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Factionalism in BJP comes
to fore at ‘jail bharo’ stir
Little chance of third front coming up: Azad
Mela Kheer Bhawani celebrated with fervour |
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Jagti Pandits protest before Omar
Usha Vohra for effective enforcement of laws on children, women
Parliamentary panel members meet Chief
Secy
Panchayat members to campaign against NC ahead of 2014 polls
Valley’s children want to be part of larger canvas: CJI
KU students refuse to stand up for National Anthem
Congress minister hits back at National Conference
leader
Soz meets Governor
Tributes paid to Maharaja Gulab Singh
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Factionalism in BJP comes
to fore at ‘jail bharo’ stir
Jammu, June 17 The nationwide protest was launched today to expose “rampant corruption and scams in the UPA government. Instead of
exposing the scams and scandals of the UPA government, BJP workers were more interested in hailing their leaders rather than shouting slogans against the UPA regime. During the protest, a group of party workers trooped towards a bridge on the Tawi river to disrupt vehicular traffic. While disrupting the traffic, they started shouting slogans in favour of Ashok Khajuria, party MLA from Jammu (East). Meanwhile, another group of the party workers tried to counter them by shouting slogans in favour of the party. Ultimately, supporters of state BJP president Jugal Kishore Sharma also resorted to slogan-shouting in his favour. For quite some time, supporters of both leaders were seen indulging in sloganeering. It was stopped only after police vehicles reached there and took all BJP leaders into preventive custody. Insiders said hectic lobbying was going on in the BJP to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. After elevation of Narendra Modi, there was a feeling among leaders that the party was in a position to win at least two Lok Sabha seats from the Jammu region, they said. Jugal, who is a two-time MLA from Nagrota constituency, is the front-runner for the party ticket from the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat. Veteran leader Khajuria is also eyeing the same seat. Khajuria has been projecting himself as an undisputed Brahmin leader of the party to stake his claim. Publicly, both the leaders have cordial relations, but they are trying to undermine each other while staking their claims on the Lok Sabha seat. Modi mania grips workers Like in other parts of the country, Modi mania seems to have gripped party workers here too. During the protest, a large number of party workers were seen carrying posters of Narendra Modi. When leaders were delivering speeches, party workers, especially from rural areas, were shouting slogans in favour of
Modi. |
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Little chance of third front coming up: Azad
Srinagar, June 17 “I think Modi is a danger for the BJP,” Azad told reporters on the sidelines of a function in the city here. The Union Health Minister, who has held several high profile posts in the Congress, said Modi’s elevation to head the 2014 election campaign for the BJP has already caused a split in the BJP-led alliance. “With Modi’s arrival (elevation), the Congress has strengthened and the BJP has split and its alliances have broken,” he said. The BJP-led opposition alliance NDA suffered a setback yesterday when its ally JD(U), angry over Modi’s elevation, broke off the 17-year-old alliance. Azad said the JD(U) should have split from the BJP years ago and termed the JD(U) leaders as “secular people”. “What Nitish Kumar should have done 15 years ago, he has done it today. I know Nitish and Yadav from a long time. I know their policy. They have always been very secular people. I don’t know how they got into an alliance with the BJP. Nonetheless, its better late than never,” the Union minister said. He said it would be too early to say whether the JD(U) could or should join the UPA but predicted that the polarisation would grow on the political scene. “As of now, the evident change that has come on the national scene in India’s politics is that a majority of political parties have accepted secularism.” The Union minister said there was little chance of formation of a third front. “Ultimately, I think in the next six months, there will be only two fronts — the secular front headed by the Congress and the non-secular front,” he said. |
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Mela Kheer Bhawani celebrated with fervour
Tulamulla (Ganderbal), June 17 Not only Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Muslims, too, participated in the celebrations reciting religious hymns on the occasion. Jyeshtha Ashtami is celebrated in May-June every year. Many Muslims could be seen facilitating ‘puja’ items to devotees. “We prayed for peace, prosperity and well-being of all,” said Ravinder Koul, a migrant Pandit from Jammu. He said he had been visiting the temple every year for the past two decades and that the participation of other communities gave it a cosmopolitan look. Pointing to the crystal clear water of the spring, believed to be the abode of Goddess Ragnya Devi, Koul said it was indicative of peace and prosperity. Devotees, on their arrival from distant places, were accommodated in various buildings, prayer halls, tents and langars of the Dharmarth Trust. “The attendance of a large number of devotees as compared to the number of pilgrims in the 1990s signifies that peace has returned to Kashmir,” said ML Bhat of the Dharmarth Trust. He said the increasing number of devotees and the clear water colour at the spring was a “good sign”. “It all shows that things will improve,” he said. Senior Congress leader and Dharmarth Trust chairman Karan Singh visited the shrine complex prior to the festival to review the arrangements and facilities being provided by the civil administration for pilgrims. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, state Assembly Speaker Mubarak Gul, other ministers and leaders, including JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik too paid obeisance to the Goddess. The Chief Minister said his government was keen to see a smooth and peaceful return of Kashmiri Pandits to their native land to live in harmony with their Muslim brethren. He said he wanted to “see the tradition of communal amity, which the state is known for, being nurtured and strengthened”. |
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Jagti Pandits protest before Omar
Tulamulla (Ganderbal), June 17 While thousands of migrant Pandits thronged the shrine to pay obeisance to the Goddess on the festival, the group lodged a strong protest before
Omar by raising slogans against power curtailment in their township. “Had an excellent visit to the Kheer Bhawani temple this morning, a small rowdy fringe notwithstanding,” the Chief Minister tweeted later. Meanwhile, the Minority Cell of the ruling National Conference condemned the “unruly behaviour” of the group and said it was “a vain bid to vitiate the serene atmosphere on the auspicious occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami”. In a joint statement, Anil Dhar (working president of state NC Minority Cell), ML Munshi, AK Hangloo, Jatin Bhat and others described it as an unfortunate incident saying this was no way of highlighting the problems. They said for their
political motives, the group had ignored the sanctity of the occasion and hurt
the sentiments of some devotees. The senior NC leader and MLC also regretted the unbecoming attitude of a handful of “miscreants” who vitiated the religious atmosphere by indulging in sloganeering. He, however, appreciated that a majority of the devotees isolated the “miscreants who tried to disturb the peaceful and serene atmosphere” on the auspicious occasion. |
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Usha Vohra for effective enforcement of laws on children, women
Srinagar, June 17 She was speaking while chairing a seminar on ‘Rights of women and children --- a constitutional perspective’ here on Sunday evening. The seminar was organised by the state Judicial Academy at the newly inaugurated academy complex at Mominabad in Srinagar. Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir, Supreme Court judge Tirath Singh Thakur, Chief Justice of J&K High Court MM Kumar and other judges of the court were among those present during the seminar. In her address, Usha Vohra emphasised the need to effectively enforce the Constitutional and other legal provisions to ensure protection and promotion of rights of women and children. She referred to provisions concerned in the Constitution, related statutes and a number of ratified conventions in this regard and said campaigns for spreading awareness and bringing about attitudinal changes in society were imperative to secure desired results. She said education was the key to development and empowerment and so, it was important to give sustained attention towards the promotion of education, particularly of the girl child, along with addressing the issue of drop-outs. Referring to human development indicators, she said despite the country making tremendous progress on various fronts with healthcare services being expanded, life span getting increased and country attaining self-sufficiency in foodgrain production, there was still an urgent need to ensure that the benefits of development flowed to one and all. She said the health of women and nutritional requirements of children needed attention. Referring to child rights, the First Lady said the juvenile justice system in the country needed improvements and juvenile homes should be run efficiently. |
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Parliamentary panel members meet Chief
Secy
Srinagar, June 17 An overview of various welfare programmes, which are being implemented in the state, was presented by the departmental heads concerned, an official spokesman said. The committee enquired about various schemes aimed at rehabilitation and social, educational and economic empowerment of women, persons with disabilities, SCs, OBCs, senior citizens and widows. — TNS
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Panchayat members to campaign against NC ahead of 2014 polls
Srinagar, June 17 AJKPC chairman Shafiq Mir said the panchayat members would “teach a lesson” to the NC in the 2014 Assembly elections by launching a state-wide campaign. “The NC is the main hurdle as it has failed to play a positive role in the empowerment of panchayats. We will teach the ruling party a lesson in 2014 elections,” Mir told mediapersons on the sidelines of a function held here. Mir said the AJKPC would launch a state wide campaign along with the elected panchayat members. “The panches and sarpanches are representatives of their villages and we are preparing a plan of action regarding the campaign,” he added. While Mir welcomed the Centre’s recent announcement to provide Rs 10 lakh to each panchayat, he claimed that the state had “no role” to play in this regard. “We have been in touch with the Centre and also held meetings with Rahul Gandhi and all credit goes to him….the announcement had been delayed due to the anti-panchayat attitude of the state government. We have been in contact with the Centre and the state had no role,” he claimed. Mir also expressed apprehensions that the state government may ‘create impediments’ in the release of the announced central funds. Stating that “lot is yet to be done” vis-à-vis panchayat empowerment in the state and the same was “not possible” till the present coalition government was in power, he said “some” Congress leaders too had failed to play a positive role regarding their empowerment. However, he thanked Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prof Saifuddin Soz for being ‘vocal’ about the empowerment of
panchayats. |
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Valley’s children want to be part of larger canvas: CJI
Srinagar, June 17 The CJI made these comments while speaking at a seminar at Kashmir University here today. Justice Kabir, the first CJI to visit the university campus in 63 years, arrived in Srinagar on Sunday on a two-day visit. “I see a desire among the children of the Valley to come out and be a part of the larger canvas. It is pleasure to be among the law students of Kashmir University today,” Justice Kabir said in his presidential address at the seminar, while recalling his earlier interaction with law students from Kashmir during their visit to the Supreme Court at New Delhi. The topic of the seminar organised by the Law Department of Kashmir University was “Legal Education: Opportunities and Challenges”. “The children of the Kashmir valley, if properly exposed, can develop a proper practice of law and can do wonders,” he said, adding that things had changed and professionalism had come into every discipline, including the legal profession. The CJI said that “law is not all about making money” but also comes with a “social commitment”. “Normally, cartoons of lawyers are shown as the sharks, but that should change. And the onus lies on the young lawyers. We should stand for what is best in society.” In his address, the Supreme Court judge, Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, who hails from the Ramsu area of J&K, expressed his anguish over the changing value system in the legal profession while urging the upcoming lawyers to “resurrect” the profession. Justice Thakur said judges and lawyers had a “great” role in “maintaining the rule of law”, which helps in the establishment of “peace and prosperity”. “The rule of law sustains democracy. Subjectivity and arbitrariness should have no place in our lives,” he said. Chief Justice of J&K High Court MM Kumar, in his address while highlighting different aspects of the legal profession, educated the law students, who were present in strength, about the different career options available to them once they are out of their colleges and universities. In his inaugural addresses, the Dean and Head of Faculty of Law at Kashmir University, Farooq Ahmad Mir, said Justice Kabir had created history by being the first Chief Justice of India to have visited the university. Later, Kashmir University Vice Chancellor presented a brief about the activities of the university. |
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KU students refuse to stand up for National Anthem
Srinagar, June 17 As the Chief Justice of India, accompanied by the J&K HC Chief Justice, entered the convocation centre of Kashmir University, the students and other faculty members stood up to show their respect. However, after some time, when the National Anthem was being played out to formally begin the proceedings of the seminar, the students, both boys and girls, preferred not to stand up and remained seated. However, people in the front rows, mostly the faculty members and HC judges, stood up when the anthem was being played. Though a few students in the front rows tried to stand up, they were hooted at by students sitting in the back rows. Even many male students, wearing badges of volunteers, were seen asking students not to stand up during the National Anthem. “Why should we stand up, we are Kashmiris, not Indians,” a law student sitting in the middle row told a fellow student while asking him to sit down. Asked about his reaction over the issue, University Registrar Zaffar Reshi refused to comment. Controversies in the past
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Congress minister hits back at National Conference
leader
Jammu, June 17 Wani, a Cabinet Minister for Roads and Buildings (R&B), said the remarks of Kichloo, who holds the R&B portfolio as minister of state, were aimed at creating a rift between the coalition partners. The Congress minister asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to show the door to Kichloo for his “doubtful credentials”. Kichloo on Sunday had publicly alleged that some vested interests were trying to undermine his authority as minister of state. He alleged that his Cabinet minister had sidelined him in taking important decisions. The minister of state had written a letter to the Chief Minister on June 14, in which he had alleged that important files pertaining to development projects and transfers of officers in the R&B Department had been routed directly to the senior minister, bypassing him altogether. Wani, reacting sharply to Kichloo’s accusations, said the remarks of his junior went “against the canons of the coalition government”. He appealed to Omar to immediately take action against the erring minister who was “bent upon tarnishing” the image of the coalition government. Creating embarrassment for the coalition, Wani alleged that Kichloo had been deeply hurt when recently a close relative of his was not given a posting of his choice in the Estates Department, Jammu, which was under the control of the Chief Minister. Taking a dig at Kichloo, the Cabinet Minister observed, “It is only the arrogance and vested interests of the MoS concerned which forced him to take such an abrasive path”. In a veiled attack on the National Conference, the Congress minister said: “The Chief Minister should check the credentials of such an arrogant MoS who was recently involved in thrashing of a senior KAS officer, and who does not believe in hierarchy of power.” “Such elements in the coalition should invariably be shown the door as they ruin the smooth functioning of the system,” Wani stated in his appeal to the Chief Minister. |
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Soz meets Governor
Srinagar, June 17 During the meeting, the Governor and Soz discussed matters related to governance, growth and development of the state. |
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Tributes paid to Maharaja Gulab Singh
Jammu, June 17 The function was organised by Maharaja Gulab Singh Raj Tilak celebration committee in collaboration with Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust, Akhnoor. Members of Parliament Madan Lal Sharma and Chaudhary Lal Singh were among those present on the occasion. Sham said the contribution of Maharaja Gulab Singh towards the welfare and development of the state would be recognised and remembered by generations to come. He described him as a visionary and a brave human being who ensured justice to all and treated public as his family. “Maharaja was one of the greatest personalities that India produced in the nineteenth century,” he said. Sham said Maharaja Gulab Singh took personal interest in the management of affairs of the state. “He restored order in his territories, reduced refractory chiefs,” he said.
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Factionalism in the state BJP unit came to the fore on the first day of the “jail bharo andolan”, as supporters of the two party stalwarts were seen shouting slogans in favour of their respective leaders.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said Narendra Modi, who has been elevated as the chief campaigner of the BJP, has strengthened the Congress and is turning out to be a danger for the opposition right-wing party.
Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir has said there is a desire among the Valley’s children to come out and be a part of the larger canvas at the national scene. He said Kashmiri youth had the talent to do wonders if provided the proper exposure.
