Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced Bharat Ratna honour for BJP veteran L K Advani. Advani, who served as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period, was instrumental in building the party in the 90s and guiding it to power at the centre. It was under Advani that the BJP saw a phenomenal rise from 2 Lok Sabha seats in 1984 to 85 seats in 1989 and then 120 in 1991. Advani, who served as deputy prime minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government besides holding…
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Political Groups, Individuals Renew Fight for Autonomy: Review Petitions Filed on Article 370
A month after a five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud upheld the Centre’s decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, several petitioners filed petitions in the Supreme Court seeking review of the December 11, 2023 historic verdict. In a unanimous verdict, a five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud had ruled that Article 370 of the Constitution was a temporary provision and the President had the power to abrogate the provision which…
Read MoreBihar University Professor’s Social Media Post Prompts Protests Over Comments on Muslim National Identity
A professor at a Bihar university is being investigated by the police for his demand of a “separate homeland for Muslims” through his social media posts. The social media post by Khursheed Alam triggered protests by the students and ultimately led to his resignation from his post. Khursheed Alam was an assistant professor at Jai Prakash University. He wrote two anti-India protests – one post read “United Pakistan and Bangladesh #Zindabad” and the other “…the Indian Muslims want a separate homeland adjoining Pakistan and Bangladesh” – on social media a…
Read MoreSeeking Truth and Justice: ‘Custodial Torture’ Survivor Recounts Tales of Horror & Abuse
Following Thursday’s ambush at Dhatyar Morh that left four soldiers dead and three injured, the army on Friday had detained nine men for questioning. “I am a pile of broken bones and limbs. My body is pockmarked with injuries. Who will feed my family now and who will provide for the education of my only daughter,” says Mohammad Farooq, 36, one of the five men who were allegedly picked up and tortured by the army. Following Thursday’s ambush at Dhatyar Morh that left four soldiers dead and three injured, the…
Read MoreAbdullah downplays expectations ahead of Rajnath Singh’s J&K visit
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah voiced scepticism on Wednesday regarding the visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to J&K, stating that he harboured no expectations from the visit but hoped it would prevent incidents similar to the recent civilian deaths in Poonch. “I have no expectation from his visit. Can he bring back the dead? But he can do this much that such injustice is not repeated,” Farooq told reporters in Kulgam, 80 km south of Srinagar. Expressing his concerns over the civilian deaths in Poonch, the NC leader…
Read MoreCyber Attack Warning: Hackers Plan ‘Party’ Targeting India’s Critical Infrastructure
A nationwide alert has been sounded as one of the largest hacker groups has announced an impending cyberattack on Indian websites and critical infrastructure. The gravity of the situation is underlined by the fact that ministries and departments are now actively engaged in enhancing their cybersecurity measures to stop any unauthorised access. They have been instructed to adhere to Cyber Hygiene Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and perform necessary tasks to safeguard data from potential hacking or breaches. Central agencies are particularly vigilant, anticipating that the health sector’s cyber infrastructure might…
Read MoreIndia’s Highest Court to Rule on Controversial Abrogation of Article 370 on 11 Nov
The Supreme Court will deliver on Monday its verdict on petitions challenging the nullification of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh. A five-judge Constitution Bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice SK Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant had reserved the verdict on September 5 after hearing marathon arguments from the petitioners and the Centre for 16 days. The top court would decide if the changes made on August 5 and August 6, 2019, which ended…
Read MoreDon’t amend J&K Reorganisation Act while it’s under Supreme Court review: Omar Abdullah
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Thursday said the government should not make amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act as the law is pending adjudication before the Supreme Court. Abdullah’s remarks came after the Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to nominate two members from the Kashmiri migrant community and one representing the displaced persons from PoK to the legislative assembly. “Our objections to the bill are on two issues. The first is that the Supreme Court has not announced its…
Read MoreOne in Three UAPA Cases in 2022 Linked to Jammu and Kashmir
Over one-third of the 1,005 cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were logged in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the NCRB data. The Union Territory accounted for 371 cases, followed by Manipur with 167. Along with Assam and Uttar Pradesh, these four regions accounted for 75% of the UAPA cases. In 2022, 20 cases of sedition were lodged across India, while 1,005 cases were registered under UAPA. Sedition cases have decreased since 2020, while UAPA cases have increased. Of the 1,005 registered under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention)…
Read MoreSupreme Court to Deliver Judgment on Jammu & Kashmir Special Status in Article 370 Case This Month
India Holds Its Breath: Supreme Court Poised to Deliver Article 370 Verdict on Jammu & Kashmir For months, anticipation has crackled in the air, thick as the Himalayan fog that cloaks the contested valleys of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The Supreme Court of India, the highest arbiter of the land, stands poised to deliver its judgment on Article 370, a provision that granted the region a unique and controversial special status within the Indian union. The Stakes: A Region’s Identity on Trial Article 370, a temporary clause enshrined in the…
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