Article 35A Row united Kashmir: Saif-u-Din Soz

Senior Congress leader Professor Saif-u-Din Soz Wednesday said Kashmir must unite for seeking dismissal of petitions challenging Article 35A before the Supreme Court, and advised New Delhi to take the course of talks with the angry people of Kashmir. “Perhaps, the Joint Resistance Leadership could talk better, if the talks had opened,” Soz said, addressing reporters at his Humhama residence. “I congratulate the Kashmiris for showing unity in defending the special position of Jammu and Kashmir enshrined in constitution of India and in constitution of J&K.” The veteran Congress leader…

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Amid boycott calls, Congress to fight local polls in J&K

The Congress on Wednesday announced its participation in the local bodies’ elections being held in Jammu and Kashmir from October to December days after saying the situation was not conducive for the polls amid a spike in militant violence in the state. “We cannot leave the field open for the BJP and the RSS,’’ said state Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir. He said the secular forces should have joined hands to stop the “communal forces”. “The BJP was happy that some parties are not participating,’’ said Mir, while referring to…

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Shambhulal Regar, Rajasthan man accused of murdering Muslim on camera set to contest Lok Sabha election

A lesser known political outfit, Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, has decided to field Shambhulal Regar — accused of hacking a Muslim man to death and burning his body in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand — as its candidate from Agra Lok Sabha seat. Though Regar is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail, party leaders are confident that he would win the election. The Agra (reserved) Lok Sabha seat is presently represented by former union minister Ram Shankar Katheria who is the chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). National president of UP…

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Kashmir Board exams between Oct 17-Nov 16

The J&K Government is mulling to hold Class X and Class XII examinations in Kashmir in-between the the municipal and panchayat elections. To avoid any delay, officials said the board examinations would be held between October 17 and November 16. A query regarding the examinations was raised by Adviser Khurshid Ganai with Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday during the one-day conference of deputy commissioners and district police chiefs at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre here. The four-phase polling for local and urban bodies is scheduled from October 8 to…

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Ram temple in Ayodhya will help ‘Hindu-Muslim’ peace: Mohan Bhagwat

Construction of a grand temple at Ayodhya, considered the birthplace of Hindu god Ram, will eliminate a big reason for disagreements between Hindus and Muslims, Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said on Wednesday. The RSS is the ideological parent of the ruling BJP. “Ram is Bhagwan (god) for many, but there are some who consider him as an icon of maryada (moral standard), for some he is imam-e-hind (spiritual leader). This is an issue of faith for all sections of society that where his birthplace…

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Post BAT attack, tension heightens along International Border

The tension has heightened along the International Border (IB) and BSF has sounded high alert after mutilation of body of a border guard in Ramgarh sector of Samba district allegedly by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT). The BSF Hawaldar Narinder Kumar belonging to 176 bn was ambushed by BAT team comprising Pakistani Army commandos and militants yesterday morning ahead of fence in Nanga village of Ramgarh sector. “The BAT team fired about a dozen bullets targeting BSF team busy in removing wild growth ahead of fence. The BSF man (Kumar)…

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RSS does not accept Article 370, 35A of Constitution: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Wednesday said the organisation does not accept Article 370 and Article 35A of Indian constitutions, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Bhagwat presented Sangh’s views on a number of contentious issue while answering wide-ranging written questions on the last day of the RSS’ three-day conclave, including on matters like inter-caste marriages, education policy, crimes against women, cow vigilantism. Bhagwat also talked about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and said the RSS does not accept Article 370 and 35-A of Constitution relating to the…

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Govt planning to gift another HEP to GOI, JKSECC oppose joint venture on Ratle hydropower project

Jammu & Kashmir Socio-Economic Coordination Committee (JKSECC) Wednesday alleged that government is planning to give away another hydroelectric power project to some unknown central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), clandestinely. Addressing a presser here, member of the JKSECC Hameeda Nayeem said they want to inform the public about the sinister design of present government who are thinking to gift another hydroelectric power project to some central sponsored agency. Hameeda said, “Conditions for the contract have not been revealed to the public yet and demand from the government to put a halt…

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