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Police repulses attack
Dissident leaders to revive Prajya Parishad
Farooq pays tribute to Rao
12 held for violating prohibitory orders
Protests over killing of mentally challenged
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Elect honest persons, pleads Baig
NCP inducts 11 activists
Eco-restoration plan cleared
6 tourists injured in accident
Morcha wants commission members to quit
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Jammu, December 25 A group of militants fired rifle grenades and opened indiscriminate firing at the Indian Reserve Police post at Dhandli in Udhampur district last night, they said. The security guards deployed at the post retalited leading to a heavy exchange of fire between the two sides. One jawan suffered minor injuries in the firing and was given first aid, they said, adding that militants escaped from the spot after an encounter that lasted more than an hour. Troops have launched an operation to track down the militants responsible for the act, they said. Troops also busted a hideout out in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district early today and recovered one 303 rifle, one magazine, 50 rounds, one wireless set, six blankets and some ration. SRINAGAR: Militants kidnapped one civilian and took away a vehicle in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces busted two militant hideouts since last night, a police spokesman said today. A group of militants abducted Mohammad Shafi Wani from his house at Bumdoora village of Kokernag in Anantnag district of south Kashmir this morning, the spokesman said. Militants took away a car belonging to Nissar Ahmad Wani from Baghat-e-Kanipora on the outskirts of Srinagar last night, the spokesman added. He said security forces recovered a pistol, 12 rounds, seven grenades, three anti-tank grenades, two improvised explosive devices and 10 detonators from a hideout in the Keri sector of Rajouri district last night. The hideout was destroyed. In another operation, the spokesman said the police busted a hideout at Chabrian in the Sawjian sector in Poonch district which led to the recovery of two hand grenades, eight AK rounds, two pistol rounds and some medicines yesterday. — PTI
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Dissident leaders to revive Prajya Parishad
Jammu, December 25 Mr Chander Mohan Sharma, vice-president of the BJP, who along with five others recently resigned from the party, told The Tribune today that “we have decided to float Prajya Parishad from tomorrow. Sources said Mr Khurana has invited Mr Sharma to the residence of Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, a former Minister of State for Defence, yesterday. The Two sides discussed the issue that forced several dissident leaders to quit the party. Mr Khurana is said to have urged dissidents to avoid taking any hasty decision in the interest of the party. However, Mr Sharma said that his group would abandon the plan of reviving the Prajya Parishad if the state unit of the BJP was reconstituted. The sources said Mr Khurana told Mr Sharma that such a decision could not be taken by him on the spot. The matter had to be debated by senior BJP functionaries in Delhi. Mr Sharma did not want to let down his supporters by postponing the formation of Prajya Parishad for another term. Insiders said the situation arose due to ego clash between Mr Sharma and Dr Nirmal Singh President of the BJP, who had not yet completed one-year in the office. The sources said Mr Sharma’s demand for the reconstitution of the party was aimed at replacing Mr Nirmal Singh either by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta or by any other senior leaders who could strike a balance between dissidents and loyalists. During the past six months Mr Sharma and his supporters had raised the issue of changing the party president which was not accepted by the BJP high command. At one stage the high command even directed leaders of the state unit of the party not to brook any indiscipline in the organisation. It was due to this that Dr Nirmal Singh suspended six leaders from the party and issued a show cause notice to them. However, only two of the six leaders had responded to the notice. Dr Nirmal Singh said today that he was not aware if the six leaders, who had been suspended from the BJP, had resigned from the organisation. “I have not received their resignation letters and if they have sent the letters to the party high command it is for leaders in Delhi to act on that”, he added. |
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Farooq pays tribute to Rao
Srinagar, December 25 While mainstream political parties in the state paid rich tributes to the former Prime Minister, separatists chose to remain silent. Most of them do not disassociate the demolition of Babri Majid from the tenure of Mr Narasimha Rao. The National Conference led by former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah while paying tributes to the departed leader has significantly made a mention of the latter’s statement that “sky is the limit” on the restoration of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. The restoration of internal autonomy then was the main slogan of the National Conference prior to participation in elections in view of the militancy in the state. Dr Abdullah had already stepped down from the post of the Chief Minister thus paving the way for the imposition of Governor’s rule for over seven years in the trouble-torn state. Even as the then Prime Minister
P.V. Narasimha Rao took the bold step of initiating political process and conducting elections in the state, the National Conference remained away from the general elections in 1996, sticking to its demand of internal autonomy. It, however, participated in the Assembly elections regaining power that ended the seven-year-long Governor’s rule and restored democratic set-up in the state. “In order to provide relief Mr Rao had made a great beginning with his statement ‘sky is the limit’ on the restoration of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. Had steps been taken to implement the same, things would have been different and thousands wouldn’t have died,” said Dr Abdullah. The Jammu and Kashmir Government decided to observe state mourning for three-days from Friday as a mark of respect to
P.V. Narasimha Rao. According to a notification issued in Jammu yesterday the National and state flags will fly at half mast on all buildings and places where these are flown. |
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12 held for violating prohibitory orders
Srinagar, December 25 Activists of Muslim League, a constituent of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Geelani, gathered at Regal Chowk in the heart of the city and started raising slogans against the state government for not allowing Geelani and 50 others to join the annual pilgrimage this year, official sources said. As the assembly was illegal in view of prohibitory orders being in place in the city, the police immediately swung into action and took Manzoor and his 11 other associates into preventive custody and lodged them at Lothibagh police station, they said. Prior to police action, Manzoor accused Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led coalition government of interfering in the religious matters of Muslims at the behest of Centre to hurt their sentiments.
— PTI |
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Protests over killing of mentally challenged
Srinagar, December 25 Shamshad Ahmad Ganai was shot dead by BSF jawans at Sherbagh near Nowdal in the Tral area at 9.30 am when he, on seeing a patrolling party, ran towards his house, ignoring their orders to stop, they said. The BSF personnel challenged Ganai and later opened fire on him, suspecting him to be a militant, they added. The news of Ganai’s death sparked massive protests, as villagers took to streets and raised slogans against security forces for killing a mentally challenged person. “The deceased was not mentally fit and therefore paid no heed to the warning of the security personnel,” the residents said and demanded punishment for the erring personnel involved in the incident. A BSF spokesman, when contacted, said they were awaiting details of the incident.
— PTI |
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Elect honest persons, pleads Baig
Baramulla, December 25 “These elections provide a golden opportunity to the people to get involved in the development process and ensure proper utilisation of funds,” he said, addressing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) district convention here. Mr Baig said the PDP government was not hankering after power. “Through these elections, the present government wants to share its responsibility with the common man by involving him in decision-making,” he said, adding that only honest and dedicated representatives could perform this duty with a sense of responsibility. Mr Baig said active participation of people in these elections would not only ensure their involvement in the development process, but also strengthen the monitoring process as representatives elected by the people would have a greater say in the implementation and execution of the government’s developmental programmes at the grassroots level. He said this would also facilitate the government’s resolve to root out the menace of corruption. For the past two years, the coalition government had been striving hard to pull the state out of the political and economic morass. “Positive signals are emanating from both New Delhi and Islamabad for finding a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue. The state has also been set on course for the holistic development of the state.” |
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NCP inducts 11 activists
Jammu, December 25 Mr Singh told mediapersons here that this was done to broaden the base of the organisation and make its unit functional in the Kashmir valley. He said with the approval of the party high command, he has inducted Aga Syeed Maqsood Hussain, a prominent broadcaster, as general secretary of the state unit, Col Amar Singh Jamwal as chairman of NCP’s ex-servicemen cell and Capt Allah Rakha as its general secretary. Others inducted into the organisation included, Mr Mohammad Shafi Bhat, secretary, Mr Aga Sayeed Mehandi, joint secretary, Mr Aga Sayeed Hadier, vice-chairman of minority cell, Mr Muhtaq Ahmed Khan, Mr Mohammad Aslam Raina, Mr Nazir Ahmed Wani, Mr Ghulam Mohammad Malla as members. Dr Sayeed Sheeraz has been appointed general secretary of the youth wing. |
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Eco-restoration plan cleared
Jammu, December 25 This was stated by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Abdul Aziz Zargar, during a review of progress of the eco-restoration projects. He said Rs 5.46 crore was spent on the eco-restoration project for the treatment of 89 micro water sheds. During the meeting, it was stated that during the current financial year Rs 16 crore had been earmarked for the eco-restoration of 14,400 hectares of degraded catchment areas of Jehlum south and Jehlum north, Rs 8 crore for the Chenab catchment and Rs 7.81 crore for the Shivaliks.
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6 tourists injured in accident
Srinagar, December 25 A vehicle carrying tourists was on its way back to Srinagar, when it skidded off the road and fell into a deep
gorge at Zig. The injured were admitted to hospital where the condition of three of them was stated to be critical.
— UNI
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Morcha wants commission members to quit
Jammu, December 25 According to a spokesman of the State Morcha, Mr Onkar Seth, the verdict of the court being highly critical of the selection process, it was mandatory for the commission members to resign. He said in case the members refused to quit, the government should reconstitute the commission in order to restore people's faith in the body. Mr Seth requested the Governor, Mr S.K. Sinha, to take notice of the verdict.
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