
Statehood demand: Congress announces August 5 as Black day in J&K
'
Peaceful sit-in protests will be held in Jammu's Maharaja Hari Singh statue park besides all district headquarters, Karra said at a press conference.
He also announced day-long hunger strikes from Aug 9 to 20, beginning on the Quit India Day and concluding on the birth anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi. Hunger strikes will not be held on Aug 15 and 16, he said.
On Aug 5, 2019, Centre had abrogated Article 370 which granted special status to J&K and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two UTs.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
29 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
High drama marks Panchayat polls in Nainital
Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court on Thursday took cognizance of allegations that five elected representatives in Nainital district panchayat were missing ahead of voting. However, police said that affidavits submitted by the five elected members claimed they were staying away voluntarily. Counting of votes underway for Uttarakhand Panchayat Elections, in Nainital, on July 31 (PTI) Congress leaders alleged that they were abducted to influence the outcome of election of district panchayat president for which voting was underway on Thursday . A division bench of chief justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra, hearing a public interest litigation, questioned the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nainital PN Meena on whether the missing representatives had been traced. The SSP said security personnel had visited their homes as per earlier court directions to provide protection 10 days before voting, but were told by relatives that the representatives were visiting family and did not require security. Polling was held on Thursday for the posts of district panchayat presidents as well as vice presidents and Block Pramukhs. The SSP added that the police had received affidavits from the five representatives stating they were travelling and had asked that no case be registered if anyone reported them missing. Two more similar affidavits were received on Thursday. Advocate General SN Babulkar told the court that all representatives had confirmed they were abstaining from voting on their own will. However, senior counsel DS Patni presented a pen drive with video footage allegedly showing one of the representatives, Dikar Singh Mewari, being dragged away by unidentified men, some of whose faces were visible, while an armed policeman looked away. Another video purportedly showed three more affidavit signatories being forcibly removed from a polling booth. The bench directed that both videos be handed over to the Nainital SSP and District Magistrate Vandana Singh for examination. Counsel DS Mehta told the court that an attempt to file a kidnapping complaint naming the alleged abductors was rejected by the Tallital SHO. The SSP assured the bench that action would be taken against any police personnel found guilty of dereliction of duty. Family members of three missing representatives — Uma Bisht, sister of Deep Singh Bisht; Vinod Kotalia, brother of Pramod Singh; and Sanjeev Jantwal, son of Vipin Singh Jantwal-appeared before the court — each detailing how their relatives were taken away. Kotalia alleged that his brother was abducted by a group . Jantwal said he had seen a video of his father's abduction on a Facebook account. The court ordered that its directions be sent immediately to the district magistrate and SSP, with affidavits kept in the safe custody of the Registrar (Judicial). The matter will be heard next on August 18. Earlier, high drama was witnessed during the election for district panchayat president and block Pramukh in Nainital, turned tense on Thursday with clashes, allegations of kidnapping and even firing between supporters of the BJP and Congress. Congress leaders Yashpal Arya, Khatima MLA Bhuvan Kapri, Haldwani MLA Sumit Hridayesh, former MLA Sanjeev Arya, district panchayat president candidate Pushpa Negi, and 10 members arrived at the High Court while a hearing was underway before Chief Justice G Narender and Justice Alok Mahra. They alleged before the bench that 'people of the ruling party' assaulted them and 'tried to kidnap some members.' Showing election result certificates for 15 members, they claimed that 'five of their local leaders were missing.' The court directed District Magistrate Vandana Singh and SSP Nainital PN Meena to appear virtually within minutes. It ordered both officers to 'maintain law and order' and ensure 'peaceful and fair elections,' instructing that members be brought to the polling station in police security. High Court security officer Rakesh Bisht was tasked with escorting the 10 district panchayat members who were in court to the polling station under police protection. In the block pramukh election at Betalghat in Nainital districts, three rounds of firing were reported amid clashes between supporters of both parties. Police dispersed the crowd and began an investigation. Both sides accused each other of instigating violence. BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt alleged that Yashpal Arya was 'trying to influence the voting,' while Congress state president Karan Mahara accused the BJP of 'assaulting Congress leaders.' District Magistrate Vandana Singh, who appeared in the court in the evening again, told the court that she will recommend repolling for zila panchayat elections to the state election commission (SEC)


Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
CM Yogi blames Cong for Partition, lauds PM for push to heal ‘old wounds'
Lucknow: At an event to mark the eve of Independence, designated as 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it was Congress appeasement policies that led to India's division, the Partition of a 'Sanatan Bharat'. Blaming the opposition for having ignored the plight of those displaced by the Partition, the CM said that those who get citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act will be given land and full rehabilitation in UP. Calling the Partition a "dark chapter" in India's history, which inflicted deep wounds on the nation, Yogi credited PM Modi with reviving this forgotten history. "Today, the entire country mourns, remembering the horrors of Aug 14, 1947," he said, while inaugurating an exhibition marking 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day'. Later in the day, the CM led a silent march against the Partition and then addressed a seminar on it. The CM said that at one end, revolutionaries embraced martyrdom for India's freedom and on the other, Congress divided the nation in its greed for power. He alleged that the Congress policies led to the ethnic cleansing of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists from Pakistan. "The violence claimed 15-20 lakh lives and displaced crores, marking one of the darkest episodes in history. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The 5 Books Warren Buffett Recommends You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo This Partition was a moral and humanitarian crime, executed under the appeasement policy of the Congress. During this time, women faced humiliation and brutality. This Partition gave birth to a monster like Pakistan, which still engages in various conspiracies against India," the CM said. He also accused the then Congress govt of showing complete apathy towards the displaced persons. The CM said that no memorials were built and no museums were established for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who were forced to leave their ancestral homes. Their suffering, he said, was erased from public memory. Against this, PM Modi granted citizenship and rehabilitation rights to refugees under the CAA, because of which, for the first time, displaced people in J&K and other regions received citizenship, he said. Hitting out at Congress further, the CM said that it was the same party which first murdered democracy under the guise of Emergency and then orchestrated the massacre of Sikhs in 1984. Instead of facing the consequences of its leaders' wrong decisions, it was still trying to mislead the public. He also stressed the importance of connecting the younger generation with history, saying that the exhibition portrayed the grim reality of Partition, its massacres, riots and forced migrations. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Kharge to hold Opposition meeting over V-P polls
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of floor leaders of Opposition parties on August 18, with the meeting expected to see discussions on strategy for the Vice Presidential elections, party leaders aware of the matter said on Saturday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha LoP and party MP Rahul Gandhi, party General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal and others in a meeting with General Secretaries, In-charges, and Frontal Heads of the Indian National Congress, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (AICC) The meeting, set to be held at Kharge's parliamentary office, will take place a day before the last date of filing nominations for the upcoming elections, a senior Congress leader said. Along with discussions about strategy for the election, the opposition leaders are expected to debate over floor management for the remaining period of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, they added. The election for the post of Vice President will take place on September 9. The last date for filing nominations is August 19, with the scrutiny on August 22, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced earlier this month. The vacancy in the Office of the Vice President arose due to the abrupt resignation by Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, citing health grounds. HT reported on August 9 that the INDIA bloc will opt for a non-Congress candidate for the election, in an effort to unite all Opposition parties and maximise the anti-BJP votes, which includes at least 11 votes of the Aam Aadmi Party. Both the Opposition and the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have yet to announce their candidates for the polls. The Opposition, according to two leaders, will not disclose its nominee and wait for the government to announce its candidate. 'We are in no hurry. Let the government make a move first. There is no communication from the government on this issue so far,' a senior Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity.