Month: June 2016

‘Kashmir is not France’, govt tells DPS management after it bars teacher from wearing Abaya

Editor

The prestigious Delhi Public School (DPS) decision to allegedly bar a Muslim woman teacher from wearing Abaya (Islamic gown that covers the body from neck-to-toe) has stoked a major political storm in the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir. Seemingly angry over school’s decision in the poll season, the Mehbooba Mufti-led government sent a stern message to the DPS management saying Jammu and Kashmir was not France where the government or any institute could decide the dress code for the people. Protests had rocked the elite school on Friday after a science…

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Pandits, Refugees unite to take on separatists

Editor

With separatist organisations closing their ranks to oppose settlement of Pandits back in the Valley and granting of rights to Hindu and Sikh refugees displaced due to Kashmir issue since 1947, refugees’ organisations have decided to unite to fight “propaganda” against them. Refugee leaders have also reaffirmed their resolve to continue fight against the discrimination meted out to them by successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir and silence of the Central government, which they said had “succumbed” to pressure tactics of fundamentalist and radical elements in Kashmir. A seminar “J&K,…

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NC, Congress protest in J&K Assembly over Price Rise

Editor

Opposition National Conference and Congress legislators today protested in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly over the issue of price rise and staged a walkout. Opposition National Conference and Congress legislators today protested in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly over the issue of price rise and staged a walkout. As soon as the House met this morning, Congress MLAs raised the issue of rise in prices of essential commodities in the state and were joined by the NC legislators as they demanded a statement from the government. The MLAs…

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Jehangir Chowk flyover likely to be complete by March

Editor

Setting a deadline of March 2017 for the completion of the Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh-Natipora flyover, the government said recently that a target of 58 per cent construction work had already been achieved. It added that the Bikram Chowk flyover, which was coming up in the Jammu city, was expected to be completed by December this year with 68 per cent of the physical target having already been achieved. This was revealed in a written reply by the minister in charge of the Planning and Development Department in the Legislative Council recently.…

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Union ministry ‘exposes’ MP’s claims on toll exemption

Editor

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has denied having received any written correspondence or submission from Jammu and Kashmir, seeking exemption of toll tax at Ban Toll Plaza set up on the Jammu-Udhampur National Highway. The ministry’s position has come as a shocker for the residents of Nagrota and Dansal blocks in the Jammu district as Member of Parliament from the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary seat Jugal Kishore Sharma, who belongs to the ruling BJP at the Centre, had publicly claimed that he had used his “good offices” to “get…

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Govt facilitating entry of non-state subjects to JK: Mirwaiz

Editor

Stating that “RSS-led” PDP-BJP government is “facilitating” entry of non-state subjects to Jammu and Kashmir, the Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said the resistance leadership has agreed to form a group to hold deliberations with Kashmiri Pandits living outside on return of migrant Pandits to the Valley. “A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits had come to meet me and the meeting was very positive,” Mirwaiz said, addressing a gathering that was protesting the “anti-Kashmir policies” of the Government, outside historic Jamia Masjid here. “It has been agreed…

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After NC, Cong too says PDP taking orders from RSS

Editor

JKPCC chief Mir urges voters in Anantnag to defeat PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti The Congress today warned the electorate in Anantnag that a vote for the Peoples Democratic Party would be a vote for the RSS ideology. Addressing a joint meeting of party workers and local representatives of the Anantnag constituency, which will see polling for the by election on June 22, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee Chief GA Mir cautioned the people about the “deceitful” poll promises of the PDP in order to secure votes for Mehbooba Mufti. Yesterday, former…

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JMC ‘sells’ roads to private contractors for parking

Editor

Motorists are being charged for parking vehicles on roadsides Having failed to construct multi-storey parking complexes to “decongest” the roads of the winter capital city of the state, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) seems to have “sold” city roads to private contractors by creating parking spaces on the roadsides to fill its empty coffers. The irony is that the congested and busy roads have come under the gambit of this new scheme of the civic body that resulted in total chaos and confusion among motorists as these “newly created parking…

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DPS students protest against Abaya BAN

Editor

Students at Delhi Public School (DPS) Athwajan here staged protest after school authorities “forced” a female teacher to resign for wearing Abaya in school. The DPS students boycotted their classes and staged protests terming the move by the school authorities as “interference in the religious affairs.” Protesting students also launched campaign on social networking demanding apology to the teacher by the school authority. “Our teacher was forced to resign after she chose Islamic dress code over her job. We cannot remain silent. School authorities must come clear what is their…

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Govt says no plan to disband VDC’s, who are facing 23 Murder, 7 Rape, 15 Rioting Cases

Editor

Indicating large-scale involvement of Village Defence Committee (VDC) members in crimes like murder, rapes and rioting, the J&K Government Friday revealed that 221 cases have been registered against them. The PDP-BJP Government however ruled out disbanding the militia. In a written reply, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti- who is also Minister in-charge Home – Friday informed the Legislative Assembly that 221 FIRs have been lodged against VDC men in different police stations for indulging in serious offences. Set up in 1995 when J&K was under President’s Rule, the VDCs have come…

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