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  • Despite noteban, 370 move, no change in J&K situation: Shiv Sena

    Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday said the 2016 demonetisation exercise, scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir have done nothing to improve the security situation in the terror-affected Union Territory.

    The former BJP ally wondered why there is no peace in the newly-carved out Union Territory when there is a “strong” government at the Centre.

    “Its status quo despite scrapping of Article 370 (that gave special status to J&K) and bifurcation of the erstwhile state.

    “There is blood on the streets every day and there is loss of innocent lives. Despite demonetisation, there is no respite from terror activities and circulation of fake notes,” said an editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

    Referring to a recent encounter in Soporein which a CRPF jawan was martyred and a senior citizen lost his life in firing by terrorists, it said the picture of the civilian’s three-year-old grandson sitting on the body of his grandfather was heart-wrenching.

  • PM reaches Ladakh on surprise visit

    PTI

    New Delhi: Days after a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in East Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reached Leh with Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat.

    Modi reached Leh around 9.30 am, sources said.

    The prime minister is presently at one of the forward locations in Nimu and is interacting with personnel of the Army, Air Force and ITBP, official sources said.

    Located at 11,000 feet, Nimu is among the toughest terrains, on the banks of river Indus and surrounded by the Zanskar range.

  • Veteran Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan passes away

    PTI

    Mumbai: Renowned choreographer Saroj Khan, the name behind some of the most famous songs in Bollywood such as Dhak Dhak and Ek Do Teen , died of cardiac arrest early on Friday morning. She was 71.

    Choreographer Saroj Khan. Choreographer Saroj Khan | Photo Credit: Facebook

    The three-time National Award winner was not keeping well for some time.

    She was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra on June 20 after she complained of breathing issues. She had tested negative for COVID-19.

    “She passed away due to cardiac arrest at around 2.30 am at the hospital,” Khan’s nephew Manish Jagwani told PTI.

    Khan is survived by son Raju Khan and daughter Sukaina Khan.

    Her funeral was held on Friday morning at a cemetery in suburban Malad.

    “We buried her at around 7 am. The prayer meeting will be held after three days,” Sukaina told PTI.

    Mourning her death, superstar Akshay Kumar said Khan made dance look easy and accessible.

    “Woke up to the sad news that legendary choreographer #SarojKhan ji is no more. She made dance look easy, almost like anybody can dance, a huge loss for the industry. May her soul rest in peace,” Akshay tweeted.

    Actor Suniel Shetty called Khan a true guru.

    “You are loved… You are irreplaceable… A true Guru,” he wrote.

    Director Hansal Mehta wrote, “An era is over. RIP Saroj Khan.”

    Director Kunal Kohli, who worked with the choreographer on “Fanaa”, remembered Khan as someone who stood up for people’s rights.

    “She stood up for the rights of people. Never bothered who was a star or not. She said her bit unadulterated and from the heart. Brought biryani on every song and fed the whole crew so lovingly.We gossiped, we worked. Thank you for the memories masterji. Saroj Khan love you always,” he tweeted.

    In a career spanning over four decades, Khan, who was known as Masterji, choreographed more than 2,000 songs.

    Khan’s best work was with actors Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit, the prominent dancing stars of the 80s and 90s.

    Her parents migrated to India after the Partition. She started her career in the film industry as a child artiste at the age of three and later worked as a background dancer.

    The choreographer, who was born as Nirmala and later converted to Islam, learnt dance while working under film choreographer B Sohanlal. They got married when she was 13 and he was 41.

    Khan got her first break as an independent choreographer with Geeta Mera Naam in 1974 but it took Sridevi’s Hawa Hawai song in 1987 film Mr India for her to receive acclaim as a dance choreographer of repute.

    There was no looking back for Khan after the success of the song. She choreographed Sridevi in films such as Nagina and Chandni .

    But it was her work with Madhuri Dixit that made her famous.

    Starting with Ek Do Teen in Tezaab , she choreographed Madhuri in Tamma Tamma Loge in Thanedar and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga in Beta and “Dola Re Dola” from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Devdas”. She also choreographed Kareena Kapoor in “Ye Ishq Haaye”.

    She last choreographed for “Tabaah Hogaye”, featuring Madhuri from filmmaker Karan Johar’s production “Kalank” in 2019.

    Khan’s death comes at a time when the film industry is already grappling with the loss of Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Basu Chatterjee and Sushant Singh Rajput in recent months.

  • Policeman held for supplying drugs in J&K’s Ganderbal

    PTI

    Srinagar: A Jammu and Kashmir policeman was on Thursday arrested for his alleged involvement in the peddling of drugs in Ganderbal district of the union territory, police said.

    In continuation to its drive against menace of drive drugs from society, Ganderbal Police developed information about the involvement of a police official in the peddling of drugs in Kurhama area (of the central Kashmir district), a police officer said.

    He said after a hot pursuit, constable Showkat Ahmed Ganie was arrested with an initial small quantity of Codeine Phosphate bottles.

    A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered against him and investigation taken up, the officer said.

    The accused was subjected to interrogation and based upon his disclosure, 800 bottles of Codeine Phosphate were seized from his house, the officer said.

    He said a special investigation team has been constituted to probe the involvement of other people while the constable has been placed under suspension.

  • Militant killed, One CRPF personnel injured in ongoing encounter in Malbagh

    Srinagar: A militant has been killed and a CRPF personnel injured in ongoing gunfight between militants and forces in Malbagh area of Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.

    A senior Police officer told GNS that one militant has been killed and a CRPF personnel injured in ongoing encounter. The CRPF personnel has been shifted to nearby hospital, the officer added.

    Earlier, A joint team of Police and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Malbagh.

    As the joint team approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them. The fire was retaliated by the joint team, triggering off an encounter.(GNS)

  • Private trains: Rahul Gandhi accuses govt of snatching away lifeline of poor

    People will give a befitting reply to govt, he says

    Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Union government of ‘snatching away the lifeline of the poor’ by announcing plans to allow private players to run passenger trains.

    File Photo | Photo Credit: PTI

    The people of the country would give a befitting reply to the government, he said.

    “Railways is the only lifeline of the poor and the government is taking it away from them. Snatch whatever you want. But do remember that the people of the country will give a befitting reply to this,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

    On Wednesday, the railways formally announced plans to allow private entities to operate passenger trains by inviting request for qualifications (RFQ) for participation on 109 pairs of routes through 151 modern trains.

    Singhvi’s poser

    At an official Congress briefing, Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi not only questioned the move but also its timing.

    “Does common sense tell everybody that the best time to get to the bids for individual lines is bang in the middle of corona? So are you squandering state largesse and throwing away valuable Indian resources by picking a time of this kind, it is absolutely mind-boggling why this time has been chosen” he said.

    Describing the railways as the seventh largest employer in the world, Mr. Singhvi said the move had serious implications for 1.5 core employees, movement of cargo and common passengers.

    “Why this mad rushing hurry? Could you not have waited to at least convene Parliament? I have said earlier and I am repeating, you should pass a parliamentary law. We could have had virtual Parliament,” he said.

    Though the government had not used the word privatisation but as public-private partnership (PPP), the move amounted to privatising the railways, he added.

  • NHRC seeks J&K Police response on alleged failure to provide protection to sarpanch

    His family said he had been asking for police protection but the local police had not acted on the requests, eventually leading to his death at the hands of terrorists.

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Police to submit a report by August 8 on its alleged failure in providing protection to a sarpanch, Ajay Bharti Pandita, who was killed by terrorists in Anantnag district on June 8.

    The NHRC on Wednesday ordered the J&K Director General of Police to submit an action taken report within four weeks on the complaint by Hyderabad-based law student Baglekar Akash Kumar, who cited a June 10 report of The Hindu that said the victim had requested police protection before his death, but to no avail.

    Being a member of the minority Kashmiri Pandit community and part of the democratic process, Pandita had been targeted by militants, J&K DGP Dilbag Singh had said. His family said he had been asking for police protection but the local police had not acted on the requests, The Hindu had reported.

    The NHRC noted in its proceedings that the complainant had sought relief for the victim’s next of kin and for an inquiry in the matter.

    “The Commission directs its registry to transmit the copy of the complaint to DGP, Jammu and Kashmir calling for a report within four weeks. In case the report will not be received within the stipulated time, the Commission shall be constrained to invoke coercive process u/s 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 for personal appearance of the concerned authority,” the NHRC observed.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Govt mulling to introduce Commerce stream in all higher secondary schools across JK

    Srinagar: As most of the government-run-schools are without Commerce, authorities are mulling to introduce the stream in all higher secondary schools in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The government said that it will accommodate all eligible post graduate (PG) commerce teachers to teach different subjects of the stream.

    In this regard a notification, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observe (KNO), was issued by additional secretary to the government for school education department, Naseer Ahmad Wani to directors of both the regions.

    “Commerce stream at higher secondary level can strengthen and inculcate skills for ease of business amongst students to train educationally established entrepreneurs with knowledge of accountancy, finance management and other skills for successful business modules,” the notification reads.

    It was also mentioned that the introduction of commerce stream in all higher secondary schools shall also facilitate self-employment amongst youths for more business opportunities.

    Wani said, “A delegation of PG commerce teachers of school education department approached me for introduction of commerce stream in higher secondary schools of the UT.”

    He said that he has forwarded the representation of the delegation to directors of Jammu and Kashmir division for exploring feasibility for introducing commerce stream in all remaining higher secondary schools within their jurisdiction.

    “The directors can absorb all eligible PG commerce teachers in phased manner for the purpose, keeping in view at present, sanctioned strength of 311 commerce lecturers working in 250 higher secondary schools across JK UT,” Wani said

    KNO has learnt that in two tehsils of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the commerce stream is being taught in only one higher secondary school.

    One of the teachers from the district said, “In Hajin and Sumbal tehsils of the district, commerce subjects are being taught in only one of the higher secondary’s of Sumbal area,”—(KNO)

  • 3 killed, 23 injured as marriage party bus rolls down gorge in Reasi

    Jammu: At least three members of a wedding party died and 23 others were injured in a traffic accident in Reasi district of Jammu division on Thursday evening.

    Reports reaching GNS said that a vehicle (JK02AU-0634) carrying a marriage party rolled down a gorge near Narlu Sai area of Arnas tehsil in the district.

    In the incident, three people were killed on the spot even as twenty-three others sustained injuries, reports said.

    The injured were evacuated to Primary Health Centre Arnas wherefrom thirteen of the critically injured persons have been referred to District Hospital Reasi for advanced treatment, reports said.

    Confirming the incident, SSP Reasi Reshmi Wazir told GNS that three persons have died. “Twenty-three other injured persons are undergoing treatment at different hospitals,” he said. (GNS)

  • Gunfight breaks out in Malbagh, Hazratbal area of Srinagar

    Srinagar: Gunfight breaks out between militants and forces in Malbagh, Hazratbal area of Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Thrusday evening.

    A joint team of Police and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Malbagh.

    As the joint team approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them. The fire was retaliated by the joint team, triggering off an encounter.

    A senior Police officer also confirmed to GNS about the exchange of firing between militants and forces in Malbagh area.(GNS)