 |
|
JKLF chief
concerned at restrictions
Panthers
Party may be told to quit coalition |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
First TA
battalion of locals inducted
|
|
JKLF chief concerned at restrictions in north Kashmir Srinagar, March 29 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Malik alleged that the authorities had imposed restrictions under Section 144 in north Kashmir districts of Baramula and Kupwara, which go to the polls in the first phase on April 20. He said such restrictions were imposed as the government was frustrated over the mass support received by the separatist leaders during the anti-election campaign in north Kashmir for the past one week. He said such restrictions were only to prevent them from visiting the areas ahead of the elections. Mr Malik held that he had addressed a record number of 18 public meetings in three days in and around
Bandipore. He alleged that he was prevented by the police on Friday last from proceeding towards Bandipore in north Kashmir. He added that several other leaders, including Shabir Ahmad Shah, were also prevented from going to north Kashmir areas where the separatist leaders had attracted massive anti-election support ahead of the elections. Replying to questions, Mr Malik said his party was not affiliated to any faction of the APHC and added it had given a call for the boycott of elections like several other separatist organisations as the elections were no solution to the Kashmir issue. He said if such restrictions and false claims of the state government and the Centre continued, there would be yet another farce election in the state which had been repeated over the past more than five decades in the state without the basic issue having been addressed. The JKLF leader also referred to the last Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi, claiming that people of the state had given a massive mandate to the Constitution of India by participating in the last Assembly elections. He added that out of the 28 per cent participation of voters, a majority of them were a vote in coercion. He also referred to the Chief Election Commissioner’s public commitment that the elections were a democratic process. Mr Malik held that everybody should be allowed to go to the people and make their point. He also referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s assertion that the elections were a battle of ideas and everybody had the right to go to the people. “If we are not allowed to go to the people and make our point, it will be yet another farce election, like those held during the past 55 years”, Mr Malik commented. |
|
29 die as bus falls into gorge Jammu, March 29 Twentyseven passengers were injured, 13 of them critically. Among the injured were four policemen. Those critically injured were being shifted for treatment to the medical college hospital, Jammu. The bus was on its way to Loran from the district headquarters of Poonch, when it plunged into a 150 ft deep gorge at Balachar. Army personnel reached the spot immediately. |
|
|
Panthers Party may be told to quit coalition Jammu, March 29 On the one hand, JKNPP Chairman wants to be a partner in the government to enjoy the privileges, and on the other the party has been performing the role of an opposition, he said while addressing a rally of Congress candidate Madan Lal Sharma from the Jammu-Poonch constituency at Khour, about 55 km from here, last evening. Warning that the days of the four-member party were numbered in the coalition government, he said it would be shown the door as soon as its chairman files the nomination papers from the Udhampur constituency. Earlier, the JKNPP chief had announced that he was contesting from the Udhampur constituency and threatened to field four more persons from the party to contest the elections from Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the permanent Resident (Disqualification) Bill, he said his party would never allow its passage in the Upper House. “We will not allow any law to be passed which divides the state on religious and regional basis,” he said, adding that if the Bill again came in the legislative council, the NC and the PDP would not be able to pass it as it required two-thirds of the majority of the House which they lacked. The Congress is of the view that it should be sent to the select committee where along with representatives of the valley it could be discussed thoroughly for making a legislation, Mr Sharma said. He said the Congress was locked with the PDP in the Baramula constituency in a friendly contest.
— PTI |
|
NC rally against govt policies Srinagar, March 29 Led by former ministers Abdul Qayoom (MLC) and Ali Mohammad Sagar (MLA) the rally started from the Nawa-e-Subh complex and culminated near the official residence of the Chief Minister. Mr Abdul Qayoom claimed that the Mufti government had succumbed to pressure from the Central Government and the Congress high command to prevent the passage of the Bill. He said the Chief Minister, PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti and Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh had maintained a silence on the issue. The NC leaders expressed concern over the role of the coalition partners in ensuring that the Bill was not passed by the Legislative Council. It had already been passed by the state Assembly. They alleged that it was on the intervention of the Prime Minister that the Bill could not be passed. They also lashed out at the NDA government for rejecting the autonomy resolution that had been passed by the two Houses of the state legislature. Referring to the policies of the state government, the NC leaders alleged that the PDP-Congress coalition government had made various promises to people prior to the last Assembly elections, but these had not been fulfilled. |
|
First TA battalion of locals inducted Jammu, March 29 “This is a novel idea, wherein the local youth, sons of the soil, protect their own families and villages from terrorists”, defence sources said. The battalion, one of the seven to be raised in the state under the home-and-hearth plan, arrived here from New Delhi yesterday after training. The other battalions would be raised and deployed by the Army in Baramula, Kupwara and Doda districts.
— PTI |
|
BSF nabs 8 Bangladeshi Jammu, March 29 The infiltrators were arrested last evening when they were trying to sneak into Indian side via Jabowal border outpost, the sources said. They were later handed over to the police.
— PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
