Police files FIR after Hizb letter warns political leaders

Jammu: Police have registered an FIR after a senior Congress leader received a letter from Hizbul Mujahideen threatening to target mainstream politicians of the Jammu region, including Union minister Jitendra Singh, if they did not relinquish politics, officials said on Sunday.

The two-page letter, written in Urdu on the terror group's letter pad, was delivered by post to senior vice president of J-K Congress and former minister Raman Bhalla at his headquarters on Friday, the officials

said.

"We have registered a case under relevant sections of the law and further investigation is on," Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, ShridharPatil said.

Bhalla said he approached police soon after the receipt of the letter as a thorough investigation is required into the incident.

"We will not be cowed down by such threats from anti-national elements. We have stood against the terror unleashed at the behest of Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir over the past three decades and will continue to perform our duties to make J-K free of terrorism, peaceful and prosperous," he said.

He said the Congress history is replete with the blood of martyrs and "I would be happy to follow the footsteps of our great leaders and sacrifice my life for the nation".

The letter, signed by a self-styled divisional commander of HizbulMujahideen, named 17 senior politicians of various national and regional parties including Union minister Singh, Bhalla, J-K BJP president Ravinder Raina, former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh, National Conference provincial president Devender Singh Rana, Dogra SwabhimanSangathan leader Choudhary Lal Singh and National Panthers Party chairman Harsh Dev Singh besides several other former ministers, legislators and RSS functionaries.

"We warn you to renounce politics and support our cause for freedom otherwise death warrants have been issued against you. No security cover will safeguard you from us," the letter read, adding "the work has already started and those who can attack Parliament or Red Fort can kill you as

well".