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Thursday,
May 22, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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CM, Mehbooba Mufti’s visits irk Congressmen Seek appointment with CM on phone NC plans to regain
ground IB official, 3 HUJI ultras killed Central group reviews J&K
security |
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Vohra’s Jammu visit from June
6 J&K highway cleared of encroachments Partial bandh
in Kashmir Protest against youth’s killing PG course assured in dental college
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CM, Mehbooba Mufti’s visits irk Congressmen Jammu, May 21 While Ms Mehbooba Mufti is currently on a three-day tour of these Muslim dominated border districts, the Mufti has visited there at least thrice in the past some time. This is the first visit of Ms Mehbooba Mufti to this area after becoming President of the PDP. Congress activists, belonging to these districts, particularly have not welcomed their visits during which some party men took the opportunity to join the PDP. A Congress leader of the area said first the party sacrificed its own government and supported Sheikh Abdullah to form a National Conference (NC) government in 1975 as a result of which the Sheikh dynasty left no stone unturned to wipe out the Congress from these two districts. And now the Mufti, who was made the Chief Minister of the coalition government by the Congress, was following the footsteps of the Sheikh dynasty by weakening them. He said with the Congress returning to power after 27 years, this was the time to again consolidate the party's base in these districts, but unfortunately no senior leader of the party had visited there so far. On the other hand, the PDP had focused its attention on Rajouri and Poonch to gain strength in the Jammu division where it failed to bag even a single seat in the Assembly elections. Before bringing the NC to power, these districts were a stronghold of the Congress and the Gujjar population, which dominated there, was considered as a traditional supporter of the Congress. However, most of the Gujjars switched their loyalties towards the NC over the years and the Congress was the loser. Besides Congress activists, many supporters of the NC had deserted to the PDP recently. A former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has been accusing the Mufti of trying to break the NC by not only organising desertions, but also by creating fear among the former legislators by withdrawing their security cover. A Congress activist alleged that during her tour, Ms Mehbooba Mufti was using the “healing touch” policy of the government as an instrument to strike roots for herself in the two districts. She has been claiming that the policy has been appreciated by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. |
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Seek appointment with CM on phone
Srinagar, May 21 Those desirous of meeting the Chief Minister can register their requests for a meeting on telephone nos 2481828 and 2472536 from 11 am to 1 pm. Subject to the availability of the Chief Minister, the appointments will be given to them on telephone as and when the Chief Minister is avaible. This new system has been introduced for the convenience of the public, who otherwise has to approach different authorities to seek an appointment with the Chief Minister to apprise him about their problems. UNI
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NC plans to regain
ground Jammu, May 21 According to the provincial President of the National Conference, Mr Ajay Sadhotra, a plan has been drawn up for senior party functionaries to launch a mass contact programme. Under the project senior NC leaders would visit villages and tehsil headquarters where they would interact with people. He added that fresh membership enrolment drive in the entire state would be launched. When reminded that the PDP leadership had started creating a party base in Poonch and Rajouri districts and other areas in Jammu region, Mr Sadhotra said, “We have already covered all these areas”. He said he was not worried about the defection of former NC MLAs and other leaders of the Congress and the
PDP, saying that “it is a temporary phase.” |
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IB official, 3 HUJI ultras killed Jammu, May 21 Tanvar was commander of the terrorist activities of the HUJI in the three districts of Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur. He was a resident of the Jhelum district of Pakistan. The two other terrorists killed are Abu Shahid, commander of HUJI for Rajouri district, and Abu Mohammad, commander for Poonch district. They were tracked by the Romeo Force of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) while they were holding a meeting in a hideout in the forest. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including three AK-47 rifles, were seized from there. The RR considers this as a major achievement which has broken the backbone of the terrorists in these districts. The HUJI has been carrying out terrorist activities in Rajouri and Poonch districts and various other places. Six members of a family were recently killed in a village of Rajouri district. SRINAGAR: At least ten persons including five militants and a worker of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP), were killed in separate incidents in the Kashmir Valley since Tuesday, while protest demonstrations against an alleged custodial death continued for the second consecutive day in Kupwara on Wednesday. Protest demonstrations were held in the border town of Kupwara for the second consecutive day today in protest against the alleged custodial death of one person, reportedly held by the security forces following an IED explosion in the town three days ago. Militants shot dead Abdul Hamid Mir, a worker of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), outside his house at Shopian in the south Kashmir district of Pulwama on Tuesday night. Elsewhere, four militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Waternar in the Machil sector of Kupwara in north Kashmir on Tuesday. One AK rifle, one RPG, one pistol, two UBGLs , 40 detonators and 10 kg of RDX were seized from the site of the encounter, a police spokesman said here. The police said one militant was killed in a group clash at Panner Tral in Pulwama district on Tuesday. One person was killed and two others injured when gunmen fired at a Tata Sumo vehicle in the Main Chowk, Shopian, in Pulwama district on Wednesday, the police here said. Militants shot dead one Inam-ul-Haq at Chogal-Handwara on Tuesday night. Security forces recovered a bullet-riddled body of one Fayaz Ahmad Itoo at Nayan-Batapora on Wednesday. Meanwhile, one person was killed and two others were injured when Jamat-ul-Mujahideen militants opened fire on Intelligence Bureau personnel at Shopian on Wednesday, official sources said. Militants fired at an IB vehicle around 4 pm, killing an official and wounding two other occupants of the vehicle, the sources said. The identity of the deceased and injured was not immediately known, they said. The whole area was cordoned off by security forces and a search was launched to arrest the militants involved in the attack. In an anti-militant operation, the sources said BSF troops seized two AK assault rifles, three magazines and four improvised explosive devices from Baranwla near Chajhan post in the border township of Uri in Baramula district on Wednesday. However, no one was arrested in this connection.
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Central group reviews J&K
security Srinagar, May 21 The meeting reviewed the current security situation with senior officers of the state government and commanders of the security forces and the state police. A similar meeting was also held in Jammu recently. Various measures to bring down militancy in the state were also discussed an official spokesman said. Those who attended the meeting included the Director, Home Affairs, Dr Hooja, State Chief Secretary, Mr S.S. Bloria, Director-General of Police, Mr Gopal Sharma, the Finance Secretary, Home, the IG, BSF, the DG, CRPF, the IG CRPF, the Home Secretary and other senior police and security officers. Mr Gopal Sharma asked the police to serve the nation sincerely. Later, another meeting was convened by the special group with state civil and police officers, which was attended among others by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mr Parvez Dewan. |
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Vohra’s Jammu visit from June 6
Srinagar, May 21 Mr Vohra is expected to meet representatives of the Panun Kashmir, an organisation of migrant Kashmiri Pandits, besides leaders of the Congress, the National Panthers Party and the BJP during his week-long stay in Jammu, the sources said. Mr Vohra visited Jammu and Kashmir last month following Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to the Kashmir Valley and held talks with leaders of almost all mainstream political parties. However, the separatist camp shunned him, saying that he had not extended any formal invitation to them.
PTI |
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J&K highway cleared of encroachments
Jammu, May 21 “We have removed 584 encroachments, including 283 hoardings and nearly 301 structures, from the highway which were creating hindrances in smooth vehicular traffic,” the border road task force (BRTF) commander, Col P. Padmanabhan, said today. Colonel Padmanabhan, who looks after the Jammu-Srinagar highway, said the operation to remove encroachments would continue till all illegal structures were removed. As many as 152 encroachments have also been removed by the Jammu and Kashmir Roads and Buildings Department along the highway. As per the report of a four-member committee set up by the Jammu and Kashmir high court to look into highway encroachments, there were as many as 1041 encroachments, including 269 rock-wall paintings, 409 hoardings nailed on trees and 363 large-size hoardings.
PTI
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Partial bandh in Kashmir
Srinagar, May 21 Work in government offices was also affected due to the bandh. The educational institutes wore a deserted look. A report from Baramula said the bandh did not evoke any response there as life was normal. He said the bandh evoked a mixed response in Sopore and Bandipora. The general strike call was given by the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee (AAC) headed by senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq. On this day in 1990, his father Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq was killed by unidentified gunmen in his residence. The strike was also supported by the Hurriyat Conference. On the same day last year, another Hurriyat leader, Abdul Gani Lone, was killed by unidentified gunmen at Idgah when he was leaving for home after paying tributes to Mirwaiz Farooq. Meanwhile, hundreds of people today visited the martyrs’ graveyarad at Idgah and offered fatiya to Mirwaiz and Abdul Gani Lone. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir state CPM general secretary Mohammad Tarigami today appealed to people of the state to work towards ending terrorism, even as he demanded the constitution of a high-powered commission to go into the circustances of the deaths of Kashmiri leaders Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone. “Both the leaders enjoyed a unique position in the social and political scenario of Jammu and Kashmir and the sense of immense loss is still fresh in our memories”, he said. UNI, PTI
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Pandits withdraw proposed stir
Srinagar, May 21
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Protest
against youth’s killing
Srinagar, May 21 Residents, including a large number of women, staged a dharna at the district headquarters, but dispersed when the Deputy Commissioner and senior police officers visited the scene and assured them an inquiry into the killing of the arrested youth, Mohammad Ashraf Malik, the reports said. Malik was arrested on Monday and his mutilated body were handed over to his family yesterday. A powerful blast was heard in the township, several hours after his (Malik’s) arrest, which the Army said took place when he was leading the troops to a hide-out for effecting some recoveries. Malik was killed during interrogation and later his body was blown up to cover up the murder, the residents alleged. Meanwhile, the mutilated body of the deceased was laid to rest at the local graveyard today.
PTI
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PG course assured in dental college Srinagar, May 21 Mufti Sayeed, Health Minister Lal Singh and Minister of State for Health Abdul Gaffar Sofi visited the dental college last evening. After interacting with faculty members and students, the Chief Minister also assured that seats for BDS course would be increased by 50 as proposed by the Health Minister. He would take up the matter with the Centre. Mufti Sayeed also reviewed the functioning of the SMHS Hospital and stressed the need for developing superspecialities in different disciplines for the benefit of the people. Expressing concern over the dilapidated condition of the chest diseases hospital in Srinagar, the Chief Minister asked the authorities to identify another site for a modern hospital.
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Woman injured in Pak shelling
Srinagar, May 21 The shelling from across the border was unprovoked, the sources said. PTI
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