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| On J&K troop reduction, Gen Singh clarifies he talked about army | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
NEW DELHI, Jan 15: A day after his utterances on troop reduction in Jammu and Kashmir, army chief, Gen VK Singh today clarified that while he spoke about army personnel, home secretary GK Pillai referred to para-military forces.
His comments were largely seen countering Pillai, who Friday said there would be 25 per cent troop reduction in the state. "I think there was some confusion. What Pillai said was concerning para-military forces. What I was talking of was army," he told reporters here, seeking to clear the perception that the two were talking in different voices.
"No person from home ministry will say about army as it is under the purview of the defence ministry. I am quite sure that home secretary knows about it and talks only about para-military forces, Singh said.
Hours after Pillai's statement, he had said, "We have not yet felt that we have to cut down our forces. If they want to cut down para-military and police forces, I won't say anything." The army chief today noted that any decisions regarding reduction of troop strength in the valley would be... | |
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| Not right time to reduce troops in Kashmir: Lt Gen Parnaik | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Jan 15: A day after home secretary GK Pillai announced reduction of security forces in J&K by 25 per cent, GOC-in-C, northern command, Lt Gen KT Parnaik said it was not the "right time" for troop reduction in the state.
“This is not the right time to reduce troops," he told media persons Saturday on the sidelines of an investiture ceremony at Akhnoor, about 23 km north-west of Jammu.
While stating this, he echoed army chief, Gen VK Singh, who Friday said in New Delhi that army could not afford to reduce troops in the state where it was guarding frontiers and fighting terrorists.
Gen Parnaik also defended the retention of AFSPA that grants legal immunity to troo... | |
| | | | CM talks of dialogue with separatists | | Optimism or wishful thinking? | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Jan 15: The Chief Minister today said with authority that the separatists would come to the negotiating table. Political circles have termed Chief Minister's optimism as wishful thinking.
A similar statement was made last year at a time when the Valley was up in flames. That time it had been stated that `influential persons' were out to woo the separatists. However, nothing moved. But then the situation was different. Even the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz refused to talk to a delegation from India. The angry youth even torched the effigy of Hizbul Mujahideen Chief, Syed Salah-d-Din when he issued a statement on the last year's agit... | |
| | | | Jammu-Sgr road remains shut for 2nd day due to snow | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Jan 15: The Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which links Kashmir with rest of the country, remained closed to vehicular traffic for the second day today due to accumulation of snow at several places. The road was closed Friday due to heavy snowfall on Patnitop-Batote stretch and in Banihal area.
Hundreds of vehicles, including trucks, load carriers and light motor vehicles, were stranded Udhampur onwards. Police sources said the work was on to remove those vehicles to safety which were trapped in snow in Patnitop, Batote and Banihal areas.
The resulting slippery road conditions had further added to the problem, the sources added. Sources said the men and m... | |
| | | | Heavy snowfall in Kashmir throws life out of gear | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Jan 15: The Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second consecutive day today due to closure of 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway following heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions. Life was thrown out of gear in the Kashmir valley, where moderate to very heavy snowfall since yesterday snapped power, road communication and telephone services.
Keran, Karnah and Machil in north Kashmir also remained cut off from the rest of the state due to snowfall.
A traffic police official told here that the highway remained closed due to heavy snowfall between Qazigund to Banihal.
About two feet of snowfall was recorded at Jawa... | |
| | | | Efforts to resolve political issues yielding results: Omar | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Jan 15: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the sustained efforts of his government to create an amiable atmosphere for resolving political issues are finally yielding "positive" results.
"My government's sustained endeavours to create political atmosphere for tackling political issues have started yielding positive results," he said here at a function on completion of two-year of his government.
The Chief Minister said he is committed to facilitate dialogue process and help in expanding confidence building measures for resolving political issues in the state.
Enumerating the achievements of his government, Omar said during the two... | |
| | | | BJP reiterates stand on total integration of J&K with country | | Party's 2 day state executive begins, Dr Jitendra Singh appointed chief spokesperson | | | ET REPORT
Jammu, Jan 15: Reiterating that party stands for total integration of J&K with rest of the country , the BJP today said that Party will tooth and nail fight the forces advocating for self rule, autonomy and Azadi. There will be no compromise on party's stand on J&K and we will continue to fight for the total integration of the state with country.
The BJP which met here for its two days State Executive meet made it clear that BJP has stood for total integration of the state with rest of the country and it will not make any compromise on this account.
Addressing the State Executive meet the senior Party leader and Prabahri J&K Prof OP Kohli asked the Party cadres to visit the len... | |
| | | | Events that motivated JKLF to counter BJP's plan on flag hoisting | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Jan 15: Why the JKLF leadership was silent about its programme of organising a march to Lal Chowk on India's Republic Day on January 26 till Thursday ?Why the APHC chairman, Molvi Umar Farooq, did not take the lead in organising the protest march to Lal Chowk on the Republic Day and instead preferred to support the JKLF programme?
These are some of the questions that are debated within and outside the state of Jammu and Kashmir when the separatists have been seen always in the lead while announcing their programmes on protest rallies and shutdowns. Those who feel intrigued over the JKLF silence over its programme on staging a protest march on January 26 in Srinag... | |
| | | | Troops Reduction Home Ministry says yes, Defence Ministry says no | | | | RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Jan 15: The UPA Government is in complete disarray. There is no coordination between the crucial ministries dealing with the country's internal and external security. The situation has turned so bad that the Home Ministry and the Defence Ministry are taking diametrically opposite stands on presence of the Army in the terrorist-infested troubled Jammu and Kashmir in general and the Kashmir Valley in particular. Even more alarming perhaps is the fact that the Home Ministry has virtually intruded in the domain of Defence Ministry, thus making the confusion worse confounded and sending a wrong signal. It's no wonder then that the Chief of the Army Staff, Gener... | |
| | | | Commission Of Inquiry: CRPF at the receiving end -- III | | | | JAMMU, JAMMU: A reference here to just one instance would be enough to prove the point that the CRPF personnel exercised tremendous restraint. On August 13, the unruly mob attacked one of the small CRPF posts, located at Bomai near the militant-infested Sopore of Baramulla district. According to reports, the number of CRPF personnel who were there at this post was only 17. Two of them were "dhobi and cook."... | |
| | | | Complaint in Magistrate's Court Against Omar | | | | GWALIOR: A complaint has been filed in a court here against Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and separatist leader Yasin Malik for opposing hoisting of national flag at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on January 26 as planned by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
The complaint was filed under section 153 of the IPC (giving provocation with intention to cause riot) and section 2 of the `Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971', by Sumit Parashar of `Jago Hind Sangthan', yesterday.
Parashar alleges that by opposing hoisting of national flag, both Abdullah and Malik have committed an anti-national act.
Judge Kumudini Patel, Judicial Magistrate First Class, has directed the complaina... | |
| | | | Arms factory sealed at Gangyal | | | | Jammu: Due to dispute between two brothers over their share in the unit, police today seized an arms factory at Gangyal here on the court direction. Police sources said Himalayan arms factory at Gangyal was sealed on the direction of principal sessions judge, Jammu.
The reason behind the seizure was the dispute between Uday Singh and his brother Karan Singh over their share in factory, the sources added.
Three lecturers among eight suspended
Jammu: Eight teachers, including three lecturers, were today placed under suspension for dereliction of duties.
They were found absent from duties during a surprise visit by director school education, MA Qureshi to the schools of Surinsar and Ga... | |
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