Latest news with #UnionTerritory
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Train links are a welcome now release prisoners on Eid to reduce Dil Ki Doori: Mirwaiz to Modi
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressed a gathering at Jama Masjid. He urged the government to release prisoners as a goodwill gesture for Eid. He emphasized the importance of human connections. Mirwaiz condemned the death of Zubair Bhat in Delhi. He expressed concern over the safety of Kashmiris living outside Jammu and Kashmir. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Srinagar: Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that if the Prime Minister truly seeks to reduce the ' Dil Ki Doori ' then humanitarian steps like release of prisoners need to be taken immediately. Mirwaiz while addressing a Friday gathering here at historic Jama Masjid in downtown Srinagar said that train links are a welcome, but it is the human links that truly matter and the eve of Eid-ul-Adha , Mirwaiz said that for thousands of families in J&K, the festival brings no joy. 'Their sons, husbands, fathers and brothers have been incarcerated for years—many without trial—in jails within and outside J&K. And each passing day, more of our youth are detained,' said Hurriyat chief said that all such prisoners, including political leadership, remain in the prayers and thoughts of the people. Mirwaiz urged Government of India that a goodwill gesture be made on the occasion of Eid , by releasing these prisoners.'If the Prime Minister truly seeks to reduce the 'dil ki doori' (distance of hearts) which he often mentions in his speeches, then such humanitarian steps are the real way forward. Train links are welcome, but it is the human links that truly matter and endure," said Hurriyat leader also condemned the tragic and inhuman killing of 30-year-old Zubair Bhat of Ali Kadal, Srinagar, who was working in New Delhi."The incident is deeply disturbing and unacceptable. Zubair's custodial-like death—allegedly at the hands of Delhi police as claimed by his family—has brought back haunting memories of such deaths and raised serious concerns regarding the safety and security of Kashmiris residing or working in different parts of India," said Hurriyat leader said that the killing has sent shockwaves through the community and added to the prevailing fear and anxiety among the thousands of Kashmiri students, professionals, traders, and labourers living outside J&K. 'After the recent Pahalgam incident, Kashmiris across the country are increasingly facing hostility. And now, an innocent young trader has been killed in cold blood. How long will this go on?' Mirwaiz Hurriyat leader urged the Government of India and the Union Territory administration to fulfill their constitutional responsibility and ensure the safety, security, and dignity of all Kashmiri citizens, especially those outside the region. 'The silence and inaction only embolden those targeting Kashmiris,' he also made a heartfelt appeal to civil rights organisations, writers, intellectuals, and conscientious citizens of India to raise their voice against "the growing onslaught on Kashmiris and to stand up in solidarity with the victims of such brutality."
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘LG promoted, I got demoted': CM Omar makes another pitch for statehood
Joking about his 'demotion' from chief minister of a state to that of a Union Territory, Jammu & Kashmir's Omar Abdullah made a pitch again for the restoration of the region's statehood. He was sharing the dias with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the UT's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Katra on Friday, soon after the PM launched the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line Project , and remembered the inauguration of the Katra railway by Modi in 2014. 'I was the chief minister and you had become PM for the first time. At that time, there were four people, who shared the dais, PM Modi, BJP MP Jugal Kishore, Manoj Sinha and me,' he said, adding that Sinha was the Union Minister of State for railways at the time. 'He (Sinha) got promoted as Lieutenant Governor of J&K, but mine is a sort of demotion. Earlier, I was CM of a state, but, now I am CM of a UT. However, I believe that it will not take long to rectify it. Jammu and Kashmir will again get the statehood under your (PM Modi's) watch only,' he said. Both Prime Minister Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have previously said that Jammu & Kashmir's statehood will be restored, though no timeline has been provided for this. The UT was created by breaking up the erstwhile state into two -- the UT of J&K and the UT of Ladakh in 2019. This was done even as Article 370, which gate the erstwhile state special status, was abrogated. LG Sinha, in his address, said that the PM was 'uniting the hearts of people by ensuring rail connectivity' across the country. 'Train from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is not a slogan anymore. PM has turned it into a reality just moments ago by flagging off Vande Bharat train from Katra to Srinagar,' he said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Time not far when J&K will become state in PM Modi's tenure: Omar Abdullah
Sangaldan: Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the time is not far when statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi . He said this in the presence of the PM while addressing a rally at Katra during the inauguration of Vande Bharat trains connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country and other development projects. "The last programme in my first government (2009-14) also happened here in Katra in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since then you have won three consecutive elections by the grace of Mata and at that time Manoj Sinhaji was MoS (minister of state) railways and I was the CM of the state. Sinha sahib got a promotion of sorts (as lieutenant governor) and I was demoted a bit, and now I am chief minister of a Union Territory," said Abdullah. "But now I think that time is not far when this will be corrected. And I believe in your (Modi's) tenure through your good self we will get the statehood." The CM said the Modi-led government has done what the British couldn't do in their time. "Many people had dreamt about this railway. Even the British were dreaming of connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country. They were dreaming of building a railway from Uri along the banks of river Jhelum," he said. "You have done what the British could not do and connected Kashmir with the rest of India." Abdullah said he would be at fault if he didn't mention former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee who declared this project as that of national importance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like '3개공식'만 따라하면 되는 '코인재테크' 인기 코인시그널 더 알아보기 Undo
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Census delay is no accident, delimitation plan is no coincidence": Tamil Nadu CM Stalin's fresh attack on Centre
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 6 (ANI): Reiterating his attack on the Centre over Census and Delimitation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Friday, said that the Census delay is 'no accident' and the delimitation plan is 'no coincidence'. Despite the assurance from Home Minister Amit Shah, CM Stalin asserted that a clear parliamentary commitment and a suitable constitutional amendment are what are needed to address the concerns of southern states on delimitation. 'The #Census delay is no accident. The #delimitation plan is no coincidence. The danger I warned of is at our doorstep,' Stalin said in a post on X. 'The Ministry of Home Affairs claims that the concerns of affected states will be addressed. But these are vague remarks. What is needed is a clear parliamentary commitment and a suitable constitutional amendment,' he said. The Tamil Nadu CM claimed that there is a 'sinister design' in how the BJP-led Union Government is implementing the national Census and the subsequent delimitation. 'Developed states, especially in the non-Hindi speaking South, which followed population control norms, will now be punished. Meanwhile, states that disregarded population control for decades are set to gain more seats in Parliament. This unfair shift skews the federal balance and rewards irresponsibility,' MK Stalin said. Alleging the track record of the BJP, Stalin cited the example of Jammu and Kashmir, as how the Centre spoke of restoring statehood to J-K, but it still remains a Union Territory. 'Just look at what happened after Article 370 was abrogated. The Union Government spoke of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Elections were held. Assurances were given in the Supreme Court. Yet, Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory. This is the track record of the BJP we are dealing with,' Tamil Nadu CM said. Further, MK Stalin said that if the Union Government proceeds with delimitation based on the 2027 census, the democratic power of peninsular India will be reduced to 'irrelevance.' 'Even if betrayers like the ADMK choose to kneel before the BJP for their political survival, the people of Tamil Nadu, led by the DMK, will never allow our state to be punished for its progress. Tamil Nadu will fight! Tamil Nadu will win!' Stalin emphasised. Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on many occasions, has assured that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of Southern states will be taken care of. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, in a post on X, said, 'Budget has never been a constraint for Census as fund is always ensured by the Government. HM Amit Shah has clarified on many occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of southern states will be taken care of and discussed with all concerned at an appropriate time.' On Wednesday, the central government announced that the Population Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases and will also include the enumeration of castes. According to the MHA statement, the reference date for the 'Population Census-2027 will be 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, for most parts of the country.' However, for the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026. (ANI)
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tourism has to be conflict neutral activity and should not be politicised: J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that tourism should be a conflict neutral activity that should not be politicised. Abdullah, who chaired a symbolic cabinet meeting at Pahalgam in Anantnag district of southern Kashmir, where 25 tourists and one local were killed in the attack on April 22, said that he had conversations with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, regarding some concrete steps needed for the revival of tourism in J&K. 'In my experience, I believe that tourism should be a conflict neutral activity and just an economic activity. Unfortunately it has been often politicized but our effort will be to insulate tourism from the situation here,' said Abdullah, while interacting with the reporters after the meeting. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secret Discounts Car Insurers Don't Want You to Know AutoTrends Undo J&K CM said that the Prime Minister has also taken some steps for revival of tourism and he also held a meeting in Delhi recently focussing on the resumption of tourism in J&K. 'I also met the PM during a recent NITI Ayog meeting in Delhi. We discussed some concrete steps for revival of tourism here. I also met the Home Minister there. I cannot give out all the details here,' said Abdullah. Considering the Union Territory status of J&K, Abdullah said that here tourism is his responsibility but the security of tourists doesn't come under his purview. Live Events 'Three governments have to work here for the revival of tourism. J&K's elected government, J&K's unelected government and Government of India,' said Abdullah. The J&K CM said that the last few weeks were not easy for the country, but J&K had to suffer the most and the effort of his government is to sail through these difficult times. 'I expect that we will get maximum support from the central government. We will create a conducive situation for the return of tourists,' said Abdullah. After the Pahalgam attack that triggered a mini-war between India and Pakistan, tourism has been badly hit in J&K with 90 percent of visitors cancelling their trip. The administration had also closed 48 tourist destinations for the visitors citing security reasons. 'After the Baisaran attack, we had decided to conduct a security audit of some destinations. 48 destinations have been closed but it is time to review the decision and reduce this number in a phased manner,' said Abdullah. The J&K government is actively preparing to participate in travel fares in the major cities to attract tourists like in Kolkata from where people visit Kashmir in huge numbers during Puja holidays in the autumn. 'We are hopeful that Amarnath yatra, starting from July, will conclude peacefully and all the arrangements have been made for that. But that should not stop tourists from visiting Kashmir soon,' said Abdullah adding, 'Other than Pahalgam and Sonamarg–two routes for Yatra– some other destinations like Srinagar, Yusmarg and Gulmarg will be open for business,' said Abdullah. He also met the members of Indian Association of Tour Operators at Pahalgam to plan out the revival of tourism here.
