Jammu, March 13
Mr Bhim Singh, Chairman of the Panthers Party, called on the Governor, Lieut-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd), last evening and sought his intervention in reconvening the legislative council to remove the suspense over the Bill seeking to deny state subject rights to girls marrying outsiders.

He also demanded that as a leader of the House, Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, should urge the Chairman of the council, Mr Abdul Rashid Dar, to convene the House.

Mr Bhim Singh appreciated the ‘unique’ display of wisdom and patience on the part of Mr Dar who adjourned the House sine die after the debate on the Bill despite pressures from many sides. He described the action of Mr Dar as “highly democratic”.

He described the Bill as “anti-Islamic” and expressed shock over the derogatory language used by a top leader of the National Conference against Mr Dar.

Mr Bhim Singh has urged the women who have been issued conditional state subject certificates to approach the respective issuing authorities to remove the words “valid till marriage” from the document. In case any officer refused to do so, it would amount to contempt of court, he said.

He offered free legal service to any such person who was denied justice on the issue. He warned that the authorities while issuing state subject certificates to women should not put any condition on it.

Meanwhile, Mr Lal Mohammad Sabir, a Congress legislator, said the Bill has fanned regional hatred in the state.

Although the Congress is a coalition partner in the PDP-led government, but Mr Sabir, minced no words in saying that the way certain parties were trying to take electoral gains out of the Bill has put a question mark on their intentions.

Mr Sabir, also during a debate on the Bill in the legislative council on Thursday, had accused the certain leaders of the Valley of always trying to mislead the Kashmiri masses by raising emotional slogans.

Though training on how to use the EVMs was given to voters during the Assembly elections in 2002, the machines could not be used, Deputy Commissioner of Leh district Satish Nehru said.

Mr Nehru, who is also the District Election Officer, said special training was imparted to district officers on use of EVMs and they would further train villagers.

Training had already been given to officers at the sub-divisional headquarters of the district who were being deputed at polling stations in a phased manner.

In order to give training to voters of Leh and Kharoo blocks, Mr Nehru said seven teams had been constituted in the first phase. these officers, 24 in number, would impart training to voters with special focus on women.

The training, starting on March 15 would continue till March 19, he said.

Jammu, March 13
In a setback to the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Lok Sabha poll, former legislator and senior leader from Ladakh, Ahmedullah Azad, today resigned from the party and joined the National Conference.

“I have resigned from the PDP as the party ignored the minorities in Leh, and also against the dictatorship of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti,” Azad said.

“I have sent my resignation to PDP chief today and joined the National Conference,” Azad, who had been elected twice to the Legislative Council, said.

He said PDP workers were feeling alienated and suffocated due to “dictatorship” of Mehbooba Mufti.

Two unidentified militants were killed in a gunbattle with security forces during search operations at Charwari-Baderkote in the Banihal area of Doda district in Jammu region today, he said.

Militants abducted and later killed one Kaka Piswal on Chechi Marg in the Shopian area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir today, the spokesman said, adding that Piswal, a resident of Katha Hallan in Rajouri district, was killed on the suspicion of being a police informer.

He said two security personnel and a civilian were injured when militants attacked a Rashtriya Rifles patrol party with a grenade at Kadder in Kulgam area of Anantnag district.

Militants also lobbed a grenade towards a CRPF picket in the Kralikhud area of Habbakadal in downtown Drinagar last evening, injuring a jawan and a civilian, the spokesman said

He said a security jawan was injured when militants opened fire on a patrol party at Akhal in Kangan area on the outskirts of Srinagar this afternoon.

JAMMU: With one more jawan succumbing to his injuries today, the death toll in the ambush on an Army patrol party in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir has gone up to five, official sources said here.

One of the three critically injured Army personnel died today, raising the death toll to five, the sources said, adding that the Jamait-ul-Mujahideen (JuM) had taken the responsibility for the ambush on the patrol party on Friday.

A man, claiming to be a spokesman of JuM and identifying himself as Jameel Ahmed, telephoned several media organisations here and claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Jammu, March 13
Two children were killed when a bullet hit them accidentally while their father, an Army personnel, was cleaning his rifle in Domana area of Jammu district last night, official sources said today.

Army Lance Naik Ram Gore of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was cleaning his rifle at his residence when the trigger got accidentally pressed leading to the mishap, they said.

Jammu, March 13
Two doctors of a government hospital here have been suspended and two others, including the Medical Superintendent, fined after a surprise visit by the Health Minister, an official spokesman said here today.

Acting on public complaints, the minister, Mr Choudhary Lal Singh, visited Government Hospital in the Sarwal area yesterday and ordered suspension of two doctors and fined others.