'I am not sure of the numbers killed, but they were not as high as the use of the word 'genocide' suggests.' 'There is another meaning you could take, 'cultural genocide', in that the Pandit community is extremely small and their forced departure led to a wiping out of their culture.'
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday convened an all-party meet on the Amarnath issue on August 6.
The ministry of renewable energy resources headed by Farooq Abdullah is taking a close look at various proposals made by a Finish delegation led by Paavo Vayrynen, Minister for foreign trade and development.
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that a section of farmers has fallen in the grip of a few people with "vested interests" and asserted that the government was working to address their misgivings about the reforms, which have drawn strong protests from a section of cultivators.
Attacking the media, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said it plays "tricks" so that "one fellow should go down and second fellow should come up".
"India cannot be run on the basis of one religion. And there is more threat from the enemy within. We know about the enemy which is outside," Abdullah said.
Contending that most people of Jammu and Kashmir, including areas under Pakistani occupation, want to be with India, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah ridiculed demands for "independence", saying said the separatists were not aware of its consequences on Thursday.
The government defended the decision to confer a Padma award to former militant Ghulam Mohammed Mir saying he has extended a "yoeman's service" to the national cause. "From the records available with us, Ghulam Mohammed Mir has performed a yeoman service for the national cause. Besides, we have glowing testimonials from eminent personalities like Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, Union Minister and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah.
The working committee of the ruling National Conference is holding a crucial session in Srinagar to discuss the prevailing situation in Kashmir on Thursday.
Supporting Omar Abdullah's demand for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said the chief minister is "the boss" in the state and the Centre should take his views on the controversial Act.
The United Progressive Alliance's first anniversary celebrations tomorrow are essentially going to be a Congress affair. Barring Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, no other top leader of any of the ally or supporting parties is expected to be present at the bash to mark six years in office of the Congress-led coalition.
The apex court asked Vaiko to challenge the NC leader's detention order under the Public Safety Act.
Trouble for beleaguered minister of state for external affairs, Shashi Tharoor grew on Friday with opposition paralysing Parliament demanding his removal and his own ministerial colleague Farooq Abdullah favouring his stepping down to protect the "honour" of the government.
Regional films may have prevailed over the country, but regional leaders still have far mountains to climb to reach Delhi, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.
In a series of tweets, Shah also questioned Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi whether they support the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a conglomerate of regional and national political parties in Jammu and Kashmir formed to demand the restoration of the Article 370, scrapped last year.
Farooq Abdullah and Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Saturday sparred in public with the former chief minister asking him to give up his "movement of violence" in Jammu and Kashmir and telling him secession can never be accepted.
Friends of former Union minister and senior Janata Dal-United leader George Fernandes on Tuesday made an appeal, endorsed by many eminent personalities like Union ministers Farooq Abdullah, Jaswant Singh, business tycoon Rahul Bajaj, eminent dancer Dr Sonal Mansingh among others.
Making light of Sunday's incident in Srinagar in which a shoe was flung towards his son, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday said it was 'wonderful' that he has joined the elite club of former United States President George Bush, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and other leaders.
'We are never going to get 303 seats again. Let us push through all the anti-Muslim legislation that we have in mind'
The Amarnath pilgrimage resumed on Monday after remaining suspended for three days following flash floods that claimed 15 lives, while the Jammu and Kashmir administration said it would get a clear picture by Tuesday about the damage.
The first meeting of the Group of Ministers on inclusion of caste categories in the census is likely to be held on July 1.
The noose tightened further around Lalit Modi on Friday with the Indian Premier League Governing Council member Farooq Abdullah saying that the suspended commissioner of the Twenty20 league committed "major irregularities" during his days in the office.
The detenues are likely to be released on Saturday as some of them are lodged in prisons located outside the union territory in places like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, they said.
Criticising both the Peoples Democratic Party and the National Conference as Kashmir-centric parties which discriminate against the Jammu region, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday termed former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah's statement that there is a BJP-PDP alliance as "totally irresponsible and politically motivated".
Making it amply clear that IPL chairman Lalit Modi will have to face some tough questions at the upcoming BCCI Working Committee meeting, JKCA president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said there are some "issues" that need to be sorted out.
National Conference president and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah has said that Kashmir has been and will always remain a part of India.Abdullah said, "Many innocent children died (during the recent unrest in Kashmir). Many of our security persons got hurt. But that is the price India has to pay if it has to remain united. Those forces that work to divide us."
The National Conference on Thursday ruled out resignation by beleaguered Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as he got backing from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who said he was doing a "tough job" and needed "time and support".
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has threatened to resign in the wake of the government's decision to call an all party meeting on Wednesday on the issue of repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the valley. "I will have to think whether to continue as chief minister of the state or not. Let my party president Dr Farooq Abdullah return and we will discuss the situation," Omar said.
Azad was always a reluctant chief minister; coping with the swine flu scare might make him yearn for his former job.
A war of words has broken out between ruling National Conference and Opposition People's Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir over posting of pictures on a networking site, caricaturing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his father Farooq Abdullah and late grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah as characters of the film 3 Idiots.
Making light of Sunday's incident, in which a shoe was flung towards his son Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah said it was "wonderful" that he has joined the elite club of former US President George Bush, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and other leaders.
It has never been the practice to discuss in the public domain the details of deployment and movement of paramilitary forces deployed in a particular theatre.
Terming the displacement of Pandits from the Valley as "one of the darkest chapters" in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah asked the displaced people for "forgiveness."
The representatives of thousands of agitating farmers, who are sitting on various borders of the national capital since November 26 demanding repeal of the three agri laws, have said that the countrywide strike on Tuesday would be observed with full force.
A day into the Copenhagen climate change meetings, the Union ministry of new and renewable energy has indicated that it has no definite roadmap to implement its ambitious target of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022.
Jammu and Kashmir politicians have welcomed the Union home minister's decision to possibly reduce the number of troops in the state.
Union minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah came out strongly against tapping of phones, over the leak of tapes involving corporate heads, lobbyists and media personalities on Tuesday.
The Lok Sabha, chaired by Speaker Om Birla, has been working for more than its scheduled time and has sat till midnight on two occasions to complete its legislative business.
Congress on Wednesday downplayed reports of a possible split in its alliance with the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir even as NC president Farooq Abdullah said that his son and state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would take the final decision on the ties between the two parties.
Services were on Tuesday banned from this year's Ranji Trophy cricket season for skipping a match against Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar citing security reasons. The decision came soon after the state body's angry outburst against the last-minute pull-out.
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