Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stated that the conversation regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir has not been stalled. He claims the issue was raised at the recent NITI Aayog governing council meeting, and the formal speech distributed at the meeting includes a mention of the return of statehood. Abdullah also addressed concerns about the impact of the Pahalgam terror attack on tourism, emphasizing the importance of local Kashmiris visiting tourist spots first to revive the industry and ensure a sense of security.
'We were told that we would be taken care of when we reached Delhi. But we did not find a single Kashmiri government official who could guide us.'
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.
Sankarshan Thakur, editor of The Telegraph whose prowess with words added that extra edge to his analyses and ground reports, died at a Gurgaon hospital on Monday after prolonged illness. He was 63.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was on Monday sworn in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir
The Enforcement Directorate questioned former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah for five hours on Thursday in connection with a case related to the purchase of a building by the J&K Bank about 12 years ago when he was in office, officials said in New Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hailed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the decision to stick to the scheduled meeting with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif, despite another attempt by militants to derail the talks through a fresh attack.
Heavy rains battered Jammu and Kashmir, triggering floods, damaging infrastructure, and disrupting normal life. Authorities issued advisories and rescue operations were conducted.
Rescue operations continue in Kishtwar, J&K, following a devastating cloudburst. Anxious relatives cling to fading hope as the search for the missing enters its third day.
The Congress will be a part of the government, Omar said, emerging from a meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting took place in the backdrop of both National Conference and the People's Democratic Party initially showing the inclination to form the government in the state and Congress having a rethink on whether it should support NC or PDP.
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.
A massive controversy is raging in Jammu and Kashmir after a plaque with the Ashoka emblem was vandalised in the Hazratbal shrine as parties on Saturday accused Waqf Board chief Darakshan Andrabi of hurting religious sentiments by using the national emblem in the mosque and demanded registration of a criminal case and her immediate removal.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk called off his hunger strike as protests for Ladakh statehood and Sixth Schedule extension turned violent. The BJP office was set on fire, vehicles were torched, and clashes erupted, leading to the imposition of prohibitory orders.
The Jammu and Kashmir government will start functioning from the civil secretariat from Thursday, according to an official statement.
'The Congress will have to go deep into it and find the reasons for its defeat'
This is the second time that J&K team has defeated the 42-time champions in the latter's backyard.
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.
Against the backdrop of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slamming him on the issue of revocation of special status to the state, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Friday advised him not to use words like "cheating and deceiving" and clarified that his party has always been opposed to Article 370.
Chief minister-designate Omar Abdullah met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to present letters of support from coalition partners, shortly after the Congress officially extended its backing to the party.
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.
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.
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.
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 strong statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office came after former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah asked bureaucrats in the Union Territory to resist any pressure to "further disempower" the incoming elected government.
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.
'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.'
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.
'I went to jail and met my father to convince him to join politics and believe in the Constitution.'
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.
National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah, his only son Omar Abdullah and Omar's sons Zamir Abdullah and Zahir Abdullah (both first time voters) cast their votes in Srinagar on Monday, May 13, 2024.
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.
It provides all-weather access to Sonamarg, replacing the avalanche-prone Z-turn road.
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.
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 expressed concern about the lack of clarity regarding the INDIA bloc's leadership and agenda, suggesting the alliance should be dissolved if it was only formed for parliamentary elections. He called for a meeting of the alliance members after the Delhi Assembly elections to discuss the bloc's future and decide on a collective strategy. Abdullah also highlighted the need for a clear vision and leadership within the INDIA bloc. His remarks come amid speculation about the alliance's future and its ability to effectively challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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.
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.
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.
'Anybody who says one critical word can be branded as somebody who's glorifying terrorism.'
