Latest news with #Kashmirs
The Hindu
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.S. supports India's right to defend: Defence Secretary Hegseth to Rajnath
The U.S. on Thursday said it supports India's right to defend itself and its fight against terrorism as American Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dialled Defence Minister Rajnath Singh amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack. Singh told Hegseth that Pakistan has been 'exposed' as a 'rogue' state fuelling global terrorism, and 'destabilising' the region. The world can no longer turn a 'blind eye' to terrorism, the Defence Minister said during the conversation, according to an official readout. Hegseth said the U.S. stands in solidarity with India and supports India's right to defend itself, Singh's office said in a social media post. 'He reiterated the strong support of the US government in India's fight against terrorism,' it said. 'The Defence Minister told the U.S. Secretary of Defence that Pakistan has a history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations,' the readout issued by the Defence Ministry said. 'Pakistan has been exposed as a rogue state, fuelling global terrorism, and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye to terrorism,' the Ministry quoted Singh as saying. It is important for the global community to 'explicitly and unequivocally' condemn and 'call out' such heinous acts of terrorism, he said. The Ministry said Hegseth called up Singh to express his sympathies and condolences for the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives in the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack. Don't want people going after Muslims, Kashmirs: Wife of Navy officer killed in Pahalgam 'We don't want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris,' Himanshi Narwal said on Thursday, stoic but firm as she mourned her husband, Naval officer Lt. Vinay Narwal, who was gunned down in Pahalgam just 10 days ago. He would have been 27 today. Narwal's mother and wife Ms. Himanshi broke into tears as tributes were being paid to the Naval officer at a blood donation camp organised in Karnal, the town where he grew up. 'We want peace and justice. People who have done wrong with him should be punished,' said Ms. Himanshi, who got married to Lt. Narwal just a week before the April 22 terror attack. The couple was on their honeymoon in Pahalgam when terrorists shot the Naval officer at point blank. Wiping tears off her face, Ms. Himanshi offered floral tributes to her late husband and blew a kiss to his photograph. The Naval officer's mother also kissed her son's photo and paid him respect with folded hands. Narwal's sister, Ms. Shristi expressed her gratitude to people who participated in the blood donation camp. 'I want to thank everyone who travelled from far to come here to donate blood. We have been receiving messages too. People have responded enthusiastically (to the blood donation camp). The government has also done a lot,' Ms. Shristi said. The camp was organised by Karnal-based NGO National Integrated Forum of Artists and Activists (NIFAA). Various speakers while addressing the gathering said the late officer dedicatedly served his nation while in service and will continue to live in everyone's hearts forever. 'A youth who was supposed to serve the country for many years was snatched away by terrorism. A soldier on the battle ground saves people's life by shedding blood. We are today donating blood in his honour to save people's lives,' Chairperson of NIFAA Pritpal Singh Pannu said. One of the attendees who donated blood at the camp said, 'The nation will always be grateful to Narwal for his sacrifice. We can only pay our tributes by donating our blood but nobody can fill the void created by his death.' Narwal was among the 26 people, mostly tourists, gunned down by terrorists at the Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam on April 22, in one of the worst terror attacks on civilians in Kashmir in the past many years. We will hunt down every terrorist involved in Pahalgam attack, says Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday vowed to hunt down each and every terrorist involved in the Pahalgam attack and said all of them will be made answerable for the heinous act. Mr. Shah asserted that the Narendra Modi government will not spare any terrorist. 'Whoever has carried out the dastardly attack in Pahalgam, we will not spare anyone. We will hunt down each and every perpetrator,' he said at an event here to unveil a statue of Upendra Nath Brahma, the patriarch of Assam's Bodo community, and name a road after him. The Home Minister said the Modi government has been pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against terrorists. 'If someone thinks they will escape by carrying out such a cowardly attack, they are wrong. This is Narendra Modi's government. We will not spare anyone. Terrorism will be eradicated from every inch of this country. Not only 140 crore Indians, the whole world is also with India. Till the time terrorism ends, our fight will continue. Those who have done this, they will be punished appropriately.' he said. The event was attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Chief Executive Member of the Bodoland Territorial Council Promod Boro, among others. Government gave headline but where is deadline: Congress on Centre's caste census move The Congress on Thursday attacked the government after its announcement of the decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the 'master of giving a headline without a deadline'. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said many questions arise about the decision, especially on the intention of the government, and demanded that the census should be done as soon as possible. Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister at a debriefing at the party's 24, Akbar Road office here, Mr. Ramesh said he is the 'master at giving a headline without a deadline'. Asserting that the barrier of 50% cap on reservations should be removed, Mr. Ramesh asked what is stopping the Modi government from doing this. The Congress demands that there should be a Constitutional Amendment and the 50% cap on reservations be removed, he said, adding that the caste census would be meaningful only when this is done. Mr. Ramesh cited a December 2019 Cabinet meeting press release, which stated that the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for conducting the census of India in 2021 at the cost of ₹8,254 crore. He pointed out that there was no mention of caste enumeration in that press release. 'Everyone knows that this census has not been done, and six years have passed. Surprisingly, the announcement was made by the government yesterday,' he said. Mr. Ramesh, however, urged the government to keep a roadmap for the caste census before the country. In the 2025-26 Budget, only ₹575 crore has been allocated to the office of the census commissioner, he pointed out. 'So what kind of census are they planning to get done in ₹575 crore. So what is the intention — is it just about giving a headline? What is their intention? Many questions arise on the intention,' the Congress leader said. 'You should have gotten the census done in 2021. They cite the COVID pandemic but more than 50 countries did their census during Covid. The pandemic was not there in 2023, 2024, but they did not get it done,' Ramesh said. He said when the PM was giving a string of interviews to TV channels last year, he had called those who talk of caste census 'urban naxals'. 'Since when did he become an urban naxal? Since when did Home Minister Amit Shah become an urban naxal?' Ramesh said. His remarks come a day after the Centre announced that caste enumeration will be part of the next population census, with the inclusion of caste details for the first time since independence. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has said he welcomes the government's 'sudden' decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census after '11 years of opposing it' but asserted that the Centre should give a timeline for its implementation. Crediting the sustained campaign run by the Congress for the government's announcement on the caste census, Mr. Gandhi has said his immediate suspicion is that this could go the women's bill way in terms of implementation and demanded a specific date for it. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said it is clear that the pressure the Congress put on the government for the caste census has worked. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have been demanding a nationwide caste census, making it a major election issue. Some states like Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka have conducted such surveys. Announcing the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the census comes under the purview of the Centre, but some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys 'non-transparently' which has created doubts in the society. NTA identifies 106 Telegram, 16 Instagram channels spreading 'false' information on NEET In a crackdown on fake claims about the NEET-UG, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has identified 106 Telegram and 16 Instagram channels involved in spreading false information, sources said on Thursday (May 1, 2025). The NTA's dedicated portal for receiving such concerns has flagged more than 1,500 claims of alleged paper leaks for the upcoming medical entrance exam. In a decisive move to protect the integrity of the NEET (UG) 2025 examination process, the agency has initiated action on certain fraudulent Telegram and Instagram channels claiming to have access to the NEET (UG) 2025 question paper. 'Acting on inputs received through its recently-launched Suspicious Claims Reporting Portal, the NTA has identified 106 Telegram and 16 Instagram channels engaged in spreading misinformation and attempting to mislead students,' a source said. 'These cases have been formally escalated to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs for further legal and investigative action,' the source added. The NTA has requested Telegram and Instagram to immediately take down these channels to prevent the spread of falsehood and unnecessary panic among the aspirants. 'Telegram and Instagram have been urged to share the details of the administrators and creators of these groups with law-enforcement agencies for prompt investigation and prosecution,' the source said. The medical entrance exam is scheduled to be held on May 4. The Ministry of Education (MoE) is conducting a series of meetings with district magistrates and superintendents of police from all states and Union territories to ensure that there are no lapses in the upcoming NEET-UG. The Ministry is implementing a comprehensive plan in response to last year's alleged irregularities, including paper leaks, which raised concerns about the integrity of the exam. 'Sharbat jihad' row: Ramdev beyond anyone's control, lives in own world, says Delhi HC The Delhi High Court on Thursday said Yoga practitioner Ramdev was 'not in control of anyone' and lived in his own world before finding him in prima facie contempt of its order over his controversial 'sharbat jihad' remarks against Hamdard's Rooh Afza. The court previously ordered him not to issue any statement or share videos in future over Hamdard's products. 'In view of the last order, his affidavit as well as this video are prima facie in contempt. I will issue a contempt notice now. We are just calling him here,' Justice Amit Bansal said after being informed on Thursday that despite the court's April 22 directions, Ramdev published a video making objectionable statements. 'He (Ramdev) is not in control of anyone. He lives in his own world,' the judge remarked. Ramdev's counsel urged the court to take up the matter after sometime as the arguing counsel was unavailable. The court, therefore, deferred the hearing for some time. Hamdard National Foundation India filed a plea against Ramdev and his Patanjali Foods Ltd over the controversial remarks. The court had on the last occasion said Ramdev's remark of 'sharbat jihad' on Hamdard's Rooh Afza shook its conscience and was indefensible, prompting the Yoga guru to assure he would immediately take down the related videos and social media posts. The counsel for Hamdard claimed while promoting Patanjali's 'gulab sharbat', Ramdev alleged the money earned from Hamdard's Rooh Afza was used to build madrasas and mosques. In Brief: Supreme Court refuses plea for judicial probe into Pahalgam attack The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a petition seeking judicial probe into the Pahalgam terror attack by a former Supreme Court judge. Justice Surya Kant, heading the Bench, said 'judges are not experts in such matters.' The court took a stern view about the filing of such petitions, saying 'this is a crucial time when every citizen has joined hands against terrorism. Do not demoralise by filing such petitions'. Rebuking the PIL petitioners, the apex court asked if they want to demoralise security forces and told them not to bring such issues in judicial domain. The petition was dismissed as withdrawn. NHRC issues notice to Bihar government over 100 children falling ill after consuming mid-day meal The National Human Rights (NHRC) on Thursday issued notice to the Bihar government over an incident in which more than 100 children fell ill after consuming mid-day meal in a government school in the Mokama area of Patna on April 24. Reportedly, the cook served the food to the children after removing a dead snake from it. News about the children falling ill after eating the food reached the villagers, who blocked the road to stage a protest. Observing that the incident raised serious questions about human rights violation, the Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna, Bihar, calling for a detailed report in the matter within two weeks. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
United News of India
23-04-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Kashmir shuts down, erupts in protest over Pahalgam terror attack
Srinagar, April 23 (UNI) A complete shutdown was observed across Kashmir on Wednesday in protest against the deadliest terror attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. Protests also erupted in several parts of Kashmir, with people taking to the streets to condemn the brutal attack. The attack, which took place at a meadow near the famed tourist destination of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, claimed the lives of 26 tourists. The shutdown was called by Hurriyat leader and head of Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in protest against the gruesome killings. The strike call was also given by prominent trade bodies, transport associations, and civil society groups. Mainstream political parties, including the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), extended their support to the strike. Officials said all shops, schools, and business establishments remained closed in Srinagar, while public transport was largely off the roads. Major towns across the Valley also reported a near-total shutdown. A heavy deployment of security forces was seen in sensitive areas of the capital city to maintain law and order. Despite the widespread shutdown, officials said that no incident of violence was reported from any part of the Valley. This is the first such complete shutdown witnessed in Kashmir in the past several years. Prior to the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 shutdowns were a common occurrence, often called by separatist groups. A pall of gloom has descended in Kashmir after the killing of the tourists. Meanwhile, several protests were held across Kashmir against the attack. In Srinagar, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti led the party leaders and workers protest which culminated at the city centre. She said the Kashmirs are ashamed of the attack on tourists. "I want to tell the people of the country that we are ashamed... We stand with you in this time of pain. The government should nab the perpetrators so that they are given exemplary punishment… I want to apologise to the people of our country," she told reporters. The ruling National Conference too held a protest in Srinagar. The protest was led by JK chief minister's Advisor Nasir Wani. Omar Abdullah's sons – Zamir and Zahir– also participated in the protest march. ' It was a black day for all of us . This was an attack on Kashmiriyat as we are known world over for hospitality,' party spokesperson Imran Dar said. The party demanded punishment to the culprits. The BJP also organized a protest march in Srinagar which was led by J&K BJP president Sat Sharma, BJP General Secretary (Organization) Ashok Koul, and other senior leaders. Participants held placards reading 'stop killing innocents,' 'down with terrorism' and 'we want peace.' The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) observed a two-minute silence at the party's office to express deep sorrow and solidarity over the attack. The traders also held a protest at Lal Chowk. The students and scholars of University of Kashmir held a peaceful protest on the campus. UNI MJR PRS
