India has asked Pakistan to release and repatriate 631 Indian fishermen and two civilian prisoners who have completed their jail-term and whose nationality has been confirmed. In addition, Islamabad has also been urged to provide immediate consular access to the remaining 30 fishermen and 22 civilian prisoners who have been in Pakistan’s custody and are believed to be Indian, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. India made the request in the context of the exchange of the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen by both the countries as part of a practice to do so on January 1 and July 1 of every calendar year under the framework of a 2008 pact.
The MEA said Pakistan has been requested to ensure the “safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their release and repatriation to India”. The MEA said India shared lists of 339 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 95 Pakistani fishermen currently in Indian custody. India and Pakistan yesterday exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody, MEA said in a statement. It said the government has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel, and fishermen along with their boats, from Pakistan’s custody.
India asks Pakistan to release 633 Indians languishing in Pakistani jails
Four injured in explosion in Rajouri’s Dangri, hours after terror attack
JAMMU: At least four persons have been injured in a suspected explosion in Rajouri’s Upper Dangri village on Monday morning, hours after the village was attacked by terrorists, killing four persons.
Four civilians were killed and six others injured when suspected terrorists opened fire on three houses of a particular community in Upper Dangri on Sunday evening.
Reports said that an explosion occurred Monday morning in Dangri village.
“The injured have been rushed to hospital. Further details awaited,” said an official.
India Reports 265 New Covid Cases In 24 Hours
New Delhi: India recorded 265 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, according to a statement from the ministry of health and family welfare on Sunday.
The number of recoveries stood at 1,209 in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall recovery rate to 98.8 per cent.
India’s active caseload is currently at 2,706 and the daily positivity rate is 0.17 per cent, according to the data from the ministry.
Mercury plunges across J&K; Gulmarg records season’s coldest night at -10°C, Pahalgam at -9.6°C
Srinagar, Jan 2: Owing to clear skies during the night, the minimum temperature plummeted across Kashmir Valley with Gulmarg and Pahalgam recording season’s coldest night at minus 10.0°C and minus 9.6°C respectively on Monday.
Quoting a meteorological department official, GNS reported that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.4°C against last night’s 0.5°C. The temperature was 3.3°C below normal for the summer capital, the official said. Srinagar has so far seen the coldest temperature this season on December 25 when mercury plummeted to minus 5.8°C.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5.8°C against 0.3°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.9°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 9.6°C against minus 9.4°C on the previous night. The minimum temperature was 3.0°C below normal and the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus minus 4.6°C against minus 0.6°C on the previous night, he said. It was 1.1°C below normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 10.0°C against minus 8.2°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 3.0°C below normal and this season’s coldest for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 5.7°C against minus 4.5°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 3.2°C below normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 4.2°C against 5.7°C on the previous night. It was 3.1°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 2.0°C (below normal by 2.2°C), Batote minus 1.5°C (below normal by 3.5°C), Katra 5.5°C (0.8°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 2.4°C (1.9°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 15.4°C and minus 15.4°C respectively, the official said.
Regarding the forecast, the MeT official said mainly clear weather was expected till January 6. “Expect further fall in minimum temperature across J&K,” he said, adding, “On January 7, weather is expected to be cloudy and from January 8-10, weather is expected to be cloudy with possibility of snowfall and rain (in plains of Jammu) at many places of J&K (70% chance).”
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21.
Russia-Ukraine conflict matter of “deep concern,” says Jaishankar
Emphasizing that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is a matter of “deep concern,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday (Local Time) that India is on the side of peace and therefore has been urging both the countries to return to dialogue and diplomacy.
Voicing concern on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar in an interaction with the Indian diaspora said, “For us, this conflict is really a matter of very very deep concern. It is a deep concern because as PM Modi declared in September we actually believe that this is no longer an era of war where you cannot settle differences and issues through violence and conflict.”
“So from the very beginning, our effort has been to urge or to return to dialogue and diplomacy. We continued to press on. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has spoken on numerous occasions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I myself talk to my colleagues in Russia and Ukraine,” he added.
He asked the countries, who believe that the only solution must lie through negotiation, to speak up clearly in that regard. “we are on the side of peace, and a large part of the world thinks similarly to us,” Jaishankar added.
Earlier, in September, on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said “today’s era isn’t of war.”
“Today’s era isn’t of war and I have spoken to you about it on the call. Today we’ll get the opportunity to talk about how can we progress on the path of peace. India-Russia has stayed together with each other for several decades,” the Prime Minister said.
Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to Austria, described the problem with China as an “intense challenge” and took a dig at Pakistan and said that the problem of cross-border terrorism from Islamabad is still continuing.
“Now, I spoke to you about the changes in governance. Let me also say that there have been obvious in this period, very profound changes in our national security. And a lot of that, of course, is centred around more intense challenges that we face on our northern border with China. I think most of you would be familiar with that,” Jaishankar said.
“We continue to have, of course, the problem of cross-border terrorism with Pakistan,” he added.
During his visit, S Jaishankar also held a meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. He tweeted, “Delighted to see my good friend Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna. My first diplomatic engagement was in 2023. Thank him for inviting us to join the traditional New Year’s concert in Vienna.”
In the press release, the Ministry of External Affairs noted, “This will be the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, and takes place against the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2023.”
Civilian Injured After Grenade Attack On CRPF Vehicle In Jammu & Kashmir’s Srinagar
Jammu , January 2: A grenade was hurled targeting a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle in Srinagar on Sunday night, as reported by the news agency ANI. The incident occurred at Srinagar’s MK Chowk. However, the grenade missed the target and caused injury to a local boy.
“There was an attempt to throw a grenade on a CRPF vehicle in a crowded area of MK Chowk, Srinagar. it missed the target and caused a minor splinter injury to one local boy. Operations were launched in the area to nab the culprit,” said Srinagar Police as quoted by ANI. Further details on the matter are awaited.
In another incident, four civilians were killed and six others injured in a suspected terrorist attack in a village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday. The attack on civilians took place at upper Dangri village, about eight kilometers from Rajouri town, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
“Firing took place at three houses, separated at a distance of around 50 meters from each other,” said Singh, while speaking to the media.
“Two armed men are allegedly involved in this firing,” he added. Injured were rushed to a government hospital where the condition of two was said to be serious.
“As per info, two terrorists came and targeted three houses in the upper Dangri area. 4 casualties were reported. Search operation on. Police, CRPF, and Army troops have cordoned off the area. We will try to neutralise the 2 terrorists soon,” Mukesh Singh, ADGP Jammu Zone said, as per news agency ANI. Security forces have launched a search operation in Rajouri to nab the attackers.
Earlier in the day, suspected terrorists snatched a weapon from a Central Reserve Police Force personnel in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. “Incident of weapon snatching of security personnel reported from Rajpora area of Pulwama,” the Jammu and Kashmir police said.
Your criticism makes me stronger; consider BJP my ‘guru’, says Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he considers the Bharatiya Janata Party as his “guru” (teacher) as the BJP shows him a roadmap and teaches him “what should never be done”.
Addressing a press conference, the Wayanad MP said, “I want them (BJP) to attack us aggressively, this will help Congress party understand its ideology. I consider them (BJP) as my Guru, they are showing me the way and training me on what is not to be done.
” While talking about the Bharat Jodo Yatra which entered New Delhi on December 24 before taking a nine-day break, he said, “When I started this, I just took it as an ordinary yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Slowly we understood that this yatra has a voice & feelings.”
“The doors of Bharat Jodo Yatra are open for everyone, we are not going to stop anyone from joining us. Akhilesh ji, Mayawati ji and others want “Mohabbat ka Hindustan”,” he said in an open invite to the other parties of the opposition ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s mass contacting campaign, Bharat Jodo Yatra, was issued cautionary notes by the Centre amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across neighbouring countries.
So far, the Yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, has covered parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and Haryana.
It is the longest march on foot by any Indian politician in the history of India, the Congress has claimed.
With this yatra, Rahul Gandhi aims to mobilise the party cadre and unite the general public against the BJP’s “divisive politics in the country”.
NDPI demands early restoration of statehood to J&K, Assembly polls
Addressing a party meeting, National Democratic Party Indian (NDPI) J&K chief Rajesh Gupta said that situation in J&K has worsened due to the steps taken in 2019 and after it. There is a complete governance deficit,” he added.
The NDPI chief hit out at the Central Government for downgrading the historical state and snatching rights to land and jobs besides trade and business opportunities at the cost of locals and said that Government has
failed to achieve any of the claimed benefits of August 2019 decision. Demanding early restoration of statehood to J&K and installation of an elected govt, Gupta, said that prolonged central rule in the erstwhile state was a negation of the constitutional guarantees enshrined in the constitution of India. He said that several assurances by the central govt of restoring statehood to J&K at the appropriate time had failed to inspire the people of J&K who had lost faith in all such ‘melodramatic rants’ of the BJP leadership.
NDPI president said that while the people of the erstwhile state were mystified and befuddled by the abrupt abrogation of Article 370, they had expressed their strong opposition to the dismantling of 200 year old historical State of J&K and downgrading it to the level of UT. He said that such move of BJP led government had not only lowered the morale of the people of erstwhile State but caused huge disenchantment in the hearts and minds of the general masses. “It was not a demotion of the State only. Infect every sensible citizen
felt downgraded and humiliated. It had deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of J&K who felt belittled and dwarfed”, said Gupta.
NDPI leader said Jammu and Kashmir is deprived of democracy for more than three and half years and there is total uncertainty about Assembly elections and restoration of statehood despite commitment on the floor of the house by the Prime Minister and Home Minister. “NDPI stands guarantee to peace, harmony, dignity, restoration of statehood and rights to land and jobs,” Gupta asserted. Those who attended the meeting were Umesh Manhas, Kuljeet Singh, Tilakraj, Rajiv Luthra, Sandeep Anand and others.
Annual Social Conclave of Jammu NGO’s held in Jammu
To review the work done in the last year by NGO’s of Jammu a one day meeting was today held in Jammu. The prominent NGO representatives of Jammu province participated in the meeting. The meeting was facilitated and Organised by Dr. Rohit Koul, Founder Director of People’s Hut Foundation along with Mr. Tarun Uppal Chairperson of Nirbhay Bharat Foundation. This meeting built on previous meetings that have been convened in the past. Last meeting was held in June 2022.
In the meeting the representative speakers deliberated upon How to work in a systematic and well-coordinated manner during the emergencies. All the participants shared their experiences and learnings from the field, challenges they faced and the plan going forward. The meeting concluded with the plan that the next meeting of the coordination will be held at the office of Diva International Foundation. The schedule of the meeting would be intimated separately to the participant NGO’s. “The efforts of the Jammu NGOs were greatly admired and it was emphasised that their continued support for the underprivileged society is highly valuable”, the statement reads. The delegates said important issues concerning each domain were discussed by the representatives.
During this annual meeting of Jammu NGO’s the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) related agendas were also discussed and emphasis were laid on how to formulate ideas to promote sustainable growth and prosperity in the region.
The representatives of Jammu NGO’s shared ideas on some pressing environmental issues like climate change, global warming, environmental pollution and find ways to prevent environmental degradation. Issues like the mitigation in energy supply sector, generating financing for projects focusing on sustainable and holistic growth, educating the youth about sustainable development were also raised during the summit.
The attendees included Tarun Uppal from Nirbhay Bharat Foundation, Dr. Rohit Koul from People’s Hut Foundation, Mr. Sanjay Dhar from Sharika Foundation, Mr. Abhimanyu Peshin from Athrot Cultural Foundation, Dr. Imran Khan from Kanval International Rehab. Foundation (KIRF), Mr. Kelvin from We Care Foundation, S. Amardeep Singh from Diva International Foundation, Mr. Suresh Kumar from Resolvio Foundation, Mr. Parveen Choudhary from Rashmi Foundation, Mr. Venus Sethi from Robinhood Army, Mr. Abhinandan Sharma from Live for others being helpful foundation, Mr. Swarnveer Singh from Humanity Aid Foundation, Mr. Usman Ghani from Customs and Excise Foundation and the volunteers from the Jammu region proposed futuristic measures to empower the society.
At the end of the meeting a vote of thanks was given to all the esteemed participants, besides NGO’S, that included academicians, jurists, students, residents and the media fraternity.
‘Basic rights now luxuries’: Mehbooba Mufti writes to CJI over ‘worrying situation’ in Jammu and Kashmir
SRINAGAR, Dec 31: People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India over the state of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the letter, Mufti accused the judiciary of not taking cognisance of the ‘situation’ in Jammu and Kashmir.
She said the people of the Union Territory are being subjected to cruelty and their fundamental rights are being violated.
“The fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian constitution & guaranteed to all Indian citizens are being brazenly impinged upon. Unfortunately, it is these basic rights that have now become luxuries & entitlements bestowed upon only those select citizens who toe the Government’s line on political, social & religious matters,” the letter read.
“Since 2019, the fundamental rights of every resident of J&K have been suspended arbitarily & the constitutional guarantees given at the time of J&K’s accession were suddenly & unconstitutionally abrogated,” Mehbooba Mufti mentioned in her letter to the CJI.
Further, the PDP chief mentioned that the government has withheld her, her daughter’s and her mother’s passports.
“There are countless examples of common citizens, journalists, mainstream political workers and social activists who are bearing the brunt of such oppressive arbitrary decisions that trample upon their core rights & freedoms,” the letter read.
Earlier this month, Mufti had also commented on the tensions between India and China on the border in Arunachal Pradesh.
Describing it as “a very sorry state of affairs”, the PDP chief said it was unfortunate that the BJP was doing nothing about it.
“They have occupied our land in Ladakh. They have also occupied land in Arunachal Pradesh, as per the statement by a BJP MP. But, unfortunately, the BJP is doing nothing about it,” Mufti told reporters.