Month: March 2018

BJP ‘Stunned’ but mum over Drabu’s dismissal

Editor

Within minutes of sacking of Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu from the Council of Ministers, the state government postponed Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. The meeting is now scheduled to be held on March 20. Although no reason was given for rescheduling the meeting, it is believed that the PDP leadership wanted to take its coalition partner BJP on board about its step on Drabu. Sources said the BJP leadership, which is stunned over Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s decision to sack Drabu for his remarks on the Kashmir problem, has decided to hold…

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PDP, BJP workers clashed in Rajouri; scores injured

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Five people were injured today in a clash between the PDP and BJP workers during an agitation in Rajouri for a separate Nowshera district in J&K. The BJP and PDP are allies in the Mebooba Mufti government. “Five people were reportedly injured in an assault by some people in Nowshera belt (Rajouri district),” a senior police officer said. Sarpanches Bhadur Singh and Sukhdev Singh, Chhotu Ram Choudhary, Narinder Kumar, alias Mangu, and Om Parkash were injured, he said, adding that they were referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital…

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Haseeb Drabu, the man who helped stitch PDP-BJP Alliance in J&K

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Known to be a ‘Sympathiser’ of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in its initial years, Drabu, a former Jammu and Kashmir Bank Chairman and a loyalist of then PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was appointed by the party to do the maths with the BJP over a possible government formation in the state. In 2015, history was created in Kashmir. For the first time, the BJP had made inroads into the valley and was about to form a government with the PDP. The alliance was about to be…

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Bail granted to Kashmiri photojournalist Kamran Yusuf

Editor

Photojournalist Kamran Yusuf, arrested by the NIA in September for allegedly encouraging stone pelting and mobilising support against security personnel, was granted bail by a special court here on Monday, officials said. Without giving further details, the NIA officials confirmed that Yusuf had been granted bail. He was arrested by the agency on September 5 for allegedly indulging in stone pelting and mobilising support against security personnel through social media. According to the NIA, Yusuf was allegedly involved in stone pelting incidents besides organising groups of youths who would throw…

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For saying Kashmir isn’t a political issue Haseeb Drabu removed from cabinet

Editor

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…

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Three suicides in four days

Editor

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…

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Kashmir teaches ‘Art of leaving’ to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Welcomed with ‘Azadi’ slogans

Editor

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…

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Free Wifi, other facilities at Tulip Garden this year

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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…

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Dineshwar Sharma says he is hopeful of peaceful summer, but future holds risks

Editor

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…

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Tamil superstar Rajinikanth in Reasi, pays obeisance at Shiv Khori

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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…

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