Tuesday, February 25News and updates from Kashmir

Politics

Claims of good Governance Index for Jammu Kashmir fall flat on the ground: CPIM

Claims of good Governance Index for Jammu Kashmir fall flat on the ground: CPIM

Politics
Responding to the release of the District Good Governance Index (DGGI) for J&K, CPI(M) leader Mohamed Yousuf Tarigami on Saturday said that claims of good governance and development in J&K is far from ground realities. One of the principle fundamentals of good governance is participation and representation of people, a right that continues to be denied to the people of J K. Releasing such indexes is intended only to help the government optics-wise, CPI (M) said in a statement. However, the ground reality of dilapidated roads, erratic power supply, inaccessibility of potable water combined with huge unemployment, social unrest is reflecting a contrasting picture. For good governance, accountability is the key for ensuring freedom of the press, freedom of expression and asso...

Nadda appoints Phunchok Stanzin as BJP president for Ladakh unit

Politics, REGIONAL
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda Sunday appointed Phunchok Stanzin as president of party's Union Territory of Ladakh unit. "BJP National President Hon'ble Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed Shri Phunchok Stanzin, as State President of Ladakh BJP," reads the organizational appointment order, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) “This appointment comes into immediate effect,” the order further reads—(KNO)

UP elections will be battle against 20 percent Muslims: Yogi Adityanath

INDIA, Politics
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath said that in the upcoming assembly polls it will be 80 percent versus 20 percent. Pertinently Muslims make up twenty percent of the state's population. Voting for the UP Assembly election will take place in seven phases, starting with the western part of the politically crucial state on February 10 and moving east, with the final phase on March 7. It will be an “80 percent versus 20 percent” poll in Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath said during his speech on the last day of a two-day “Kitna Badla UP” Doordarshan conclave. “The CM mentions the percentage of poll that will come to the BJP, which is 20 percent. The BJP is a party of only 20 percent, and 80 percent of the people will vote against it. People decided to vote for the BJP becau...

NC asks admin to alleviate sufferings of people propelled by heavy snowfall

Politics, REGIONAL
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Member of Parliament from Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi on Saturday impressed upon the divisional administration to rise up to the exigencies emanating in wake of heavy snowfall in South Kashmir districts. While calling for an immediate redressal of grievances of the general public in view of snowfall in the last two days, Masoodi made phone calls to respective district commissioners of South Kashmir and impressed upon them to ensure that surface connectivity and public utility services are restored in all South Kashmir districts forthwith. Drawing the attention of the district commissioners of Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian, and Kulgam towards the plight of people, Masoodi implored upon them to issue directions to the concerned department invested wi...

Review decision to declare land in Gulmarg, Sonamarg as “strategic areas”: Tarigami to Govt

Politics, REGIONAL
The Jammu and Kashmir government must review its decision to 'declare' 1034 kanals of land at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg and 354 kanals in another popular tourist destination Sonmarg as “strategic areas” for the use of armed forces, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousaf Tarigami said on Thursday. "These are two most popular tourist destinations in the valley, the senior political leader said remarking further there were already a lot of areas with the army for such purposes." Gulmarg and Sonamarg along with Pahalgam are three most popular tourist destinations in the Valley which need to be promoted for tourism purposes, Tarigami said underlining need of the hour is to develop tourism infrastructure in Kashmir which can generate employment for burgeoning numbers of unemployed youths. ...

NC MPs slam entry of Iranian Apples into Indian markets

Politics
Ask GOI to protect vital interests of Kashmiri orchardists National Conference (NC) has voiced concern over the swarming of Tax-free import of Iranian apples into India asking GOI to safeguard the interests of local farmers from Kashmir. Drawing attention of GOI towards the havoc played by illegal dumping of Iranian Apples in India, the party MPs Muhammad Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi stated that the quantum of cheap Iranian apples entering India illegally is eating into the Kashmiri apple’s market share. “Losses incurred due to the illegal import of Iranian apples into Indian markets has resulted in a dip in demand for local apple produce as a result of which over 3 Cr apple boxes are lying unsold in Kashmir division,” they said, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO...

BJP intensifies poll preparations in Jammu Kashmir

Politics, REGIONAL
The state unit of Bhartiya Janta Party has intensified its preparations for polls in Jammu Kashmir. Sources privy to the information told The Kashmiriyat that the BJP is conducting meetings to speed up the election preparations in the Kashmir division. They said that Bhartiya Janta Party general secretary Ashok Kaul, who arrived in Kashmir on Wednesday where he asked the office bearers of the BJP's district unit in Srinagar to accelerate the campaign for elections and conduct more public meetings. "The BJP is focussing primarily on Kupwara and Srinagar districts of the Kashmir valley where they have invested in generating man force and held rallies including on nationalist days, August 05 anniversary and almost every occasion," Sources said. Ashok Kaul is likely to visit the Kupw...

Mehbooba Says GoI ‘Deeply Paranoid’ When J&K People Want To Protest Against ‘Disempowerment’

Politics, REGIONAL
Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that government of India was “deeply paranoid and intolerant when people of J&K want to protest against its disempowerment.” “GOI trumpets scrapping Article 370 & dismembering J&K throughout the country but is deeply paranoid & intolerant when people of J&K want to protest against its disempowerment. For the umpteenth time, we’ve been placed under house arrest for trying to organise a peaceful protest,” Mehbooba said in a tweet, adding, “I am also saddened by the tragic accident at Vaishno Devi & neither the administration the nor police are carrying out their duties. Instead they are engrossed in threatening people into silence. My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” ...

Real Estate Summit brings to fore real intentions of BJP govt: CPI (M)

Politics, REGIONAL
‘Real estate in J&K will be purchased by corporates whose sole aim is to maximize profits’ CPI (M) Secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik Tuesday said that the “Real Estate Summit” organized by the government to encourage corporate companies to buy land and other properties in Jammu and Kashmir will effect and endanger the livelihood of farmers of the region. “We have been saying for a long time that the Center’s sole motive to revoke erstwhile state’s special status in an unconstitutional and undemocratic manner was to put J&K on sale and annihilate our identity,” Malik said in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). He said that allowing use of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes is another nail in the coffin of the “land to the tiller” reform...

Congress Slams Refusing renewal of FCRA to Mother Teresa’s Charitable Mission

INDIA, Politics
The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Centre for refusing to renew FCRA registration of Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity over “some adverse inputs”. “Nothing can be more shocking than denying future foreign contributions to the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, West Bengal. This is the greatest insult to the memory of Mother Teresa who devoted her life to care for the ‘poor and wretched’ of India,” Congress leader P Chidambaram tweeted. The MHA, he said, claims to have found “some adverse inputs”. It should put to use its “Sherlock Holmes-like” skills to quell communal violence and terrorist activity, not to suppress Christian charity and humanitarian work. As the year 2021 ends, it is clear that the Modi government has found another target “Christians” to advan...