Srinagar:

Leaders of Jammu and Kashmir’s two key political parties – Omar Abdullah and now Mehbooba Mufi – have targeted the growing number of Independent candidates in the coming assembly elections in the Union Territory. While Mr Abdullah has said the BJP is planning to strike a deal with Independents and smaller political outfits after the election, Ms Mufti said today that jailed MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party is a proxy of the BJP.

Engineer Rashid, as Sheikh Rashid is popularly known,  had contested in the general elections held earlier this year from jail and beat Omar Abdullah to win the Baramulla seat. Ms Mufti said while his victory is understandable, what is unclear is how he is funding his party and bringing it to prominence with multiple candidates in this election.

“Rashid is in jail. (PDP founder) Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) took 50 years to form the party, we still do not have resources to field candidates everywhere. Who is behind his (Engineer’s) organisation so their candidates are fielded everywhere? From where is the funding coming? From where are they getting such courage to engage in hooliganism?” she said a day after a PDP candidate was injured in an attack, allegedly by the workers of the Awami Ittehad Party.

“I want to ask the government — if you have again come up a proxy party, Engineer Rashid’s party, when all your other proxy parties have failed, you have brought Engineer Rashid’s party to the fore, and you are supporting them fully with funds and everything, then tell us clearly that others parties do not have to contest elections,” she said.

Yesterday, Mr Abdullah had said the BJP is keeping its doors open for post-poll alliance with parties such as People’s Conference and Awami Ittehad Party.

Jammu and Kashmir has seen an unprecedented spike in the number of Independent candidates in this election. For the first two phases, 145 candidates – 44 per cent of the total – are in fray.

Part of the reason is that these Independents are members of smaller political outfits not recognised by the Election Commission, although a few of them are registered outside Jammu and Kashmir. So the members of these parties are contesting as Independents.

Mehbooba Mufti said the people should not be influenced by these “proxy’ parties. “There is a huge power behind them who wants to divide the vote in Kashmir… They want to harm the cause of J&K,” said the former Chief Minister, who has said that she would not contest as long as J&K remains a Union Territory and its special status is not restored.

Elections will be held in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after a decade on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.

Ramban, Jammu and Kashmir:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticised National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah’s comment on the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and asked whether the separatist leader should have been garlanded publicly.

He was addressing a public rally in the Ramban area of Jammu on Sunday, as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign for the upcoming assembly polls in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I heard that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Sahab said that Afzal Guru should not have been hanged. I want to ask him that Afzal Guru should not have been hanged; should he have been garlanded publicly? And these people claim that they will restore article 370,” Rajnath Singh said.

In a recent interview with ANI, Omar Abdullah said that he did not believe any purpose was served by “executing” Afzal Guru.

The Defence Minister said that even the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would like to join India, seeing its massive development. He added that India considers PoK people as their own.

“I ask all of you to form a BJP government in J&K, and after seeing development in J&K, the people of PoK will say that we do not want to stay with Pakistan; we want to go with India,” Rajnath Singh said.

“People in Pakistan consider PoK people as foreigners, but India considers the people of PoK as our own. Come and join us, he added.

Taking a potshot at the opposition parties, he said that the National Conference, with whom the Congress party has formed an alliance, has vowed to restore Article 370 in their election manifesto.

He further asserted that no one has the courage to restore Article 370 and a huge transformation has happened in Jammu and Kashmir, with “not a single incident” of stone pelting being reported.

“No one has the courage to restore Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir, which was earlier known as a terrorism spot, has now become a tourism hotspot,” he said.

“Earlier, many youths in the Kashmir Valley used to have pistols and revolvers in their hands. Go and see the change today, they do not have pistols and revolvers in their hands, instead, you will see laptops and computers. This is a huge change. There has not been a single incident of stone-pelting after 2022. As long as the Bharatiya Janata Party remains in India, no one can restore Article 370,” he added.

Addressing the underprivileged community in the valley, he said earlier the Valmiki community was barred from voting, but now they can exercise their right to vote in the state assembly elections.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will undergo its first assembly elections in 10 years, and the first since the abrogation of Article 370.

Polling would be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.

Congress and the National Conference have announced a pre-poll alliance. However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is not part of the pre-poll alliance and is contesting on its own.

Omar Abdullah, who lost Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla, is contesting from two constituencies — Ganderbal and Budgam. Former CM Mehbooba Mufti is not contesting the assembly polls. PDP has fielded her daughter Iltija Mufti from the Bijbehara constituency.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

Radical jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay is set to take on former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah from the Ganderbal constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections. His nomination papers have been accepted from two assembly constituencies – Ganderbal and Beerwah. 

Omar Abdullah, however, on Friday alleged that the BJP and central government were putting up the jailed separatist against him so that he would be defeated in assembly elections.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NC’s vice president was defeated by Engineer Rashid, who is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail on terror funding charges.

“Leaders in Delhi dislike me. But the fact that they hate me so much is getting evident to me. Why are candidates in jail only contesting against me,” Mr Abdullah said.

He said he now smells a rat even in Engineer Rashid’s Lok Sabha victory from the Baramulla parliament seat. 

“I never saw a plot in the victory of Engineer Rashid, who had contested elections earlier too. But when the news came about Sarjan Barkati contesting from Ganderbal, I could see a plot,” he said.

“Some agencies felt that I may also contest from Beerwah, where I won the last time. He (Barkati) was first asked to file from Ganderbal and then from Beerwah. I circumvented them and filed from Budgam instead of Beerwa” he said.

The separatist cleric, also known as Sarjan Barkati, was the face of 2016 violent agitations in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016.

In his speeches, he openly incited youth to pick up guns, asking them to become suicide bombers. He also used to say that guns were the only solution and called for attacks on symbols of India.

He was first arrested in 2016 and a case was filed against him under the Public Safety Act. He was again arrested last year and is facing charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

His wife is also in jail on terror funding charges.

Srinagar:

Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, shed light on the difficult decisions faced by his father, Farooq Abdullah, during the 1999 IC814 hijacking incident. He highlighted the tough decisions faced by his father, Farooq Abdullah, during that time.

In an interview with ANI, Omar Abdullah revealed that the IC814 hijack was not the first instance where his father was compelled to release prisoners.

He cited a previous case involving Rubaiya Syed, the daughter of former Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who was kidnapped by Kashmiri separatists in 1989. The Central Government, led by VP Singh, had released five jailed terrorists of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front in exchange for Rubaiya’s safe release.

“This is the second time my father was forced to release people. With Rubaiya Syed and families of the hijacked victims, they used the Rubaiya Syed incident as the benchmark. They said when you could release terrorists for a home minister’s daughter, is our family not precious? Why is it only she is precious to the country? Then if she is precious to you, then our family is precious to us. So we set a benchmark that had to be followed,” Omar Abdullah said.

Notably, the IC814 hijack has become a hot topic of conversation and is spanned with controversy and concerns about the names of terrorists being used in the Anubhav Sinha directed series on Netflix, “IC814: The Kandahar Hijack.”

Omar Abdullah emphasised that the precedent set during the Rubaiya Syed incident became a benchmark for the families of the hijacked individuals, who demanded equal consideration and safety during the IC814 hijack in 1999.

“I think Government of India had an option. I think Government of India at the Rubaiya Syed kidnapping time had the option of not negotiating with terrorists. They chose to negotiate. After that, once you’ve done it once, then you have to do it again,” Omar Abdullah said.

Regarding the execution of Afzal Guru, Omar Abdullah clarified that the Jammu and Kashmir government had no involvement in the process. He stated that if state approval had been required, it would not have been granted.

“The unfortunate thing was that the J-K government had nothing to do with Afzal Guru’s execution. Otherwise, you would have had to do it with the permission of the state government, which I can tell you in no uncertain terms would not have been forthcoming. We wouldn’t have done it. I don’t believe that any purpose was served by executing him,” Omar Abdullah said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A three-member delegation of US diplomats visited Srinagar on Monday ahead of the Assembly elections in the Union Territory after a gap of 10 years.

“The visit is well within the boundaries of diplomatic outreach mechanism of the US State Department,” a senior government official told NDTV.

According to the official, the visits are not unusual as similar visits with diplomats were common in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. “They get a chance to make on-ground assessments,” he said.

Received US diplomats at Gupkar who called on National Conference Vice President @OmarAbdullah. The delegation included Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Graham Mayer, First Secretary Gary Applegarth, and Political Counselor Abhiram.

Member of Parliament and senior leader… pic.twitter.com/Kzu4iUoS5W

— Tanvir Sadiq (@tanvirsadiq) August 26, 2024

The delegation included Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Graham Mayer, First Secretary Gary Applegarth, and Political Counselor Abhiram. They met political leaders from Kashmir including former chief minister Omar Abdullah as well as former mayor of Srinagar Junaid Azim Mattu.

“The presence of CIA station head Graham Mayer in Srinagar is an indication that US is observing elections minutely, especially in backdrop of US interests in Pakistan and recent reports of Chinese inroads in Ladakh,” a source told NDTV.

Was called on by the Minister Counselor for Political Affairs, @USAndIndia, Graham D. Mayer this morning. pic.twitter.com/Wg5tkWQH6Y

— Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) August 26, 2024

An official said that US and India have increased coordination to ensure security in Ladakh. According to him, Mr Mayer had also visited Srinagar in 2023 and met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Interestingly, the visit comes at a time when terror attacks in the Valley have increased. “India has been insisting that terror is being exported from Pakistan and weapons are being smuggled from Afghanistan. The recovered weapons bear clear US markings. So there is ample proof to establish connection,” an official said.

National Conference Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said that the delegation’s discussions addressed a wide range of issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir and the broader region. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah also raised the recent travel advisory issued by US for the region.

In July, US had asked its nationals not to travel to Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, and parts of central and eastern parts of the country where Maoists are active.

“Some areas have increased risk. Do not travel to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest,” the advisory said.

US is among several countries that have issued travel advisories, asking their citizens not to visit Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar:

After its seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress was finalised, National Conference (NC) Monday issued its first list of 18 candidates for the first phase of the three-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The party in a post on X said the list was approved by NC president Farooq Abdullah.

The party named its former MP from Anantnag, Justice (Retd) Hassnain Masoodi, as its candidate from Pampore and former legislator Mohammad Khalil Bandh from Pulwama.

The NC announced the name of Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Mir from Rajpora, Showkat Hussain Ganie from Zainpora, Sheikh Mohammad Rafi from Shopian and former minister Sakina Ittoo from DH Pora.

It also named Peerzada Feroze Ahmad from Devsa, Chowdary Zaffer Ahmad from Larnoo, Abdul Majeed Larmi from Anantnag West, Bashir Ahmad Veeri from Bijbehara, Reyaz Ahmad Khan from Anantnag East and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo from Pahalgam. All these seats are in south Kashmir.

For the seats in Jammu region, the NC announced Mehboob Iqbal from Bhaderwah, Khalid Najeeb Soharwardy from Doda, Arjun Singh Raju from Ramban, Sajad Shaheen from Banihal, former minister Sajad Kichloo from Kishtwar and Pooja Thokur from Pader-Nagsani.

After hectic negotiation, the NC and the Congress Monday agreed to contest 51 and 32 seats respectively for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

One seat each has been allotted to the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), the allies announced at a joint press conference at the NC president’s residence here after day-long negotiations.

They also said there will be a “friendly contest” on five seats of the Union Territory.

The first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 18, second on September 25 and the third on October 1. Counting of votes will be undertaken on October 4. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

The Congress and National Conference’s pre-poll alliance was finalised after Rahul Gandhi visited Farooq Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar. Sources said there are still challenges on the seat-sharing but the leadership of both parties have asked negotiators to figure out a formula that works for both parties.

This is the fist time since 1987 when NC and Congress have entered into a pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. 

“We had a good meeting, in a cordial atmosphere. The alliance is on track and god willing, it will go smoothly. The alliance is final. It will be signed this evening and the alliance is on all 90 seats,” said Farooq Abdullah.

The announcement came after an hour-long meeting between leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Omar and Farooq Abdullah at their Gupkar home in Srinagar.

The meeting gave out a clear message – despite serious differences over the seat-sharing formula, the top leadership of both parties wanted to fight the assembly elections together.

“Kharge Ji and I have conveyed to Karra sahib (Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Karra) that there will be an alliance. But respect of Congress workers and Congress leaders has to be maintained,” said Mr Gandhi.

Both parties have already held three rounds of seat-sharing negotiations and the last one late last night ended on a bitter note as both sides hardened their stand on the number of seats they wanted to contest, the sources said.

During today’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi, the idea of friendly contests on some seats claimed by both sides was also considered, they added.

Rahul Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and the restoration of the erstwhile state’s statehood appears to be central to his poll promise.

“We want statehood for you, that is in your heart. We want you to run your state the way you want to, this is the message we came to convey,” he said.

The region was stripped of its statehood and special status under Article 370 in 2019.

Backing Rahul Gandhi’s comments, NC patron Farooq Abdullah said, “People have suffered much in the last 10 years. Statehood is the prime concern for us. And we want all the powers of the state. Our common program is to fight divisive forces. Our doors are open for all, let’s first win the election. My heart is happy today.”

Earlier, while speaking exclusively to NDTV, Omar Abdullah said that seat-sharing “brings with it its own challenges”. “Seat sharing brings with it its own challenges, I have 90 candidates. There is a problem of plenty,” he said. He emphasised that even if they work out a seat-sharing deal with the Congress, it “will not be smooth”.

In the recently held Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress-NC alliance had got 41.7 percent votes while former allies, the BJP and PDP, got 17 and eight percent, respectively.

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. The results will be announced on October 4. This is the first assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.

Fight for the restoration of autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, repealing Public Safety Act, release of political prisoners, one lakh jobs, free electricity and other issues are among promises made by the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference in its election manifesto released today.

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who released the manifesto, vowed to fight for the political and legal status of the former state. “It took the BJP decades to achieve its ideological objective of scrapping Article 370. We will also fight for its restoration regardless of time it will take,” said Mr Abdullah.

If elected to power, the National Conference leader said their first objective is restoration of statehood and then a fight for the state’s legal and constitutional status. “If the Centre doesn’t restore the statehood of J&K immediately, we will approach the Supreme Court and ask for implication of its directions on statehood,” said Mr Abdullah.

On its political agenda, the manifesto says that the party will strive for the implementation of autonomy resolution by Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in 2000. This is the first time NC has mentioned the autonomy issue since the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019.

In June 2000, the J&K assembly had passed a unanimous resolution demanding greater autonomy, restoration of pre-1953 status when the Centre had very limited control over the erstwhile state. Even the Supreme Court and the Election commission had no jurisdiction over Jammu and Kashmir.

The resolution was subsequently rejected by the Central government.
In 1965, the post of Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister and Sadre Reyasat (head of state) was replaced with Chief Minister and Governor after a major amendment in the constitution.

J&K retained its own separate constitution and the flag till August 2019, when the Centre scrapped special status under Article 370.
The manifesto also talks about repealing Public Safety Act that gives the police powers to arrest and jail a person up to two years without a trial. The party has also promised to release all political prisoners who have been detained over the last five years.

On the issue of unemployment, Mr Abdullah said that Jammu and Kashmir is facing highest level of unemployment in the country and the party has promised to give one lakh jobs to its young people.
Mr Abdullah said people from every corner of J&K have given their suggestions for manifesto. “It is not just an election document. It is an agenda for governance for the next five years,” he said.

The party has also promised 200 units of free electricity and 12 cooking gas cylinders free to families belonging to Economically Weaker Sections.

After the central government amended the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 enhancing more powers of the Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that the Centre’s move would render the new Chief Minister “powerless” and indicates that the polls would be held soon in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier today, the Ministry of Home Affairs amended the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 enhancing some powers of the Lieutenant Governor of the erstwhile state.

“Another indicator that elections are around the corner in J-K. This is why a firm commitment to laying out the timeline for the restoration of full, undiluted statehood for J-K is a prerequisite for these elections. The people of J-K deserve better than a powerless, rubber stamp CM who will have to beg the LG to get his/her peon appointed,” Omar Abdullah posted on X.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said that changes are important.

“In the coming days, the elections of Vidhan Sabha will be held and looking after that the LG power has been enhanced. The changes are important and they should take place. Looking after that the Minister of Home Affairs has taken the decision. For Free and fair elections the step has been taken. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election we all witnessed that people in Jammu and Kashmir voted with great zeal. After this decision the activeness will come in the administration,” Mr Gupta told ANI.

Reacting to Omar Abdullah’s remarks that CM will become ‘powerless’, he said that “Law and order already is under control of MHA. Commenting on the issue is not right. Earlier the conditions of J-K were not good but now the government has improved the law and order here.”

President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval to the amendments in the rule exercising the powers conferred by section 55 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, (34 of 2019) read with the Proclamation dated 31st October 2019 issued under section 73 of the Act, a notification issued by the MHA mentions.

The President made the rules further to amend the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019.
“These rules may be called the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Temtory of Jammu and Kashmir (Second Amendment) Rules, 2024,” reads the notification.

As per the notification, “these rules may be called the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (Second Amendment) Rules, 2024.”

The amendments shall come into force on July 12, the date of the publication in the Official Gazette– a move in anticipation of the speculated assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the principal rules), some rules have been inserted.

As per the inserted sub-rule (2A), “No proposal which requires previous concurrence of the Finance Department with regard to ‘Police’, ‘Public Order’, ‘All India Service’ and ‘Anti Corruption Bureau’ to exercise the discretion of the Lieutenant Governor under the Act shall be concurred or rejected unless it has been placed before the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary”.

In the principal rules, after rule 42, rule 42A has been inserted pointing, “Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs shall submit the proposal for appointment of Advocate-General and other Law Officers to assist the Advocate-General in the court proceedings, for approval of the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister.”

In the inserted rule 42B, “Any proposal regarding grant or refusal of prosecution sanction or filing of an appeal shall be placed before the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs”.

In the principal rules, in rule 43, after the third proviso, the notification states that some provisos shall be inserted, focusing on matters connected with Prisons, Directorate of Prosecution and Forensic Science Laboratory, under which “the matters shall be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor by Administrative Secretary, Home Department through the Chief Secretary”.

“Provided also that in respect of matters connected with posting and transfer of Administrative Secretaries and cadre posts of All India Services officers, the proposal shall be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor by the Administrative Secretary, General Administration Department through the Chief Secretary”.

It is pertinent to mention that the principal rules were published in the Gazette of India dated August 27, 2020 and subsequently amended on February 28, 2024.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Kupwara (J-K):

National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Friday said he hoped leaders of India and Pakistan would create an atmosphere for dialogue and resolve mutual concerns and issues.

Mr Abdullah, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from north Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency, was responding to a question on Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks on Pakistan.

“I do not want to get into what Aiyar has said. We do not talk to our neighbours because of their nuclear weapons, we have other neighbours who do not have nuclear weapons, but we try to keep good relations with them, be it Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, or Myanmar,” the NC leader told reporters here.

Referring to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statement in Parliament that one can change a friend but not a neighbour, Abdullah expressed hope that both countries would create an atmosphere for dialogue.

“There is a new government in place in Pakistan, and after the results on June 4 here, there will also be a new government here, whoever forms it. But it is our hope that leaders of both countries will create an atmosphere for dialogue and resolve our mutual concerns and issues,” he added.

He alleged that Muslims were continuously being targeted during the poll campaign.

“Muslims are being targeted in every speech. Yesterday also, a BJP leader said this election is Modi versus Rahul and development versus jihad. You talk of jihad just to show that Muslims do not know anything other than jihad,” Mr Abdullah said.

“Do we not want to participate in progress? Do our youth have no right to take part in the country’s progress? If the population of the country is 140 crores, 14 per cent of that is Muslims. Muslims also have the right to take part in development. Why are Muslims labelled with the tag of jihad,” the NC leader asked.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)