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Mehbooba Mufti detained during protest against Jammu and Kashmir anti-encroachment drive in Delhi | WATCH

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was detained by the Delhi police on Wednesday during a protest against the administration’s ongoing anti-encroachment drive across the erstwhile state, especially in Kashmir valley

Published

3 years ago

February 8, 2023

According to reports, a team of women police officials of the Delhi police lifted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief up from the site of the protest and carried her into a nearby police van which then drove off carrying the former J&K CM and her supporters inside.

Videos of the incident showed Mufti being lifted and carried into the van by police officials.

Reports said, Mufti, accompanied by scores of her party workers planned to march from Railway Bhawan to Parliament, where she wanted to inform opposition parties about the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s “bulldozer policy”.

Mufti said that they had come to inform public, opposition parties and members of the ruling BJP about the misery faced by the people in Jammu and Kashmir. The former chief minister warned that she will approach the United Nations if they aren’t allowed to go to the Parliament and their grievances aren’t redressed.

Mufti asked: If we can’t go to Parliament, I wonder where we should go then. Does the government want us to get our grievances redressed?”

Mufti said they came to Delhi to “speak our hearts out since rule of law is absent in Jammu and Kashmir”, adding that it seemed that voice of the general public is muzzled here also.

Jammu and Kashmir is being razed and being turned into Afghanistan. Our economy is being destroyed; Mufti was heard shouting while being detained.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has launched an anti-encroachment drive to recover state land illegally occupied by “influential persons” across the erstwhile state.

The authorities have reiterated that the main target of the drive is to bring down high-profile land grabbers, however, many from weaker sections claim to have borne the brunt of the eviction drive.

‘BJP is akin to East-India company’

On Monday, Mehbooba Mufti out at the BJP over the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the Union Territory, comparing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led regime to the East-India Company who wants to reduce the erstwhile state to rubble like war-torn Afghanistan.

In a statement, the PDP chief claimed that the situation in Kashmir is worse than Palestine where the conditions are “better”. She alleged that earlier it was suspected that BJP had taken a cue from Israel’s treatment of Palestine but now the saffron party wants to turn Jammu and Kashmir into Afghanistan.

Commenting on J&K administration’s anti-encroachment drive Mufti claimed that Palestine was in a better situation as people can at least talk about their woes, whereas Kashmir is “worse” where people’s homes are being razed by bulldozers.

Mufti compared the BJP government with the East-India Company for it’s alleged suppression of dissent and free speech, alleging that the PM Modi regime has “weaponized” its majority to “bulldoze” the Constitution, while referring to the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

The PDP chief alleged that the BJP was also weaponized media to “crush the voice of dissent and judiciary.”

Mufti claimed that the BJP government has Kashmir has turned into Afghanistan as you can find bulldozers at every corner, ready to demolish homes of those the government doesn’t agree with.

She said that the BJP has outsourced jobs and resources out of the Union Territory while probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) are being used to silence dissenting journalist and politicians across the country.

Mufti added that “crooks and conmen” are being given 45,000-hectare land while the people of Kashmir are being driven out of their land on the pretext of anti-encroachment drive.

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Delhi-NCR sees second spell of rain and thunderstorms in four days

Delhi-NCR experienced another spell of rain and thunderstorms on March 18, with IMD forecasting more showers over the next few days.

Published

4 mins ago

March 18, 2026

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Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region witnessed another spell of rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds on Wednesday evening, marking the second such weather event in the past four days.

The sudden change brought relief from unusually high temperatures recorded earlier this month. According to officials, the temperature at Safdarjung — the city’s base weather station — was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius at 7 pm.

The India Meteorological Department had earlier issued an alert predicting light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning on March 18. Several areas across the capital experienced gusty winds along with brief but intense showers.

More rain likely over next two days

The weather department has forecast partly cloudy skies for March 19 and 20, with chances of light rain or thundershowers occurring once or twice during the day. On March 21, skies are expected to remain cloudy with the possibility of light showers continuing.

Conditions are likely to stabilise from March 23 onwards, with forecasts indicating a return to partly cloudy to clear skies across the region.

Weather activity across India to intensify

The IMD has also indicated widespread weather activity across multiple regions of the country in the coming days. Rainfall is expected to intensify in several states, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds.

In the northeastern region, heavy rainfall is likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya during the early part of the week.

Meanwhile, the western Himalayan region is also set to witness a shift in weather patterns. Himachal Pradesh is likely to receive heavy rainfall on March 19 and 20, while Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir may experience heavy showers around March 20.

India News

Centre pushes states to cut levies to boost PNG adoption

The Centre has asked states to reduce local levies and streamline approvals to accelerate PNG adoption and city gas infrastructure growth.

Published

2 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has urged states and Union Territories to ease local levies and procedural barriers affecting City Gas Distribution (CGD) projects, in a bid to accelerate the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) as a cleaner fuel alternative.

In a communication sent to Chief Secretaries, Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Neeraj Mittal highlighted that high right-of-way charges, road cutting fees, lease rentals and other local levies imposed by urban bodies are discouraging investments in CGD infrastructure.

High costs slowing expansion

The ministry pointed out that the CGD sector, particularly PNG supply to households and commercial establishments, does not receive direct subsidies. As a result, it depends heavily on viable returns, which are being impacted by excessive and inconsistent local charges across states.

It noted that these financial and procedural hurdles are slowing down infrastructure expansion and affecting the broader adoption of natural gas.

Gap between connections and usage

According to the government, while around 12.63 crore PNG connections have been recorded, only about 1.6 crore are currently active. The ministry stressed that improving ease of doing business at state and local levels could help bridge this gap and expand the consumer base.

Officials believe that rationalising levies may initially reduce local revenues but could lead to higher long-term gains through increased gas consumption and economic activity.

LPG shortage adds urgency

The push for PNG adoption comes amid supply constraints in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Oil marketing companies are currently supplying only 20 per cent of normal commercial LPG demand to states.

To address this, the ministry has proposed increasing LPG allocation to 30 per cent for states that implement reforms supporting PNG and CGD expansion.

Reform-linked incentives for states

The Centre has suggested a set of measures that states can adopt to qualify for higher LPG allocations. These include:

Setting up empowered state and district-level committees for faster approvals
Introducing single-window clearance with deemed approvals within 24 hours
Implementing a dig-and-restore model using bank guarantees instead of restoration charges
Eliminating annual rental or lease charges for CGD infrastructure

The ministry said compliance with these reforms would be verified before granting additional LPG allocations.

Industry support measures

The communication also noted that GAIL and its subsidiaries have already allocated full gas supply to the commercial PNG segment to support businesses affected by reduced LPG availability.

The government reiterated that expanding natural gas usage aligns with its broader push for cleaner and domestically sourced energy.

India News

BJP seals Assam seat-sharing pact, Modi to hold 3 rallies in April

BJP has finalised its Assam seat-sharing plan with allies and is gearing up for an intense campaign led by PM Modi and Amit Shah.

Published

3 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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The Bharatiya Janata Party has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, firming up its strategy alongside National Democratic Alliance partners as campaigning gathers pace in the state.

Under the agreement, the BJP will contest 89 seats, while its allies — Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front — will field candidates in 26 and 11 constituencies respectively. The distribution has been decided after internal deliberations, with the focus now shifting to candidate announcements and campaign execution.

Campaign push led by top leadership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address three rallies in Assam during the final leg of the campaign. Tentative dates for the rallies are April 1, April 3 and April 6, with events likely to be held in key constituencies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also set to spearhead an extensive campaign across the state through March, aiming to energise party workers and strengthen voter outreach.

Candidate selection underway

The party’s Central Election Committee is currently meeting to finalise candidates. Sources indicate that approvals for most constituencies are expected soon, and the BJP may release its complete list of candidates within the next two days.

Ticket distribution remains a crucial exercise, with internal discussions highlighting its potential impact on local political dynamics. Party leaders have also touched upon the proposed delimitation exercise scheduled for 2027, which is expected to have long-term implications for Assam’s electoral landscape.