Category: General News

General News

Cannot afford to take U-turns on dialogue

Editor

When dialogue is demonised as a “sell-out”, it becomes an ugly word. The Centre has complicated matters by treating dialogue as an evil that grants justification to violence in Kashmir. The PDP-BJP coalition government’s Agenda of Alliance states it clearly that the coalition will initiate talks with the internal stakeholders, including the Hurriyat Conference. The PDP is all out for a dialogue with separatists, while the BJP now refuses to acknowledge this crucial commitment. The point 21 of the Agenda of Alliance recalls former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s initiative…

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Kashmir, Kashmiris, Kashmiriyat belong to India: Rajnath Singh

Editor

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the government is making efforts to resolve the problems being faced in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Assuring the people of the state, Mr Singh said that ‘Kashmir, Kashmiri and Kashmiriyat’ belonged to India. Mr Singh however, condemned the attacks on soldiers and security personnel saying, “Those who make attempts to hurt the pride of jawans (soldiers) also need to be taught a lesson”. He also said that the Narendra Modi government is taking steps to tackle corruption and terrorism. He said…

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Explain ‘Permanent Solution for Kashmir’: Congress to Rajnath

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The Congress today asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to explain the contours of a “permanent solution” to solve Kashmir that he talked about and accused the PDP-BJP alliance of driving J&K to the edge. The Congress also asked the BJP government to open its eyes and realise the extreme damage that the “ideologically incompatible alliance” as well as their continued dithering is doing to the national security of India. “The Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh has been making rather curious statements to say the least. Would the Home Minister…

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Impose Governor’s rule if Valley is to be saved: Farooq Abdullah

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Farooq Abdullah said not just south Kashmir but the entire Valley was in the grip of “tragedies”. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday called for the immediate imposition of Governor’s rule in the state, stressing that it was the only way to control communal tension in the country. “We have never been promoters of Governor’s rule; we have always opposed it. But there is no other way,” Abdullah, the newly elected Member of Parliament from Srinagar, told PTI. The National Conference chief, who was recently called…

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Moving forward with permanent solution for Kashmir: Rajnath Singh

Editor

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that the BJP-led NDA government has found a “permanent solution” to the vexed Kashmir issue but there would be no compromise on the territorial integrity of India. The Minister also ruled out inviting separatist groups for talks on Kashmir and said whoever wanted to talk “development and peace” was welcome. “We have come up with a permanent solution to solve Kashmir. The initiative has begun. We are moving forward,” Rajnath Singh said. He was replying to a question from IANS while talking…

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Complete flood protection works on time: Mehbooba Mufti

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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has underscored the need for the speedy completion of flood protection works on the Jhelum in view of the coming rainy season and directed the officers to run both the phases of the comprehensive flood management plan. The Chief Minister was addressing the first meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) to monitor the dredging and completion of the comprehensive flood management works on the river. Mehbooba who heads the CSC reviewed the status of the ongoing works of the Phase-I of the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan,…

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No talks, Compromise with Resistance group: Defence Minister

Editor

Days after the Centre told the Supreme Court that it won’t hold any dialogue with Kashmir’s separatist leaders, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday again ruled out any talks with the separatists, at least for now. “In this current atmosphere of violence, we will not hold talks with separatists who are instigating violence. Not for now,” he told TimesNow news channel. Jaitley said the government will definitely talk to the people of Kashmir and would like to address their grievances. Asked if this included Hurriyat, he said, “I am not…

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Political parties divided over award to Maj Gogoi

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The Commendation Certificate by the Army Chief to Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi has generated a fresh debate in the state as Jammu-based political parties, including the ruling BJP, on Tuesday said the award to the Army officer would boost the morale of the security forces fighting the anti-national forces in the Valley. The decision of the Army has also created a regional divide as Kashmir-centric parties, including the opposition National Conference, have condemned the decision. The Congress, which has base in all three regions of the state, has maintained a…

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Tit-for-tat Pak Army’s video shows damaged Indian posts

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The Pakistan Army has released a video showing heavy damage caused to the Indian military posts across the Line of Control, in a tit-for-tat action after the Indian Army released a clip of the “punitive fire assaults” on Pakistani positions. Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor in a brief statement with the video, posted on the army’s Facebook page, alleged that India on May 13 had targeted innocent civilians. “In befitting response, the Pakistan Army destroyed Indian posts in Nowshera Sector,” he said. The 87-second video purportedly shows heavy-artillery…

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Amit Shah’s three-and-a-half-district remark wrong: Mani Shankar Aiyar

Editor

Before India’s freedom, Lord Linlithgow also termed our movement issue of three districts If Delhi doesn’t talk now, then guns will start talking’ I’m ready for pre-1952 position, Chidambaram ready to start from 1947 Senior Congress leader and former diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar Tuesday said before India’s freedom, Lord Linlithgow termed the Indian freedom movement an issue of only three districts. Speaking to media person on the sidelines of a discussion programme, ‘J&K – The Road Ahead’ organised by Centre for Peace and Progress (CPP), Aiyar said Lord Linlithgow had…

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