SRINAGAR: India failed to enact another operation “Blue Star” at Hazratbal obviously under pressure from the U.S. administration which initially had warned Delhi against the use of force in Kashmir.
Instead, siege of the shrine was lifted by Indian army on Nov. 16 as 65 armed militants came out and were arrested by the forces. The ruling Congress (I) wanted to use force to appease Hindu fundamentalist psyche of the majority community against the extremist Hindu party, the BJP, according to observers.
The Jammu and Kashmir police chief M.N.Sabherwal told newsmen that militants started coming out of the shrine at 2:25 a.m. on Tuesday. The process ended at 5 a.m., he said. There were 80 militants inside of which is, including seven women, came out earlier, Sabherwal said no harm to the holy hair of Prophet Mohammad was caused and it was perfectly safe inside the shrine.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 19, 1993
