Blacklisted after London protest, JKNPP founder’s son apologises to PM; seeks visa clearance for mother’s funeral

Jammu, May 3 (PTI) Awaiting the Indian government’s clearance for his visa to return from London for his mother’s last rites, JKNPP founder Bhim Singh’s son has apologised to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for participating in an anti-government protest last year after which he was blacklisted by the High Commission.

In an open letter to the prime minister, Ankit Love (39) said he regrets throwing eggs and stones at the High Commission during the February 2022 protest, and requested the PM to intervene so that he could return and perform the funeral of his mother Jay Mala (64).

Mala, a Supreme Court lawyer, died on April 26 and her body has been kept at the mortuary of Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu after Love requested it be kept there till he returns to perform the last rites.

This comes even as his relatives are engaged in a tussle to take control of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) which has been in a disarray following Bhim Singh’s death on May 31, 2022. Love could not join his funeral as well.

According to Love, he was blacklisted by India after the British police arrested him following a protest outside the Indian High Commission in London on February 14, 2022.

In an open letter to the prime minister, Love said he deeply and sincerely regrets his actions and apologises for his mistake of throwing eggs and stones at the High Commission.

“I will be deeply thankful if you could kindly forgive me and allow me to visit Jammu to perform the last rites of my mother I need to reach Jammu urgently as everyone is waiting for my arrival to perform the last rites,” he said, adding it was also the wish of his mother.

Mentioning the Indian High Commission’s denial of approval for his travel, he said, “I assure you that henceforth there will be no such act by me against my Nation which I love very much and am very much proud of.”

“My father had fought all his life for Jammu and Kashmir to fully accede with India and eventually on 5th August 2019 India accepted Jammu and Kashmir as an Integral part of India and my late father’s dream for joining Jammu and Kashmir with India came true,” he said, referring to the Centre’s move of abrogating Article 370 on that day.

Love said he was “misguided” by some other people surrounding him to commit the mistake, but expressed hope he will be forgiven and his visa cleared.

He also urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Jammu District Magistrate Avny Lavasa not to remove the body from the mortuary, and also postpone the postmortem.

“I request you not to remove her body from the mortuary till I am there, or till the Government of India refuses me officially, when either happens everyone will be most aware. Or else there will be a real black mark in the history of all involved and that of our Hindu faith too,” he said.

Shortly before the death of Bhim Singh, his two nephews — former minister Harsh Dev Singh (ex-JKNPP chairman) and former legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia — resigned from the party to join the Aam Aadmi Party.

While Mankotia, who had also served as JKNPP president, later joined the BJP, Harsh Dev returned to the JKNPP recently and claimed to have been elected as state party president.

However, Harsh Dev’s return brought together Vilaskshan Singh and another faction led by prominent leader and Bhim Singh’s close aide P K Gangoo. Both Vilaskshan Singh and Gangoo contested Harsh Dev Singh’s claim. They claimed to be the president of the party, Gangoo is its working president.

Mala had been staying at the residence of her niece and Vilakshan Singh’s sister Mrignayani Slathia at Domana where she had a fall from the stairs in the evening of April 25. She died at a hospital the next day.

The body was shifted to Vilakshan Singh’s residence at Sidhra and later to the mortuary on the request of Love.

On April 28, Love, also the chief patron of the JKNPP, requested his cousin Vilaskahan Singh to resign from the post of the party president.

“Vilakshan Singh’s first responsibility as president was to ensure the security and survival of Panthers Party (co-) founder Jay Mala, widow of Prof. Bhim Singh, who died last year on May 31. She was only 64, and had many more years to keep on living and fighting for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he had said.

“Despite Jay Mala’s death on 26 April being an accident recorded on CCTV,” Love said he believes Vilakshan Singh “failed in his responsibility and priority towards organising her better security, supervision and safe accommodation.”

He had also denied rumours Harsh Dev Singh was responsible for delay in the cremation. “I am the only one who has requested to delay my mother’s cremation, and that her body be preserved in the mortuary,” he said, requesting for a postmortem in his presence.