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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Omar owes an apology, not a signature campaign: Opposition tears into CM over statehood ‘theatrics'
As Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he will launch a signature campaign to seek statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition, in a scathing attack, said he 'owes an apology and not a signature campaign'. Saying that signature campaigns have no legal or constitutional sanctity, the opposition questioned his 'reluctance' in passing a resolution for statehood in the assembly. 'Omar Abdullah owes an apology, not a signature campaign for normalising 5th August. With 50 MLAs behind him, he has reduced the fight for J&K's statehood to token gestures, after seeking votes door-to-door on the promise of restoring pre–5th August status,' senior Peoples Democratic Party leader Waheed Para said. 'This is not just a retreat, it is a betrayal. The people gave him a historic mandate to fight for Article 370 and statehood, not to stage political theatre.' Para said that if Omar has already surrendered, he 'must admit it and apologise to every citizen of J&K for selling promises he never intended to keep'. In his Independence Day speech, Omar said, 'We will have to leave the offices, and now we will have to raise our voice to those doors where our decisions are being made. Till now, through letters, resolutions, and meetings, we have raised our voice. Now we are going to raise our voice from every village of J&K to Delhi.' 'My intention today is that the Supreme Court has given us eight weeks… Henceforth, my colleagues and I will not sit idle. We will not get tired. We will use these eight weeks to reach every 90 assembly constituencies of J&K,' he said. Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone questioned the logic behind launching a signature campaign, saying that a resolution in the assembly instead would have constitutional dignity. 'Signature campaigns have no legal or constitutional sanctity,' Lone said while promising support for any movement towards statehood. 'Can CM sahib please, once and for all times to come, explain his reluctance to have a resolution for statehood passed in the Legislative Assembly. Let us approach the Supreme Court as a constitutional entity.' Calling the door-to-door signature campaign 'theatrics', Lone assured unconditional support for the statehood campaign. 'I would strongly assert that pass a resolution in the state Assembly. That is the most dignified way to approach the Supreme Court,' Lone said. 'Please tell me, are you shielding and protecting the state BJP and giving them the luxury of not taking a position on statehood by not passing a resolution on statehood?'
New Indian Express
04-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Had in-depth conversation regarding on-ground realities in J&K, says Imran Ansari after meeting HM Amit Shah
SRINAGAR: An influential Shia leader of Jammu and Kashmir and former minister Imran Reza Ansari on August 4 met Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The meeting gains significance as it comes a day before the sixth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation and downgrading, and bifurcation of the erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories. 'Met the Hon'ble Union Home Minister @AmitShah Ji today in Delhi for a sincere and in-depth conversation regarding the on-ground realities in Jammu & Kashmir,' Ansari posted on X along with his picture with Home Minister Amit Shah. Ansari, who is secretary general of Sajjad Lone led Peoples Conference, said, 'We spoke at length and acknowledged the efforts made by the @OfficeofLGJandK for the rehabilitation of families impacted by terrorism that continues to demand urgent and sustained attention.'
Hans India
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Hurriyat irrelevant, Kashmiris must look for place in India: Separatist leader Bilal Lone
Srinagar: Bilal Lone, separatist leader and son of slain senior separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, said on Saturday that the separatist Hurriyat Conference is irrelevant and Kashmiris must look for their space within India. Bilal Lone is the younger brother of Sajad Gani Lone, former minister and chief of the Peoples Conference (NC). In an interview today, Bilal Lone said that the separatist Hurriyat Conference is itself responsible for becoming irrelevant, adding that the Hurriyat Conference has become non-functional. He blamed Pakistan for creating a mess in Kashmir. He said that his change of state owed itself to the motivation of the next generation of Kashmir, whom he urged to see India as India since it is a very big power. He said the present generation has a right to know the truth about what happened in Kashmir during the last 35 years. He said Kashmiris have to realise that the 'politics of exploitation' must stop. While admitting that the people of Kashmir had reposed their trust in the Hurriyat Conference, Bilal said that at present the Hurriyat is nowhere, and it is time for the people to accept the change. He said Pakistan made statements, but nothing happened in reality, so Pakistan must play a soothing role in Kashmir's progress rather than create a mess here. He claimed that he had no regret for being on the other side, opposing India, but had big regret for failing to achieve anything. Bilal Lone said his change of stand was not to become the chief minister, but he now stands for a genuine political process.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Before Martyrs' Day, Mirwaiz's blistering attack over ‘house arrest' — ‘fearing mention of martyrs in my sermon'
Ahead of Martyrs' Day on July 13, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was disallowed from leading Friday prayers at Srinagar's Jamia Masjid. The chief cleric of Jammu and Kashmir said he was confined to his house in a post on X. July 13 is marked as Martyrs' Day as a homage to the 22 Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931. 'Disallowed to go to Jama Masjid today, put under house arrest, fearing the mention of the martyrs of 13th July 1931 in my Friday sermon,' the post said. Highlighting the sacrifice of the martyrs and 'all the martyrs since,' Mirwaiz said that it is 'etched in the collective memory of Kashmir and cannot not be undone by restrictions and bans'. 'No living nation can forget the supreme sacrifice of life of its martyrs against tyranny and injustice,' he said, appealing authorities to life restrictions to allow the public to peacefully pay homage and expressing a desire to the martyrs' graveyard in downtown Srinagar 'Inshallah if allowed as per our tradition, we will visit the martyrs' graveyard on July 13th after Zuhr prayers and pay homage to the revered martyrs,' he said. Earlier this week, both National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party expressed their resolve to visit the Mazar-e-Shuhada on July 13 with the former writing to the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar for permission to visit the mazar. Formerly a public holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, it was scrapped by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Entry to the mazar-e-shuhada (martyr's graveyard) has also been restricted on previous occasions. Last year, leaders such as Mufti and Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone were restricted to their residences on July 13. After the Omar Abdullah government took over the reins of government in October last year, the issue of restoring the July 13 holiday was also debated in the J&K Assembly. This year, July 13 falls on Sunday.
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Sajad Lone files RTI to assess job reservation impact on Kashmiris
Peoples Conference president and Handwara legislator Sajad Gani Lone on Thursday called for a 'scientific and statistical analysis' of the reservation policy, claiming that it disproportionately affects the Kashmiri-speaking ethnic group. Peoples Conference president and Handwara legislator Sajad Gani Lone. (File) Lone, in a statement, said that he has filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to gather recruitment data from the last ten government examinations. This data, he said, will help create a 'statistically scientific basis' to evaluate the policy's impact. 'We need the actual marks scored by candidates and the final selection list. By comparing a merit list without reservation with one where reservation is applied, we can quantify the damage inflicted on the Kashmiri-speaking ethnic group,' Lone said. He proposed using selection data from past ten recruitment exams as a sample set, which could be expanded later for broader statistical relevance. 'If the government introduces a revised reservation system, the party will apply it retrospectively to the same recruitment data to assess its effects,' he added. Describing the approach as rational and evidence-based, Lone said, 'Let us end all debates and decide things purely on a scientific basis. And apply remedies on a scientific basis,' he said. In a message to policymakers, Lone cautioned against letting electoral considerations overshadow youth interests. 'Let us separate votes from the future of our youngsters. Let dreams not be massacred at the altar of votes,' he said.
