Year: 2018

BJP had no role in dissolution of JK assembly: Rajnath Singh

Editor

Home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday distanced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik’s decision to dissolve the state assembly, saying Malik acted after concluding that it wasn’t possible for a new state government to be formed in the current scenario. “The governor of J&K took the decision after considering the political situation there; he reached to a conclusion that government formation was not possible in the state,” Singh said in an interview with Hindustan Times. “It was a decision taken by the governor.…

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For the Authorities there are no civilians in Shopian, only militants

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As the security situation in the Valley remains precarious, restive Shopian in south Kashmir is fast turning into a war zone with nearly 40 militants and at least a dozen civilians killed in the district by government forces this year alone. In the latest counter insurgency operation in the district’s Nadigam village, four militants, all of them local youths affiliated with the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, were gunned down by security forces in an encounter in the small hours of yesterday. An army Para commando was also killed while two…

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PDP, Congress, NC ganged up on Pakistan direction to keep BJP at bay: Kavinder Gupta

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Former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta said on Wednesday that the Peoples Democratic Party, Congress and the National Conference were joining hands to form a government in the state at Pakistan’s behest. He made the comments before the dissolution of the Assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday evening. “The three parties are ganging up to form a government in the state at Pakistan’s directions to keep the BJP away from power,” he said in a press conference. Gupta, who served as the Legislative Assembly Speaker and later as…

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Omar tweets, Mehbooba likes – In thank you note to rival Omar, Mehbooba stinging jibe at BJP

Editor

An indication of a new bonhomie between arch-rivals Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti was witnessed on microblogging site Twitter when the latter liked a tweet by the former immediately after the confirmation of alliance between the two parties. Omar, who is the working president of the National Conference (NC), tweeted: “Whoever said ‘may you live in interesting times’ knew what they were talking about.” Mehbooba, president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was quick to ‘like’ Omar’s tweet — a virtual confirmation that the two former Chief Ministers of the…

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What compelled rival parties in J&K to foster alliance

Editor

Two arch-rivals in Kashmir politics — National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party — had come under intense pressure from their MLAs to form government in Jammu and Kashmir as it was feared that continuing political hostility would pave way for the success of “BJP’s machinations” to break these groups. The decision on the alliance came before the annoucement of the dissolution of the Assembly and sought to utilise the remaining period of more than two years of the six-year term of the Assemblyto unite all for “Kashmir’s special status”. It…

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J&K’s political thriller ends in anti-climax with Governor dissolving Assembly

Editor

At the end of a day of dramatic developments, Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday night dissolved the state assembly in a contentious decision that may well be challenged in the courts. The dissolution, announced in a statement by Raj Bhawan, came after Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its arch-rival National Conference (NC) teamed up with the Congress for a shot at government formation with the support of 56 legislators in the 87-member assembly. The People’s Conference led by Sajjad Lone, later staked a rival…

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PDP likely to head grand alliance with Congress, NC to form govt in J&K

Editor

A grand alliance is shaping up in Jammu and Kashmir where arch rivals Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference are set to team up with the Congress to stake claim to form the government. Former finance minister and senior PDP leader, Altaf Bukhari confirming the alliance move said, “My leadership has confirmed it to us that the three parties (Congress, PDP and NC) have agreed to make a coalition to defend the special identity of the state politically and legally. Very soon you will get a good news.’’ Another senior…

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Mourning as well fear across valley after rebels abducted, executes civilians

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After spending four harrowing hours in the custody of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants at an unidentified location, Farooq Ahmed Thokar and Shahid Ganai found themselves blindfolded, standing on what they could tell was a macadamised road somewhere in south Kashmir. They were accompanied by two militants, who had just interrogated them. Thokar and Ganai were asked to turn their backs towards the car that had been used as transportation. “[Then] they removed our blindfolds. A voice came from behind and told us that we were free to go. One of…

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PDP, Congress and NC appear to be joining hands to form a coalition govt?

Editor

In a potentially far-reaching realignment of political forces in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP, Congress and the National Conference appear to be joining hands to form a coalition government, sources in the three parties indicated Tuesday. The state is currently under Governor’s rule which cannot be extended after it completed its six-month period on December 19. It is proposed to impose President’s rule thereafter but the 87-member assembly is not being dissolved, according to Governor Satyapal Mallik. The government headed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti fell when its…

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Hurriyat leader Hafizullah shot dead in Anantnag, JRL calls for shutdown

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Unknown gunmen on Tuesday shot dead a top separatist leader, Mir Hafizullah, at his residence in Badura locality in Akingam Achabal area of Anantnag district. Mir was shot dead barely 20 yards away from his home on Anantnag-Kishtwar highway at Akingam at around 10:30 am. “A car stopped on highway outside his home and a masked person alighted from it while two remained seated inside. As the masked man approached towards him, Hafizullah started asking the masked man who he was and why they had stopped outside his house. Within…

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