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Cong
ministers camp in Delhi for Cabinet berths Azad
wants to be AICC gen secy Seven
LeT terrorists killed Hurriyat
chief Ansari offers to step down |
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LoC
fencing in J-K by June: Vij
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Cong ministers camp in Delhi for Cabinet berths Jammu, May 21 The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, in whose segment the Congress candidate, Mr Madan Lal Sharma, received a drubbing, is also camping at Delhi. The two ministers who have gone to the Lok Sabha — Mr Madan Lal Sharma and Mr Lal Singh — hold the important portfolios of Public Works and Health, respectively. The ministers who were earlier given insignificant portfolios by Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed are now hankering for these departments in which not only a lot of budget, but also public contact is involved. The Mufti has been accused of having given insignificant portfolios to the ministers belonging to the Congress and assigned important positions to men of his own PDP. There are reports that certain ministers and Congress activists are lobbying for ministerial berths for Mr Sharma and Mr Lal Singh. While Mr Sharma is a loyalist of Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr Lal Singh enjoys the blessings of Mr Arjun Singh. However, a section of the party believes that there is a strong possibility of Mr Azad being included in the central Cabinet by Dr Manmohan Singh. In that case, none of the other Congress MPs from here might get a berth. But that might pave the way for the inclusion of Ms Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP, who has won the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. Mr Azad is considered close to Ms Sonia Gandhi. He supervised the party campaign in Andhra Pradesh where he camped throughout the Assembly election. The Congress has come back to power in Andhra Pradesh. A race for party ticket for the Akhnoor and Basohli Assembly seats that will be vacated by Mr Sharma and Mr Lal Singh, has also begun. The PDP, that is leading the coalition government in the state, is a bit quiet ever since the Congress emerged victorious in the elections and was set to forming the government at the Centre. Certain ministers of the PDP had indulged in public outbursts against the Congress during electioneering. A minister, who is a close lieutenant of the Mufti, caused embarrassment to the Mufti and the Congress as he publicly invited Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar. However, he later denied having offered the Srinagar seat to Mr Vajpayee. |
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Azad wants to be AICC gen secy Jammu, May 21 The Congress has done well in the Jammu region in the recent Lok Sabha poll by winning both the seats. It failed to defeat the NC candidate in the Baramula constituency, where in a “friendly contest”, the PDP deprived it of a chance to win the seat. Party sources say that Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad is keen to work at the national level as AICC general secretary and he has conveyed his desire to Ms Sonia Gandhi that he be relieved of the responsibility of the post of PCC president. If the party high command accepts Mr Azad’s suggestion, Prof Saifuddin
Soz, Member of the Rajya Sabha, is the favourite choice for the post. The high command is in favour of a Kashmiri leader as head of the PCC so that the Congress base, which had eroded during the past 20 years, could be checked. The two other names that figure in the list of probable PCC chiefs are Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar and Mr Sharief
Niaz. Since Mr Kar had failed to keep the party cadres intact when he headed the PCC in the 1990s, he may not be a front runner for the post when his detractors accuse him of being close to the National Conference leadership. Mr Niaz may not accept the post of PCC chief as he holds a Cabinet post in the ministry headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. As per the agreement between the two major partners in the coalition government, a man from the Congress has to be installed Chief Minister after 18 months. As such, the party high command would like to groom a Kashmiri for replacing Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Under the agreement reached between the two parties, the PDP man was to head the government for first three years and the man from the Congress for the remaining three years. |
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Seven LeT terrorists killed Jammu, May 21 A spokesman for the Army said here today that sketches of certain vital installations were seized from Wansi Ridge in Poonch district where the terrorists were hiding. These terrorists were involved in earlier suicide attacks at Anand Hotel, State Bank of India and Kazi Moarah in Poonch. The Army had received reports of presence of the terrorists in the shelters of Gujjars in the snowbound areas of Mandi in Poonch. These shelters remain unoccupied during the winners as the Gujjars move to the plains with their cattle. Two militant hideouts were busted in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir and huge quantity of arms and explosives seized defence sources said here today. Security forces busted one hideout in Manjakote area of Rajouri district during search operations and seized one RPG launcher, 12 Under Barrel Grenade Launcher grenades, two improvised explosive devices, junction boxes, eight remote controls, 30 electronic detonators, 195 rounds of AK ammunition, 10 pistol rounds, 10 pencil cells and two radio sets, sources said. From another hideout in Budhal area of the same district, the security forces seized two RPG shells and one weapon site, they said. Srinagar: A Harkat-Ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HUJI) militant was killed in an encounter with the Army in Shopian area of Pulwama district in Kashmir valley, police sources said today. Acting on specific information, troops raided Nadigam village to flush out hiding militants which sparked an encounter, the sources said. The HUJI militant, identified as Ali Mohammad Bali, a resident of Manzgam village of Banihal, was killed in the gunbattle, they said, adding that some arms and ammunition were seized from his possession. |
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Hurriyat chief Ansari offers to step down Srinagar, May 21 Ansari, who had taken over the reins of the Hurriyat last year and had held two rounds of talks with outgoing Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, made this announcement at a function to mark the 14th death anniversary of Maulvi Farooq, father of Umer. After Ansari, a Shia leader, took over the Hurriyat chairmanship, hardline separatist leaders, including
Jamaat-e- Islami’s Syed Ali Shah Geelani, walked out of the amalgam and formed a parallel outfit. “I have been the bone of contention and I have decided to step down from the chairmanship so that there is unity,” Ansari said. He said he was giving one month’s time to the breakaway group to consider the fresh proposal and join the parent body. “If they accept the proposal, well and good. If not, there will be no relations between us and the breakaway group,” Ansari said. Taken by surprise by Ansari’s announcement, Umer told the gathering, “We will be meeting on Sunday to discuss new developments that have
emerged before us.” “The chairmanship is not an issue for us. What we want is unity and appropriate steps to find an everlasting solution to the Kashmir problem,” Umer, who is the founder-Chairman of the amalgam, added. Highlighting the agenda of the Hurriyat, he said, “We will continue to tread the path of peace despite the change in government at the Centre. In fact, the Congress is committed to resolving the issue as its former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had promised to Kashmiris the right of self-determination.” “India and Pakistan have talked in Tashkent, Shimla and Agra. This time I will like leaders of India and Pakistan to hold the next round of talks in Srinagar” to resolve the differences on Kashmir, he said. He said the Hurriyat would continue to
pursue the path of peace as initiated earlier this year despite threats from “various sections.”
— PTI |
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LoC fencing in J-K by June: Vij Srinagar, May 21 Talking to newsmen after a day long visit of the LoC in Baramula and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir, General Vij said nearly 3,500 militants in about 95 camps across the borders were “ready to infiltrate”. These militants included both foreigners and those sent from this side of the borders. He added that the infiltration would be difficult due to the fencing, adequate deployment of troops and surveillance grid. Gen Vij said two infiltrators were held yesterday and they were being questioned. He added that six infiltration attempts had been made during the past six months in the Jammu region. General Vij said action would be taken against officials guilty of giving wrong information or indulging in fake encounters in the Siachen area. He said an inquiry was going on and the officers involved had been shifted prior to the court martial. “We will not overlook the wrongs”, commented General Vij, when asked about complaints of alleged human rights violations at the hands of the Army while tackling militants. He said 16 such complaints had been made last year, even as many complaints had been “perpetrated by terrorists” to prevent operations against them. Referring to the killing of five porters at Chhithaybandi, Bandipore, in Baramula district in February, General Vij said after the incident, he had ordered that no civilians be taken as porters. “Our goal is to win the hearts and minds of people”, General Vij said, adding that all measures were being taken to prevent any rights violations. About the prevalent situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army Chief said the number of militants had dropped to 60 per cent of last year. “If we stop infiltration, the militants will be eliminated by the end of this year”, he commented. |
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Strike cripples life in Kashmir Srinagar, May 21 The main markets in the city and elsewhere wore a deserted look as shops and other business establishments remained close and transport off the roads in response to the strike call, sources said. All educational institutions, banks, courts and government-run ration depots also remained closed, while work in government and semi-government offices was badly affected in view of the strike, they said. They said the police and paramilitary forces were patrolling sensitive areas of the city. While Mirwaiz Farooq was shot dead in his Nigeen house on this day in 1990, Lone was assassinated two years back during the observance of Mirwaiz’s death anniversary at Eidgah here. Security personnel have been also deployed in and around martyrs’ graveyard at Eidgah, where Hurriyat faction headed by Moulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari is organising a rally to pay homage to the departed leaders and others killed during the 14-year-long insurgency in the state. All Hurriyat leaders are expected to participate in the rally and discuss the details of the two rounds of talks with the former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani. The rally will precede a procession from Jamia Masjid to Eidgah.
— PTI |
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