3 min readSrinagarJun 1, 2026 05:41 PM IST
As Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha led a ‘Nasha Mukt (Drug-free) J&K’ march in south Kashmir’s Kulgam on Monday morning, it received support from an unlikely quarter, the Justice and Development Front (JDF) — a splinter group of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.
On Monday, JDF members, including general secretary Sayar Ahmad Reshi, walked shoulder to shoulder with the Lt Governor at Kulgam.
While a large number of government employees, school children and village residents participated in the rally, the presence of the JDF leadership and workers was significant.
The JDF, a political organisation, is a splinter group of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami that was born out of the panel formed by the party to engage in talks with the Centre and to devise a strategy for lifting the ban on Jamaat.
However, in the 2024 Assembly elections, the panel decided to jump into the electoral fray and fielded 10 candidates as Independents. But after the panel formally announced the formation of the JDF as a “political wing” of Jamaat-e-Islami, most of the top Jamaat leaders distanced themselves from it.
“JDF remains committed to building a healthier and safer society and calls upon all sections of the community to join this movement,” the group said on Monday after attending Sinha’s padyatra. “Thousands of workers, members and supporters of the Justice and Development front participated in the ongoing Nasha Mukt Abhiyan at Kulgam, an initiative organised under the guidance of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha ji… The campaign aims to eliminate the growing menace of drugs from society and advocate for a Jammu and Kashmir free from all forms of intoxication,” the statement said.
The party has called for a ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol as well. “The party believes that the true freedom from addiction requires addressing not only narcotics but also alcohol, which has devastating social and health consequences,” it said.
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The JDF workers at the drug-free rally were led by the party general secretary Sayar Ahmad Reshi, Kulgam district patron Mohammad Yousuf Rather and district president Bilal Ahmad Mir.
Reshi, a resident of Kulgam, contested the 2024 Assembly elections against Communist leader M Y Trigami. Though he lost the election by around 8,000 votes, he was the only JDF candidate who not only managed to save his deposit but also secured over 25,000 votes.
Over the last few days, the JDF published online posters welcoming Lt Governor Sinha and asked the people of Kulgam to join the event.
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