Category: General News

General News

Time for promises over, it’s time for delivery now: Mehbooba Mufti

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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has not shared everything with the media after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday because it is status quo in Jammu and Kashmir: the military option has not been ruled out and the dialogue option has not opened completely despite her passionate plea for it. Mehbooba is not only the head of the government in J&K but also president of the PDP, which is ruling the state in alliance with Modi’s BJP. Therefore, their meeting should have had more on agenda than merely…

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We’re the Loser in BJP Alliance, Mehbooba Must Go Back to People: PDP Leader Baig

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Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met on Monday over the worsening law and order situation in the Valley, senior People’s Democratic Party leader and former deputy CM Muzaffar Hussain Baig said Mehbooba should “go back to the people,” instead of “sticking to the alliance” with BJP. Mediocre coalition govt makes PDP appear more ‘loserish’ News18 reported, Baig said the PDP has been “the loser in the coalition” as it has “lost more political capital than the BJP”. “There is disenchantment, inexperience…

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Mehbooba Mufti to meet Narendra Modi today, discuss how to douse Kashmir fire

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Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday amid a deteriorating law and order situation in the state, leading to a growing clamour for governor’s rule in the state. The renewed violence has also strained relations between the ruling PDP-BJP coalition. What prompted the meeting and what is expected: Stop the alienation The chief minister is likely to discuss confidence-building measures when she meets Modi on Monday. She is likely to press for some political initiative from the Centre to…

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BJP needles coalition partner as it backs forces on curbing protests

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Amid serious differences with its coalition partner — PDP — over dealing with stone-throwers in the Kashmir valley, the BJP today endorsed methods being adopted by the Army and security forces to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas. By approving the approach of the security forces, the BJP has taken a stand against the PDP which had expressed its reservation over it, especially after the “human shield” video had gone viral on social media. The video showed a Budgam youth tied to an Army jeep and being used as a human…

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi asks states to reach out to Kashmiri Students

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while summing up the third meeting of NITI Aayog Governing Council today, urged upon the Chief Ministers present there to take special care in reaching out to students from the Kashmir valley studying in their respective states. The Prime Minister’s remarks relating to the Valley students came after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti raised the point at the meeting, asking her counterparts to “make them (Kashmiri students) their ambassadors” in J&K. Modi’s advice assumes significance as it comes against the backdrop of thrashing of some Kashmiri students…

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Coalition may survive current stress, but BJP-PDP partnership is on thin Ice

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Political churning has begun over possible changes in who governs Jammu and Kashmir. Tensions are high between the main coalition partners: PDP and the BJP. A series of meetings were underway on Friday. Even if this does not lead to an immediate split, recent events have certainly put the coalition on thin ice. At some point, a period of Governor’s rule may ensue, after which Delhi’s political strategists might try to install an alternative civilian government. According to rumours in Srinagar, BJP leaders are in touch with a prominent PDP…

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5 Reasons why this round of Kashmir bloodletting is getting dangerous for India

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It is obvious that the situation in Jammu & Kashmir has deteriorated significantly between last year and now, with the army and police fighting Pakistan-based jihadis and stone pelters with their backs to the wall. Many observers blame inept political management by the Centre for the widespread alienation of people in Kashmir Valley (but not necessarily people of Jammu and Ladakh), making restoration of normalcy very difficult. We have been here before – in 2010, in the 1990s, etc – but this time the shift in public mood is qualitatively…

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Ram Madhav discusses Kashmir Unrest with Governor, FM, DGP

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A couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the Kashmir situation with senior ministers, and amid a controversial comment by state BJP minister Chander Prakash Ganga on stone-pelters in the Valley, the party’s national general secretary Ram Madhav made an impromptu visit to Jammu on Friday. He discussed the situation in closed-door meetings with governor NN Vohra, finance minister Haseeb Drabu of the PDP ,and director general of police SP Vaid. Even as state BJP president Sat Sharma maintained that Madhav visited the winter capital in view of…

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Cracks in coalition visible, PDP skips oath ceremony of new MLCs

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Leaders say party’s dignity more important The cracks in the ruling coalition were visible on Thursday when Peoples Democratic Party “deliberately” skipped the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected members of Legislative Council to protest against “poaching” of one of the six seats in the House by its ally, Bharatiya Janata Party. The lone elected member of PDP, Yasir Reshi didn’t take the oath though he was seen in the Council Secretariat minutes before the ceremony started. The oath ceremony was scheduled for this afternoon and all members been informed about…

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Hoardings in Meerut ask Kashmiris to leave, cops take action against accused

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Giant hoardings asking “stone-pelting Kashmiris” to leave Uttar Pradesh have sprung up across Meerut in the communally sensitive belt, raising concerns over security of hundreds of students from the militancy-hit state. Police said on Thursday they have asked the controversial ‘Uttar Pradesh Nav Nirman Sena’, which admitted to have put up the warning signs, to pull down the hoardings or face action. A case has been registered against Amit Jani, the leader of the organisation, for allegedly spreading communal hatred and will be arrested soon, police added. The hoardings appeared…

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