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Let Omar, PC take a call on AFSPA: Azad
Farooq tells Kamal to resign as NC spokesman
Fissures in BJP deepen
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Fresh strain in NC-Cong camp
Govt discriminating against Jammu region, says Gupta
‘Panthers Party, BJP misguiding students’
Students again plan to gherao secretariat
‘BSF has no stakes in AFSPA issue’
Army trains youth for recruitment
US Congress delegation calls
on Governor
Governor inaugurates hospital at Katra
Gurpurb celebrated with religious fervour
420 tins of govt resin seized
Gharu Ram appointed observer for Punjab poll
Infiltration bid foiled in Poonch
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Let Omar, PC take a call on AFSPA: Azad
Jammu, November 10 “It is the prerogative of the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of the state to take decision on the AFSPA,” Azad told the mediapersons on the sidelines of a Diwali-Eid Milan function organised by lawyers of Jammu. Coming out openly in support of Omar Abdullah, Azad said: “We should not make a big issue out of it, this is something which should be left to the Chief Minister of the state and to the Union Home Minister.” He further observed that both the Chief Minister and the Union Home Minister were the proper persons to know about the ground situation in the state. He clarified that the Chief Minister was not asking for lifting of the AFSPA from the entire state. “If the Union Government and the state government have come to the conclusion that there are some areas where there is no need for the AFSPA, then nobody should make it a political issue,” he said. In a veiled attack on the JKPCC chief for raking up the issue, Azad remarked: “It is a very sensitive matter and it should not be politicised for settling political scores.” Azad observed that the problem in Jammu Kashmir was that people tried to exploit the situation and made an issue out of everything. He said instead of politicising the issue, all political parties should evolve a consensus on the AFSPA. When asked about the difference of opinion between the Army and Omar Abdullah on the issue, Azad said: “It is for the Home Minister to take it up with the Defence Ministry. There should not be any public debate on the issue”. “Why should we give an impression that nothing has changed in 20 years,” he said.
Azadspeak
It is the prerogative of the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of the state to take a decision on the
AFSPA. It (AFSPA) is a very sensitive matter and it should not be politicised for settling political scores. It is for the Home Minister to take it up (AFSPA) with the Defence Ministry. There should not be any public debate on the issue. Why should we give an impression that nothing has changed in 20 years? |
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Farooq tells Kamal to resign as NC spokesman
Jammu, November 10 According to a press note issued by the party from Srinagar, Farooq said he had to take this difficult decision because Kamal had been making statements which were not in tandem with the policies of the NC and were against the coalition dharma. He said the NC was committed to the NC-Congress coalition government and any indiscipline in this regard in the party would not be tolerated. Despite repeated attempts, Kamal could not be contacted for comments. |
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Fissures in BJP deepen
Jammu, November 10 Sources in the party said the decision to take the 10-day-long Jan Jagran Yatra in Jammu region was taken unilaterally by a group without consulting all senior leaders and this decision had infuriated a section within the party. “The Jan Jagran Yatra has so far not received an encouraging response because the decision to take the yatra at this time was wrong”, a senior BJP leader told The Tribune on condition of anonymity. He pointed out that farmers, especially of plain areas of Jammu region, were busy with the reaping process so the turnout for the yatra was poor even in areas which were considered BJP strongholds. The sources said on the one hand dissidents, who owe their allegiance to expelled party leader Chaman Lal Gupta, have stepped up attack on party leadership while on the other hand a faction within the party was annoyed over the style of functioning of those who were the at the helm of affairs. “Neither organisations of the Sangh Parivar nor senior leaders are taken into confidence while taking important decisions,” a senior leader said, adding that a group of people were running the party without consulting other senior leaders. Another senior leader on condition of anonymity said the party leadership had selected Dussehra Ground of Gandhi Nagar as venue of the rally scheduled to be addressed by party stalwart L K Advani as there was a feeling among the state leadership that they could not mobilise a big gathering. “The BJP has rarely organised a rally at Dussehra Ground, which has very less capacity”, party insiders pointed out and added that the selection of the venue reflected that party leaders had accepted that it was not possible for them to mobilise crowds for Advani’s rally. |
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Fresh strain in NC-Cong camp
Srinagar, November 10 “I don't know whether Soz sahab is authorised to speak on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, most certainly I am not,” the National Conference leader said, noting that Rahul had never said anything about the issues of governance in the state. Omar's comments came after a local daily published an interview of Soz, in which he claimed Rahul was “not happy” with the governance in the state. “If Rahul has certain feelings regarding the governance, he will make them known to me. All I can say is that in all the years that I have known Rahul, he has not said anything regarding the way in which the governance has been functioning here,” Omar said. “If he (Rahul) has spoken to Soz sahab and Soz sahab is authorised to speak on Rahul's behalf then I really have nothing more to say about that,” the Chief Minister said. Differences between the ruling National Conference and its coalition partner Congress came to the fore recently when the state Congress rallied behind the Army after Omar announced plans to partially revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state. Soz had on October 28 accused Omar of not consulting his party for evolving a consensus before unilaterally announcing that the Act would be revoked from some areas in the state. Omar, however, today asserted that his government had the authority to revoke the “controversial” law. "I have the authority. The elected state government of any state has the authority. In this case (revocation of the AFSPA), the authority rests with the Governor who would act on the basis of the state government's recommendations,” he said a day after holding discussions with the Army on the possibility of partial revocation of the AFSPA. — PTI
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Govt discriminating against Jammu region, says Gupta
Jammu, November 10 Gupta said the Jammu region had been denied due representation in the state Assembly and the coalition government had always opposed resolutions and bills moved by the Opposition for the fresh delimitation of the Assembly constituencies though the Congress had in its election manifesto promised to carry out the exercise. Gupta added the voter lists had been manipulated and the number of electorates in the Jammu region had reduced as the names of a large number of voters had been deleted. Even the voter lists for the civic elections in the region, especially in Jammu city, had been manipulated and the names of a large number of voters had been deleted. Gupta alleged the government had been discriminating against the region in the allotment of funds for developmental activities. This fact had even been acknowledged by the interlocutors in their report submitted to the Union Home Minister. |
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Recruitment Policy
Jammu, November 10 Rahul said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had clarified that the government was facing a financial crunch and it had been advised to ban recruitment for two years, which was not acceptable to him (Omar). Therefore, the government took an innovative decision to engage people on a permanent basis but initially on a stipend to ensure that employment opportunities did not freeze. |
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Students again plan to gherao secretariat
Jammu, November 10 Sources say this time students will not give any such call in advance, as the police may thwart their plan. All major student unions, which had yesterday attempted to go to the secretariat, have been holding secret meetings to plan the protest march against the new recruitment policy. A student leader preferring anonymity told The Tribune that they would not budge from their stand until the government revoked the “anti-youth” policy. “We are sticking to our genuine demand and will adopt all means to get it fulfilled. The student community across the state is feeling let down by this controversial policy. Some time soon we will definitely move towards the secretariat. This time no one would be informed in advance about the protest demonstration,” he added. Another student leader said: “We are the least bothered about the police’s brutality. They can arrest our leaders, but they can’t suppress our voice. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah seems to be the least bothered about the future of the younger generation. To show him students’ power, we will again go to the secretariat, but the protest will be free from violence.” |
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‘BSF has no stakes in AFSPA issue’
Jammu, November 10 “We are guarding the international border and part of the Line of Control. Therefore, the BSF is not among the stakeholders vis-à-vis the AFSPA,” said IG BSF, Jammu Frontier, AK Jain. Since we are not taking part in any counter-insurgency (CI) operation and are sitting on the border, the AFSPA is not applicable to us, he said. He, however, said the BSF had been a part of the CI operations in the past but since 2006 the BSF had pulled out of the CI operations and had been just guarding the borders. |
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Army trains youth for recruitment
Jammu, November 10 The aim of the training was to prepare, guide and train the youth under the close supervision of qualified Army instructors for recruitment rallies. As part of the initiative, the Rashtriya Rifles battalion, under the aegis of the Romeo Force, carried out the screening of eligible volunteer youth in the respective areas of responsibility. Twenty-four candidates were shortlisted in the qualifying test conducted on the first day. The shortlisted youth were given systematic training to ensure that they qualify physical and written tests at the recruitment rallies of the Army and the Central armed police forces. During the training, the candidates were put through rigorous physical activities and given guidance for written exams and practical tips for the selection test. Mujibul Rehman of Doda, who stood first in the final test, said the training imparted to them had increased their confidence level. While speaking to mediapersons, Sarfaraz Ahmed, a teacher at Sher-e-Kashmir High School, Darhal, who taught maths and English to the candidates, said the Army had taken a right step by guiding the youth towards a noble profession. Parents of the youth and the local population appreciated the noble gesture of the Army. |
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US Congress delegation calls
on Governor
Jammu, November 10 The US delegation is on a week-long visit to India. It comprises Devin Nunes, Congressman and Political Counsellor at US Embassy, Herro Mustafa and two staff members of the HPSCI. During the meeting, the Governor and the visiting delegation discussed the issues of mutual security interest.
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Governor inaugurates hospital at Katra
Udhampur, November 10 The double-storeyed hospital, having a plinth area of about 25,000 square feet, has been completed in 20 months by the Jammu and Kashmir Police Housing Corporation at a cost of Rs 5.80 crore. It is equipped with modern diagnostic and treatment facilities. The Governor congratulated Minister for Health Sham Lal Sharma, the Health Department and the Jammu and Kashmir Police Housing Corporation for the completion of the hospital in time. He emphasised the need for ensuring quality emergency facilities at Katra, particularly in view of the emerging needs of the people of the area and the progressively increasing number of pilgrims. This hospital would need to particularly provide services in the areas of cardiology, orthopaedics and surgery to ensure that fewer patients were referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, he added. The Governor said with the start of train services at Katra in the coming months, the number of pilgrims directly reaching there would go up considerably, and, therefore, there was a need to plan all the vital facilities like wide internal roads, water and power supply, sanitation, traffic management etc. to meet further needs. Referring to various development schemes taken up by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the Governor, who is its chairman, said the upcoming material ropeway project from Siar Dabri to the Bhawan and a passenger ropeway from the Bhawan to Bhairo Ghati, both costing about Rs 65 crore, were aimed at meeting the future requirements of the increasing number of pilgrims. The Health Minister presented a memento to the Governor on the occasion and thanked him for taking keen interest in the promotion of healthcare services across the state. The Governor went around various sections of the hospital and enquired about the diagnostic and other facilities made available to the patients. MLA, Reasi, Baldev Raj Sharma also thanked the Governor and the shrine board for taking various initiatives that led to an increase in the number of pilgrims. |
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Gurpurb celebrated with religious fervour
Jammu, November 10 A large number of devotees from Jammu and nearby areas gathered at the gurdwara to pay obeisance to Guru Nanak Dev. A community lunch was also organised for the devotees. The ragi jatha of Bhai Kanwarpal Singh from Dehradun recited gurbani kirtan on the occasion, while parcharak Bhai Sarbjeet Singh threw light on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev. Bibi Amarjit Kour Parwana from Mumbai also spoke on the occasion. The DGPC members, including president Dalip Singh, secretary Manjit Singh and cashier Manjeet Singh, were present at the function. The speakers alleged that the state government was discriminating against Sikhs and passed a resolution seeking redress of their long-pending demands. The demands included the introduction of Punjabi as an optional subject in government schools, due importance to the language in programmes broadcast by the radio and television channels, the road stretch from Bikram Chowk to the railway station be named as Sri Guru Gobind Singh Marg, the establishment of a Guru Govind Singh chair at the University of Jammu and the induction of a Sikh legislator into the Cabinet, besides the constitution of a minority commission to safeguard the interests of the community. The DGPC members also demanded five per cent reservation for the community in educational institutions and government jobs. “The Sikh community suffered huge losses in the riots in Jammu 1989. Though the Ansari Commission was appointed to inquire into the riots, its report had not been implemented so far,” they said and demanded that the report of the commission be implemented without further delay. Meanwhile, in a message of greetings, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wished the people happiness and well-being and peace and prosperity in the state. He expressed the hope that the day would prove to be a harbinger of tranquillity and all round development in the country. |
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420 tins of govt resin seized
Udhampur, November 10 On the basis of a complaint lodged by the Forest Department against some anti-social elements of the Battal-Ballian area in Udhampur, a police team was deputed to apprehend the accused, said SSP, Udhampur, Shakeel Ahmed Beig. During investigations, resin smuggler Govind Ram, a resident of Paldai village in Majalta tehsil of Udhampur district, was arrested from Narot Jaimal Singh in Pathankot district and 420 tins of resin was seized from his possession. The truck being used in the smuggling of resin was also impounded and a case registered against the accused.
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Gharu Ram appointed observer for Punjab poll
Jammu, November 10 According to an official letter issued by Gulchain Singh Charak, in-charge of the Congress affairs in the state, the appointment of Gharu Ram as an observer for the Punjab Assembly elections was approved by All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi. Gharu Ram is a senior Congress leader of the state and has represented the Suchetgarh Assembly segment from 2002 to 2008. He was a minister in the Congress-PDP coalition regime. — TNS
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Infiltration bid foiled in Poonch
Jammu, November 10 An Army spokesperson said the troops spotted a group of militants near a nullah close to the LoC in the Balakote belt of the Poonch sector. They challenged the intruders, resulting in a brief exchange of fire, he added. The security forces also came under fire from the other side of the LoC. However, there was no casualty or injury to any soldier and the infiltration attempt was foiled, said the spokesperson. — TNS
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Even as Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz has opposed the “unilateral” announcement of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some parts of the state, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today came out openly in support of Omar Abdullah on the controversial issue.
Srinagar, November 10
Gurpurb, birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, was celebrated with religious fervour here today. The District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DGPC), Jammu, organised the main function at Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Devji, Chand Nagar, here.
