Blog

SOURCE: FIRST POST

NEW DELHI – In a random move, the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP mocked former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his long beard in a sarcastic tweet before deleting it within an hour.

The tweet had a photo of an Amazon order of five razors dispatched in Abdullah’s name to his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar.

The tweet read: “Dear Omar Abdullah, it is very disheartening to see you like this while most of your corrupt friends are enjoying life outside.”

It went on to state: “Kindly accept our sincere contribution, in case of any assistance feel free to contact your counterpart INC for further help in this regard.”

Within an hour, the tweet vanished.

However, within that short time, it had 517 retweets and 1,272 ‘likes’. Sources say, the central leadership did not find the tweet in good taste.

Just a day before R- Day, on January 25, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s latest photograph wearing a woollen cap and sporting a long white beard surfaced on social media and went viral.

Omar was seen smiling with snow in the backdrop. The photo has a retro touch to it. According to sources the photograph was genuine.

The National Conference leader, who has been in detention since August 5, when Article 370 was abrogated in the state, appears to have not shaved since.

In October, a different photo of Omar had surfaced, in which he was sporting a smaller beard.

SRINAGAR – Former PDP Minister Altaf Bukhari, who had met Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor G.C. Murmu along with other political leaders earlier this month, on Tuesday denied reports that he was floating a new political party.

In a statement, he dismissed such reports as a “figment of imagination”.

“This news seems to have been floated with a single-minded agenda to mislead and confuse,” a spokesperson for Bukhari said.

He said as already informed to media, a “significant number of like-minded friends and political colleagues are in touch with each other and in this context, informal meetings are often convened”.

“These meetings are aimed at reviving the emerging political situation and should not be misconstrued as formation of any political party.”

Earlier this month, Bukhari led a group of former legislators which met Murmu in Jammu and presented a memorandum with a list of demands for restoring political activity in Jammu and Kashmir.

Bukhari stressed that Jammu and Kashmir cannot perpetually “mourn” the abrogation of Article 370.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Bukhari had said the time has come to look beyond Article 370 and explore other achievable options for Jammu and Kashmir.

“The pain of loss of Article 370 will never go, but we have to come out of it,” he said. “Life goes on; we must try for things that we can get.”

He said the way forward is domicile rights for residents and restoration of the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. (With Inputs From Agencies)

Srinagar: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump had accepted that the Valley is an integral part of India due to which they seek autonomy of the region, said PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, who was honoured with the Padma Bhushan on 71st Republic Day.

“Pakistan PM Imran Khan and the US president are asking for autonomy to J&K. It means they’ve accepted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. We demand that J&K should be given what the Constitution gives us,” Baig was quoted as saying by PTI.

Baig, a former Lok Sabha member, hails from north Kashmir and is also an advocate.

He has been critical of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti after she took over the reins of the party and the alliance government with the BJP. He was among the few politicians from Kashmir who met Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who had travelled to the valley last year.

Srinagar: After over five-month communication blockade, the authorities on Friday allowed restoration of 2G mobile Internet services across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from January 25. The 2G Internet services will work, though with several restrictions, on postpaid mobiles and only on those prepaid mobile SIM cardholders whose credentials have been verified by the security agencies.

“I hereby direct that mobile data service and internet access through fixed line shall be allowed across UT of J&K,” read a late evening order issued by Principal Secretary, Home, Shalin Kabra. However, the authorities have put a ban on use of social media websites. Kabra said directions would be effective from January 25 and remain in force up to January 31 unless modified earlier.

Syed Altaf Bukhari, Former J&K Finance Minister and PDP leader: No one died after the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, for this the credit goes to the government as well as to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. I want to congratulate both of them. (ANI)

A fresh spell of precipitation, including snowfall, is likely in the Kashmir valley and is expected to last two days from Tuesday, according to the Weather Department forecast.

In Pahalgam,moderate snow likely today

The forecast released by the Indian Meteorological Department said the spell of precipitation was expected over the next two days across the Kashmir valley.

In the southern tourist resort of Pahalgam, the department said there was a likelihood of moderate snow on Tuesday followed by rain or snow on the next day.

The snowfall and rain are expected in the region and their intensity is likely to vary from place to place.

The forecast released by the Indian Meteorological Department said the spell of precipitation was expected over the next two days across the Kashmir valley.

In Srinagar city, where the overnight temperature had dropped to -3.4°C, the forecast suggested the possibility of moderate rain and generally cloudy sky tomorrow followed by the possibility of rain or snow on Wednesday.

In the southern tourist resort of Pahalgam, the department said there was a likelihood of moderate snow tomorrow followed by rain or snow on the next day.

In Gulmarg resort of north Kashmir, there was a possibility of rain and thunderstorm tomorrow followed by light snow on Wednesday, the department said. There was also a possibility of downpour and snow in remote Ladakh where temperatures had fallen to extreme freezing levels. Leh town of Ladakh recorded the minimum temperature of -18°C overnight, the department said.