Post resignation from National Conference Devender Rana & Surjit Singh Slathia formally joined the BJP

Post resignation from National Conference Devender Rana & Surjit Singh Slathia formally joined the BJP

A day after resigning from the National Conference, Devender Rana, the former head of its Jammu division, along with another party leader Surjit Singh Slathia joined the BJP on Monday. Rana and Slathia joined the BJP at its headquarters here in the presence of Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Hardeep Singh Puri, and Jitendra Singh. Rana, who is a former MLA and the younger brother of Union minister Jitendra Singh, has also served as a political advisor to former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah.…

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Upper reaches of Kashmir Valley received season’s first snowfall

Upper reaches of Kashmir Valley received season’s first snowfall

A meteorologist said that all the districts of the Kashmir region received rainfall since Sunday evening while light snowfall was reported from mountainous areas of upper Gulmarg Outer reaches of Jammu and Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall while rains lashed other parts of the region on Monday and plunged the mercury. India Meteorological Department said a western disturbance and winds laden with moisture from the Mediterranean on Sunday led to the rains in the plains and snow in the mountains of the region. Mohammad Hussain Mir, a meteorologist, said…

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One JCO, Four Soldiers killed during encounter in Rajouri district: Report

One JCO, Four Soldiers killed during encounter in Rajouri district - Report

A Junior Commissioned Officer and four soldiers who were “critically” injured in a gunfight with militants in villages close to Dara Ki Gali in the Surankote area of Poonch district succumbed to injuries on Monday. “In firefight during the ongoing encounter with (militants), one JCO and four Jawans of Indian Army have suffered critical injuries,” Defence ministry PRO-based in Jammu told “Further update follows,” he said. However, sources told that all five of them have succumbed to the injuries. Official confirmation in this regard is still awaited. The encounter, the…

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Over 50 Rural Local body members quit in district Ramban

Over 50 Rural Local body members quit in district Ramban

Over 50 sarpanches and panches have resigned en masse in two blocks of Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir over various issues, officials said on Saturday. They have resigned alleging lack of promised empowerment, unnecessary interference, and their side-lining by the administration during the ongoing public outreach program of the Central ministers, officials said. The Peoples Democratic Party took a pot-shot at the BJP government, saying the “cosmetic normalcy and pomp and show being projected (in the Union Territory) stands punctured.” Officials, however, said the district panchayat officer Ashok Singh…

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Thajiwas Glacier melting at rapid pace: Locals

Thajiwas Glacier melting at rapid pace - Locals

The Thajiwas glacier, which is a major tourist attraction in Kashmir’s Sonmarg, is melting at a rapid pace, locals said. uring the last two decades, the Thajiwas glacier, which is a major tourist attraction in Kashmir’s Sonmarg, is melting at a rapid pace, locals said. Bilal Ahmad, a tourist guide in Sonmarg, told India Today TV that the change in the volume of the Thajiwas glacier is becoming more and more visible in recent times. “Before 20 years, Thajiwas glacier was spread over huge area and tourists were able to…

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Won’t Leave Kashmir ‘Neither allow anyone to create rift in Kashmiri Brotherhood’ : United Sikh Forum

Won’t Leave Kashmir ‘Neither allow anyone to create rift in Kashmiri Brotherhood’ : United Sikh Forum

The United Sikh Forum (USF) Saturday condemning the killing of two school teachers said that no Sikh would leave Kashmir and appealed to all the communities to get united at the time of crises. Talking with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) President of United Sikh Forum (USF) Manmeet Singh said that no Sikh is leaving Kashmir as the land belongs to both Kashmiri Sikhs and Muslims. “We have to get united to fight against these elements who are trying to create a gap in between communities,” Singh said Singh said…

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Throttling the press in J&K

Throttling the press in J&K

By: Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami By denying the media freedom, the government is building its own narrative and providing space for fake news A major casualty of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, has been press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This has led to the problem of disinformation and is causing great anxiety in the region. The feeling of alienation in the Kashmir Valley is inimical to the national interest besides the interests of Kashmiris. Historically, the press in J&K used to highlight democratic, anti-feudal and…

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The Resistance Front : Faceless killers in the Valley

The Resistance Front : Faceless killers in the Valley

The shadowy outfit targets both security personnel and civilians in Kashmir The killings of seven civilians in six days, including a well-known chemist, Makhan Lal Pandita, and a school principal, Supinder Kaur, have shaken the Kashmir Valley. A little-known militant outfit called the Resistance Front (TRF) has claimed responsibility for the killings. Security agencies warn that attacks could intensify it in the coming days. The outfit was born nine months after the Union government ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status on August 5, 2019. The TRF’s name first surfaced…

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What has changed in Kashmir since Aug 5, 2019?

What has changed in Kashmir since Aug 5, 2019?

Thirty years ago J&K was under Governor’s rule, there was massive troops deployment, its political leadership was kept locked up and there was no development. Haven’t we reverted to the same disarray? In his speech of 8 August 2019 explaining the move to ‘deoperationalise’ Article 370 (it has not been revoked or removed as is widely assumed), the prime minister said the following: That the development of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh was being held back by Article 370. The problem had now been eliminated and a new era had begun.…

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Outspoken IAS Officer Shah Faisal who flirted with ‘Politics of Change’ likely to be appointed Lt Governor’s adviser

Outspoken IAS Officer Shah Faisal who flirted with 'Politics of Change' likely to be appointed Lt Governor’s adviser

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal may become the advisor of J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. The speculation about Faesal being nominated as the advisor gained momentum after Baseer Khan was relieved of the said charge earlier this week. The government, however, is tight-lipped about the former IAS officer’s fresh appointment. Off late, Faesal has been repeatedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah on social media. Last year, 17 months after laying the foundation of a new political party, Faesal had resigned as president of the Jammu…

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