Srinagar, August 20
Rich tributes were paid to a sitting member, a former member and a former secretary of the state Assembly who passed away during the intervening period from the beginning of the current session last month.

The State Legislative Council also paid tributes to these members as obituary references were moved in both Houses on the first day today.

Those who passed away during the past one month included a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly, G. M. Jan, representing the Poonch constituency, a former MLA, Ali Mohammad Mir, and a former secretary of the Assembly, Waseem Shah.

Speaking on the obituary reference, the Chief Minister described Jan as an excellent politician who rose above party considerations.

He also paid tributes to Ali Mohammad Mir and said although he had not worked with him, the late MLA was a well-groomed politician.

He also paid tributes to former secretary of the state Assembly, Wasim Shah, and admired his sense of hard work and dedication.

The members of the House cutting across party lines highlighted the qualities and efficiency with which the three departed persons had performed their duties. Two minutes’ silence was also observed as a mark of respect to the departed persons.

Jammu, August 20
Har Om, vice-president of the BJP’s J&K unit, today resigned from the party.

In a letter addressed to the pary’s state unit chief Ashok Khajuria, he has said he was “extremely busy” with important academic assignments as such “I hereby withdraw myself completely from the political arena”.

Hari Om had reportedly not been getting along well with Khajuria who recently became president of the state unit.

Shanta Kumar, a former Himachal Chief Minister who has been given charge of the BJP affairs in J&K, recently came here to end factionalism in the party.

A section of the BJP activists pointed out Hari Om was the sole spokesman of the party in the state during the tenure of Nirmal Singh as president. However, Khajuria, besides him appointed another spokesman when he became party chief. This apparently annoyed Hari Om who had become inactive in party affairs for the past sometime.

Hari Om had continued to be spokesman of the BJP when he was a professor of history in the University of Jammu. However, after retirement he has now chosen to withdraw from politics because of “an important academic assignment”.

Hari Om could not be reached for comments. However, Khajuria denied groupism in the party and claimed Hari Om had told him he had to take up some academic work.

Udhampur, August 20
The police has picked up at least six suspects for allegedly planning to cause communal tension by killing some persons belonging to a minority community in the far-flung areas of the district.

Although the police has maintained a guarded silence over the interrogation of a self-styled area commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba who was arrested on Sunday, sources said during interrogation, he disclosed the plan of militants to execute “selective” killing in the district to create communal tension.