Month: September 2022

IAS officer Shah Faesal has withdrawn his petition from the Supreme Court challenging the Presidential order to scrap Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Bar & Bench reported. Faesal was among 23 petitioners who had challenged the Centre’s decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370. Shah Faesal’s decision to withdraw the petition comes months after he was taken back into the Indian Administrative Service in April this year and appointed Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. Faesal resigned from service in protest in 2019 to float his own political party in Jammu and Kashmir. However, his resignation had never been accepted by the government and he withdrew it later. (AGENCIES)

On Tuesday, Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) Jammu and Kashmir, the representative amalgam of religious social and educational organisations of Kashmir, "strongly objected to the enforcement of singing Hindu hymns in schools in Kashmir, as can be seen in a viral clip on social media at a government high school in Nagam, Kulgam, during morning prayer." This matter is a cause of great concern to Millat-e-Kashmir, the MMU said in a statement. The MMU added that it was also "an attempt to undermine our religious identity." Majlis-e-Ulema said that that protection of their religion and Islamic identity was, as Muslims their fundamental religious responsibility; and deliberate interference in this by the government, education department or any other agency will neither be accepted nor tolera...

Jammu  Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Tuesday inaugurated Kashmir’s first multiplex cinema in Srinagar and stated that each district in JK will have 100-seater Cinema halls soon. Addressing the gathering after inaugurated the first multiplex cinema at Shivpora area of city, the LG Sinha, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that cinema lovers are everywhere in Kashmir and cinemas have a great history in the Valley. “There used to be a time when people in large numbers would come to watch movies along with friends and families. Cinemas would provide them opportunities to think big and dream big besides entertaining them,” the LG said. He said in 1965, a Bollywood blockbuster of yesteryears, ‘Janwar’, starring famous Bollywood actor Shami Kapoor was screened ...

The State Investigating Agency (SIA) on Tuesday morning raided the office of Falah-e-Aam Trust in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district in connection with a militancy funding case. Sources told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that SIA accompanied by Police conducted raids at the trust in the morning today. He said that the raid was being conducted in connection with a militancy funding case. Meanwhile, SIA conducted raids at another Falah-a-Aam Trust office in Nowgam area of Srinagar today morning. The official said that raids were underway when reports last came in—(KNO)

In the first case of conviction under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, a court in Amroha has served a five-year jail term to a 26-year-old carpenter. Additional Director General of Police, Prosecution, Ashutosh Pandey, confirmed that since the introduction of the new law in December 2021, the conviction by the Amroha court was the first under the new law. Amroha Additional District Judge (POCSO court), Kapila Raghav on Saturday announced a jail term of five years for Afzal and imposed a penalty of Rs 40,000. Gajendra Pal Singh, Investigation Officer at Hasanpur police station, said that on April 4, 2021, Amroha police had arrested Afzal from Delhi and booked him under Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law for allegedly kidnapping a 16-year-...

The administration on Monday formally announced holiday on September 23 to commemorate birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh. “To commemorate the birth anniversary of "Maharaja Hari Singh Ji", 23rd of September of every year shall be observed as holiday in Government offices and educational institutions across the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881 (Central Act 26 of 1881),” reads a government notification, a copy of which lies with GNS. On September 15, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha had made the announcement that the Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday will be celebrated as holiday. Sinha’s announcement came following his meeting with a delegation comprising of prominent political leaders, members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, civil society members, inclu...