Today Archives | Page 23 of 71

BJP leaders in J&K prefer to contest local bodies’ polls as independents

August 20, 2023 Editor

BJP leaders don’t want to contest on party symbol J&K BJP leaders are keen that the panchayat and local bodies’ elections in J&K are not fought on party symbol as they feel that it could help them make gains in Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley and they say they could get more votes as Independent candidates. However, the PDP and NC, which had boycotted the panchayat and civic elections in 2018, want the polls to be held on party lines. The last panchayat elections in J&K were also held on non-party lines.…

Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Plebiscite in J&K, Says It’s Not Practicable

August 9, 2023 Editor

Top court’s observation comes after Kapil Sibal, who represented some of petitioners against nullification of Article 370, referred to 2016 Brexit referendum in UK to emphasise the importance of people’s opinion in a democracy Maintaining that democracy functions through institutions, the Supreme Courton Tuesdayvirtually rejected the idea of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, saying there was no question of a Brexit-type referendum under the Indian Constitution. “You can’t envisage a Brexit-type referendum. That’s a political decision which was taken by the then government. But within a constitution like ours, there…

Supreme Court Questions absence of Mechanism to Abrogate Article 370 Even if it enjoys Widespread Support across J&K

August 4, 2023 Editor

Five-judge constitution bench headed by CJI Chandrachud wanted to know how provision could be revoked in the absence of a constituent assembly Is there no mechanism to abrogate Article 370 even when the people of Jammu and Kashmir want it, the Supreme Court asked on Thursday and wondered if the now repealed provision can’t be touched will it not amount to creating a “new category” beyond the basic structure of the Constitution. Hearing for the second day a clutch of petitions challenging the Centre’s 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370…

Alarming Rise in Missing Children across J&K: 181 Children Reported Missing in 12 Months

August 3, 2023 Editor

A total of 181 children have gone missing from Jammu and Kashmir from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, reveals an official data of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. As per the data, nearly 58,546 children went missing across India during the same period. Earlier, National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data revealed that 627 children had gone missing in J&K by 2020 that included 350 boys and 277 girls. In 2020 alone, 230 children including 167 girls and 63 boys went missing in Jammu and Kashmir. The NCRB data suggested…

SC seeks clarity from petitioners on Article 370 abrogation challenge

August 2, 2023August 2, 2023 Editor

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud today commenced hearing a batch of pleas challenging the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370 Who can recommend the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir when no constituent assembly exists there? The Supreme Court Wednesday put this question to the petitioners who have challenged the abrogation of the constitutional provision that bestowed special status on the erstwhile state. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud today commenced hearing a batch of pleas…

Satya Pal Malik alleges govt may stage Pulwama-II to gain votes

August 2, 2023August 2, 2023 Editor

Former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik today countered Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks accusing him of “not speaking on the Pulwama attack while in office” saying he had, in interviews to TV channels, maintained that the 40 CPRF personnel died “because of our own mistake”. Chairing an all-party convention on ‘National Security Affairs – Concerns & Accountability’ here, Malik said, “I received a call from PM Narendra Modi at 5.30 am that day and was told to keep mum. Even NSA Ajit Doval asked me not to speak.” Ruing…

Selfies with National Flag become a Must for Govt Officials on Independence Day

July 30, 2023 Editor

The government has directed all the government officers to use selfies with images of ‘Jhanda (flag), Mitti (soil) and Diya (earthen lamp) as Display Pictures (DPs) on their social media handles while people have been asked to be a part of ‘Meri Mitti Mera Desh’ campaign on this year’s Independence Day to be commemorated on August 15. The decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary (CS) Arun Kumar Mehta to review the arrangements for Independence Day-2023. As per the official document, all Administrative…

UN Report Warns of Al Qaeda’s Efforts to Establish Affiliate and Expand Operations in Kashmir

July 28, 2023July 28, 2023 Editor

Terror group Al Qaeda is “shaping” its regional affiliate in the Indian subcontinent to spread its operations into Jammu and Kashmir, Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to a UN report. The 32nd report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the 1267 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, released this week, noted that “one Member State assessed that Al-Qaida is shaping AQIS (Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent) to spread its operations into neighbouring Bangladesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Myanmar”. “That Member State also noted…

Natural Calamities Wreak Havoc Across J&K: Flash Floods and Landslides Triggered by Heavy Rains, Shooting Stones Disrupt Traffic on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway

July 23, 2023 Editor

Flash floods and landslides were witnessed across many districts of Jammu and Kashmir as heavy rains lashed J&K on Saturday. As per the officials, all districts of J&K received widespread rains on Saturday with many districts witnessing mudslides, flash floods, and landslides. There were reports of flash floods in Fakir Gujri area in the Srinagar outskirts. Reports of orchards and standing crops getting damaged due to flash floods were received from Kupwara. The officials said that due to poor visibility, the chopper service to Amarnath Yatra was also halted temporarily. Meanwhile, the…

Tragedy Strikes Kathua: Relentless rains trigger landslides in Kathua, eight killed, four children among them

July 20, 2023 Editor

At least eight people, including four minor cousins, were killed and two injured in separate incidents as heavy rains triggered landslides and damaged several houses in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Wednesday, officials said. The incidents took place in Bani Tehsil at around 6 am, the officials said. In ward number 3 of Surjan Morha village, 250km from Kathua headquarters, five members of a family were buried alive after two mud houses were hit by the landslide. “It took three hours for a police team to reach the area…