When Omar Abdullah took his first plunge into Kashmir politics in 1998, the odds were stacked heavily against him. Separatists were at their peak and the National Conference, founded by his grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, almost 50 years ago, was seen as a stooge of New Delhi.
Chawdhary announced this after laying a wreath at the Amar Prahari memorial at the BS Headquarters in Jammu in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday expressing shock and anguish over the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and resolved to fight resolutely to defeat the nefarious designs to disturb communal harmony and hinder progress.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister-designate Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that he would continue to live in his present Gupkar road residence in the high security Sonawar area.
Omar, who began his political journey in the state from this assembly seat in 2002 elections, had been advised by some of his party men to choose another constituency in the backdrop of his previous poll debacle. National Conference had emerged as the largest party in the last polls with 28 seats in the 87-member House but chose to sit in opposition.
Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a 29-year-old Kashmiri pony ride operator, was killed by terrorists in Pahalgam while trying to save tourists from an attack. Shah was the only Kashmiri and Muslim victim of the attack, which saw terrorists demand tourists recite Islamic prayers before shooting them. His brother, Syed Naushad Shah, described Adil as a "righteous" man who ran towards the terrorists to stop them from killing more people. The attack has left a pall of fear over Pahalgam, with tourists fleeing the area and businesses shuttered.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia to take stock of the situation following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The meeting also included Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The attack, which killed at least 26 people, including tourists from the UAE and Nepal, has sparked nationwide shock and outrage.
The Congress on Wednesday expelled former Madhya Pradesh MLA Laxman Singh, who is brother of ex-chief minister Digvijaya Singh, from the primary membership of the party for six years for 'anti-party activities'.
INDIA bloc parties are set to raise issues such as the Pahalgam attack, US President Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire, and concerns over electoral roll revisions in Bihar during the Parliament's Monsoon session.
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.
Pakistani wives of former militants rehabilitated in Kashmir have pleaded with the government to allow them to stay, stating they would rather die than return to their native country. The women, who came to Kashmir under a 2010 rehabilitation policy for former militants, have been asked to leave by the police. They say they have built lives in Kashmir and fear for the future of their children if they are forced to return.
The dastardly dimensions of the attack are gradually sinking in even as the Government of India announced its immediate diplomatic and other retaliatory measures. It is generally expected to be followed up with punitive military action across the LoC, sooner than later, observes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
Drones were sighted and explosions were heard in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, a day after India thwarted attempts by the Pakistan military to attack Indian military installations using drones and missiles. The drones were also engaged in Udhampur and Nagrota of Jammu and Punjab. Heavy cross-border shelling started along the International Border in Suchetgarh and Ramgarh sectors of Jammu and Samba districts. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appealed to residents to stay indoors and ignore rumors.
The story of two Adils, one a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and the other a pony 'wallah' who died protecting tourists, highlights the contrasting realities of life in Kashmir. While the terrorist, Aadil Thokar, is accused of the deadly attack on tourists in Baisaran, the heroic pony 'wallah', Syed Adil Hussain Shah, sacrificed his life to save them. Their stories, though separated by a tragic event, reveal the deep-rooted conflict and the enduring spirit of compassion in Kashmir.
Congress rebel Satish Sharma, who defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajeev Sharma by nearly 7,000 votes and relegated his former party's heavyweight Tara Chand to the third position in the Chhamb seat, has found a place in the Omar Abdullah government, representing the Jammu region in the dispensation.
The National Conference on Sunday ruled out joining the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and dismissed as baseless a media report in this regard.
Sinha said the inauguration of the Kashmir rail service has connected the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country and will pave the way for the economic prosperity of the region.
A terror attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district has left several injured. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the attack, calling it an abomination. Several political leaders from the region have denounced the attack and called for a thorough investigation. The attack has raised serious questions about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, with the incident being described as the most unfortunate and shameful act by the JKPCC.
In a significant administrative reshuffle, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered the transfer and posting of 48 J-K Administrative Service (JKAS) officers, potentially creating friction with the National Conference-led government in the Union Territory. The move, seen by many as an attempt by the LG to assert control over the bureaucracy, includes the transfer of 14 additional deputy commissioners and 26 sub-divisional magistrates. The timing of the order, coinciding with the elected government's wait for approval on business rules, raises concerns over power dynamics in the region.
This is the second time that J&K team has defeated the 42-time champions in the latter's backyard.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has pardoned the policeman who hurled a shoe at him during the Independence Day celebrations on Sunday.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expanded his cabinet by inducting 13 new ministers. This has taken the total strength of the National Conference-Congress coalition ministry from 11 to 22.The coalition government headed by Omar Abdullah was formed in January this year after the state elections were held in December 2008.
'Our fight is not against the country but against the BJP and its ideology. The BJP is not the country and vice versa'
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.
"We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified," said MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still trembling with fear, as he stepped out of the Delhi airport after being evacuated from war-hit Iran under Operation Sindhu.
Omar Abdullah's nine-year old son Zahir, who accompanied his father on the victory lap in Ganderbal, instantly hit it off with the people, enjoying a new found celebrity status.
Political parties, cutting across affiliations and ideologies, Friday welcomed the Kashmir rail link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping for a boost in trade and tourism in the valley.
Former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur has decided to skip the book release function of former R&AW chief A S Dulat's book, "The Chief Minister and The Spy", citing the political storm over certain parts of the book concerning National Conference president Farooq Abdullah. Thakur stated that the controversy and its political overtones would be an embarrassment for him, given his long association with the Abdullah family and his desire to remain apolitical. He also noted that Farooq Abdullah has publicly "disowned, if not denounced" the statements attributed to him in the book. The book release function was scheduled for Friday, April 18, 2020.
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.
Pakistan's drone strikes and mortar shelling targeted six locations in Jammu, including the densely populated Rehari Colony, leaving one person injured and causing widespread damage. Residents described scenes of devastation and expressed fear, while others voiced defiance and called for action against Pakistan. The attacks, which occurred early Saturday, have been condemned by Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as the "worst targeting of civilians in Jammu city since 1971."
Raj Kumar Thapa, additional district development commissioner, Rajouri, and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in Rajouri town, the officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday announced security for panches and sarpanches in Kashmir Valley in the wake of killing of a Sarpanch in north Kashmir early this week that triggered large scale resignations.
Abdullah, who was a Lok Sabha member when the government accommodation in high security Gupkar area was provided to him in 2002, released a letter on his Twitter handle that he had written in July this year.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has cleared a resolution passed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led cabinet urging the Centre to restore the statehood to the Union territory, officials said on Saturday.
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.
The bench, while posting the matter for hearing on Thursday, said that the petitioner can file a rejoinder, if any, on the response filed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will submit his resignation on Wednesday when he will make a customary call on state Governor N N Vohra.
National Conference president Omar Abdullah escaped unhurt in powerful hand grenade explosion at an NC rally at Kralgund in the northern border district on Kupwara late on Monday afternoon.
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