Page 53 - Jammu And Kashmir

J-K Assembly polls: Kashmiri Pandits urge action on longstanding issues

With the first phase of assembly elections set to be held on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmiri Pandit community is raising urgent calls for action on their long-standing issues of unemployment and housing. Nearly 35 years after the mass exodus of 1990, many in the community feel that political parties have repeatedly failed to address their concerns. Babloo Ji Butt, a representative voice of the community, expressed frustration over the unmet promises of political leaders. "For Kashmiri Pandits, it feels like the old saying: 'Hathi ke daant khane ke kuch aur, dikhane ke aur.' For decades, we have heard only lofty claims. We have become accustomed to empty assurances, and it seems that political leaders see us merely as voters," Butt lamented. Despite the challenges, Butt emphasised that relationships between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslim communities remain strong, even as many Pandits have settled outside the region. "Home is still home," he asserted. He highlighted the .

Congress will ensure J-K gets back status of full-fledged state: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said his party guarantees the rights of Jammu and Kashmir and will ensure it gets back the status of a full-fledged state. Tagging screenshots of the seven guarantees promised by the Congress ahead of the assembly elections, Kharge said in a post on X that the party would "give new energy to the youth" by filling one lakh government jobs. "The Congress guarantees the rights of Jammu and Kashmir. We will get J&K the status of a full-fledged state," he said in his post in Hindi. Kharge also highlighted the party's promise of free treatment of Rs 25 lakh for every family and a super-specialty hospital in every district. He said this will create a healthy society. "Dr Manmohan Singh's plan for rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits will be expanded. Constitution-based rights of OBC class will be secured," Kharge said. Woman heads of families will get financial protection of Rs 3,000 every month, he said. Kharge also highlighted the ...

J-K Assembly polls: Phase 1 of polls set to take place on September 18

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections: 24 constituencies will go to polls in phase one on September 18

J-K polls: Election officials head to polling stations in Ramban with EVMs

Twenty-four Assembly constituencies across the UT will go to polls in the first phase, scheduled for September 18

Cong manifesto for J&K promises full statehood; silent on Article 370

Says people of the UT will get priority in govt recruitment, tenders, resources

J-K elections: BJP will bury terrorism permanently, says Amit Shah. Updates

Jammu and Kashmir elections: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the BJP had pledged to bury terrorism in the state of J&K to such level that it would never return

Haryana, J-K polls highlights: Article 370 has become history, cannot come back, says Amit Shah

J-K, Haryana Assembly polls updates: Catch all the latest news developments related to the Assembly polls here

Volatile price and polls likely behind rejig of duties, export cap

The Central government in a slew of measures late last week eased some of the export curbs on key commodities

Mosque sermons in Kashmir start addressing politics after long pause

Mosque sermons in Kashmir, for decades, have maintained a calculated distance from political topics. But that might be changing now, writes KALEEM GEELANI

Mehbooba Mufti has only brought destruction to J&K: Omar Abdullah

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Sunday hit out at People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, saying she has brought nothing but destruction to Jammu and Kashmir. On Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's announcement of resignation, the NC leader said it remains to be seen what will be his next steps. "Mehbooba Mufti has brought nothing but destruction to Jammu and Kashmir. If anyone has played the biggest role in bringing BJP (in J&K) then it is PDP and its leadership," Abdullah told reporters in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Referring to the violent street protests after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016 that left over 90 civilians dead, Abdullah said Mufti should give an account of 2016 before pointing fingers at him. "She talked about milk and toffee...she has not yet apologised for that. She has not yet apologised for bringing the BJP here. She has not apologised for pushing Jammu and Kashmir towards this ...

Engineer Rashid's AIP, ex-JEI members join hands for J&K Assembly polls

In a significant political development, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) headed by Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer and former members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) have come together in a strategic alliance for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. "A joint meeting was held today in which the AIP delegation was led by AIP Supremo and chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Prominent JEI members participated in the discussions," the AIP said in a statement. Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir was banned by the Union Home Ministry in 2019. The ban was extended for another five years in February this year. Several influential leaders of Jamaat are contesting assembly polls as independent candidates. An AIP spokesperson said the two sides agreed to work together in the larger interest of the region's population. The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JEI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir .

Cong to release its J&K poll manifesto within two days: Bharat Solanki

The Congress would release its manifesto for Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections within two days, senior leader Bharat Singh Solanki said on Sunday while terming the BJP's poll promises "hollow". Exuding confidence that the Congress-National Conference alliance would come to power in Jammu and Kashmir, he hit out at the BJP, saying it failed to wipe out terrorism, ensure the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits and generate employment for the local youth. The Congress' Jammu and Kashmir affairs in charge said a common minimum programme (CMP) would be chalked out by the coalition partners after government formation to ensure peace, prosperity and development in the region. "The (Congress) manifesto is ready and will be announced within two days before the first phase of elections. Our manifesto will not be based on 'jumlas', and we will ensure its implementation," Solanki told reporters here. Jammu and Kashmir goes to polls in three phases -- September 18, September 25 and

J-K politicians pip Haryana's in seeking permissions for rallies, venues

Politicians in Jammu and Kashmir have sought and received around four times more permissions for organising rallies and booking meeting venues than their counterparts in Haryana, official data shows. While assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases beginning September 18, in Haryana the democratic exercise will take place in a single phase on October 5. According to data available with offices of chief electoral officers of Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, over 3,100 permissions for rally grounds and halls have been granted so far in the Union territory via the Election Commission's Suvidha application. In Haryana, the number of permissions stand at over 850, according to latest data available on the Suvidha application. During their review visit to Jammu and Kashmir on September 11 and 12, EC officials have told the UT administration that no last-minute restrictions would be imposed on the number of participants allowed in rallies or meetings. The ...

PMAY and MNREGA projects bring relief to J-K residents, say locals

People have received 'Pucca' houses under PMAY and frequent employment under MNREGA, bringing relief from issues like migration and frequent repairs required in 'Kaccha' houses

Encounter with terrorists underway in Kashmir's Poonch; area cordoned off

A joint search operation was immediately launched by the Romeo Force of the Indian Army, the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Poonch Police, and the CRPF

News updates: CBI arrests former RG Kar principal,a Kolkata police SHO in connection with the case

Catch all the latest news updates from around the world here

Army personnel injured while foiling infiltration bid in J&K's Rajouri

An army personnel was injured in an encounter with terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, security officials said. The encounter occurred in the Kalal area of the Nowshera sector when army troops guarding the LoC intercepted a group of terrorists trying to infiltrate into this side, the officials said. This was the second infiltration attempt by terrorists in Nowshera in the past week. Earlier on September 9, two heavily armed terrorists were killed near the LoC in the Laam area of this sector. Army troops noticed some terrorists and challenged them, leading to a gunfight which continued for some time, the officials said, adding the terrorists fled into the nearby forest and a massive search operation is on to track down and neutralize them.

J-K polls: BJP will grant statehood to J&K if voted to power, says PM Modi

J-K Assembly polls: During an election rally in Doda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir if the party comes to power

J&K became a bureaucratic fiefdom controlled by BJP-RSS cabal: Cong

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress on Saturday asked when will full statehood return to the union territory and alleged that the region has "become a bureaucratic fiefdom controlled by the BJP-RSS cabal". Prime Minister Modi addressed an election rally in the Doda district of Jammu region in support of BJP candidates. Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh noted that since the fall of the PDP-BJP government in 2018, Jammu and Kashmir has been administered by Modi government. Posing questions to the PM, Ramesh asked when will full statehood return to Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that since 2018, the people of J&K have been denied any avenue to express their grievances. "The region has become a bureaucratic fiefdom controlled by the BJP-RSS cabal. While claiming to have ended special status for J&K, the government has in fact created an extra-special situation of a new and unique political system: one where ...

Running 'Nafrat ki dukaan': PM Modi takes dig at Rahul Gandhi in J&K rally

PM Modi attacked the Congress party said that if their poll promises get implemented, the erstwhile state will go back to the days when schools were put on fire