Hoisting tricolor in all panchayats on Independence Day reason behind troop surge in Kashmir

The Centre is “infusing” troops in Jammu and Kashmir to provide security cover for a move to hoist the Tricolour in every panchayat in the state this Independence Day, government sources said. “The government is infusing troops as many panchayat heads want to hoist the national flag this Independence Day. This deployment is being done to ensure no disruption to the process and avoid any untoward incident,” said sources. Over the weekend, reports of deployment of additional troops in the state had led to intense speculation over the Centre’s plans.…

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Should U.S. Take ‘NO’ of India as an Answer?

“I would like to categorically state that no such request (mediation on Kashmir) has been made by the Prime Minister (Modi) to the US President,” Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs told the Indian Parliament on July 23, 2019. He added that “Shimla and Lahore accords provide the basis for resolution of all issues bilaterally.”  Why India stresses Lahore Declaration and Simla Agreement and not the United Nations resolutions, which were adopted only after the consent of both India and Pakistan was sought at the Security Council.? There is a…

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Lawyers from Jammu advocating for the strengthening of Article 370, 35A

Lawyers in Jammu on Tuesday pitched for strengthening Articles 370 and 35-A at a time when campaign against J&K’s special status by rightwing organisations has gained momentum. A meeting was organised here by prominent lawyers affiliated with the Jammu Bar Association. The speakers appealed for protection of special status terming it a link between India and Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting was organised under the chairmanship of former Senior Additional Advocate General Subash Chander Gupta where prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir was discussed. Gupta appealed the masses to remain…

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Everything normal, ‘No Order Valid’, Guv Satya Pal Malik rejects rumours over special status

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik today said people should not pay heed to rumours of any major decision on the special status of the state as “everything is normal”. “A lot of rumours are spread here. Do not pay any heed to them. Everything is fine, everything is normal,” Governor Malik said when asked about the several orders appearing on social media about the possibility of a prolonged law and order situation in Kashmir valley. The Governor said the orders that appeared the social media in recent days…

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A dangerous experiment is in the works in Kashmir

A dangerous experiment seems to be in the works in Jammu and Kashmir. It started innocuously enough and in the best traditions of a vibrant democracy. In the November 2014 state elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which a few months prior to that had decisively won the general elections, cruised to a comfortable majority of 25 seats in the Jammu region, which has a near equal mix of Muslims and Hindus. While the PDP did not…

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