JAMMU: Chief Electoral Officer, J&K, (Election Authority under J&K Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996) Shailendra Kumar today issued notification for the conduct of phase-II of by-elections for Panchayat Polls-2020 in respect of vacant seats to elect Sarpanches and Panches.

The notification has been issued for Shangus and Hiller blocks in District Anantnag, Aloosa block in District Bandipora, Sangrama and Wagoora in Baramulla District, B K Pora, Rathsun and Budgam in district Budgam, Wakura in Ganderbal District, block Kulgam in Kulgam district, Nutnussa, Drugmulla, Magam, Ramhal and Tarthpora in Kupwara District, Awantipora and Kakapora (Partly) in District Pulwama and Chitragam in Shopian District of Kashmir Division.

In Jammu Division, the Panchayati by-elections will be held in Bhagwah, Kastigarh, Thatri, Doda (Ghat), Dali Udanpur, Gundana, Assar, Khellani, Bhaderwah and Bhalla blocks of Doda District, Surankote, Loran, Mandi, Nangali Sahib Sain Baba, Sathra, Lassana and Bufliaz (Partially) in District Poonch, Block Gundi Dharam, Batote, Rajgarh, Sangaldan, Gandhri and Ramban in district Ramban,  Arnas, Thuroo, Jij Bagli, Mahore, Gulabgarh and Chasana in district Reasi, Sewna, Chanunta, Ramnagar, Majalta and Khoon in district Udhampur.

According to the notification, the last date for making nominations is February 24, 2020 (Monday), the date for the scrutiny of nominations is February 25, 2020 (Tuesday), the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 27, 2020 (Thursday), the date on which a poll, if necessary, shall be from 09 am to 01 pm on March 07, 2020 (Saturday), the date of counting is March 07, 2020 (Saturday) unless notified otherwise, and the date before which the election shall be completed has been fixed as 26 March, 2020  (Thursday).

BY: Owais Gul

Srinagar: Amid demands and queries from mainstream camp over the release of leadership ahead of Panchayat by-elections, the Election Commission (EC) will hold a meeting with political parties tomorrow (Tuesday) to hear their grievances.

Shailendra Kumar said that he has called a meeting of political parties tomorrow (Tuesday) following the statements given by mainstream leaders over the elections.

Almost all the political parties here have raised the query about the continuous detention of their leadership, saying that how can they contest the elections when the leadership mandated to sign the nomination papers have been put under continuous detention and booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).

Kumar when asked about the demands said that he has called a meeting of political parties to redress their issues. “Any issue they (political parties) want to bring into my notice, I will definitely address that,” he said.

However, sources said that an order was also issued in this regard, which stated that the leadership including president and General Secretary of any party who are mandated to sign the nomination papers can authorize any person (leader of the party) to do the formalities.

The Election Commission (EC) on last Thursday announced by-elections for over 12500 vacant Panchayat seats in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that eight-phased polls will be conducted from March 5 to March 20.

Hubballi: The three Kashmiri engineering college students here, facing sedition charges, were re-arrested on Monday after protests broke out against police for releasing them on executing a bond.

“They (Kashmiri students) have been arrested again, produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody,” the Hubballi-Dharwad police Commissioner R Dileep said.

The trio, students of a private engineering college, were arrested on Saturday for raising pro-Pakistan slogans and posting it on social media on the first anniversary of the Pulwama terrorist attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.

They were released on Sunday on executing a bond under Section 169 of the Criminal Procedure Code (release of accused when evidence deficient).

Police had come under flak for releasing the youth.

They said the trio were apprehended this morning and taken to court, which remanded them to judicial custody till March 2.

The action came after members of right wing outfits staged demonstrations outside the police station on Sunday.

Sri Ram See chief Pramod Muthalik was among those who flayed police for releasing the youth who, he alleged, demonstrated their “anti-India vitriol” on the first anniversary of the Pulwama attack.

Police said Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai too spoke to higher police officials about the case.

The three students were reportedly manhandled by a mob at the court.

Meanwhile, Ashok Anvekar, a member of the Hubli Bar Association, said they had decided none from the bar would appear as counsel for the three Kashmiri students.

Bengaluru: Internet and connectivity issues in Jammu and Kashmir will be eased further in the coming months, Kewal Kumar Sharma, advisor to the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir said here on Monday.

“The restrictions remain to make sure that these facilities are not misused for promoting disorder. In some months from now it should be possible to ease various restrictions related to the connectivity,” he said during an interaction with investors.

He was part of the Road Show by the Jammu and Kashmir government for its Global Investors Summit sometime in May this year.

Sharma also said after the Supreme Court directed to review the situation, the administration is holding meetings every week and every fortnight further relaxation in terms of access to internet is given.

Speaking about the law and order situation, he said the overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir is much changed after August 5 when special status to the state was withdrawn with the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

“Things are getting better and better,” he added.

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday registered a case against various people for defying government orders on social media. The union territory’s administration on January 14 had issued an order banning all social media sites to curb their misuse by miscreants for propagating false information and rumours.  “Taking serious note of misuse of social media, the cyber police station in Kashmir has registered a case against various social media users who defied government orders and misused social media platforms,” a police spokesman said.

“There have been continuous reports of misuse of social media sites by miscreants to propagate secessionist ideology and to promote unlawful activities,” he said.

Social media is their “favourite tool” as it largely provides anonymity to the user and also gives wide reach, the spokesman said.

The FIR has been registered after taking cognisance of social media posts by miscreants through different virtual private networks (VPNs), he said

Miscreants are propagating rumours with regard to the current security scenario of the Kashmir Valley, the spokesman said.

He said these posts are “propagating secessionist ideology and glorifying terror acts and terrorists”. Incriminating material has also been seized in this regard, spokesman said.

This is the first FIR registered in the Cyber police station (Kashmir Zone) in Srinagar since it came into existence through a notification of the government.

New Delhi: Indian officials denied a British lawmaker entry on Monday after she landed at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, according to an accompanying aide.

Debbie Abrahams, a Labour Party Member of Parliament who chairs a parliamentary group focused on Kashmir, was unable to clear customs after her valid Indian visa was rejected, the aide, Harpreet Upal, told media.

Abrahams and Upal arrived at the airport on an Emirates flight from Dubai at 9am. Upal said the immigration officials did not cite any reason for denying Abrahams entry and revoking her visa.

Abrahams has been a member of Parliament since 2011 and was on a two-day personal trip to India, she said in a statement.

“I tried to establish why the visa had been revoked and if I could get a ‘visa on arrival’ but no one seemed to know,” she said in the statement. “Even the person who seemed to be in charge said he didn’t know and was really sorry about what had happened. So now I am just waiting to be deported, unless the Indian Government has a change of heart. I am prepared to let the fact that I have been treated like a criminal go, and I hope they will let me visit my family and friends.”

Abrahams has been an outspoken critic of the Indian government’s move last August to scrap Article 370 in Kashmir.

Shortly after the changes to Kashmir’s status were passed by Parliament, Abrahams wrote a letter to India’s High Commissioner to the UK, saying the action “betrays the trust of the people” of Kashmir.

New Delhi: India has strongly warned Turkey against interference in Jammu & Kashmir after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently reiterated his support to Pakistan over Kashmir.

Pakistan has been perpetrating cross-border terrorism in Kashmir for the last three decades. However, during his recent visit to Islamabad, the Turkish President in his address to Pakistan’s Parliament had said, “Today the issue of Kashmir is as close to us as it is to you. Like in the past, we will continue to support Pakistan in the future.”

In response to a media query about Erdogan’s remarks, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that India “rejects the repeated attempts by Turkey to justify cross-border terrorism practiced so blatantly by Pakistan.”

These developments, he said, have strong implications for India’s bilateral relationship with Turkey.

Calling President Erodgan’s provocative comments “unacceptable”, Kumar said, “This recent episode is one more example of Turkey interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.”

Erdogan’s “remarks reflect neither an understanding of history nor of the conduct of diplomacy. They distort events of the past to advance a narrow minded view of the present,” he said.

India has made a strong demarche with the Turkish government, Kumar told the media. The demarche was made by the Secretary (West) to the Ambassador of Turkey in New Delhi earlier on Monday.