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Militants kill 3 cops, including two SPOs in Shopian, J&K; four others resign

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Militants kill 3 cops, including two SPOs in Shopian, J&K; four others resign

Suspected Hizbul Mujahideen militants abducted three policemen, two of them special police officers (SPOs), on Thursday night and killed them hours later in south Kashmir’s Shopian, the hotbed of militancy in the state. A fourth person, brother of a policeman, who had also been abducted was, however, released on Friday morning. The four had been kidnapped from their houses in Shopian’s Kapran village, reported Hindustan Times (HT).

After the incident, four other SPOs resigned on Friday out of fear, CNN-News18 reported.

The bodies were recovered from an orchard in Wangam area, more than a kilometre from the village the policemen were abducted from.

Police identified the dead as constable Nissar Ahmed and two special police officers – Firdous Ahmed and Kulwant Singh – from Kapran and Heepora areas of Shopian district.

A Twitter handle purportedly belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and killing, according to PTI. The incident comes days after the outfit threatened officers to either quit government jobs or face death.

Hizbul Mujahideen, had recently delivered what it had called was the “final warning” to the special police officers, or SPOs, to quit by September 19.

A wreath laying ceremony took place on Friday afternoon to mourn the slain police personnel.

A major search operation had also started in Shopian after the bodies were found.

Police said the residents of Batagund village had chased the terrorists and urged them not to abduct the policemen, but the militants fired a few shots in the air and threatened the villagers. They said the terrorists crossed a river in the area and shot dead the policemen.

Nissar Ahmed was working with the armed police, Firdous Ahmed, who was under the process of being converted to constable, served in the Railways. Kulwant Singh was posted with Kulgam police.

The terrorists had also kidnapped the brother of a police constable but he was released later.

Trend started this year

There has been a spike in incidents of attacks on security personnel and their families in recent months that is seen as part of an effort to demoralise them.

Last week, suspected militants killed a 45-year-old army man, who was home to mourn the death of his teenage son in Kulgam.

In June, Army soldier Aurangzeb was abducted from a private vehicle when he was going home for Eid in Shopian. His body was recovered from a Pulwama village.

Incident follows tit-for-tat abduction of relatives earlier

These abductions and killings come nearly three weeks after terrorists had abducted and released relatives of policemen from various places in south Kashmir.

At least eight people whose relatives worked in Jammu and Kashmir Police were abducted on the night of 30 August.

Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo had purportedly claimed responsibility for the abductions in a 12-minute video, issuing a three-day deadline for the release of all the relatives of terrorists who were in police custody.

The 30 August abductions happened after the NIA arrested the second son of globally-wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin, leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen group. Salahuddin’s son was arrested on charges of receiving secret funds.

Mehbooba Mufti Condemns Incident, Attacks Centre

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter and attacked the Centre over the incident, saying the “centre’s muscular policy” was clearly not working at all.

“Three more policemen have lost their lives to militant bullets. Outrage, shock and condemnation will be expressed by all of us on expected lines. Unfortunately, it brings no solace to the families of the victims. Clearly, with the rise in kidnapping of police personnel and their families, centre’s muscular policy is not working at all. Dialogue, the only way forward seems to be a distant dream for now,” she wrote.

The home ministry says in last two months, security forces have been able to break down much of the local support structure of terrorists. “They are getting alienated as villagers are not supporting these abductions so these are desperate measures,” NDTV reported an official as saying.

The rise in kidnappings of security personnel comes as the state heads to local body elections in October and November. While the PDP and National Conference have decided to stay away from the polls to protest what they call a threat to Article 35A of the Constitution, separatist groups have asked the “freedom-loving people” of Kashmir to observe a complete boycott, said the NDTV report.

Article 35A bars outsiders from acquiring land in Jammu and Kashmir.

The security of the candidates contesting in the local body polls has become a huge concern, say sources. Intelligence agencies have warned of increased violence during this period. The newly-appointed police chief of Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbag Singh, on Monday, directed his officers to be fully prepared to ensure peaceful and smooth urban local bodies and panchayat polls in the state.

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Manipur: Congress hits back at BJP chief Nadda’s letter to Kharge

Ramesh emphasised that Nadda’s letter is replete with inaccuracies and reiterated that the people of Manipur long for normalcy, peace, and harmony.

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The Congress on Friday lashed out at BJP president JP Nadda’s accusations that the Opposition party was promoting a politically motivated narrative concerning the situation in Manipur.

The grand old party described Nadda’s letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as a 4D exercise, which means denial, distortion, distraction, and defamation.

Nadda, responding to Kharge’s call for President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention and his claims of the Centre’s total failure in managing the crisis, claimed that the consequences of Congress’s “abject failure” in handling local issues in Manipur during its governance are still being felt today.

Responding to Nadda, Congress General Secretary for Communications Jairam Ramesh stated, “Congress President Kharge ji wrote to the President of India on Manipur. Apparently, to counter that letter, the BJP President has now written to the Congress President.”

Ramesh emphasised that Nadda’s letter is replete with inaccuracies and reiterated that the people of Manipur long for normalcy, peace, and harmony.

He noted that they are posed with four critical questions: When will the Prime Minister visit the state? How much longer will the Chief Minister remain in office despite lacking majority support? When will a full-time Governor be appointed? And when will the Union Home Minister be held accountable for his failures in Manipur?

Nadda expressed astonishment at the Congress’s ongoing efforts to sensationalize the situation in Manipur, pointing out that Kharge appeared to overlook the fact that his party’s past government had legitimized the illegal migration of foreign militants to India, during which former Home Minister P Chidambaram had signed relevant treaties.

On Tuesday, Kharge had written to President Murmu regarding the worsening conditions in Manipur, requesting her immediate intervention to ensure that the citizens of the state can live peacefully and with dignity.

In his two-page letter, Kharge accused both the Union and Manipur state governments of “completely failing” to restore peace and normalcy over the past 18 months, resulting in a loss of public confidence in their leadership.

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Rahul Gandhi is right, Gautam Adani should be arrested: RJD president Lalu Yadav

“Rahul Gandhi is right. Adani should be arrested,” said Prasad, who is an old ally of the Congress and a staunch opponent of the BJP, to which Adani is said to be close.

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RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday spoke in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for immediate arrest of Gautam Adani, after the Industrialist was charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said on Thursday that Gautam Adani should be arrested immediately, and his protector Madhabi Puri Buch should be investigated

The former Congress chief claimed that the recent developments vindicate his long-standing allegations against Gautam Adani. He took a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that Modi is protecting Adani, and is also involved in corruption. 

Yadav, the former chief minister of Bihar, was responding to queries from journalists here about Gandhi’s statement on the previous day, in the backdrop of charges of bribery and fraud against the Adani group in the US.

“Rahul Gandhi is right. Adani should be arrested,” said Prasad, who is an old ally of the Congress and a staunch opponent of the BJP, to which Adani is said to be close.

The RJD supremo, who incidentally has been convicted in several fodder scam cases and is on bail, was also asked about prospects of the INDIA bloc, of which his party is a part, in Jharkhand, where the counting of votes for assembly polls is scheduled on Saturday.

Speaking to PTI, the ailing septuagenarian replied, “I would like to remain focused on my statement that Adani must be arrested. I am not worried much about a new government (in Jharkhand) where we are already in power.” Jharkhand witnessed a straight battle between the INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA, which included the JD(U) headed by Nitish Kumar, Prasad’s arch-rival and the current Chief Minister of Bihar.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Gandhi further said that Chief Ministers have been jailed for scams of Rs 10-15 crore, but Adani, who has committed a scam of Rs 2000 crore is walking free.

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Cash for votes row: BJP leader Vinod Tawde sends legal notice to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, asks them to apologise or face defamation

The BJP leader said the allegations against him were false, baseless and made with malafide intentions.

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Cash for votes row: BJP leader Vinod Tawde sends legal notice to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, asks them to apologise or face defamation

BJP leader Vinod Tawde, accused of distributing cash to influence voters, has sent a legal notice to Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Supriya Shrinate and Rahul Gandhi over the controversy. The BJP leader has demanded their apologies or face a Rs 100-crore defamation case.

Vinod Tawde’s legal notice came after regional party Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) leader Hitendra Thakur on Tuesday accused him of distributing Rs 5 crore at a hotel in Virar in Palghar district, 60 km from Mumbai, to woo voters.

In the legal notice, the BJP leader said the allegations against him were false, baseless and made with malafide intentions. He claimed that he demanded an apology from the three Congress leaders for their remarks against him in the cash-for-votes row or he would be forced to initiate criminal proceedings against them.

Just a few hours before the Assembly Elections, a video went viral on Tuesday showing BVA workers storming into the hotel in Palghar during a meeting between Vinod Tawde and Rajan Naik, the BJP candidate from the Nalasopara seat. The BVA workers alleged that Tawde was caught red-handed with Rs 5 crore cash.

In the viral video, the BVA workers were seen taking out bundles of cash from a bag, while Tawde was sitting at a distance. The BVA workers also took pictures and videos of him on their phones. Amid these allegations, BVA leaders said that Rs 5 crore cash was distributed, an election official on Tuesday said Rs 9.93 lakh cash was recovered from the hotel rooms.

However, Vinod Tawde denied the allegation, saying he was only providing guidance to party workers on poll procedures and said he was not stupid enough to distribute money at his opponent’s hotel. Speaking to the media, he said that the Vivanta Hotel is owned by the Thakurs, and he is not stupid to go to their hotel and distribute money there.

The Police registered two FIRs against Tawde, BJP candidate Naik and others in connection with the controversy. Additionally, the Election Commission filed three FIRs against Tawde.

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