POLITICS

On Sunday, former Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad, while addressing a rally at Dak Bunglow, Baramulla said that the Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted semi-autonomous status to the Jammu and Kashmir region, cannot be restored. Azad also said that he will announce the formation of his new political party within 10 days. “For votes, I will not mislead and exploit you. Please don't rake up issues which can't be achieved. Article 370 can't restored. It needs two-thirds majority in parliament," Azad said. Azad, who quit the INC on August 26, said the agenda of his new political outfit would be to struggle for the restoration of J&K's statehood and to fight for the job and land rights of people. "I thank my colleagues who stand with me and are the base of my new par...

People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) held a threadbare meeting in Jammu on Saturday decided to constitute a joint committee to take its fight against “inclusion of non-local voters in the voter list to its logical conclusion.” As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the meeting was attended by all the five constituents of the PAGD – National Conference (NC), People Democratic Party (PDP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Awami National Conference - besides the Congress and several Jammu-based parties, including Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP) and Dogra Sadar Sabha-led by former minister Gulchain Singh Charak, Mission StateHood led by Sunil Dimple, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal For about two and a half hours, the representatives of various political parties ...

Body of the MBBS student from Bijbehera area of southern Kashmir’s Anantnag district is being brought back home from Bangladesh “as quickly as possible,” officials said here on Wednesday. The student, Khushboo Manzoor daughter of Manzoor Ahmad of Katoo Bijbehera, died after falling off from terrace of hostel College where she was studying in Bangladesh. “After great persuasions, parents of the girl have allowed medico-legal formalities after initially being reluctant and they agreed around 4 p.m.,” Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Dr Basharat Qayoom told GNS. “High Commission of India in Bangladesh is pursuing it. As soon as formalities are complete, further process will be carried out. They are on it and it would be done as quickly as possible,” he added. Earlier in the morning, t...

In an attempt to garner the support of more political and social parties against the inclusion of “non-locals” in Jammu Kashmir’s electoral roll, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is holding an all-party meeting here next month. Senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami on Monday said the meeting will take place under the leadership of PAGD president Farooq Abdullah at his Jammu residence and is scheduled for 2 pm on September 10. “The all-party meeting is part of the ongoing consultations to come out with a joint strategy to stand united against any move to include outsiders in the electoral rolls in a bid to influence election results,” Tarigami, who is also PAGD’s convener and spokesperson, said. The alliance had convened a similar meeting in Srinagar on August 22, wh...

A day after Apni Party chief lashed out at former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, the newly appointed Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, Vikar Rasool Wani on Monday said that "A" and "B" teams of BJP have started pulling legs of each other. “Anyone who wants to leave Congress can go and those who want to stay are welcome and they will be the pearl for the party,” Wani said while talking to media persons here at the party’s Srinagar headquarters. As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Wani said that there is no doubt that he was the loyalist of Ghulam Nabi Azad and has always raised Azad's slogans for the past many years. “But, as it was already planned, Azad has never disclosed anything to me about leaving the party, rather he always taught me how to strength t...

JK unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that no demographic change would be made by special summary revision of voters. “Anyone living in Jammu and Kashmir from two, three or four years has the right to vote here. If leaders from Jammu and Kashmir can contest elections from outside JK, why can’t those living here vote here,” BJP General Secretary (Organization), Ashok Koul while talking to reporters as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) He said that the Chief Election Officer has not made any wrong statement and what he said is the law. “Anyone who will be granted permission to vote here in JK has to remove his name from the previous place,” he said. He further said that there were no motives of demographic change behind the revision of voter list—(KNO)...

Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Monday said they will sit on hunger strike before the Parliament and other constitutional bodies if there is an attempt by the Government to change the electoral demography of Jammu Kashmir. Addressing a news conference here, Lone, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that they will sit on a hunger-strike in front of the Parliament if the Government makes an attempt to change the demography of J&K. “The law (Representation of The Peoples Act-1951) is not a threat to us but the intentions of the Government are a threat to us,” he said. Lone said they neither accept the clarification issued by the Jammu & Kashmir nor they reject it. “We will wait and watch and if there is an attempt to change the demography of...

After the inclusion of Non-residents in the voter list of Jammu Kashmir, politics in Kashmir is seeing a sudden heat up as the regional groups have criticized the move of the election Commissioner. Earlier the Jammu Kashmir People's Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti said that the move of the Election Commissioner to include non-locals was the last nail in the coffin of electoral politics in Jammu Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti also asked the PAGD president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah to call for an All party's Meet responding to which Farooq Abdullah called a meeting on Dr. Abdullah said that the All Party Meeting will be held at his Gupkar residence on Monday (11:00 AM) to discuss the latest ECI decision. He told the Local news Agency0 KNO that all the parties except Bharatiya Janata Party (B...

Coming down heavily on the ruling BJP, the former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti Thursday said that the latest ‘diktat’ from Chief Election Officer to allow outsiders to vote in Jammu and Kashmir is the last nail in the coffin of electoral democracy. Mehbooba Mufti was addressing a press conference at her Gupkar-based residence in Kashmir capital Srinagar. Hitting BJP left right and centre, Mehbooba said that Jammu and Kashmir have become a laboratory for BJP. “The new diktat from Chief Election Officer to give voting rights to outsiders will enable BJP’s 25 lakh non-local voters to vote for it. Democracy has been already trampled in Jammu and Kashmir. This Muslim majority state acceded to India keeping in view its democratic and secular credentials but from time to t...