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Panthers Party’s plea for CBI probe
NC, Cong differences on AFSPA withdrawal a drama, says BJP
Massive public opinion for AFSPA rollback: Farooq
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Indira Gandhi remembered
Kak’s book on Emergency
Congress minister’s anti-party remarks draw ire of JKPCC
Mehbooba Mufti after her re-election as PDP chief in Srinagar on Monday. — PTI
Auction of Kashmir sapphire corundum from November 18
IAF stall draws huge crowd
Workshop on public libraries concludes
Lakhanpur-Srinagar highway renamed
Govt website for Basantgarh
Two drug peddlers held, intoxicants recovered
Decision on suspended MLAs by Dec-end: BJP
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Panthers Party’s plea for CBI probe
New Delhi, October 31 A Bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and SS Nijjar also sought the response of the DIG and IGP (Crime Branch) of the state police and the Principal Secretary of the Home Department to the doubts raised in the petition over Yousuf’s death. “Justice can only be done if an inquiry is made by an independent agency” which was not under the command of the state administration or police, said the petitioner, an MLA and Panthers Party state president Balwant Singh. Initially, the Bench was reluctant to entertain the petition, but issued a notice after Panthers Party chairman Bhim Singh contended that such incidents in a democratic country required an impartial inquiry. It would not be proper to accept the police theory that Yousuf died of a heart attack as the DGP and the Principal Secretary (Home) were allegedly involved in the cover-up, he argued. Unconvinced, the Bench pointed out that doctors had certified that the death was the result of a heart attack. Unrelenting, Bhim Singh persisted with his plea, contending that the democratic principles of social, economic and political justice as enshrined in Chapter 3 of the Constitution were very much applicable to Jammu and Kashmir. All respondents should send in their response within two weeks of receiving the notice, the Bench clarified. The PIL contended that there was a public demand for a CBI probe into the “events and circumstances” that led to the death of the 61-year-old political activist which was an “extraordinary offence committed at the residence of the Chief Minister.” The petition pointed out that the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had already rejected the Chief Minister’s request for ordering an inquiry by a sitting HC Judge. Citing a dozen reasons for a CBI probe, the petitioner said no FIR had been filed till date despite the appeals made by family members of the victim. It also took exception to the Principal Secretary (Home) and the Director General of Police declaring that Yousuf had died of “cardio respiratory arrest” without conducting any investigation by any independent agency. Case recall
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NC, Cong differences on AFSPA withdrawal a drama, says BJP
Jammu, October 31 Addressing mediapersons here today, state BJP president Shamsher Singh Manhas said the NC and the Congress were the two sides of the same coin. “Being birds of the same flock they are simply enacting a drama in complete coordination to befool and confuse the people of the state,” he said. Further, the impression that the Congress was Flanked by senior party leader Nirmal Singh and BJP MLAs Ashok Khajuria and Jugal Kishore Sharma, Manhas said, “There are no differences within the Nirmal Singh said the Union government should have taken cognisance of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s “unwarranted” remarks over the AFSPA and the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA). “The Chief Minister made a statement on the revocation of the AFSPA and the DAA, which was not his prerogative. It is for the Union Home Ministry to decide on the implementation or repeal of any law from the militancy-affected parts of the country,” he said. Jugal Kishore said the Khajuria said the separate flag of the state was the root cause of all its problems. The separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir was a reflection of separatism and the Kashmir problem would continue till “it keeps fluttering in the state”, he said in an obvious reference to the BJP’s stand on the abolition of Article 370. Later, the leaders also released documents of the BJP’s upcoming 10-day Jan Jagran Yatras in various parts of the Jammu region to highlight corruption and scams of the coalition government in the state. |
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Massive public opinion for AFSPA rollback: Farooq
Srinagar, October 31 “If you see the people's opinion across the country, there is a massive opinion that the AFSPA should be revoked,”
Farooq, who is also president of the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, told reporters on the sidelines of a function
here. Farooq said he was hopeful that various stakeholders, including the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Government, would sit together to discuss the issue and take a decision on it. “If peace has returned to some areas of the state, the law should go from those areas. If peace has not returned then it should be declared as such,” he said. The Union Minister for New and Renewable Asked about the demand for rotation of chief ministership from some leaders in the Congress, a coalition partner in the state government, Farooq said he would not comment on “I do not want to create confrontations. We cannot move ahead by a confrontationist approach,” the minister added.
— PTI |
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Indira Gandhi remembered
Jammu, October 31 “She refused to surrender to the Anglo-American interests during her tenure as Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi faced expulsion from the Congress and was jailed, yet no power on earth could shake her belief in democracy and the rule of law,” said Panthers Party chairman Prof Bhim Singh in a statement. He called on the youth to observe the day as Anti-Violence Day. “She died the way Patris Lumamba was killed, the way Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated and the way Mahatma Gandhi was killed,” he said. He stressed the need for ushering in a world order where violence shall have no place in society. Bhim Singh demanded that the Central government should observe the day as Anti-Violence Day so that a message of human dignity, peace, non-violence and freedom could reach across the world. “Murders, deaths or assassinations are no solution to any problem,” he added. The District Congress Seva Dal, Jammu Urban, also organised a meeting at Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. BS Sambyal, state president of the Congress Seva Dal, paid tributes to the late leader. The party workers observed a two-minute silence. Addressing the gathering, Sambyal said the late leader was the real leader of the poor, Schedule Castes and farmers.” During her regime many revolutionary developments took place. She was a real democrat and she gave a modern look to the Indian democracy, besides bringing the name of India on the world map,” he added. Others who spoke on the occasion were Vipan Nichal, SS Jamwal, Anil Sharma, JK Koul, Rajni Sharma, Sanjeshwar Singh, Krishan Lal and Harinder Singh. Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Gujjar Mahasabha, Jammu and Kashmir, also paid homage to Indira Gandhi. Eshfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal, president of the Mahasabha, appreciated Indira’s strong passion for the uplift of the Gujjar community. “The opening of mobile schools, the setting up of hostels for Gujjar students, the starting of Gojri news and programmes on radio, Doordarshan and declaring the Gujjar community a Schedule Tribe were some of Indira’s gifts to the community,” he said. Prominent Gujjar leaders, who also spoke on the occasion, included Choudhary Abdul Qayom, Choudhary Alam Din and Choudhary Bashir Ahmad. Srinagar: Rich tributes were paid to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 27th death anniversary at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office here today, in which a number of prominent leaders and party workers participated. The leaders dwelt upon the contribution of Indira towards the reconstruction of the country and keeping it in line with developed countries in fields like science and technology, agriculture, education and use of nuclear energy for generating electricity. Others senior party leaders who addressed the meeting included former PCC chief, Ghulam Rasool Kar, Bashir Ahmad Magrey MLC and others.
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Kak’s book on Emergency
Jammu, October 31 The writer hails from the state and worked as a journalist with The Tribune. The author claims in the book that he had been a victim of the misuse of powers by the government during Emergency. He highlights in simple words the atmosphere that prevailed in the country and in jails, especially in Hisar and Srinagar. “Those political leaders, who were frequent visitors to the residence of the author, never paid a visit after his detention to find out about the welfare of his wife and two girls,” the author claims. He also highlights the intervention of Sheikh Abdullah, who asked the then Haryana Chief
Minister, Bansi Lal, to release Kak. |
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Congress minister’s anti-party remarks draw ire of JKPCC
Jammu, October 31 After paying homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary here, the JKPCC leaders criticised Mohiuddin for his acts of individualism. The party leaders have now requested the party high command to take serious cognisance of Mohiuddin’s remarks at a recent press conference in Srinagar. The Congress minister, at the press conference, had claimed that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had consulted him on the AFSPA withdrawal. There was complete unanimity within the party over the issues like the AFSPA, and rotation of chief ministership, they said. In his address, former MP and senior vice-president of the JKPCC Dharam Pal Sharma said the Congress endorsed the stand of JKPCC president Saifuddin Soz, be it on the AFSPA or other issues. “No one has the right to contradict the president on issues which have also been endorsed by the AICC,” Sharma said. Former deputy chief minister and veteran Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma, who in the past had raised the issue of having rotation of chief ministership in the state, also castigated Mohiuddin for his unwarranted utterances. “None is above the party and the party is supreme,” he said. He also urged the Congress high command to consider the aspirations of Congressmen in the state in order to further strengthen the party. President of the District Congress Committee, Jammu (urban), Om Chopra also expressed regrets over the recent developments in the state. The Congress high command should take note of the aspirations of the party vis-ŕ-vis acts of indiscipline and individualism by some leaders, who are crossing the limits, he said. Earlier, senior Congress leader S R Sudhir initiated a debate on the recent political developments in the state while referring to Mohiuddin’s statement at a press conference. Sudhir felt that the statement of the Minister was “highly objectionable” and “without any authority”. |
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Mehbooba re-elected PDP chief for fourth term
Srinagar, October 31 Mehbooba, 52, a law graduate from the University of Kashmir, joined politics in 1996 when she was elected from the Bijbehara Assembly seat on Congress ticket. She subsequently broke away from the Congress and contested the 1999 Lok Sabha elections as a PDP candidate from Srinagar but lost to sitting NC member Omar Abdullah. In 2002, she won the Pahalgam Assembly seat. She was elected the PDP president for the first time in 2003 and she had been holding the post since then. She became a member of the Lok Sabha from Anantnag in 2004. Addressing party workers after her election at her Gupkar residence, Mehbooba said the PDP had restored people’s faith in democracy. She lamented that the coalition government led by Omar Abdullah was trying to undermine democratic institutions. “The PDP has restored the people’s faith in democracy, but the present government headed by the NC is brazenly trying to undermine democratic institutions,” she said. “Today, corruption and
mis-governance are the biggest issues before the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said and pointed towards the killing of NC worker Syed Mohammad
Yousuf. Mehbooba claimed Yousuf’s death had exposed the prevailing mess in the state government and the NC. She added the incident had removed the lid off the mess. “Our party has not only created a sense of security among the people but also set an example of good governance after it attained power in 2002,” she said. The biggest achievement of the PDP was restoring people’s faith in democracy and democratic institutions. “Unlike other parts of the country, the taste of democracy was denied historically to the people of Jammu and Kashmir because the NC had never allowed democratic institutions to flourish in the state,” she maintained. It was the PDP which had convinced the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to ensure free and fair elections in the
state. PDP spokesman Nayeem Akhtar welcomed Mehbooba’s re-election and said she would work towards strengthening the democratic process in the state. |
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Auction of Kashmir sapphire corundum from November 18
Jammu, October 31 “We are auctioning the sapphire corundum through an open market on
November 18 and 19 in the winter capital,” said Abid Sohial Hussain, General Manager of the Jammu
and Kashmir Minerals Limited. The world famous sapphire corundum extracted from the Padder mines in Kishtwar district would be put on sale by the
corporation at auditorium hall in the Udhyog Bhawan, Rail Head Complex in Jammu. Jammu and Kashmir Minerals Limited had earlier put on auction
around 14,493,870 gm of rough sapphire corundum on April 26 and 27 this year. This is for the fourth time since 1988 that the corporation has notified the sale of rough sapphire
corundum through an open auction. The auction was also held on February 8 and 9, 2010, yielding Rs 74.69 lakh to the corporation. The state of Jammu and Kashmir produces the world’s best quality
sapphires, which are extracted from the inhospitable Himalayan mines located in the
Padder area, about 330 km from the winter capital. — PTI |
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IAF stall draws huge crowd
Jammu, October 31 The main attraction of the stall was the presentation run throughout the period of the mela, on various opportunities available in the Air Force as well as other visuals on the Air Force related material. The opportunities in the IAF were also highlighted through various display boards and posters. Several colourful books and magazines related to the Air Force with attractive pictures of various aircraft, weapon system, radars and technology used by the IAF were kept in the stall for visitors, who were curious to know more about the Air Force. The air warriors were readily available to give guidance to the aspiring youth, who wanted to know about career opportunities available in the Air Force. Pamphlets and other publicity material were also distributed to them. The people who visited the stall were very much impressed and motivated. Several people expressed their appreciation for the stall in particular and the IAF in general. Various dignitaries who visited the stall included RS Chib, Minister of Medical Education and Youth Affairs, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister of Health and Floriculture, Ashok Khajuria, BJP MLA from Jammu East and Zahida Khan, Deputy Commissioner,
Kathua. |
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Workshop on public libraries concludes
Srinagar, October 31 The Director, Libraries and Research, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, presided over the concluding function. Meanwhile, a similar three-day workshop began in Jammu today. Khalid underscored the importance of the project for the upgrade and improvement of public libraries in the state and called upon the trainee workforce to complete its implementation within the stipulated time. He hoped that they would work with dedication and sincerity to achieve the objective of the government in providing best library facilities to the public. He interacted with the participants and project workforce. Khalid said with the completion of the project in conjuncture with another project in the pipeline to digitise and build an archive of rare books and manuscripts, the public library facilities in Jammu and Kashmir would be revolutionised in the coming years. He appreciated the National Informatics Centre (NIC) faculty in conducting the workshop and making it easier for the participants to understand the operation of the e-Granthalaya software. The workshop was conducted by Technical Directors of the NIC RK Matoria and Salim Khan. With the conclusion of the workshop the implementation of the project began at SPS Library, Oriental Research Library and City Central Library here today.
— TNS |
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Lakhanpur-Srinagar highway renamed
Jammu, October 31 Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Col MK Jain (retd), in-charge of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Jammu and Kashmir, said the name of this important highway had been changed. “With the fresh notification in the official gazette, the NH 1-A has been renamed NH-44. The Union ministry has adopted some scientific way to locate the national highways across the country, under which this national highway has been renamed,” Jain said. He said the NHAI would also change the signboards installed on the highway shortly. Besides, Jain confirmed that other national highways across the state had also been renamed. “The Uri-Srinagar-Leh National Highway has been renamed NH-1, the Kishtwar-Batote National Highway NH 244, while the Domel-Katra National Highway has also been renamed NH 144,” he said. Jain said, “Earlier there has been some confusion regarding the national highways, which the ministry has tried to clear.” He added the national highways all over the country were renamed. “Now, all the national highways have been renamed numerically, which will help remove confusion,” he said. |
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Jammu, October 31 “The first ever official website of a subdivision in Jammu and Kashmir state -- Dudu-Basantgarh in Udhampur district -- would be launched tomorrow,” said Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Basantgarh, Amit Sharma. The website "dudubasantgarh.gov.in" would be launched by the Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation at Udhampur district headquarters, Sharma said. Dudu-Basantgarh is a mountainous belt of Jammu and Kashmir, which was battered by the two-decade-long militancy. Jammu and Kashmir has already 22 district websites and 19 departmental or corporations websites to inform people about development programmes, schemes and public utility services. — PTI
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Two drug peddlers held, intoxicants recovered
Jammu, October 31 Official sources said, a police party headed by inspector Sandeep Mahajan nabbed Rohit Kumar alias, Vicky of Pathankot and Jatinder Sharma alias, Mintu of Maheshpura in Jammu during a routine checking at Phallah Morh in Samba district. The police recovered 70 bottles of Corex cough syrup and 1,100 capsules of Pyremol Spasm from their possession. A case under Section 8/21/22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered against them.
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Decision on suspended MLAs by Dec-end: BJP Jammu, October 31 The party’s parliamentary board has taken its decision and will announce the verdict before December 31, state BJP chief Shamsher Singh Manhas told mediapersons here. He added that there was no “confusion” and the party high command would announce its decision soon. — TNS
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Health camp organised
Jammu, October 31 |
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Jammu, October 31
To cash in on the huge global demand for pure ‘Kashmir sapphire’, the state government would auction the fresh stock of sapphire corundum on November 18 and 19 in Jammu.
“We are auctioning the sapphire corundum through an open market on
November 18 and 19 in the winter capital,” said Abid Sohial Hussain, General Manager of the Jammu
and Kashmir Minerals Limited. The world famous sapphire corundum extracted from the Padder mines in Kishtwar district would be put on sale by the
corporation at auditorium hall in the Udhyog Bhawan, Rail Head Complex in Jammu.
