'Elements like the LeT may see the fight against the coronavirus as an opportunity of a lifetime,' warns Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
There have been at least six grenade attacks in Kashmir valley, including one at the residence of ruling Peoples Democratic Party MLA Mushtaq Shah, since Friday.
Amidst Covid scare, hundreds of pilgrims paid obeisance at the famous Ragnya Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Friday for the annual Kheer Bhawani mela, praying for peace in the union territory and for the pandemic to end.
During the meeting, top security officials briefed the home minister about the prevailing situation in the country, including along the Indo-Pak border, a home ministry official said.
From the many large communal riots across decades to the six-hour mass cull of Muslims in Nellie, 1983; Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere, 1984; Kashmiri Pandits, 1990; selective massacres of Hindus in Punjab, 1983-93; and Gujarat, 2002, we have failed to bring perpetrators of our biggest tragedies to account, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
"The tourists desirous of undertaking visit to the state shall be provided with all necessary assistance and logistical support," read the order by the state administration.
The government has termed as "highly regrettable" the Budgam incident in Kashmir valley in which two civilians were killed and as many injured in Army firing and said a fair inquiry will be held and action taken against those found guilty.
"Numerous rounds of talks have taken place with the Chinese counterparts to deescalate the situation without compromising on India's stand of 'complete disengagement and immediate restoration of status quo ante'," the defence ministry said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have expressed his 'unhappiness' over the media coverage on violent protests in Kashmir Valley following killing of Burhan Wani saying the Hizbul Mujahideen militant has been portrayed as a "hero".
Even after SC directions, the administration has not restored mobile internet services for Kashmir division. It said misuse of data services by anti-national elements has the potential to cause large-scale violence and disturb public order.
The government imposed restrictions under Section 144 CrPC in Srinagar district.
Amid a raging debate over privacy offered by messaging platforms like WhatsApp, terrorist groups and their handlers from Pakistan are switching to new applications which include one developed by a Turkish company, officials in Srinagar said.
Cold wave conditions continued unabated in Kashmir Valley owing to the dry weather even as the weatherman predicted some respite next week with the possibility of isolated rains or snowfall.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday flagged off the first train connecting Banihal in Jammu region with Qazigund in the Kashmir Valley.
A Central Industrial Security Force trooper was injured on Sunday as terrorists hurled a grenade at a polling booth in Tral constituency of Pulwama district, where polling is to be held on Tuesday.
Rahul said it is clear that things are "not normal" in Jammu and Kashmir.
The chief said that the reason for the fall is because of the combined efforts of NIA, state police and security forces.
The separatists, under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership, on Tuesday called for a strike for Thursday against the killing of Shujaat Bukhari and also civilians allegedly in security forces firing.
The delimitation commission will visit Jammu and Kashmir between July 6-9 and interact with political parties, public representatives and officials of the UT to gather 'first hand' information of the mega exercise to carve out new constituencies, the EC said.
Malik said he had never invited the Congress leader with "so many pre-conditions" and has referred the matter to the local police and administration for further examination.
'With Punjab and Kashmir in flames, it would not have been politically wise to alienate the West.' 'It would have inclined Western countries towards Pakistan.' 'It would have been a self-goal.'
The Army chief said the nation is passing through a challenging period.
At an all-party meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, it was felt that all the groups concerned from Jammu as well as the Kashmir valley should work together for restoring peace and normalcy in the sensitive border state.
'The government is plucking leaves and not destroying the plant.'
The political script for pre-2019 politics has gone with the wind and the writers of the new script seem in no great hurry to oblige the tormented, observes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
The development came a day after the Jammu and Kashmir government issued a statement asking political leaders not to visit the Valley.
Traffic movement has resumed five days after the road was closed in the wake of landslides.
The cabinet normally meets on every Wednesday and the reasons for convening a meeting on Monday has not been disclosed by the government yet.
'The Governor himself had clarified matters on (Article) 35A yesterday in Baramulla and the day before in Srinagar,' the statement added.
The deployment of the troops and various orders gave rise to the speculations about some major decision in the offing regarding the Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
Cotterell, who became popular during the ICC ODI World Cup in the United Kingdom for his trademark celebrations, tweeted a series of messages and also shared a video on Dhoni to praise the veteran stumper.
Journalists working in the Kashmir valley sometimes face the worst attacks from protesters, mourners and many a time from the security forces, says Photographer Umar Ganie.
Most of these new recruits came from Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts in South Kashmir, which had become the hub of tech-savvy, young militants.
Vaid said NIA raids were not alone responsible for a drop in stone-pelting incidents.
The grabbed properties include religious places like cremation ghat and temple land of Karihama-Gutingu in Kupwara district, Batpura and Kapalmochan temples in Shopian district and Shiv temple at Thejiwara.
NIA says he has also given the names of overseas Hizbul Mujahideen members involved in fund-raising for the terror outfit.
Ajay Pandita, sarpanch of the Larkipora area in Anantnag district and a member of the Congress party, was shot at by terrorists in his native village at around 6 pm, a police official said. He said Pandita was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.
Officials said both the factions of the Hurriyat are likely to be banned under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or the UAPA, under which "if the Central Government is of opinion that any association is, or has become, an unlawful association, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare such association to be unlawful."
Politicians might say that the Amarnath issue is not about religion, but it is all about religion.
In the ad, the government highlighted how the separatists sent their children to "exotic lands" to study, work and earn while instigating the common people to push their children into "violence, stone pelting and hartals".
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