Latest news with #L-G
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
India's water will now flow only for its people, asserts J&K L-G on Indus Waters Treaty's abeyance
Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday (July 19, 2025) said India's waters will flow for its people and stop in the country only, while referring to the now-in-abeyance Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). 'India's water will now flow for India, stop in India, and serve the people of India. India will have full control over the Jhelum and Chenab rivers,' the L-G said. He made these remarks while releasing author Sant Kumar Sharma's book Indus Waters Treaty: Mirroring the Facts. Paying homage to 26 civilians killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 this year, Mr. Sinha said, 'We will never forget April 22 when Pakistan-born and trained terrorists killed our innocent civilians. But April 23 is equally an important date when Prime Minister Narendra Modi put in abeyance the IWT. Pakistan had never dreamt that before launching a military operation, India would act in a way that will rattle Pakistan,' Mr. Sinha said. 'Pakistan will face consequences' He said it was for the first time since Pakistan as an aggressor fought three wars with India in 1965, 1971 and 1999 that the treaty signed before these wars was abandoned. 'For decades, Indian water was irrigating the land of terrorist Pakistan and feeding its people. After the Pahalgam terror attack, it was made clear that water and blood, terror and talks and terror and trade will not go together,' the L-G said. He said the country's move on the IWT will make the future generations of Pakistan face the consequences. The IWT supported 16 million hectares of farmland and 80% of irrigation in Pakistan. 'Pakistan will face serious economic challenges now,' he added. Mr. Sinha said the decision will also start a new phase of infrastructure and economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier in the day, Mr. Sinha, in a separate function in Jammu, said every citizen of J&K has the onerous responsibility to build a terror-free and drug-free UT. He said revival of Vedic knowledge and its integration into the school curriculum was crucial to offer the young generation great classics of world literature, values and ideals of our ancient civilisation and also a treasure of knowledge in science, arts, humanities and mathematics. The L-G was speaking at the two-day Mahasammelan organised by Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of Maharshi Dayananda Saraswati and the 150th anniversary of the founding of Arya Samaj. Paying tributes to the Army, J&K Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel for making the supreme sacrifice for J&K's peace and progress, Mr. Sinha said: 'There are few elements who speak the language of TRF (The Resistance Front). Police administration and security forces are committed to ensure peace and action against such elements as per the law.'
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Delhi plans to scrap MCD restaurant licence to boost ease of business
Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena has said that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) licence requirement for restaurants is being scrapped to promote ease of doing business. Speaking at an event by The Indian Express, Saxena said, 'Today, there is a need for ease of doing business… People should not have to come to the government, the government should go to the people.' He added that the licensing system in Delhi has ended and that three-star and four-star hotels are now allowed to operate 24/7. Until now, restaurants were required to obtain a Health Trade Licence from the MCD, which had to be renewed every year. Just last month, the L-G had also issued a notification removing the requirement of Delhi Police clearance for businesses like hotels and restaurants. Encroachments and freebies hurting Delhi: Kant India's G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, who shared the stage with Saxena, flagged encroachments and freebies as major concerns in the capital. He said that politicians in Delhi have often promoted encroachments, especially ahead of elections when such settlements are regularised. Once established, these encroachments become extremely difficult to remove, he said, as quoted by the news report. Delhi govt scraps police approval for hotels, pools The Delhi government has officially removed the requirement for police clearance for seven types of commercial activities. These include hotels, swimming pools, restaurants, discotheques, video game parlours, amusement parks, and auditoriums, news agency PTI had reported. This move stems from an order issued on June 19 by the L-G. Using his powers under Section 28(2) and Section 4 of the Delhi Police Act, 1978, Saxena annulled several long-standing police regulations. These rules had been in place for decades — dating back to 1980 in the case of swimming pools — and included recent guidelines introduced in 2023 for establishments like hotels and restaurants. Restaurants can't enforce service charge: Delhi HC In March this year, the Delhi High Court ruled that restaurants and hotels cannot compel customers to pay a service charge or tip, stating that doing so infringes on consumer rights. 'Service charge or tip, as it is colloquially referred to, is a voluntary payment by the customer. It cannot be compulsory or mandatory. The practice undertaken by the restaurant establishments of collecting service charge, that too on a mandatory basis, in a coercive manner, would be contrary to consumer interest and is violative of consumer rights,' said Justice Pratibha M Singh. The Delhi High Court backed the Central Consumer Protection Authority's (CCPA) 2022 guidelines, which bars hotels and restaurants from adding service charges to food bills by default or automatically. The court said that the enforcement of such charges often happens in a coercive manner, leading to confusion among customers. Many are unable to distinguish between government-imposed taxes, such as service tax or GST, and the service charge or tips added by restaurants. 'In fact, for the consumers, the collection of service charge is proving to be a double whammy — they are forced to pay service tax and GST on the service charge as well. This position cannot be ignored by the court,' the court observed in its order.
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Terrorists behind Pahalgam attack identified, could be eliminated soon, says J&K L-G Manoj Sinha
'Terrorism has been the state policy of Pakistan, and it is in the DNA of Pakistan…since inception, it has used a terror policy post-1947, to attack Jammu & Kashmir. The recent attack was by the design and intention of Pakistan, too,' Manoj Sinha said. On the motive behind the attack, Lt. Governor Sinha said that it was to 'create communal divide and disrupt peace of state and business activity, so that Pakistan can again start recruitment of handlers'. New Delhi: The security agencies have identified the terrorists behind the 22 April Pahalgam attack, and soon, will eliminate them, Manoj Sinha said, speaking on the occasion of his completion of 5 years as the Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, at a function in Gandhi Smriti, Delhi, Wednesday. However, 'the people of Kashmir showed up and demonstrated how fed up they were with terror', he added. 'They want peace and prosperity.' Two days ago, the L-G stunned the state, saying it was a 'security failure' that led to the deaths of 26 innocent people in Pahalgam. 'What happened in Pahalgam was very unfortunate. Innocent people were killed. I took full responsibility for the incident, but it was undoubtedly a security failure,' Manoj Sinha said. Calling Pakistan the 'biggest enemy of humanity', he said that the 'global powers will have to end terrorism from Pakistan; it is the duty of the global powers'. 'Pakistan does not want prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir; our neighbour does not like peace in Kashmir. But there is a change brewing in the state, and local people have realised that their destiny and prosperity lie with India and in peace'. Quoting a Gandhi speech, Sinha said, 'Gandhi wanted peace and prosperity in Jammu & Kashmir. He once said that if one has to choose between cowardice and violence, the way is violence. And, when Pakistan disturbed the peace in Kashmir, Gandhi said our Army should move forward and defeat the enemy.' In 1924, the late Mahatma Gandhi said, 'My non-violence does not admit of running away from danger and leaving dear ones unprotected. Between violence and cowardly flight, I can prefer only violence to cowardice; shunning non-violence is the summit of bravery.' Without directly saying it, Manoj Sinha cited the Gandhian philosophy as the context of the subsequent Indian attack on Pakistan. At the event, Vijay Goel, the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti Vice-Chairperson, delivered a brief speech. He said, 'Like Gandhi, Modi is bringing peace and prosperity in Jammu & Kashmir'. Elaborating on the Kashmir situation since he had assumed the L-G role in 2020, Sinha said, 'Kashmir's economy has doubled. A Kashmir bank, specifically Jammu & Kashmir Bank, was running at a loss of Rs 1,300 crore, but today its profit margin stands at Rs 1,700 crore. Roughly 2.38 crore tourists visited Kashmir last year, and builders constructed 5,000 new hotels. A 1.5 lakh crore highway project is under construction here. A Tiranga Yatra took place in the village of Burhan Wani.' During the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, the state was peaceful, he said. 'Not a single incident happened, and there was no question about election integrity. Forget firing, not a single pebble was thrown. Currently, people are enjoying nightlife, and children are going to school.' Operation Sindoor, Manoj Sinha said, showed that if anybody has bad intentions towards India, the country will give a befitting reply. He added that the most striking part of the operation was how the Army made use of India-made drones and other indigenously produced defence equipment to attack Pakistan. 'Prime Minister Modi has said categorically that Operation Sindoor has not ended, and if any misadventure takes place, it will be treated as an act of war,' he added. Discussing his efforts for establishing normalcy in J&K, L-G Sinha said, 'The incident of throwing stones has become history, the recruitment of handlers by Pakistan is minimal. Earlier, it recruited 150 locals, but last year, there were only six such cases, and this year, it was only one case. Radicalisation has stopped.' NIA officers showing no mercy to terrorists and public support for peace, and a change in their outlook were critical in bringing normalcy, he added. 'After abrogation of Article 370, the Prime Minister desired peace in the state, and my vision was clear on how to have peace and prosperity in the state—peace is not for buying but for establishing,' Manoj Sinha stated. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also read: 'Some screamed with every thud, others prayed'—J&K residents recall night of Operation Sindoor
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Manhandling, house arrest of CM Omar Abdullah are an act of disrespect
In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, Omar Abdullah, the first elected Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, condemned the heinous act and expressed solidarity, in a way that was both empathetic and striking, with the families of the 26 tourists who were killed . He called a special one-day session of the Assembly. The gesture emphasised that the people of J&K participated in the nation's grief, and endorsed the diplomatic measures announced by the Centre. As CM this time, Omar Abdullah has been seen to avoid a confrontationist tone with the Centre and its powerful nominee, the L-G. J&K's ruling coalition has not insisted on the restoration of special status — it has pressed the demand for statehood, which both the Centre and the Supreme Court have promised. But even as Omar Abdullah has shown accommodation and flexibility, the Centre seems to be taking backward steps. Visuals of CM Abdullah being placed under de facto house arrest by an unelected administration on Martyrs' Day, July 13, and of him being manhandled by police personnel, are unseemly and deeply disturbing. Martyrs' Day has both historical and political significance. It marks the killing of 22 protestors by the Dogra monarch's police in 1931. Sheikh Abdullah, his successors, separatists and even leaders in PoK and Pakistan have invoked the moment for political ends. After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the holiday was scrapped by the J&K administration. The CM's insistence on visiting the cemetery where those killed in 1931 are buried can be seen as a political statement — a way to distance himself from the Centre and the L-G. But why should that invite this bizarre spectacle of punishment choreographed by the L-G's office, its strings evidently pulled by the Centre? The UT administration's actions risk denting the people's trust framed in the heartening turnout of 63.9 per cent in last year's polls, among the highest in the region's electoral history. The Centre has long claimed that, since August 5, 2019, the erstwhile state has made strides across sectors, including in law and order and security. It has made it clear that the question of statehood is not if but when. An overzealous Raj Bhavan, and its political masters at the Centre, should not undo the hard-won gains in the UT. It is now for the L-G's office to make amends.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Martyrs' Day in Kashmir: A look at its history and the BJP's indifference
Story so far: Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah defied his Lieutenant-Governor's (L-G) stance on 'Martyrs' Day', on July 13, 2025, to pay tribute to the 22 civilians killed by Dogra rulers in 1931. Visuals shared by Mr. Omar Abdullah show him grappling with the authorities as he visited the Naqsbandh Sahib shrine at Khawaja Bazar to offer fatiha (prayer) at the martyrs' graves. The L-G had barred the government and regional parties from paying tributes at the site. 'The unelected government tried to block my way forcing me to walk from Nawhatta chowk. They blocked the gate to Naqsbandh Sahib shrine forcing me to scale a wall. They tried to physically grapple me but I was not going to be stopped today,' posted Mr. Abdullah. Highlighting the July 13 massacre as J&K's 'Jallianwala Bagh', Mr. Omar Abdullah said, 'True heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims.' This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff & was not to be stopped. I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. In fact these "protectors of the law" need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 14, 2025 While Mr. Abdullah was able to visit the shrine, no other leader was able to do so. NC leaders such as Showkat Mir, Imran Nabi Dar, Shafqat Watali, Nasir Aslam Wani and Tanvir Sadiq were either detained or put under house arrest. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, J&K Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari and and J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) president Sajad Lone, were also detained in their homes or offices. BJP has refused to mark the event as a 'martyrdom', maintaining that the slain civilians were 'rioters' and not national heroes. Here's a look at why J&K observes this day and its changed nature since 2019 What happened on July 13, 1931? In 1931, Kashmir was in turmoil due to a series of incidents that had led to revolt by the Muslims citizens against the ruling Dogra administration. In Jammu's Udhampur — a Hindu-majority area, a landholder had converted to Islam, resulting in him losing his property rights. A Hindu police officer had interrupted a sermon led by Mufti Muhammad Ishaque, accusing the seer of transgressing the law. In retaliation, the crowds condemned the interference into religious matters and a public protest was held. While a case was filed against the police officer for interfering in religious matters, a local magistrate dismissed the case. Two other incidents, which had created resentment among the Muslims were — a Muslim jail attendant being reprimanded by his Hindu superior and a pages of the Holy Quran being found in a public latrine. The final incident which led to the clash between the citizens and the Dogra police was the arrest of one Abdul Qadeer — a Kashmiri employee serving Major Butt of the British Army. In a public meeting, Qadeer had allegedly urged Muslims to retaliate to the Dogra king's oppression by attacking the palace. Accusing Qadeer of sedition, the Dogra police arrested him and placed him in Srinagar's Central Jail. On July 13, 1931, when trial started in Srinagar, a huge crowd had assembled outside the jail, raising slogans to seeking Qadeer's freedom. As the protestors urged the judge to imprison them instead, police began to hit them with batons. In retaliation, the crowds pelted the Dogra police with stones and sticks. On the Governor's orders, police opened fire at the protestors killing 17 Muslims on the spot, while five succumbed to injuries later. The slain civilians were buried in compound of Kanqah-i-Maula, three days later. The spot has since then been renamed as Mazar-i-Shuhada. Observing Martyrs' day The incident gave impetus to calls for Jammu-Kashmir's freedom from Maharaja Hari Singh's rule. The Reading Room party, founded by Sheikh Abdullah, established the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference with the sole aim to protect Muslim rights. His demands for self-rule of the Kashmiri people too gained traction and a Legislature was set up by the Maharaja in 1934. In 1947, after Maharaja Hari Singh fled to Jammu after acceding Kashmir to India, Sheikh Abdullah was appointed as J&K's first Prime Minister. He declared July 13 as 'J&K Martyr's day' and has been observed by consequent governments. Pakistan also observes the same day to honour Kashmiri civilian martyrs. Qadeer is believed to be born in Swat, which falls currently in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Through the years, Martyrs' day has seen 'house arrest' of Opposition leaders whenever the State has been put under President's rule. In 1986, then CM Farooq Abdullah threatened to launch a fresh struggle if the Governor's rule was not ended by September 7 that year. While most other Opposition leaders like G. M. Shah, Ghulam Nabi Kochak, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Abdul Gani Lone were placed under 'house arrest', Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his ally, Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq, were allowed to pay tributes to the martyrs. BJP's indifference BJP has never officially recognised or observed 'Martyr's day', maintaining, 'People killed then are those who broke the law and the State forces did what was required under the law. We neither believe in martyr's day, nor do we approve it'. On September 13, 1989, Kashmiri Pandit leader and BJP member Tika Lal Taploo was slain by Kashmiri militants. BJP and Kashmiri Pandits across India began observing September 13 as 'Martyr's Day', holding rallies and shraads (death anniversary) to honour Taploo. Through the years, BJP has used this event to voice the concerns of the Hindu minority in Kashmir and the targetted attacks on the community by militants. In 2015, when BJP allied with J&K People's Democratic Party to form a coalition government, the saffron party 'boycotted' the July 13 Martyrs' Day event — a first for a ruling J&K party. 'The 1931 martyrs have no relevance for our party. If Kashmir-based political parties do not attend the functions we hold in memory of our leaders like Syama Prasad Mookerjee, why should we attend their Martyrs' Day,' said BJP's Kashmir spokesperson Khalid Jehangir. Since then, it has continuously boycotted the event. Before Article 370 was abrogated in August 2019, then Governor Satya Pal Malik skipped the official state event, along with his Chief Secretary and four non-local advisors. Post-abrogation, the L-G has delisted 'Martrys' day' as an official holiday and scrapped the event observing it. After the election of the Union territory's first CM, Mr. Omar Abdullah, the ruling National Conference and other J&K parties this year, sought permission for their delegations to be allowed to visit the graveyard and pay tributes. However, the J&K Police denied permission to all regional parties to hold any commemoration functions at the graveyard. 'The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday). The General Public is hereby advised to strictly comply with these instructions. Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law,' warned the police. As politicians were put under house arrest, Mr. Omar Abdullah posted, 'Today the unelected nominees of New Delhi locked up the elected representatives of the people of J&K. All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard containing the graves of people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice & to empower them,' echoing hurt sentiments of Kashmiri Muslims.
