Month: November 2018

Blow for BJP as Ladakh MP Thupstan Chhewang quits party, Parliament

Editor

In a major setback to the BJP in the Ladakh region ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year, the party’s lone Lok Sabha member and its tallest leader Thupstan Chhewang on Thursday resigned from both the primary membership of the saffron party and as Member of Parliament. The BJP, however, claimed that he had resigned from active politics because he wanted to join spiritualism. In his resignation letter, widely circulated on the social media, addressed to state BJP president Ravinder Raina, Chhewang said he was resigning from the…

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Huge Gas, Oil reserves in state: Study by Italian firm

Editor

A comprehensive scientific paper has revealed a strong possibility of finding gas and petroleum in Jammu and Kashmir and has sought access to oil companies and researchers to carry out an exploration in the state. A decade-long study commissioned by Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (National Hydrocarbons Authority), an Italian oil giant, was completed recently to expand the understanding of hydrocarbon occurrences in the northwestern Himalayas of India and Pakistan. The published study, ‘Petroleum systems and hydrocarbon potential of the North-West Himalayas of India and Pakistan’, involved collaboration of researchers from India,…

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National Conference must explain its U-turn on Article 35A: Dr Jitendra Singh

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Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Thursday questioned the stand of National Conference with regard to participation in the Assembly elections. “National Conference (NC) owes an explanation to the people of Jammu & Kashmir for its U-turn on 35A. This party boycotted the recently held urban local body elections with the pledge that it will not participate in an election till the issue of 35A was settled, but now is demanding dissolution of State Assembly and is ready to contest the elections in a bid to seek ministerial berths, regardless…

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A Tale of ‘Cabbage’ and (W)Rath from Kashmir

Editor

Never has leafy green vegetable cabbage and its health benefits evoked so much interest in the Valley as it did recently. Immediate trigger for the “cabbage talk” is the much talked about transfer of Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Basant Rath. Rath would be credited for popularising cabbage in the Valley. Doctors are writing its health benefits and prodding the population, which is addicted to meat, to have  more of it. Others are making memes of cabbage and more adept internet users are making memes of new mayor of the…

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PEC expresses concern over Junaid Mattu’s ‘Insensitive Remarks’ about wetlands

Editor

Peoples’ Environmental Council (PEC), a Srinagar based environmental watchdog, has expressed serious concern over the “insensitive” remarks expressed by the newly elected mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Mattu, about wetlands and has reminded the government of the directions issued by the high court and the new set of rules notified by Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) vis-à-vis protection of wetlands. In a statement issued on Wednesday PEC said that its members have taken strong note of the “insensitive remarks” made by the incumbent Mayor wherein he has…

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A Twitter fued, transfer earn unorthodox cop admirers

Editor

An online spat with a mayor followed by the transfer of Basant Rath, an unorthodox IPS officer who preferred to wear civilian clothes over khaki and walked into crowds with ease, has created a storm on internet with local social media users throwing their support for him. Basant Rath, a 2000-batch IPS officer, who served as the Inspector General of Police, Traffic, had become a social media celebrity in the Valley where a lot of people had developed a liking for his unorthodox style of working. While Rath had a…

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Governor rule to continue: Ram Madhav

Editor

Contrary to the claims of local leaders, Ram Madhav, national general secretary of the BJP, has said that the party is in favour of continuing Governor’s rule in J&K. He said it would continue till mid-December. Addressing a function to felicitate the newly elected municipal committee members and heads of the civic bodies at Kathua on Tuesday, Madhav said, “We are happy with the Governor’s rule and that is why the BJP has decided to continue with it for some time.” Under the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, there is…

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Clear stand on poll participation, Ram Madhav questions NC and PDP

Editor

Accusing the NC and the PDP of trying to scuttle the democratic process, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has asked them to clear stand on whether they would participate in state assembly elections or boycott them, like they did during the local bodies polls. Asked about any proposal to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Madhav said the Governor’s rule will continue till the middle of December and what happens next will be discussed then. “We are happy with it and that is why BJP has decided to continue the…

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Observe Shutdown across Kashmir on Nov 17 against Panchayat polls: JRL

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Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for a complete shutdown across Kashmir on November 17 against the panchayat polls. The JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik urged people to observe shutdown against “yet another election drama” being enacted by the “oppressive regime” of New Delhi. They urged the people to reject and boycott the Panchayat polls “in the same way they rejected the Urban Local Bodies polls by staying indoors.” In a statement issued here, the JRL also said that strike should also be…

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J&K and Punjab police on alert after four men hijack taxi in Pathankot

Editor

A high alert was sounded in Punjab’s Pathankot and J&K’s Kathua after four men commandeered a taxi at gunpoint near Madhopur. The four men hired the taxi, a silver coloured Innova with registration number JK02AW-0922, from Jammu railway station on Tuesday night. The railway station taxi union vice-president Rajvinder Singh said, “The taxi was booked in the name of Major Sarvjeet Singh and was Pathankot-bound. Our CCTV footage shows there were four people and one among them was wearing a monkey cap.” The four had conducted a recce before hiring…

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