Day: September 26, 2018

1500 candidates file papers for first phase municipal polls

Editor

Despite threats from terrorists, about 1,500 candidates in Jammu and Kashmir have filed their nominations for the first phase of urban local body elections scheduled for October 8. The elections are to be held in four phases. Nominations for the first phase closed on Tuesday. A total of 422 municipal wards will go to the polls on October 8. According to official sources, people in North Kashmir have virtually ignored the poll boycott call, with a sizeable number of candidates from this area. “In Kupwara district, 72 have filed papers…

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Amid acid attack warnings, J&K govt announces extra month’s salary for state’s panchayat poll volunteers

Editor

To create a sense of security among the government employees in Jammu and Kashmir amid the looming militant threat over Urban Local bodies and Panchayat polls, the government has decided to give one-month additional salary to those employees to those who will be deployed for election-duty in the upcoming electoral exercise. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary V R Subrahmanyam on Tuesday said that the state employees will get additional one-month salary for poll duty. During a press conference in Srinagar, he said the state government’s move is aimed at pleasing…

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139 Killed in 8 months, South Kashmir bears brunt of violence

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The four districts of south Kashmir have witnessed a higher level of militancy-related violence in the first eight months of this year with 139 deaths. According to data, at least 263 persons—civilians, militants and forces’ personnel—were killed in militancy-related incidents across the Valley in first eight months this year. Of 263 causalities, south Kashmir’s four districts—Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam—have borne the maximum brunt of violence with highest 139 deaths witnessed in the region alone. This is followed by three districts of north Kashmir—Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara—with nearly 88 casualties…

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Congress accuses NC, PDP of fielding proxy candidates

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J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president GA Mir on Tuesday accused the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of fielding proxy candidates for the upcoming urban local bodies elections. “They are fielding proxy candidates from various places,” Mir said while addressing a press conference here. He made the comments while referring to the NC and the PDP that had announced to boycott the local bodies elections. Mir had earlier questioned the decision of the NC and the PDP to boycott the polls, saying that they had kept the…

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Forces using chemical weapons during gunfights, Geelani calls for international probe

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Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani today alleged that forces have used ‘chemical weapons in Bandipora during cordon and search operations, which is a crime against humanity.’ Geelani has also demanded that a high level probe should be carried out the International war crime tribunal under the guidance of UN. Expressing his grave and serious concern on the use of chemical weapon by the forces during the cordon and search operation carried out against the suspected presence of militants in Kashmir, Geelani said that on the pretext of…

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Polls will happen despite ‘Dynastic’ political parties boycotting them: Ram Madhav

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BJP national general secretary and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav said on Tuesday that two dynastic political parties have boycotted the upcoming local body elections because they don’t want power to go outside their family. “We have taken a pledge to conduct local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Two parties of the state which are dynastic parties and who have never wanted power to go out of their families have boycotted the elections. They thought if they won’t contest, who would conduct the elections,” said Madhav. Addressing…

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NC to sack members who contest municipal polls, Junaid Mattoo quits party to stand in civic polls

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The two-day long Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of National Conference (NC), which concluded Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to sack any party leader and member found participating in the Urban Local Body (ULB) or Panchayat polls. CWC, the top decision-making body of the party, passed the resolution in the wake of the resignation of party’s chief spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu, who resigned to contest the ULB polls. Sources in the party said some of the members in CWC had raised voice against the party’s decision not to contest ULB…

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