Month: April 2016

Congress accuses BJP of adopting double standards over tricolour in NIT Sgr

Editor

A Congress member in Rajya Sabha raised the issue of police lathicharge at NIT in Srinagar on Saturday and accused the ruling BJP of not allowing the students to hoist the national flag there. During the Zero Hour, Pramod Tiwari said ever since BJP government came to power at the Centre, organisations related to it were trying to create unrest in educational institutions, be it Hyderabad university, JNU or NIT Srinagar. He accused the ruling party of adopting double standards regarding the Tricolour, saying BJP’s policy regarding the national flag…

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Protests in Valley on Geelani’s call

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Security personnel attacked with stones, none injured Protests and clashes broke out here today in response to hardline separatist Syed Ali Geelani’s call seeking punishment for security forces personnel, who allegedly killed five civilians in Kupwara district in protests earlier this month. The youth threw stones on the security forces deployed outside Jamia Masjid at the Nowhatta locality after Friday congregational prayers. To disperse the stone throwers, who were also waving Jammu Kashmir Islamic State flags, the security forces fired over a dozen tear gas shells and rubber bullets. However, no…

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Baroda-based artist’s work depicts Kashmir’s pain

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Rollie Mukherjee, a Baroda-based artist who has never visited Kashmir, is showcasing her artworks reflecting the pain and suffering of people in the Valley at a solo show titled “to stories rumoured in branches” presently on display at Conflictorium museum in Ahmedabad. Conflictorium, a “Museum of Conflict” in Mirzapur in the older part of Ahmedabad city, was started three years ago in an old building and aims “to generate dialogue on peace and conflict to effect social transformation using the medium of art and culture”. “The encouragement from the museum…

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Protesters block highway, seek closure of wine shop

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Residents of Chann Morian village and adjoining areas of Kootah panchayat today held a demonstration and blocked the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for more than two hours, over the shifting of a wine shop from Chadwal to their village. Protesters assembled at Chann Morian under the leadership of Sarpanch Kant Kumar Sharma and Shamsher Singh and raised slogans against the re-opening of the wine shop, demanding its closure. Sarpanch Kant Kumar said the Excise Department allowed the opening of shop near the highway, without acquiring a no-objection certificate from the institution…

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Rana seeks rollback of Newspaper Advertisement Policy

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Provincial President National Conference, Devender Singh Rana Friday sought immediate review of the revised Advertisement Policy of Jammu and Kashmir Government, saying this is detrimental to the functioning of the fourth estate and will affect the growth of the newspapers both Local and National. “The role of media in democracy cannot be undermined and any attempt to curtail freedom of expression by using advertisement as a tool has potential to boomerang,” Rana said while interacting with a group of media persons that called on him here this evening and sought…

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Locals protest as govt demolishes unsafe Mehjoor Nagar bridge

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The Kashmir administration today demolished a portion of unsafe Mehjoor Nagar bridge to avoid any untoward incident. The blocking of the bridge for vehicular movement triggered protests in the Mehjoor Nagar locality where protesters were seeking an alternative bridge for vehicular movement. “A portion of the Mehjoor Nagar bridge was demolished to avoid any causality,” an official of the Roads and Building Department said. He said the bridge was declared unsafe a few years ago and a new bridge was under construction which would be thrown open within a year.…

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Kashmiris started fighting oppression from 29 April 1865: Mirwaiz

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‘India can’t crush our movement through military approach’ Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Friday said the era of “barbarism, suppression and tyranny” was not new to Kashmiris but had been going on for the past 300 years and the killing spree had started when 28 Kashmiris were killed by Dogra Army on April 29, 1865. Addressing Friday congregation prayers at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, Mirwaiz said, “April 29 is an important day for the Kashmir struggle as it is on this day that for the first time 28 Kashmiris…

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PDP facilitated RSS entry in Kashmir: Yasin Malik

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Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik Friday said that PDP’s plan of seeking votes against RSS was actually to grab power to choke space for Kashmir’s pro-freedom camp. He was quick to add that “PDP has provided an easy entry to RSS in the valley and to crush freedom sentiment, but the resolve of people will defeat all such plans.” Addressing Friday congregation at Polo View (Bund) Masjid here, Malik reminded the people of the statements of PDP leaders including Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during her election…

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Dealers harassed, says Mehbooba Mufti to Punjab CM in a letter

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday wrote to her Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal, saying mutton traders and importers of the state are being harassed in Punjab and sought his intervention to stop it. Mehbooba said certain persons near Madhopur in Punjab realize substantial amount of money from mutton dealers as special tax for transportation of livestock (sheep/goat), notwithstanding the fact that livestock are procured from neighbouring state of Rajasthan, an official spokesman said. She requested Badal that since the mutton dealers are not getting support from…

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Govt urged to expedite framing of tourism policy

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The Domestic Tour Operators Association of Kashmir today urged the Tourism Department to expedite framing of the tourism policy and said the Tourism Advisory Committee framed by the government should have representation of experienced stakeholders. President of the association Hamid Wangnoo said the policy should focus on promotion of tourism, infrastructure development and address the problems faced by the tourism industry. “Infrastructure should not come up at the cost of environment. Proper road connectivity, electricity, clean drinking water, washrooms at tourism destinations, especially in Srinagar, should be the priority. Construction…

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