National Conference leader and former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir said that there was no question of joining hands with the Bhartiya Janta Party while maintaining that alliance with PDP will be decided only with time. “Those spreading and starting this narrative that JKNC was going to join BJP for power are those who are in hands in glove with them. (BJP) First, they need to answer why are/ were they with they BJP enjoying the privileges and benefits from BJP,” Omar Abdullah told Quint during an interview, without naming…
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General News
Opposition Alliance names Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti to Lead Election Campaign
In a significant development, the INDIA alliance, a coalition of opposition parties, has revealed key appointments and committee members in preparation for the upcoming elections. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been selected as vital members of the coordination committee and election strategy committee within the alliance. Sources suggest that the National Conference will not yield any of its Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir to other partners in the coalition. In the previous parliamentary elections, the National Conference secured all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir, defeating…
Read MoreKashmir leaders slam BJP for ‘Peddling Lies’ in Supreme Court hearing on Article 370
Political parties and leader across Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their disappointment in the submissions by the Union government in the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday. After solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted in the apex court that the Union government is ready for elections at any time in J&K but cannot provide a timeline for restoration of its statehood, former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre of peddling lies before the SC. National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), People’s…
Read MoreKapil Sibal Criticizes Centre’s Approach to Jammu and Kashmir Situation: Democracy and Development in Question
Debate on Democracy and Development Intensifies Amid Ongoing Legal Proceedings In a significant turn of events, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal has raised strong concerns over the Centre’s approach towards the ongoing situation in Jammu and Kashmir. His comments came as a response to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s assertions regarding the state of affairs following the abrogation of Article 370. On the 13th day of the ongoing hearing, Mehta emphasized the progress witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir post-Article 370’s abrogation. He argued that the right individuals were placed under house arrest…
Read MoreDeciphering the Post-SC Verdict Landscape: Navigating Jammu and Kashmir’s Uncharted Waters
Amidst Constitutional Watershed, Jammu and Kashmir’s Future Hangs in the Balance By: Javid Amin In a seismic legal pronouncement, the Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 370 has thrust Jammu and Kashmir into a state of profound ambiguity. The implications of this landmark decision transcend the legal realm, casting an indelible shadow over the region’s intricate future. Article 370, a constitutional provision historically emblematic of Jammu and Kashmir’s unique status, conferred a measure of autonomy upon the region. Its revocation by the Indian government in 2019 ignited a conflagration of protests…
Read MoreCentre to Supreme Court: J&K polls can be held anytime, Statehood timeline undecided
The Union government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it is ready for elections at any time in Jammu and Kashmir. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the government, said that the process of updating the voter list is substantially over. Mehta said that the legislative assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be held after panchayat polls and municipal polls. It is, however, for the State Election Commission and the Central Election Commission to decide which election should take place first, he added. “There are three…
Read MoreAmarnath Yatra Concludes Peacefully, Over 4.5 Lakh Pilgrims Visit Cave Shrine
Chhari Mubarak (the holy mace) reached Panchtarni and will proceed towards the holy cave shrine on Thursday for the final puja to make the formal end of the 62-day-long Amarnath Yatra 2023. The last batch of yatris left for the cave shrine on August 23 and since then, the pilgrimage has remained suspended, an official said. He said that during the beginning of the yatra this year, there was a good rush of pilgrims; however, later it started declining with each passing day, forcing the authorities to suspend the yatra…
Read MoreKashmir’s Pain Can Only Be Healed by the Return of Pandits: Mehbooba Mufti
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday visited the ancient Thajiwara temple and met Kashmiri Pandits in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The former chief minister advocated for the return of Kashmiri migrant Pandits and said that the “Painful situation” will dissipate after that. Mufti extended her wishes to Kashmiri Pandits on the occasion of their annual hawan to mark Raksha Bandhan at the temple in Bijbehara. “Despite being a Muslim-majority state, Kashmir has long been celebrated for its co-existence and shared heritage. The visit by Mufti underlined this spirit…
Read MoreArticle 370 Case: Supreme Court Questions J&K Bifurcation, Citing Punjab and Northeast
The Supreme Court of India on the twelfth day of hearing petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir noted that the reorganisation of the state was not ‘one of a kind’ as was pointed out by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The five judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant noted that the case of Jammu and Kashmir bifurcation was no different than other Indian…
Read MoreArticle 35A: The Debate Continues in the Supreme Court
Article 35A empowered Jammu and Kashmir’s legislature to decide who the erstwhile state’s permanent residents were The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on petitions challenging the centre’s 2019 decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status has brought Article 35A of the Constitution back into the spotlight. What was Article 35A? Article 35A empowered Jammu and Kashmir’s legislature to decide who the erstwhile state’s permanent residents were and to extend special rights and privileges to them. This was added to the Constitution in 1954 by a presidential…
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