Month: October 2024

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has lifted the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in Jammu Kashmir and Haryana, effective immediately. This decision follows the official declaration of results for the recent Legislative Assembly elections in both regions. The MCC, which is enforced from the announcement of the election schedule until the completion of the electoral process, is no longer applicable now that the Returning Officers have declared the results. The ECI has instructed all relevant parties to be informed of this development. The conclusion of the MCC marks the end of the electoral process and the resumption of regular political activities in both Jammu Kashmir and Haryana.

Leaders of the National Conference (NC), who secured victories in the recently concluded J&K Assembly elections, reaffirmed their commitment to their manifesto, particularly the restoration of statehood and Article 370. Speaking at the party headquarters, Nawa-e-Subh complex in Srinagar, Sadiq, the NC leader who won the Zadibal seat in Srinagar stated that the BJP has been in power for the past ten years, and it’s time for them to experience the opposition. "We are ready to face BJP as the opposition," he asserted, emphasizing that the NC will not step back from its promises. Sadiq emphasized there was no question of backtracking from the commitments made by the NC. "We stand firm on our promises, including the restoration of Article 370, and we will fight vigorously to ach...

Amid the escalating tensions in the aftermath of the post poll alliance, CPI (M) and banned Jamaat-e-Islami have appealed people to maintain peace and avoid engaging in violence. Addressing a press conference in Jamaat e Islami office in Kulgam, Ghulam Qadir Lone, former senior member of  Jamaat-e-Islami said, "People must not engage in violence and hoolganism. We appeal to all the people to maintain peace." Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Mohammed Abbas, general secretary of the party in Kulgam said, "We appeal people to maintain calm and not let the violence spread." Tensions had erupted in Bachroo area of Kulgam on Wednesday morning as supporters of rival political candidates clashed following the announcement of CPI(M) candidate Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami's victory in the Kulgam as...

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case on Wednesday against five officials, including a former director, along with several private individuals, for their alleged involvement in misappropriating funds under the post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in Jammu Kashmir. The FIR, filed under the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, names the then director of tribal affairs, Mohammad Sharief Choudhary, former assistant director Muzaffar Wani, junior assistant Gulzar Hussain, in-charge computer assistant Javed Ahmed, and head assistant Shaheen Naqishbandi. Several private individuals associated with educational institutions in the Rajouri and Poonch districts are also implicated, according to an ACB spokesperson. The investigation uncover...

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the party will not back off from its commitment to the restoration of Article 370, as outlined in its election manifesto. Omar acknowledged the challenges of asking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to restore Article 370, saying such a request would be “foolish.” “However, the NC will persistently advocate for the issue. The public has entrusted the party with this responsibility, and we must live up to their expectations,” he said, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). He said the NC should first focus on forming a government, after which they would push for a cabinet resolution advocating for the restoration of Jammu Kashmir’s statehood. Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greeti...

The BJP continued its poor performance in the Kashmir Valley, failing to secure even a single seat despite a massive campaign effort and extensive preparations. Out of the 19 candidates fielded by the party in the valley, only one, Faqir Mohammad Khan from Gurez, managed to secure more than one-sixth of the votes, thus avoiding the forfeiture of his security deposit. However, even he lost narrowly by 1,132 votes. The remaining 18 candidates forfeited their deposits, reflecting the party’s struggle to gain traction in the region. In contrast, the National Conference (NC) emerged as the single largest party in Jammu Kashmir, winning 42 of the 90 assembly seats. While the BJP struggled in Kashmir, it retained its dominance in Jammu, securing 29 seats overall and improving its 2014...

Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the National Conference, on Wednesday reiterated that while it is "foolish" to expect the restoration of Article 370 from the party that revoked it, the fight for the region's special status will continue. Abdullah asserted, "We will not stop talking about 370, and we will not let the cause of special status die down. As I have stated earlier, it would be foolish to expect restoration of 370 from those who have taken it. However, when the political circumstances change in the country, we will get it back. Until then, we will not let the cause die." His comments reflect a commitment to keeping the issue of Article 370 alive, even as political dynamics shift. Omar Abdullah had previously, during elections campaign, in several rallies including those ...

Sorrow engulfed Anantnag’s Nowgam village when the news of local army jawan Hilal Ahmad Bhat reached there on Wednesday. Bhat was kidnapped by militants on Tuesday while he was on his way back to join duty after leave, according to a neighbor. “The entire village is in grief… Hilal was a nice person,” said Mohammad Shafi. Bhat is survived by his wife, a five-year-old son named Azaan, and an infant daughter. Shafi mentioned that the soldier had come home on leave to spend time with his family. “Yesterday, he returned to report to work, but later we heard that he had been abducted on the way,” he added. He appealed to the government to take special care of Bhat’s family, who have lost their breadwinner. According to the army, security forces recovered Bhat's bullet-ridden body...

Following the recent Jammu and Kashmir assembly election results, four independent MLAs who had earlier left the National Conference (NC) due to a dispute over ticket distribution are reportedly set to rejoin the party after the NC-Congress alliance's strong performance. In this election, the NC emerged as the largest party, securing 42 seats in the 90-member assembly, while the BJP won 29 seats, and the Congress took six. Among the independents, seven candidates won their respective seats. Notably, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, a former judge, defeated BJP’s Mohd Iqbal Malik in the Thannamandi constituency by 6,179 votes. Meanwhile, the INDIA alliance candidate Mohd Shabir Khan, who ran on a Congress ticket, placed fourth with 7,508 votes. In Inderwal, independent candidate Payare Lal Sha...