J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Nation page Shabir Shah not opposed to Assembly poll

Omar to take up NC reins today
Srinagar, June 22
Preparations are in full swing and a final touch is being given to the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the historic delegate session of the ruling National Conference (NC) to elect the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr Omar Abdullah, as the new party President here tomorrow. It assumes significance ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections scheduled to be held by September- October this year.

Bhim Singh for action against Farooq
Jammu, June 22
The Panthers Party President, Professor Bhim Singh, has sent a communication to the Chief Justice of India, requesting therein to “initiate contempt proceedings against the Chief Minister and other officials” of the state for “flouting the Court’s orders”.

Governor summons Assembly
Srinagar, June 22
Jammu and Kashmir Governor G.C. Saxena has summoned the legislative assembly to meet in Srinagar on July 16.

GOD BLESS YOU MY SON ... an elderly Muslim man kisses a Hindu Pandit groom, Anil Rayu, before he departs to fetch his bride from Shopian in south Kashmir. Rayu's marriage was arranged by his Muslim neighbours on Saturday. — PTI

Senior Hurriyat leader arrested
Srinagar, June 22
Senior All-Party Hurriyat Conference leader Mohammad Yaqub was arrested by the security forces today, an APHC spokesman said.

2 sisters crushed to death
Jammu, June 22
Two sisters were crushed to death by a speeding bus at Sunderpur, near here, last evening, the police said today.

Omar to take up NC reins today
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 22
Preparations are in full swing and a final touch is being given to the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the historic delegate session of the ruling National Conference (NC) to elect the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr Omar Abdullah, as the new party President here tomorrow. It assumes significance ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections scheduled to be held by September- October this year.

The coronation of Mr Abdullah has also assumed significance in view of his latest criticism of the Central Government for shabbily treating his father and the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah. Mr Abdullah told a media agency here yesterday that the Centre ignored his father’s aspirations to become the Vice-President of India. He added that his father was used at a time when the country faced an embarrassing position over Kashmir.

Mr Abdullah’s election as the new party President, third since inception about 60 years ago, is clear as the way for him has been paved by the resignation of his father Dr Abdullah from the post of the party President. Veteran leader Chuni Lal Khajuria has taken over as the working president of the party. The election has been notified under the party’s constitution and Mr Abdullah’s election is imminent as no other candidate has filed nomination.

“The agenda of the session includes the election of the new President of the organisation. Besides vital organisational matters, it will also deliberate on the paramount issues facing the ‘state”, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, NC General Secretary, said here. The session is being held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium Park, Sonwarbagh, where tight security arrangements are being made for the arrival of over 10,000 delegates and workers from different parts of the state. It is going to be different from the mammoth rally when Dr Abdullah was formally elected the NC President in presence of his father, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at the Iqbal Park here in 1982.

When the NC elects its new President tomorrow, two questions are yet to be answered. First, whether Mr Abdullah continues to enjoy the ministerial position at the Centre after he takes over as the party President here tomorrow. Dr Abdullah said here last week that “I would like him ( Omar to spend more time here. Secondly, he had hinted that he would retire from active politics and his son would take up the reins both at the party as well as the administrative levels. Both these issues would be, however, decided by the new party leadership within the next fortnight.

Mr Abdullah will be the third and the youngest NC President and that too from the Sheikh family, after Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah led the party since 1930. Mr Abdullah also headed the youth wing of the party for the past about five years and was elected to the Lok Sabha for two consecutive terms in 1998 and 1999 elections. He was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers of the NDA after the1999 elections.

Observers here claim that some of the senior party leaders will be unhappy with the coronation of Mr Abdullah. These leaders believe that Mr Abdullah is “unware” of the ground realities of the party at the grass-root level. But Mr Abdullah’s supporters contend that he has undergone a “ bright grooming” while at the Centre for over three years. 

Bhim Singh for action against Farooq
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 22
The Panthers Party President, Professor Bhim Singh, has sent a communication to the Chief Justice of India, requesting therein to “initiate contempt proceedings against the Chief Minister and other officials” of the state for “flouting the Court’s orders”.

Releasing copies of the communication to the Press here today Prof. Bhim Singh has complained to the Chief Justice of India that the central team that visited Jammu , on the direction of the Supreme Court, was “hijacked by the Jammu administration and not allowed to visit the camps of the migrants.” Prof Singh released the copies of the court direction also in which the Government had been directed to send a team of the Home Ministry to visit every camp of the migrants or refugees and give a detailed report.

The Panthers Party had moved the Supreme Court with the plea that it should intervene so that better deal was given to the border migrants.

Governor summons Assembly

Srinagar, June 22
Jammu and Kashmir Governor G.C. Saxena has summoned the legislative assembly to meet in Srinagar on July 16.

An order issued here said that the Governor had summoned the Assembly by exercising the powers conferred on him under Section 53 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Assembly Secretariat has requested all members to attend the session on the said date and time. UNI

Sikh Vice-President sought
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 22
Several Sikh organisations at an emergency meeting here today resolved to suggest to Mr Sukhdev Singh, Union Minister, and Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Rajya Sabha member, to meet the Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues, and leaders of major Opposition political parties and persuade them to choose a prominent Sikh leader for the post of the Vice-President of the country.

Mr Mohinder Singh, chief organiser, Bhai Kanahiya Nishkam Seva Society presided over the meeting. The resolution said that by now the ruling NDA and the Opposition should have selected a Sikh intellectual for the post of the Vice-President.

It said Sikhs usually had been given a raw deal and it was a test case for the ruling NDA and the Opposition parties whether they would make a unanimous choice over the Vice-President’s post and there were several great Sikh scholars and prominent political leaders and retired Army Generals.

Mr Narbir Singh President, Shiromani Youth Akali Dal, President, AISSF, Mr Paramjit Singh, and Mr Kulwant Singh, Chief adviser, Sikh Naujawan Sabha, also supported the resolution.

These Sikh leaders said it was only one in the past 50 years that Giani Zail Singh was elected the President of India. They stated that since Dr Abdul Kalam belonged to the minority community, a Vice-President from another minority community could send right signals across the globe about the strength of India’s secular traditions.

Senior Hurriyat leader arrested

Srinagar, June 22
Senior All-Party Hurriyat Conference leader Mohammad Yaqub was arrested by the security forces today, an APHC spokesman said.

A statement by the APHC, describing the arrest of Mr Yaqub, an advocate, as unwarranted, demanded his immediate release.

It expressed concern over the arrest of separatist leaders across the valley by the security forces and the task force.

The spokesman also alleged that the security forces at Handwara, Bataapora, Wadpora, Jigarpora, Ganipora and Wachkhora were harassing the public. UNI

2 sisters crushed to death

Jammu, June 22
Two sisters were crushed to death by a speeding bus at Sunderpur, near here, last evening, the police said today.

The bodies of Anju and Bholi, both residents of Sunderpur, were later shifted to the subdistrict hospital in R.S. Pura by locals, they said.

A case for negligent and rash driving has been registered against the driver of the bus who escaped after the accident, the police said. PTI