Jammu Dec 26 PTI Ghulam Nabi Azad Sunday put to rest all speculations about his possible exit from the party calling himself a 24 Carat Congressman and saying he was not upset with the party but was instead working for unifying and uniting its workersThe former chief minister has been holding public rallies in Jammu and Kashmir over the past nearly two months and was seen accompanied by his loyalists including senior party leaders and former ministers who recently resigned from their party posts in a revolt against JK Congress president G A MirTalking to reporters after addressing a public meeting in the border belt of Khour on the outskirts of Jammu Azad however said reforms are a dynamic process and imperative for every party society and the country as a whole for the benefit of peopleYes I am a Congressman Who told you I am not 24 Carat Congressman How does it matter if 18 Carats are challenging 24 carat Azad said responding to questions about the speculations of his possible exit from the party like former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh Azad who was among the 23 Congress leaders who had sought an organisational overhaul last year said he is not displeased with the partyThose dividing parties only see divisions We are the ones who are linking people We are forging unity in the party ranks as we are for unification he saidAsked about his call for reforms he said reforms are needed in every party every society and countryReforms are an ongoing process and necessary in every partythe legislature is also a sort of reform Many evils of the past are not there in the society today because of reforms he said adding the communalism and casteism prevalent in society today also need to be reformedAzad said reforms are an ongoing process a dynamic process which continues throughout the worldAbout his views on white colour terrorism highlighted by a Srinagar-based Army officer he said he did not know what does he meant by itI have already said that the politicians should have done the right things for the welfare of the people but sometimes they did the work of Satan by dividing the people We should desist from it he saidOn a question about the prospects of Congress in the next assembly elections likely to be held after the delimitation exercise Azad said people are the masters in a democratic set-up and defeat and win of any party is in their handsHowever he said people across Jammu and Kashmir are fed up with the BJP because of rising inflation and growing unemployment PTI TAS TIR TIR

Jammu Dec 18 PTI BJP leader Arun Kumar Chibber who quit the party last month joined the Apni Party Saturday and was welcomed by its president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari a spokesperson saidChibber who was the BJPs state publicity secretary ended his 40-year-long long association with the party on November 27 alleging neglect of workers who gave their blood and sweat for the organisationBukhari a former minister welcomed Chibber along with scores of his associates into the party-fold at a function here the Apni Party spokesman saidBukhari attacked the BJP alleging there was development inertia in both the regions of Jammu and KashmirPeople of JK have at numerous times given their unwavering support to the national and regional political parties but the promises made with them were never fulfilled and requisite developmental works have mostly been carried out at snails paceThe public yearns for progress and good governance which regrettably is not visible on ground he saidHe said the Apni Party stands resolute in its demand for the restoration of statehood and dignity of the people and the government must initiate electoral processes in JK without any further delay The dignity of people of JK needs to be restored as per their aspirations and the Central Government needs to resonate with the demands of people that should begin with the restoration of Statehood followed by elections he said PTI TAS TIR TIR

Jammu Oct 30 PTI Fifteen employees of the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation JKRTC were on Saturday terminated for their alleged involvement in misappropriation of revenue officials saidJKRTC Managing Director Angrez Singh Rana issued the termination orders of 15 conductors they said All these conductors have committed more than 10 offences of misappropriation of the corporation revenue for which they were given a number of opportunities to mend their ways an official statement saidIn order to make the corporation corruption free the statement said the services of these conductors were terminatedThe terminated conductors include Nehru Lal 12 offences Jasbir Singh 16 offences V K Salathia 11 offences Jagtar Singh 11 Offences Tej Krishan 17 offences Daljeet Singh 14 offences Bhagwan Dass 15 offences Manjeet Singh 18 offences Sukhdev Singh 16 offences Amar Singh 15 offences Nanak Chand 14 offences Arjun Singh 15 offences Mohammad Saliq 22 offences Mohammad Sharief 14 offences and Bashir Ahmad Naidoo 13 offences according to the statementThe Managing Director warned all the officers and officials of the corporation to do their legitimate duties with full zeal and zest otherwise strict disciplinary action would be initiated against them the statement said PTI TAS TIR TIR

Jammu Sep 26 PTI A former Jaish-e-Mohammad JeM militant on the run for 20 years was arrested Sunday in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir police saidBashir Ahmad alias Jaffar Khan a resident of Nowgam village was wanted in a 2001 abduction and murder case in the jurisdiction of police station Marwah a police spokesman saidAhmad becomes the fourth absconding militant arrested by police in the district since September 15Before him Nazir Ahmad who was absconding for 12 years was arrested on September 15 Two days later police had arrested Abdul Gani alias Mavia who was on the run for 19 yearsDulla alias Jameel was arrested on September 25 after a long 20-year huntThe spokesman said police acting on specific information arrested Bashir Ahmad after raiding suspected locations in the Marwah areaA local court has sent him to judicial custody he said PTI TAS TIR TIR