Nine seats have been proposed for STs and seven for SCs in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said. This is the first time that seats have been proposed for STs in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
Strongly critical of the dilution of Article 370 of the Constitution, Omar said many reasons had been given to justify abrogation of the provision that granted special status, and claimed that none of those stand any scrutiny.
"Grassroots democracy must get precedence than any other considerations, including security," the functionary said.
In a scathing attack, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti accused the Jammu and Kashmir government of using 'draconian methods which have proved counter productive leading to increased alienation of the people.'
Clashes broke out between supporters of the ruling National Conference and Opposition Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday during filing of nominations by their candidates at Kulgam district election office in south Kashmir, the police said.
'Although the tactical move to outflank the BJP fell through with New Delhi's decisive intervention and eventual dissolution of the state assembly, the PDP, NC and the Congress appeared to be more than satisfied.' 'They see the assembly dissolution as their 'great achievement'.' 'If one were to believe what they say, this was also their main objective,' reveals Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the doyen of Kashmiri commentators.
Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the assailants but no arrests have been made so far, the officials said on Monday.
Taking a strong exception to National Conference leader Mustafa Kamal's remark on Indo-Pak talks, Union minister Gulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday night asked the party to clear its stand on the issue.
The protesters first assembled at the Sheikhpora area of Budgam district, in central Kashmir, and then tried to proceed towards the airport but were stopped by a posse of police personnel, they said.
A look at the inside pictures of the celebrations.
Rediff.com's Ashish Narsale handpicks some of the latest gadgets that are immensely useful.
The 82-year-old former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister received the ED summons a day after the formation of the People's Alliance led by him was announced on October 15.
A notification issued by the railway board in the evening said new fares would come into effect from May 5.
The magisterial probe ordered by the Jammu and Kashmir government into the death of the prominent ruling National Conference worker Haji Mohammad Yusuf has exonerated state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, holding that 'Haji had died of natural death'.
Manish Malhotra's father Suraj passed away at the age of 91 after being unwell for a while.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday launched a veiled attack on Congress leaders and said he gave sweat and blood for the party unlike those who are spreading 'falsehood' through social media.
The fashion designer had joined the BJP on September 14 along with 250 young professionals from various fields.
"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.
He said it would have been impossible for parties with 'opposing political ideologies' to form a stable government.
Interview with former JK chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad feels all his good work as the chief minister was wiped clean by the emotional and divisive politics unleashed by the father-daughter duo of Mufti Mohd Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti.
Ruling National Conference members of legislative assembly on Monday moved a privilege motion in Jammu and Kashmir assembly against former army chief V K Singh for making allegations that money was paid to politicians in the state for getting certain jobs done.
Pandemonium broke out on Monday in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition People's Democratic Party to discuss the death of a National Conference worker allegedly in police custody.
A bank employee from Rajasthan was shot dead on Thursday by terrorists in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Saloora was attacked with a grenade at Duderhama in the Ganderbal area of Srinagar.
The apex court asked Vaiko to challenge the NC leader's detention order under the Public Safety Act.
A tripartite agreement among five insurgent groups of Assam, the Centre and the state government was signed on Saturday to end years of violence in the Karbi Anglong region.
The ruling National Conference as well as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed the Delhi high court's decision granting bail to Liyaqat Shah who was arrested by police on charges of planning a terror strike in the national capital.
As of now, Azad couldn't be in the BJP leadership's calculus. The BJP has been trying to drill into the J&K electorate that this time around the UT would most certainly have a Hindu chief minister, explains Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
Drawing parallels between mass protests in Egypt and the summer unrest in Kashmir, People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday stated, "Global developments have always had an impact on Kashmir". The PDP president said, "People of Egypt fought for democracy while the people in Kashmir were fighting in spite of democracy'. The NC expressed 'anguish and dismay on the opposition PDP equating the Egypt uprising with last year's summer unrest in Kashmir.'
The protesting families were on a sit-in since Wednesday morning and held a candlelight vigil after the daylong protest.
The more people get vaccinated, the better it will be for the country and the economy, the National Conference vice president said.
Leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday said after attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's all-party meeting that they will 'continue to struggle' against the abrogation of Article 370 and urged the PM to restore the statehood of J-K at the earliest.
"Trust is something that has been missing from both sides (Delhi and Srinagar). Successive prime ministers -- Jawaharlal Nehru, Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- made promises but the trust deficit has persisted," he added.
After the dramatic curtain raiser show at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week, Manish Malhotra called his friends over for a party.
'The phenomenal Max Verstappen was both sloppy and superb in Germany, getting caught out during the first two starts, and even spinning his car around to give the crowd something to gasp at with a Batmobile-esque 360 degree turn. 'After Hamilton crashed and Verstappen sniffed victory, though, he pounced hard, put his foot down, and took a deserved race win,' says Rediff's F1 columnist Raja Sen.
With uncertainty looming large over the continuance of Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said his party is ready to consider a tie-up with the saffron party for government formation if such an offer is received.
"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.
During a debate on Kashmir situation, Ganai said Burhan was a "martyr" and that he had "given up his life for the cause of Jammu and Kashmir".
The National Conference president also extended an invitation to the Mirwaiz and Mehbooba for a separate meeting.
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