&nbsp;An attempt to loot a Jammu and Kashmir ATM in Srinagar&#39;s Somerbugh was foiled by alert locals on Friday.

As per reports, the locals chased three armed youth who attempted to loot the ATM, following which all the three people escaped.

Further details are awaited in this issue.

Earlier on July 31, a group of terrorists looted the Jammu and Kashmir Bank at Arwani Bijbehara in Anantnag district.

As per reports, the terrorists managed to took away cash more than Rs. 5 lakh cash.

On July 11, the Shopian Police arrested three accused involved in the attempt of bank robbery and weapon snatching that took place at Jammu and Kashmir Bank of Imam Sahab area.

Three armed men who tried to rob the ATM were chased by locals in Srinagar's Somerbugh

An attempt to loot a Jammu and Kashmir ATM in Srinagar's Somerbugh was foiled by alert locals on Friday. As per reports, the locals chased three armed youth who attempted to loot the ATM, following which all the three people escaped. Further details are awaited in this issue. Earlier on July 31, a group of terrorists looted the Jammu and Kashmir Bank at Arwani Bijbehara in Anantnag district. As per reports, the terrorists managed to took away cash more than Rs. 5 lakh cash. On July 11, the Shopian Police arrested three accused involved in the attempt of bank robbery and weapon snatching that took place at Jammu and Kashmir Bank of Imam Sahab area.

Jammu and Kashmir: Locals thwart attempt to loot ATM in Srinagar

In yet another incident of ceasefire violation, a soldier was injured when Pakistani side fired on several Indian posts in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Uri sector.

According to ANI, the Indian side retaliated against the ceasefire violation after several Indian posts were targeted. Artillery shells were also fired from the Pakistani side.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash">#UPDATE</a> J&amp;K: One jawan injured in Uri ceasefire violation, artillery shells fired from PoK side.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/886909230082441216">July 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Earlier, the Indian Army top brass has strongly conveyed to Pakistan&nbsp;that it has every right to retaliate against incidents of ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Raising the issue of repeated ceasefire violation by the Pakistani side along the LoC, India&#39;s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lt&nbsp;Gen A K Bhatt, in a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart which lasted for nearly 10 minutes, told him that the Indian Army reserves the right to retaliate against ceasefire violation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The DGMO further added that the Indian Army &quot;is sincere&nbsp;in its effort of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC provided there was reciprocity&quot;, Army spokesman Lt Col Aman Anand said, as reported by PTI.&nbsp;

An Indian Army soldier and a nine-year-old girl were killed while three persons injured in heavy firing and mortar shelling by the Pakistan Army along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.&nbsp;

The Indian Army said it has&nbsp;retaliated, triggering heavy exchanges.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Rajouri&#39;s Manjakote sector (Jammu &amp; Kashmir) <a href="https://t.co/nBeko8KCeZ">pic.twitter.com/nBeko8KCeZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/886843172508151811">July 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The Indian Army Headquarters released a statement: Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked firing on Indian Army posts in Rajouri sector around 0730 hours today. Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively.

In the fire exchange, Naik Mudassar Ahmed was grievously injured when mortar shells landed on his bunker. He was evacuated to the MI room where he succumbed to his injuries.

The statement said Muddasar Ahmed was 37, and belonged to a village named Duchoo, Tehsil Tral, in the Pulwama District in Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his wife, Shaheena Muddasar, and two children.

The nine-year-old girl has been identified in media reports as&nbsp;Sajada Houser. She was killed at Baroti, a&nbsp;police officer told PTI.&nbsp; 
 
A senior district official of Rajouri told PTI that two civilians were injured in shelling in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district and have been hospitalised. A soldier&nbsp;was also injured, he said.

Schools along the&nbsp;Manajote and Balakote belt have been shut and people have been advised&nbsp;not to come out of their homes in view of the heavy shelling.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash">#Visuals</a> of woman injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC in Rajouri&#39;s Manjakote sector (J&amp;K) <a href="https://t.co/XgScZfAzga">pic.twitter.com/XgScZfAzga</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/886846115382820864">July 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Earlier, in a stern message, India conveyed to Pakistan that it has the right to retaliate against ceasefire violation along LoC

In yet another incident of ceasefire violation, a soldier was injured when Pakistani side fired on several Indian posts in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector. According to ANI, the Indian side retaliated against the ceasefire violation after several Indian posts were targeted. Artillery shells were also fired from the Pakistani side. #UPDATE J&K: One jawan injured in Uri ceasefire violation, artillery shells fired from PoK side. — ANI (@ANI_news) July 17, 2017 × Earlier, the Indian Army top brass has strongly conveyed to Pakistan that it has every right to retaliate against incidents of ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Raising the issue of repeated ceasefire violation by the Pakistani side along the LoC, India's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lt Gen A K Bhatt, in a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart which lasted for nearly 10 minutes, told him that the Indian Army reserves the right to retaliate against ceasefire violation. The DGMO further added that the Indian Army "is sincere in its effort of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC provided there was reciprocity", Army spokesman Lt Col Aman Anand said, as reported by PTI. An Indian Army soldier and a nine-year-old girl were killed while three persons injured in heavy firing and mortar shelling by the Pakistan Army along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The Indian Army said it has retaliated, triggering heavy exchanges. #WATCH Ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Rajouri's Manjakote sector (Jammu & Kashmir) pic.twitter.com/nBeko8KCeZ — ANI (@ANI_news) July 17, 2017 × The Indian Army Headquarters released a statement: Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked firing on Indian Army posts in Rajouri sector around 0730 hours today. Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively. In the fire exchange, Naik Mudassar Ahmed was grievously injured when mortar shells landed on his bunker. He was evacuated to the MI room where he succumbed to his injuries. The statement said Muddasar Ahmed was 37, and belonged to a village named Duchoo, Tehsil Tral, in the Pulwama District in Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his wife, Shaheena Muddasar, and two children. The nine-year-old girl has been identified in media reports as Sajada Houser. She was killed at Baroti, a police officer told PTI. A senior district official of Rajouri told PTI that two civilians were injured in shelling in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district and have been hospitalised. A soldier was also injured, he said. Schools along the Manajote and Balakote belt have been shut and people have been advised not to come out of their homes in view of the heavy shelling. #Visuals of woman injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC in Rajouri's Manjakote sector (J&K) pic.twitter.com/XgScZfAzga — ANI (@ANI_news) July 17, 2017 ×

After Poonch and Rajouri, Pakistan violates ceasefire in J&K's Uri sector, 1 killed

A woman devotee, who was&nbsp;injured in the deadly militant attack on Amarnath pilgrims last week, succumbed at a hospital early today, taking the death toll in the incident to eight.

47-year-old Lalita died due to her injuries at the&nbsp;SKIMS Hospital here, a police official told PTI.&nbsp;

On July 10, a&nbsp;bus bearing the registration number GJ09Z 9976 was attacked by terrorists at around 8:20 pm (local time) near Khanabal when it was on its way to Jammu.

According to the police, the bus was not a part of the&nbsp;yatra&nbsp;convoy which is being provided elaborate security. The terrorists first attacked a bullet-proof bunker of the police at Botengoo, a police official said.&nbsp;When the police retaliated, the terrorists fled, firing indiscriminately at the bus carrying the pilgrims.

Seven pilgrims, six of them women, were killed and 32 were injured.

&nbsp;

47-year-old Lalita succumbed to her injuries six days after the terror attack

A woman devotee, who was injured in the deadly militant attack on Amarnath pilgrims last week, succumbed at a hospital early today, taking the death toll in the incident to eight. 47-year-old Lalita died due to her injuries at the SKIMS Hospital here, a police official told PTI. On July 10, a bus bearing the registration number GJ09Z 9976 was attacked by terrorists at around 8:20 pm (local time) near Khanabal when it was on its way to Jammu. According to the police, the bus was not a part of the yatra convoy which is being provided elaborate security. The terrorists first attacked a bullet-proof bunker of the police at Botengoo, a police official said. When the police retaliated, the terrorists fled, firing indiscriminately at the bus carrying the pilgrims. Seven pilgrims, six of them women, were killed and 32 were injured.

Amarnath Yatra attack: Death toll rises to eight as woman succumbs to injuries

Spreading a message of unity in times of tension in Jammu and Kashmir, around 3,000 people, mostly Muslims, got together in the Pulwama district to attend the funeral of a local Kashmiri Pandit.&nbsp;

The Muslim community in the Trichal village helped perform the last rites of 50-year-old Tej Kishan as per Hindu rituals, ANI reported.

As news of Kishan&rsquo;s death after a year-long battle with paralysis came in, his neighbours spread the word about performing his last rites over Mosque loudspeakers in the entire region.

&quot;This is true Kashmir; this is our culture and we share a brotherhood. We do not believe in duality or divisive politics. We share composite culture,&quot; said Janki Nath Panditha, Kishan&rsquo;s brother, told ANI.

Kishan and his family stayed back in the Valley in the nineties when most from the Kashmiri Pandit community were leaving the region fearing persecution under Islamist militancy. &nbsp;

&quot;Majority of people present in the last rituals were Muslims. We performed his last rites. We condemn incidents which try to create differences between Hindus and Muslims. We live here in peace and harmony,&quot; Muhammad Yousuf, Kishan&rsquo;s neighbour, told ANI.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

About 3,000 people, mostly Muslims, gathered in the Trichal village to perform the last rites of a local Kashmiri Pandit who died after a year-long paralysis

Spreading a message of unity in times of tension in Jammu and Kashmir, around 3,000 people, mostly Muslims, got together in the Pulwama district to attend the funeral of a local Kashmiri Pandit. The Muslim community in the Trichal village helped perform the last rites of 50-year-old Tej Kishan as per Hindu rituals, ANI reported. As news of Kishan’s death after a year-long battle with paralysis came in, his neighbours spread the word about performing his last rites over Mosque loudspeakers in the entire region. "This is true Kashmir; this is our culture and we share a brotherhood. We do not believe in duality or divisive politics. We share composite culture," said Janki Nath Panditha, Kishan’s brother, told ANI. Kishan and his family stayed back in the Valley in the nineties when most from the Kashmiri Pandit community were leaving the region fearing persecution under Islamist militancy. "Majority of people present in the last rituals were Muslims. We performed his last rites. We condemn incidents which try to create differences between Hindus and Muslims. We live here in peace and harmony," Muhammad Yousuf, Kishan’s neighbour, told ANI.

Muslims help perform last rites of Kashmiri Pandit man in Valley

A video of suspected Kashmiri militants playing cricket went viral on social media on Thursday.&nbsp;

The five-minute-long video shows five young men playing cricket in what appears to be an orchard.&nbsp;

They use an AK47 as the bowler&#39;s wicket.&nbsp;

The video (above) appears to have been shot in south Kashmir.&nbsp;

The video is propaganda, which the militancy in Kashmir has used to powerful effect.&nbsp;

Thursday&#39;s video has been released two days after the attack on the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, in which seven people died and 15 were injured.&nbsp;

It is impossible to say if the video was released because of the attack.&nbsp;

But it is important to mention that the attack on the pilgrims was denounced by every section of Kashmiri society -- the politicians, the leaders of the Hurriyat, and civil society.

In Srinagar, students, traders, and civil society groups took out a rally to protest against the attack.&nbsp;

In the video, the young men appear relaxed, looking like they are enjoying their game of cricket.&nbsp;

An Urdu song plays in the background. Translated, it says:&nbsp;

&quot;I hate sin, I am a fidayeen of my faith 
I fight the unjust of my times 
You pretend to be a gentleman, but you love the non-believer 
More than Islam, you love sin&nbsp; 
You hate the resistance, you love democracy&quot;

Photographs of militants or videos like this one spread quickly.&nbsp;

A 2015 &quot;group photograph&quot; of Burhan Wani -- along with 10 other young men posing for the camera in an orchard like the one in this video -- had also gone viral.&nbsp;

The video looks like it might have been shot in South Kashmir

A video of suspected Kashmiri militants playing cricket went viral on social media on Thursday. The five-minute-long video shows five young men playing cricket in what appears to be an orchard. They use an AK47 as the bowler's wicket. The video (above) appears to have been shot in south Kashmir. The video is propaganda, which the militancy in Kashmir has used to powerful effect. Thursday's video has been released two days after the attack on the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, in which seven people died and 15 were injured. It is impossible to say if the video was released because of the attack. But it is important to mention that the attack on the pilgrims was denounced by every section of Kashmiri society -- the politicians, the leaders of the Hurriyat, and civil society. In Srinagar, students, traders, and civil society groups took out a rally to protest against the attack. In the video, the young men appear relaxed, looking like they are enjoying their game of cricket. An Urdu song plays in the background. Translated, it says: "I hate sin, I am a fidayeen of my faith I fight the unjust of my times You pretend to be a gentleman, but you love the non-believer More than Islam, you love sin You hate the resistance, you love democracy" Photographs of militants or videos like this one spread quickly. A 2015 "group photograph" of Burhan Wani -- along with 10 other young men posing for the camera in an orchard like the one in this video -- had also gone viral.

Video: Suspected Kashmiri militants play cricket with AK47 as wicket

The Jammu and Kashmir human rights commission has directed the state government to pay Farooq Ahmad Dar -- who was used as a &quot;human shield&quot; by the Army -- Rs 10 lakh in compensation.&nbsp;

Dar, an embroidery artisan, had been tied to an army jeep by Major Leetul Gogoi during the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll.&nbsp;

Gogoi had said he had been surrounded by stone pelters at the time and that he had used Dar as a human shield to deter the pelters and evacuate his men to safety.&nbsp;

Shortly after the incident, Gogoi had received a commendation card from the Army chief.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>&#39;I have no doubt in my mind that Farooq Ahmad was subjected to torture and humiliation, besides (being) wrongly confined,&#39; the judgement issued by SHRC chairperson Justice (retired) Bilal Nazki stated</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text='I have no doubt in my mind that Farooq Ahmad was subjected to torture and humiliation, besides (being) wrongly confined,' the judgement issued by SHRC chairperson Justice (retired) Bilal Nazki stated" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;I have no doubt in my mind that Farooq Ahmad was subjected to torture and humiliation, besides (being) wrongly confined,&quot; PTI quoted the judgement issued by SHRC chairperson Justice (retired) Bilal Nazki as stating.

&quot;For the humiliation, physical and psychiatric torture, stress, wrongful restraint and confinement, the commission thinks it appropriate to direct the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim,&quot; the order added.

The commission has directed the&nbsp;J&amp;K government to comply with its direction within six weeks.

The judgement however is recommendatory in nature and will need the approval of the state government.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Not in agreement to their attitude, don&#39;t know how&amp;by whom this order was given. No question of compensation to ppl who pelt stones: V Naidu <a href="https://t.co/ImSwa2zmrh">pic.twitter.com/ImSwa2zmrh</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/884428969335939073">July 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The central government&nbsp;meanwhile has reacted unfavourably to the news.&nbsp;

ANI reported minister of information and broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu as saying that there was &quot;no question of compensation to people who pelt stones&quot;.&nbsp;

Dar had been tied to an army jeep by Major Leetul Gogoi. Gogoi said he had done so to ward off stone pelters

The Jammu and Kashmir human rights commission has directed the state government to pay Farooq Ahmad Dar -- who was used as a "human shield" by the Army -- Rs 10 lakh in compensation. Dar, an embroidery artisan, had been tied to an army jeep by Major Leetul Gogoi during the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll. Gogoi had said he had been surrounded by stone pelters at the time and that he had used Dar as a human shield to deter the pelters and evacuate his men to safety. Shortly after the incident, Gogoi had received a commendation card from the Army chief. 'I have no doubt in my mind that Farooq Ahmad was subjected to torture and humiliation, besides (being) wrongly confined,' the judgement issued by SHRC chairperson Justice (retired) Bilal Nazki stated × "I have no doubt in my mind that Farooq Ahmad was subjected to torture and humiliation, besides (being) wrongly confined," PTI quoted the judgement issued by SHRC chairperson Justice (retired) Bilal Nazki as stating. "For the humiliation, physical and psychiatric torture, stress, wrongful restraint and confinement, the commission thinks it appropriate to direct the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim," the order added. The commission has directed the J&K government to comply with its direction within six weeks. The judgement however is recommendatory in nature and will need the approval of the state government. Not in agreement to their attitude, don't know how&by whom this order was given. No question of compensation to ppl who pelt stones: V Naidu pic.twitter.com/ImSwa2zmrh — ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2017 × The central government meanwhile has reacted unfavourably to the news. ANI reported minister of information and broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu as saying that there was "no question of compensation to people who pelt stones".

Human shield case: J&K govt told to pay Farooq Ahmad Dar Rs 10 lakh

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has passed a resolution implementing the Goods and Services Tax.&nbsp;

That now means every single state in the country has implemented the GST.&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir was the one state that might have stayed out of the GST.&nbsp;

That would have been troublesome since one of the main aims of the GST was to convert India into one single market, which would have been impossible to do had one of the states stayed out of it.&nbsp;

There were however protests by the Opposition parties as the J&amp;K Assembly passed the resolution.&nbsp;

There have also been protests against the tax in the state.&nbsp;

The resolution was passed amidst protests by the Opposition parties

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has passed a resolution implementing the Goods and Services Tax. That now means every single state in the country has implemented the GST. Jammu and Kashmir was the one state that might have stayed out of the GST. That would have been troublesome since one of the main aims of the GST was to convert India into one single market, which would have been impossible to do had one of the states stayed out of it. There were however protests by the Opposition parties as the J&K Assembly passed the resolution. There have also been protests against the tax in the state.

J&K Assembly passes resolution implementing GST

Two militants,&nbsp;including a commander of terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba&nbsp;were&nbsp;killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Kashmir&#39;s Anantnag on Saturday.

Police said the LeT commander was Bashir Lakshari, and that he had been involved in the killing of SHO Feroz Ahmed and five other policemen on the outskirts of Anantnag district on June 16.&nbsp; 
 
Two civilians were also killed and &nbsp;six other people wounded in the crossfire between security forces and militants&nbsp;inside a house.

Jammu and Kashmir Inspector General Munir Khan said 17 people had been evacuated from the house and arms and ammunition had been recovered from them. 
 
The encounter broke out after soldiers and special counterinsurgency police forces surrounded a neighbourhood in Batipora village, acting on a tip off that armed militants were hiding in the area.

The militants had a few villagers in the building with them, and police officials said they were using them as human shields.

Witnesses disputed that, saying that local residents went to the house where the rebels were holed up to help them as the soldiers arrived in the area, AFP reported.

The first victim, a woman identified as 44-year-old Tahira,&nbsp;was killed in the crossfire.&nbsp;She was rushed to the district hospital but died from her injuries shortly afterwards.&nbsp;

The second, a 21-year-old man identified as&nbsp;Shadab Ahmad Chopan,&nbsp;was killed in security forces&#39; action against protesters who had gathered near the encounter site. Stone throwing and clashes were also reported from the area.

As gunshots were heard in the area hundreds of villagers came out on to the streets shouting anti-India slogans and throwing stones at soldiers in their attempts to break the cordon and help the rebels escape. 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
J&amp;K: Two LeT terrorists, Bashir Lashkari &amp; Azad Malik, gunned down by security forces during an encounter in Anantnag. <a href="https://t.co/CAVhvSD1Jw">pic.twitter.com/CAVhvSD1Jw</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/881063314603638784">July 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

 
&quot;The lady was killed while we were laying a cordon,&quot; Inspector General of police Muneer Ahmed Khan told AFP.

The fighting ended when the two militants were killed, the local director general of police SP Vaid told AFP.

Police had earlier said there were a total of four militants holed up at the encounter site.

 
&nbsp;

Police said one of the militants was a top LeT commander who had been involved in the killing of an SHO and five other policemen in the Achabal area of south Kashmir on June 16

Two militants, including a commander of terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Kashmir's Anantnag on Saturday. Police said the LeT commander was Bashir Lakshari, and that he had been involved in the killing of SHO Feroz Ahmed and five other policemen on the outskirts of Anantnag district on June 16. Two civilians were also killed and six other people wounded in the crossfire between security forces and militants inside a house. Jammu and Kashmir Inspector General Munir Khan said 17 people had been evacuated from the house and arms and ammunition had been recovered from them. The encounter broke out after soldiers and special counterinsurgency police forces surrounded a neighbourhood in Batipora village, acting on a tip off that armed militants were hiding in the area. The militants had a few villagers in the building with them, and police officials said they were using them as human shields. Witnesses disputed that, saying that local residents went to the house where the rebels were holed up to help them as the soldiers arrived in the area, AFP reported. The first victim, a woman identified as 44-year-old Tahira, was killed in the crossfire. She was rushed to the district hospital but died from her injuries shortly afterwards. The second, a 21-year-old man identified as Shadab Ahmad Chopan, was killed in security forces' action against protesters who had gathered near the encounter site. Stone throwing and clashes were also reported from the area. As gunshots were heard in the area hundreds of villagers came out on to the streets shouting anti-India slogans and throwing stones at soldiers in their attempts to break the cordon and help the rebels escape. J&K: Two LeT terrorists, Bashir Lashkari & Azad Malik, gunned down by security forces during an encounter in Anantnag. pic.twitter.com/CAVhvSD1Jw — ANI (@ANI_news) July 1, 2017 × "The lady was killed while we were laying a cordon," Inspector General of police Muneer Ahmed Khan told AFP. The fighting ended when the two militants were killed, the local director general of police SP Vaid told AFP. Police had earlier said there were a total of four militants holed up at the encounter site.

J&K: Top Lashkar terrorist shot dead in encounter, 2 civilians killed

An unidentified man was lynched by an irate mob after he allegedly opened fire at a group of people who caught him clicking pictures near a mosque in downtown area of Srinagar.

A man was seen moving in suspicious circumstances by some people near Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area at 0030 hours, police sources said. He was reportedly clicking pictures of people while they were coming out of the mosque.

They said people tried to catch the man who allegedly fired several shots from his pistol, injuring three persons. The irate mob then caught hold of him and stripped him naked before stoning him to death, the sources said.

His body was taken to police control room for identification and other legal procedures, they said adding the situation in old city has turned tense following the incident.

The identity of the deceased could not be immediately established as the angry mob went on a rampage targeting empty security pickets erected in the area. Police reinforcement were rushed in to restore normalcy in the area.

Muslims across Kashmir are observing Shab-e-Qadr (the night of power) with night-long prayers and supplications being made inside the mosques and shrines of the valley.

The authorities have already announced restrictions on movement of people in seven police station areas of the city as a precautionary measure.

The restrictions, which would come into force at dawn, were announced to maintain law and order as separatists had called for protests after Friday prayers against killing of a civilian during protests in Kakapora area of Pulwama District yesterday.

He was taking pictures near a mosque. People tried to catch him, he shot and injured three people with a pistol, then they stoned him to death

An unidentified man was lynched by an irate mob after he allegedly opened fire at a group of people who caught him clicking pictures near a mosque in downtown area of Srinagar. A man was seen moving in suspicious circumstances by some people near Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area at 0030 hours, police sources said. He was reportedly clicking pictures of people while they were coming out of the mosque. They said people tried to catch the man who allegedly fired several shots from his pistol, injuring three persons. The irate mob then caught hold of him and stripped him naked before stoning him to death, the sources said. His body was taken to police control room for identification and other legal procedures, they said adding the situation in old city has turned tense following the incident. The identity of the deceased could not be immediately established as the angry mob went on a rampage targeting empty security pickets erected in the area. Police reinforcement were rushed in to restore normalcy in the area. Muslims across Kashmir are observing Shab-e-Qadr (the night of power) with night-long prayers and supplications being made inside the mosques and shrines of the valley. The authorities have already announced restrictions on movement of people in seven police station areas of the city as a precautionary measure. The restrictions, which would come into force at dawn, were announced to maintain law and order as separatists had called for protests after Friday prayers against killing of a civilian during protests in Kakapora area of Pulwama District yesterday.

Srinagar mob lynches photo-taking, pistol-carrying man

Suspected militants shot a civilian Saturday night in the Pulwama district of south Kashmir, police said.

PTI reported police as saying Aijaz Ahmad Malik (27) was shot at and critically injured by militants outside his home in Arrubugh around 10.30 pm.

Malik was rushed to hospital&nbsp;but died from his injuries, police added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash">#UPDATE</a> Ajaz Ahmed Malik, the civilian who was injured in firing by terrorists in Pulwama has succumbed to his injuries
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876253607170981888">June 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

It is not known why the suspected militants attacked Malik, but the killing is again indicative of the worsening situation in Kashmir.&nbsp;

Militants in Kashmir have of late taken to targeting local army and police personnel.&nbsp;

In May this year, militants kidnapped and killed Lt Ummer Fayaz who was home on leave from the army.

Fayaz was Kashmiri.&nbsp;

He was abducted from a cousin&#39;s wedding which he was attending at the time.&nbsp;

27-year-old Aijaz Ahmad Malik was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries

Suspected militants shot a civilian Saturday night in the Pulwama district of south Kashmir, police said. PTI reported police as saying Aijaz Ahmad Malik (27) was shot at and critically injured by militants outside his home in Arrubugh around 10.30 pm. Malik was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries, police added. #UPDATE Ajaz Ahmed Malik, the civilian who was injured in firing by terrorists in Pulwama has succumbed to his injuries — ANI (@ANI_news) June 18, 2017 × It is not known why the suspected militants attacked Malik, but the killing is again indicative of the worsening situation in Kashmir. Militants in Kashmir have of late taken to targeting local army and police personnel. In May this year, militants kidnapped and killed Lt Ummer Fayaz who was home on leave from the army. Fayaz was Kashmiri. He was abducted from a cousin's wedding which he was attending at the time.

Kashmir: Suspected militants shoot dead civilian in Pulwama

India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded an FIR against the Congress for releasing a booklet with a map of Jammu and Kashmir shown as &lsquo;Indian Occupied Kashmir&rsquo;. 
&nbsp; 
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad released the booklet at a press conference in Lucknow, which has since drawn a lot of criticism from the BJP. 
&nbsp; 
The BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga initiated the investigation under various laws including Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention on Insults of National Honour Act, or any other law deemed applicable and appropriate on Monday, according to a report on ANI. 
&nbsp; 
Bagga stressed that the map is derogatory to the spirit of Constitution of India and also offending and insulting to the emotions of the general public. 
&nbsp; 
Congress leader Ajay Maken said it was a &quot;printing error&quot; but admitted that it was his party&#39;s responsibility to ensure that such a mistake was not allowed. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;This is a printing error. However, we should have taken caution, we have committed a grave mistake, and we will ensure that such type of errors is not repeated,&quot; Congress leader Ajay Makan told ANI. 
&nbsp; 
Congress, however, claimed the BJP had released a similar map on its website but never admitted to the mistake. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&quot;But the difference between Congress and the BJP is that we apologise for our mistake immediately. In 2014, the BJP displayed the map with the same error on their website. Till now they have not apologised,&quot; Makan said. 
&nbsp; 
(WION)

The BJP has demanded an FIR against the Congress for publication of a booklet that shows a map of Pakistan, wherein the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has been shown as part and territory of Pakistan.

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded an FIR against the Congress for releasing a booklet with a map of Jammu and Kashmir shown as ‘Indian Occupied Kashmir’. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad released the booklet at a press conference in Lucknow, which has since drawn a lot of criticism from the BJP. The BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga initiated the investigation under various laws including Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention on Insults of National Honour Act, or any other law deemed applicable and appropriate on Monday, according to a report on ANI. Bagga stressed that the map is derogatory to the spirit of Constitution of India and also offending and insulting to the emotions of the general public. Congress leader Ajay Maken said it was a "printing error" but admitted that it was his party's responsibility to ensure that such a mistake was not allowed. "This is a printing error. However, we should have taken caution, we have committed a grave mistake, and we will ensure that such type of errors is not repeated," Congress leader Ajay Makan told ANI. Congress, however, claimed the BJP had released a similar map on its website but never admitted to the mistake. "But the difference between Congress and the BJP is that we apologise for our mistake immediately. In 2014, the BJP displayed the map with the same error on their website. Till now they have not apologised," Makan said. (WION)

BJP files complaint against Congress over 'India Occupied Kashmir' booklet

The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded an FIR against the Congress for publication of a booklet that shows a map of Pakistan, wherein the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has been shown as part and territory of Pakistan, labelled as &#39;India Occupied Kashmir&#39;.&nbsp;

The BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga demanded for a probe to be initiated by the police for breaching the National Honour Act.

On June 3,&nbsp;the Congress published and distributed a booklet titled &#39;Rashtriya Suraksha Par Aanch &#39;, in&nbsp;which Jammu and Kashmir has been erroneously shown to be a part of Pakistan.

Bagga lashed out at the gaffe, dubbing the map to be &quot;derogatory&quot; and &quot;offensive&quot; to the public of the country.&nbsp;

However, the Congress has swung into defensive mode, calling the blooper a &quot;printing error&#39;.

&quot;This is a printing error. However, we should have taken caution, we have committed a grave mistake, and we will ensure that such type of errors is not repeated,&quot; Congress leader Ajay Makan told ANI.

Makan went on to further add that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had committed the same mistake in 2014, where it had displayed the same map on their website.

&quot;But the difference between Congress and the BJP is that we apologise for our mistake immediately. In 2014, the BJP displayed the map with same error on their website. Till now they have not apologised,&quot; he said.

(ANI)

The Congress recently published a booklet titled 'Rashtriya Suraksha Par Aanch ', in?which Jammu and Kashmir has been erroneously shown to be a part of Pakistan

The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded an FIR against the Congress for publication of a booklet that shows a map of Pakistan, wherein the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has been shown as part and territory of Pakistan, labelled as 'India Occupied Kashmir'. The BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga demanded for a probe to be initiated by the police for breaching the National Honour Act. On June 3, the Congress published and distributed a booklet titled 'Rashtriya Suraksha Par Aanch ', in which Jammu and Kashmir has been erroneously shown to be a part of Pakistan. Bagga lashed out at the gaffe, dubbing the map to be "derogatory" and "offensive" to the public of the country. However, the Congress has swung into defensive mode, calling the blooper a "printing error'. "This is a printing error. However, we should have taken caution, we have committed a grave mistake, and we will ensure that such type of errors is not repeated," Congress leader Ajay Makan told ANI. Makan went on to further add that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had committed the same mistake in 2014, where it had displayed the same map on their website. "But the difference between Congress and the BJP is that we apologise for our mistake immediately. In 2014, the BJP displayed the map with same error on their website. Till now they have not apologised," he said. (ANI)

BJP seeks action against Congress for 'anti-India map'

Paresh Rawal&rsquo;s controversial tweet saying, &ldquo;Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy&rdquo; raises important questions about the role of social media in public life. The sequence of events leading to the tweet throws lights on the extent to which the fake news ecosystem intersects with mainstream media and influential public figures. Expressions of moral outrage at Rawal&rsquo;s presumed ignorance (or innocence, as some would insist) is easy. What is more difficult, and necessary, is taking stock of our immersion in what a prominent academic called the &ldquo;networks of outrage&rdquo; and the larger contexts in which such networks thrive. 
&nbsp; 
Paresh Rawal has a modest but respectable 262,000 followers on Twitter where the unit for measuring those seriously famous is a million followers (or even a dozen million: Indian Prime Minister has over 30 million followers and Amitabh Bachchan 26.9 million). Rawal&rsquo;s tweets typically include a combination of gracious acceptance of his fans&rsquo; greetings, links highlighting the Prime Minister&rsquo;s latest achievements, praise to nationalist icons dear to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the odd blessing to younger admirers, or their children. These are routinely interspersed with his comments (or responses to followers&rsquo; tweets) attacking Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and other political opponents of the BJP. He also participates in Twitter exchanges in which assorted enemies of the state, including the news media company NDTV and individual Indian nationals, are named and shamed for their presumed loyalty to Pakistan. 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>No one spreading the reports of Roy&rsquo;s interview, or reacting with outrage to it, bothered to verify the news</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=No one spreading the reports of Roy?s interview, or reacting with outrage to it, bothered to verify the news" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

It is the last category of exchanges to which Rawal&rsquo;s tweet on Arundhati Roy belongs. As is well-known by now, the tweet was triggered by a fake news report claiming that the writer-activist had given an interview valorising Kashmiri separatists. The false report in question had several news websites repeating the claim without verification and television anchors going one step further by expressing outrage at Roy&rsquo;s anti-nationalism. The nation wanted to know why her passport wasn&rsquo;t revoked, and so on. 
&nbsp; 
This entire flash media storm is regrettable on many counts. For starters, no one spreading the reports of Roy&rsquo;s interview, or reacting with outrage to it, bothered to verify the news. The story has now been traced to a report in the Times of Islamabad, and other media outlets in Pakistan who in turn had not verified their sources. These stories were picked up, among others, by a dubious Indian news website Post Card but also the television channel Republic TV. Paresh Rawal&rsquo;s most likely source was a link to the report in Post Card shared on a Facebook page titled The Nationalist. Rawal can derive some comfort from the fact that no one is accusing him of making up the story. 
&nbsp; 
No doubt, Rawal&rsquo;s online conduct was hasty and in poor taste. But that is the least of the problems. His tweet on tying Roy to an army jeep as a human shield has the potential to cause the government some embarrassment in international forums. After all, he represents the BJP in parliament. Further, as some commentators have noted, the incident he was referring to is under investigation by the army. 
&nbsp; 
Perhaps sensing trouble, BJP sought to distance itself from the tweet with Smriti Irani saying that the party does not support violent messages by anyone. On the face of it, it would appear that the party had indirectly reprimanded Paresh Rawal for his faux paus. In fact, Rawal was silent for a few days after his Tweet and was also reported to have deleted it. This was about as close as we could have got to a happy ending to this saga. 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>For someone who overreacted to a fake news report, Paresh Rawal&nbsp;does not seem embarrassed at all</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=For someone who overreacted to a fake news report, Paresh Rawal?does not seem embarrassed at all" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

However, this is the season of sequels. Paresh Rawal proved to be anything but repentant. He resurfaced in the media with a letter to his supporters stating that he was &ldquo;coerced&rdquo; by Twitter to delete his tweet. Curiously, for someone who overreacted to a fake news report, Paresh Rawal&nbsp;does not seem embarrassed at all. How do we understand his response and also that of his supporters&mdash;including a few film personalities&mdash;who insist that he is the offended party here? 
&nbsp; 
For starters, we should not be surprised. Rawal is only following the example set by no less a politician than the President of the most powerful nation on earth. President Donald Trump has been uncivil, offensive and belligerent on social media before and after his election. That&rsquo;s not all. He is known to rely on dubious sources known for creating fake news for his &ldquo;information.&rdquo; After his election, investigative reporters revealed that several of his offensive and racist tweets during the presidential campaign were made with a view to pandering to the preferences and prejudices of certain constituencies. Trump&rsquo;s tweets were aimed at giving those constituencies what they wanted to hear and he couldn&rsquo;t care less for the views of those who were not going to vote for him anyway. 
&nbsp; 
Back home, what we are witnessing is the increasingly cosy relationship between media producers who specialise in news that people want to hear (regardless of its truth content), mainstream media houses which whip up controversies and public figures who willingly suspend disbelief when pet themes and enemies are involved. And Arundhati Roy is an old frenemy of the BJP&rsquo;s supporters. She is a convenient peg to hang anything that enemies of the party are likely to say. The issue is one of plausibility (could she have said something like that?), not whether or not she actually said it. It is against this backdrop that the Paresh Rawal drama played out. 
&nbsp; 
Although some people might be under the impression that the actor has made a fool of himself, there is no denying that this is a big moment for him. It is unlikely that he&rsquo;s ever been as famous as he is now. At the time of writing this piece (late morning of 25th May), Paresh Rawal was the most trending topic on Facebook. Between 24th and 25th May, he acquired 3000 new followers on Twitter. Now, why on earth would he regret being where he is?

Paresh Rawal's insensitive tweet on Arundhati Roy indicates how careless mainstream media has become with fake news.

Paresh Rawal’s controversial tweet saying, “Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy” raises important questions about the role of social media in public life. The sequence of events leading to the tweet throws lights on the extent to which the fake news ecosystem intersects with mainstream media and influential public figures. Expressions of moral outrage at Rawal’s presumed ignorance (or innocence, as some would insist) is easy. What is more difficult, and necessary, is taking stock of our immersion in what a prominent academic called the “networks of outrage” and the larger contexts in which such networks thrive. Paresh Rawal has a modest but respectable 262,000 followers on Twitter where the unit for measuring those seriously famous is a million followers (or even a dozen million: Indian Prime Minister has over 30 million followers and Amitabh Bachchan 26.9 million). Rawal’s tweets typically include a combination of gracious acceptance of his fans’ greetings, links highlighting the Prime Minister’s latest achievements, praise to nationalist icons dear to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the odd blessing to younger admirers, or their children. These are routinely interspersed with his comments (or responses to followers’ tweets) attacking Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and other political opponents of the BJP. He also participates in Twitter exchanges in which assorted enemies of the state, including the news media company NDTV and individual Indian nationals, are named and shamed for their presumed loyalty to Pakistan. No one spreading the reports of Roy’s interview, or reacting with outrage to it, bothered to verify the news × It is the last category of exchanges to which Rawal’s tweet on Arundhati Roy belongs. As is well-known by now, the tweet was triggered by a fake news report claiming that the writer-activist had given an interview valorising Kashmiri separatists. The false report in question had several news websites repeating the claim without verification and television anchors going one step further by expressing outrage at Roy’s anti-nationalism. The nation wanted to know why her passport wasn’t revoked, and so on. This entire flash media storm is regrettable on many counts. For starters, no one spreading the reports of Roy’s interview, or reacting with outrage to it, bothered to verify the news. The story has now been traced to a report in the Times of Islamabad, and other media outlets in Pakistan who in turn had not verified their sources. These stories were picked up, among others, by a dubious Indian news website Post Card but also the television channel Republic TV. Paresh Rawal’s most likely source was a link to the report in Post Card shared on a Facebook page titled The Nationalist. Rawal can derive some comfort from the fact that no one is accusing him of making up the story. No doubt, Rawal’s online conduct was hasty and in poor taste. But that is the least of the problems. His tweet on tying Roy to an army jeep as a human shield has the potential to cause the government some embarrassment in international forums. After all, he represents the BJP in parliament. Further, as some commentators have noted, the incident he was referring to is under investigation by the army. Perhaps sensing trouble, BJP sought to distance itself from the tweet with Smriti Irani saying that the party does not support violent messages by anyone. On the face of it, it would appear that the party had indirectly reprimanded Paresh Rawal for his faux paus. In fact, Rawal was silent for a few days after his Tweet and was also reported to have deleted it. This was about as close as we could have got to a happy ending to this saga. For someone who overreacted to a fake news report, Paresh Rawal does not seem embarrassed at all × However, this is the season of sequels. Paresh Rawal proved to be anything but repentant. He resurfaced in the media with a letter to his supporters stating that he was “coerced” by Twitter to delete his tweet. Curiously, for someone who overreacted to a fake news report, Paresh Rawal does not seem embarrassed at all. How do we understand his response and also that of his supporters—including a few film personalities—who insist that he is the offended party here? For starters, we should not be surprised. Rawal is only following the example set by no less a politician than the President of the most powerful nation on earth. President Donald Trump has been uncivil, offensive and belligerent on social media before and after his election. That’s not all. He is known to rely on dubious sources known for creating fake news for his “information.” After his election, investigative reporters revealed that several of his offensive and racist tweets during the presidential campaign were made with a view to pandering to the preferences and prejudices of certain constituencies. Trump’s tweets were aimed at giving those constituencies what they wanted to hear and he couldn’t care less for the views of those who were not going to vote for him anyway. Back home, what we are witnessing is the increasingly cosy relationship between media producers who specialise in news that people want to hear (regardless of its truth content), mainstream media houses which whip up controversies and public figures who willingly suspend disbelief when pet themes and enemies are involved. And Arundhati Roy is an old frenemy of the BJP’s supporters. She is a convenient peg to hang anything that enemies of the party are likely to say. The issue is one of plausibility (could she have said something like that?), not whether or not she actually said it. It is against this backdrop that the Paresh Rawal drama played out. Although some people might be under the impression that the actor has made a fool of himself, there is no denying that this is a big moment for him. It is unlikely that he’s ever been as famous as he is now. At the time of writing this piece (late morning of 25th May), Paresh Rawal was the most trending topic on Facebook. Between 24th and 25th May, he acquired 3000 new followers on Twitter. Now, why on earth would he regret being where he is?

Paresh Rawal and his comedy of error on social media

The Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council meeting to deliberate on tax rates is underway in Srinagar&#39;s Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre.

The meeting is being attended by the finance ministers of all the states and union territories.

The meeting is being chaired by union finance minister Arun Jaitley.

The 14th GST meeting in Srinagar comes in the wake of ongoing unrest in the valley.

The Mehbooba Mufti-led government in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is keen on being a part of the GST framework which will subsume all indirect taxes into a single tax.

The Jammu and Kashmir government will call a special session of the state assembly to pass a GST-related legislation to pave the way for its implementation, reported NDTV. &nbsp;

The GST Council will meet for the next two days to include goods and services in the 5, 12, 18 or 28 per cent tax bracket.

It is expected to kick off from July 1 this year.

(WION with inputs from ANI)

The 14th GST meeting in Srinagar comes in the wake of ongoing unrest in the valley

The Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council meeting to deliberate on tax rates is underway in Srinagar's Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre. The meeting is being attended by the finance ministers of all the states and union territories. The meeting is being chaired by union finance minister Arun Jaitley. The 14th GST meeting in Srinagar comes in the wake of ongoing unrest in the valley. The Mehbooba Mufti-led government in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is keen on being a part of the GST framework which will subsume all indirect taxes into a single tax. The Jammu and Kashmir government will call a special session of the state assembly to pass a GST-related legislation to pave the way for its implementation, reported NDTV. The GST Council will meet for the next two days to include goods and services in the 5, 12, 18 or 28 per cent tax bracket. It is expected to kick off from July 1 this year. (WION with inputs from ANI)

GST Council meets in Srinagar

The month-long ban imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir government on social media applications and internet sites to curb the unrest in the valley has come a cropper with almost everyone accessing these platforms using Virtual Private Networks.

The state&#39;s home department, through an order issued on April 26, had banned 22 social media applications and sites including Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter in a bid to curb the street protests in Kashmir.

&quot;In the interest of maintenance of public order, the government hereby directs all internet service providers that any message or class of messages to or from a person or a class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in Kashmir Valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is earlier,&quot; Principal Secretary, Home Department R K Goyal had said.

The inaccessible sites included Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr.

&quot;On careful examination of all relevant factors, it is observed that the use of social media platforms, which are being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements by transmitting inflammatory messages in various forms are immediately required to be regulated/curbed,&quot; the order read.

While the government order put the onus on Internet service providers to ban the access to these sites, it was silent on the possibility of users being able to bypass the ban.

Top politicians and officials of the government, including the director general of police have been using some of the banned applications like Twitter to put out posts on the current situation in the valley.

Opposition National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah is one of those seemingly unaffected by the ban. He frequently tweets about the developments in Kashmir and other parts of world.

The ruling PDP has also used Twitter to put out press releases and at times counter the criticism levelled by opposition parties.

Both the National Conference and PDP entered into a war of words on Twitter yesterday over the raising of &#39;azaadi&#39; (freedom) slogans at a self help group function presided over by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Some of the senior police officials of the state frequently use Whatsapp and Facebook to put out updates.

&quot;Whatsapp is supposed to be out of bounds for internet users in Kashmir but we still receive press releases and invitations for official functions through this application. They probably know the ban has been ineffective ....It is high time the government revokes it,&quot; Yusuf Jameel, a journalist, told PTI.

Although the ban initially limited the common man&#39;s access to these applications, the discovery of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) by the people has made the ban redundant.

&quot;The use of VPNs has helped in accessing most of the banned sites ...These applications and sites have become the communication lifeline not only in Kashmir but across the world,&quot; Umar Bhat, a businessman, said.

Bhat, however, loathed the slow internet speed in Kashmir which has made online business transactions almost impossible.

&quot;I frequently travel between Srinagar and Delhi and the difference in the internet speed is huge. This has severely affected my business as I find it difficult to make online transactions,&quot; he said.

(PTI)

&nbsp;

Virtual Private Networks have made the ban redundant

The month-long ban imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir government on social media applications and internet sites to curb the unrest in the valley has come a cropper with almost everyone accessing these platforms using Virtual Private Networks. The state's home department, through an order issued on April 26, had banned 22 social media applications and sites including Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter in a bid to curb the street protests in Kashmir. "In the interest of maintenance of public order, the government hereby directs all internet service providers that any message or class of messages to or from a person or a class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in Kashmir Valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is earlier," Principal Secretary, Home Department R K Goyal had said. The inaccessible sites included Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr. "On careful examination of all relevant factors, it is observed that the use of social media platforms, which are being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements by transmitting inflammatory messages in various forms are immediately required to be regulated/curbed," the order read. While the government order put the onus on Internet service providers to ban the access to these sites, it was silent on the possibility of users being able to bypass the ban. Top politicians and officials of the government, including the director general of police have been using some of the banned applications like Twitter to put out posts on the current situation in the valley. Opposition National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah is one of those seemingly unaffected by the ban. He frequently tweets about the developments in Kashmir and other parts of world. The ruling PDP has also used Twitter to put out press releases and at times counter the criticism levelled by opposition parties. Both the National Conference and PDP entered into a war of words on Twitter yesterday over the raising of 'azaadi' (freedom) slogans at a self help group function presided over by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Some of the senior police officials of the state frequently use Whatsapp and Facebook to put out updates. "Whatsapp is supposed to be out of bounds for internet users in Kashmir but we still receive press releases and invitations for official functions through this application. They probably know the ban has been ineffective ....It is high time the government revokes it," Yusuf Jameel, a journalist, told PTI. Although the ban initially limited the common man's access to these applications, the discovery of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) by the people has made the ban redundant. "The use of VPNs has helped in accessing most of the banned sites ...These applications and sites have become the communication lifeline not only in Kashmir but across the world," Umar Bhat, a businessman, said. Bhat, however, loathed the slow internet speed in Kashmir which has made online business transactions almost impossible. "I frequently travel between Srinagar and Delhi and the difference in the internet speed is huge. This has severely affected my business as I find it difficult to make online transactions," he said. (PTI)

Kashmir government's internet ban goes for toss

In yet another incident of ceasefire violation, Pakistan, on Friday, opened fire in the Arnia sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Border Security Force retaliated to the provocation by the Pakistani side. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Today morning Pak Rangers fired few bullets warning our troops working ahead of fence with tractor in Arnia area and our troops also retaliated with few rounds of fire,&quot; said the BSF in a statement.

Few shells of small mortar firing also took place from both sides but no loss and damage has been reported so far.

Earlier, two Pakistan Army soldiers were injured in retaliatory firing from the Indian side post a ceasefire violation in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

A woman was killed and her husband was injured in the ceasefire violation. Pakistani troops reportedly fired 120 mm mortars early morning in the area.

Indian Home Minister Rajanth Singh had said earlier that he has given the BSF a &#39;free hand&#39; in dealing effectively with Pakistan over cross-border firing.

&quot;There is my standing order to the Director General of the Border Security Force ( BSF) that first bullet shouldn&#39;t be fired from our side but if Pakistan fires bullet then bullets fired from our side shouldn&#39;t be counted,&quot; he said.

(ANI) 
&nbsp;

Few shells of small mortar firing also took place from both side but no loss and damage has been reported so far

In yet another incident of ceasefire violation, Pakistan, on Friday, opened fire in the Arnia sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The Border Security Force retaliated to the provocation by the Pakistani side. "Today morning Pak Rangers fired few bullets warning our troops working ahead of fence with tractor in Arnia area and our troops also retaliated with few rounds of fire," said the BSF in a statement. Few shells of small mortar firing also took place from both sides but no loss and damage has been reported so far. Earlier, two Pakistan Army soldiers were injured in retaliatory firing from the Indian side post a ceasefire violation in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. A woman was killed and her husband was injured in the ceasefire violation. Pakistani troops reportedly fired 120 mm mortars early morning in the area. Indian Home Minister Rajanth Singh had said earlier that he has given the BSF a 'free hand' in dealing effectively with Pakistan over cross-border firing. "There is my standing order to the Director General of the Border Security Force ( BSF) that first bullet shouldn't be fired from our side but if Pakistan fires bullet then bullets fired from our side shouldn't be counted," he said. (ANI)

Pakistan violates ceasefire in J&K's Arnia

The BJP on Monday called for abandoning the pre-Independence, bi-annual practice of &#39;darbar move&#39;, under which the Jammu and Kashmir government functions six months each in the two capitals -- Srinagar and Jammu.

The stand of the BJP, a ruling coalition partner in Jammu and Kashmir, may trigger a major controversy in the state.

State government offices started functioning from the state&#39;s summer capital Srinagar on Monday after shifting from the winter capital Jammu.

The Raj Bhavan, Civil Secretariat and other offices closed in Jammu on April 28 and reopened in Srinagar on Monday.

&quot;The practice of &#39;darbar move&#39; should be abandoned. There should be bifurcation of the state offices,&quot; state BJP spokesperson Virender Gupta said.

His statement was endorsed by Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta who said the practice costs the state exchequers heavily.

The spokesperson said that practice of &#39;darbar move&#39; was adopted in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in some other parts of the country because of the special circumstance prevailing at that time when means of communication were limited and electronic communication was almost negligible.

He said because of the advancement in the electronic communication, air journey and better road facilities, this practice was abandoned in the rest of the country whereas it still continues in Jammu and Kashmir.

He suggested that the secretariat, directorates and offices of corporations should remain operational in Jammu as well as in Srinagar.&nbsp;

(PTI)

The BJP has called for a bifurcation of the state offices.

The BJP on Monday called for abandoning the pre-Independence, bi-annual practice of 'darbar move', under which the Jammu and Kashmir government functions six months each in the two capitals -- Srinagar and Jammu. The stand of the BJP, a ruling coalition partner in Jammu and Kashmir, may trigger a major controversy in the state. State government offices started functioning from the state's summer capital Srinagar on Monday after shifting from the winter capital Jammu. The Raj Bhavan, Civil Secretariat and other offices closed in Jammu on April 28 and reopened in Srinagar on Monday. "The practice of 'darbar move' should be abandoned. There should be bifurcation of the state offices," state BJP spokesperson Virender Gupta said. His statement was endorsed by Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta who said the practice costs the state exchequers heavily. The spokesperson said that practice of 'darbar move' was adopted in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in some other parts of the country because of the special circumstance prevailing at that time when means of communication were limited and electronic communication was almost negligible. He said because of the advancement in the electronic communication, air journey and better road facilities, this practice was abandoned in the rest of the country whereas it still continues in Jammu and Kashmir. He suggested that the secretariat, directorates and offices of corporations should remain operational in Jammu as well as in Srinagar. (PTI)

India: BJP calls for abandoning practice of 'darbar move' in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti asked television news channels Monday to not conduct discussions that spread hatred against the people of Kashmir.&nbsp;

&quot;I request national media to not show discussions on TV that spread hatred against people of J&amp;K,&quot; ANI reported her as saying. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I request national media to not show discussions on TV that spread hatred against people of J&amp;K, in the country: Mehbooba Mufti, J&amp;K CM <a href="https://t.co/f9YMgXB87i">pic.twitter.com/f9YMgXB87i</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/861450175197306881">May 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Few people pelt stones, all youths of J&amp;K don&#39;t do that,&quot; ANI reported her as saying.

If all the children had sloganeered so many of them would not have passed the recent examinations, she added.&nbsp;

It has been difficult to explain Kashmir, and why its populace might want independence from the mainland, to the Indian public. &nbsp;

TV news discussions on Kashmir tend to be heated, with Kashmiris and Indians usually coming down on opposite sides. The ensuing polarisation has not helped matters.&nbsp;

(WION)

'I request national media to not show discussions on TV that spread hatred against people of J&K,' she said

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti asked television news channels Monday to not conduct discussions that spread hatred against the people of Kashmir. "I request national media to not show discussions on TV that spread hatred against people of J&K," ANI reported her as saying. I request national media to not show discussions on TV that spread hatred against people of J&K, in the country: Mehbooba Mufti, J&K CM pic.twitter.com/f9YMgXB87i — ANI (@ANI_news) May 8, 2017 × "Few people pelt stones, all youths of J&K don't do that," ANI reported her as saying. If all the children had sloganeered so many of them would not have passed the recent examinations, she added. It has been difficult to explain Kashmir, and why its populace might want independence from the mainland, to the Indian public. TV news discussions on Kashmir tend to be heated, with Kashmiris and Indians usually coming down on opposite sides. The ensuing polarisation has not helped matters. (WION)

Don't hold discussions that spread hatred of Kashmiris: Mehbooba to TV channels

&nbsp;A policeman and a wanted militant of Lashker-e-Taiba were among five persons killed when militants made an attempt to ambush a police team in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Kulgam on Saturday.

Wanted militant Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar alias Setha, who had been been on the run since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case, was killed in the attack when he tried to target the police party at Mir Bazar in Kulgam.

Constable Mehmood Ahmed Sheikh, who was part of the police team, risked his life and snatched a pistol from one of the militants before other members of the police party opened fire at them, according to an eyewitness account.

Three civilians were also killed due to indiscriminate firing by the militants.

Director general of police S P Vaid told PTI that a policeman had been killed.

And indiscriminate firing by militants had led to the death of three civilians.

The militants ambushed the police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident case, the DGP said.

The injured militant was taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said.

He was later identified to be Ashwar.&nbsp;He has been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Udhampur terror strike case.

In the terror case, Pakistani national Naved was arrested on the spot when he was firing on a BSF convoy in August 2015 in Udhampur on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Militants attempted to ambush a police team in Mir Bazaar

A policeman and a wanted militant of Lashker-e-Taiba were among five persons killed when militants made an attempt to ambush a police team in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam on Saturday. Wanted militant Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar alias Setha, who had been been on the run since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case, was killed in the attack when he tried to target the police party at Mir Bazar in Kulgam. Constable Mehmood Ahmed Sheikh, who was part of the police team, risked his life and snatched a pistol from one of the militants before other members of the police party opened fire at them, according to an eyewitness account. Three civilians were also killed due to indiscriminate firing by the militants. Director general of police S P Vaid told PTI that a policeman had been killed. And indiscriminate firing by militants had led to the death of three civilians. The militants ambushed the police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident case, the DGP said. The injured militant was taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said. He was later identified to be Ashwar. He has been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Udhampur terror strike case. In the terror case, Pakistani national Naved was arrested on the spot when he was firing on a BSF convoy in August 2015 in Udhampur on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. (PTI)

J&K: Policeman, wanted LeT militant and 3 civilians killed in militant attack in Kulgam

A day after terrorists tried to break into a bank in&nbsp;Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, two terrorists barged into Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Kader Yaripora area in&nbsp;the same Kulgam district as yesterday and looted Rs 65,000 from the bank.

There are no report of&nbsp;casualties so far.&nbsp;

Five policemen and two guards were killed yesterday when terrorists attacked a bank vehicle in Kashmir&#39;s Kulgam.

Former chief minister of J&amp;K Omar Abdullah had tweeted about the incident.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Terrible 24 hours in J&amp;K. 2 soldiers killed &amp; mutilated near the LoC. 5 policemen &amp; 2 bank employees shot in a robbery bid in South Kashmir.
&mdash; Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) <a href="https://twitter.com/abdullah_omar/status/859022381075111937">May 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Indian security forces are on high alert after terrorists tried to rob the bank but clearly, it wasn&#39;t enough as the terrorists struck again today. The security forces are combing the area to track the terrorists&nbsp;who got away. &nbsp;

(WION)

The terrorists barged into Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Kader Yaripora area of Kulgam district

A day after terrorists tried to break into a bank in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, two terrorists barged into Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Kader Yaripora area in the same Kulgam district as yesterday and looted Rs 65,000 from the bank. There are no report of casualties so far. Five policemen and two guards were killed yesterday when terrorists attacked a bank vehicle in Kashmir's Kulgam. Former chief minister of J&K Omar Abdullah had tweeted about the incident. Terrible 24 hours in J&K. 2 soldiers killed & mutilated near the LoC. 5 policemen & 2 bank employees shot in a robbery bid in South Kashmir. — Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) May 1, 2017 × Indian security forces are on high alert after terrorists tried to rob the bank but clearly, it wasn't enough as the terrorists struck again today. The security forces are combing the area to track the terrorists who got away. (WION)

Terrorists storm bank in J&K, loot Rs 65,000

PM Modi on a visit to Kashmir in March had urged the youth of the state to adopt development over terrorism, however, after Election Commission&#39;s decision to defer bypolls in Anantnag, does Modi&#39;s Kashmir policy need&nbsp;a course correction?

The order of the Election Commission to defer bypolls in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir&nbsp;is&nbsp;a scathing statement on the state of the BJP-PDP government. J&amp;K has witnessed large-scale violence over the past one year and civil administration in south Kashmir has almost collapsed.

The order of the Election Commission states that J&amp;K CEO admits that in Srinagar the number of law and order incidents have increased and more than 80 cases of stone-pelting incidents were reported after 10th April.

<a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jammu-and-kashmir-ec-cancels-anantnag-lok-sabha-bypoll-15143">Also </a><a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jammu-and-kashmir-ec-cancels-anantnag-lok-sabha-bypoll-15143">Read:</a><a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jammu-and-kashmir-ec-cancels-anantnag-lok-sabha-bypoll-15143">&nbsp;Jammu and Kashmir: EC cancels Anantnag Lok Sabha </a><a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jammu-and-kashmir-ec-cancels-anantnag-lok-sabha-bypoll-15143">bypoll</a>

The order notes that CEO has informed that two&nbsp;major terror incidents took place in last 21 days which resulted in a&nbsp;loss of life and damage to property. The order also records that the state administration too requested for the bypoll to be held after October 2017 because anti-national elements have launched an extensive social media campaign to organise the youth of the state and&nbsp;threaten&nbsp;the public, political workers and families of the police officer.

The order also states that MHA also expressed its inability to meet the requirement and instead of much needed 687 companies, MHA could only supply additional 250 companies. The order further states that PDP&rsquo;s Anantnag candidate Mufti Tassaduq Hussain also submitted before the Election Commission that bypolls will further vitiate the atmosphere in the valley and requested the polls to be deferred.

It&nbsp;notes that Chief Secretary in his report dated 10th of April states that polls might witness large scale violence and may also result in an even lower voter turnout. The Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir informed the Commission that burning of schools and panchayat ghars which were designated polling station have taken place with&nbsp;reports of militants harassing policemen and their families&nbsp;to generate an environment of insecurity and&nbsp;fear in the valley.

The order of the Election Commission not only describes the dismal condition in the valley but it is also an admission of a&nbsp;complete breakdown of civil administration in Kashmir.

&ldquo;Taking note of the fact that no immediate improvement in the law and order situation is in sight, the Commission is of the considered opinion that this is not the opportune time to continue with the exercise of the conduct of the bye-election from Anantnag parliamentary constituency,&rdquo; the Commission stated.

Lastly, the state government was also of the view that since a large number of troops will be redeployed for Ramzan and Amarnath yatra, hence the bye-election should be deferred.

To top it the state government admitted that Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian which constitute Anantnag PC were the worst affected during the last year&rsquo;s law and order disturbances and many militants actively operating in the area may also join violent stone throwing crowd to fuel the cycle of violence.

The Commission observed that majority of representatives of political parties also advocated for the polls to be deferred.

(WION)

&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VMXRXlVsQvU" width="560"></iframe>

Election Commission's decision to defer bypolls in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir is?a scathing statement on the state of BJP-PDP government

PM Modi on a visit to Kashmir in March had urged the youth of the state to adopt development over terrorism, however, after Election Commission's decision to defer bypolls in Anantnag, does Modi's Kashmir policy need a course correction? The order of the Election Commission to defer bypolls in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir is a scathing statement on the state of the BJP-PDP government. J&K has witnessed large-scale violence over the past one year and civil administration in south Kashmir has almost collapsed. The order of the Election Commission states that J&K CEO admits that in Srinagar the number of law and order incidents have increased and more than 80 cases of stone-pelting incidents were reported after 10th April. Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir: EC cancels Anantnag Lok Sabha bypoll The order notes that CEO has informed that two major terror incidents took place in last 21 days which resulted in a loss of life and damage to property. The order also records that the state administration too requested for the bypoll to be held after October 2017 because anti-national elements have launched an extensive social media campaign to organise the youth of the state and threaten the public, political workers and families of the police officer. The order also states that MHA also expressed its inability to meet the requirement and instead of much needed 687 companies, MHA could only supply additional 250 companies. The order further states that PDP’s Anantnag candidate Mufti Tassaduq Hussain also submitted before the Election Commission that bypolls will further vitiate the atmosphere in the valley and requested the polls to be deferred. It notes that Chief Secretary in his report dated 10th of April states that polls might witness large scale violence and may also result in an even lower voter turnout. The Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir informed the Commission that burning of schools and panchayat ghars which were designated polling station have taken place with reports of militants harassing policemen and their families to generate an environment of insecurity and fear in the valley. The order of the Election Commission not only describes the dismal condition in the valley but it is also an admission of a complete breakdown of civil administration in Kashmir. “Taking note of the fact that no immediate improvement in the law and order situation is in sight, the Commission is of the considered opinion that this is not the opportune time to continue with the exercise of the conduct of the bye-election from Anantnag parliamentary constituency,” the Commission stated. Lastly, the state government was also of the view that since a large number of troops will be redeployed for Ramzan and Amarnath yatra, hence the bye-election should be deferred. To top it the state government admitted that Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian which constitute Anantnag PC were the worst affected during the last year’s law and order disturbances and many militants actively operating in the area may also join violent stone throwing crowd to fuel the cycle of violence. The Commission observed that majority of representatives of political parties also advocated for the polls to be deferred. (WION)

Does PM Modi need a course correction in J&K?

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah was accorded a grand welcome in Jammu and Kashmir today, where he landed on a two-day visit as part of his national &#39;Vistaar Yatra&#39;.

The streets were thronged with BJP supporters and party flags were waved as Shah&#39;s convoy passed through the streets after he landed at the airport today.

Shah is on a 95-day all-India tour from today during which he will strategise on ways to win the 2019 Lok Sabha election, with focus on clinching 120 seats where the party had lost in 2014.

Shah will spend one to three days in each states. The tour will focus on taking stock of the party&#39;s organisational strength and further expansion of electoral appeal across the country.

Shah is particularly focusing on states like West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and Kerala.

The BJP had managed to win just 4 Lok Sabha seats out of the 102 in these states in the 2014 election.

The BJP chief&#39;s voyage will end by 25th September, the 101th birth anniversary of Jana Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.

Apart from his 95-day tour, Shah has also chosen five states where he will spend three days each. His recent visit to West Bengal was part of the programme.

Besides West Bengal, he will visit Odisha, Telangana, Lakshadweep and the poll-bound Gujarat.

Shah has also hinted at a reshuffle in the organisation as several office-bearers are now serving as ministers in the Uttar Pradesh government.

(ANI)

The streets were thronged with BJP supporters and party flags were waved as Shah's convoy passed through the streets

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah was accorded a grand welcome in Jammu and Kashmir today, where he landed on a two-day visit as part of his national 'Vistaar Yatra'. The streets were thronged with BJP supporters and party flags were waved as Shah's convoy passed through the streets after he landed at the airport today. Shah is on a 95-day all-India tour from today during which he will strategise on ways to win the 2019 Lok Sabha election, with focus on clinching 120 seats where the party had lost in 2014. Shah will spend one to three days in each states. The tour will focus on taking stock of the party's organisational strength and further expansion of electoral appeal across the country. Shah is particularly focusing on states like West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and Kerala. The BJP had managed to win just 4 Lok Sabha seats out of the 102 in these states in the 2014 election. The BJP chief's voyage will end by 25th September, the 101th birth anniversary of Jana Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay. Apart from his 95-day tour, Shah has also chosen five states where he will spend three days each. His recent visit to West Bengal was part of the programme. Besides West Bengal, he will visit Odisha, Telangana, Lakshadweep and the poll-bound Gujarat. Shah has also hinted at a reshuffle in the organisation as several office-bearers are now serving as ministers in the Uttar Pradesh government. (ANI)

BJP chief Amit Shah reaches Jammu as part of  'Vistaar Yatra'

Indian security forces have once again clashed with students in Ganderbal district in Jammu &amp; Kashmir. The Kashmir valley has seen several incidents of stone-pelting between students and security forces in the past two months.

Authorities have meanwhile ordered internet service providers to block popular social media services including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp after an upsurge in violence in the region.

The sites and applications which will be inaccessible in the valley include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr.

In a statement, the local government said the services were &quot;being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements&quot; and should be blocked for one month or until further notice &quot;in the interest of maintenance of public order&quot;.

The move comes against the backdrop of repeated student protests in Kashmir, which the authorities believe are fanned through social media.&nbsp;Some days back, a police official had said that 350 WhatsApp groups were being used to spread rumours in Kashmir and the government had cracked down, shutting 90 per cent of these groups.

The mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir on April 17, following widespread student protests in the valley against alleged highhandedness of security forces.&nbsp;

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said that those who disrupted operations during encounters will be treated as &quot;overground workers of terrorists&quot;.

People creating hurdles during anti-terror operations and displaying flags of Pakistan and ISIS in Jammu and Kashmir will be dealt as anti-nationals and will face &quot;harsh&quot; actions, the Army Chief had said.

On March 28, three protesters were killed and seventeen injured during a clash with security forces in Kashmir&#39;s Budgam region. The protesters had begun to pelt stones at the security forces during an encounter with militants in the Chadoora area of Kashmir&#39;s Budgam district.

PM Modi had recently appealed to chief ministers of various states to help integrate young men and woman from Kashmir into the mainstream after incidents of violence were reported against them in a few colleges.&nbsp;PM Modi suggested that states could organise events in Jammu and Kashmir for young people in the&nbsp;state. 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/stone-pelters-hold-centre-to-ransom-get-funding-from-pakistans-isi-says-minister-of-state-jitendra-singh-14165">Also Read: Stone-pelters hold Centre to ransom, get funding from Pakistan&#39;s ISI, says minister of state Jitendra Singh&nbsp;</a>

(WION with agency inputs)

Indian security forces have once again clashed with students in Ganderbal district in Jammu & Kashmir

Indian security forces have once again clashed with students in Ganderbal district in Jammu & Kashmir. The Kashmir valley has seen several incidents of stone-pelting between students and security forces in the past two months. Authorities have meanwhile ordered internet service providers to block popular social media services including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp after an upsurge in violence in the region. The sites and applications which will be inaccessible in the valley include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr. In a statement, the local government said the services were "being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements" and should be blocked for one month or until further notice "in the interest of maintenance of public order". The move comes against the backdrop of repeated student protests in Kashmir, which the authorities believe are fanned through social media. Some days back, a police official had said that 350 WhatsApp groups were being used to spread rumours in Kashmir and the government had cracked down, shutting 90 per cent of these groups. The mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir on April 17, following widespread student protests in the valley against alleged highhandedness of security forces. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said that those who disrupted operations during encounters will be treated as "overground workers of terrorists". People creating hurdles during anti-terror operations and displaying flags of Pakistan and ISIS in Jammu and Kashmir will be dealt as anti-nationals and will face "harsh" actions, the Army Chief had said. On March 28, three protesters were killed and seventeen injured during a clash with security forces in Kashmir's Budgam region. The protesters had begun to pelt stones at the security forces during an encounter with militants in the Chadoora area of Kashmir's Budgam district. PM Modi had recently appealed to chief ministers of various states to help integrate young men and woman from Kashmir into the mainstream after incidents of violence were reported against them in a few colleges. PM Modi suggested that states could organise events in Jammu and Kashmir for young people in the state. Also Read: Stone-pelters hold Centre to ransom, get funding from Pakistan's ISI, says minister of state Jitendra Singh (WION with agency inputs)

J&K: Security forces, students clash in Ganderbal district, Indian authorities block social media

Special court today awarded seven-year jail terms to two men after they pleaded guilty of criminally conspiring to raise funds and recruiting people for the terror outfit Islamic State (IS).

The District judge Amar Nath convicted accused Azhar-ul- Islam (24) from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh (25) from Maharashtra, following their U-turn more than a month after the court framed charges against them.

The accused had moved an application through advocate MS Khan saying they, &quot;are remorseful of the acts alleged against them. There is no prior criminal record against them and they want to join the mainstream and want to be productive for the society and want to rehabilitate themselves&quot;.

&quot;The applicants are pleading guilty without any pressure, threat, coercion or undue influence,&quot; the plea had said.

The court had last month framed charges against both the accused and 36-year-old Adnan Hassan for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the IS&nbsp;and recruiting people for the terror outfit. The trial against Hassan is continuing separately before the same court.

The court had framed the charges for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC&nbsp;and under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against the three accused on January 28 last year. They were arrested the next day on arrival here from Abu Dhabi.

According to the probe agency, Hassan and Shaikh had been frequently visiting the UAE in connection with jobs since 2008 and 2012 respectively, while Islam had gone to join them in the UAE in July, 2015.

Hassan was earlier allegedly affiliated to the Indian Mujahideen and later got inclined towards IS, it alleged.

The charge sheet filed by NIA had claimed that the accused persons, in connivance with other known and unknown associates, had hatched a criminal conspiracy to propagate the ideology, recruit persons, raise funds and facilitate the travel of those recruited to Syria to join the IS and further its activities.

The final report said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused had created multiple email IDs, used multiple mobile numbers obtained from their associates from different countries, formed various online forums and groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Kik, VKontakte, Viber and Skype, using the internet and invited and associated like-minded persons, residents of different countries.

&quot;The accused had formed a terrorist gang and acted as a frontal group of the IS&nbsp;and incited, motivated, invited and facilitated people of different nationalities to leave their respective countries and travel to Syria to join, support and further activities of the IS,&quot; it alleged.

The agency said the accused persons were actively involved in perpetuating, promoting and propagating ideologies and terrorist activities of the IS.

&quot;They had voluntarily advocated and professed to be the supporters and members of the IS&nbsp;and actively supported, invited support from others, propagated and promoted unlawful activities and terrorist activities of the IS&nbsp;by exhorting, inciting, luring and influencing others to become members of this organisation by disseminating incriminating contents including sharing comments, pages, videos, images, literature and openly endorsing, justifying and glorifying the terrorist acts of the IS,&quot; the NIA had claimed.

&quot;They had also raised, collected and received funds in the UAE and transferred it to their associates in India, the Philippines and Tunisia to facilitate their travel to Syria to join IS,&quot; the agency said.

(PTI)

Azhar-ul-Islam from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh from Maharashtra plead guilty to raising funds and recruiting for IS

Special court today awarded seven-year jail terms to two men after they pleaded guilty of criminally conspiring to raise funds and recruiting people for the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). The District judge Amar Nath convicted accused Azhar-ul- Islam (24) from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh (25) from Maharashtra, following their U-turn more than a month after the court framed charges against them. The accused had moved an application through advocate MS Khan saying they, "are remorseful of the acts alleged against them. There is no prior criminal record against them and they want to join the mainstream and want to be productive for the society and want to rehabilitate themselves". "The applicants are pleading guilty without any pressure, threat, coercion or undue influence," the plea had said. The court had last month framed charges against both the accused and 36-year-old Adnan Hassan for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the IS and recruiting people for the terror outfit. The trial against Hassan is continuing separately before the same court. The court had framed the charges for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC and under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against the three accused on January 28 last year. They were arrested the next day on arrival here from Abu Dhabi. According to the probe agency, Hassan and Shaikh had been frequently visiting the UAE in connection with jobs since 2008 and 2012 respectively, while Islam had gone to join them in the UAE in July, 2015. Hassan was earlier allegedly affiliated to the Indian Mujahideen and later got inclined towards IS, it alleged. The charge sheet filed by NIA had claimed that the accused persons, in connivance with other known and unknown associates, had hatched a criminal conspiracy to propagate the ideology, recruit persons, raise funds and facilitate the travel of those recruited to Syria to join the IS and further its activities. The final report said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused had created multiple email IDs, used multiple mobile numbers obtained from their associates from different countries, formed various online forums and groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Kik, VKontakte, Viber and Skype, using the internet and invited and associated like-minded persons, residents of different countries. "The accused had formed a terrorist gang and acted as a frontal group of the IS and incited, motivated, invited and facilitated people of different nationalities to leave their respective countries and travel to Syria to join, support and further activities of the IS," it alleged. The agency said the accused persons were actively involved in perpetuating, promoting and propagating ideologies and terrorist activities of the IS. "They had voluntarily advocated and professed to be the supporters and members of the IS and actively supported, invited support from others, propagated and promoted unlawful activities and terrorist activities of the IS by exhorting, inciting, luring and influencing others to become members of this organisation by disseminating incriminating contents including sharing comments, pages, videos, images, literature and openly endorsing, justifying and glorifying the terrorist acts of the IS," the NIA had claimed. "They had also raised, collected and received funds in the UAE and transferred it to their associates in India, the Philippines and Tunisia to facilitate their travel to Syria to join IS," the agency said. (PTI)

Court sends Islamic State men to jail for 7 years in terror case