Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 15 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday informed the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) that the security forces have been given full freedom to avenge the killing of innocents in the Valley, said sources.

Srinagar Apr 24 PTI The National Conference NC on Sunday expressed concern over rising intolerance in the country saying the hush in the power corridors over growing hate speeches and attacks is resulting in a uptick in religiously motivated harassment and violenceIn a joint statement NC Lok Sabha MPs Muhammad Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi said the silence in the power corridors on the disturbing developments involving targeted attacks on minorities in recent weeks is worrisomeThe central governments deafening silence on the violence is hardly surprising The BJP has rarely if ever had much use for secularism or ethics of religious pluralism the MPs said in a joint statementThe statement said other than a few concerned voices that emerged against the turn of events there was no word of condemnation from government quarters let alone taking action against the hate mongersThis hush in government circles amounts to abetment of such acts it saidThe MPs said no prosecution or serious effort seen to prevent attacks by vigilante groups has created a widespread fear among minoritiesSuch actions have stoked communal hatred created deep fissures in society and led to much fear and mistrust of authorities among minority communities they said in the statementReminding the havoc the ongoing polarisation is wreaking on the countrys secular visage the NC MPs said that under no circumstances can we afford to lose the amity and brotherhood among different sections of Indian society as that can only impede countrys growth and tarnish its imageThey said the government needs to come out strongly against such groups and ensure safety and security of minoritiesShowcasing the countrys diversity through a colourful parade in New Delhi on Republic Day alone wont do Government has to come forward and restore law and order and sense of security among the countrys minorities they said in the statementThe MPs demanded stern action against those stocking violence PTI SSB SSB ANB ANB

New Delhi Mar 23 PTI It was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who was not only marshalling the members of her own party in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday but was also seen instructing the MPs of other Opposition parties to refrain from participating in the Question Hour to register their protest against the rising petroleum pricesGandhi was unusually more proactive and practically led the Opposition protest against the rise in the prices of petrol diesel and LPG cylinders during the Question HourAs a result the Congress MPs were louder compared to the members of other Opposition parties while protesting in the well of the HouseWhen National Conference NC MP Hasnain Masoodi stood up from his seat to ask a supplementary question to the question listed against his name Gandhi was seen instructing him to sit down and he did soA similar scene was witnessed when the name of ET Mohammed Basheer a leader of Congress ally Indian Union Muslim League IUML was announced by the speaker to ask his question and Gandhi ensured that he raised the issue of petroleum prices instead of asking the questionShe was also seen giving instructions to the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and other party MPs who were protesting in the wellThe Congress president continued to sit in the House even after the Question Hour PTI JTR RC

Srinagar Dec 31 PTI National Conference NC on Friday submitted its response to the draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission calling for the exercise to be put on hold in view of the legal challenge to the Centres August 5 2019 decisions The response of the three NC MPs to the Commissions proposals was submitted on Friday NC MP Hasnain Masoodi told PTI Masoodi said the partys basic premise is that the exercise offends constitutional morality constitutional propriety and the constitutional values as much as the Reorganisation Act under which it is being brought The Act itself faces challenge before the Supreme Court It is under judicial scrutiny The Supreme Court is examining whether it is constitutional We call it constitutionally suspect law he said In a democratic polity every limb out of deference has to wait for the outcome of the judicial proceedings in such a case he added The NC MP from south Kashmirs Anantnag said the population of constituency is universally accepted as the core criterion to effect any delimitation and this criterion cannot be pushed to the backseat The population as a criterion is being ignored The considerations that are peripheral in nature of peripheral importance though are to be considered cannot downplay the population as a criterion In this case the core criterion is not being followed in the proposals that have been put forth by the commission Masoodi said He said while the commission has not provided any background as to how they came to the conclusion the figures from 2011 Census will lead to different conclusion as regards to distribution of the seats He said the parameters considered for the delimitation have been selectively applied and even they have not been shared with the shareholders He said J-K was being unjustifiably singled out while in the rest of the country the exercise is to be undertaken only after the year 2026 In Assam elections were held and even though the delimitation commission was notified no delimitation exercise was undertaken So there is no reason to single out J-K Seats were increased in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana without the delimitation and they went ahead with the elections he said The draft proposals shared by the delimitation commission with MPs from Jammu and Kashmir on December 20 has triggered a controversy as out of seven new seats six have been allocated to Jammu and only one to Kashmir The commission has proposed to reserve seven seats for the SCs and nine seats for the STs in the 90-member Assembly The proposals have been opposed by the mainstream political parties in the valley PTI SSB VN VN

New Delhi Nov 29 PTI Leaders of several opposition parties on Monday met in Parliament House complex and discussed their joint strategy to press for a bill to repeal the three contentious farm laws and bring a law to legalise MSP to farmersAhead of the Winter Session in Parliament leaders of 11 opposition parties met in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun KhargeHowever leaders of the Trinamool Congress TMC and the Aam Aadmi Party AAP were not present They had indicated that they would not attend the meetAmong the parties whose leaders were present in the meeting included the Congress Nationalist Congress Party NCP Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD IUML Communist Party of India and CPI-M RSP Loktantrik Janata Dal LJD National Conference NC and MDMKSome of the opposition members also raised the demand for pressing on the government to grant compensation to the families of over 700 farmers who lost their lives during the year-long agitation at Delhis bordersAmong the leaders who were present at the meeting included Kharge Adhir Ranjan ChowdhuryManickam Tagore K Suresh Gaurav Gogoi all of the Congress DMKs Tiruchi Siva and TR Baalu RJDs Manoj Jha NCP leaders Vandana Chavan Fauziya and Supriya Sule CPI-Ms Elamaram Kareem Binoy Viswam of CPI IUML leaders Mohd Bashir and Abdul Wahab LJDs MV Shreyams Kumar MDMKs Vaiko NCs Hasnain Masoodi amd RSP leader NK PremachandranThe Farm Laws Repeal Bill is slated to be introduced in Lok Sabha on MondayThousands of farmers have been protesting for the past one year against the three legislations and demanding they be repealedSeveral farmer unions have pressed for a law on minimum support price MSP PTI SKC KJ KJ

Srinagar Nov 19 PTI The decision to repeal three farm laws is a clear shift from politics of arrogance to one of introspection and reappraisal National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi said on Friday and called for restoring Jammu and Kashmir special status under Article 370 He demanded the revocation of the August 5 2019 decision that nullified Article 370 of the Constitution and the repeal of the Reorganisation Act as well as other laws by virtue of which the erstwhile states special status was ended and bifurcated into union territories The decision to withdraw the three controversial farm laws after unreasonably defending and justifying these for one long year unmindful of the widespread outrage and 800 farmers deaths and huge loss to the property is a clear shift from politics of arrogance to one of introspection and reappraisal the NC leader said Masoodi the Lok Sabha MP from south Kashmirs Anantnag said the decision to revoke the farm laws also depicts a realisation on part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre that before pushing through a legislation on important issues on the strength of majority it should be placed in public domain for wider discussion and deliberations in tune with the well established democratic practices The decision also teaches us that there is nothing like hands of a clock cannot be moved back assertion and decision taken can always be given a fresh look whenever the circumstances so demand he said The Member of Parliament asked the prime minister to undertake a similar introspection in case of August 5 2019 decisions and repeal the laws whereby Jammu and Kashmir was unilaterally unconstitutionally and unethically denuded of its special status and dismembered and downgraded to a union territory The August 5 2019 decisions like farm laws have resulted in death and destruction uncertainty and large-scale discontent The decisions as admitted by the PM have widened the gulf between people of Jammu Kashmir Ladakh and the rest of the country he said Urging the prime minister to restore the August 4 2019 position to Jammu and Kashmir Masoodi said the decisions also have caused a huge drain on precious and scarce resources of the country that rightfully belong to the millions of underprivileged and disempowered countrymen I ask the prime minister to restore the August 4 2019 position and thereafter facilitate internal dialogue amongst the people of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh and also initiate a wider dialogue for durable peace in the region he said He called upon the political parties and civil society groups at the national level to support just cause and political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh like they extended unwavering support to the farmers struggle and support the demand for undoing August 5 2019 decisions The farmers long-drawn struggle also has a lesson for people of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh and political parties that steadfastness perseverance and unity and not short term political gains ultimately help us to succeed in our struggle for realisation of genuine political goals even when faced with arrogance and resistance he said The MP implored upon all the political forces that stand for political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to learn a lesson from the unity exhibited by all those engaged in struggle against farm laws and in the interest of people of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh and rest of the country unitedly strive for the restoration of special status guaranteed under the Constitution PTI SSB AQS AQS