The National Conference, which will head a coalition government with Congress in Jammu and Kashmir, is all set to join the United Progressive Alliance, Congress sources said on Friday. NC President Omar Abdullah, who will take oath as the new J and K chief minister on January five, has written to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressing his party's desire to join the UPA. The NC has two members in the Lok Sabha.
Relentless heavy rain led to a landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hill on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least five people and injuring 14, officials said.
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.
A cloudburst in a remote village in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, resulted in four fatalities and six injuries. Rescue operations are underway, and the district administration is monitoring the situation.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday expressed satisfaction over the recent statement by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde wherein he had said that 'the state government would be taken on board over the revocation of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
As night fell over Chositi village, rescuers worked frantically and pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble. Of these, 38 are in a serious condition, officials said. The death toll went up steadily as the day progressed and there were fears it could rise further.
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.
Heavy rains across India have led to widespread flooding, causing damage to infrastructure, displacement of residents, and disruption of normal life. Rescue efforts are underway in affected areas.
The officials said that intelligence agencies had been alerted about the possibility of a terror attack, but the inputs were utilised at another place, some 90 kilometres away from the site where the attack took place, resulting in a key security lapse.
'Somewhere down the line, Omar lost the plot, and in some ways, his troubles have stemmed from a lack of political maturity which has been evident in his decisions.'
Threatening to quit Parliament if 'excessive force' was used against protesters in Kashmir, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah on Sunday said that a sustained dialogue between the coordination committee of various separatist groups and Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti could resolve the shrine land row."Talks between the coordination committee and the Sangarsh Samiti should be a sustained one to find an acceptable solution to the crisis generated by the land row," he said
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's surprise visits to check on various government departments have heads rolling with the suspension of an assistant sub inspector of a police station in the city.
'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.'
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.
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.
Chawdhary announced this after laying a wreath at the Amar Prahari memorial at the BS Headquarters in Jammu in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday welcomed resumption of talks between India and Pakistan and said dialogue was the only platform to address issues and find an amicable solution to problems.
'Anybody who says one critical word can be branded as somebody who's glorifying terrorism.'
Independence or accession to Pakistan is not a viable option for the people of Kashmir, says National Conference chief Omar Abdullah while noting that essentially a political solution needs to be worked out for the ills plaguing Jammu and Kashmir.
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.
One of the first tasks that he undertook was to visit Saifuddin Soz and express his gratitude. "I must say that Soz Sahib has been a great source of strength,"he said. Abdullah clarified that he looked upon Soz as his political mentor.
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.
Abdullah is among a growing set of young Indian politicians who are active on the World Wide Web with social networking profiles and online portfolios used to connect mainly to the youths. The internet savvy 38-year-old National Conference president said he will put a system in place so that the general public could directly send him e-mails.
Bhartiya Janata Party's top leadership has been trying to avoid queries on whether Payal Singh, wife of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, is joining the party. Omar and Payal been estranged for a while now. Payal is living separately in New Delhi at Akbar Road and is trying to find a footing in the political sphere.
Abdullah said he hoped it would solve the Kashmir issue soon.
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 on Saturday met Governor N N Vohra and briefed him about the prevailing situation in the state. The meeting came in the backdrop of the row over the alleged custodial death of a National Conference worker. "The chief minister called on the governor here this afternoon and discussed with him the prevailing situation," official sources said. The sources said Omar briefed the governor about the steps taken by his government.
The chief minister has to often face hostilities on Twitter where users continuously taunt and abuse him.
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.
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.
The observations came after counsel for the Centre and the J-K administration informed the court that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing in the matter, is arguing in another court.
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.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah had to face an embarrassing situation during the Independence Day parade in Srinagar, when a local cop hurled a shoe at him. Head constable Abdul Ahad Jan hurled his shoe as the chief minister was unfurling the tri-colour in the Bakshi stadium where the main Independence Day function was being held on Sunday morning.
'The Congress will have to go deep into it and find the reasons for its defeat'
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'.
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.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed the Border Roads Organisation to clear the Manali-Leh highway within next three days and asked the officials engaged in relief work to ensure that procedural formalities do not delay the operation. The highway which got swept away by flash floods triggered by a cloudburst on Friday is one of the two road links between the 'cold desert' and other parts of the country.
The more people get vaccinated, the better it will be for the country and the economy, the National Conference vice president said.
