August 2023 | Page 13 of 20

Ex-IPS Officer Basant Rath enrolls as BJP Activist Online; Party stresses Zero Tolerance for Indiscipline

August 11, 2023 Editor

His wish to contest election against Omar Abdullah of the National Conference or Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on a BJP ticket Days after the central government ordered his premature retirement, former IPS officer Basant Rath on Thursday registered himself as a BJP activist online and sought blessings of people for what he called an “uphill trek called politics”. The IGP-rank officer, who was under suspension for the past over three years for “repeated instances of gross misconduct and misbehavior”, was given premature retirement by the government…

J&K BJP President claims all Issues resolved, Disgruntled leader to meet Chugh to Discuss

August 11, 2023 Editor

A day after disgruntled leaders of Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party met at a hotel in the Valley, state unit president Ravinder Raina said all that issues stand resolved with these leaders. However, the disgruntled leaders said issues haven’t been addressed and are waiting for the BJP central leadership to reach Kashmir. On Wednesday, dozens of BJP leaders met in Srinagar hotel to convey their displeasure with the party leadership and even refused to meet Raina. However, late in the night, some of these leaders met Raina. “All the…

Supreme Court rules that J&K cannot claim Sovereignty after accession to India

August 11, 2023August 11, 2023 Editor

Jammu & Kashmir cannot claim sovereignty independent of the Union of India after the erstwhile princely state acceded to the country, the Supreme Court observed on Thursday, adding it is a “very, very difficult proposition to accept” that Article 370 was a permanent feature wresting a vestige of sovereignty with the J&K legislative assembly. According to a Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, the integration of J&K with the country was “absolutely complete” as soon as Article 1 of the Indian Constitution came into…

Kashmir Residents Alarmed by Rise in ‘Black Magic’ Rituals

August 11, 2023 Editor

Instances of Sihr or witchcraft have not been rare occurrences, but when ingredients of black magic and voodoo surfaced from the hallowed Eidgah graveyard, it numbed one and all. In the wee hours of a recent summer morning, some faithful returning home after dawn prayers saw something suspicious in Eidgah area of Srinagar. A couple was standing in the middle of the graveyard. Their untimely presence and uncanny behaviour in the resting place of the revered created curiosity in the group led by a cleric. But what they saw upon…

Tarun Chugh accuses Abdullahs, Muftis of collaborating with ISI to torture Kashmiri Pandits

August 11, 2023 Editor

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh today blamed the Abdullah and Mufti families for the atrocities on the Kahmiri Pandits since 1989. Chugh said both the families, Abdullah and Mufti, have been hand-in-glove with the Pakistan ISI to allow large scale killings of the Pandits and make them leave the state in 90s. Taking strong exception to Farooq Abdullah’s contention in the Parliament that his government in 1989 tried to protect the Kashmirir Pandits, Chugh said it was a bundle of lies that Abdullah was saying. The fact, he said,…

Grenade Blast Injures Army Trooper, 2 Civilians During CASO in Anantnag

August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 Editor

Three persons including a army trooper were injured in a grenade blast during cordon and search operation in Athlan Gadole area of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said on Thursday. A top police officer told GNS that last night a search party of security forces launched a cordon and search operation Athlan Gadole village. As the joint team of security forces started searches, a grenade was lobbed on them by the hiding militants. In this incident, two civilians and an army jawan received minor splinter injuries. All of…

SC Cites Differences Between J&K Constitution and Indian Constitution During Article 370 Hearing

August 10, 2023 Editor

Article 370, which bestowed special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was not a repository of untrammelled power but a medium through which the Constitution would apply to the state, the Supreme Court was told on Wednesday. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was told by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for petitioner Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, that the Jammu and Kashmir constituent assembly did not want to abrogate Article 370 and instead permitted its continuance. Mr Khan has challenged the two constitutional orders…

SC Questions Whether Instrument of Accession Cease to Exist After J&K Accedes to India

August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 Editor

Maharaja unconditionally recognises the sovereignty of India but he retains certain exceptions. He says I’m surrendering powers for three areas (defence, communication, foreign affairs). But what accession means is that J & K becomes an intrinsic part of India.” The Supreme Court on Wednesday said once the Instrument of Accession (IoA) signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1948 got subsumed in a post-Constitution document indicating transfer of power, the IoA can’t act as a fetter on Parliament’s powers. On the fourth day of hearing on petitions challenging nullification of Article…

No Crash Helmet, No Ride: RTO Kashmir to Seize Two-Wheelers

August 10, 2023 Editor

The Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Kashmir, Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari on Tuesday said they have decided to seize the two-wheelers of those who are found riding their vehicles without crash helmets. He also said that checking squads will be constituted soon to check the bike stunt activities and immediate action in this regard. Talking to a selected group of reporters here, RTO Kashmir as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, they have observed that the people in Srinagar are riding two-wheelers without crash helmets. “In this regard, a specific…

Following Kashmir’s Lead, Jammu Residents Protest Against Smart Meters

August 9, 2023 Editor

Scores of Jammu residents hit the streets in the summer capital of the erstwhile state to protest against the installation of smart meters. Eyewitnesses told that hundreds of women on Monday hit the streets in Jammu’s Janipur area calling for the rollback of the order against the installation of smart metres. Pertinently, protests have been taking place in the valley almost on daily basis against the curtailment of rice quota to Kashmir and against the installation of smart metres. A woman protestor from Janipur said, “It is impossible for us…