News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • Apni Party not B-team of BJP; NC and PDP actually benefited from it: Altaf Bukhari 

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, a new entrant to the political arena of the union territory, is not a “B-team” of the BJP or the “King’s party” as described by political rivals like the National Conference and the PDP but an outfit which has no history of being a dynasty, its chief Altaf Bukhari said on Sunday.

    “In fact, when the words like King’s party and B-team were coined, I simply laughed. The National Conference enjoyed power with the BJP from 1999 and the PDP had an alliance with the BJP post 2014 assembly polls and my party has been given such names. In other words, they are the actual B-team of the BJP,” Bukhari, a businessman-turned-politician, told PTI in his office here.

    With people queuing up at his office for various work, Bukhari took a dig at the NC as well as the PDP and said it seems that these parties do not like anyone other than their family members to meet people in Delhi.

    “It is ironic that a party which has not got any benefit from Delhi is termed B-team…those who enjoyed fruits of power, courtesy the BJP, they call us B-team. People will have to really expose these state actors who are just to retain their hold on power, and want to create doubts about anybody who is new to politics,” Bukhari, who was a minister in the governments led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti, said.

    Bukhari, who along with some leaders formed the JKAP in March 2020, said the party is new and “we all are trying to emerge on the political scene of Jammu and Kashmir with changed realities”.

    “Just because I went to Delhi and met the prime minister to discuss the release of people from jails, allay fears of any demographic change and ensure there is no loss of jobs and land…why are they (the NC and PDP) crying on that.

    “Because they think it is their domain to go to Delhi, they think it is their hereditary right to meet people in the power corridors in Delhi and when somebody like Altaf Bukhari meets the prime minister, he becomes an agent of Delhi.

    “This has always been their right from 1947. Whenever anybody other than these families go to Delhi, they call them agents of Delhi or they call them B-team of Delhi or ruling party. They have been bullying everyone only to ensure they retain their monopoly on power in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

    Referring to the dismal performance of JKAP during the local body elections, Bukhari said “first and foremost I do not consider it as a dismal performance. There was an election for the District Development Council. I won 12 seats directly and 22 indirectly and please remember that we are merely a year-old party”.

    To a question about the June 24 meeting of leaders from Jammu and Kashmir which was chaired by the prime minister in Delhi, he said, “The biggest expectation from the meeting was to request the Centre for restoration of statehood and all the parties present there raised the issue in our own way.”

    “I have a humble appeal to all other political parties. We have lost everything. It”s not that Delhi will do something just because we went to Delhi, I don”t expect Delhi to restore statehood to us just because we all went there. We have to build a case for the same. A day will come they will do it because the prime minister has promised and so has the home minister (Amit Shah) on the floor of the House (Parliament),” he said.

    Bukhari said it all depends on how a case is put forward before the central leadership. “During March last year, I called on the prime minister and apprised him about the fears in people about job loss and land. I am so grateful that he understood and we managed to have a law to protect the same.”

    To a question whether the JKAP was ready for elections in case the Centre decides to hold it before restoring statehood, he said, “Ideally, we would like this statehood to be restored before elections are held. Having said so, our very existence has come due to the problems which are faced by our own people and my belief is that unless grassroots democracy is restored, problems of my people can”t be addressed.”

    If the elections are held before restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, he added, “we will not shy away from making that sacrifice also.”

  • PDP only party that is resisting Centre: Mehbooba Mufti

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said her Peoples Democratic Party was the only party that is resisting the Centre in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Talking to reporters after meeting party workers in Pulwama district in south Kashmir, Mehbooba said the Centre is trying to break the PDP by either “offering” its leaders something or using its agencies to intimidate them.

    “If you stop resisting, you will stop existing. If we have to exist, then the PDP has to stand before the Centre the way it is. PDP is the only party which is resisting the moves of the Centre that is why they tried to break the PDP by giving offers to some leaders and used NIA, ED like agencies to break others,” the party chief said.

    She said the leaders of her party were thrown out of their secure residential quarters, their security was being taken back and even cases were being registered against them.

    “Some are being kept in jails like (party’s youth leader) Waheed Para,” she added. Mehbooba said the PDP is not a party but a movement, an ideology and the BJP cannot break it.

    “PDP came into existence for the peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir. We will not leave this path till Jammu and Kashmir will become a bridge of peace between India and Pakistan,” she said.

  • 89 militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir this year; over 200 still active, say security officials

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Security forces have killed 89 militants, including seven Pakistani nationals, in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far, top Army and police officials said on Saturday, maintaining that over 200 ultras are still active in the union territory.

    “Out of these 89 terrorists, seven were FTs (foreign terrorists or Pakistanis). It (number) is lesser than the last year, but more top commanders were killed this year,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said.

    He was addressing a joint press conference with GoC of Army’s 15 Corps Lt Gen D P Pandey and GoC of south Kashmir-based Victor Force Major Gen Rashim Bali.

    To a question about the number of militants present in J-K, Lt Gen Pandey said about 200-225 ultras were active across the UT.

    He, however, said there has been no successful infiltration along the Line of Control (LoC) so far this year.

    “There has been information about one or two infiltrations. We have launched operations, which are on to check or neutralise them (infiltrators). But, according to ground inputs, there has been no successful infiltration or intrusion in the 15 Corps zone in the Valley so far,” LT Gen Pandey said.

    Asked about the operation in Shokbaba Sumlar-Aragam area of Bandipora in north Kashmir in which three militants were killed last week, the Army officer said out of the three ultras, two had travelled through proper visa route to Pakistan in 2017-18.

    “This is a design to take youth from here, train them there (in Pakistan), and then send them back as terrorists. At least 40 youth have travelled on visa to Pakistan for studying purpose after being given proper certificates for visa, but they were sent back here as terrorists,” he said.

    The GoC said those youth who return from there in the “right manner” will be welcomed, but those who come back with weapons will be neutralised.

    The IGP said out of the 40 youth who had taken visa and travelled through the Wagah border route in Punjab to Pakistan, “27 came back with weapons and have been killed in encounter” “Rest are still across, a few of them are in touch with their families. We are keeping a watch,” he said.

    Security forces on Saturday killed two Jiash-e-Mohammed militants, including a top Pakistani ultra belonging to the family of the group’s chief Masood Azhar and involved in the planning of the 2019 Pulwama attack, in an encounter in Pulwama district, police said.

  • Terrorist arrested as NIA raids 15 locations in Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday arrested a terrorist as it carried out raids at 15 locations across Jammu and Kashmir in connection with two terror-related cases, officials said.

    The raids were carried out in connection with the busting of a Lashker-e-Mustafa (LEM) module in March and the recovery of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) dropped here by a drone from Pakistan, an NIA spokesperson said.

    During the raid, the NIA also recovered digital devices including mobile phones, pen drives, shells of used bullets, plastic face masks used during stone-pelting and hand written jihadi material, the spokesperson said.

  • Two JeM militants including Masood Azhar’s kin killed in encounter in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pulwama

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Security forces on Saturday killed two JeM militants, including a top Pakistani ultra belonging to the family of the group’s chief Masood Azhar and involved in the planning of the 2019 Pulwama attack, in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said.

    Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the forest area of Namibian and Marsar and the general area of Dachigam this morning, following inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

    According to @JmuKmrPolice, two militants have been killed in an ongoing encounter with troops in Namibian- Marsar forest area in south Kashmir Pulwama district. @NewIndianXpress
    — Fayaz Wani (@iamfayazwani) July 31, 2021

    He said that the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire at a search party of the forces, who retaliated. In the exchange of firing, two militants were killed, the official said.

    IG (Kashmir Range) Vijay Kumar said, “Topmost Pakistani terrorist affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lamboo, killed in today’s encounter.” The IGP said Mohammad Ismal Alvi alias Lamboo alias Adnan was from the family of JeM chief Masood Azhar.

    “He was involved in conspiracy and planning of Lethpora Pulwama attack and figured in a charge sheet produced by the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” Kumar said.

    Suicide bomber Adil Dar blew an explosive-laden vehicle in a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy on February 14, 2019, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway at Lethpora in Pulwama district in south Kashmir, killing 40 CRPF personnel and injuring several others. “Identification of the second terrorist being ascertained,” Kumar said.

    The IGP also congratulated the army and police for the success.

  • IED defused in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri; search operations on to nab terrorists

    By PTI
    JAMMU: A major tragedy was averted on Saturday with timely detection of a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Jammu and Kashmir’s border district of Rajouri, officials said.

    The IED was found planted by suspected terrorists under a culvert at Bathooni-Dilogra on Jammu-Rajouri national highway and was subsequently defused by the bomb disposal squad of the Army at 9.10 am, the officials said.

    ALSO READ | Two militants killed in encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama

    The traffic on the vital road remained suspended for over three hours after the detection of the IED by the Road Opening Party (ROP) of the security forces, they said.

    The terrorists are believed to have planted the IED during the intervening night under the cover of darkness, the officials said, adding that a massive search operation is on to arrest the terrorists who were planning to set off the blast.

    The officials said the experts removed the IED from the road to a secluded place in the nearby forest and later detonated it in a controlled explosion without causing any damage.

  • Two militants killed in encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

    Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the forest area of Namibian and Marsar and the general area of Dachigam this morning, following inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

    According to @JmuKmrPolice, two militants have been killed in an ongoing encounter with troops in Namibian- Marsar forest area in south Kashmir Pulwama district. @NewIndianXpress
    — Fayaz Wani (@iamfayazwani) July 31, 2021

    He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire at a search party of the forces, who retaliated.

    In the exchange of firing, two militants were killed, the official said.

    He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras were being ascertained.

    Further details were awaited, the official added.

  • Jammu and Kashmir reports 137 COVID-19 cases, one fatality

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir recorded 137 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking its infection tally to 3,21,344, while the death toll rose to 4,378 as one fatality was reported in a span of 24 hours, officials said.

    Fifty-eight cases were reported from Jammu division and 79 from Kashmir division of the union territory, they said.

    The officials said Srinagar recorded the highest number of 26 new cases, followed by Baramulla district with 15.

    The number of active cases now stands at 1,171 in the union territory, while 3,15,795 patients have recovered from the disease so far, they said.

    There were 35 confirmed cases of Mucormycosis (black fungus) in the union territory at present, the officials added.

  • Grenade attack in Jammu & Kashmir, three security personnel injured

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Three security force personnel sustained minor injuries in a grenade attack by militants in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said. The ultras lobbed the grenade on security forces near Khanpora bridge in Baramulla town this afternoon, they said.

    The injured personnel have been taken to a hospital while the area has been cordoned off to track down the militants.

  • Two retired bureaucrats bureaucrats join Congress in Jammu & Kashmir

    By PTI
    JAMMU: Two retired bureaucrats on Thursday joined the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) here, a party spokesperson said.

    Former deputy director animal husbandry AC Bhagat and former deputy director information MR Sangra, who are both prominent social activists, joined the Congress in presence of JKPCC chief GA Mir and other senior party leaders, the spokesperson said.

    Welcoming them, Mir expressed hope that they would work to strengthen the party.

    Attacking the BJP-led government at the centre, the JKPCC chief alleged that the Centre has failed to “fulfil even a single commitment” made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and “instead brought miseries for the common man due to its wrong policies”. “The achievement of this government is that the divisive forces have succeeded in vitiating the atmosphere of peace and harmony in the country,” he said.

    “There is a hue and cry everywhere and nobody feels secure under the present regime,” he added. Expressing their faith in the party, the new entrants said only the Congress can lead the country to prosperity and development.

    The former bureaucrats said they were impressed with the working and secular approach of the party and expressed faith in the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi.