Latest news with #Omar-led
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Jammu and Kashmir: CM Omar Abdullah alleges ‘physical grappling' as police stop him from visiting martyrs' graves
J&K CM Omar Abdullah speaks to the media as he recites prayers to mark Martyrs' Day amid restrictions from the Srinagar district administration (Picture credit: ANI) SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah climbed over a wall at Srinagar's Naqshband Sahib shrine Monday after police denied entry to him and several cabinet members attempting to pay tribute to the 1931 martyrs at their graves. 'I was subjected to physical grappling,' Omar said. 'I'm made of sterner stuff. I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. The so-called protectors of the law need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us.' Authorities had sealed the site a day earlier and placed several politicians, including Omar, his father and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest — intensifying a political standoff between the Union territory's elected govt and Centre-appointed lieutenant governor's administration. Determined not to be thwarted again, Omar avoided notifying anyone Monday. The confrontation began after the CM and his ministers headed to the shrine. Blocked by police barricades and CRPF vehicles, he and deputy CM Surinder Choudhary proceeded on foot. Minister Sakina Itoo arrived on a scooter, while Farooq came in a three-wheeler. 'They blocked our way with CRPF and police vehicles and even resorted to physical force,' Omar said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest in SALIK shares today and be part of the city's growth سالك Learn More Undo He alleged that police tried to tear the NC flag and manhandled party workers. A video shared by Omar shows him scaling the shrine's wall after being refused entry. 'We succeeded in offering prayers,' he said. 'They think these graves matter only on July 13. If not July 13, then July 12, 14, or any other day — we will come and remember the martyrs.' Observed as Martyrs' Day on July 13, the date marks the killing of 22 civilians outside Srinagar jail in 1931 during protests against Maharaja Hari Singh, then Dogra monarch of J&K. The event has become a flashpoint in Kashmir's evolving identity after Article 370 was revoked in 2019. Since then, police and security forces have been under the direct command of LG Manoj Sinha, while the Omar-led elected government has no authority over law enforcement. Omar quoted BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley to underline the friction. 'Democracy in J&K is a tyranny of the unelected,' he said. 'The unelected nominees of New Delhi locked up the elected representatives of the people.' Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq rubbed it in. 'The CM tasted the bitter medicine of authoritarian high-handedness and experienced what ordinary Kashmiris endure,' he said. 'I hope this experience shifts his focus to restoring dignity and fundamental rights.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Jammu and Kashmir cops block Martyrs' Day events at graveyard
File photo: J&K cops SRINAGAR: J&K police has announced that no one will be allowed to visit the graveyard of 'July 13 Martyrs' in Srinagar on Sunday, extending curbs that have been in place since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. The date is significant in Kashmir's history as 22 people were killed during an uprising against Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931. Chief minister Omar Abdullah , his father and governing National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, and former CM Mehbooba Mufti were expected to visit Mazar-e-Shuhada, the martyrs' resting place in Srinagar's Naqshband Sahib and pay floral tributes. Authorities have already placed Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest. The Omar-led govt does not control police or security, whose reins are in the hands of the Centre-appointed lieutenant governor (LG) Manoj Sinha. 'District administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Nowhatta on 13th July, 2025 (Sunday). The general public is advised to strictly comply with these instructions. Any violation shall invite strict legal action,' J&K police said in a statement late Saturday evening. NC reacted sharply to the curbs, with spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq calling them 'deeply unfortunate and fundamentally unjust' on a day of profound historical and emotional significance for people of J&K. 'We urge the administration to reflect on the gravity of this decision. No order can suppress memory. No restriction can erase the truth. The people of Kashmir will continue to honour their martyrs peacefully, with dignity, and with unwavering resolve,' Sadiq said. NC had written to Srinagar's deputy commissioner on Thursday, seeking permission for Farooq's intended visit to the site. Apni Party had made a similar request. Fearing they would be restricted from leaving home on Sunday, PDP functionary and ex-CM Mehbooba's daughter Iltija Mufti visited the graveyard on Saturday. 'I paid tributes to our martyrs who laid down their lives for democracy. Their memory is being wilfully erased. Yet their voices echo in every Kashmiri's heart,' Iltija said. In January 2020, nearly six months after the abrogation of Article 370, UT authorities had dropped July 13 and December 5 from the list of public holidays in J&K. December 5 was observed as the birth anniversary of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Since then, the authorities have barred official functions on July 13 at Mazar-e-Shuhada, detaining politicians, including former chief ministers, if necessary, to keep them away. Earlier, it was tradition for CMs and top officials to pay tributes and offer a guard of honour at the graveyard. While such restrictions had been clamped in the past few years, many had believed this year might be different as it was the first time since the revocation of J&K's special status under Article 370 that an elected government was in place in the Union territory. Eyes will be peeled on the Omar govt's response to the Sinha-led administration's move on Sunday.
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘CM Omar has not delivered': AAP's lone J&K MLA withdraws support to NC govt
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s lone MLA in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Mehraj Malik, has withdrawn his support to the National Conference-led government in the Union Territory (UT), citing its 'failure' to serve the public over the last nine months it has been in office. Late on Saturday, the 37-year-old firebrand AAP legislator took to social media to announce his withdrawal of support. 'I, Mehraj Malik, MLA from Doda, hereby withdraw my support to the NC in the government coalition. This decision has been taken in the best interest of my people of J&K, whose trust and welfare will always be my top priority,' he said in a post on X. Malik, in another post on X, accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his government of allegedly failing to deliver, pointing out that 'genuine public service required commitment not justification'. '(AAP national convener and former Delhi CM Arvind) Kejriwal ji resigned after 49 days (in 2013) when he couldn't serve the people the way he wanted. Omar Abdullah ji has been in power for over nine months, yet hasn't delivered anything – not because he can't, but because he won't. Public service demands intent, not excuses,' Malik said. His withdrawal of support to the Omar-led government, however, does not pose any threat to it, given that the government already has the support of 52 MLAs – seven more than the majority mark – in the 90-member J&K Assembly. A challenge for the government now would be managing the outspoken AAP leader on the floor of the Assembly, from where he has frequently taken on both the J&K government and the BJP-led Centre. During the Budget Session earlier this year, Malik had been highly critical of the Opposition BJP and the ex-CM Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of alleged 'rampant corruption' and causing the downgrade of the erstwhile J&K state to a UT. However, he may now have to ensure a working relationship with the BJP and the PDP in case his seat in the House is shifted from the Treasury side to the Opposition benches. During the last Budget Session, he was allegedly beaten outside the Assembly over his purported remarks against former CM and late PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and for mocking a protest by the BJP members against the NC-led government. Trouble erupted when Malik was talking to some media persons, and some PDP leaders caught hold of him for his 'derogatory remarks', leading to an altercation. Just a day earlier, the AAP legislator was involved in another altercation with the same PDP leaders within the Assembly complex. The BJP legislators, who were protesting nearby, and were already angry with Malik for describing their protests as 'jamawara (crowd)', also joined in. Malik has faced issues outside the Assembly, too. In May, he was booked by the police after a doctor at the Doda Government Medical College Hospital accused him of alleged criminal intimidation and gender abuse. He was booked under sections 356 (criminal intimidation), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman), 351 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Malik had previously been critical of the functioning of hospitals in Doda, even raising the issue in the House. This was however not the first time Malik's name figured in an FIR. In his affidavit for the 2024 Assembly elections, Malik declared half a dozen FIRs registered against him for offences ranging from criminal intimidation and house trespass to promoting enmity between groups. In the Assembly elections, Malik, a postgraduate from Jammu University, became a first-time MLA when he scored the AAP's maiden victory in J&K by defeating the BJP's Gajay Singh Rana in the Doda constituency by 4,538 votes. The AAP had fought its debut election in J&K last year, winning one of the seven seats it contested with a vote share of 0.52%. Prior to the Assembly polls, Malik had won in the 2020 District Development Council elections from Doda's Kahara seat, contesting as an Independent. He then unsuccessfully contested the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency last year, again as an Independent. Locals who know Malik say that the rows he has been involved in over the years have played a key role in his rise in politics. Malik joined the AAP in 2013 – a year after he finished his postgraduation – and soon drew attention by flagging local problems such as lack of drinking water and electricity at medical facilities and poor education infrastructure. He was appointed the co-chairman of the AAP's state coordination committee in 2022. He also gained support in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, when he took to the streets with local issues. Last year, he had also spearheaded a protest against the eviction drive in Jammu's Bathindi.
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM Omar Abdullah to hold cabinet meetings in Pahalgam, Gulmarg to boost Kashmir's Tourism
SRINAGAR: The tourism sector in Kashmir has been severely impacted following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 25 tourists and a local ponywala were killed. In an effort to restore confidence and revive tourism, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will chair a cabinet meeting today (Tuesday) at the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam in South Kashmir. The meeting aims to reassure visitors that Kashmir is safe and encourage travelers to return to the Valley. Sources indicate that the CM and his cabinet colleagues will also meet with tourism stakeholders in Pahalgam to gather suggestions on how to revive tourism in the Valley in the aftermath of the April 22 attack. Holding the cabinet meeting in Pahalgam is seen as a deliberate effort to send the message that there is no cause for concern and that Kashmir remains a safe destination for tourists. This will be the first cabinet meeting of the Omar-led government during this tenure to be held outside the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu. Following the April 22 militant attack on Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and a local ponywala, who bravely attempted to disarm one of the attackers to protect tourists, were killed, as well as the subsequent four-day military skirmishes between India and Pakistan from May 7-10 during 'Operation Sindoor,' the tourism sector in the Valley has suffered substantial losses. Immediately after the attack, tourists fled the area, and there was a widespread cancellation of bookings.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
With IWT in suspension, Omar argues for revival of Tulbul Navigation Project
J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah SRINAGAR: With the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack , J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday suggested that the govt could resume work on Tulbul Navigation Barrage in the Wullar Lake in north Kashmir. In a post on X, Omar said that civil works in the Tulbul project was started in the early 1980s, but had to be abandoned under pressure from Pakistan citing IWT. 'Now that the IWT has been 'temporarily suspended', I wonder if we will be able to resume the project,' he said. This will give J&K the advantage of allowing the river Jhelum to be used for navigation and will also improve the power generation of downstream power projects, especially in winters, he added. The Tulbul Navigation Project involves construction of a 439ft long and 40ft wide barrage with a navigation lock at Wullar Lake. The Union govt had started work on this project in 1984, but stopped it a year later following Pakistan's strong objections. Pakistan in 1986 took the issue to the Indus Waters Commission, following which the project was abandoned in 1987. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Rates Undo The work was restarted in 2010, with the then irrigation minister of J&K, Taj Mohideen, stating that Article 9 of IWT permitted such projects meant for non-consumptive use. In 2012, unidentified terrorists lobbed a grenade towards a bund raised by the workers for the project. In 2016, Taj claimed that the Omar-led NC-Congress (2008-2014) govt had completed almost 80 per cent of the project after redesigning it with a total estimated cost of Rs 50 crore, in contrast to the original project designed in 1980s at Rs 500 crore. He accused the PDP-BJP (2015-2018) govt of abandoning the project. Taj argued that water storage in the Wullar barrage would significantly benefit the downstream power projects by sustaining electricity generation during the winter months, when they see a sharp decline in output.
