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.
A controversy erupted on Sunday over the purported communication from the Centre to the family of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru about the decision to hang him on Saturday with the family alleging they had come to know about his hanging from TV channels and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah joining the criticism.
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.
An angry Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Sunday slammed the execution of Afzal Guru and said this would reinforce a sense of alienation and injustice among generations of youth in the Valley.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday declared that the government has taken every possible precaution in all districts of the state to deal with the fallout of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Abdullah confirmed that he had been informed by the Centre on Friday evening about Guru's execution.
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.
Pushing for partial lifting of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday asked all stake holders concerned to shed their rigidity to help take a decision based on the ground situation and for the benefit of people of the state.
Union Home minister P Chidambaram chaired a high level security meeting in summer capital Srinagar on Tuesday. The minister, who arrived here on Monday, chaired the meeting of the unified headquarters in Srinagar which was attended by state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, senior officials of the civil, Army, police, paramilitary forces, and various intelligence agencies.
The J&K chief minister called the firing unpardonable and promised action against those guilty. Mukhtar Ahmad reports.
Tata had announced two-pronged strategy to give opportunities to students and entrepreneurs in the Kashmir Valley which includes supporting setting up of venture capital units.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has said that the government has offered to rebuild Dustgeer Sahib, the Sufi shrine that was destroyed in a massive fire this week. He was addressing the media at Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi in his monthly meeting.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he was against media censorship but the content on some social networking sites were "dangerous and inflammatory".
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's "make-up kit" remark on Friday led to a protest by state's women panchayat members, who termed the statement as an "insult" to women.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday wondered where have the Indian troops withdrawn to after the Chinese troops ended their incursions in Ladakh after 19 days.
Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth, Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma and Home Secretary RK Singh were taken by surprise when the Army's Northern Command told them that there had been no consultations on the subject of revocation of the AFSPA even once in 2011. The chief minister's declaration was totally unilateral, the three top secretaries to the Government of India were told
The chief spokesman of the NC, Dr Mustaffa Kamal who is also the uncle of the state chief minister, Omar Abdullah had on Tuesday said that 'Delhi was hurling grenades in Kashmir'.
"We hope that the Centre will take all the steps needed to address the internal as well as external dimensions of Kashmir issue," Omar told media persons after the reopening of Civil Secretariat in this summer capital of the state.
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.
Phase-wise revocation of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and return of power projects to Jammu and Kashmir are the two most important wishes of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
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'.
"I have made no bones about the fact that we should have made more progress on that (AFSPA). I believe we are comfortably placed for the phase-wise removal of the AFSPA," he told reporters after presiding over the Police Martyrs' Day function at Zewan in the outskirts of Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday said that 'the fear of gun would be removed for ever when the basic political issues of the state are addressed and resolved amicably'.
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.
Clarifying her stand on alleged custodial death of a ruling National Conference activist, opposition Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that her party was not demanding the dismissal of the state government on the issue, but only stepping down of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his junior home minister Nasir Aslam Wani to enable a fair investigation.
Stressing on "progressively" decreasing the footprints of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said conciliation and dialogue will always remain the best medium for seeking a solution to all contentious issues.
Deploring the incidents witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir assembly, Congress on Monday came out in support of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is under Opposition attack following the controversy over the custodial death of a ruling National Conference worker.
While Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he would present his case before the judicial inquiry ordered by the state government into mysterious death of Syed Mohammad Yousuf, a National Conference worker last week, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti is unwilling to buy his theory.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has rubbished allegations by the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party about the death of a worker of the ruling National Conference allegedly in police custody. PDP has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani so that the "judicial probe can proceed impartially'.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday dismissed reports of a tiff between Rahul Gandhi and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over empowering sarpanches in the state but insisted that they should be given power across the country "without any exception".
Former prime minister of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhary met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior separatist leaders in Srinagar during his visit to the Valley. Chaudhary, the first senior politician from PoK to visit Kashmir since 1947, is on a four-day visit to the Valley to attend the marriage ceremony of a prominent businessman and his friend.
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.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said 'the improvement in the law and order situation in the state was visible on the ground'.
The first all-girl band of Kashmir on Monday decided to call it quits in the wake of a fatwa issued by Grand Mufti terming singing as un-islamic, a remark that came under all round attack.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday expressed confidence that the day is not far when the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act will be withdrawn from the state very much during the tenure of his government.
Disappointed at Parvez Rasool not getting a game in the ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe, Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) said the young all-rounder has lost a big opportunity to showcase his talent on a tour that was meant to test the second crop of Indian cricketers.
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 state police crime branch is reported to have established conduct of malpractices by officials of board of school education (BOSE) and education department to help the state education ministers' son pass his board exam in 2009.
Well known personalities from all walks of life wished Yuvraj Singh a speedy recovery after the news of the cricketer being diagnosed with cancer broke on Sunday.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama arrived in Srinagar on Thursday on a six-day private visit to Kashmir during which he is scheduled to meet Tibetan refugees living in the valley.
Stung by the death of a student in north Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday directed the power development department to put in all efforts to mitigate the hardships faced by the people in the valley owing to power shortage.