Month: April 2017

Police foil Punjab Shiv Sainiks’ bid to enter J&K

Editor

The police foiled an attempt of Shiv Sena activists from neighbouring Punjab to enter the state at Lakhanpur, near here, today. The Shiv Sainiks from Punjab, who were stopped by the J&K Police from moving further, had planned to meet the Governor of J&K in the wake of Kashmir unrest. However, the police action infuriated the Shiv Sainiks, led by their Punjab unit chief Sanjeev Ghanoli and other prominent party leader Sudhir Suri. The enraged Shiv Sainiks parked their vehicles in the middle of the Jammu-Pathankot national highway at Lakhanpur…

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Despite Jhelum posing flood threat, dredging deadlines still not met

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With only 1.20 lakh cubic feet dredging having been done in the Jhelum so far against the targeted 17 lakh cubic feet, the river can again cause the havoc that it did in September 2014. The dredging of the river, which had overflown and breached its banks on the night of September 6 and 7, 2014, drowning almost half of the summer capital, should have been completed by December 2015. The Centre had released the funds for the purpose but the political and administrative lethargy combined with corruption at high…

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Time for promises over, it’s time for delivery now: Mehbooba Mufti

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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has not shared everything with the media after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday because it is status quo in Jammu and Kashmir: the military option has not been ruled out and the dialogue option has not opened completely despite her passionate plea for it. Mehbooba is not only the head of the government in J&K but also president of the PDP, which is ruling the state in alliance with Modi’s BJP. Therefore, their meeting should have had more on agenda than merely…

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We’re the Loser in BJP Alliance, Mehbooba Must Go Back to People: PDP Leader Baig

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Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met on Monday over the worsening law and order situation in the Valley, senior People’s Democratic Party leader and former deputy CM Muzaffar Hussain Baig said Mehbooba should “go back to the people,” instead of “sticking to the alliance” with BJP. Mediocre coalition govt makes PDP appear more ‘loserish’ News18 reported, Baig said the PDP has been “the loser in the coalition” as it has “lost more political capital than the BJP”. “There is disenchantment, inexperience…

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As Students clashes with forces, City centre turns into battlefield

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2 students, 12 cops injured; 6 students detained Govt forces resort to tear gas shelling, aerial firing to quell protests Student, photojournalist, woman injured; SSP Srinagar among 12 cops hurt Cops showed utmost restraint: Police Massive clashes were witnessed between students and government forces in the heart of Srinagar city on Monday as colleges re-opened after remaining closed for a week in Kashmir valley. Government forces used tear gas and water cannons to prevent students of SP Higher Secondary School and SP College from taking out a protest march and…

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Women’s College students stage protests, Shutters down as clashes intensify on MA road, SSP Srinagar injured in stone pelting

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Students protest again in Srinagar, raise ‘Azadi’ slogans Students of Women’s College MA road stage protests Shopkeepers down shutters as clashes intensify on MA road, adjacent areas SSP Srinagar injured in stone pelting Massive clashes erupted in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk area on Monday after students from three adjacent educational institutions staged a protest and resorted to stone pelting. According to the police, the students of SP College, Government College for Women and SP Higher Secondary school assembled on the Maulana Azad Road and clashed with the security personnels on duty. “At least…

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PDP leader Abdul Gani Dar shot dead in Pulwama

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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) district President for Pulwama Abdul Gani Dar succumbed to his injuries after he was shot by suspected terrorists at south Kashmir’s Pinglan area of Pulwama district. “Gani was heading towards Srinagar when suspected terrorists opened fire on him between Pahoo and Pinglan villages,”a senior police official said. “He was shifted to a SMHS hospital in Srinagar where he succumbed to bullet injuries,” the official added. “He was brought dead,” Medical Superintendent SMHS hospital, Srinagar, Dr Nazir Chaudhary said. According to the reports, Gani was shot in…

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Mehbooba Mufti to meet Narendra Modi today, discuss how to douse Kashmir fire

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Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday amid a deteriorating law and order situation in the state, leading to a growing clamour for governor’s rule in the state. The renewed violence has also strained relations between the ruling PDP-BJP coalition. What prompted the meeting and what is expected: Stop the alienation The chief minister is likely to discuss confidence-building measures when she meets Modi on Monday. She is likely to press for some political initiative from the Centre to…

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300 WhatsApp groups were inciting stone pelters : Police

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Nearly 300 WhatsApp groups, of which 90 per cent have been shut down, were being used to mobilise stone-throwers in Kashmir to disrupt security forces’ operations at encounter sites, a police officer said today. The 300 WhatsApp groups had around 250 members each, the police officer said, explaining howattempts were being made to disrupt the operations of the forces by mobilising stone-throwing mobs at the encounter sites. “We identified the groups and the group administrators, who were called in by the police for counselling. We have had a good response…

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Facebook and WhatsApp ban, Can the digital embargo ever help?

Editor

Mehboob Makhdoomi Right at its outset, the possible ban on the Facebook and WhatsApp in Kashmir valley, as is being reported by the media these days, will not only prove the government failure, but it can boomerang. I don’t say this only from the perspective of a netizen who won’t like the decision if implemented But even from the strategic point of view of the authorities, such a measure is a plain non-starter. To begin with, the premise of such an understanding that the protests have their genesis in social…

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