REGIONAL

National Conference (NC) legislator Majeed Larmi on Monday hit back at party MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi for criticizing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saying that if Ruhullah believes the Chief Minister has failed, he should resign from Parliament and contest fresh elections. “If the Chief Minister has done nothing, as he says, then resign from the MP seat won on an NC ticket. Resign, contest again, and let the people decide,” Larmi told reporters in Srinagar. Larmi said every elected leader has the right to speak for their constituency but questioned Ruhullah’s public criticism of the party leadership. “We made a promise for five years, not one. If he can speak publicly, we can respond too,” he said. Clarifying governance issues, Larmi said that decisions like the installation of smart...

Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday expressed concern that the chances of the region regaining its statehood are fading with time. Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said he had been optimistic about the restoration of statehood from the beginning, but the prolonged delay had weakened that optimism. “I was hopeful initially, but with each passing day, that hope is diminishing,” he remarked. Responding to a recent remark by Member of Parliament Mian Altaf, Abdullah said he had spoken to him over the phone. “He is like a fatherly figure to me. He has said nothing wrong and only advised me the way my father would,” he added. He also noted a distinction between the two leaders, saying there was a “vast difference” between Mian Altaf and Aga Ruhullah.

Multiple unions of daily rated and temporary workers on Monday staged a peaceful demonstration near Kashmir Haat at the Exhibition Crossing in Srinagar, demanding regularization of over 61,000 daily wagers across Jammu Kashmir and the implementation of the revised Minimum Wages Act. Carrying placards and banners reading “We Want Justice” and “Regularize Daily Wagers”, the protestors gathered under the banner of several worker unions representing various government departments including Public Health Engineering, Power Development, Forest, and Rural Development. The protesting workers said that despite decades of service, they continue to work under uncertainty, deprived of job security, benefits, and adequate pay. “We have been serving this administration for years, some for more than ...

The proposed Baisaran Gondola project in Pahalgam has been halted as the executing agency awaits permission from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to resume ground surveys and technical studies, the Jammu Kashmir government informed on Monday. Tourism Minister said the Jammu Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) had finalised tenders and signed an agreement with a consultant for preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and related work. However, the process came to a standstill following restrictions imposed after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. “The alignment for the 1.4-kilometre ropeway project has already been identified, with the lower terminal point near Yatri Niwas and the upper terminal point at Baisaran. About 9.13 hectares of forest land has been...

Jammu Kashmir Government has banned the sale, storage, and distribution of three ghee brands in Jammu district after laboratory analysis found that the products contained sub-standard vegetable oil instead of pure dairy fat. Officials from the Food Safety Department confirmed that samples of the three brands, Shri Godhan Desi Ghee (also spelled Shree Gordhan), Eassy Dairy Cow Ghee, and MFP 56 Bhog A2 Desi Ghee, were sent to a testing facility in Delhi, where the reports confirmed serious deviations from prescribed quality standards. According to officials, the three brands, all manufactured in the state of Haryana, failed multiple parameters of purity and safety. “The tests revealed that these ghee brands contained vegetable oil blends not fit for human consumption as pure ghee,” an ...

After a three-day break, the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly will resume on Monday with a packed schedule, featuring key legislative business and public issues. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to introduce Te Jammu and Kashmir Rent Authority Bill, 2025, which aims to establish a rent authority to regulate tenancy, safeguard landlord and tenant rights, and ensure quick dispute resolution through a formal mechanism. The House will also take up the report of the Committee headed by Surjeet Singh Slathia, recommending a revision in salaries, allowances, and pensionary benefits of legislators. According to the Assembly Secretariat, the session will begin at 10 a.m. with the Question Hour, followed by the announcement of the Panel of Chairmen by the Speaker. Five Calling Atten...

Murtaza Bilal The body of a 45-year-old man, who had gone missing after allegedly jumping into the Jhelum river last week, was retrieved on Sunday morning, officials said. An official told The Kashmiriyat that a man identified as Mohammad Rafeeq Ahangar, son of Mohammad Jamal Ahangar, a resident of Dalal Mohalla, Zaina Kadal, had jumped into the river on October 20. “After six days of continuous search, his body was retrieved today near Chattabal by a joint team of SDRF, River Police, and the local police,” the official said. Police have taken cognizance of the incident.

A major case of mismanagement and suspected misappropriation of food grains has surfaced in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, exposing serious lapses within the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department. A preliminary report compiled by the Assistant Director FCS&CA Kupwara has revealed large-scale discrepancies in the allocation, dispatch, and delivery of food grains meant for snowbound and border areas of the district. According to the report, an internal inquiry found that over 12,600 quintals of food grains were dispatched offline without authorization, while more than 1,300 quintals were received short at various sale centres. At the same time, around 3,500 quintals of ration allocated for online distribution were unaccounted for, raising suspicion...

Shah Basit Police in Ganderbal district arrested six individuals during a crackdown on illegal gambling in the Gadoora area, seizing cash and playing cards in the process. According to authorities, a police team acted on a tip-off and reached the location where the suspects were reportedly gambling. When confronted, the individuals tried to escape but were quickly detained. Officers recovered Rs 30,520 in stake money along with a set of playing cards. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ajaz Ahmad Dar of Ellahibagh Rangpora, Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh of Zaina Kadal, Tariq Ahmad Bhat of Ellahibagh, Adil Ahmad Dar of Ellahibagh Rangpora, Altaf Ahmad Kondu of Buchpora Soura, and Mushtaq Ahmad Malla of Anchar Soura. A case has been registered under FIR No. 179/2025 at Ganderbal Polic...

Bhat Yasir In a result that has sent shockwaves through Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to secure a fourth Rajya Sabha seat despite lacking the numerical strength to do so, triggering allegations of cross-voting, deliberate invalidation of ballots, and intentional misallocation of votes within the ruling alliance. BJP candidate Sat Pal Sharma secured 32 votes, four more than the BJP’s actual strength in the assembly, indicating that at least four MLAs from outside the party voted in his favour. The second winning candidate, Shammi Oberoi of the National Conference (NC), polled 31 votes, one more than the number earmarked for him, suggesting that a vote meant for another NC candidate, Imran Nabi Dar, may have been misdirected. Da...