodies. We are going to write a new era for the youth of Kashmir. Around 30-40 thousand people are jailed, and it’s not only my brother. We will focus on education and the economy.”

Also Read | PM Modi accuses opposition of ‘spreading lies’ on electoral bonds scheme; says ‘everyone will regret it’

Former separatist leader and People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Lone is also fighting from the Baramulla parliamentary constituency. The National Conference has fielded its Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from this Lok Sabha seat, while jailed former legislator Engineer Rashid has also announced plans to contest the polls from the Baramulla constituency.

The entry of Muneer Khan has made the contest for this Lok Sabha seat even more interesting. Nayeem Khan, who was a main constituent of Hurriyat in the Kashmir Valley, was arrested by the NIA in 2018 following his involvement in agitation and secessionist activities.