Page 4 - Jammu And Kashmir

BJP names 3 candidates for elections to 4 Rajya Sabha seats in J-K

The BJP on Sunday named three candidates, including its Jammu and Kashmir unit president Sat Pal Sharma, for the elections to four Rajya Sabha seats in the Union Territory scheduled for October 24. Two other candidates are Ghulam Mohammed Mir and Rakesh Mahajan. The Election Commission has issued three separate notifications for the elections to four seats. The National Conference-Congress combine has an edge in three seats while the BJP has in one, going by their strength in the assembly. The BJP's decision to force a contest will spice up the polling, as it is expected to spearhead an intensive exercise to woo MLAs from other parties to shore up support for its candidates. The ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir had on Friday announced the names of its three candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls to be held on October 24, and said discussions were on with the Congress for the fourth seat.

J&K LG pays tribute to two soldiers martyred during counter-terror ops

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday paid tributes to two soldiers who lost their lives battling extreme weather conditions during counter-terror operations at Kokernag in Anantnag district. The L-G visited the Srinagar-based headquarters of the Army's Chinar Corps at the Badami Bagh Cantonment, and laid floral wreaths on the coffins as a mark of tribute to the fallen soldiers. An official spokesman said Sinha paid homage to Army bravehearts Lance Havildar Palash Ghosh and Lance Naik Sujay Ghosh, who laid down their lives for the nation. The two soldiers made the supreme sacrifice while conducting counter-terror operations in the Kishtwar Range of Kokernag, battling extreme weather conditions. I salute the supreme sacrifice of our Army bravehearts Lance Havildar Palash Ghosh and Lance Naik Sujay Ghosh. The nation shall remain forever grateful for the exemplary valour and selfless service of our soldiers. We stand in solidarity with the families of our marty

SC grants Centre six weeks to respond to plea on J&K statehood timeline

Petitioners urged the Supreme Court to enforce the Centre's earlier promise to restore statehood and pleaded that the same should be fulfilled within a reasonable timeframe

Home Minister Amit Shah chairs high-level meet on security situation in J&K

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, officials said. The meeting was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka and J&K Police chief Nalin Prabhat, CRPF DG GP Singh and BSF DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary, among other senior officers from the centre and the Union territory. During the meeting, a review of the security situation in the Pir Panjal region and ongoing developmental projects in the UT was undertaken, the officials said. The last such review meeting on J&K was chaired by Shah on September 1. The home minister emphasised the zero tolerance policy against terrorism and instructed all security agencies to remain alert and operate in a coordinated manner to eliminate terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said. Post Pahalgam terror attack in April, there are continuous operations to dismantle the terror network ..

EOW conducts raid at multiple locations in J-K in ₹53 lakh land fraud case

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch Kashmir on Thursday conducted raids at multiple locations here in connection with a Rs 53 lakh land fraud case, officials said. The searches were conducted at several locations in Srinagar district in connection with a case of cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property against four individuals involved in the fraud. The case was registered on September 2 following a written complaint alleging that land brokers Tariq Ahmad Hajam, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Sonaullah Mir, and Razzak Mir -- all residents of Barthana Srinagar -- deceitfully grabbed Rs 53 lakh from the complainant on the pretext of facilitating a land deal, a spokesman of the Crime Branch said. He said the investigation has revealed that the accused, in connivance with certain revenue officers and officials, had "manipulated documents and misused official processes to illegally" obtain money and property from the complainant. Searches were conducted to trace evidence

Vaishno Devi pilgrimage resumes after three-day suspension in J&K

The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district resumed Wednesday morning after remaining suspended for three days owing to inclement weather, officials said. The traffic on the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway was also partially allowed after a day-long suspension, while all government and private schools reopened in Jammu and elsewhere after two days' closure, the officials said. A spokesman of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said the pilgrimage to the shrine restarted with the opening of all registration counters around 6 am on Wednesday. The pilgrimage is progressing smoothly with hundreds of devotees leaving base camp Katra for the shrine. The yatra to the shrine was suspended along with Machail Mata yatra in Kishtwar district on October 5 to 7 following prediction of widespread rainfall in the plain and snowfall in the high altitude areas. Machail Mata yatra also resumed this morning with the improvement in the

Security tightened in J&K's Rajouri after encounter with terrorists

Following the encounter, joint teams from the Police, Army, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area

AAP to contest upcoming bypolls in J&K's Budgam, Nagrota Assembly seats

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday announced that it will contest the upcoming assembly byelections in Budgam and Nagrota constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir. Bypolls to both Budgam and Nagrota assembly constituencies will be held on November 11 while counting of votes will be undertaken on November 14. Budgam fell vacant immediately after the 2024 assembly elections when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chose to retain the Ganderbal constituency. The seat has been vacant since October 21, 2024. Nagrota, on the other hand, fell vacant on October 31, 2024, after the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana. After meeting AAP J-K unit president and sitting MLA Mehraj Malik in Kathua jail, party spokesperson Appu Singh Slathia conveyed several messages, including the decision to fight the upcoming bypolls in the two assembly segments. Quoting Malik, she said the election will be contested on both seats with "truth and commitment". Malik was detained on September 8 under the stringent Publi

ECI announces bypolls in 8 Assembly seats across 7 states, UTs: Check dates

The by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram, and Odisha will be held on November 11. The results will be announced on November 14

Tourism in J&K, Ladakh struggling to recover after Pahalgam terror attack

Passenger traffic at Srinagar, Jammu, and Leh airports remains below last year's levels as terror attacks, floods, and bans hit the tourist season

Pakistani drone sighted along IB in J&K; security forces launch search op

Security forces have launched a search operation after a Pakistani drone was sighted hovering over a forward village along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said on Saturday. The drone-like object was seen coming from the Pakistani side and hovered over Nanga village in the Ramgarh sector late Friday, triggering alarm in the border belt, they said. According to officials, security forces and police teams were immediately deployed to scour the area and ensure that there is no airdropping of any payload like narcotics and weapons from across the border. The search operation was underway when last reports were received, officials said, adding that security has been heightened in adjoining villages as a precautionary measure.

J&K rolls out GST 2.0 reforms, adopts 7-step consumer benefit protocol

Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday rolled out GST 2.0 reforms in the Union territory, bringing in major changes to rationalise the tax structure and ensure consumer welfare in line with the national reforms drive. Effective September 22, GST has adopted a two-tier structure, with rates of 5 per cent and 18 per cent. The earlier tax slabs of 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent have now been clubbed into the two rates mentioned above, resulting in a reduced price of 99 per cent of daily use items. "The Government has commenced the implementation of next-generation GST reforms 2.0, effective from September 22, aligning with the national tax rationalisation drive and reinforcing its commitment to consumer welfare," an official spokesperson said. For smooth and transparent implementation of the new GST regime, the administration has put in place Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for the State Taxes, Legal Metrology, Health & Medical Education, and Industries & Commerce ...

L-G Sinha lays foundation stone for projects worth ₹700 cr in Jammu

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday laid the foundation stone of 60 projects worth nearly Rs 700 crore and called for sustainable urban planning and its execution on the ground as a bold roadmap for future cities to mitigate environmental challenges. The governor asked the Housing and Urban Development Department to replicate the Swachhata Internship Programme and Green Colony initiative of Jammu Municipal Corporation in other cities across Jammu and Kashmir. Sinha attended the Sewa Parv celebrations organised by the Housing and Urban Development Department here and laid the foundation stone for 60 projects under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 worth Rs 699.79 crore. In his address, Sinha lauded the efforts of the department and Jammu Municipal Corporation for fostering inclusive growth and improving infrastructure and services for the city's residents. He said sustainable urban planning and execution on the ground is a bold roadmap for

Centre failed to honour its promises on statehood to J&K, Ladakh: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has accused the Centre of betraying both Ladakh and J-K by failing to fulfil its promises and deepening mistrust through delays in restoring statehood. Speaking at the launch of senior journalist and author Harinder Baweja's latest book, "They Will Shoot You, Madam: My life through conflict" on Sunday, Abdullah said the government had failed to follow through on its own roadmap, first for Jammu and Kashmir and now for Ladakh, alleging that the latter was misled with "impossible" assurances. "When you wanted them (Ladakh) to participate in Hill Council elections, you promised them the Sixth Schedule. Everyone knew that giving the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh was nearly impossible. A region that shares frontiers with China on one side and Pakistan on the other requires a sizeable defence presence, which the Sixth Schedule makes impossible. Yet, you made promises to get electoral participation, he stated. The 55-year-old also criticised the ..

J&K may not get statehood as BJP did not win Assembly polls: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that an impression was developing in the Union Territory that its statehood will not be restored as the BJP could not win assembly elections last year. He said BJP was the only party that opposed statehood restoration. "Sometimes it looks like people of Jammu and Kashmir will not get statehood because the BJP lost the elections. This is an injustice because nowhere was it said that statehood will be restored only if the BJP wins," Abdullah told media outside his private office here. "If there is opposition to the restoration of statehood, it is coming only from the BJP," he said. Abdullah said the biggest challenge before his 11-month-old government is that Jammu and Kashmir is not a state. "The way the people were promised and the Supreme Court was informed, we expected it to be a three-step process: first delimitation, then elections, followed by restoration of statehood," the chief minister said. "The delimitatio

PM should've talked about J-K's statehood in address to nation: Farooq

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have talked about restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood in his address to the nation. Modi explained the benefits of the GST reforms to the people in his address to the nation on Sunday evening. The revised GST rates came into effect on Monday. "You are talking about GST, it would have been better had you (Modi) talked about our statehood in the speech," Abdullah told reporters here. Asked if the NC is hopeful of getting a favourable judgement from the Supreme Court -- where a petition on the matter is listed for hearing in the second week of October -- Abdullah said every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir is hoping that statehood would be restored. "Not just the National Conference, but everyone has hopes that we will get our statehood back," he said. Asked about JKLF chairman Yasin Malik's case, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir said it wa

J&K Police conduct terror-related searches at 8 locations across valley

Jammu and Kashmir Police's Counter Intelligence Wing on Saturday conducted searches at multiple locations in the valley in a terror-related case, officials said. Searches were being conducted by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) at eight locations across the valley as part of its investigations in the case, the officials said. They said the searches were being conducted in the districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara, Pulwama, and Shopian. "The searches are in pursuance of a search warrant obtained from the competent court in case FIR number 3/2023 of P/S CIK," the officials added.

Soldier killed as Army, police resume hunt for terrorists in J&K's Udhampur

One Army soldier was injured in an encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Friday, officials said. Acting on specific information, the Army, Special Operations Group (SOG), and police launched an operation in the Dudu police station limits bordering the Seoj Dhar high-altitude area, resulting in the encounter, they said. "Encounter is in progress. Joint teams of SOG, police and Indian Army on ground," Jammu IGP said in a post on X. One Army jawan suffered injuries in the exchange of fire, reports said. Earlier, the White Knight Corps had said on X that "in an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Kishtwar, alert troops of the White Knight Corps established contact with terrorists at around 8 pm". Several encounters have taken place in the area during past one year. Haider, a terrorist eliminated in an encounter in the Dudu-Basantgarh forest on June 26, was a top commander of Pakistan-based ...

Former Hurriyat Conference chief Abdul Gani Bhat dies at 90 in Sopore

Former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat died at his Sopore residence in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday at the age of 90, his family said. Bhat, who was largely confined to his residence at Sopore in Baramulla district due to ill health over the past few years, breathed his last this evening, Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said. "I just received a call from Bhat Sahib's son confirming the sad news about the demise of the veteran leader," the Mirwaiz told PTI. Born in 1935, Bhat graduated from Sri Pratap College in Srinagar in Persian studies. He went on to obtain post graduate degrees in Persian and a Law degree from Aligarh Muslim University. Bhat is likely to be buried in his ancestral graveyard in Sopore, sources close to the family said.

Vaishno Devi yatra resumes after 22-day halt due to heavy rainfall

The reopening of the pilgrimage has brought relief and joy to devotees, many of whom had been waiting in Katra for the shrine to reopen