J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Sonia asks J&K dissidents to wait
Jammu, April 21
The Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, has suggested enraged Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir to wait until the end of the Assembly elections in five states following which action would be taken to stem the rot in the state unit of the party.

Agitators teargassed at Lal Chowk
Srinagar, April 21
The police lobbed teargas shells in the central Lal Chowk area here today to quell demonstrators protesting against the alleged sacrilege by publication of the Prophet’s picture in a news magazine.

Farooq for OBC status for the Pahari speaking
Jammu, April 21
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah favoured OBC status for Pahari speaking people of Jammu and Kashmir and said the state government would take a final decision on it soon.

Govt apathy irks Kashmiri Pandits
Jammu, April 21
The All-Kashmiri Pandit Solidarity Conference, headed by Mr O.N. Trisal, has expressed concern over government apathy towards displaced Kashmiri families.

Sonia asks J&K dissidents to wait
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 21
The Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, has suggested enraged Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir to wait until the end of the Assembly elections in five states following which action would be taken to stem the rot in the state unit of the party.

This assurance was given when a group of dissident leaders called on several AICC members in Delhi recently in protest against the “dictatorial” attitude of the JKPCC Chief, Mr Mohammad Shafi Qureshi.

After Mr Qureshi removed party spokesman Amrit Malhotra, the dissidents decided to step up their campaign against him.

A Senior party leader said Mr Malhotra was removed without serving any notice on him and his removal had been part of a plan of Mr Qureshi to bring the state unit of the Congress closer to Dr Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference.

Senior vice-president of the party, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, said: “The JKPCC president is acting like a serpent who devours its babies”. He said when two years ago Mr Qureshi was appointed as chief “we remained in the forefront and organised series of public rallies in his honour. We introduced him to people in the Jammu region and we had given him assistance to promote unity in the organisation”, he said, adding that “when Mr Qureshi started behaving like a Governor and tried to play one leader against the other, we had no alternative but to launch a campaign against him”.

Another senior leader said out of 150 members, 108 had submitted a signed memorandum to Mrs Gandhi, urging her to hold party elections in the state so that a suitable leader was elected. He said Mr Qureshi carried out major changes in the district Congress committees when he had no mandate to do so. “The way he has patronised pro-National Conference people in the Congress has caused damage to the organisation,” he said.

He held senior AICC leader Ghulam Nabi Azad responsible for it adding that Mr Azad neither allowed Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar to function as JKPCC chief nor supported the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who had started galvanising the state unit which forced him to float the People’s Democratic Party. He said during the past two years of Mr Qureshi’s leadership, scores of Congress leaders and workers had joined the People’s Democratic Party and the National Conference.

Mr Sharma said “We are for elections so that a new chief was elected through a democratic process. If Mr Qureshi gets elected, we will support him but without elections we are not going to accept him”.

Out of seven party MLAs only one supported Mr Qureshi and 95 per cent of senior party leaders opposed his style of functioning, the leaders claimed, adding that Mrs Gandhi “has to take a serious notice of the fund in the organisation, failing which many more leaders and functionaries would switch over their loyalty to other parties”.

However, supporters of Mr Qureshi said these dissidents were trying to force Mr Qureshi to function as per their desire which was not possible. They said Mr Qureshi tried to carry all group leaders with him but some of the dissidents sabotaged his plans.

Mr Ashok Sharma, MLA, said: “We have not created any problem for Mr Qureshi. In fact, Mr Qureshi wants to carry only yes-men with him and that has been his undoing”.

Agitators teargassed at Lal Chowk
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 21
The police lobbed teargas shells in the central Lal Chowk area here today to quell demonstrators protesting against the alleged sacrilege by publication of the Prophet’s picture in a news magazine.

Groups of demonstrators assembled at Maisuma near Budshah Chowk and started pelting stones on the passing vehicles and forcing shopkeepers to down their shutters against the alleged sacrilege. Ding-dong battles between the police and demonstrators continued for several hours in the Lal Chowk area. All shops and business establishments were closed in the area. Educational institutions were also closed as the students also joined the protesters at several places.

Incidents of stone pelting have also been reported from some interior parts of the city today. The police, however, denied that any such incidents took place. The report of the alleged sacrilege had started disturbing the normal life here since yesterday.

The shops and business establishments in Anantnag town of south Kashmir were closed following reports of stone pelting and demonstrations around noon today.

Farooq for OBC status for the Pahari speaking
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 21
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah favoured OBC status for Pahari speaking people of Jammu and Kashmir and said the state government would take a final decision on it soon.

Addressing the fifth meeting of the State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari speaking people here yesterday, the Chief Minister allayed fears in some quarters and said the grant of OBC status would not be at the cost of any other community.

Responding to the demand for declaring Pahari speaking people as ST as promised by successive Prime Ministers, Dr Farooq said this would again be taken up with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.

The Chief Minister gave directions for considering a sub-plan for development of Pahari speaking areas and release of Rs 50 lakh for hostels at Srinagar and Jammu.

Govt apathy irks Kashmiri Pandits
Tribune News service

Jammu, April 21
The All-Kashmiri Pandit Solidarity Conference, headed by Mr O.N. Trisal, has expressed concern over government apathy towards displaced Kashmiri families.

At a meeting held here, it adopted a resolution demanding suitable rehabilitation of all displaced families.

The resolution said though the government waived loans taken by those who had “supported” militancy, no such facility or concession was provided to migrant traders.