Srinagar: Fearing large-scale violence after Friday prayers, authorities clamped curfew in all the 10 districts of the Valley on Friday.

To prevent the spread of passion-stoking rumours and posts on social media by anti-social elements, authorities have suspended all internet and mobile phone connectivity in the Valley.

For the last six days, mobile phone operations and internet connectivity had been suspended in South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Shopian, Khugam and Pulwama.

But on Thursday all internet connectivity — both on mobile phones and fixed line — has been suspended in the entire Valley.

Official sources, however, said, limited mobile phone connectivity will continue on phones of one service provider in the Valley.

This has been done because all state government officials have been provided mobile phones of a particular company and their operations is important to coordinate the law and order maintenance during the day.

Meanwhile, curfew continued for the seventh day in the Valley on Friday.

So far, 36 persons, including 35 civilial protesters and a local policeman have died in clashes between security forces and unruly mobs those hit the roads after Hizbul commander Burhan Wani was killed with two of his associates in Bamdora village of Kukarnag area of Anantnag district on last Friday.

Mobs on Thursday torched the house in Bamdora village where Wani was killed by security forces. Eight other houses in the village were also torched by the mobs.

An orchard belonging to a local entrepreneur who had set up a Rs.5 crore dream project of high yielding apple trees in Bamdora village was also felled by the mobs.

The entrepreneur had been praised by the state Chief Minister Mahbooba Mufti on the floor of the state legislature during its recent session for trying to take Kashmir horticulture to new heights.

Sporadic clashes continued at over a dozen places on thursday when curfew defying stone-pelters engaged with security forces. No fresh incident of firing was reported from anywhere in the valley on Thursday.

All senior separatist leaders have been placed under prevented detention by police in Srinagar.

Additional paramilitary troops have been rushed by the centre to assess the state to come out of the ongoing cycle of violence that has deeply affected normal life in the state.

(IANS)

Ahmedabad: Quota agitation leader Hardik Patel was released on bail from a jail in Surat on Friday and the police has granted permission to the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) to organise a road show for the stir leader.

Patel walked out of Lajpore Jail on Friday morning, nearly nine months after he was arrested in connection with two cases of sedition and a case of violence at Visnagar lawmaker’s office during the quota stir last year.

Last week, the Gujarat High Court granted him bail on condition that he will stay out of the state for a period of next six months and will leave Gujarat within 48 hours after his release from jail.

PAAS had sought permission from Surat Police to organise a road show of Mr Patel in various areas of the city after felicitating him outside the jail in morning.

While granting the permission, Surat Police Commissioner Ashish Bhatia asked the organisers not to indulge in any activity which may cause law and order problem.

“We have granted them (organisers) permission to organise a road show with Hardik. We have asked them to follow all the conditions laid down by the High Court. We have also asked the leaders not to use any inflammatory or defamatory words in their speeches during the road show,” the commissioner said.

Surat PAAS convener Nikhil Savani has clarified that no public meeting will be held in Surat as announced on Wednesday.

“Earlier, we had planned to hold a public meeting also. But, we have dropped that idea and sought permission for the road show only. We will make sure that it does not create any trouble for anyone,” he said.

As per schedule released by PAAS, Mr Patel’s caravan will pass through different parts of Surat city, including Bhestan, Ring Road, Kapodra, Mini Bazar and Varachha area, which are mostly dominated by Patels.

Meanwhile, Mr Patel shot off a letter from jail asking his supporters to ensure that his felicitation does not create any law and order problems.

In his letter, which was shared with media by PAAS, Mr Patel said, “I learned that a large number of people will gather outside the jail to receive me. It is my humble request to my supporters to maintain law and order. Patel community believes in non-violence. We must try to maintain peace”.

(PTI)

Bengaluru: As the standoff over the alleged suicide by a Deputy Superintendent of Police persisted, Opposition parties continued their protests in the Karnataka Assembly for the fifth day today, sticking to their demand for sacking Minister K J George and a CBI probe into the incident.

Continuing their overnight dharna in the House for the second day, BJP and JDS members shouted anti-government slogans from the well, refusing to settle for anything less than meeting their twin demands by the government.

As soon as the Assembly met, Opposition members entered the well of the House and raised slogans against the government for its “adamant” stand in protecting George.

Speaker K B Koliwada appealed to the members to maintain order and allow him to conduct Question Hour but it went unheeded.

As pandemonium prevailed, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon. As it re-assembled, the Opposition resumed protests.

Sensing the belligerent mood of the Opposition, government managed to secure passage of five bills, including Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill 2016, without any debate amid din.

As the bills were being put to voice vote, Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar said the government has thrown all Constitutional norms to the winds by introducing the bills and passing them today itself.

He also said it is ironical that the government is passing the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, even as the entire state is “gripped” with Deputy SP M K Ganapathy’s suicide.

“Nothing is as shameful as this, that the government is introducing the bills and passing them in few minutes.”

“Itis also ironical, it is passing police bill even as the state is gripped in Ganapathy’s suicide case,” he added.

JDS member Y S V Datta also demanded the resignation of George.

Even as the Opposition raised slogans against the government, the Speaker after passage of the bills adjourned the proceedings to July 18.

Meanwhile speaking to reporters after the session, Shettar said BJP would continue its overnight dharna fromMonday.

BJP and JDS launched a day-night protest in the House on Wednesday, insisting on a CBI enquiry and sacking of George, named by deceased official Ganapathy along with two top police officials for his extreme step.

Ganapathy (51) was found hanging from the ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, prior to which he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and A M Prasad (IG-Intelligence) and Pranab Mohanty (IGP- Lokayukta) would be responsible “if anything happens to me”.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Sheila Dikshit, who was Chief Minister of Delhi for 15 long years, will be the chief ministerial candidate of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, the party announced on Thursday.

The announcement was made by Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi at the party headquarters.

“For the first time your assumption has proved right,” he said, referring to media speculation that Dikshit, ousted from power in Delhi in December 2013, would be the face of the Congress in UP.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the corruption allegations levelled against Dikshit did not matter since BJP’s Chief Ministers in other states too faced corruption charges.

Election strategist Prashant Kishor had recommended that Dikshit should play a major role in the party’s poll campaign in the state as she is a prominent Brahmin face and could help Congress regain support of the electorally sizeable community.

Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of prominent Congress leader from UP Uma Shankar Dikshit, who was a Brahmin face and had served as a Union minister and governor for a long time.

Earlier this month, Dikshit, a three-time Delhi Chief Minister, had said as UP’s “daughter-in-law” she was ready to play any role in the state.

Dikshit had met party President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi last month during which she was said to have been sounded by them for a leading role in UP.

The Brahmin community, a traditional vote bank of Congress, had shifted allegiance to BJP in the aftermath of the Mandir-Mandal politics and a section in Congress feels it should make efforts to win back the support of the community.

A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to Mayawati’s BSP in the past when she gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community.

The community’s support determines the poll outcome in several seats in central and eastern UP.

(IANS)

New Delhi: In a big development, a local court in Greater Noida on Thursday ordered filing of an FIR against the family of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob for allegedly slaughtering a cow.

The court has ordered that seven members of Akhlaq’s family be booked under relevant sections of the IPC. Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh.

The development came after the accused in Akhlaq’s murder approached the court seeking FIR against Akhlaq’s family in view of the Mathura forensic laboratory report that confirmed that the meat sample taken from the refrigerator in Akhlaq’s house was beef and not that of goat, as suggested earlier.

Akhlaq, 52, was beaten to death and injured his son Danish after dragging them out of their home in Bishada village of Gautam Budh Nagar district on September 28, 2015 following rumours that he and his family had stored and consumed beef.

The issue had triggered a fierce debate over intolerance in the country.

A total of 19 persons are accused of lynching Akhlaq. Of these, one was given a clean chit by police and let off. Sixteen accused are still lodged in jail.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: Facing Opposition heat, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today announced a judicial probe into the alleged suicide by a DySp, which has raised a political storm in the state.

As his government came under severe attack over alleged suicide by Mangaluru DySp M K Ganapathy, Siddaramaiah made the announcement in the Legislative Assembly, which has been rocked by the issue for the last three days.

Siddaramaiah said the judicial commission would be headed by a retired High Court judge and the report would come out within six months.

He rejected the demand for a probe by CBI, being demanded by BJP which is gunning for the resignation of Minister for Urban Development K J George, named by the deceased police official along with two top police officers for his extreme step.

Ganapathy(51) was found hanging from the ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July seven, prior to which he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and A M Prasad (IG-Intelligence) and Pranab Mohanty (IGP-Lokayukta) would be responsible “if anything happens to me.”

Rejecting the charges against him in the Assembly yesterday, George, Minister for Bengaluru Development, had said he was ready to face any punishment if an inquiry finds him guilty and was ready to resign if the Chief Minister asks for it.

The Minister had also claimed that he was being targeted for belonging to minority community.

Government had earlier announced a probe by CID into the incident, which came just three days after the body of another DySP of Chikkamagaluru sub-division Kallappa Handibag (35), accused of kidnapping a person for ransom, was found hanging in his father-in-law’s home at Murgod in Belagavi district.

Prior to that, Ballari district Kudligi DySp Anupama Shenoy had resigned her post over alleged interference by the then district in charge minister Parameshwar Naik, who was removed in the recent major ministry reshuffle.

(Agencies)