South Kashmir Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo has been heard in a video instructing cadres, including Jaish-e-Mohammad, not to kill any political worker but to use "concentrate acid" to blind people who dare to contest upcoming panchayat election .
A purported conversation of Naikoo with fellow militant Sameer Tiger has gone viral on social media where he is heard talking about using "concentrated acid" to target those who will contest panchayat polls.
Over a twelve-and-half-minute-long video, Naikoo is even heard discussing using militants to stop people from participating in the panchayat polls. The elections are due in February.
This even as security forces are in initial stages of preparation for Jammu and Kashmir panchayat polls after the state government recently decided to hold them in February. The mammoth exercise will elect involve 18,785 panchs and 2369 sarpanchs in Kashmir.
In the recent months, militants have chosen soft targets like workers of political parties. Videos have appeared showing militants threatening political workers of dire consequences. REPORT ( INDIA TODAY )