Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Leh and Kargil in his second trip to the state ahead of the polls
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Katra town and Srinagar city, reducing travel time between the two places by two to three hours and ensuring all-weather surface connectivity with the Kashmir valley.
'It is sad and unfortunate. But we have to accept it'
A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA was on Thursday wounded as the in-session Jammu and Kashmir assembly witnessed pandemonium over the speech of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the House on Wednesday.
In an Indpendence Day-eve bonanza, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday announced his government will recruit 50,000 youths in the next few months and pitched for restoration of autonomy to the state to bridge the 'trust deficit' between the people and the Centre.
Political parties, cutting across affiliations and ideologies, Friday welcomed the Kashmir rail link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping for a boost in trade and tourism in the valley.
This is a 22 per cent hike compared to the funding the state received last year.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, offering condolences to families affected by cross-border shelling and encouraging students who lost two classmates to the violence. During an hour-long visit, Gandhi met with students at the convent school that lost the twins, and visited families whose homes were damaged in the shelling.
Anurag Thakur, chief of the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has vowed to go ahead with the Rashtriya Ekta Yatra and hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Republic Day, despite strong objections from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.Omar had told newsmen on Wednesday that the BJP should not go ahead with the planned yatra and try to unfurl the tricolour in Srinagar, as it may disrupt the fragile peace in the state after months of protests.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said two security men have been arrested in connection with the killing of a civilian in an alleged fake encounter in Poonch district.
Do you agree with the government's idea of extending benefits to the MPs while you have to pay double the price of everything inside an airport and go through the thorough security check?
'My request to Amit Shah would be "Please do not use archaic laws and muscle power against voices that have always stood by India.".'
As far as security situation is concerned, there has been improvement in past two years and the state saw a 30 per cent decline in terrorists-related incidents, he said.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah has said his government would not curtail the two-month-long annual Amarnath yatra scheduled to begin in June this year.Hard-line separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has sought curtailment of the yatra period for what he called 'the preservation of ecology in the Kashmir Himalayas'.
The first ever bus service from Kargil to Jammu has been started by the Jammu and Kashmir government. The Kargil-Jammu bus service was flagged off by Qamar Ali Akhoon, Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday, in the presence of Chief Executive Councillor Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, an official spokesman said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought a special rehabilitation package from the Centre for the flood-ravaged state.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday expressed his support for Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has been criticised for his inability to control the spiraling violence in the state.
Disappointed at Parvez Rasool not getting a game in the ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe, Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) said the young all-rounder has lost a big opportunity to showcase his talent on a tour that was meant to test the second crop of Indian cricketers.
State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told a news conference immediately after his arrival from New Delhi that retired high court judge, Justice Muzaffar Jan, will head the enquiry which will be completed within a month.
In order to address public outrage and anger over the alleged rape and murder of two young women in Shopian town of south Kashmir, state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday evening reiterated his government's commitment to 'dig out the truth'.
Voicing his concern to media persons in Srinagar, Abdullah said such activities by China might hamper the relations between India and China.
Without pointing to any political party or organisation, he alleged that some vested elements were hell-bent upon creating an atmosphere of mistrust against Army and advocating revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and recalling army back to barracks.
"NC is not power hungry... We shunned prospects of an alliance with the BJP a year ago and the reasons for having done that remain unchanged," Omar wrote on his official Facebook page.
'We are only saying that we will peacefully fight for its restoration. We will fight for it under the ambit of the Constitution, and legally as well'
The Congress party suffered a crushing defeat in the Delhi elections, failing to secure a single seat in the 70-member assembly for the third consecutive time. Key candidates, including Sheila Dikshit's son, Sandeep Dikshit, lost their deposits. The only consolation for the party was a slight improvement in its vote share, which they attribute to a vigorous campaign and a renewed focus on contesting elections independently. However, the defeat raises questions about the party's ability to compete in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in light of its performance in other recent state elections.
An ordinance to protect Hindu temples and manage their affairs across Kashmir Valley is in the offing.
The chief spokesman of the NC, Dr Mustaffa Kamal who is also the uncle of the state chief minister, Omar Abdullah had on Tuesday said that 'Delhi was hurling grenades in Kashmir'.
Stone-pelting mobs on Thursday clashed with security forces in Kashmir valley, leading to the death of one person in police firing and injuries to four others in the violence. There was no relaxation in curfew which continued in all the ten districts of the valley for the seventh day today.Protestors attacked two police posts in Sopore and Habakaddal and set a state road transport corporation office afire in Baramulla, said the police.
"Troops should enhance vigil on the border and the LoC keeping in view the increased attempts of infiltration from across the border in 2009 as compared to last year," he told the Unified Headquarter's meeting in Jammu.
He accused the Apni Party, led by former People's Democratic Party leader Altaf Bukhari, and the union territory administration of using coercive tactics to buy loyalties of newly elected DDC members.
'It is still hoping that the intensity will pass, and the National Conference or the Congress or the governor depending whose rule it finally is, will be able to handle the situation.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday reiterated that he will not resign over the present crisis engulfing his state. "I know most of the media has been running stories about my resignation. I have no intention to resign," he told a TV channel during an interview. Abdullah refused to answer when asked if he enjoyed the confidence of the people and his coalition partner Congress.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has rubbished allegations by the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party about the death of a worker of the ruling National Conference allegedly in police custody. PDP has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani so that the "judicial probe can proceed impartially'.
Expressing concern over rising incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak to his Pakistani counterpart on the issue.
Former prime minister of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhary met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior separatist leaders in Srinagar during his visit to the Valley. Chaudhary, the first senior politician from PoK to visit Kashmir since 1947, is on a four-day visit to the Valley to attend the marriage ceremony of a prominent businessman and his friend.
Kashmir's first all-girls band has become the subject of a major controversy that has pitted mainstream political parties against the valley's grand Mufti and separatist groups.The band called Pragaash, which had performed in Srinagar at a music festival recently, had drawn major condemnation on several social networking sites.
Jammu and Kashmir Congress minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed will continue in the council of ministers, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday, a day after he divested him of education portfolio in the wake of examination scandal involving his step-son.
Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata on Friday met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and expressed his desire to expand his group's activities in the state.
The suspension of four National Conference members had prompted the opposition leaders to boycott the ongoing session of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
A crucial meeting of the combined unified headquarters held in Srinagar under the chairmanship of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday evening decided to release all the arrested youth immediately.
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