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  • Rajindera chairs high level security meet for May 16 Lok Sabha counting

    Adequate security arrangements made for all counting stations: IGP Kashmir

    Srinagar: A high level meeting of different security agencies chaired by special Director General of Police K Rajendera Kumar was held on Thursday to review the security and deployment arrangements to ensure an incident free counting of Lok Sabha ballots on five stations in Kashmir division.

    According to IGP Kashmir A G Mir, adequate arrangements have been made to ensure ‘no security lapses’ on these five counting stations including Leh and Kargil on May 16. “We have taken adequate security measures to facilitate a hassle free counting in all the five stations across the Kashmir division,” Mr Mir told KNS. Official sources revealed to KNS that the counting event in all the five stations will be card based entry system. “Only those people will be allowed to centre into the counting premises who have a valid entry card issued by the election commission,” a well placed officer told KNS.

    An officer in the state electoral office told KNS, said that preparations for May 16 Lok Sabha election counting which will be held at five counting stations including Leh and Kargil. Each counting station will have video surveillance to watch over. The security measures for counting halls and strong rooms–which contain the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), have been planned as per the ECI guidelines.

    Sources in police maintained that CCTV cameras have already been installed for close surveillance of the activities in the counting venue in Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla the three out of five counting stations. In order to review all these arrangements, the Special Director General of Police, K. Rajendra Kumar chaired a meeting that was attended by senior police and para-military officers. The meeting was also attended senior officers of the traffic department and intelligence agencies. Rajendra impressed upon the participants in the meeting to implement the action plan strictly for the security of counting staff and the stations. He stressed for better coordination among the forces to ensure free and fair counting. During the meeting, special DGP sought reports from range DIGPs and para-military officers present in the meeting about security scenario in their respective areas. He stressed for joint efforts to ensure peace and security at all counting stations to thwart sinister designs of elements inimical to peace.

    Earlier, the IGP Kashmir Zone, A. G. Mir apprised the meeting about the steps taken for deployment of personnel in different counting stations. The counting of votes for central Kashmir parliamentary constituency will take place at 8 AM in SKICC. According to DC Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Shah, eight halls with 64 tables for 15 assembly segments of the central Kashmir constituency have been created for the counting. “We have divided counting for these 15 segments into two sessions. In first session of the counting we will count votes of 8 segments and in second session the counting will be for the other 7 segments,” he told KNS.

    Similarly, in South Kashmir the counting will be carried at Government Degree College Boys Khanabal Anantnag at 8 AM. “We have created 16 halls for 16 assembly segments of the South Kashmir constituency,” Saugat Biswas, deputy commissioner and returning officer for Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency told KNS. In Baramulla the counting be held at Government Boys Degree College at 8 AM. “We have created 15 counting halls  for 15 assembly segments of the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency and adequate arrangements have been made for the counting,” Farooq Ahmad Lone, deputy commissioner Baramulla who is also the returning officer for the North Kashmir parliamentary constituency told KNS. (KNS)

  • Geelani rejects Track-II diplomacy aimed at ‘status quo

    ‘Even if Pakistan (God Forbid) yields to such diplomacy, people will not accept’

    ‘Eviction of Gujjars condemnable; Imams should discuss it in Friday sermons’

    Srinagar: Syed Ali Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) on Thursday rejected any track two diplomacy, aimed at upholding of status quo on Kashmir. Talking to KNS, Geelani said that even if Pakistan yields to any such ‘diplomacy’, the same shall not be acceptable to the people of Kashmir.

    The senior separatist leader expressed his opinion while commenting on the visit of Prime Minister’s special envoy S K Lambah to valley. “No Track-II diplomacy that is aimed at continuation of status quo is acceptable to people of Kashmir,” he said, adding that Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute which needs to be resolved as per the political aspirations of its people.

    Ridiculing Lambah’s remarks that there can be no redrawing of boundaries, Geelani said that the remarks are unrealistic and based on the traditional rigid approach of New Delhi. “Kashmir is not a bilateral or border dispute between India and Pakistan and the countries will resolve it mutually but it pertains to the fate of 13 million people who are living in Jammu, Kashmir Ladakh, Pakistan Administered Kashmir Gilgit and Baltistan. It is a dispute which can be resolved only after taking people of the Kashmir on board. Even if India and Pakistan agrees to any such formulae, or God forbid Pakistan yields to any machinations for upholding status quo, it will not be acceptable to the people of Kashmir,” he opined.

    Asked to comment on results of Lok Sabha elections that are to come out on May 16, Geelani said that all mainstream political parties in India share a common policy, vision and action when it comes to Kashmir issue. “The only difference between Congress and BJP is that the former adopts a softer tone while as the BJP is blunt and has harsher tone in its politics,” he added.

    On eviction of Gujjars  from Gole Gujral in Jammu, Geelani condemned the Jammu Development Authority’s action saying that such actions are unwarranted and against the principles of humanity. “If the JDA claims that the eviction drive has been launched on court orders, than judiciary should also look into the issue on humanitarian basis. The judges too are human beings and they should feel the pain of those families who are being evicted without any relocation plans,” he observed.

    Geelani appealed all the Imams (clerics) to discuss the eviction of Gujjars in their Friday congregational addresses  as the Gujjars who are being evicted in Jammu. “There are around a hundred families of Gujjars who were basically forcibly shifted by forces and later when they took refuge in Gole Gujral, now the state administration is hell-bent to make their life hell,” he added. He said that eviction of Gujjar families sans any logic as the same is being carried out without offering these families an alternative place for their settlement. “These families are suffering at the hands of administration which has sought support from CRPF and police for their forcible eviction after 26 years of their settlement at the place. This is strongly commendable,” he added. (KNS)

     

  • Kashmir observes shutdown

    Situation remained normal, 6 ‘stone pelters’ surrendered at Hajin: Police

    Srinagar: The normal life remained crippled as the valley on Thursday observed shutdown against ‘detention and arrests’ of youth and pro-freedom leaders on a strike call extended by Hurriyat Conference (G).

    The shops and other business establishments remained closed and the public transport remained off the roads. However, the private vehicles were seen plying across the valley. While extending strike call, Syed Ali Geelani, chairman Hurriyat (G)  had, warned government that ‘if raids, arrests and atrocities doesn’t stop till 13 May, his faction of Hurriyat Conference will issue a ‘protest programme’.

    Reports reaching KNS said that shops and other business establishments were shut in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk and adjoining areas. The strike affected the normal business  in other parts of the valley especially in North and South Kashmir.  The schools and colleges were also shut. In civil lines and uptown areas of Srinagar, the shutdown call evoked mixed response. The government offices and banks recorded thin attendance but functioned normally. Authorities had kept additional police and paramilitary forces ready to tackle any eventuality.

    Meanwhile, the police said the situation by and large remained normal. “Six stone pelters evading arrests have surrendered at police station Hajin. Six stone pelters who are involved in recent cases of violence and stone pelting and were evading arrest surrendered today at police station Hajin. The stone pelters who surrendered today include Manzoor Ahmad Dar son of Sonaullah Dar, Ghulam Jeelani Dar son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar, Mumtaz Ahmad Dar son of Farooq Ahmad Dar, Abdul Hamid Rather son of Sonaullah Rather, Showkat Ahmad Khan son of Mohammad Yousuf Khan and Azhar-ud-din Dar son of Mohammad Akbar residents of Shah Gund, Hajin. Police has started a large scale manhunt for the stone pelters and other perpetrators of violence in the area,” reads a police statement issued to KNS.  (KNS)

  • Will provide counseling and de-addiction support to Chota Geelani: Police

    Srinagar: Police on Thursday said that it will provide ‘counseling and de-addiction support’ to a south Kashmir ‘teen’ who was arrested yesterday on the charges of stone-throwing.

    Faisal Ahmed Mir, alias Chota Geelani, who is a resident of Bonabazar Shopian, was arrested from Zavoora village. “Faisal Mir is involved in a number of cases of stone pelting in Shopian and various other violent activities. The said individual is reported to have developed habit of drug addiction,” a police spokesman said in a statement.

    The decision of ‘counseling and de-addiction support’ to the arrested youth was taken on the directions of Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, Abdul Gani Mir ‘free of cost so that he can come so out of the menace’, the spokesman added. (GNS)

  • Govt orders probe after Pulwama school girl accuses teacher of abuse, harassment

    Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government Thursday ordered a probe after parents of a girl student accused her school teacher of abusing her.

    Parents of a calls 8th student in Shadimarg village of Pulwama had complained to the Chief Education Officer that their daughter was abused and harassed by a teacher at High School in Wasimarg.

    Chief Education Officer, Farooq Ahmad while talking to GNS said that we have received a written complaint against one of our teacher who is posted at the school. “The complaint reads that the school teacher Shakeel Ahmad is abusing and harassing a class 8th student during school hours”.

    Acting on the complaint we have constituted a team to enquire the allegations against the teacher, he said,

    The CEO said that the teacher has also been attached with the Zonal Education Office Shadimarg pending probe.

    “Stern action will be taken if the allegation proved true against the teacher,” he added.

    The parents of the girl also approached the police with a written complaint. “A case under FIR no. 34/2014 under section 506, 294 RPC has been registered following the complaint filed by the parents of a girl,” a police official said.

    The police had detained the teacher, but reports said he has managed to secure a bail.

    The police officer said that the investigation into the case has been taken up.

  • 88-year-old Indian Congress leader gets married

    Veteran Congress leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari married Ujjwala Sharma, retired lecturer and the woman whose son he recently accepted as his own, Ujjwala said Thursday.

    The wedding was held Wednesday night at his official residence in Mall Avenue area here in the presence of family members from both the sides, she said.

    Ujjwala is mother of Rohit Shekhar, whose biological relation with the 88-year-old former Uttarakhand chief minister was settled by the Delhi High Court recently.

    Tiwari was dressed in traditional wedding attire and Ujjwala wore a bright coloured saree and the ‘pichauda’ (odhni) gifted by Tiwari’s family, she said.

    Tiwari spoke about the wedding to her a few days back and discussed it later with their ‘kul purohit’ (family priest) and the day of Budh Poornima on Wednesday was finalised for the occasion, Ujjwala told IANS.

    “I am happy that a social sanctity has been given to this relationship,” Ujjwala said, looking happy after the wedding.

    She said their son Rohit also wanted this to happen.

    Tiwari’s office Thursday said the legal process, including registration of the marriage, would be completed after a formal announcement of the marriage. Tiwari’s first wife passed away years back.

    Ujjwala was locked in a protracted legal battle with Tiwari over accepting Rohit as his son and the two sides settled the matter out of the court after a DNA test ordered by the Delhi High Court proved that Rohit was Tiwari’s biological son.

    She was not allowed recently to enter into Tiwari’s house in Mall Avenue area. She lodged a complaint with Lucknow police against security personnel and the officer on special duty to Tiwari, Bhawani Bhatt. Police intervened and Tiwari allowed her inside the house.

    Agreeing to the “live-in” relationship, the two started living in the same house a week back.

    The former union finance minister, who has also served as governor of Andhra Pradesh, Tiwari has now settled the matter for all.

  • Tanghdar Fake Encounter 15th Anniversary   

    6 slain youth’s relatives await justice  

    Srinagar: In connection with 15th anniversary of “Tanghdar Killings”, the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights-JK has accused the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of adopting dual policy with regard to Kashmir. The families of the six slain youth are still waiting for the day they will get “justice” as the youth, according to them, were innocent and were killed in a staged encounter.

    “Almost all the cases pertaining to Kashmir, NHRC has always been prejudicial in its approach. All the staged encounters and other issues related to human rights violations by Army and paramilitary forces, the Commission continues to use different yardsticks when it comes to cases connected to Kashmir,” Chairman, IFJ – JK, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo said.

    He said the victims of “Tanghdar encounter” among all other staged encounters and massacres are yet to get any kind of justice from the said Commission, which has lost its relevance in Kashmir.

    “By always favoring the Army and Paramilitary forces version and turning blind eye to other accounts, the NHRC has turned out to be a good for nothing in its conduct towards Kashmir,” Untoo said and demanded an independent probe into the Tanghdar killings.

    In this regard, a petition filed by Ahsaan Untoo on 14-06-2000 before State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) states that during the intervening night of 15 and 16 May, 2000, six youth were allegedly arrested from their respective residences in the apple town of Sopore by the troops stationed at Ganjoo House, Court Road, Sopore and were tortured to death. Then their bodies were allegedly taken to Tanghdar where the media persons were told that the youth had been killed in an encounter.

    According to families of victims, their sons were murdered with no fault of theirs. “They were arrested by Army without any reason and taken into custody. Thereafter, we got only the dead bodies of our children,” they said, adding, “instead our children were labeled as militants.”

    Even after the passing of 15 years, the Human Rights Forum and the families of the victims have rejected the NHRC verdict and have demanded an impartial and independent probe into the Tanghdar killings so that justice should prevail at all.

    The slain youth were identified as Manzoor Ahmad Banday, son of Mohammad Amin Banday, resident of Noor Bagh Sopore, Javid Ahmad Parray, son of Ghulam Mohammad Parray, resident of Parray Mohalla, Noor Bagh, Sopore, Ajaz Ahmad Ahmad Mir, son of Abdul Rashid Mir, resident of Armpora, Sopore, Reyaz Ahmad Kaboo, son of Abdul Khaliq Kaboo, resident of Armpora, Sopore, Ajaz Ahmad Mir, son of Abdul Khaliq Mir, resident of Armpora, Sopore and Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, son of Abdul Rahim Mir, resident of Armpora Sopore. The age group of all these youth was said to be between 17 and 19 years.

     

  • If we inform police, Kashmir freedom movement would’ve been over: Panchayat body tells Geelani

    Srinagar: Reacting to Syed Ali Geelani’s allegation that elected village heads were working as ‘police informers’, a Panchayat body in Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday said if the village council members worked for police Kashmir’s freedom movement would have been over.

    On Monday, the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Geelani had called village heads ‘police informers’ and had asked them to resign en-masse ‘so that a message could be given to the world that they support freedom struggle’.

    “If 17000 Sarpanches and Panches in Kashmir are police informers according to Geelani ‘Sahab’ then we tell him that this resistance movement would have drowned,” the spokesman of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Council, Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, told GNS.

    He said the village heads also belong to Kashmir and Geelani’s remarks are ‘highly objectionable and sad’. “It is very sad that Geelani labeled us police informers. We are not police informers. We too are Kashmiris and our kin and families have also sacrificed their lives for resistance movement,” he said.

    Questioning Hurriyat chairman, he asked: “Weren’t we part of this movement? Was Geelani alone running this movement?” He said village representatives also accept that Kashmir is an ‘issue’ and it is yet to be resolved. He, however, said: “We believe in democratic setup of India and we do have ideological differences with Geelani.”

    “We are for development of our villages. Kashmir issue won’t end by our participation in Panchayat elections. We are not against movement,” he said everyone including India accepts Kashmir as a dispute.

    He called on village heads not to resign till new government takes charge in New Delhi. “We will go there after 17 and see how they will respond. We would also take victims’ families and see what happens and after that if Central Government also fails us, we will resign en-masse.” (GNS)

     

  • 1000’s declared ineligible for IIT-JEE due to JK BOSE winter session

    ‘Kashmiris get single chance as against double chance for others’

     CCA demands state government to intervene

    Srinagar: Coaching Centres Association (CCA) of Kashmir has condemned the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for shattering the dreams of thousands of hardworking Kashmiri students by declaring them ineligible for prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) due to state board’s winter session.

    The association demanded that the state government immediately take up the issue with central government to save the career of these students. “Kashmir follows the winter session as against the summer session adopted by schools in other parts of India,” said G N Var chairman CCA. “Every student can appear in JEE twice immediately after their 10+2 exams. But when Kashmiris apply for their second attempt, MHRD declares them ineligible by recognizing it as their third attempt.”

    The association said that MHRD needs to know that Kashmir’s November 2013 session is equal to New Delhi’s May 2014 session.

    “This faulty rejection is shattering the dreams of tens of thousands of students as it has become a routine every year,” said Var. “Infact this is one of the reasons that Kashmiri students are unable to crack JEE.”

    The association termed it as a dangerous trend as Kashmir is being devoid of high caliber professional engineers. “Our students have done wonders in IAS, but here they are being discriminated due to a technical glitch,” said Var. “They are unable to crack into the top IIT’s and even if qualify JEE they end up in some small time colleges due to low rank and they can’t appear again to improve their ranks.”

    The association asked the state government to look into the matter as soon as possible. “Look at our NIT Hazratbal, where Kashmiri students are now a minority as they are unable to crack JEE,” said Var. “The state government should take up the matter with MHRD for inclusion of a clause wherein Kashmir’s winter session is treated at par with Central board of School Education’s summer session.”

     

  • PDP Demands Farooq’s prosecution in cricket scam

    Reelection instance of Politico-criminal nexus: Karra

    Srinagar: Terming the re-election of Dr Farooq Abdullah as president of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) as another example of politico-criminal nexus in the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday demanded prosecution of the National Conference leader and others accused in the infamous cricket scandal.

    In a statement senior party leader and former finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra said the hush-hush manner in which Dr Farooq reinstalled himself as the president of JKCA is an assault on the interests of youth who have suffered immensely as a result of the NC greediness and lust for power. He said the NC leader who only few days ago expressed his reluctance to stand again for the JKCA election but changed the plan after sensing his defeat in the parliamentary elections. “It was significant that Dr Farooq conducted the unscheduled elections of the JKCA in unholy haste to beat the May 16thdeadline for his party’s widely anticipated debacle in the Lok Sabha elections”

    Referring to the high profile JKCA Cricket Scam, Karra said documentary evidences substantiate that over Rs 50 crore were withdrawn from accounts of the JKCA with Dr Farooq’s consent and even the police investigation has reportedly established his involvement in the multi-crore fraud. He said the money received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the promotion of Cricket in the state was deposited in the bank account which didn’t belong to the association and siphoned off later. “The amount was withdrawn from the bank on the authority letter of Dr Farooq which was duly signed by him,” said Karra. He said the reelection of Dr Farooq is aimed at finally hushing up the case, an ample evidence of which is provided by the fact that those sidelined on charges of embezzlement have now been brought back into important positions in the association.

    He said parallel to the official account; the association had opened many bogus accounts in J&K Bank through which shady transitions would take place which Dr Farooq was fully aware of. He said the money which should have found its utilization on promotion of cricket in the sports starved state was doled out to blue eyed persons of the NC leader. Karra said Dr Farooq will continue to remain an accused in the case till he is acquitted by a court but the NC led government headed by his son has ensured that police is not allowed to launch prosecution even after the investigation has established his involvement.

    Karra said the government can’t hide facts about the wrong doings of Dr Farooq in the association. He said police have established his involvement in the fraud and he can’t be treated differently for serving a huge blow on the back of promising cricketers. “If Suresh Kalmadi had to face law how could Dr Abdullah escape it and then brazenly extend his tenure while he should have been answering question in a court.” he added.

    Karra said by treating institutions as their family fiefdoms the NC leadership has damaged every institution in the state which has added to disillusionment of people with the system. Citing examples of decay of the institutions like Muslim Auqaf Trust, under the NC’s first family Karra said the loot resorted to by them has left these institutions bankrupt and converted them into private endowments. “JKCA under Dr Abdullah has met the same fate” added Karra.