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Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
NC's Surinder Choudhary accuses L-G Manoj Sinha of ‘running proxy govt'
The friction between the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Raj Bhavan appears to have come out in the open. Taking on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in what appears to be the first direct confrontation since his government was elected last year, senior National Conference leader and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary accused him of 'running a proxy government' in Jammu and Kashmir. Without taking names, Choudhary said if someone thinks that he could 'crush the mandate of the people' he won't be allowed because 'the government is not scared and is ready to fight for the people'. This is the first direct attack on L-G Sinha by the National Conference government. While Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has so far been treading cautiously, Choudhary's tirade appears to have brought to the fore the friction between the elected government and the Raj Bhavan. While the transfer of officers has been a bone of contention between Raj Bhawan and the elected government, it is not clear what was the immediate trigger for Choudhary's tirade against L-G Sinha. 'He should understand that he is playing with the Constitution of India,' Choudhary said. Choudhary then accused the BJP of running a 'proxy government' through L-G Sinha and demanded the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The government, Choudhary said, would take to the streets if needed. '(If) someone thinks that he will be able to crush the mandate of the people chosen in democracy, he will not be able to do it. What harm will they do to us — those protected by God and the people, who have voted for us,' the Deputy Chief Minister said. 'Do not think that we will get scared… We are not ones to get scared. We are ones to fight,' Choudhary said. It had been hoped that the Lt Governor would accept the people's mandate, Choudhary said. 'But it seems that some things are not getting right and when such an action happens, be it a transfer or anything else, then don't celebrate it as some sort of bravery. He should think that he is crushing the democracy of India,' the NC leader said. He went on to say that the NC was silent 'because of their leader' Omar Abdullah. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Thought to be extinct, a rare sighting in Kashmir revives hopes of the Eurasian otter's comeback
For three decades, the Eurasian otter, once an integral part of Kashmir's aquatic ecosystem, was thought to be extinct in the Valley. However, a rare sighting of the semi-aquatic mammal has now been reported in south Kashmir. The otter, which has been globally classified as 'near threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was spotted in the Lidder River in Srigufwara, south Kashmir. While villagers initially thought it was a crocodile, wildlife officials identified it as an Eurasian otter after watching videos captured by the villagers. That was later confirmed through photographic evidence. 'It has been confirmed as Eurasian otter,' Suhail Ahmad Wagar, the Wildlife Warden for south Kashmir, told The Indian Express. 'After it was reported, we set up CCTV surveillance, and we have captured it (on camera) at a few places.' The Eurasian otter, locally known as Vuder, was an integral part of Kashmir's aquatic ecosystem and was abundantly found in the water bodies. Its presence was used to scare the children and keep them away from the water bodies. However, over the last three decades, it was not spotted in the water bodies of the Valley, and it was thought to be extinct in Kashmir. The sudden decline in otters, a carnivorous mammal that feeds on fish and other aquatic fauna, was attributed to increased water pollution and hunting of the mammal for its fur. 'Historical records suggest that Kashmir had a substantial otter population in Dachigam and the stream that fed the Dal lake. It was also commonly seen in Rambiara stream (in south Kashmir) and the Lidder river (in Pahalgam),' Wagay said. 'However, it was not spotted for the last 25-30 years, so we thought it had gone extinct (in Kashmir).' Wildlife officials say that this is the third occasion this year that it has been spotted in the Valley. 'In May, it was first spotted in the Gurez valley,' Wagay said. 'It was also spotted in Heerpora (in south Kashmir's Shopian district).' Wildlife officials say that the sighting of the mammal is encouraging and could help restore Kashmir's aquatic ecology. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
NIA raids dozens of locations across Kashmir in terror conspiracy case
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday carried out a series of raids across Jammu and Kashmir in connection with a case related to terror conspiracy. According to officials, the agency executed searches at 32 locations across the Valley, including Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Sopore and Kupwara. The case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) was registered in 2022 in Jammu and pertains to a network of 'terrorist organizations and overground workers' operating in the region. Officials said the raids were carried out by teams of NIA officers, accompanied by personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and central paramilitary forces. In South Kashmir, NIA teams focused on the Shopian district, where they searched areas in Reban Nildoora and Check-e-Choland villages, and in Kulgam, where locations in Devsar, Bugam, Sonigam, and Manzgam were raided. Additional raids also took place in the Pulwama district. In North Kashmir, officials confirmed that multiple sites were targeted in Sopore and Kupwara. A senior official said the raids are connected to a case registered by the agency three years ago. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Militant killed in encounter in South Kashmir's Tral
An unidentified militant was killed in a gunfight in South Kashmir's Tral Thursday morning. The operation that was launched early Thursday morning following inputs about the presence of militant is under progress. Officials said a joint team of forces cordoned off Nader village of Tral in South Kashmir's Pulwama district. As the joint team of forces were zeroing in on the target, the militants hiding in the area opened fire and tried to break the security cordon. The joint team of forces returned the fire leading to a gunfight. An unidentified militant was killed in the gunfight, but his body is yet to be recovered, officials said, adding that the operation is under progress and a joint team of forces are searching for other possible militants hiding in the area. The encounter comes two days after security forces killed three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists in South Kashmir's Shopian district. Officials say before the Tuesday encounter, only 14 local militants were listed in Valley. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Multiple explosions heard in Kashmir, including near Srinagar airport
Multiple explosions were heard across different parts of the Kashmir Valley on Friday night as Pakistani drones intruded into Indian airspace. While there was a blackout in the Valley on Thursday night too, this is the first time since the May 7 airstrikes by India that suspected drones have entered Kashmir's airspace. Officials said multiple explosions were heard around Srinagar International Airport, which is adjacent to the Army's airfield. Earlier, explosions were heard near the Army's Awantipora airbase in south Kashmir's Pulwama. Just before these explosions, electricity was snapped in different parts of the Kashmir Valley, and sirens blared near the Army's 15 Corps headquarters in Badamibagh cantonment in Srinagar. Officials said that explosions were also heard in several places in north Kashmir's border district of Baramulla, which houses several key military installations. The simultaneous explosions in different parts of the Valley created panic, and people rushed to the lower floors to take cover. 'There was an initial blast that was followed by a series of blasts in different directions,' said Ishfaq Ahmad, a resident of Baramulla. 'It happened at many places at once, and it was difficult to make sense of where these explosions were happening.' He said that as he looked outside, he saw a swarm of bright flying objects. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
