In the first targeted killing of the year, terrorists on Wednesday shot dead a worker from Punjab while another sustained injuries in Habba Kadal area of Srinagar, officials said.
National Conference president Omar Abdullah is all set to become the next chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir with his father Farooq Abdullah and the party clearing his name to head a coalition with the Congress after a night of confusion. 38-year-old Omar, whose father and party patron Farooq was projected as the chief ministerial candidate during campaigning, will travel to New Delhi for talks with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"I am free... Hope others political leaders would be released soon. Thank all parliamentarians who fought for my freedom. Will be able to take decision on future only after other leaders are released," Abdullah, the Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, told reporters from the terrace of his residence in Srinagar.
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."
Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday reacted sharply to Organisation of Islamic Countries' terming Jammu and Kashmir as an "occupied" territory saying the OIC should first set its own house in order before worrying about others.
'Our fight is not against the country but against the BJP and its ideology. The BJP is not the country and vice versa'
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said a consensus had been worked out by which Ranbir Singh Mahendra would continue for another year following which Sharad Pawar would take over the BCCI in 2006.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday rebutted the Opposition's charge that the Bharatiya Janata Party too shared the responsibility for the failure to check the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 as it was supporting the then V P Singh-led government at the Centre.
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.
A student was killed and five others injured when a landslide triggered by heavy rains hit a government school in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.
Wearing black arm bands and holding placards, the women protesters were not allowed by the police personnel to assemble and were asked to disperse peacefully.
'If the National Conference and PDP make handsome electoral gains in the valley and call for the restoration of the former state's lost status, how will the rulers in Delhi respond?' asks Amulya Ganguli.
"They (those who celebrated the win) don't have anything to do with them (Pakistanis)... It was done to provoke the BJP. They were children and young boys and this should serve as an eye-opener for the BJP," Abdullah said at a public meeting in Surankote in Poonch district.
Meanwhile, police did not allow journalists to gather near National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah's residence at Gupkar here, officials said.
'If you post on social media on an issue like power cuts in Tral, the police will come to your home and tell you to remove your social media post.' 'If you don't, then the local police threaten you that they will book you under PSA.' 'This is happening all the time in Kashmir.'
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 officials said the SSG will be "right-sized" by reducing the number of the elite force to the "bare minimum".
A photograph of Omar Abdullah surfaced on Twitter on January 25 in which he seemed almost unrecognisable sporting a salt and pepper beard, triggering reactions of awe and anger from netizens, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that army should reopen the alleged Patribal fake encounter case so that "the justice is served".
Chief minister-designate Omar Abdullah met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to present letters of support from coalition partners, shortly after the Congress officially extended its backing to the party.
The apex court asked Vaiko to challenge the NC leader's detention order under the Public Safety Act.
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The announcement came after PAGD leaders met at Abdullah's Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar to discuss the Centre's invitation.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed concerns about the Congress party's leadership role within the INDIA bloc, raising questions about their ability to justify their position. Abdullah highlighted a sense of disquiet among some allies, who feel the Congress isn't doing enough to earn its leadership position. While praising Sonia Gandhi's leadership, he also criticized the alliance's lack of consistent engagement and called for more structured communication to address potential disagreements. Abdullah's comments suggest underlying tensions within the opposition alliance, particularly regarding the Congress's electoral performance and seat distribution strategies.
Clearing all confusion, National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah on Monday said he would recommend to his party that his son Omar Abdullah should be the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. His remarks assume significance in the wake of his statement on Sunday night that he would like to be the chief minister, which created confusion.
The election is scheduled for February 13. Their names have reportedly been cleared by the coalition government of the NC and the Congress.
Three-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah is under house arrest at his Gupkar Road residence while his son Omar is confined to Hari Niwas, a state guesthouse-turned into a jail, barely 500 metres away. Mehbooba is in detention in a hut at Chashmeshahi near the governor's residence Raj Bhavan.
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They said police parties fanned out to find them amid reports that they had been abducted and killed by terrorists.
Stone-pelting youth were not giving up their lives for tourism but for resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of its people, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said.
'We want to ensure that no government in J&K will be formed without our support.'
Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan said Kashmiris would be delighted to see the back of the US ambassador to India.
Health Minister Shatrughan Sinha is likely to be allotted another portfolio, BJP sources said.
High drama was witnessed in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) on Monday with a rebel group electing state Sports Minister Imran Ansari as the body's president in an attempt to end Farooq Abdullah's 35-year rein but the move was stayed by a Jammu court.
Briefing reporters after the nearly two-hour meeting, Abdullah said the leaders decided to formalise the alliance, that has been named 'Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration'.
Two explosions during and before ruling National Conference poll rallies in Srinagar and central Kashmir's Budgam districts left 13 persons injured on Sunday.
Designer duo Shivan and Narresh, who are facing backlash for displaying 'obscene' garments at a fashion show in Gulmarg last week, have said their sole intention was to celebrate creativity and regret any hurt caused by the event during the holy month of Ramzan.
Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP accused National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah of leaving them "no option".
'We called him Sher-e-Kashmir but we realised he was no lion but a pussycat who surrendered.'
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