Day: June 22, 2018

Musharraf had said Kashmiris first choice is Independence: Saifuddin Soz

Editor

Congress leader Saifuddin Soz today said that former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf was right when he said Kashmiris prefer independence to joining Pakistan, to which the BJP retorted, “Alas there’s a Pakistan outside of India and a Pakistan within the Congress.” The BJP was responding to SOz’s comment to ANI news agency about the situation in Kashmir. “Musharraf said Kashmiris don’t want to merge with Pakistan, their first choice is independence. The statement was true then and remains true now also. I say the same, but I know that it…

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Kashmir-Jammu an old dilemma

Editor

The BJP was well placed to manage it, but it chose short-term political gains The Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision to break its alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and plunge Jammu and Kashmir into political chaos comes as a climax to a dilemma that the party’s government at the Centre had been facing since the State elections in 2014. On the one hand, it needed political stability and a friendly government in J&K to find a political solution to the growing insurgency and unrest in the Valley. On the…

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Four militants among six killed, Scores injured in Anantnag gunfight

Editor

Four militants, including ISJK chief Dawood Salafi, a policeman and a civilian were killed and dozens others injured after a gunfight broke out between militants and the government forces in Srigufwara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday. A police official confirmed that four militants were killed in the gunfight. He said the slain include ISJK (Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir) chief Dawood Salafi of HMT Srinagar. He identified the other slain militants as Majid Manzoor Dar from Talangam Awantipora, Ashraf Itoo from Hatigam Srigufwara and Adil Hassan Mir…

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A hard outlook will have pitfalls in Kashmir

Editor

KASHMIR is happy, somewhat. The PDP-BJP split was much awaited; by people who were unable to reconcile to the rule of the saffron party by proxy. Fear was deeply entrenched in the minds of the locals that right-wing Hindutva forces, with the high pitch for the abrogation of Article 370, may succeed in undermining Kashmir’s special status. Naturally, Kashmiri Muslims were insecure after the alliance came about. And so, it became easier to support the forces of violence, as for them, the PDP had committed an unpardonable sin by shaking…

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Muscular approach always at core of BJP’s Kashmir Policy

Editor

Since the inception of BJP’s predecessor, Bharatiya Jan Sangh, to the present, Jammu and Kashmir has been an integral part of the party’s discourse. BJS founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee died in the state while taking up the issue of “one country, one Constitution”, the abrogation of Article 370 that gives special status to the state is one of party’s key goals, the Muslim majority state is high on the party’s target while espousing nationalism, and it has always slammed Congress and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for failing to resolve territorial…

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Dineshwar Sharma to continue to engage with people of Kashmir: Home Ministry

Editor

The Governor would emphasise to restore the rule of law back on the streets of Kashmir, while Dineshwar Sharma would be engaging with people politically too. Dineshwar Sharma, the Centre’s special representative, will continue to engage with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, even though Governor’s Rule has been imposed in the state. “He was appointed to keep engaging the people there and he will keep doing that”, a senior official from the ministry told NDTV. According to him, Dineshwar Sharma was tasked by the government to engage with all…

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Soon NSG to be deployed in anti-terror operations in Kashmir Valley

Editor

The elite National Security Guards, popularly known as ‘Black Cats’, are likely to be deployed soon in counter militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir which was placed under governor’s rule on Wednesday, officials said. They said a team of NSG has been stationed in the Kashmir Valley for quite sometime and is undergoing rigorous training in the outskirts of the city. The state was on Wednesday placed under governor’s rule for the fourth time in the last one decade after the BJP withdrew support to its alliance partner, the PDP,…

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GOI wants ‘Political Person’ as next governor for J&K

Editor

In a departure from the norm of appointing people with military, civil service backgrounds to the post, the Centre seeks a ‘political person’ to replace Vohra, insiders say The Centre favours a “political person” to become the next governor of Jammu and Kashmir, in a departure from the traditional practice of appointing people with military, police or civil service backgrounds to the post, people familiar with the matter said. The tenure of current governor, NN Vohra, a former civil servant, ends on June 27 and he is expected to continue…

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PDP-BJP alliance break-up a fixed match: Omar Abdullah

Editor

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has described the break-up of the PDP-BJP alliance as a “brilliant fixed match” and said the two parties “crafted their divorce” and “scripted it to perfection” after taking cue from Bollywood. “The PDP and BJP have been watching Bollywood movies for political strategy. This is how they have crafted their ‘divorce’. Brilliant fixed match, scripted to perfection except the audience aren’t fools and neither are the rest of us,” Omar, who is the vice-president of the National Conference (NC), wrote on Twitter while sharing a…

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Security forces working to stop recruitments at funerals of militants in Kashmir

Editor

The problem with such gatherings is that sentiments get amplified, say experts. People have used such occasions to make provocative speeches and glorify the “sacrifices” of militants. The Jammu and Kashmir police will act against those who eulogise dead militants in funerals, making provocative speeches which the police believes motivates young people to join militant groups. “We have devised a strategy to deal with these gatherings,” said state police chief SP Vaid. Vaid refused to discuss specifics of the strategy but a Srinagar-based official in the security forces said the…

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