A large number of voters cast their votes in Baramulla, north Kashmir, on Monday, May 20, 2024. The National Conference's Omar Abdullah, Peoples Conference's Sajad Lone and Independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid are in the contest.
After record rains wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir over the past two days, the death toll in related incidents rose to 41, most of them victims of the landslide on a Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route, while there was some let-up in the showers on Wednesday, allowing relief efforts to pick up pace.
Virtually endorsing Omar Abdullah for the chief ministership, National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said that his son could better serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir and he himself would prefer to remain a member of Parliament."Why not? Omar is a young man. If he could serve better, why not," Abdullah said when asked if Omar could be the choice of the National Conference for the chief minister's post
'The Indian embassy did send a bus to evacuate us along with an Indian embassy official, but Urmia University is not giving us permission to leave.'
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested Friday by a police party in Leh, two days after violent protests by supporters of the movement for statehood and extension of Sixth Schedule of Constitution left four persons dead and 90 others injured, officials said.
'This is the "naya/new J&K" after Aug 2019. We get locked up in our homes with no explanation. It's bad enough they've locked my father (a sitting MP) & me in our home, they've locked my sister & her kids in their home as well'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday met Home Minister P Chidambaram, ahead of a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security which will deliberate on the issue of partial withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in the state. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had a threadbare discussion with Cabinet colleagues and senior party leaders in the Congress Core Group on Friday on the issue.
Home Minister P Chidambaram made a special request to the Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership and its legislature party in Jammu and Kashmir to attend the prime minister's meeting convened to discuss the situation in the state.
National Conference patron and former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah will contest the forthcoming assembly election from the Hazratbal constituency, according to the list of candidates released by the party on Thursday.The party has repeated almost all its earlier candidates. There are very few new names in the electoral list.
The first phase of the three phase Jammu and Kashmir elections will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.
An uneasy calm prevails in Ladakh as authorities enforce a curfew following clashes between security forces and protesters demanding statehood and constitutional protections. The violence resulted in fatalities and injuries, prompting detentions and political reactions.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said that the 'unelected nominees of New Delhi locked up the elected representatives' of the people of Jammu and Kashmir after prominent leaders from ruling and opposition parties were not allowed to leave their houses to prevent them from visiting the graveyard of 1931 martyrs in Srinagar.
A series of blasts took place in Srinagar city as the security agencies brought down a drone that was seen hovering over Batwara area of the city, close to an army installation, officials said.
There is a need to rebuild the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the country which has fallen prey to the two decades-old militancy, said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Thursday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the ruling partners are understood to have discussed the situation arising out of the continued unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. In Srinagar, his son and chief minister, Omar Abdullah, fuelled speculation by meeting the state governor N N Vohra
Peoples Democratic Party legislator Mohammad Ashraf Mir, who scored a victory over Omar Abdullah from the Sonawar assembly seat, has stoked a controversy after a video surfaced purportedly showing him firing several rounds from an automatic rifle on the day of the assembly poll results.
Released on Friday after his detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) was revoked, former chief minister Farooq Abdullah drove from his residence to nearby Hari Nivas where his son, also a former chief minister, has been held first under preventive custody since February 5 under the PSA. The two warmly embraced.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday welcomed the likely Centre-Separatist dialogue to be held away from media glare.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday reviewed the functioning of security grid at a high level meeting in winter capital Jammu following the twin militant attacks on Thursday that left four army personnel including a lieutenant colonel, four cops and two civilians dead.
Targetting those spearheading protests over killings due to security forces in the valley, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today strongly condemned the gunning down of 17-year old boy from Sopore, saying terrorists chased and killed him inside the Mosque.
Security forces have cordoned off the area after the brutal attack by the terrorists.
With the state on the boil following a series of killings during clashes between protesters and security forces, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today met Governor N N Vohra and discussed the prevailing security situation.
Rather than contesting the state elections from Ganderbal, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister will be contesting the state elections from Sonwar and Beerwah, reports Mukhtar Ahmad.
Mehbooba lashed out Omar for his tweets but the former CM hit back, saying it was to make her accountable and he won't back down from speaking on issues of public interest.
'We have been cheated. We are trying to bring Article 370 back'
After the Chenab bridge, Modi also inaugurated India's first cable-stayed rail bridge over the river Anji. The prime minister then walked on the Chenab rail bridge holding the tricolour.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday welcomed the statement by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram seeking dialogue 'with the representatives of all shades of opinion in the state'.Omar said that there was also a need to resume the Indo-Pak dialogue which has been stalled since the terror attack on Mumbai last November.Opposition Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, in a statement, described the development as 'a breath of fresh air'.
"I will not be contesting for the post of president any longer. The elections for the post will be held on December 5. It is time for the new generation to take over the responsibilities," Abdullah told PTI.
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.
Following a spate of resignations by the panches and sarpanches, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday ordered security cover for them in vulnerable areas.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has not threatened to resign over the repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the state. Reacting to a rediff.com report -- that quoted sources as saying that Abdullah had threatened to resign over the all-party meeting on Kashmir on Wednesday -- the CM's office got in touch with this correspondent.
Asking Bharatiya Janata Party to drop its plan to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Republic Day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday warned the party that it would be responsible for "any repercussions" in the Valley.
Addressing a function to observe the 105th birth anniversary of his grandfather and National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah in Srinagar, the chief minister said that from day one his government had 'underlined the necessity of addressing political issues of the state in a political way.
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.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday charged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with "provoking" the situation in KashmirValley and condemned his interview for having a "sympathetic chord" for Afzal Guru who was hanged last week for his role in the Parliament attack case.
Ridiculing separatist leader Asiya Andrabi who is seeking Indian passport for her son's studies in Malaysia, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday termed it as "sheer hypocrisy", which shows the gulf between what separatists say and what they do.
"Our handshake with Indian Union was subject to certain conditions," he said.
Jammu and Kashmir is facing a severe water crisis this year due to a massive rainfall deficit. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed concern about the situation and called for a proactive approach towards water management and conservation. The state has witnessed an 80% deficit in rainfall this year, raising the possibility of drought in the valley this summer. Several water bodies are flowing below the zero level mark, and some springs in south Kashmir have dried up completely. The water level in Jhelum and other major streams is alarmingly low.
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the All Party Hurriyat Conference denied the charges levelled against him by Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah. Speaking to rediff.com from his residence in downtown Srinagar, the Mirwaiz said "the charges levelled by the chief minister were baseless and unfounded".
Lakhs of people visit Kashmir says Omar Abdullah, the state's chief minister. Are you one of them too? Share your #KashmirPhotos with us!
