Category: General News

General News

Anti-BJP Karra holds one-on-one meeting with PDP president

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Conveys his reservations on continuing alliance with saffron party As suspense continues to grow over government formation, senior Peoples Democratic Party leader and Member of Parliament Tariq Hameed Karra, who is against continuation of alliance with the BJP, had a one-on-one meeting with party president Mehbooba Mufti. During the meeting on Tuesday evening, sources said, Karra conveyed his “reservations and apprehensions” about continuing the alliance with the BJP, pleading that the party should take a final call and not form the government with the BJP. The sources said Karra suggested…

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Kashmir crisis: What’s holding back Mehbooba Mufti?

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India’s restive Jammu and Kashmir state is again facing crisis following the death of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on 7 January. His daughter and heir apparent Mehbooba Mufti has so far declined to take oath as his successor, pushing the state under federal rule. Mr Sayeed was heading a tricky coalition with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – one he stitched together following intense back-door and open negotiations. In the 2014 state assembly elections, the BJP won 25 seats in the Hindu-dominated Jammu, while Mr Sayeed’s Peoples Democratic…

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PDP wants GoI’s assurance on Agenda of Alliance

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‘Mehbooba reviewing implementation of Agenda during 10 months of PDP-BJP rule’ While PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is keeping a studied silence on government formation, a senior party leader Tuesday said they were looking for “concrete assurances” from the Government of India (GoI) on the issues listed in the Agenda of Alliance. He said Mehbooba was in the process of reviewing the implementation of the Agenda during the 10-month-rule of PDP-BJP government headed by her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and a decision would be taken in due course. The PDP core…

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Woman leader to replace Ram Madhav as BJP’s JK incharge

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As the new government in Jammu and Kashmir should be in place by January-end, the BJP is likely to place a woman leader in charge of party affairs in the state to streamline coordination with coalition partner PDP, highly-placed BJP sources here said. “Now that the initial hiccups are over, the next Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party government should be in place before the end of this month,” the sources told IANS. The sources said BJP general secretary Ram Madhav is likely to have a lesser role in the state…

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Farooq, Omar differ on exodus, Pandits’ return to Valley

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The father-son duo of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah seem to be on opposite sides when it comes to the exodus of 3.50 lakh Kashmiri Pandit and their return to the Valley. While National Conference president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdulla sympathised with the displaced community and blamed the Central government for their plight, the senior Abdullah said the “onus is on the Pandits” to make a comeback to the Valley. Farooq recently said: “They (Pandits) have to realise one thing, nobody is going to come with a begging…

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Keeping silent doesn’t mean I endorse alliance with BJP: Karra

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Senior PDP leader and MP Tariq Hameed Karra Monday said maintaining silence does not mean that he endorses party’s alliance with BJP. “Keeping silence does not mean I endorse the alliance with BJP. A section of media has reported that I did not speak during the meeting, and at the same time have reported I did not support or oppose the alliance with BJP,” Karra said. He was referring to media reports in which it was stated that Karra maintained silence during the PDP core group meeting called by party…

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‘PDP not looking for other coalition options’ BJP heaves sigh of relief

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BJP heaved a sigh of relief after PDP’s official meeting regarding government formation made it clear that the party was not exploring other coalition options as speculated earlier. Talking to us, senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh said: “After yesterday’s meeting we came to know that PDP is not looking other options. It was a hopeful hint from PDP although it was unofficial.” However, the saffron party is yet to receive any formal communiqué from PDP. Singh said since the period of official mourning following Mufti…

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Agenda of Alliance can’t be implemented in 10 months: BJP

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Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ cannot be implemented within 10-months. “Agenda of Alliance between PDP and BJP is for six years when the government completes its term. The agenda cannot be achieved in 10 months. PDP is not right when it says that the Agenda of Alliance with BJP was not fulfilled,” the BJP General Secretary (organization) Ashok Koul told KNS. Asked whether BJP had approached NC for government formation, the BJP leader said “There is not truth in it.” Koul said that the…

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Illegal confinement taking heavy toll on my health: Geelani

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Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is not feeling well for past several days, on Monday said continuous confinement to house is taking heavy toll on his health. The octogenarian pro-freedom leader is suffering with chest congestion and is undergoing treatment at his Hyderpora residence. After complaining of breathlessness, Geelani was administered oxygen on Sunday morning. “By Almighty Allah’s blessings, I am gradually recovering and feeling a bit better now,” Geelani said sitting in his drawing room. Pointing towards medicines and injection vials on his side…

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Deliver on promises or break alliance: Omar to Mehbooba

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Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to either deliver on the promises made to people of Jammu and Kashmir or break the alliance with the BJP. “Mehbooba Mufti, or the PDP for that matter, has two options — to either deliver on the promises made to people of J&K or break the alliance with the BJP. To hang on to this alliance with the BJP for dear life while pretending to be the unwavering example of high morality is akin to aspiring to have the…

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