The terror infrastructure across the Line of Control has the potential to vitiate the security environment in Jammu and Kashmir and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act should not be withdrawn as it is a "strategic imperative" until the US' pullout from Afghanistan in 2014, Army Chief, Gen Bikram Singh, has said.
'The problem here is not that one community's deity has suddenly become another community's meal.' 'Hindus and Muslims have been peacefully coexisting with their cows for centuries now.' 'The problem here is that a section of Indians has been suddenly made to realise that it makes great political sense to degrade each one of the 170 million Muslims to a potential cow-killer, lynch a few of them to keep the heat on, polarise and win elections.'
Here's a recap of events that occurred in India in the past 24 hours.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed on Monday said his government will proceed with phased removal of AFSPA after consulting the Army as they have aired their apprehension over it.
Asserting that all options are open for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatiya Janata Party state president Jugal Kishore on Monday said his party would not form an alliance in haste as they want a stable government which would last for 6 years.
Addressing a massive public rally to celebrate the signing of the accord on January 27 that is expected to bring lasting peace to the troubled state, Modi said now the time was to work together for peace and development of the North-East.
Irom Sharmila, the woman who was on a hunger strike for 16 years, leads a quiet life, and recently became a mother of twin girls.
Real challenge for Mehbooba Mufti will be how to make India listen to voice of Kashmir.
Efforts to build a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the People's Democratic Party have hit the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh hurdle.
Attempts to revive the BJP-PDP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir failed on Friday with the BJP ruling out government-formation on the basis of conditions.
Sources in the poll panel said, prima facie, Adityanath has violated the EC's advisory of keeping armed forces away from political campaign.
The 44-year-old iconic rights activist, who suddenly finds herself friendless and faces a hostile response from her supporters, acknowledged that people were unhappy with her decision to break her fast and enter politics.
The Indian Army on Tuesday said that it was moving ahead with 'unprecedented speed to initiate investigation' in the Chattergam firing incident in which two youth were killed and two others critically wounded on Monday evening.
China has welcomed Modi remarks on border, and has said it has a 'positive attitude'.
'A new doctrine now needs to be evolved for a new situation, and the army will do it.' 'You won't see more Kashmiris driven in front of army columns.' 'Nor will the army massacre hundreds, Dyer style,' says Shekhar Gupta.
He blamed policies of the Congress-led governments for the Kashmir issue remaining unresolved.
The delegation was told that the autonomy resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 2000 should be implemented.
AG Mukul Rohatgi led the Indian delegation at the UN Human Rights Council.
Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd) lists why India must not do away with AFSPA, but ensure enough transparency to avoid confrontation with human rights.
She said she no longer believes that her fast will lead to the repeal of the 'draconian' AFSPA but she will continue the fight.
Officials said the EC has directed them to provide security to Sharmila as 'she travels alone almost all the time'.
'If the NSCN-IM is cold shoulderd, the chances are that it will slip back into insurgency,' caution Sandeep Pandey, Meera Sanghamitra and Babloo Loitongbam.
Rediff.com does a quick checklist on what the two manifestos have to say on hot-button issues of the day.
"This is Narendra Modi government, nobody can dilute the AFSPA as we are standing like a rock behind the security forces, protecting (our) border," Shah asserted.
The Congress chief said if his party is elected to power, its government would spend 6 per cent of the GDP on education.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said "some people" will never find the time appropriate for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state as they have a "liking" for these laws. "It is an ongoing discussion with the Centre. First, it was with the United Progressive Alliance now the National Democratic Alliance government.
The 2 sides are trying to iron out differences over Article 370 and AFSPA.
A lot of the factors towards which the government has pointed to justify its moves on Jammu and Kashmir are in fact valid. Only, most of them have little to do with Article 370, says David Devadas.
He accused the Congress of hatching a conspiracy to destabilise the country and 'demoralise' its soldiers.
'Savarkar was the closest the RSS had to a freedom movement icon, however flawed.' 'Indira Gandhi wasn't going to gift him to them.' 'And a non-career politician like Dr Singh understands it.' 'It is just that his party never listened to him,' says Shekhar Gupta.
Social activist Irom Chanu Sharmila was on Friday forcibly taken away by the police from a small makeshift shelter outside the government-run hospital in Imphal where she was continuing her fast after being released from jail on Wednesday.
It is expected that Sayeed will invite Modi for the swearing-in function in Jammu.
'The bottom line is that disproportionate losses should be avoided at all cost and terrorists should be denied tactical successes that act as opium for them to become bold to achieve perceived victory.' 'This is a long war and instead of rushing to achieve quick success, the objective should be not to give any success to the terrorists in terms of casualties and freedom of movement.' 'Every soldier martyred by terrorists in combat is a moral victory for them,' says Brigadier Narender Kumar (retd).
The Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday set tough conditions for the Bharatiya Janata Party which is wooing it for the formation of the new government in Jammu and Kashmir, declaring that its stand against revocation of Art 370 was "non-negotiable".
The report contains 58 case studies of alleged excesses by the armed forces in the state.
The defence minister said that if AFSPA was not imposed in a state, then the army couldn't operate there.
Javadekar was at the event, where presence of his ministerial colleague V K Singh last year had drawn flak from the media, for around 20 minutes, and extended his 'best wishes' to the Pakistani people on the sidelines.
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.
The bench said, "He is an Army officer not an ordinary criminal. You have to see the matter in a holistic way".
'If the government cannot deliver the goods for the tribal people, then definitely they will lose faith in the BJP.'
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