Women’s College students stage protests, Shutters down as clashes intensify on MA road, SSP Srinagar injured in stone pelting

Students protest again in Srinagar, raise ‘Azadi’ slogans Students of Women’s College MA road stage protests Shopkeepers down shutters as clashes intensify on MA road, adjacent areas SSP Srinagar injured in stone pelting Massive clashes erupted in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk area on Monday after students from three adjacent educational institutions staged a protest and resorted to stone pelting. According to the police, the students of SP College, Government College for Women and SP Higher Secondary school assembled on the Maulana Azad Road and clashed with the security personnels on duty. “At least…

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PDP leader Abdul Gani Dar shot dead in Pulwama

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) district President for Pulwama Abdul Gani Dar succumbed to his injuries after he was shot by suspected terrorists at south Kashmir’s Pinglan area of Pulwama district. “Gani was heading towards Srinagar when suspected terrorists opened fire on him between Pahoo and Pinglan villages,”a senior police official said. “He was shifted to a SMHS hospital in Srinagar where he succumbed to bullet injuries,” the official added. “He was brought dead,” Medical Superintendent SMHS hospital, Srinagar, Dr Nazir Chaudhary said. According to the reports, Gani was shot in…

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Mehbooba Mufti to meet Narendra Modi today, discuss how to douse Kashmir fire

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday amid a deteriorating law and order situation in the state, leading to a growing clamour for governor’s rule in the state. The renewed violence has also strained relations between the ruling PDP-BJP coalition. What prompted the meeting and what is expected: Stop the alienation The chief minister is likely to discuss confidence-building measures when she meets Modi on Monday. She is likely to press for some political initiative from the Centre to…

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300 WhatsApp groups were inciting stone pelters : Police

Nearly 300 WhatsApp groups, of which 90 per cent have been shut down, were being used to mobilise stone-throwers in Kashmir to disrupt security forces’ operations at encounter sites, a police officer said today. The 300 WhatsApp groups had around 250 members each, the police officer said, explaining howattempts were being made to disrupt the operations of the forces by mobilising stone-throwing mobs at the encounter sites. “We identified the groups and the group administrators, who were called in by the police for counselling. We have had a good response…

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Facebook and WhatsApp ban, Can the digital embargo ever help?

Mehboob Makhdoomi Right at its outset, the possible ban on the Facebook and WhatsApp in Kashmir valley, as is being reported by the media these days, will not only prove the government failure, but it can boomerang. I don’t say this only from the perspective of a netizen who won’t like the decision if implemented But even from the strategic point of view of the authorities, such a measure is a plain non-starter. To begin with, the premise of such an understanding that the protests have their genesis in social…

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‘Failed’ P Chidambaram’s tweets don’t bother us: BJP

Coming down heavily upon Congress leader P Chidambaram for his tweet regarding the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, the BJP on Sunday dubbed the former as ‘failed ex-home minister,’ while saying that the grand old party was fishing in troubled waters by making such negative assertion. Coming down heavily upon Congress leader P Chidambaram for his tweet regarding the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, the BJP on Sunday dubbed the former as ‘failed ex-home minister,’ while saying that the grand old party was fishing…

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Sale of online chopper tickets for Amarnath Yatra from April 25

Online booking of tickets for the helicopter service for the annual Amarnath Yatra will begin from April 25, a top official said today. Umang Narula, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) said that advance online booking of helicopter tickets for this year’s yatra will commence at 10 AM on Tuesday. SASB has made arrangements with UTAir India Pvt Ltd and Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd for the Neelgrath-Panjtarni- Neelgrath sector and with Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd for the Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam sector for providing helicopter services for Amarnathji…

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Rain brings flood scare across Kashmir

Rain is considered a blessing, but in Kashmir, it causes a scare and brings back the fear of floods every time the water level rises in the Jhelum and other water bodies. Since the 2014 floods, the fear of floods has not died down. To add to the panic, the level of water in the rivers this summer is already high as the winter witnessed heavy snowfall. Meanwhile, the weatherman has predicted possibility of floods in future. Summer blues Despite investment of crores of rupees under Centrally schemes to improve…

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Internet Ban in Kashmir

Government in a worst form of crackdown which defies logic and says more about autocratic means has banned the internet and the mobile networks across Kashmir. The ban was imposed after the killing of HM militant commander, Burhan Wani. The blockade is the worst and has come when New Delhi has been championing the cause of digital democracy and the digital outreach. The internet blockade has ensured many things for the state: young men have not been able to give vent to the rage on the social networking sites and…

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BJP needles coalition partner as it backs forces on curbing protests

Amid serious differences with its coalition partner — PDP — over dealing with stone-throwers in the Kashmir valley, the BJP today endorsed methods being adopted by the Army and security forces to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas. By approving the approach of the security forces, the BJP has taken a stand against the PDP which had expressed its reservation over it, especially after the “human shield” video had gone viral on social media. The video showed a Budgam youth tied to an Army jeep and being used as a human…

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