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.
The depiction of hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi has kicked off a row with a section of viewers objecting to the 'humane' projection of the perpetrators.
The suspension of four National Conference members had prompted the opposition leaders to boycott the ongoing session of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
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.
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The outgoing Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday hinted at an intriguing possibility of supporting his party National Conference's bitter political rival PDP in forming a government in the state after the hung verdict in the Assembly polls.
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.
Opposition National Democratic Alliance on Friday expressed concern in Parliament over reported threats to Sikhs from militants to convert to Islam or vacate Kashmir, prompting government to give an assurance that nobody would be allowed to harm the minority community.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani, along with a delegation of Members of Legislative Assembly from Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the prevailing situation in the valley and demanded that the Centre should intervene to restore normalcy in the state. The delegation expressed its opposition to the proposed political package for the state which was discussed between the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah.
Even though state health minister on Monday ruled out outbreak of swine flu in Jammu and Kashmir, the state chief minister took stock of the preparedness to deal with the pandemic.
Kashmir's tulip garden was thrown open to public on Thursday by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
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.
In the wake of notices issued to the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and several others by the State Accountability Commission, Opposition parties on Friday staged a protest and later walked out from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly demanding a debate over the issue.
Against the backdrop of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voicing anger over the hanging of Afzal Guru, Union Minister Manish Tewari on Monday said that there was need for being "circumspect and responsible" as delicate scrutiny was involved in such cases.
They said the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle at Botapathri near Nagin post.
Scenes from the election campaign in New Delhi, Mainpuri, Bardhaman, Srinagar, Etah, Mumbai and Puri.
Amid renewed demands for repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference's alliance partner Congress on Wednesday said the time was not right for it and rejected the contention that the central government was being blackmailed by army on this.
At least five civilians were injured in yet another hand grenade explosion in south Kashmir town of Bejibehara, 45 kms from Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon.
Hard-line Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday rejected the Truth and Reconciliation Commission proposed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and demanded a United Nations-appointed factfinding mission to probe the unmarked graves in Jammu and Kashmir. "We vehemently reject the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as we do not expect justice from the system which is perpetuating human rights violations in the state," Geelani said.
The tragedy struck the family on May 7 when they found themselves in the middle of intense Pakistani shelling at their rented accommodation in Poonch which was badly hit by the cross-border shelling.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet an all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tomorrow to discuss the current situation in the Valley and steps to restore complete normalcy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Friday briefed by Army Chief General Bikram Singh on the prevailing security situation and operational readiness of troops in a meeting which lasted for close to three hours.
Voicing concern at the heavy shelling in border areas, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said no one in India was in favour of war with Pakistan but friendship cannot be a one-sided affair.
The United Kingdom on Tuesdaylifted its two-decade old advisory for its nationals against travel to Srinagar, Jammu and Ladakh, citing 'improvements in the security situation there.
India and Pakistan's decision to carry on with the dialogue process drew mixed response in Kashmir on Friday with mainstream parties welcoming it and separatists insisting that the Sharm-el-Sheikh meeting was "inconclusive" without the participation of Kashmiris.
Tight security cover has been thrown around the capital for Mukherjee's visit, the first to Jammu and Kashmir after he took over as President on July 25 this year.
"We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified," said MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still trembling with fear, as he stepped out of the Delhi airport after being evacuated from war-hit Iran under Operation Sindhu.
Clashes erupted in Srinagar on Sunday between the youth and security forces near the venue of the first-ever international half marathon in Kashmir valley.
People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti reacted sharply when asked if there was any truth in the allegation that her party has been providing money to some Kashmiris to stage-manage the ongoing violence in the valley.
In a noteworthy progress, a working group of the prime minister has suggested autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the Central government may consider an offer made by the ruling National Conference in this regard.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will chair a high-level security review meeting in Jammu next week to discuss the preparedness of Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces ahead of this summer.
Chidambaram, who arrived in the north Kashmir town of Baramulla from Kargil in Ladakh region, took stock of the situation in Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara -- the three districts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Valley which witnessed violent protests during the past four months.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will chair a high level meeting in Srinagar on Sunday to review the overall situation in the Kashmir Valley where the over four month long unrest has claimed 111 lives.
What everybody is losing sight of is the emergence of a new extremist segment in Kashmir which has taken advantage of the situation. This segment is now orchestrating events in a manner that suits their masters across the border.
Rescue operations continue in Kishtwar, J&K, following a devastating cloudburst. Anxious relatives cling to fading hope as the search for the missing enters its third day.
'The BJP has killed public anger. They have killed people's self-respect.'
The home minister's visit comes days after he praised state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his firm handling of the situation in the run up to the Republic Day
Taking a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday accused it of bringing in supporters from other parts of the state for Prime Mister Narendra Modi's rally in Srinagar.
The army on Tuesday averted a major tragedy by detecting and defusing a powerful pre-planted Improvised Explosive Device on the strategic Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway near Parimpora in Srinagar.
The ruling coalition between the Congress and the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir may split amid indications that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was considering resigning following sharp differences between the two parties.
