J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

RS poll: Azad calls MLAs’ meeting to secure support
Jammu, June 11
Following apprehensions of cross voting in the Rajya Sabha poll for one seat to be held on June 15, Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, has convened a meeting of all Congress MLAs at the residence of the Transport Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, in Jammu on June 14 for securing support of the legislators for the party candidate, Mr Mohammad Aslam, a veteran Gujjar leader.

Two leaders held, protesters teargassed
Srinagar, June 11
The police today fired teargas shells and detained two separatist leaders and their supporters as a shutdown against the killing of a youth in police fire was observed in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir for the second day.

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference Chairman Sajjad Gani Lone crosses a river with party supporters to reach the main market of Kupwara during a curfew. He was later arrested along with party supporters by the police in Kupwara on Sunday. — Photo by Amin War

2 CRPF men wounded in grenade attack
Srinagar, June 11
Two Central Reserve Police Force personnel were wounded in a militant attack, while a live grenade was defused in Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today. Militants lobbed a hand grenade at the CRPF patrol party near Shalimar Mughal Garden at Shalimar on the city outskirts this afternoon.

Encourage inter-caste marriages: RPI
Jhajjar, June 11
The national president of the Republic Party of India and parliamentarian, Mr Ramdass Athawale, has urged the Central and state governments to provide incentives to those who marry by breaking the shackles of caste so that the prevailing caste system could be eliminated.

Lovers commit suicide
Jammu, June 11
Refused permission to marry by their parents, a couple allegedly committed suicide by consuming poisonous substances in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir today, officials said. Eighteen-year-old Jyoti and 24-year-old Ravinder Kumar of Nad village in Jammu district had been in love for the past one-and-half years, they said.

RS poll: Azad calls MLAs’ meeting to secure support
Our correspondent

Jammu, June 11
Following apprehensions of cross voting in the Rajya Sabha poll for one seat to be held on June 15, Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, has convened a meeting of all Congress MLAs at the residence of the Transport Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, in Jammu on June 14 for securing support of the legislators for the party candidate, Mr Mohammad Aslam, a veteran Gujjar leader.

Party sources said that there were several Congress MLAs, who were annoyed over the way they had not been given a berth in the Council of Ministers, while others had grudges for lack of funds for development works in their constituencies which had embarrassed them in front of their electorate.

The election to the Rajya Sabha seat has been necessitated after Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad was elected to the Assembly and resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat. The National Conference has fielded Mr M.Y.Teng, a former member of the Legislative Council and a prominent writer.

In the straight contest between the National Conference and the ruling alliance the latter has a clear edge with 59 members against 26 of the National Conference.

The BJP and the state Morcha have one each member and they have not yet decided which side they will vote for. The ruling alliance has apprehensions of cross voting not only within the Congress but within the PDP also, which has 17 members.

Though minor incidences of cross voting is unlikely to affect the chances of Mr Mohammad Aslam of the Congress, the Chief Minister is not prepared to take any chances. The way the National Conference succeeded in wresting one seat in the Legislative Council last year from the ruling alliance has made the Chief Minister wiser and has convened a meeting of all Congress MLAs for redrawing the party strategy against any possible cross voting.

The Chief Minister has also discussed the issue with its partner, the PDP conveying to its leadership that the Congress had left all three Assembly seats in the Kashmir valley for the PDP to contest the recent by-election and hence it was morally bound to back the Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.

Several Congress MLAs have decided to grill the Chief Minister in the June 14 meeting over the issue of non-release of funds for development works. One senior Congress MLA said here today, “The Government has not released sufficient funds to clear last year’s liabilities.” He explained that against one liability of over Rs.2.50 crores the government had released Rs.10 lakhs forcing the contractors and other agencies to suspend work on the ongoing development schemes.”

Another MLA said that the District Development Board meeting for Jammu had been held a week ago but still no funds were available for development works when in the past the funds used to be released within a day of the end of the meeting.

The MLAs said that the Chief Minister’s commitment regarding release of cement and other construction material had not been honoured by the bureaucracy leading to a wedge between the legislators and the Chief Minister. They said if the Chief Minister wanted the ruling alliance to function as one unit he should ensure that “peoples’ problems in our constituencies be redressed immediately.

Two leaders held, protesters teargassed

Srinagar, June 11
The police today fired teargas shells and detained two separatist leaders and their supporters as a shutdown against the killing of a youth in police fire was observed in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir for the second day. The youth was part of a gathering protesting against the alleged desecration of the Koran.

People’s Conference breakaway faction chief Sajjad Gani Lone, along with his 15 supporters, was taken into preventive custody when he led a demonstration in Kupwara town, officials said. Sajjad was detained after teargas shelling and baton charge to disperse the mob failed to restore order, they said.

Sources said chairman of the National Front Nayeem Khan was also detained from Bushi village when he was trying to enter the Kupwara town to visit Zirhama-Trehgam, the scene of a violent protest against the alleged desecration of the holy book by security forces. The protest ended with the killing of the youth and injuries to several others.

Earlier, around persons took to streets in the Drugmulla area demanding action against Army personnel involved in the alleged desecration of the Koran and yesterday’s firing.

Senior district civil and police officers, however, intervened and managed to persuade them to disperse with an assurance that action would be taken against the guilty, the sources said.

Shops and business establishments in the town, Trehgam and adjoining areas remained closed and vehicles remained off the roads.

The strike was spontaneous as none of the separatist, social or religious organisations had given a call for it, the sources said. The impact of the strike was such that only the police and paramilitary forces, deployed in strength to ensure strict implementation of prohibitory orders, were patrolling the deserted streets to maintain law and order, they said, adding that the situation in the district was tense but under control.

The Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, Mr A.M. Khandnay, was personally monitoring the situation along with senior the SP.

Meanwhile, The PDP, sharing power with the Congress in the state, has demanded a thorough probe into the alleged desecration of the Koran and the consequent firing on the protesters resulting in the killing of the youth. — PTI

2 CRPF men wounded in grenade attack

Srinagar, June 11
Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were wounded in a militant attack, while a live grenade was defused in Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Militants lobbed a hand grenade at the CRPF patrol party near Shalimar Mughal Garden at Shalimar on the city outskirts this afternoon.

Two CRPF men of 112 battalion were wounded in the blast.

Militants hurled another hand grenade towards a security force vehicle, but it did not explode.

Later, a bomb disposal squad defused the grenade.

The security forces seized an AK rifle, six magazines, 430 AK rounds and rusted grenades at Hari Narwara Athwathoo in Baramula district last evening during a search operation. — UNI

Encourage inter-caste marriages: RPI
Our Correspondent

Jhajjar, June 11
The national president of the Republic Party of India (RPI) and parliamentarian, Mr Ramdass Athawale, has urged the Central and state governments to provide incentives to those who marry by breaking the shackles of caste so that the prevailing caste system could be eliminated.

The RPI leader was addressing a press conference at the local Rest House on the way to Rewari today. Mr Athawale demanded that a person who got married outside his caste and dared to break this obsolete custom should be given a grant of Rs 1 lakh and a government job. He stated that society could do away with this custom only with the support of the state.

Reacting on the ongoing incident in a Bhiwani village where the Punjab and Haryana High Court intervened and barred a social panchayat from holding a mahapanchayat on the issue of inter-caste marriage, the RPI leader said the panchayat had no authority to interfere in the affairs of two families.

He also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, through the Deputy Commissioner demanding to free the girl from the captivity of the khap leaders and take action against such elements. He alleged that the administration was reluctant in helping the couple who belonged to different castes.

The Lok Sabha member also flayed the Congress-led UPA government on the unprecedented price hike of the essential commodities and the recent increase in petrol and diesel prices.

Lovers commit suicide

Jammu, June 11
Refused permission to marry by their parents, a couple allegedly committed suicide by consuming poisonous substances in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir today, officials said.

Eighteen-year-old Jyoti and 24-year-old Ravinder Kumar of Nad village in Jammu district had been in love for the past one-and-half years, they said.

As their families refused to allow them to marry, the duo fled from Nad and went to Parnala village in Kathua district last night, they said.

Their bodies were found early today from the Parnala forest belt and handed over to their families after a post-mortem examination. The police has registered a case, officials said. — PTI