SOPORE: A non-local died while another one was hospitalised due to suffocation caused by a gas leak in Sopore town of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Tuesday.

An official said that the non-local died while his colleague was hospitalised after suffocation caused by a gas leak when they were sleeping in a truck in Fruit Mandi Sopore. The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Kumar and another one, who has been shifted to SDH Sopore has been identified as Anwesh Kumar. “They were residents of the Gurdaspur locality of Punjab.” The official said they were ascertaining further details regarding the same.

Amritsar: The Border Security Force (BSF) today foiled yet another bid to smuggle drugs into Punjab as it shot down a drone at the border in Chaharpur district.

“Border Security Force troops deployed at the border shot down a drone entering from Pakistan into Indian territory in the area falling near Village – Chaharpur, District – Amritsar Rural. Area was cordoned, police and concerned sister agencies informed,” BSF said

One Hexacopter was recovered in partial damaged condition and the BSF also found suspected item in white colour polyethene attached underneath.

“BSF recovered 1 Hexacopter in partial damaged condition along with suspected item in white colour polyethene attached underneath lying in a farming field on own side of border fencing near Village – Chaharpur,” PRO BSF added.
BSF statement

“On 28th November at about 10:47 pm, Border Security Force troops deployed at border heard buzzing sound of a suspected drone entering from Pakistan into Indian territory in the area falling near Village – Chaharpur, District – Amritsar (Rural). As per drill, the troops tried to intercept the suspected drone by firing. Bullet hit the Drone due to which it fell down on the ground. The whole area was cordoned and Police & concerned sister agencies were informed,” the statement read.

“Further, during the initial search, BSF party recovered 01 Hexacopter (Wt – appx _ kgs) in partially damaged condition along with a suspected item in white colour polythene attached underneath (Gross wt – kgs) lying in a farming field on Indian side of border fencing near Village – Chaharpur.”

“Alert troops of BSF once again were able to capture a drone and foil smuggling attempt,” Said BSF.

JAMMU, Nov 29: Freezing weather conditions show no signs of abating in Kashmir Valley and Ladakh as Srinagar recorded the season’s coldest night at minus 2.2°C on Tuesday.
Quoting a meteorological department official that amidst mist this morning, the summer capital of J&K surpassed previous lowest of minus 2.1°C recorded only on Sunday and today’s minimum temperature was lower by 0.4°C than the previous night. The temperature was 1.3°C below normal during this time of the year for the capital city, he said.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 1.8°C against minus 1.6°C on the previous night. The temperature was 1.0°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
In Pahalgam, the mercury settled at minus 4.2°C against minus 4.0°C on the previous night and it was 0.8°C below normal for the south Kashmir resort, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of 0.1°C against 0.4°C on the previous night and it was 0.5°C above normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.5°C against minus 1.0°C as on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.6°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 2.4°C against minus 2.1°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.1°C below normal for the north Kashmir place, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 9.8°C, the same as on the previous night. It was 0.5°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal recorded a low of 2.4°C (0.5°C above normal), Batote 5.1°C (1.0°C above normal), Katra 9.4°C (0.5°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 2.8°C (1.5°C above normal).
In Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 8.6°C, Kargil minus 11.0°C and mercury in Drass, the world’s second coldest place after Siberia, settled at minus 12.1°C, the official said.
The MeT department has forecast mainly dry weather for next 24 in J&K and said that no large change was expected till December 7. (Agencies)

New Delhi, November 29:

In a rather controversial end to the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) at Goa, jury head Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid criticised Vivek Agnihotri’s film The Kashmir Files “propaganda”.

In his address, Lapid said, “We were disturbed and shocked by the 15th film, The Kashmir Files. To us, it felt like propaganda, a vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.”

He added that he felt comfortable sharing his feelings on stage, saying that “the spirit of having a festival is to accept a critical discussion which is essential for art and life”.

Lapid made the remarks in front of Union Ministers and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who attended the closing ceremony.

The Kashmir Files directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri was released on March 11. It revolves around the killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 from the Valley.

The film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi in lead roles. In India, the movie has been lauded by the ruling BJP, with PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah coming forward to shower praise on the actors’ performances and the content. The film was declared tax-free in most of the BJP-ruled states.

Congress Seva Dal President Vijay Sharma Babbi has said that by delaying the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP is trying to avoid public anger, but its plans will never succeed. Due to the absence of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, people are facing serious problems. People have been left at the mercy of bureaucracy. The government has always been making tall claims about normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, but when it comes time to hold assembly elections, it is postponed on one pretext or the other. Senior military officers including Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh are also claiming that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is peaceful. If the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is really normal, then what is the problem for the government to conduct the assembly elections. By ignoring the assembly elections, the government is attacking democracy. There is also a strong demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the elections should be conducted on time and the state may get an elected government, but this is not happening due to unknown reasons. Vijay Sharma said that the BJP has come to know that its mass base in Jammu and Kashmir is over and people are going to reject it outright. Keeping this fact in mind, elections are being postponed every time.