Pushing for partial withdrawal of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday discounted suggestions that this will benefit terrorists, saying it is time to believe in the state police and paramilitary forces
The proposal to remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in some parts Kashmir is a ploy by anti-India forces to show that they are still relevant, says Tarun Vijay.
Sikandar Raza's superb all-round show, a blazing 73 and three key wickets, kept Zimbabwe in the contest before South Africa steadied nerves to seal a five-wicket win and book a T20 World Cup semi-final clash with New Zealand.
Security forces in Manipur have launched a major crackdown on the banned People's Liberation Army (PLA) following an ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy. Fifteen cadres have been arrested, including suspects directly involved in the attack. Investigations are underway to determine if the PLA has political patronage and if weapons looted during ethnic clashes are being used against security forces.
Armed Forces (special Powers) Act should not be revoked until the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir is stopped and the state police machinery is able to handle the normal law and order situation. R S Chauhan reports.
The state government has also decided to write to the Centre demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, they said.
Amidst controversy over the issue of revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday said that the final decision on it would be taken by the Unified Command Headquarters in the state.
'Our gagged silence today portrays the silencing of justice, but our protest signify our love for India and justice.'
The shrill politically-driven rhetoric demanding that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act be repealed, if allowed to hold sway, may drive us deeper into the dark world of both Islamist terror and the Maoist insurgency, warns Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).
The AFSPA will continue to remain in force in 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh for six more months.
Manipur has been experiencing unrest on account of the people's unhappiness with the alleged misuse of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. They are demanding that it be repealed.
Notwithstanding opposition from the Army and faced with reports of fake encounters, the government is planning to go ahead with certain amendments in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which includes handing over of an Army personnel in case of extra-judicial killings to the state authorities.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says India achieved all objectives of Operation Sindoor, emphasizing that escalating the situation to war with Pakistan was not the aim. He highlighted India's fight against cross-border terrorism and the successful exposure of Pakistan's air defense system.
'It is my sincere desire to find credible ways and means... while protecting the interests of national security and safeguarding the fundamental human rights of our citizens,' he said.\n\n
The MHA said the government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civil power is necessary.
The apex court in its verdict delivered on July 8 last year had given the state police liberty to probe the role of armed forces in alleged encounter cases in areas where the AFSPA is in force.
Debates and discussions on the issue of revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir are welcome, but it has to be ensured that no such action is taken which sets back the clock on what has been achieved after making tremendous sacrifices, writes Jaibans Singh
Shah said for the first time in India's history, Modi prioritised security, peace and development in the northeast and as a result of it, the region is now rapidly heading on the path of peace and development.
The Indian government has sent an additional 50 CAPF companies, comprising over 5,000 personnel, to Manipur to address the challenging security and law and order situation in the northeastern state. This comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) deployed 20 additional CAPF companies to the state following violence in Jiribam district. The deployment brings the total number of CAPF companies in Manipur to 218. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also meet to review the security situation in Manipur and strategize to handle the volatile situation in the state.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
Konyak Union spokesperson T Yanlem said that there was no question of acting in 'self-defence' because those killed were unarmed civilians.
he ministry of home affairs said in a notification that the central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of Nagaland is in such a "disturbed and dangerous condition" that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary.
Assam is hosting over 60 ambassadors from various countries on a trip to showcase its potential. The ambassadors will visit Kaziranga National Park, witness a Jhumur dance performance, and attend a business summit. The state government aims to highlight the peaceful atmosphere and convince countries with negative travel advisories to withdraw them.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who had served as the chairman of a committee which favoured withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, on Saturday said the prime minister would take a decision on the matter.
The Centre has reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur's six police station areas, including the violence-hit Jiribam.
The notice said the country's oldest paramilitary force has been serving the nation, playing a crucial role in ensuring peace, security, and development in various regions, including Manipur.
Opposing the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Saturday said nothing should be done that weakens the armed forces' position. He, however, said there is a case for withdrawal of the Act in Manipur, which could be examined.
The reports of withdrawal Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act, which give extraordinary powers to security forces, from Jammu and Kashmir have given rise to a raging debate in the country. While most agree that these laws should be revoked, there are divergent views over whether this should be done is a phased manner or not. Vicky Nanjappa reports
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA was extended by another six months in Manipur on Wednesday barring 19 police stations falling under the Imphal valley and an area that shares its boundary with neighbouring Assam.
On India, while appreciating the measures adopted by it to address discrimination, the Committee expressed concern about alleged discrimination and violence against minority groups, including religious minorities, such as Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs, "scheduled castes" and "scheduled tribes", and LGBTI people.
Her team scour platforms and trains, looking out for vulnerable children accompanied by adults who look or behave suspiciously or whose presence makes the child uncomfortable. They also look out for children travelling alone. 'We watch, listen and talk. All this is done tactfully and sensitively because we are dealing with young children.'
Addressing an election rally in Tuensang, Shah said there are some issues related to development and rights of eastern Nagaland and those will be addressed after the assembly elections.
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's former first female prime minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has died at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.
The Army has taken a strong stand against any dilution or amendment to the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, making it difficult for the government to move forward on this proposal, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Wednesday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reviewed the security situation in Manipur for the second consecutive day, directing officials to focus on restoring peace and order in the state. The situation has been volatile following protests and violence after the recovery of bodies of women and children. Shah also ordered the deployment of 5,000 paramilitary troops to assist the state government in handling the situation.
Everybody has developed a vested interest in maintaining the status quo in Kashmir in spite of the fact that the ground situation has improved, feels former home secretary G K Pillai.
