Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that no force can stop India from “again making J&K a heaven on earth”, even as he strongly lauded the “bravery” of the police and other security forces “in fighting militancy in Kashmir.” Addressing police and CRPF personnel in Anantnag on second day of his four-day visit to J&K, Rajnath said that “the nation is indebted to the supreme sacrifices of police and other security forces personnel and no amount of money can compensate these sacrifices.” “We will again make J&K a…
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Willing to meet all stakeholders in J&K: Rajnath Singh
On the eve of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today claimed that he was going to the state with an “open mind” and was willing to meet all those who would come forward. He said the government intended to make attempts to resolve all pending issues in the state. It is learnt that during his four-day stay in the state, the Home Minister will visit Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others.…
Read MoreRajnath Singh to arrive this weekend, may offer talks to Separatists
Home Minister to review security, hold meetings with Governor, CM The coming weekend will see a lot of political activity in the state. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be in Srinagar and is likely to make a breakthrough in initiating a dialogue with various stakeholders while former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will land in Jammu. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party will also be holding a party convention in the summer capital. Rajnath will arrive on a two-day visit to Kashmir on September 9 and there is a possibility that he…
Read MoreCentre open to talks, but wants no preconditions: Home Secy
Says Pakistan sponsoring terrorism, ensuring infiltration into Kashmir Talks with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir are a possibility but these have to take place without any pre-conditions, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said today. Mehrishi, who is demitting office tomorrow, also refused to blame the Haryana Government for its alleged failure in handling the law and order situation after the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, saying that it was not proper to judge any situation sitting in Delhi as law and order was a “live and dynamic situation”.…
Read More19 Hour Pulwama gunfight ends after consuming 4 CRPF Men, 4 Policemen and 3 Militants
The 19-hour-long gunfight that broke out after ‘fidayeen’ militants stormed the Pulwama police lines here ended at about 11.30 pm after government forces killed the third militant, officials said, even as a spontaneous shutdown was observed in most parts of the district on Sunday to mourn the militant killings. Four CRPF personnel, four policemen and three non-local militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad died in the gunfight while at least eight forces personnel were injured, according to officials. Two of the slain police personnel Rafiq Ahmad Hajam and Muhammad Yousuf Hajam, residents of…
Read MoreSupreme Court to hear pleas against Article 35A after Diwali
The Supreme Court today agreed to hear after Diwali pleas challenging Article 35A, relating to special rights and privileges of permanent residents of J&K. A bench headed by Justice J S Khehar accepted the plea of the J&K Government that the pleas challenging Article 35A be heard after Diwali. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi and advocate Shoeb Alam mentioned the matter before a bench also comprising Justices Dipak Misra and DY Chandrachud that even the Centre had no objection if the pleas were taken up after Diwali. “All the pleas will…
Read MoreState govt gears up to defend Article 35A
The J&K Government has intensified its efforts to safeguard Article 35A which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. From regular consultations with legal luminaries to late hour meetings on the issue, the state government has kept officials on toes to present a water-tight case in the apex court. “It is a settled case but we are ready to face any challenge thrown at us. More than anyone else, it is of great concern to us,” a senior official in the Law Department told Kashmir Post. The state government would…
Read MoreTwist to Article 35A row, key file goes missing from Home Ministry
A key Kashmir file justifying the insertion of Article 35A into the Constitution has gone missing from the high security vaults of North Block in New Delhi, a media report said today. The incident comes at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing a petition by an RSS-backed NGO seeking the abrogation of the Article, which bars outsiders from acquiring land or jobs in Jammu and Kashmir. “A 63-year-old file containing legal opinion on Article 35A has vanished from North Block’s high-security vaults at a time the provision, which…
Read MoreSolution to Kashmir Issue, Terror would be found by 2022: Rajnath Singh
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asserted that by 2022, a solution would be found to the Kashmir problem as also other problems like terrorism, naxalism and North East insurgency. “There are a lot of problems — terrorism, naxalism, Kashmir problem. Much is not needed to be said about these problems. But I can assure you this much that by 2022, we have pledged to create a ‘new India’…So a solution will be found to all these problems before 2022. We want to assure the countrymen on this,” he said.…
Read MoreCentre extends tax break for industry in J&K till 2027
Industries in the north eastern and Himalayan states including Jammu and Kashmir will continue to get tax exemption till March 2027, albeit as refund, under the current GST regime which was rolled out on July 1, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today. “Within the framework of the GST Act each industry will be entitled to its own refund mechanism during this particular period (March 31, 2027),” he said. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given approval to the Scheme of providing budgetary support…
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