No Title for Trespass: J&K CM Blocks Land Regularisation Bill

No Title for Trespass: J&K CM Blocks Land Regularisation Bill

Landlines and Lifelines: Who Owns Kashmir’s Shelter Rights? By: Javid Amin | 28 October 2025 In the autumn session of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly (J&K LA), a private member’s bill stirred a vortex of legal, political and human-rights issues. Moved by Waheed ur Rehman Para of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the legislation sought to grant ownership rights to residents who have built homes on government land—State land, ‘kacharai’ land, common land and ‘shamilat’ land.But the bill was rejected by the ruling coalition in the Assembly, led by…

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The Push for Hindi: How Jammu & Kashmir’s Language Policy is Redrawing Cultural Lines

The Push for Hindi: How Jammu & Kashmir’s Language Policy is Redrawing Cultural Lines

The Policy Shift By: Javid Amin | 28 October 2025 The Jammu & Kashmir government is taking firm steps to increase the use of Hindi in official correspondence and administration, signaling a new linguistic direction in the Union Territory’s governance framework. This move aligns with the Jammu & Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, which recognizes Hindi as one of the five official languages alongside Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, and English. While officials describe it as a push for inclusivity and modernization, linguists and cultural observers warn that the growing preference for…

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Free Power Only After Rooftop Solar Panel Installation in J&K – Why Linking the Two Makes Sense

Free Power Only After Rooftop Solar Panel Installation in J&K – Why Linking the Two Makes Sense

In a bold policy move, the administration of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region has announced that the promised 200 units of free electricity for the poorest households will be delivered only after rooftop solar panel installation on those homes. According to official responses in the local Assembly, the benefit will apply exclusively to families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) category—some 2.22 lakh such families. The installation will be under the national scheme PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG) via its Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA)/RESCO model. On the face…

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‘Vote Chori!’ Slogans Rock J&K Assembly as NC Accuses BJP of Rajya Sabha Manipulation

'Vote Chori!' Slogans Rock J&K Assembly as NC Accuses BJP of Rajya Sabha Manipulation

National Conference alleges cross-voting and ballot tampering as BJP secures an unexpected Rajya Sabha seat; Assembly witnesses unprecedented uproar. By: Javid Amin | 27 October 2025 The Flashpoint High drama gripped the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday as National Conference (NC) legislators stormed the well of the House, shouting “Vote chor! Vote chor!”—accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manipulating the recent Rajya Sabha elections through cross-voting and invalid ballots. The storm erupted during Question Hour, when Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary rose to comment on the Rajya…

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Rights, Representation, and Repression: J&K Assembly Faces Dual Crisis Over PSA and Quotas

Rights, Representation, and Repression: J&K Assembly Faces Dual Crisis Over PSA and Quotas

Legislators clash over Mehraj Malik’s PSA detention and renewed demands for reservation reform — Speaker urges restraint as opposition slams “politicization” of governance. By: Javid Amin | 27 October 2025 Mehraj Malik’s Detention Triggers Political Storm The Autumn Session of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly opened to fiery scenes on Monday, as opposition benches erupted over the detention of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA). National Conference (NC) MLA Sajjad Shaheen, representing Banihal, demanded an urgent, one-hour discussion on the issue, calling…

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Sonu Nigam Azaan Controversy Resurfaces at Srinagar Concert – Low Turnout and Public Backlash

Sonu Nigam Azaan Controversy Resurfaces at Srinagar Concert – Low Turnout and Public Backlash

Low Turnout at Sonu Nigam’s Srinagar Concert as Past ‘Azaan’ Remarks Resurface By: Javid Amin | 26 October 2025 A Musical Evening That Turned Into a Reflection of Memory and Sentiment What was envisioned as a landmark cultural evening by the banks of Dal Lake turned into a quiet reflection on the complexities of faith, art, and public memory. Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, once among India’s most celebrated voices, performed at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) — but the sight that met the organizers was sobering. Rows of empty…

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‘Silence Is Complicity’: Ruhullah Challenges Omar Abdullah Over Cross-Voting Mystery in Rajya Sabha Polls

'People Deserve to Know Who Cross-Voted': Ruhullah Challenges Omar Abdullah’s Silence

People Deserve to Know Who Cross-Voted”: Ruhullah Challenges Omar Abdullah’s Silence By: Javid Amin | 26 October 2025 Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament known for his blunt style, publicly demanded full disclosure from party chief Omar Abdullah on Friday, escalating internal tensions after the controversial Rajya Sabha vote that handed the BJP one seat beyond its legislative strength. “If you know who cross-voted, say it. People deserve to know. Silence is complicity,” Ruhullah wrote on social media in response to Omar’s earlier statement claiming all…

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‘Manifesto = Bundle of Lies’: Tarun Chugh’s Broadside at NC in Jammu & Kashmir

'Manifesto = Bundle of Lies': Tarun Chugh’s Broadside at NC in Jammu & Kashmir

Tarun Chugh blasts NC manifesto as “bundle of lies” | J&K politics 2025 By: Javid Amin | 23 October 2025 A Scathing Attack in the Midst of Political Jostling In a sharp political intervention, Tarun Chugh, national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir, accused the NC of failing to deliver a single promise from its manifesto. Chugh described the party’s electoral commitments as nothing but a “bundle of lies”. This accusation comes at a time of heightened tension in J&K’s political…

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NC Courts PDP to Secure Rajya Sabha Sweep in J&K — Land Rights at the Center of the Deal

NC Courts PDP to Secure Rajya Sabha Sweep in J&K — Land Rights at the Center of the Deal

A New Equation in Old Rivalries By: Javid Amin | 22 October 2025 The political chessboard of Jammu & Kashmir has once again shifted. The National Conference (NC), led by Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has reached out to its long-time rival, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for crucial support in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The goal is straightforward — to secure a clean sweep of all four Rajya Sabha seats from the Union Territory. But beneath the surface, the talks signal something more profound: the…

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Jammu & Kashmir Bypolls Expose Rifts Within National Conference, Strain With Congress

Jammu & Kashmir Bypolls Expose Rifts Within National Conference, Strain With Congress

A Test Beyond Two Seats By: Javid Amin | 21 October 2025 As Jammu and Kashmir heads into the crucial Budgam and Nagrota assembly bypolls, the political atmosphere has grown increasingly turbulent.What was expected to be a routine mid-term exercise has instead turned into a showdown that exposes widening cracks within the ruling National Conference (NC) and its uneasy alliance with the Congress. Both contests—Budgam in central Kashmir and Nagrota in Jammu—carry political and symbolic weight far beyond their boundaries. They represent the first real test of coalition discipline, governance…

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