Latest news with #NationalConference
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Farooq, Mehbooba, Karra join Pandit devotees at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Kashmir
Prominent Jammu and Kashmir leaders, including Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Tariq Hameed Karra of the Congress, on Tuesday joined hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits in paying obeisance at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple on the occasion of Jyeshta Ashtami, amid the sense of unease and fear that was spread by the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Dr. Abdullah, accompanied by his senior party colleagues, drove to Ganderbal district in central Kashmir in the morning, and joined devotees at the temple. 'We took the blessings of Mata Kheer Bhawani. We are living in harmony; we will be living in harmony. We sent a message of happiness,' the NC president said. Mingling with the Pandit devotees, mainly those who fled the Kashmir Valley in the face of militancy in the 1990s, Dr. Abdullah prayed that the Kheer Bhawani Mela (fair) turn out to be a 'starting point for displaced brothers and sisters to return and settle down in Kashmir again'. 'Land and houses should be provided to Kashmiri Pandits. The government and the Centre should do the needful for their peaceful return. The situation is not the same as when former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ensured employment for thousands of Kashmiri Pandits by offering them government jobs in Kashmir for their peaceful return,' Dr. Abdullah said. Claiming that there was a sense of fear among devotees visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu after the recent India-Pakistan military confrontation, Dr. Abdullah appealed to people to visit the shrine. 'Don't fear. Visit the shrine,' he said. Ms. Mufti too joined the Pandit devotees in the visit to the shrine, and extended her wishes to the community on the occasion. She also paid floral tributes at the Kheer Bhawani temple pond, which is considered an auspicious ritual by the Pandit community. 'The PDP has always believed that guns or military interventions are not the solution. There should be a political process, that process cannot be completed until our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters return with due respect and settle here,' the former J&K CM said. She said Kashmiri Pandits were an essential part of Kashmir. 'Pandits should return to Kashmir with dignity. They are an integral part of Kashmir. They have stakes in Kashmir,' Ms. Mufti said. Mr. Karra said the mela was 'a reflection of communal harmony, despite attempts to divide'. 'All communities stand united here. It is a reflection of the fact that Mahatma Gandhi also saw a ray of hope in Kashmir at the time of the Partition. Our [late] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh created a package that can still help in resolving the issues of Pandits, and ensuring their dignified return,' Mr. Karra said. The Kheer Bhawani Mela is the first major Hindu festival to take place in the Valley after the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which left 26 civilians dead. The incident has cast its shadow on the fair, evident in the thin attendance when compared with 2024. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, however, termed the gathering a good omen. 'Devotees have come in large numbers to attend the Kheer Bhawani Mela. This is a good sign. This is the first time after April 22 that such a crowd has gathered at a place,' Mr. Sinha said. He said all the preparations for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, which beings on July 3, were complete. 'Security arrangements have also been finalised. I appeal to devotees from across the country to come and take Baba's (Lord Shiva's) blessings,' Mr. Sinha added. Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, in a statement said an interfaith dialogue 'must evolve into a moral movement rooted in justice — because peace without justice is just a pause, no more'. 'I urged faith leaders to rise above nationalism, protect diversity, and uphold the moral duty of the majorities towards the minorities. From Palestine to Kashmir, only justice, dialogue, and mutual respect can bring lasting peace, and end human suffering,' he said.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Shell-hit J&K villagers await relief amid assessment row
SRINAGAR: Two weeks after the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan came into effect after three days of intense skirmishes following the May 7 Operation Sindoor, the ruling National Conference (NC) legislators from Uri and Poonch, the areas most affected by cross-border shelling, have claimed that the administration is yet to complete the damage assessment. However, the Chief Minister's advisor has asserted that the assessment has been finished and the government is now awaiting a central relief package. The Pakistani shelling in the border areas of J&K left at least 18 civilians dead including 13 in Poonch, 3 in Rajouri and one each in Uri and Jammu and over 100 injured. The worst-hit areas include Poonch, Rajouri, and Uri, where hundreds of houses and structures were damaged. MLA Uri Sajjad Shafi told this newspaper that the damage assessment by the district administration is ongoing but has not been completed. He noted that more than 500 houses in Uri were damaged, with some completely destroyed and others severely or partially damaged. The government has provided compensation ranging from Rs 6,500 to Rs 1.30 lakh, depending on the level of damage. However, Shafi urged the government to increase the relief amount. 'We have requested Rs 10 lakh for fully damaged houses, Rs 5 lakh for severely damaged houses and Rs 3 lakh for partially damaged homes,' he said, adding that these amounts would help the affected families rebuild their homes.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We talked about restoring the statehood of J-K...," says Apni Party leader Mohammad Rafi Mir
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 1 (ANI): Apni Party leader Mohammad Rafi Mir on Sunday said that the delegation of the party, during a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, discussed several pressing issues and reiterated the demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. Speaking to ANI, Mir said, '..We apprised them about the situation on the ground and had a discussion on various issues...I am hopeful that all our concerns will be also talked about restoring the statehood of J&K...' The delegation also included senior leader Mohammad Dilawar Mir, who raised concerns about the economic impact of sudden weather changes on tourism-related sectors in the region. 'We discussed various issues in the meeting... A survey should be conducted to assess the damage caused by the sudden change in weather... We urged the Lieutenant Governor to provide relief to hoteliers, taxi owners as their businesses have been affected due to tourists not coming to Jammu and Kashmir... We also discussed issues related to our constituencies,' Mohammad Dilawar Mir informed ANI. On April 15, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he is hopeful that Jammu and Kashmir will 'regain' the status of a state. The restoration of Article 370, the reinstatement of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, and the implementation of the autonomy resolution were key promises in the National Conference's manifesto for the J-K elections. In August 2019, the Central Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, repealed Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, effectively ending the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. (ANI)
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'Bridge Of Friendship, Not Theatre Of War': Mehbooba Mufti On J&K's Role In India-Pakistan Ties
Last Updated: Mehbooba Mufti said that Jammu and Kashmir has consistently suffered the consequences of war and violence People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday that Jammu and Kashmir should serve as a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan, rather than becoming a battleground for conflict. While addressing party workers in Srinagar, Mufti said that Jammu and Kashmir has consistently suffered the consequences of war and violence, comparing the region to 'grass trampled under the feet of two fighting elephants." 'The PDP will continue to raise its voice for peace and channel the sentiments of people. We must end the spectre of war so that people can plan their lives and revive the economy. Jammu and Kashmir should be a bridge of understanding, friendship and cooperation, not a theatre of war," she said. Reacting strongly to recent remarks made by the National Conference (NC) leadership, including party president Farooq Abdullah's call for intensified military action against Pakistan, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said such statements reflect a dangerous mindset. 'When the Indus Waters Treaty was put in abeyance by the government of India, it was (Jammu and Kashmir) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who hailed the move and even advocated for an immediate halt to water supplies to Pakistan. 'We may have political differences with the government of Pakistan, but not with its people. It is saddening that such remarks are being made by the leader of the only Muslim-majority state in the country," she added. 'These leaders want more war and more dead bodies. It is, however, only the PDP that has consistently advocated for an end to hostilities and spoken for the people's right to live a life of dignity," she said. First Published: May 31, 2025, 23:09 IST
India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Mehbooba Mufti Urges India-Pakistan Dialogue, Slams War Rhetoric in J&K
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and ex-Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday again made an appeal for peace and dialogue in the state, calling on India and Pakistan to convert Jammu and Kashmir from a "theatre of war" into a "bridge of friendship and cooperation." Speaking to party activists and the media, Mufti issued a warning against the risky implications of rising war talk, especially after recent comments by National Conference (NC) leaders for going to war with Pakistan. "Jammu and Kashmir has always had to suffer from animosity between the two countries. Grass under the feet of warring elephants, the people of this place get trampled the most," she stated. Mufti condemned NC patriarch Dr. Farooq Abdullah for reportedly condoning actions "more brutal than the Balakot strike" and reminding erstwhile Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's call for suspending the Indus Water Treaty at the time of increased tension with Pakistan. "We don't have any political differences with the Pakistani government, but not with its people. This war-talk is exceedingly irresponsible—particularly from India's sole Muslim-majority state," she said. Urging the resumption of dialogue and diplomacy, Mufti declared that the PDP would keep advocating peace and safeguarding the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "The PDP is not here for power. We are here to give dignity back and a peaceful future to our young people," she said, reminiscing about her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's move to enter a coalition government in 2014 as a "sacrifice for stability and reconciliation. Mufti also showed serious concern regarding what she described as an increasing clampdown in the Union Territory, including the abuse of the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the detention of local youth in prisons outside J&K. "Our youth are being incarcerated under totalitarian laws, and many families are not even able to visit them. If these stringent measures work, then incidents like the recent Pahalgam attack wouldn't occur," she said. The PDP leader also attacked the National Conference on its "opportunistic politics" and blamed it for compromising on important issues of the public for political mileage. She pointed out the NC's supposed backing of the Waqf Bill in the face of public opposition. "Even with 50 MLAs, the NC couldn't muster the resolution against the Waqf amendment in the assembly. At the same time, Mufti Sahab, while he was here, abolished black laws like POTA and removed the infamous Task Force," she added. Summing up her speech, Mufti reaffirmed the PDP's commitment to peace, justice, and reconciliation, adding, "We will continue to speak for the people, no matter how uncomfortable it is for the powers that be."
