Page 8 - Article 370

Implementing UCC not easy like revoking Article 370: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday cautioned the Centre over implementing a uniform civil code, saying it will affect all religions. Talking to reporters here, he also said that implementing UCC will not be "easy as it was to revoke Article 370". "There is no question (of implementing it). It is not easy as it was to revoke Article 370. All religions are involved in it. Not only Muslims, but Christians and Sikhs also, tribals, Jains, Parsis, annoying all these people at once, will not be good for any government," the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party said. "So, I suggest this government to not even think about taking this step," he said.

Azad welcomes SC decision to hear plea challenging abrogation of Art 370

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's recent announcement that it will hear a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution on July 11. Nearly four years after the government abrogated the provisions of Article 370 that bestowed a special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will take up a batch of pleas challenging the decision for hearing on July 11. Azad highlighted the significance of the top court's attention to these petitions, emphasising his optimism for a favourable outcome. "After a long time, the Supreme Court has taken note of the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370. I am hopeful about a positive outcome as I aspire for the restoration of full rights, which got annulled following the abrogation on August 5, 2019," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister ...

PDP chief Mehbooba requests CJI for early hearing on Article 370 in SC

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday requested Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud for an early hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. CJI Chandrachud is currently on a tour of Jammu and Kashmir and delivered the inaugural address on the second day 19th All India Legal Services Authorities meeting in Srinagar on Friday, besides attending the foundation laying function of the new high court complex in Jammu a day earlier. We welcome CJI to Jammu and Kashmir and want to remind him of Article 370 and the commitment of the people of the country to maintain the special status (of J&K under the constitutional provision) when the Muslim majority region joined hands with India without any compulsion," Mehbooba told reporters here. The PDP leader requested the CJI to ensure an early hearing of the petitions on Article 370. We want to invite the attention of the CJI to the petitions which are pending in the Supreme ...

After Article 370 abrogation reforms accepted without opposition: Shah

After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, peace has been established in Jammu and Kashmir and the reforms undertaken have been accepted without any opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Friday. "New dimensions of development are being created, institutions of higher education are being built, industries are being set up. Panchayati Raj has been established and many types of administrative reforms have been taken place at the grassroots level without any opposition and now Kashmir has to look ahead," he said addressing the Vitasta Cultural Festival here. "After the removal of Article 370 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, peace has been established in Jammu and Kashmir.... In such a situation, this Vitasta Mahotsav has great importance, he said. Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated in 2019. The state was also bifurcated into Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Shah said 1,900 artis

PM Modi fulfilled Syama Mookerjee's dream by revoking Article 370: CM Yogi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi fulfilled Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee's dream by revoking Article 370 in Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday. Addressing a function on the death anniversary of of Mookerjee, Adityanath hailed his "sacrifice for saving Kashmir" and for "ensuring the unity of India", a statement said. The Chief Minister said Kashmir's situation after Independence was progressively deteriorating due to Congress' shortsightedness. "In such circumstances, Dr Mookerjee raised a slogan for the country, opposing the creation of separate laws for Jammu and Kashmir and granting separate recognition to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir," Adityanath was quoted as saying in the statement. Mookerjee launched a movement with the slogan -- "Ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan nahi chalenge (There cannot be two constitutions, two prime ministers and two flags in one nation)" -- and was also arrested during that

Article 370 was temporary but lasted for 70 years: Vice President Dhankhar

Asserting that people are happy since the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution were abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said the article was temporary but still lasted for 70 long years. He also said B R Ambedkar had refused to draft Article 370 while drafting the other articles of the Constitution. "I had been advocating for it for 20 years. It was an aberration. Go to the text of the Constitution and see that this article was put as a temporary article. It lasted for the last 70 years," Dhankhar said while addressing a convocation of the University of Jammu here. He said Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, declined to draft Article 370. "Now, we are happy that it is not there (in Jammu and Kashmir)," he said. Remembering the words of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee -- "ek mulk mein do nishan, do pradhan nahi chalenge" (a country cannot have two symbols and two leaders), Dhankhar said that is no longer the case now. He said there

J&K completes 5-year central rule, political parties demands early polls

Jammu and Kashmir on Monday completed five years without an elected government, prompting a scathing attack from the mainstream National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party over the delay in restoration of democracy in the Union Territory. On August 5, 2019, the Centre revoked Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the state into two Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti resigned from the post of the chief minister on June 19, 2018 after alliance partner BJP withdrew support to her coalition government. In a sarcastic tweet, National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday said democracy in India ends where Jammu and Kashmir begins. "Democracy is in our veins, it is in our culture'; India is the mother of democracy'; India is the temple of democracy'. Great sounding words that the international community lap up & regurgitate ad-nauseam. Meanwhile J&K completes 5 years under ...

Uniform Civil Code: Third prong in BJP's three-point core agenda

The new effort by the 22nd Law Commission will look at personal laws relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, custody and guardianship of children, inheritance and succession, and adoption

World used Article 370 to keep India off balance, says EAM Jaishankar

He further added that while doing so, the government also fought lots of false narratives which emanated from within the country

Article 370 was meant to be 'temporary' provision in Constitution: Shah

The now-scrapped Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was meant to be a "temporary" provision since the beginning and the framers of the Constitution had put it there "intelligently", Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday. Inaugurating a training programme on legislative drafting, Shah also said that if a legislation is drafted well, there is "no need for any court to give any explanation to any law". If the drafting is simple and clear, it will also be easier to educate people about the law with minimal chances of errors by the executive, he said and added that if "grey areas" are left in the drafting, they will lead to "encroachment" in interpretation. Shah said if the drafting is complete and lucid, its interpretation will also be clear. Referring to Article 370, which the BJP government at the Centre repealed in 2019, the home minister said the whole country wanted that the provision of the Constitution should not be in existence. He also highligh

Industrialists see investment opportunity in J&K post abrogation of Art 370

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has said that J&K is emerging as a vibrant, fastest growing and most attractive investment destination and renowned companies from across the country and abroad are looking forward to investing in the Union Territory. Sinha shared key initiatives of J&K administration to facilitate the MSMEs in the Union Territory at the two-day Laghu Udyog Bharati's North Zone MSME conclave and investors' meet here. "Today, the world is recognizing the all-round transformation taking place in Jammu and Kashmir. Renowned companies from across the country and abroad are looking forward to investing here", he said. Speaking at the same event, Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal asked potential investors to take advantage of the business-friendly environment developed for the industries. "After abrogation of Article 370, a lot of people (investors) came here. In this investors' summit, several have shown their interests. It will create a good ...

Dawn of new development visible in J-K after abrogation of Art 370: Rijiju

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said a dawn of new development is visible in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Attending a public outreach-cum-mega legal awareness camp in Udhampur district of Jammu division, he said the present dispensation is trying its best to bring Jammu and Kashmir on the glorious path of development. After abrogation of Article 370 from J and K, many changes are visible in the field of development like completion of mega projects, progress of ongoing works and implementation of different centrally-sponsored schemes, the minister for Law and Justice said. He expressed satisfaction over the implementation of several government schemes in Udhampur. Rijiju appreciated the efforts of the district administration as well as various departments for the effective implementation of government schemes on the ground. After 2014, the path of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set new records. The pres

Won't contest Assembly elections till Article 370 is restored: Mehbooba

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday vowed not to contest assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir till Article 370 is restored, saying it be might a "foolish" decision, but the issue is an "emotional" one for her. In an interview with PTI here, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also said that assembly elections are not happening in the Union Territory as the Centre is "scared" that if there is an elected government, then it will not be able to pursue its "hidden agenda". The Centre in 2019 had abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and divided it into two Union Territories -- J-K and Ladakh. "I am never going to participate in assembly elections as long as Article 370 is not restored. Whenever I took oath as a member of the assembly, it was under two Constitutions -- the J-K Constitution and the Constitution of India, with two flags at the same time. Maybe it is foolish on my part, but, it is a more of an emotional

J-K govt to regularise colonies occupied by PoJK refugees: Lt Guv Sinha

J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha said on Monday that colonies in which displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) are living would be regularised.

Over 100 people take part in first 'snow marathon' in J&K's Bhaderwah

Braving sub-zero temperature, 135 people took part in the first of its kind "snow marathon" in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, officials said. The marathon was organised from Bhaderwah to Guldandi a scenic spot located on the outskirts of the hill town, they said. Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Vishesh Paul Mahajan flagged off the marathon organised by NGO named Real Sports India in collaboration with Union Tourism ministry, J-K tourism department, Indian Army, district Administration and the Bhaderwah Tourism Association. The mega marathon was organised after the recent successful conduct of 'Vibrant Bhaderwah Festival' and 'Askini Bhaderkashi Utsav' to project Bhaderwah as an all weather tourist destination. The marathon was held in three categories full marathon (25 km), half marathon (10 km), and 5-km run, officials said. "Hosting the maiden snow marathon in Bhaderwah is a proud moment for the district and it will definitely contribute in promoting adventure an

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Supreme Court to take call on listing of pleas challenging Article 370

'I will take a call on it,' said a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud as senior advocate Raju Ramachandran mentioned the matter for urgent listing of the case

Srinagar to host first international summit since abrogation of Article 370

In the first international summit after the abrogation of Article 370, Srinagar is gearing up to host the G-20 meeting and the preparations are in full swing in Jammu and Kashmir

Kashmir is filled with tourists after abrogation of Article 370: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that Kashmir has become a tourist destination rather than a place for protests, stone pelting, and revolution.While speaking at the 76th Raising Day celebrations of Delhi police at Kingsway camp, Shah said, "India's law and order, and safety have seen positive development since 2014. Every day in Kashmir used to be a place for protests, stone pelting & revolution. Today, Kashmir is filled with tourists."Shah was referring to the development that had taken place in Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India."It is a moment of pride that I am part of a legacy of more than 75 years. Delhi Police has been known for their work since independence to the present day and has been appreciated by the whole nation," he added."We feel empowered as we think of Kashmir as we travel across the country. The instances of leftist politics & extremism have decreased now considerably," he stated.On Thursday, Shah said ...

J-K govt okays Rs 329-cr project to achieve self-reliance in mutton sector

In a bid to boost production and reduce import costs, the Jammu and Kashmir government has approved a Rs 329 crore project for the next five years to achieve self reliance in mutton sector. The project is aimed at creating 6,000 jobs besides setting up of 122 enterprises in the mutton sector in the Union Territory. "In view of huge mutton usage in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Kashmiri cuisine and in order to reduce meat import, the government has approved an ambitious Rs 329 crore project for next five years to achieve self reliance in mutton sector", Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo said. The initiative also envisages achieving self-reliance in the mutton sector through a combination of innovative interventions including vertical upgrades, horizontal expansion besides focused attention on health cover and nutrition, he said. Despite the region's competitive advantage and potential to become self-reliant in the mutton sector,