New Delhi: A total of 140 persons have been arrested while 96 cases have been registered in connection with the burning of government properties and schools during the recent unrest in Kashmir, the government told Parliament today.“During the civil unrest between July 8 to November 8, 39 government establishments were burnt and 39 government establishments were damaged apart from schools,” Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.He said, “96 cases have been registered and 140 people have been arrested till November 28.” He was replying to a question on what action had been taken on those involved in burning government properties and schools.In order to bring normalcy in the Valley, he said, after the “civil unrest since July 8, 2016, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have regularly reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.”“The Prime Minister held an all-party meeting in Delhi and the Home Minister has visited Srinagar two times and met the Governor and Chief Minister apart from all political parties, various organisations and associations as well as senior officials,” he said.Ahir said the Home Minister also “led an all-party delegation on September 4-5 to Srinagar and Jammu and met the Governor, Chief Minister and various cross-section of people of the state, including all parties, various organisations and associations as well as the senior officials.” “Distribution of essential commodities like food grains, sugar, milk, fruits, vegetables, LPG, kerosene, petrol among others was ensured to meet the needs of public at large,” he said. — PTI
Category: Union Territory
-
Polls are fought, will be fought with black money: Farooq Abdullah
New Delhi: Former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday claimed that elections in India were fought using black money and would be continue to be so in future.“Elections are fought using black money and will continue to be so. Today for contesting parliamentary polls, one needs at least Rs 10 crore. The helicopters, large number of vehicles used during campaign, looking after party activists, from where does this money come from,” said Farooq in a television show while giving his views on if political parties should also declare details of donations below Rs 20,000, received by them.Under the Representation of People Act, 1951, political parties are required to submit contribution details received in excess of Rs 20,000. — IANS
-
BJP leaders not on same page over Hurriyat invite to tourists
Party gen secy ridicules gesture while Central ministers all praise for it
Jammu: A day after Hurriyat leaders extended the invitation to tourists and yatris from across the country to visit Kashmir, BJP leaders spoke in differing voices while reacting to the separatists’ appeal. National general secretary Ram Madhav today said the action of the separatists depicted their hypocrisy while Central ministers hailed the invite.Hurriyat leaders comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik on Tuesday invited tourists and yatris (pilgrims) to visit Kashmir and enjoy hospitality of people and beauty of paradise on the earth.Ridiculing separatist leaders’ invitation, Madhav said, “I think there is some spelling mistake in the invitation extended by the separatists to the tourists across the country. Instead of inviting terrorists they (Hurriyat leaders) have mistakenly extended invitation to the tourists.”Speaking to reporters after holding meetings with state BJP leaders, he said, “On one hand separatist leaders are pretending to be peace lovers by extending invitation to the tourists but simultaneously issuing shutdown calendars to spread bloodshed and destruction in the Valley.” He said, “tourism and shutdown calendar can’t go together.”Madhav, who is the architect of the PDP-BJP government in J&K, said Hurriyat leaders were the biggest hypocrites, creating trouble in restoring peace in the Valley.He also took National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to task for offering support to the Hurriyat Conference. On Monday, Farooq had said his party was ready to follow the separatists “till they are on the right path and are leading the nation in the right direction”. “It is very unfortunate and irresponsible statement. Don’t know what has gone wrong with the National Conference,” he said, adding that Farooq earlier used to criticise the Hurriyat and now he wanted to follow their path.Taking a dig at the recent statement of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for absolving Pakistan of its role in the current turmoil, the BJP stalwart said, “It is really surprising that Omar is advocating Pakistan and Farooq is toeing Hurriyat line.”Meanwhile, the Centre today hailed the separatist Hurriyat Conference’s invitation to tourists and pilgrims to visit the Kashmir Valley.Welcoming the “initiative,” Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma said, “My big salute goes to all those who support tourism, and yes, we are for it. The vision of our great Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) is to see that the Valley comes back to life again. We are all prepared to see and ensure that the tourism industry in the Valley flourishes. If any step needs to be taken for that, we will come forward.”“Tourism will change the shape of the Valley and will bring the glory back…as a Tourism Minister I welcome their initiative and of course other calls will be taken by the Government of India,” Sharma told reporters in New Delhi.Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said everyone should promote tourism as Jammu and Kashmir had been “very, very important” for the sector.“If there is peace in the Valley, tourism will flourish there and if tourism increases, it will economically benefit the state and its people. Promotional tourism is absolutely necessary to revive the economy because it is a very important part of their social life,” Rijiju said. (TNS)
-
480 Minimal Access Surgeries performed in JLNM hospital
Srinagar: In keeping with the need of performing surgeries using minimal access techniques the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir initiated a process of setting up a Minimal Access Surgical (MAS) Unit at District Level Hospitals by establishing a dedicated MAS unit at JLNM Hospital, Rainawari in June this year.
In a statement, DHSK said the Laparoscopic procedures have been a routine in JLNM Hospital along with various other peripheral District Hospitals in past, however the Directorate has come up with a dedicated MAS unit at JLNM Hospital.
“Minimal Access Surgery is a Division of General Surgery which is dedicated in performing surgical procedures using minimal access procedures whenever possible. As such, the division has become a leader in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeries in the full range of sub-specialties,” reads the statement.
Adding the surgeons routinely employ minimal access techniques in most of abdominal disorders including hernias and conditions of the stomach, intestines, gallbladder and spleen.
The MAS unit at JLNM which under the supervision of Medical Superintendent, JLNM Hospital, Dr Nazir Shahdad is headed by Dr Hakeem Vaqar and assisted by Dr Akhtar Ganai.
DHSK said the unit has performed 480 Minimal Access Surgeries till date since its inception which include more than 393 Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies, 40 Laparoscopic Hernia Repair (Both Ventral & Groin), 25 Laparoscopic Appendectomies, 5 Minimally Invasive Procedure for Hemorrhoid (MIPH) besides cases of Laparoscopic Hydatid Liver Excision, Laparoscopic Management of Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancies, and Diagnostic Laparoscopy for Chronic Abdominal Pain and other surgical cases.
Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Saleem ur Rehman while appreciating the efforts of MS of JLNM Hospital and the Operative Team has directed the hospital administration to further upgrade the MAS unit of the hospital so as to provide better and quality healthcare to the patients. -
Jammu girl with no social media presence becomes Internet star
Jammu: A girl from a small village of Kathua district, Isha Andotra has become an overnight sensation on social networking sites like Facebook and Whatsapp. Isha hails from a small village Madha Patti in Mahanpur Tehsil, of Kathua district. She is a student of BA 2nd year at Mahanpur degree college.
Few days ago, while she was chilling out with her friends at Atal Setu Bridge, Basoli, she sang a song on demand of her friends. A few students recorded her video on their phone and posted it on Social Media.
Isha Andotra, BA second year student of Kathua district of Jammu, has become an Internet singing star after an amateur video of her Punjabi number became a chart buster notching 8.4 million views and 2.37 lakh shares on Facebook.
The video has been liked and shared by not just the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but many people from Punjab, HP, Delhi, Haryana, and other parts of the country have also appreciated the girl’s talent. Infact, people from Pakistan and other countries have also come forward to praise Isha’s voice.
It is pertinent to note here that Isha is not active on any of the social networking sites. She doesn’t even have a mobile phone. She told a local daily that the video was recorded by one of her friend and she didn’t know how the video got viral on FB and Whatsapp. She was on EVS exposure trip with college from where she went to Atal Setu Bridge with her friends. On their request, she sang a Punjabi song in a casual way.
Isha told PTK that “We had gone to Purthu to visit grasslands for our Environmental Sciences project. During the trip my friends insisted me to sing a song and I sang a few lines. I sang from my heart and all my friends and our staff members recorded it on their mobile phones”.
Isha’s parents told PTK that they are feeling proud, but they want their daughter to complete her education before opting any professional ambitions.
“It feels great to see and hear about her popularity. My suggestion to Isha is to complete her studies first and then see how things shape up”, said Isha’s mother.
Isha told PTK that I even don’t know who recorded and posted my video on Facebook and share on Whatsapp. I was surprise when Punjabi music directors Sachin Ahuja and many other directors called me and asked me to sing for their company”. She said that she and her sister have never received any formal training in music from any school or institution but they have been singing together in school and college events.
Isha told PTK that her sister is active social worker and love to do things that would add to the development of her village.
However the former principal of Mahanpur Degree College Y P Kundal told PTK that first her sister used to sing in college on occasions and it is a great pleasure to know that Isha has gained so much fame in a very short time. Kundal urges Isha to work hard to make her family and country feel proud of her. (PTK)
-
Hurriyat inviting ‘terrorists’ not ‘tourists’ to Kashmir: Ram Madhav
JAMMU: A day after Hurriyat Conference invited tourists from across the country to visit the Kashmir Valley, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav today said that tourism and ‘hartal’ calendars cannot sail in the same boat.
“I think there is some spelling mistake in an invitation extended by the separatists (Hurriyat) to the tourists across the country,” Madhav here told mediapersons after holding meetings with state BJP leadership.
Madhav, who is acting as coordinator between PDP and BJP, was on two-day visit to review function of the coalition government.
“Separatists might have invited the terrorists not the tourists,” BJP stalwart said adding, “on one hand they (separatists) are inviting tourists but simultaneously extending hartal (strike) calendar.”
Both tourism and strike calendars cannot go side by side and sail in the same boat, asserted Madhav.
On National Conference president Farooq Abdullah’s statement that they are with Hurriyat if they are on right path, he said, “It is very unfortunate and irresponsible statement. Don’t know what has gone wrong with the National Conference.”
Dr Abdullah, who used to criticise Hurriyat, now want to be on their path—-and it is surprising, he added.
He further alleged that Dr Abdullah is advocating separatists and his son Omar Abdullah is with Pakistan, which is unfortunate.
On allegations of corruption levelled by the opposition against BJP ministers, Mr Madhav said, “these are false allegations and I have also spoke to the concerned ministers and they have expressed their views, there is no truth in the allegations.”
On cabinet reshuffle he said, “as of now from BJP side there is no reshuffle on cards.”
The BJP leader however, also supported demonetisation decision asserting that it is a welcome step and ‘aam admi’ is happy with it.
-
Temperatures Hover Below Freezing Point Across Kashmir
Srinagar: The night temperature across Kashmir, except Gulmarg, continued to hover below the freezing point owing to continuous dry weather in the state.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, witnessed a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night s minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, an official of the MET department told PTI.
He said Kupwara, in north Kashmir, was the coldest recorded place in the Valley as the mercury settled at the low of minus 3.7 degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius against yesterday’s minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the only place where night temperature was recorded above freezing point at 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The official said Qazigund town in south Kashmir registered the minimum of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 1.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, while the nearby Kokernag town recorded the low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius.
Leh was the coldest recorded place in Kashmir division recording the low of minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 8.0 degrees Celsius while nearby Kargil town registered the minimum of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The prevalent dry weather in Kashmir has resulted in increase in common ailments like cough and cold among the people here.
The doctors have advised people, especially children and the elderly, to take precautions and refrain from venturing out in the mornings and evenings without covering their head and face.
The MET office has said the weather in the Valley is expected to remain mainly dry over the next 24 hours.
-
36th School Burnt In Valley
Pattan: A private School building was torched by unidentified miscreants on Tuesday evening at Tappar area of Pattan.
According to reports, fire broke out in New Light Public school Tapper Bala on Tuesday evening but the fire tenders reached the spot and prevented the fire from spreading the whole school. The reports confirmed that windows and furniture of the school was damaged in fire.
The burning of the school comes at a time when the Valley continues to linger under restrictions and separatist-sponsored shutdowns for nearly five months.
The J&K Police have already arrested 33 persons and booked six under the Public Safety Act for their alleged involvement in arson.
The unabated burning of schools in Kashmir in October had spiralled into a major issue in the Valley’s political discourse and the state high court had stepped in to direct the government to take all necessary steps to protect them.
In November, international rights body Human Rights Watch (HRW) had said attacks on education sector in Kashmir, including the mysterious burning of schools, should be stopped immediately.
-
Give Up Z+ Security, BJP To Farooq Abdullah
Srinagar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday lashed out at the opposition National Conference for owing allegiance to separatists and offering support to Hurriyat Conference to carry forward the destruction of Kashmir by encouraging stone pelters and supporting shutdown calls.
In a statement issued to PTK, BJP spokesman said, “Government should ask the security agencies and Police to probe the role of NC leaders in the ongoing unrest and stern action should be taken against anyone who is found involved in fomenting trouble in Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah’s statement indicates that NC has played a major role in pushing Kashmir towards the edge.”
He said, “If any of the NC leaders are found involved in sponsoring anti-India protests and the Halla-Gulla, which Kashmir witnessed during the past five months, should be booked and dealt according to the law of the land.”
The BJP spokesman said, “It seems Dr Farooq Abdullah has forgotten that he rigged the elections with Congress in 1987 to grab the power. Those rigged elections proved turning point in the history of Kashmir and led to the breaking out of armed insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and led exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.”
Jehangir said, “National Conference has seen the writing on the wall and knows that it has lost the ground in Kashmir. People have rejected NC and its leaders and they know it very well that they would never come into power again.”
The BJP spokesman said, “If Farooq Abdullah is really interested in so-called Azadi and the movement then he should give up his Z-security cover, quit mainstream politics and join the separatist camp.”
-
Below-zero temperatures hit Valley
Srinagar: The Kashmir division reeled under sub-zero night temperatures, with the weatherman forecasting dry weather to continue in the Valley over the next 24 hours. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, witnessed a low of minus 2.8°C last night but it was Kupwara that was the coldest place in the Valley as the mercury dipped to minus 3.8°C, an official of the Meteorological Department said.Leh was the coldest in the Kashmir division, recording a low of minus 8°C while nearby Kargil town also witnessed extreme cold last night, recording a low of minus 7.2°C. — PTI