Taking a tough stand, ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday dropped finance minister Haseeb Drabu from the council of ministers over his remarks that Kashmir “isn’t a political issue” but a society with “social issues.” Top sources said the PDP shot a letter to Raj Bhavan informing the governor NN Vohra about the decision. Drabu remark during a function in New Delhi that Kashmir “isn’t a political issue” had earned him ire of the party, opposition, separatist and trade bodies. On Sunday, the party had asked him to explain…
Read MoreDay: March 12, 2018
Three suicides in four days
Three soldiers, posted in Jammu and Kashmir, committed suicide in separate incidents over the last four days. Constable Prukha Sukhdev of the 79 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), posted in the Sonwar area of Srinagar, shot himself with his service rifle inside the camp on Saturday morning, March 10. The jawan died on the spot, added a police officer. Sepoy Birender Sinha, who was posted at the 30 Rashtriya Rifles of camp at Langate in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, committed suicide by shooting himself with his…
Read MoreKashmir teaches ‘Art of leaving’ to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Welcomed with ‘Azadi’ slogans
Noisy scenes marred Art of Living founder’s peace conference in Srinagar on Saturday. Agitated participants from different parts of the Valley were allegedly ‘tricked’ to take part in the event Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living (AOL), had to cut short his speech and a subsequent press conference in Srinagar as several people attending the function stood up and shouted slogans in favour of “Azadi” and militants on Saturday. Noisy scenes marred an otherwise well attended function organised by AOL at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre as…
Read MoreFree Wifi, other facilities at Tulip Garden this year
Visitors to Asia’s largest Tulip Garden on the banks of Dal Lake here can enjoy free wi-fi access, in addition to many other new facilities, when the garden opens to public later this month. The Tulip garden will be thrown open to public on March 25. “With the need of staying connected increasing by the day, the floriculture department, in collaboration with the BSNL, is providing free wi-fi connectivity to visitors,” Floriculture Director Mathoora Masoom told PTI. Masoom said several other initiatives have been taken to make the visitors, a…
Read MoreDineshwar Sharma says he is hopeful of peaceful summer, but future holds risks
The government appears to be cautiously optimistic about the situation in Kashmir, but there are worrying portents on the ground. The Centre’s Representative for talks in Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, says he is `hopeful of a peaceful summer this year.’ He bases that hope on his ‘faith in the people of Jammu & Kashmir, particularly the youth,’ adding that ‘they understand that all their problems can be addressed only when there is peace.’ That sort of hope needs to be tempered with caution, however. To be sure, the government’s statistics of…
Read MoreTamil superstar Rajinikanth in Reasi, pays obeisance at Shiv Khori
Ahead of starting political career, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Sunday paid obeisance at Shiv Khori in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Rajini is on 15-day spiritual pilgrimage to Himalayas and in this regard he visited Shiv Khori cave located at Ransoo, a village in the Pouni block in Reasi district, 80 kilometers from here. Rajinikanth said, “I am on a pilgrimage here. It is so divine and different from routine”. “Earlier, I have been to Himachal, Kashmir, I am visiting Jammu for the very first time. After this I…
Read MoreCommunalists won’t let Kathua minor rape victim rest in peace
She was an innocent Gujjar girl before her life was cut short by some monsters. The brutes also outraged her modesty. This horrendous crime took place in Rasana village in the Hiranagar belt of Kathua in Jammu where she used to take to the dusty streets like any other child of her age. She was just eight years old. This terrible crime has been communalised by political groups looking for electoral dividends in their respective areas of influence where they think that exploitation of this incident would fetch them Muslim…
Read MoreAngry PDP raps Haseeb Drabu after his controversial statement on Kashmir Issue
Asks state FM to withdraw statement that goes against party’s agenda Explanation sought Two days after state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu said “Kashmir should not be seen as a political problem,” his party today hit out at him saying that J&K was a political problem and its resolution formed the PDP’s core agenda. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s uncle and party’s second in command Sartaj Madni asked senior PDP minister Drabu, credited with forging party’s alliance with the BJP in 2015, to “retract the statement immediately if it has been reported…
Read MoreThree militants killed in Anantnag, Schools, Colleges to remain shut today in Srinagar
Three militants have been killed during a brief gunfight between militants and the government forces in district Anantnag on wee hours of Monday. DIG south Kashmir Amit Kumar told Kashmir Post that a nocturnal Cordon and Search Operation was launched at Malikpora, Hakura area of Anantnag, ensuing in a brief gunfight. He said three militants were killed in the gunfight. He identified the three militants as Ehsan Fazili @ Esha Roohullah (TuM) X-Btech student of Srinagar, Syed Owais Shafi (HM) of Vailoo, Kokernag, Kokernag and third one from Pakistan. DIG…
Read More