Month: February 2016

BJP targets Jammu University dept over seminar, forces explanation

Editor

Amid debate over the freedom of expression in India, Political Science department of University of Jammu is under fire from rightwing BJP for having organised a seminar, with the authorities forced to seek an explanation from its head. Sources told that the vice-chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof R D Sharma, has sought a detailed explanation from the Political Science head of the department (HoD) about the seminar themed ‘Pluralism in J&K: Crisis and Way Forward’. It was organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation in collaboration with the department. Dean Academic…

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Youth arrested for uploading ‘provocative material’ online

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A man has been arrested from here for allegedly uploading “provocative material” on social networking and media websites, a charge denied by his family who claimed that he was “innocent” and had no connection with Pakistan or any terror outfit. “The counter intelligence (CI) wing of Jammu and Kashmir police arrested Ashiq Khan from his house here last evening after a police team found uploading of ‘provocative material’ on social media sites including Facebook and Whatsapp by him. We are also trying to ascertain whether he has links with any…

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IAF wants ‘SOG cover in sensitive villages’ around Srinagar Airport

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) authorities at the Srinagar “International” Airport have sought “heightened presence” of J&K Police in “sensitive villages” circling the airfield, citing security reasons, officials told on Friday. A senior official said the matter was taken up by senior officials of the IAF with the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asgar Samoon, during a meeting recently. “They (the Air Force officials) sought heightened presence of J&K police’s Special Operation Group (SOG) in sensitive villages around the airport while referring to the Pathankot attack,” said the official. On January 2…

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State Govt can Amend NFSA: Muzaffar Beigh

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The veteran PDP leader and member parliament from north Kashmir Muzaffar Hussain Beigh Friday said that the legislative assembly and legislative council of the Jammu and Kashmir have the authority to amend the National Food Security Act (NFSA) against the implementation of which people are expressing anger at large. Beigh a local news gathering agency KNS that there is resentment being witnessed by the general masses over the NFSA implementation in the state and that some amendments in the act should be made in a bid to address the peoples’…

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Draz and Kanhaiya: Villains or Victims

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India has got divided between BJP and the rest Nasir Ahmed He was taken aback when he opened door to a loud knock in his home at a small village in Okara district in Punjab Province of Pakistan, around 200 kilometers from Lahore. He was surprised to see a contingent of police at the entrance gate and later terrified when he came to know that police had come to arrest him. He was to know later that he was being charged with a very serious offence of sedition and faced…

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350 Km LoC in Kashmir valley has 40-50 infiltration routes

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The nearly 350-km-long Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir has many “porous infiltration avenues” which are close to launch pads across the fence, claimed defence sources. There are of 40-50 routes where from militants find it easy to sneak into the Valley, sources said. Even if the LoC is buried deep under snow the infiltration never seizes. The militants killed in the recent gunfights at Chowkibal in Kupwara district and Pampore in Pulwama district had “infiltrated recently”. The Army, however, has maintained that infiltration from across the LoC into Kashmir…

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Kerosene leakage on tracks poses risk to passengers at Jammu rly station

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Slum children jostle with each other between moving trains to collect oil Always on the terror radar, Northern India’s busiest railway station of Jammu that daily witnesses rush of over 50,000 passengers sits on a powder keg in the form of continuous leakage of kerosene from a water pipeline between two tracks in front of platform number one. Unabated leakage in turn has all the ingredients to pose grave risk to trains and passengers besides slum children, who jostle between moving trains at the spot to collect kerosene. Over 30…

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Geelani holds bandh in support of JNU students

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Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani called the sedition charges against JNU student and DU Prof SAR Geelani preposterous and asks to arrest Chidambaram too if pro-Afzal slogans are seditious. While calling for shutdown across Kashmir on February 27 against arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students and former Delhi University Professor SAR Geelani, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani today termed sedition charges against them as preposterous. He said they were protesting against “judicial murder” of the parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru. Syed Ali Geelani, who heads his faction…

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BJP lawmaker threatens to behead colleague, calls police ISI agents

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A BJP lawmaker from Jammu and Kashmir today sparked a row and embarrassed his party after he allegedly threatened to shoot and behead another legislator, an independent, for visiting his constituency in Rajouri district. Last week, Ravinder Raina’s supporters had allegedly attacked Engineer Rashid, legislator from north Kashmir when he was on his way to Rajouri district in the Pirpanjal region. Speaking to reporters, Mr Raina said, “Engineer Rashid is a Pakistani and we will not allow a Pakistani here. We shoot Pakistanis and behead them. How can we let…

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Government mulling to and fro night flights in Kashmir

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Authorities on Friday discussed modalities for starting to and fro night flights in Kashmir valley and a DGCA team is expected to arrive here next month to take stock of the facilities at Srinagar International Airport. Asgar Hassan Samoon, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, held a meeting to review the functioning of Srinagar airport and discuss modalities to start night landing of flights at the airport, an official spokesman said. “The meeting was informed that the Indian Air Force had given the permission to start night flights at Srinagar airport in May…

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