New Delhi: Hitting out at those clamouring for dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Army Chief Gen V K Singh is of the view that the Act is being used as a "beating stick" by the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir "We are unnecessarily playing into the hands of separatists for whom this is a beating stick," said Gen Singh in a candid interview during which he...
12:57 PM, Oct 24, 2010
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday reached out to the Valley residents and decided that 52 youngsters arrested on charges of stonepelting will be released. Sixteen CRPF bunkers across Srinagar city will also be removed. The state government after a Unified Command meeting decided to immediately free 52 detained stone pelters. A committee has been set up to look into the possibility of denotifying the Disturbed...
10:21 PM, Sep 29, 2010
Srinagar: A day after the all-party delegation reached out to separatist leaders in the Kashmir Valley, the BJP on Tuesday opposed the decision to send members of the delegation to meet the separatists. The development came about even as the delegation was listening to voices in Jammu. A day after the all-party delegations reached out on Srinagar’s streets, residents bought their supply of essentials, and took stock of the visit....
09:29 PM, Sep 21, 2010
Karan Thapar for CNN-IBN: Hello and welcome to Devil’s Advocate. Has the National Conference been snubbed and boxed into an impossible position by the UPA and the all-party meeting – that’s the key issue we’re going to explore with the party president and the Union Cabinet Minister Farooq Abdullah. Dr Farooq Abdullah you publicly said that you weren’t disappointed with the outcome of the all-party meeting but the truth is...
05:49 PM, Sep 18, 2010
New Delhi: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah has said that removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is not a simple thing to do, but he was hopeful that it would be eventually removed. He spoke exclusively to CNN-IBN and here are excerpts from the conversation. Karan Thapar: Concrete action in terms of AFSPA hasn't been considered, no promise has been made and the message given is that...
10:53 AM, Sep 17, 2010
The all-party meeting on Kashmir issue on Wednesday, has decided to send an all-party delegation to the Valley. ...
07:55 AM, Sep 16, 2010
New Delhi: Mehbooba Mufti, president of Jammu and Kashmir's principal opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said on Wednesday that the central government should start an "unconditional dialogue on Kashmir" and the state government should free civilian protesters who had been arrested. She sought the immediately release of youths booked under the Public Safety Act and asked the government to "lift the siege" laid to the Kashmir Valley. Speaking to reporters...
10:16 PM, Sep 15, 2010
New Delhi: Main Opposition party BJP on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for the ongoing violence that has claimed over 70 lives since June in the restive state. "We have asked for Omar's resignation publicly...Omar cannot escape the blame," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after an all-party meeting at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during which leaders from all...
06:59 PM, Sep 15, 2010
New Delhi: The consensus over the proposal to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some Jammu and Kashmir is still eluding the Centre. "Important decisions have to be taken after carefully assessing all aspects. Yesterday's CCS had a very long meeting. Ultimately we thought before we take a final decision, we will take into confidence all the major parties so that everybody is involved," said Defence Minister...
11:37 AM, Sep 15, 2010
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called an all-party meeting in Delhi for crucial talks on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference and PDP will attend the meeting. A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will follow the all-party meet. After this, an all-party parliamentary delegation is likely to visit Srinagar to assess the situation. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, too, is likely to...
07:32 AM, Sep 15, 2010
New Delhi: As the Centre grapples with the issue of deciding on withdrawal of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir, the security forces on Tuesday made it clear that they would like "legal protection" in dealing with the situation there. On the other hand, Defence Minister AK Antony said the government would not delay a decision on Kashmir, which will be taken after taking into confidence all the major parties. A...
07:27 PM, Sep 14, 2010
New Delhi: The crucial three-hour long Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meet has ended with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh convening an all-party meet on Wednesday, September 15, to seek consensus on the Kashmir issue. He also appealed to the people of Kashmir to maintain peace. However, the Army, for now, is set to stay in the Valley. There was also no agreement on the selective removal of Armed Forces (Special...
08:45 PM, Sep 13, 2010
New Delhi: Top BJP leaders on Sunday held an emergency meet at L.K. Advani’s residence here in the capital to discuss the proposed relaxation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP stands against any dilution of power and authority of the security forces in J&K and wants the government to give serious weight to the views expressed by the army...
08:10 PM, Sep 12, 2010
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will meet on Saturday to discuss the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The CCS, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will also discuss the measures required to be taken to curtail the ongoing violence in Kashmir and the withdrawal of the Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state. The CCS has already sought the Army’s views on...
01:16 PM, Sep 10, 2010
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security will meet in New Delhi on Friday to discuss the situation in Kashmir as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking amendments in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or its partial withdrawal from the state. Omar, who flew in here and met Singh, also urged him to kickstart a political dialogue with the separatists at the earliest....
08:56 PM, Sep 08, 2010
New Delhi: The Centre is likely to take a decision soon on bringing amendments to the much-criticised Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and its phased withdrawal from some parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which is expected to meet shortly, is likely to take a decision whether certain provisions in AFSPA should be amended by incorporating some more "humane" clauses. Besides, the CCS is...
04:21 PM, Sep 08, 2010
Pattan: There was no let-up in violence in Kashmir as three civilians died in police firing. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached out to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in an effort to evolve a package for the Valley. Several people were injured in Patan in North Kashmir as the police opened fire after protestors pelted stones at them. The toll of civilian deaths in firing by security forces now stands...
06:45 PM, Sep 06, 2010
The army also convinced that the capacity of the state police would need to be augmented. ...
04:35 PM, Aug 11, 2010
The Cabinet will meet today to decide on using the Army in anti-Naxal operations in the dense forests of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh. The Cabinet meet will also consider options of using Army choppers, training, demining support to neutralise the presence of Naxals in Dantewada and a possible use of 'strike power'. Should the Army be used in anti-Naxal operations?
10:56 AM, Jun 10, 2010
The Cabinet Committee on Security is all set to consider a series of draconian measures to neutralise Naxals. ...
09:43 PM, Jun 09, 2010
