Rajouri/Jammu: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today declared at Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir that the Pahari community, besides the Gujjars and Bakarwals, will soon get reservation in education and jobs as Scheduled Tribe (ST).
If ST status is granted to the Paharis, it will be the first instance of a linguistic group earning reservations in India. For this to happen, the Central government needs to amend the Reservations Act in Parliament.
“The commission (set up by Lieutenant Governor) has sent the report and recommended reservation for Gujjar, Bakarwal and Pahari communities. It will be given soon,” he said at a rally that marked the start of the BJP’s campaign for elections likely next year.
Mr Shah claimed the reservation became possible only after special status under Article 370 was removed. “Now, minorities, Dalits, tribals, Paharis will get their rights,” he said.
He said that “some people” unsuccessfully tried to “instigate” Gujjars and Bakerwals over Paharis too getting ST status.
He urged crowds to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the move on August 5, 2019, when Articles 35A and 370, Constitutional provisions that gave some autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, were hollowed out. The state was divided into two UTs — Ladakh was thus separated — of which Jammu and Kashmir can have an elected assembly. Its first elections are likely early next year as the process of demarcating constituencies and finalising voter rolls is almost finished.
Mr Shah said, “I want to appeal to you to free Jammu and Kashmir from the clutches of three families that ruled here.” He did not namethe families, though the PDP of the Muftis and National Conference of the Abdullahs have been his targets, as have been the Gandhis of the Congress.
Jammu and Kashmir, the state that was, last had an elected government in 2018, in which the BJP was a junior partner and Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP was Chief Minister. The NC, too, was once BJP’s partner at the Centre.
Mr Shah said “power is now with 30,000 people who were elected to panchayats and district councils through fair elections” underlining that village-level elections had already been held.
“Earlier, all money sent by the Centre for development was usurped by a few, but now everything is spent on people’s welfare,” he claimed.
He also claimed that the security situation is “far better” now due to the “strong action” taken against terrorists by the Modi government. (Agencies)

‘After Article 370 abrogation, reservation benefits being given to Dalits, backwards and those living in hills’, says Amit Shah in Rajouri

Would it have been possible to get tribal reservation if Articles 370 & 35A were not removed? With their removal now, minorities, Dalits, tribals & Paharis will get their rights: Union Minister Amit Shah at a public rally in Rajouri

The PM is in favour of reservation for Pahadi, Gujjar & Bakarwal communities: Home minister Amit Shah

After Article 370 abrogation, reservation benefits being given to Dalits, backwards and those living in hills: Amit Shah in Rajouri

J&K | After the abrogation of 370A, the process for reservation has been cleared. Justice Sharma’s commission has sent the report and recommended reservation for Gujjar, Bakarwal and Pahari communities and it will be given soon: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in Rajouri

Deaths of security personnel came down from 1,200 per year to 136 this year due to Modi govt’s strong action against terrorists: Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

JAMMU, Oct 4: Two prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference have expressed their desire to join the BJP on condition that the central government grants Schedule Tribe status to their Pahari community.
PDP district president Rajouri Tazeem Dar and senior NC leader Shafqat Mir gave the assurance to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a meeting here on Monday night, sources said.
The two leaders were part of a Pahari community delegation which called on the home minister shortly after his arrival on a three-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir.
Representatives of several other communities including Gujjars and Bakerwals, Sikhs, Dogra society, Yuva Rajput Sabha and Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha also met Shah, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president.
While the Pahari community is seeking a scheduled tribe status and enjoying the backing of local BJP leaders, Gujjars and Bakerwals have openly opposed any such favour to the community on the plea that they did not fit the criteria necessary for the grant of the status in accordance with the constitution.
The Gujjar and Bakerwal delegations appealed to the home minister to allay their apprehensions that ST Status of the Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gadis and Sippis shall not be diluted by including any other section of people in the category of Scheduled Tribe in the Union Territory. (AGENCIES)

Jammu, Oct 4: The Meteorological (MeT) department on Tuesday forecast dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir for the next 24 hours.

“Weather is likely to remain dry in J&K during the next 24 hours”, an official of the MeT department said.

Meanwhile, night temperatures have started dropping across J&K and Ladakh.

Srinagar recorded 9.6 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam 4.8 degrees, Gulmarg 4.4 degrees as the minimum temperature this morning.

Drass town in Ladakh region registered 1.4 degrees Celsius, Kargil 7.6 and Leh 3.

Jammu clocked 19.8 degrees, Katra 18.3, Batote 12, Banihal 7.4 and Bhaderwah 10 as the minimum temperature.

Jammu, Oct 4: The domestic help accused of murdering DG Prisons Hemant Kumar Lohia has been arrested from Kana Chak area of Jammu after nightlong searches, police said today.

The helper, identified as Yasir Ahmad (23), a resident of Halla village of Ramban, was hiding in fields in Kana Chak, said an official.

“In a major manhunt by J&K police throughout the night, the accused involved in the murder case of Hemant Lohia has been apprehended. The interrogation of the accused has started, said ADGP Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh.

Lohia was found dead at his residence in the outskirts of Jammu on Monday night. There were burn injuries and his throat was slit, officials said.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” .

Giving details, Singh told PTI news agency that the suspect had even attempted to set ablaze the body of 57-year-old Lohia, who was promoted and appointed as Director General of Prisons in the Union Territory in August.

Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, who visited the house of Lohia at Udaiwala on the outskirts of Jammu, said the 1992-batch IPS officer was found dead on Monday night, with burn injuries on his body and his throat slit.

A preliminary examination of the crime scene indicated that Lohia must have been applying some oil on his foot which showed swelling. The killer suffocated Lohia to death and also used a broken ketchup bottle to slit his throat and later tried to set the body afire, he said.

The guards present at the residence of the officer saw the fire inside his room. They had to break open the door as it was locked from inside, the ADGP said.

He said the preliminary examination of the scene of crime points towards murder.

J and K Police family expresses grief and deep sorrow over the death of the senior officer, he added.

The officials said raids were conducted by special teams at different places to trace the domestic help, whose last location was found in the higher reaches of Udhampur district.

The ADGP said the CCTV footage collected from the incident site shows the suspected accused running away after the commission of the crime.

Lohar was working in this house for nearly six months. Initial investigation revealed that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was also under depression, he said, as police shared his pictures and sought the help of the public in the arrest of the accused.

ADGP Singh said no terror link has come to the fore as per the initial investigation.

A thorough probe is on to rule out any possibility. The weapon of offence has been seized besides some documentary evidence reflecting his (domestic help’s) mental state, he said.

Officials said the body of the deceased officer was removed to Government Medical College (GMC) hospital Jammu for post-mortem.

Jammu, Oct 4 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday expressed shock and grief over the murder of Director General (Prisons) H K Lohia, saying he served the country with great honour and dedication.

A 1992-batch IPS officer, Lohia was found murdered under suspicious circumstances at his residence on the outskirts of Jammu on Monday night. His domestic help has emerged as the main suspect in the case.

“Shri Hemant Lohia was an outstanding Police officer and a great human being. He served the country with great honour & dedication. Shocked and deeply grieved at his sad demise. My condolences to the bereaved family and friends,” the Lt Governor said in a tweet. PTI

Jammu, October 4: Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered prayers at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra on Tuesday morning.
The Home Minister reached the Katra shrine via the Sanjhichatt Helipad. He was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Jitendra Singh. Internet services have been temporarily suspended in Jammu and in specific areas of Rajouri.
This is Shah’s first visit to the holy cave shrine after being appointed as the Union Home Minister.
His visit coincides with the ninth day of the ongoing Navratri festival.
Shah is scheduled to later address a public meeting at Rajouri, which is around one-and-half hours away from the Vaishno Devi temple.
The Minister will further launch development projects and also lay foundation stones for various projects at Convention Centre in Jammu.
Shah will then hold a public meeting in Rajouri and offer prayers at the Raghunath Temple in Jammu.
He will also inspect various developmental projects here before heading to the Kashmir valley.
Later in the evening, the Home Minister will hold a number of crucial meetings including the ones regarding the security situation in the region.
On Wednesday (October 5), Shah will review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting that is slated to be held at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.
LG Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Army, paramilitary forces, state police and civil administration will take part in this high-level meeting expected to begin at 10 am tomorrow.
The Minister will later address a public meeting here at Baramulla around 11.30 am and will address the gathering.
Before concluding his visit to the Union Territory, Shah will also launch and lay foundation stones for various development projects in Srinagar around 3.30 pm.
Various programmes have been scheduled to take place during his visit to the valley including the ones which will be held by communities like Bakarwal and Gujjars to honour Shah on behalf of the Modi government for working for the welfare of these communities.
In a surprising move, the Modi government recently nominated Ghulam Ali to the Rajya Sabha. Ali joined BJP in 2008 and hails from the Gujjar tribe.
Several organisational meetings are on the cards too including the state core group meeting and meeting with party MPs and MLAs.
This is the second visit by Amit Shah to Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government in August 2019.
Meanwhile, Shah on Monday met people from different communities including Gujjar-Bakarwal, Rajput, Pahari and Jammu Sikh Community. (Agencies)

JAMMU, Oct 4: Authorities have decided to suspend mobile internet services in parts of Jammu and Rajouri districts till 1700 hours on Tuesday, fearing “misuse by miscreants” which may cause “deterioration in public order”.
The temporary suspension of the internet services comes while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a visit to the area.
“The ADGP, Jammu Zone, Jammu being the Authorized Officer under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, has issued directions to the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)/Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to suspend mobile data (2G/3G/4G) services in District Jammu at Lat:32.816110, Long:74.818369 and within a radius of 1.5 KMs around the mentioned latitude/longitude and in District Rajouri at Lat:33.338402, Long 74.337315 and within a radius of 1.5 KMs around the mentioned latitude/longitude w.e.f 03.10.2022 (1700 HRS) to 04.10.20222 (1900 HRS),” read a government order issued by the Financial Commissioner Home (ACS) R K Goyal.

Jammu, October 4

Police on Tuesday said initial investigation into the murder of Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General (Prisons) Hemant Kumar Lohia here did not point towards the terror angle as efforts are on to arrest his domestic help who has emerged as the main suspect in the case.Lohia was found murdered at his house on the outskirts of Jammu on Monday night.

Terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) claimed responsibility for his murder, which took place at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials said multiple teams had been constituted to arrest the suspected culprit, Yasir Lohar (23), a resident of Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district.

Terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) claimed responsibility for his murder, which took place at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials said multiple teams had been constituted to arrest the suspected culprit, Yasir Lohar (23), a resident of Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” saying a manhunt had been launched to nab the domestic help, who is absconding.

Giving details, Singh told PTI that the suspect had even tried to set ablaze the body of 57-year-old Lohia, who was promoted and appointed as Director General of Prisons in the Union Territory in August.

Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, who visited the house of Lohia at Udaiwala on the outskirts of Jammu, said the 1992-batch IPS officer was found dead on Monday night, with burns on his body and his throat slit.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” saying a manhunt had been launched to nab the domestic help, who is absconding.

Giving details, Singh told PTI that the suspect had even tried to set ablaze the body of 57-year-old Lohia, who was promoted and appointed as Director General of Prisons in the Union Territory in August.

Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, who visited the house of Lohia at Udaiwala on the outskirts of Jammu, said the 1992-batch IPS officer was found dead on Monday night, with burns on his body and his throat slit.

A preliminary examination of the crime scene indicated that Lohia must have been applying some oil on his foot which showed swelling. The killer suffocated Lohia to death and also used a broken ketchup bottle to slit his throat and later tried to set the body afire, he said.

The guards present at the house saw the fire inside his room. They had to break open the door as it was locked from inside, the ADGP said.

He said the preliminary examination of the scene of crime pointed towards murder.

“The domestic help is absconding. A search for him has started,” the police officer said, adding that forensic and crime teams inspected the spot.

Jammu and Kashmir Police expressed grief over the death of the senior officer, he added.

The officials said raids were conducted by special teams at different places to trace the domestic help, whose last location was found in the higher reaches of Udhampur district.

The ADGP said the CCTV footage collected from the incident site showed the accused running away after committing the crime.

“Lohar was working in the house for nearly six months. Initial investigation revealed that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was also under depression,” he said, as police shared his pictures and sought the help of the public in the arrest of the accused.

Terror group PAFF claimed that its “special squad” carried out the “intelligence-based operation” to target the high-value target.

“This is just the beginning of such high-profile operations just to warn this Hindutva regime and its collaborators that we can strike anytime and anywhere with precision. This is a small gift to their visiting home minister amid such a security grid. God willing we will continue such operations in future,” the PAFF said in a statement online.

However, ADGP Singh said no terror link had come to the fore as per the initial investigation.

“A thorough probe is on to rule out any possibility. The weapon has been seized besides some documentary evidence showing the domestic help’s mental state,” he said.Officials said the body of the deceased officer was sent to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, for post-mortem.

Jammu, Oct 4: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to address a historic public rally in J&K’s Rajouri town on Tuesday where he is expected to announce ST reservation for the Pahari community.

Over enthusiastic members of the Pahari community from different parts of Rajouri and the neighbouring Poonch district have started reaching Rajouri town where high security is being maintained in and around the venue at the town’s bus stand.

In the evening on Monday, Shah met delegations of Paharis, Gujjars/Bakarwals, Dogras and Sikhs at the Raj Bhavan where he spent the night.

He reached Jammu around 8 p.m. Monday.

On reaching Jammu, Shah tweeted, “Reached Jammu and Kashmir on a three-day tour. Through the medium of different programmes, I’m eager to have dialogue with the people of J&K”.

In another comment he said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Government holiday on the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh keeping in view his role in making Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of the country”.

Before flying to Rajouri, the Union home minister will pay obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district.

He is scheduled to inaugurate 14 Urban Development Projects, 48 roads totaling 269.41 kilometres, eight bridges and 10 power distribution/transmission projects in J&K.

He will also lay the foundation stone of 41 Water Supply Schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission.

He will generate distribution of Land Pass Books and launch 225 Citizens Centric Online Services, 1000 Cooperatives and second edition of District Good Governance Index Financial Year 2021-22.

Shah will have a meeting with the senior BJP leaders at 3.30 p.m. today at Jammu Convention Centre.

At the same venue, he will launch developmental projects at 4.30 p.m.

The BJP leaders are expected to brief Shah about the likely impact the grant of ST status to Paharis will have on the electoral prospects of the party.

It is believed that the grant of ST status to Paharis can affect the electoral results in around a dozen Assembly constituencies, including Poonch, Mendhar, Surankote, Kalakote, Nowshera, Rajouri, Thanna Mandi, Budhal and Sunderbani in Jammu division and Uri, Karnah, Gurez and Trehgam in Kashmir division.

Besides, the Paharis have sizeable population in Pahalgam, Shopian, Kupwara, Lolab and Baramulla Assembly constituencies of Kashmir division.

He will leave for Srinagar around 6 p.m. today where he has an equally busy schedule.