Afzal Guru's brother to contest elections from Sopore, says 'won't seek votes in his name'

Srinagar, Sep 10:  Azfal Guru's brother, Ajaz Ahmad Guru has said that he will be contesting elections as an independent candidate from north Kashmir's Sopore seat.

Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013 after being convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack.

Ajaz Guru (58) had voluntarily retired from the Animal Husbandry department in 2014, is presently working as a contractor. Hindustan Times reported that Guru will probably submit his form on Tuesday or Wednesday. The last day for filing the nomination is Thursday.

"When everyone is contesting elections, then why shouldn't I," he said.

Although he said that he has a different ideology as compared to hanged brother, he said, he will fight for those youths, who he said have been arrested in fabricated cases by the J&K police, including his son Shoaib. He said, "Shoaib was arrested nine-months ago by police in a fabricated case."

Citing the jailed parliamentarian's victory in recently held Lok Sabha Elections, Ajaz said that if Er Rashid's son can campaign for their jailed father, "why can't I campaign to prove that my son didn't do anything wrong. He studies in Pune."

He said, he will highlight the cases of other innocents who are in jail on false charges.

Afzal Guru was hanged and buried in Tihar on February 9, 2013, after being convicted for the 2001 attack on Parliament. He was hanged for his role, triggering mass protests in the Valley. His body was not handed over to his family in north Kashmir's Sopore town and was instead buried inside the jail premises. Activists and people in Kashmir have been critical of the hanging.

Afzal is survived by his wife who live separately in Baramulla town.

Ajaz Guru, however, said he won't seek votes in the name of his brother. "My ideology is different. I believe that the people of Kashmir were betrayed by every political leader, some in the name of autonomy, self rule, and some in the name of 'Azadi'. Everybody betrayed the people of Kashmir," he said.

Sopore was considered a stronghold of separatist leader and Jamaat ideologue Syed Ali Geelani, and voters stayed away from polling in the past few decades.

That changed in the recent Lok Sabha elections, with more than 44% registering their choice in the Sopore assembly segment.