Category: General News

General News

Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave valley due to “Situation of Fear”: J&K Govt

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“I want to say from the core of my heart and put it on the record in the house that they (Kashmiri Hindus) were forced to leave due to a situation (of fear and insecurity)”, Minister for Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Javed Mustafa Mir told the Legislative Council today. Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes and hearths in the valley due to an environment of insecurity and fear, a senior minister in the Mehbooba Mufti government said today. “I want to say from the core of…

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Govt actively pursuing transfer of hydel projects from NHPC: Asiea Naqash

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Minister of State for Power Asiea Naqash said today that the government would actively pursue transfer of hydel projects from NHPC. “As mentioned by the Finance Minister in the Power Budget speech in the year 2015-16 the government will actively pursue transfer of hydel projects from NHPC” she said adding that budget also provided funds for meeting the operation and maintenance cost of power projects to be taken over from NHPC. Replying to a question by Devender Singh Rana, the Minister said that on March 16, 2015 the Deputy Chief…

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No consensus on Panchayat Polls, Majority of political parties seek deferment

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Majority at all-party meet feels situation not feasible for holding civic polls The all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu on Sunday failed to arrive at a consensus on holding panchayat polls in February, in the wake of prevalent hostile atmosphere fuelled by six civilian deaths in January. “The majority of the leaders are for panchayat polls but were of the opinion that the situation was not feasible for holding it [soon] and suggested its deferment,” Rural Development Minister Haq Khan said after the meeting. Mr. Khan…

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Kashmiri Separatist Leaders mentioned in NIA charge sheet but no formal charges

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The charge sheet claims that Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have formed the Joint Resistance Leadership, which espouses the cause of secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India. The charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in January in the terror funding case that names Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin also points to links between them and the top leadership of several Kasmiri separatist groups that are part of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah…

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BJP red faced as party MLA Sukhnandan Kumar slams govt

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The ruling BJP yet again faced embarrassment in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday when its legislator Sukhnandan Kumar Choudhary accused his own party of pursuing “anti-farmer” policies. He dubbed his party as ‘city centric’, which was protecting the interests of the business class of urban areas. During debates on grants of the Power Development Department (PDD) and Housing and Urban Development, Choudhary regretted that the PDP-BJP regime had announced various amnesty schemes for industrialists and hoteliers of the state, but the farming community had been ignored. He said the power…

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FIR filed against Army men in Shopian shootout; Nirmal Singh says ‘won’t let anyone demoralise forces’

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The Indian Army has reacted to the FIR lodged in the case of two civilians killed in the firing in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district and said that the Army men acted in self-defence. The statement by the Indian Army said that there should have been generic FIR in the matter. The Northern Army commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu said it is unfortunate and the truth will definitely come out. “It is an initial step, they have lodged FIR. Everything will come out in an investigation. Notwithstanding what state government…

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Why no clarification on Shopian firing from Defence Minister: Subramanian Swamy

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday hit out at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Shopian firing case. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday hit out at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Shopian firing case. “Wondering why even today Defence Minister has not given a clarification. Do we take her silence to mean yes? If it is, then it’s totally against party policies, sentiments of Indians and patriotism. If she doesn’t give a…

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NC says arrest soldiers involved in Shopian shotout, BJP wants FIR withdrawn

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The National Conference (NC) on Monday demanded the arrest of soldiers named in an FIR in the killing of two civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, while the ruling BJP demanded withdrawal of the FIR. “Politics apart, this cycle of killings must end. We all have to end this bloodshed,” former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in the state assembly. “As per news reports soldiers, including a Major, have been named in the FIR. “Bullets have been fired at chest height, which means the forces were…

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Modi focusing on international matters, ignoring local concerns: G N Azad

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The Congress today launched a blistering attack on PM Narendra Modi for focusing on international issues at the cost of local problems confronting the nation. “The killing of border dwellers is going on unabated in the Jammu region due to heavy shelling from across the border but the stature of our PM has become so big that he has no time to address such trivial issues concerning lives and security of the people of the country,” Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said while targeting Modi for maintaining silence…

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Rajnath Singh announces fresh measures to restore normalcy in J&K

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MHA gives nod to withdrawal of stone pelting cases, asks JK Govt to frame surrender policy Over 9000 stone pelters to benefit from amnesty, state told to form panel on KPs Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday announced fresh measures which will be taken by the Jammu and Kashmir government to restore normalcy in the state. Singh said the Ministry of Home Affairs has given its approval to the state government to enforce amnesty scheme that it announced on November 23 last year to give relief to 3,685 students…

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