Monday, February 24News and updates from Kashmir

Politics

Government’s claims of providing jobs to 30,000 youth false: Mehbooba Mufti

Government’s claims of providing jobs to 30,000 youth false: Mehbooba Mufti

POLITICS
The former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti hit out at the central Government for the recent alleged scams in JKPSI and FAA exams. Mehbooba Mufti also said that the Government of India's claims about providing jobs to 30,000 youth were false and far from the realities on the ground. "GOIs false claims of providing 30000 jobs in J&K couldn't be further from the truth. Every recruitment process be it JKPSI or now FAA is blighted by scams. Instead of naming and punishing the culprits, collective punishment is being meted out to aspirants by scrapping the list," she tweeted. Pertinently, the administration recently canceled the Jammu Kashmir Police sub-inspector exams after allegations of a scam in the conducting of exams. The names of officials, Government force pers...

Admin determined to translate benefit of growth into financial security of farmers: LG

Politics, REGIONAL
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday addressed the valedictory session of multi-stakeholder convention on holistic development of agriculture & allied sectors in J&K, at SKICC Srinagar. Appreciating the organisers for the historic convention, the Lt Governor said that such efforts will deepen our understanding on critical gaps and steps required for transforming and rejuvenating the main pillar of our economy. Deliberations among eminent agricultural scientists, policy planners, policy makers, academia and farmers will lead to the formulation of a futuristic roadmap for rapid growth in agriculture and allied sector, the Lt Governor added. The Lt Governor noted that the UT's Agriculture & allied sector was performing much below its potential in recent years. J&amp...

AMU budget cut by 85 per cent, Congress stages protest

OTHERS, POLITICS
Congress workers on Saturday held protests at various places in Uttar Pradesh against the BJP government for cutting the Aligarh Muslim University’s budget to nine core from 62 cores in 2018. They also sent memorandums to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging him to increase the varsity’s budget to 100 crores. Congress leader Shahnawaz Alam slammed Prime Minister Narendra over the same. In a press release, he said, “the PM who has a fake degree does not want to let others study.” “As the Sangh [RSS] cannot lock AMU nor can it demolish it like Babri Masjid, the government is reducing the budget to economically weaken it,” he added in a press release. Congress claimed that the budget for AMU was reduced to 22 crores from 62 crores in 2017-18. It was further reduced to 16 cror...

G A Mir resigns as JKPCC chief

POLITICS
Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president, Ghulam Ahmad Mir has resigned from the post on Wednesday. Sources privy to the development told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Mir has resigned has submitted resignation to the party after serving as party's state unit chief for the period of eight years. Mir has tendered submitted his resignation to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Talking to KNO, Mir said that he has shot a letter to AICC president and told her that he would respect any decision of the high command. Meanwhile, JKPCC is all set to get its new chief shortly as the party has already completed the procedure and sought suggestions from the leaders. Four names have been put forth for the next JKPCC head —(KNO)

PAGD to contest assembly polls together, announces Farooq Abdullah

Politics, REGIONAL
National Conference (NC) president and incumbent parliamentarian, Dr Farooq Abdullah, on Monday said that the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, will contest assembly elections together. He said that the atmosphere is conducive for the polls saying that when the elections can be held during floods, why not now. Talking to reporters here, Dr Farooq, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the parties, who left PAGD, were never part of it as they had joined the amalgam with an intention to break the alliance. “Those who parted ways with PAGD are claiming that they were not part of it. How can they say this when they met us at my home,” he said, adding that they were never part of the conglomerate bu...

Normalcy in JK cannot be achieved by force: Dr Farooq

POLITICS
National Conference (NC) President and Member of Parliament from Srinagar Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Friday called for a united fight for the restoration of J&K's abridged democratic, constitutional rights. He said this while interacting with a number of delegations who called on him at his Srinagar residence from Kargil, North, South and Central parts of Kashmir. Among others senior leaders Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Kafilul Rehman, District President Baramulla Dr Sajad Shafi Uri, and Agha Syed Muhammad Rizvi, and Minority cell women's wing president Sumita Bhan were also present on the occasion. “Peace in J&K cannot be achieved by feeding bitter medicines to our people. It can only be achieved by restoring their fettered constitutional and democratic rights. Far from affording ...

LG’s ‘High-end’ tea: Farooq Abdullah speaks less, Here is what others said

Politics
After the abrogation of the semi-autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, LG Secretariat for the first-time invited representatives of different political parties to have interaction with the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday. The meeting was purely about the arrangements and management of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. However, some participants raised issues related to people to which LG Manoj Sinha assured redressal. Out of 9 political leaders who participated in the meeting, 8 were from Kashmir and one from Jammu. The participants included Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Muzzafar Shah, Altaf Bukhari, GA Mir, Ravinder Raina, Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen and GM Shaheen. Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti didn’t attend the meeting. D...

BJPs ally party starts ‘indefinite’ hunger strike in Kashmir calling for an end to bureaucratic rule

POLITICS
Stating that people have no access to the corridors of power in Kashmir, Janata Dal-United President for Jammu Kashmir GM Shaheen Monday said that bureaucratic rule is not an alternative to the elected government. Shaheen who observed a hunger strike along with party workers at Pratap Park Srinagar against the non-redressal of grievances of people said that people are immensely suffering in Jammu and Kashmir. He said roads are in shambles and nothing is being done to repair them. He said there is an acute shortage of drinking water and people are being forced to hit the roads on daily basis. “Where people will go when nobody is listening to them. They don’t have access to the power corridors and bureaucrats are caring a fig for them. It is difficult to survive in such a choking envir...

Simranjit Singh Maan wins Sangrur bypolls

Politics
In a major setback to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government in Panjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Simranjit Singh Mann on Sunday claimed victory in the Sangrur Lok Sabha by poll, the home turf of Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Singh Mann. "This is a great win for our party. We have defeated all national parties in this by poll. My priority will be to raise the issue of the poor economic condition of Sangrur including the condition of farmers under debt. We will work with the Panjab government," said Mann. "I am grateful to our voters of Sangrur for having elected me as your representative in parliament. I will work hard to ameliorate the sufferings of our farmers, farm-labour, traders and everyone in my constituency, he added. The final outcome is yet to come bu...

Like PM Modi, Jailed Kashmiri youth also deserve to see their mothers: NC’s Nazir Masoodi

POLITICS
The Jammu Kashmir National Conference on Sunday asked the government to release incarcerated Kashmiri youth, who are lodged in prisons in different parts of the country. Expressing concern over the plight of parents whose sons continue to remain out of sight for them for years altogether, party leader and MP Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi said, “It is quite gladdening to see PM Modi meet his mother at her residence in Gandhinagar as she entered the 100th year of her life. Such reunions are heart-warming indeed. However numerous mothers in Kashmir continue to long for a glimpse of their sons. The never ending wait has taken a toll on their mental and physical health. There is no way these mothers, who are pining to meet their sons, lodged in faraway jails can meet their sons. Most of their unf...