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Amarnath Land Row |
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30 pilgrims hurt in road mishap
No threat to government: Cong
Ball in Vohra’s court
PDP played its cards well
PDP’s dual character is exposed: Vakil
CPM to decide on support to Azad
Living in fear, GREF workers suspend work
3 militants, 2 jawans killed in fierce gunbattle
Hideout busted in Rajouri
Two Nepalese labourers burnt to death
Villages hit by power cuts
PoK refugees’ body rues govt apathy
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Amarnath Land Row
Srinagar, June 29 National Conference president Omar Abdullah welcomed the decision of the Governor to surrender the claim of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) on the forest land allotted to the board and appreciate the move by favourably responding to the suggestions of the National Conference in this regard. Omar said now the ball was in the court of the government and they should immediately take follow-up action and rescind the order of transfer of forest land. Former chief minister and Awami National Conference president G.M. Shah said the decision of Governor N.N Vohra to hand over the responsibility of conducting the yatra back to the state government was the outcome of the unity and solidarity shown by the people. He sought the revocation of the order and transfer of land to the Forest Department. He blamed the coalition partners for the death and destruction they cause. They also stand answerable to thousands who have lost their livelihood with the tourist season coming to an abrupt halt. Sajad Lone, chairman of the J&K People’s Conference, in his statement said the people of Kashmir had done what leadership failed to do. The monolith identity of the Kashmiri Muslim has been resurrected by the people of Kashmir and they have come out to protest as one entity. There is not a single city, town, village or hamlet where people have not marched out in protest, he said. “The people of Kashmir are unlikely to be confused by the polemical confusion created by Ghulam Nabi Azad,” Lone said. He sought the government to come out clearly on whether the land transfer deal had been revoked or not. “It is important that the government of the day shows respect for the aspirations of the people of Kashmir and stops playing communal, vote bank politics”, he said. Even as the valley was shut for the seventh day today, the law and order situation seem to improve. Meanwhile, one Imtiyaz, who was injured in violent protests yesterday, succumbed to his injuries today. The Governor’s statement that the shrine board would not pursue the diversion of forest land, which meant a virtual surrender of its claim over the 800 kanals of forest land, was welcomed by the people. But the belligerent approach of the action committee against land transfer (ACLT) meant that the committee is still unclear when as to when normalcy returns in Kashmir. The district administration today imposed Section 144 in several parts of Srinagar and the administration tried to take firm grip of the situation across the 10 districts of Kashmir, restricting protesters’ movement and reducing chances of violence. Stone-pelting by protesters occurred in old Srinagar where Hurriyat (M) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq went to a youth’s house, who was among three persons, killed in police firing so far. Mohammad Tahir, an agitator in Lal Ded area, said the shrine board's decision to surrender the land and the CM's statement that the government would manage the yatra were indication of Kashmir's stand over the issue. “I believe shops will open tomorrow and so will schools and offices. We have got what we wanted,” he said. The Hurriyat and ACLT, which were formed by hardline separatist S.A.S. Geelani to lead the agitation, doubted the CM's and Raj Bhawan's intentions. Their main demand is that the government rescind the order of transfer of land to the shrine board which has not been done so far, Mian Qayoom, a noted lawyer heading ACLT, said. He said the Governor should issue a written note to this effect. The ACLT has called upon Kashmiri Muslims to gather at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Tuesday, where they would decide the next course of action. Geelani also claimed in a press conference that the PDP's withdrawal of support was just a part of its understanding between it and the Congress. Official sources said separatists would have little interest for normalcy to return in the valley. “They have no genuine stake in peace. The rescinding of land transfer order is a mere formality after today's development,” a senior official posted at the secretariat said. |
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Amarnath Land Row Yatra suspended The Amarnath yatra was suspended this morning from Jammu due to bad weather, said a police officer at Bhagwati Nagar base camp. He said the track had become slippery at Kangan Baltal stretch where a bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims too had met with an accident. Next batch of pilgrims would proceed tomorrow depending on the weather, he said. The yatra resumed yesterday after a gap of two days as the government was forced to suspend it in the backdrop of violent protests in the valley.
Jammu, June 29 Strongly opposed to the decision, the BJP and the Panthers have decided to observe a complete Jammu bandh tomorrow. Speaking to The Tribune, state BJP president Ashok Khajuria said, “We have decided to observe a Jammu bandh against the decision of the state government to look after the yatra. We strongly condemn the move as it will send a wrong signal to the 85 crore Hindu population of the country. To protest the move we would be observing a complete Jammu bandh on Monday.” Adding he said, “Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has given to the demands of fundamentalists and radicals who want to divide the country on communal lines.” When asked to comment on the upheaval in the government after the PDP snapped its ties with the Congress and submitted the resignations of its ministers, Khajuria said, “It’s a conspiracy by both the parties. They are playing with the sentiments of the nationalist forces. The snapping of ties is nothing more than a political gimmick.” He said the move would further increase terrorist activities in the valley. Various other parties, including the Panun Kashmir the frontline organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, held protest demonstrations in Jammu against the revoking of the land transfer order. |
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30 pilgrims hurt in road mishap
Srinagar, June 29 The vehicle overturned in Sudhkari area injuring 30 devotees, all hailing from Baltal district in Kashmir valley, official sources said. The injured were admitted to the district hospital, they said. Meanwhile, people in the Kashmir valley are facing acute shortage of essential commodities, including vegetables, milk and bread because of strike for the past six days. Most affected are the outside labourers and others who are purchasing essential commodities on daily basis as the shops in the entire valley, particularly in the city and inner areas remained closed for the past six days. People in almost all the areas in the city complained about the shortage of vegetables and milk because of the strike. Vehicles carrying vegetables and milk from villages to city daily could not operate because of strike and disturbances. However, in rural areas no shortage of essential commodities was felt because of enough local production. In some villages the prices of milk and vegetables went down as these could not be transported to the city. Vegetables being imported from outside were almost totally out of stock. Local vegetables are also not available because of closure of the shops. Due to closure of hotels and other restaurants, tourists and Amarnath pilgrims were facing difficulties.
— PTI/UNI |
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No threat to government: Cong
Jammu, June 29 The Congress would not only survive the present crisis but would complete its tenure, said a senior party leader adding that hectic parleys were going on between Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Governor N.N. Vohra to resolve the impasse. The PDP yesterday pulled out of the coalition government plunging the state into a major political crisis, just three months before next Assembly
elections. “It would be too early to say whether the Congress would turn to the National Conference or not but the government is trying its best to resolve the stalemate at the earliest and then the PDP may either return or extend outside support to the Congress,” he said. Furthermore, PDP’s rebel legislator Ghulam Hassan Mir, who recently floated the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Party and his loyalists too are out there, he added. However, the Congress leader described PDP as ‘main culprit’ for the prevailing chaos and lawlessness in the state. Leader of the Opposition in the lower house and National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather said, party president Omar Abdullah and other senior leaders have been reviewing the situation and thereafter we would decide the next course of action. “As of now none from the Congress has approached,” added Rather. However, sources close to Omar said, in the given political scenario when elections were just three months away, the National Conference would not extend support to the Congress even if it failed to get a vote of confidence on the floor of the house. The National Conference would wait and watch what shape political front assumes in the next two to three days, they said outrightly rejecting possibilities of the NC extending support to the Congress. However, before taking any decision the Governor may afford sufficient time to the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad so that he could prove majority on the floor of the 87-member Legislative Assembly,
they said. Under constitutional requirement both the houses of the state legislature would be summoned
in July. However, Bhim Singh, chairman of the Panthers Party, described the PDP pull out as a political gimmick. Azad and the PDP are into a tacit understanding, he said. Describing the situation to be alarming in the backdrop of what he claimed total lawlessness in the state, he urged Vohra to immediately impose the Governor’s rule by invoking Section 92 of the state constitution. In the 87-member Legislative Assembly, the PDP has 19 seats, Congress 21, Congress’ associate members 6, National Conference 25, Panthers Party 4, CPM 2, BJP 1 and PDF 8. |
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Ball in Vohra’s court
Jammu, June 29 Constitutional experts, including H.D.Singh, say Vohra can give reasonable time to the Chief Minister for proving his majority on the floor of the House. The experts are of the view that since Azad had lost the right to recommend dissolution of the House to the Governor, it was up to the Governor to allow him to head the government, until he demonstrated a majority on the floor of the Assembly. Singh said according to Parliamentary conventions and propriety, the Governor could not allow Azad to head the government till the ensuing Assembly elections, due in October 2008, were completed. The experts stated the Governor could not allow him to continue till the next session of the state legislature, due for July. In the 87-member Assembly, Azad has to demonstrate the support of at least 44
MLAs. At present, the Congress has 31 members, including nine associate party legislators and three from
Ladakh. This way Azad needs the support of 13 MLAs. Azad could have banked on the support of four Panthers Party MLAs and two from the
CPM. But leader of the Panthers Party, Harsh Dev Singh, said, “There is no question of lending support to the Congress-led government in the trial of strength on the floor of the House.” He said, “We will not like to sit in the Congress boat that is sinking.” Member of the Assembly after having been expelled from the
PDP, Ghulam Hassan Mir, said he had no intention to support Azad. He said, “For me the issue pertaining to the cancellation of diversion of 800 kanal of forest land to the shrine board is important and not the survival of the government.” Other Independent
MLAs, including Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi and Usman Majid Shoaib Lone, may not want to invite voters’ wrath by supporting the Congress-led government. Vice-president of the
PDP, Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and general secretary Nizam-ud-Din
Bhat, said, “We are not opposed against the shrine board. We simply want the land diversion order to be cancelled. It has not been done when it was the only demand of the people and instead the government has taken over the control of yatra management.” They said, “We are not satisfied and hence the question of our support to the government is bleak.” On being asked that the Congress banked on the support of six to eight PDP
MLAs, Molvi said, “Not a single PDP MLA is going to support the Azad-led government in the current situation.” The experts are of the view that Azad can save his government if he succeeded in receiving indirect support from the National Conference which has 24 members in the Assembly. But the NC leadership had announced that it would not support the Congress-led government. Right from the day Ghulam Nabi Azad took over as Chief Minister, the NC leadership is awaiting an opportunity where the Congress would seek its support so that the NC’s main political foe, the
PDP, was sidelined. But the NC leadership has now developed cold feet due to the situation that has emerged in the valley over the land row. Indeed, the NC has been forced to abandon its idea of lending support to Azad from outside. The experts are also of the view that the NC could bail out Azad if at least 10 of its MLAs remain absent on the day of the trial of strength on the floor of the House. If the latest reports are to be relied upon, the Congress high command and the PDP leaders have revived confabulations and if the Congress made a normal plea to the PDP for support, it may lend it without joining the government. This could be an easy and less controversial way. |
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PDP played its cards well
Jammu, June 29 Mufti, before leaving for the US, had announced that if the land transfer order to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) was not withdrawn by June 30, the PDP would pull out of the ruling coalition. PDP vice-president Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari today said, “We did not want to be party to the atrocities being inflicted on people by security agencies who resorted to fire, lathicharge
and fired tear gas shells, in which more than five lives were lost and over 200 civilians
were injured.” On being asked why PDP leaders did not stick to the June 30 deadline, Molvi said, “We were left with no other alternative as the government was in no mood to cancel the land diversion order.” Other senior leaders said the party did not want to remain “insensitive” to the violence that had rocked Kashmir in recent days. Party leaders said they received feedback from the people which indicated that protesters were crying foul against the machinations of the PDP ministers who had been party to the decision
of diverting 800 kanals of forest land to the SASB. They said it was on the basis of the feedback that party chief Mehbooba Mufti called on Deputy CM Muzaffar Hussain Baig and conveyed to him that PDP ministers should quit after withdrawal of support to the government. This indicates that Mehbooba must have
discussed the issue with her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, before taking
the plunge. In addition to this, the PDP leadership by quitting, wanted to prevent further erosion in its vote bank in the valley. The PDP leaders claimed that the party has been able to make up for the losses it suffered by agreeing to the issue of land diversion. |
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PDP claims victory
Srinagar, June 29 “The order (of land transfer) should be revoked. That is the logical thing to do as the order led to so much strife and killing of people,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said. She said if the Chief Minister had followed the advice of the PDP earlier, the situation could have been saved from coming to the point where it is today. The PDP president claimed vindication of her party's stand on the land transfer issue after Governor N.N. Vohra, who is also the chairman of the Shrie Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), entrusted the arrangements for the annual pilgrimage to the state government. “This has been our demand right from the beginning. We had wanted the state government to take over the arrangements of the yatra to avoid the crisis,” Mehbooba said. PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had foreseen the situation that has developed over the past 10 days. That is why he vehemently opposed the proposal of transferring the land to the SASB right from the beginning, the PDP president said. Asked if her party would rejoin the government or extend support as its demands have been met, Mehbooba said the party's priority right now is to restore peace and tranquility in the state. She said no decision has been taken on whether to rejoin the government, extend outside support to it or sit in the opposition.
— PTI |
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PDP’s dual character is exposed: Vakil
Srinagar, June 29 “They were at one hand relishing the power and on the other trying to befool the masses by raising hollow slogans time and again. It is this party which created confusion and tried to mislead the people by making false statements,” he said. Vakil congratulated Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for taking the decision that the yatra arrangements would be conducted by the government. He said the Congress always stood for strengthening of Article 370 which upheld the Constitution of J&K providing for a state-subject. He said the Congress would never allow the grant of even an inch of the state land toa non state-subject. “Taking control of the yatra by the government alone cannot solve the problem but the solution lies in the revocation of the government order with regard to diversion of forest land to the SASB”, a PDP spokesman said here. The PDP stood by the people to protect and preserve the socio-cultural heritage of the state. The PDP pulled out from the government to take people’s side at this crucial moment. It hardly matters whether we are in the government or out of it, what matters for the PDP is the aspirations and wishes
of the people”, the spokesman added. |
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CPM to decide on support to Azad
Srinagar, June 29 The state committee will meet to discuss the situation arising out of the transfer of forest land to the shrine board, party's state secretary M.Y. Tarigami told PTI. He said the committee would also deliberate on whether to continue its issue-based support to the government. The CPM, which has two MLAs in the state Assembly, has been extending outside support to the government since 2002. Tarigami, while welcoming the expression of intent of the state government to take over yatra arrangements from the shrine board, said the issue of transfer of land had to be dealt with immediately.
— PTI |
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Living in fear, GREF workers suspend work
Udhampur, June 29 Although officers of the BRO refused to comment on the issue, sources said officials of the department had refused to work under the prevailing conditions. On June 13 last, a group of militants had gunned down five GREF men, including one Lt-Col Ajay Kumar Verma, near Chattroo where construction work was going on. After the incident, the police had promised to review security arrangements, but nothing had been done so far. Sources said officials of the GREF, deployed here, were living on the mercy of militants. Some local militants, who used to take ransom from the GREF authorities, have reportedly warned some officers to restart the practise of paying them ransom, or they would hamper their work. The decision of the GREF authorities to stop work on the Kishtwar-Singthantop road has rendered more than 8,000 labourers jobless. A large number of locals had been engaged by the GREF authorities as casual labourers in the project. It was also a source of income for unemployed people of this belt. The civil authorities have asked the BRO officials to resume work, but the latter have expressed their helplessness. Sources said failure of the local police to nab the culprits responsible for the killing of Lt-Col Ajay has further created a sense of insecurity among the GREF officials. Officials deployed from outside the state were of the opinion that Lt-Col Ajay was a “victim” of a “deep-rooted conspiracy.” They said Lt-Col Ajay had repeatedly informed the police as well as civil administration about a threat to his life, but the administration failed to provide him adequate security. It is pertinent to mention that Lt-Col Ajay had records of some mobile numbers from which he received threatening calls. He had informed the police and also wrote to the deputy commissioner, Kishtwar, on February 20, 2008, demanding security. A copy of the letter was also sent to the BRTF office, Udhampur, but the administration took the matter lightly, proving costly for Lt-Col Ajay. |
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3 militants, 2 jawans killed in fierce gunbattle
Srinagar, June 29 Official sources said today an encounter took place at Kachpathir Mamar during a search operation on Friday. During the operation, which ended today, three militants and two soldiers were killed. Three AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. An official spokesman said security forces busted a hideout at Hattan Seri Ghai forest in Rajouri and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including two rifles, 10 magazines, 300 rounds, 14 Pika rounds, 78 pistol rounds, 12 hand grenades, two IEDS 20 detonators, two remote controls of IED, one kg explosive, eight diaries, one code sheet and pencil cells. However, no one was arrested. He said one Riaz Ahmed took away an AK rifle from the house of Special Police officer (SPO) at Gurmal Doad. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) supporter in Kupwara and recovered Rs 45,000 from him, sources said. Acting on specific information, police laid a siege next to Jamia Masjid Sharif Tutigund in Handwara and arrested Mohammad Yousuf Khan when he failed to answer their queries satisfactorily.
— UNI/PTI |
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Hideout busted in Rajouri
Rajouri, June 29 Army sources said troops of the 38 Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of the Romeo Force launched a search operation in Atensari forest area. During the operation, the troops busted the hideout and recovered arms and ammunition. Defence spokesperson Lt-Col S.D. Goswami said two .303 rifles, one AK rifle, 10 magazines, 300 rounds, 14 rounds of Pika rifle, 20 detonators, 12 grenades, one kg of explosive, 78 rounds of pistol and one landmine was recovered. |
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Two Nepalese labourers burnt to death
Srinagar, June 29 Jeet Bahadur (24) and Medhu Lansal (23), both Nepalis, were killed in the fire at the house where the duo were staying as tenants at village Bhimbhat in Drass sector of the district yesterday, the spokesman said. The cause of fire was being ascertained by police, the spokesman said. In two separate accidents, the spokesman said two persons were killed and four others injured in Kashmir valley. One Nazir Ahmad Dar was killed and three others injured when two motorcyclists collided at Awantipora in Anantnag district. A girl student Rohi Jan was killed and her colleague Sami Jan was critically injured.
— PTI |
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Villages hit by power cuts
Parori-Darhal (Rajouri), June 29 They alleged that the Power Development Department (PDD) has been supplying electricity just for 11 hours a day for the last five years. The village elders, mostly illiterate, chose to remain silent and have least expectation from
the government. But the present generation, equipped with the power of education and knowledge about their rights, said the government had a bias against the
rural areas. “We are getting electricity for just 11 hours a day and that too is erratic,”said Mian Ahmed, a
village elder. Mustafa Ahmed, a student, complained that whereas the government made all efforts to improve the living conditions in the urban areas, it did little to provide even the basic facilities in the villages. “In our village, the department supplies power for just five hours during the day and six hours in the nights,” he said. The officials of PDD were not available for comments. However, a source in the department claimed that the authorities stop the power supply to these villages to provide the same in Jammu and Srinagar cities. |
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PoK refugees’ body rues govt apathy
Jammu, June 29 Addressing a meeting here today, organisation’s chairman Rajiv Chuni, the state government has proved to be an utter failure because of its valley-centric attitude. He hoped that Governor N.N. Vohra, former interlocutor on Kashmir, would look into the grievances of the PoK refugees and would initiate steps to redress them. He, however, made it clear that keeping in mind the coming elections the refugees would not enter into talks with political outfits or the government. |
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