New Delhi, April 15
BJP president Nitin Gadkari has put on hold the decision on the resignations submitted by the 11 party MLAs of Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of cross-voting by seven of them in the state Legislative Council elections, resulting in the victory of the candidates of the Congress and the National Conference.

Gadkari has summoned all of them to Delhi on April 19 to seek explanation from them with regard to this act of gross indiscipline, said party general secretary and chief spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad here today.

He said, “The party has taken a very serious view of the development. They have given their resignation letters addressed to the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and handed them over to OP Kohli. These letters have reached Gadkari and he has summoned all of them to Delhi on April 19”.

Deputy Leader of the BJP Legislature Party in J&K Jugal Kishore Sharma confirmed in Jammu what Prasad stated here saying, “We submitted our resignation letters to the party high command tonight to either conduct a probe into the incident or decide our fate”.

BJP leaders admitted that seven of the 11 party MLAs voted in favour of the NC-Cong candidates in the Legislative Council elections, resulting in the victory of the five candidates of the ruling alliance.

Sharma said, “We have addressed our resignation letters to the Speaker of the Assembly and handed them over to OP Kohli, party general secretary and in charge of the party affairs in the state, and another general secretary JP Nadda.

But sources said the real reason was dissension brewing against state BJP president Shamsher Singh Manhas. “This was done to warn the party high command of the dangers of ignoring dissension against Manhas,” explained a BJP insider. Perhaps that is why, even though the BJP leadership is disturbed over the development, it is inclined to discuss the matter with the MLAs instead of just enforcing disciplinary action against them.

Jammu, April 15
After forcing all 11 MLAs of the party to tender their resignations for cross-voting in favour of the candidates of the Congress and the National Conference (NC) in the Legislative Council elections allegedly in exchange of huge amount of money, a ‘humiliated’ BJP today accused the state government of “encouraging” horse trading and corrupt practices to de-establish democratic institutions.

“We have already started the process to single out and punish those who did not follow the whip of the party and voted for the Congress and NC candidates, but the state government could not escape the responsibility for encouraging corrupt practices,” said Shamsher Singh Manhas, state president of the BJP.

Quoting some media reports that a huge amount of money was paid to get votes for the candidates of the Congress and the NC, Manhas alleged that money from the ‘Secret Fund’, that is meant for dealing with militancy and subversive activities, was used to lure the MLAs into voting in favour of the candidates of the coalition partners.

Pointing towards the swift action of the BJP leadership after the cash-for-vote episode, Manhas said, “Those who have allegedly given money to lure party MLAs were no less responsible than those who allegedly took money for cross-voting”. He said the act of the state government to “purchase” MLAs of the opposition party for ensuring the victory of its candidates in the Legislative Council elections was a glaring example of political corruption. 

Jammu, April 15
Over 40,000 students of the first year of the Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) course, a majority of them girls belonging to neighbouring Punjab and Haryana, are facing a harrowing time here. Reason: The J&K State Board of School Education, which conducts the exam of the two-year course, two days ago rescheduled the exams that were scheduled to commence today.

Earlier, the board had announced that the exams would start today (April 15), but when students started reaching here, it rescheduled the date sheet and announced that the exams would be conducted from April 20 to May 5.

Though the officials concerned said the exams had been postponed due to the ongoing panchayat elections, the students, who had come here travelling long distances from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, to appear in the exams had a harrowing time.

Investigations by The Tribune revealed that the education board had enrolled 6,000 students of private colleges just two days before the exams, thus delaying the entire examination process. Earlier, there were 36,145 students enrolled for the ETT exams, but due to the fresh enrolment the number of students crossed 42,000 mark.

Board sources disclosed that it had failed to arrange an adequate number of examination halls/centres, thus delaying the examination process. However, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Joint Secretary of the education board, terming it as unfortunate, said, “We have rescheduled the exams due to the panchayat elections, as teachers are deputed on election duty”.

On the contrary, Deep Singh, president of the Jammu Private Schools and ETT Institutes Association, said, “There is a nexus between the education board officials and some private colleges and they lure students from the neighbouring states into taking admission to the course for a hefty amount. These students are called to the colleges only to appear in the exams and otherwise they do not visit the colleges”.

He added, “As many as 99 per cent of the ETT students enrolled in the state belong to other states. What does it mean? It is self explanatory”. Deep Singh lashed out at the board officials saying, “The board has been headless for the last six months. The present joint secretary of the board has become all in all, but he is doing nothing”.

Government records procured by The Tribune revealed another shortcoming on the part of the education board. As per these documents, there are 439 ETT colleges across the state and 95 of them have no student. An official of the board alleged that the whole process of the ETT exams was dubious, as there was no criterion for getting admission to the course. “Nearly 100 institutes are running from fake addresses. Besides, 150 institutes are not even equipped with basic infrastructure,” he added.

Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, joint secretary of the education board, said they had received some complaints in this regard, but they could not take any action. This course has always remained the top priority of the students from the neighbouring states, because it is valid in other states also for getting government jobs.

Last year, a question paper of Class XII, which is conducted by the board, was leaked through SMS. Besides, a large number of mass copying cases were also reported throughout the state. However, no major action had been taken in this regard as yet. 

Jammu, April 15
An Iraqi woman tourist, who has been stranded here for the past two days, is giving a tough time to the police.

Fifty-year-old Sabiya Amar Ali, a native of Baghdad in Iraq, who had come to Mumbai on a tourist visa, mistakenly boarded a Jammu-bound flight.

After reaching Jammu, the Iraqi woman again committed a mistake and boarded a minibus to Bishnah, a forward town near the international border.

Her attempts to convey her ordeal in Iraqi language and broken English to the villagers in Bishnah failed. Subsequently, the villagers informed the Bishnah police, who shifted the foreigner to a women’s cell here in the city. Now, the Jammu police is trying to contact the Iraqi embassy in New Delhi to help the woman.

Jammu, April 15
The police arrested another government employee in connection with the fake arms licence scam here today. The accused has been identified as Mohammad Qasim, who is at present posted as a clerk in the tehsil office, Thanamandi.

Sources said Qasim had earlier worked in the office of the former SDM, Mendhar, Mukhtyar Ahmed Choudhary, the main accused in the scam, and was hand in glove with Mukhtyar in the issuance of fake licences.

He was arrested by a special investigation team from Rajouri this afternoon.

Udhampur, April 15
The District Panchayat Election Officer (DPEO) and Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Baseer Ahmed Khan, today asked the officers concerned to ensure that the model code of conduct was observed during the panchayat elections in the district.

Basheer issued these instructions during a meeting of the zonal and sectoral magistrates as well as police officers here today. These officers had been appointed to conduct the panchayat elections in the Chenani block of the district on April 17. He told the officers that no laxity in ensuring the observance of the poll code would be tolerated.

SSP Surinder Gupta, Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajinder Singh, Additional SP Bhupinder Singh and Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Gurvinderjeet Singh were also present on the occasion.

The DPEO asked the officers to send reports related to the election process, like the start of polling, time of the first vote cast, oldest voter, number of physically challenged persons casting vote and the end of polling at regular intervals to his office. He said each designated magistrate should be well versed in the location of the polling station, collection centres, route map, sector, transport and communication plans.

The polling in the Chenani block would be held between 8 am and 2 pm. The whole block has been divided into eight zones and 17 sectors for the purpose. A total 69,188 voters, including 32,299 women, would exercise their right to franchise at 390 polling stations in the block.

Jammu, April 15
A six-day photo exhibition by the First Lady, Usha Vohra, commenced at the Kala Kendra here today. The exhibition is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. It was inaugurated by Triloke Kaul, a veteran painter of the state, and would remain open for public viewing between 11 am to 7 pm till April 20.

In all 70 photographs depicting varied themes are on display. These photographs have been taken by Usha Vohra, an amateur photographer.

Governor NN Vohra, MLC Vijay Bakaya, media consultant to the government Farooq Nazki, Padam Shri recipient Jitender Udhampuri, Principal Secretary to the Governor RK Goyal, Secretary of the Cultural Academy Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, a galaxy of writers, artists, intellectuals, senior officers and prominent citizens were present on the exhibition.

Kaul complimented the First Lady for taking such beautiful photographs on various aspects of nature in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Talking to mediapersons, Usha Vohra said the natural beauty of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions would compel anyone to take photographs.