New Delhi, September 23 :Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday paid tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh on his birth anniversary, who was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I bow to the symbol of nationalism Maharaja Hari Singh ji on his birth anniversary. PM Modi has paid a true tribute to him by declaring his birth anniversary as a state holiday to commemorate his efforts to make Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India and to keep the country’s integrity intact,” Shah tweeted in Hindi.
Maharaja Hari Singh was born on September 23, 1895.
Earlier on September 15, the announcement was made by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha following his meeting with a delegation comprising prominent political leaders, members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, and civil society members, including the head of the Jammu and Kashmir transport union, at the Raj Bhavan.
“The government has taken a decision to declare Maharaja Hari Singh Ji’s birthday as a public holiday. Maharaja Hari Singh was a great educationist, progressive thinker, social reformer and a towering man of ideas and ideals. The public holiday will be a fitting tribute to Maharaja Hari Singh Ji’s rich legacy,” the Lieutenant Governor had observed.
Pertinently, on the directions of Lt Governor, a four-member committee was constituted by the UT administration earlier this year to examine the public demand regarding the holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh.
Sinha had said that the decision to declare the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh as a public holiday was taken respecting the sentiments of the local people. (Agencies)

Jammu, Sep 23: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Jammu and Kashmir for two days on October 1 and 2 during his visit he is likely to announce reservations for Pahari speaking community, BJP sources said on Friday.

As per the party sources, Shah will address a public rally in Rajouri on October 1 in the Jammu division and in Kupwara district of Kashmir division on October 2, spending one day each in the two divisions of the union territory.

“He will announce reservations for the Pahari speaking community whose large population lives in Poonch, Rajouri districts of the Jammu division and Baramulla district of the Valley.

“Shah will kickstart the BJP election campaign in J&K during his forthcoming visit,” BJP sources said.

The delimitation commission has already made reservations for the ST and SC in the 90-member J&K assembly reserving nine seats for the ST and six for the SC candidates.

In addition to this, the delimitation commission has recommended two nominated seats for the Kashmiri Pandit community with voting rights in the legislative Assembly on the pattern of the Puducherry Assembly.

It has also been recommended that one of the two nominated Kashmir Pandit members should be a woman.

The delimitation commission has also recommended nominated members from West Pakistan refugees, who have already been given voting rights in the legislative Assembly, after abrogation of Article 370.

Before the abrogation, the West Pakistan refugees could vote for the country’s Lok Sabha, but not for the J&K Assembly.

It is expected that even after Shah kickstarts the BJP Assembly election campaign in J&K, these cannot be held this year because of several reasons.

The election commission has fixed November 25 for the publication of final voter lists. This leaves only 36 days before the end of the year.

Filing of nomination papers, their scrutiny and the period for poll campaign, etc., these clearly indicate that given the harsh winter in J&K that starts by the middle of December, the latest J&K elections can be held in April-May 2023.

During his visit, the Union home minister will also co-chair top level security meetings with the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha.

These meetings are likely to focus on tackling militancy in the Kashmir division where despite official claims of ‘residual militancy’, intelligence agencies believe radicalisation of local youth still continues.

“Radicalised local youth are the feeding grounds of militancy in Kashmir,” said a senior intelligence officer.

NEW DELHI, Sept 23: The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will list the petitions challenging the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 after Dussehra vacations.
“We will certainly list that”, Chief Justice of India UU Lalit said, when an urgent mention was made by Senior Advocate Prashantho Sen for listing of the cases.
It may be noted that in 2019 the petitions were referred to a Constitution Bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant. Justice Subhash Reddy, one of the members of the bench, retired in January this year. The CJI was probably referring to this fact while saying that he will have to reconstitute the bench.
The hearings on the Article 370 cases commenced before the 5-judge bench in December 2019, almost 4 months after the notifications issued by the Centre in August 2019. A preliminary issue arose in the case as to whether a reference to 7-judge bench was necessary in light of alleged diveregence in the opinions expressed by two coordinate benches of the Supreme Court in the cases of Prem Nath Kaul and Sampath Prakash. By a judgment dated 2ndMarch, 2020, the Constitution Bench held that there was no need to refer the matter regarding the challenging to the Presidential Orders issued under Article 370 to a larger Bench.
The petitions have not been listed after March 2, 2020. (Agencies)

Jammu, Sep 23: The Aam Admi Party on Saturday expelled former MLA Udhampur, Balwant Singh Mankotia on charges of hobnobbing with other political parties and defaming the party.
In a letter, the AAP has terminated the membership of Mankotia on charges of indulging in anti-party activities.
In the letter, Mankotia had been charged with “engaging with other national and regional parties of J&K” and “not engaging or participating in any of the AAP political activities and not performing any task given by the party in the last three months.”
He has also been accused of “influencing AAP volunteers to join other parties and offering them positions in other parties.”
The AAP has also charged him with “defaming party on media platforms by making false statements under the influence of another political party and confusing the AAP volunteers”.
Balwant Singh Mankotia had joined AAP in April this year but was feeling uncomfortable in the party after his cousin and former minister Harshdev Singh joined the party. (KNO)

Jammu, September :

A Division Bench of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh comprising Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Sindhu Sharma gave the J&K administration one month to file its reply on a PIL seeking to make public the inquiry report on the stampede at the Vaishno Devi shrine.

On the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, as many as 12 devotees died and over 20 injured during a stampede near the temple. A committee was constituted to hold an inquiry into the incident on January 1. It has been nine months but the government has so far not made the findings of the report public.

A PIL was filed by advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed through advocate HA Siddiqui wherein the former sought directions to the administration and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (Katra) to fix the accountability of officials concerned for the incident.

The Division Bench issued directions to Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Home Department, ADGP (Jammu zone) among others.

After hearing advocates AV Gupta and HA Siddiqui, the Bench observed that Additional Advocate General Raman Sharma appearing for the administration had sought time to seek instructions in the matter. The Bench gave a month’s time.

The Bench on the request of advocate Adarsh Sharma appearing for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Katra, also granted him time to file a response.

Srinagar, September :

Two persons reportedly having links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) have been apprehended in Botingoo village. They have been identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Ganai and Waseem Ahmad Lone.

The police said they had been taking instructions from LeT terrorist Bilal Hamza Mir. A pistol, a magazine, eight rounds and a grenade have been seized from them.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh on Thursday said some elements were disturbed by witnessing growing peace in Jammu and Kashmir and are making attempts to disturb it.
He said besides J&K Police and other security forces, it was the responsibility of the people to consolidate this peace further.
Director General of Police J&K was talking to reporters in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir after a function at Zainapora Police Station.
“The cross border terrorist training camps, launch pads are still active and infiltration attempts were made from Line of Control and International Border,” he said, adding J&K Police and security forces have tracked down many of these infiltrators who had sneaked here.
“During the current year around three dozen Pakistani terrorists affiliated with JeM & LeT were neutralized which indicated involvement of Pakistan and its agencies in fomenting trouble in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said adding that Police, security forces and the people of J&K would continue to work together to foil their evil intentions and further strengthen the peace.
He said there is a possibility that before winter sets in some more infiltration bids would be attempted.
Earlier in his speech, DGP said it was time to work together in strengthening the prevailing peace to build a better future.
Dilbag Singh alongwith Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Home Department J&K, R K Goyal presided over a function of Thana Diwas Zainapora Police Station in Shopian.
“We all have to work jointly to stop those who are against the peace, brotherhood and harmony,” he said while denouncing terrorism.
The DGP said that the youth who have traveled to different parts of the country would know the vastness of flora & fauna of the country which is unique in nature in which people of different faiths, castes, colours are living together.
He said that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir over the past three decades have witnessed destruction of life & property adding that it’s time to forget the past and work together in strengthening the prevailing peace to build a better future.
Referring to the innocent killings the DGP said no religion teaches murder of humanity, killing of innocent people adding that we have to work jointly to stop those who are against the peace, brotherhood and harmony.
The DGP said that Pakistan has been sending weapons to drag the youth of J&K on the path of destruction.
“With intensified efforts and strong response of J&K Police and CAPFs coupled with rejection by the youth, it is now pushing drugs to harm our younger generation,” he said, adding “we have to stand and work mutually to stop this trend too for better tomorrow.” (Agencies)

JAMMU, Sep 23: Dry weather conditions will prevail in Jammu and Kashmir for the next 24 hours, the Meteorological (MeT) office said on Friday.
“Dry weather is likely to continue in J&K during the next 24 hours,”, an official of the MeT department said.
Jammu had 22.6, Katra 21, Batote 15.7, Banihal 15 and Bhaderwah 14.4 as the minimum temperature.
Srinagar had 13.7, Pahalgam 9.6 and Gulmarg 8.6 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.
In the Ladakh region, Drass town had 2.9, Kargil 7.6 and Leh 5 as the minimum temperature.(AGENCIES)