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Amid Article 35A debate, rising encounters Rajnath begins 4-day J&K tour

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Rajnath Singh

Union home minister to spend two days each in the Valley and Jammu region, will speak to Governor, political leaders, Armed Forces and common folk on range of issues. Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah says he isn’t hopeful of any outcome from the visit

Amid soaring tensions across Jammu and Kashmir over the controversial issue of possible repeal of Article 35A, Union home minister Rajnath Singh and a high-level delegation of his ministry arrived in Srinagar, on Saturday, for a four-day visit to the restive state. The home minister has stated that he is visiting J&K with an “open mind” and is will meet anyone “who is willing to engage in a dialogue on finding a solution to the Kashmir problem”.

During his stay, Singh is scheduled to meet J&K Governor NN Vohra, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, members of the Armed Forces and paramilitary posted in the state and a cross- section of common citizens.

Mehbooba MuftiIt may be recalled that while addressing a BJP event in Lucknow on August 18, Singh had said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government will find a solution to the “Kashmir problem” by 2022. While that may be a tall and ambitious target, Singh’s immediate challenge will be to quell rising tensions in the Valley over the upcoming verdict of the Supreme Court on a petition that seeks quashing of Article 35A – a provision in the Indian Constitution under Article 370 that grants special rights and privileges to the State and its citizens.

During proceedings in the case, the Centre had – through its Attorney General, KK Venugopal – for the first time taken a stand that the petition against Article 35A raised “very sensitive” questions that required a “larger debate”. Prior to Venugopal’s submission on behalf of the Modi government, successive Union governments had stood by the J&K government and told various courts that Article 35A would not be diluted in any form.

Venugopal’s suggestion had indicated that the ruling BJP – which has advocated repealing Article 35A in its successive poll manifestos over the past few decades – would not stand with the J&K government if the apex court decided to quash Article 35A. J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had, in what was hitherto thought unthinkable, personally driven down to meet her arch political rival, National Conference chief Dr Farooq Abdullah, to discuss ways of ensuring that the Article – which she said was “synonymous with J&K’s existence as an Indian state” – is not repealed.

While the Union home minister will definitely hear the opinion of Mufti and other political stakeholders in the state on the Article 35A issue, it will be interesting to see how Separatists in the Valley – both hardline and moderate factions of the Hurriyat Conference – respond to Singh’s visit.

File photo of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq delivering a sermon at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid

File photo of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq delivering a sermon at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid

Singh’s visits also coincides with the ongoing raids by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Separatist leaders in the Valley – including high-profile members of the Hurriyat Conference like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his family, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and others – with the ostensible aim of finding the source of their funds, which the investigating agency has claimed come from Pakistan “to fund terror and violence in Kashmir”. The Hurriyat leaders have been extremely vocal against the NIA raids.

Another thing to look out for will be Singh’s discussions with officials of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces. Ever since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July last year, every encounter of an alleged terrorist or militant – local or Pakistani – that has taken place in the Valley has resulted in violent protests by the civilian population against the security forces. The use of human shields, pellet guns, pava shells, etc by the security agencies, particularly the Indian Army against the civilians has further intensified tensions in the region. In fact, even on Saturday, shortly before Singh’s arrival in Srinagar, an alleged militant was gunned down by security forces in a joint operation with the state police in Baramulla district’s Sopore town.

During his four day visit, the Union home minister will travel from Srinagar to Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri. He is being accompanied by Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba and other senior bureaucrats of the ministry. Singh is expected to review works carried out in the state under the Prime Minister’s Development package and attend a Comprehensive Security Review meeting with the Cheif Minister and the top brass of the Army, CRPF and J&K police. Meetings with students and common citizens are also on the cards while no interaction with Separatist/Hurriyat leaders has been scheduled.

But will Singh manage to make the Kashmiri people believe that Prime Minister Modi’s assertion in his Independence Day address of solving the problems of Kashmir “by embracing people” and not by bullets and recrimination is indeed a line that the Union government was willing to pursue?

Farooq AbdullahFormer J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah, the tallest political leader in the state at the moment, has said that he did not expect any concrete outcome from Singh’s visit.

“I have no expectation at all. He (Singh) will come; he will meet as he had done before. He led a delegation of MPs (earlier). What happened to that delegation and their recommendations? Nothing happened then and I expect nothing to happen now,” Abdullah told reporters ahead of Singh’s visit.

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Sambhal Court issues notice to Rahul Gandhi over fight against Indian state comment

Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by a Sambhal court over his statement that the opposition is fighting the Indian state, not just BJP or RSS.

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Rahul Gandhi addresses public at party headquarters

The District Judge Court of Sambhal has issued a notice to Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, seeking his response or appearance on April 4, in connection with a complaint filed over his controversial remark that opposition parties were not merely fighting the BJP or RSS, but the “Indian state” itself.

Statement triggers legal action

The legal proceedings stem from a statement made by Rahul Gandhi on January 15, during the inauguration of the Congress party’s new headquarters ‘Indira Bhawan’. In his address, Gandhi said, “Our ideology, like the RSS ideology, is thousands of years old, and it has been fighting the RSS ideology for thousands of years. Do not think that we are fighting a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe that we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP or RSS, you have not understood what is going on. The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself.”

He also commented on the status of Indian institutions and media, suggesting that both were no longer functioning freely or fairly.

Revision petition leads to court summons

Advocate Sachin Goyal, representing complainant Simran Gupta, explained that a case was initially filed in the special MP/MLA court seeking registration of an FIR against Gandhi. However, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) dismissed the plea citing lack of jurisdiction.

Following this, a revision petition was filed, after which the Sambhal District Judge accepted the complaint and issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi. The court has asked him to either appear in person or file a formal response on or before April 4.

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AAP leader Satyendar Jain faces fresh Rs 7 crore CCTV fraud allegations

Delhi ACB has filed a fresh corruption case against Satyendar Jain, alleging he took a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive penalties in a Rs 571 crore CCTV project. AAP denies all charges.

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AAP Minister Satyendar Jain

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) finds itself mired in yet another controversy as former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain faces fresh corruption allegations in connection with a Rs 571 crore CCTV installation project. The Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a case against Jain, accusing him of taking a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive a Rs 16 crore penalty imposed due to project delays.

According to the ACB’s statement released on Wednesday, the case has been registered under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations stem from the installation of over one lakh CCTV cameras across Delhi’s 70 Assembly segments, with a second order of an additional 1.4 lakh cameras allegedly placed after the initial delay.

The case is reportedly based on the testimony of an official from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), who detailed alleged irregularities and “shoddy” installations. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi has criticized AAP, accusing the party of suppressing the investigation when it was in power.

BJP Attacks AAP Over Corruption Allegations

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva has slammed AAP over the fresh charges against Jain. He alleged that the tender for the Rs 571 crore project was awarded to BEL, and Jain took a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive off financial penalties. “BJP had complained then also… but AAP tried to suppress the investigation. No matter how much you tried to hide corruption, you have to answer now,” Sachdeva stated.

Neither AAP nor Satyendar Jain has responded to the allegations yet.

More Legal Trouble for AAP Leaders

This fresh case adds to the mounting legal troubles for top AAP leaders. Satyendar Jain, who was granted bail in October last year after spending two years in custody in a money laundering case, is also facing prosecution in a disproportionate assets case.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia are also battling corruption charges. Kejriwal has been accused of misusing public funds for promotional posters, while Sisodia is embroiled in an alleged Rs 2,000 crore scam linked to classroom construction in Delhi government schools. Jain is also named in this case.

The controversial Delhi liquor excise policy scam also remains under investigation. Last month, a Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) report stated that the state suffered a Rs 2,002 crore loss due to policy irregularities.

AAP Denies Charges, Calls It a Political Vendetta

AAP has dismissed all allegations, claiming they are politically motivated and orchestrated by the BJP to tarnish its image. The party has also denied accusations that Kejriwal misused Rs 45 crore of taxpayers’ money for renovating his official residence.

Despite its denials, AAP suffered a massive defeat in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, where the BJP secured 48 of the 70 seats, marking a significant power shift in the capital after nearly three decades.

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CM Hemant Soren assures Sarhul celebrations amid tribal protests over flyover

Tribal groups in Jharkhand protest against a flyover near a sacred site, demanding its removal. CM Hemant Soren assures that Sarhul will be celebrated with traditional fervor.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has assured that the state’s biggest tribal festival, ‘Sarhul’, will be celebrated with traditional fervor despite ongoing protests by tribal outfits against an under-construction flyover near a Sarna Sthal, a sacred religious site.

Responding to concerns raised in the Jharkhand Assembly, BJP legislator CP Singh questioned the government over the construction of the flyover in Siram Toli, Ranchi, which tribal communities claim is obstructing access to their religious site. Singh urged the government to resolve the issue before the festival to avoid tensions.

In response, CM Soren acknowledged the issue and assured the people that Sarhul celebrations would not be affected.

Tribal protest intensifies in Ranchi

The tribal outfits staged a 5-km-long “funeral procession” of tribal legislators in Ranchi on Monday as a mark of protest against the flyover’s construction near the Sarna Sthal. The agitators torched effigies of 28 tribal legislators and demanded the removal of the flyover ramp, arguing that frequent traffic movement could disturb the sanctity of the religious site.

In a warning to the state government, the protestors have also called for a Ranchi bandh on March 22 if their demands are not met.

The 2.34-km-long elevated road, which includes a 132-meter section over a railway line, aims to ease traffic congestion by connecting Siram Toli to Mecon. However, its construction has triggered resistance from local tribal groups.

Ruckus in Jharkhand assembly over Giridih violence

Apart from the Sarna Sthal protest, the Jharkhand Assembly also witnessed an uproar over a clash during a Holi procession in Giridih district on March 14. BJP legislators stormed into the well of the House, demanding a special discussion on the state’s law and order situation.

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi accused the government of appeasement politics, alleging that the administration remained a mute spectator during the violence. Several people were injured, and shops and vehicles were torched in the incident.

Marandi claimed that police action unfairly targeted one community, stating that while 80 people were booked and 22 arrested, the real culprits were not held accountable. He demanded that FIRs be registered against those responsible for inciting the violence.

The political tension continues to escalate as protests over tribal rights and law enforcement dominate the state’s discourse.

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