Page 2 - Kashmiri Pandits

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The death toll stands at 530,728, the data updated at 8 am stated

GKPD disapproves J-K LG's 'false equivalence' statement on Kashmiri Pandits

The Global Kashmiri Pandits Diaspora on Friday expressed its disapproval at recent statement of Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on the killings of Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims.

Parties in J&K back demand of Kashmiri Pandits, Dogras for relocation

All major parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the BJP, have come out openly in support of Kashmiri Pandit and Dogra employees and backed their demands for "relocation" from Kashmir in view of targeted killings by militants and a transfer policy. The National Conference, PDP, AAP, Apni Party and others criticised the Union territory administration over the "step-motherly treatment and bureaucratic indifference" to the employees sitting on protests for the past eight months. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's recent remarks that reserved category (Dogra) employees cannot be transferred to Jammu and those (KP employees) sitting at home will not get salaries drew sharp reactions from these parties. The BJP reacted angrily to Sinha's remarks and said these employees will not be made "sacrificial goats". The Congress will make it the main issue when its Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi reaches Jammu and Kashmir early next year. The party also plans to hold protests on the issue,

Shift Kashmiri Pandits to safer Jammu till things improve: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Questioning the safety of the Kashmiri Pandits, he said that life is more important than employment and the government should transfer Kashmiri Pandits to Jammu

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeks discussion in parliament on Jammu-Kashmir

Congress' Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday sought time for a detailed discussion on Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of the ongoing exodus of Kashmiri Pandits taking place from the valley due to targeted terror attacks.Speaking in the lower House, Chowdhury said, "Today, Kashmiri Pandits are leaving Kashmir. Terrorists preparing lists of names of Kashmiri Pandits to target them.""In this situation, a detailed discussion should be held on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir in the House," he added.On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Parliament that nine Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the Kashmir Valley from 2020 to 2022.Among the nine, four Kashmiri Pandits including a person belonging to the Kashmiri Rajput community were killed in 2022, four in 2021, and one in 2020, mentions data shared in the Rajya Sabha by Rai in a written reply to Congress MP Rajmani Patel.The government has a policy of "zero tolerance against ...

9 Kashmiri Pandits killed in J&K in 3 yrs: Union Minister of State for Home

Nine Kashmiri Pandits have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir since 2020, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said four Kashmiri Pandits were killed in 2022 and as many in 2021, while one was killed in 2020. The victims include a person belonging to Kashmiri Rajput community, he said. Replying to another question, Rai said the Union home ministry has spent about Rs 2,815 crore for various aspects of security in Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years. The minister said Rs 1,267 crore was spent in 2019-20, Rs 611 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 936.095 crore in 2021-22.

BJP govt has failed to protect Kashmiri Pandits, says PDP chief Mufti

Peoples' Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday accused the BJP of "exploiting the pain and suffering" of Kashmiri Pandits and said the government had failed to protect the minority community in Kashmir. "This government has failed to protect Kashmiri Pandits. It is only exploiting the pain and suffering of the community for its own benefits. It is not serious about their problems," Mufti told reporters at Qazigund in Anantnag district. Commenting on the leakage of a list of Kashmiri Pandit employees posted in Kashmir, she said it was unfortunate that such information was being made public. "It is unfortunate that despite BJP ruling both at the Centre and in Jammu and Kashmir, it is not taking any decision on the issues of Kashmiri Pandits, who have been on the road for the past six months now in Jammu," she said. Mufti said on one hand the Kashmiri Pandits were being asked to report for work, while their details were being leaked on the other. "The government should tel

Israeli director under fire for comments on The Kashmir Files'

Israeli director and IFFI international jury chairperson Nadav Lapid was at the centre of furious debate on Tuesday for his comments on The Kashmir Files with Israel's ambassador saying he abused India's invitation and jury members distancing themselves from his views. As controversy grew, a day after the director described the The Kashmir Files as "propaganda" and vulgar, BJP leaders, actors such as Anupam Kher and Ranvir Shorey and the film's director Vivek Agnihotri also joined the discourse against him. There were some voices, including from the Congress and some in the film fraternity, who spoke up his defence. Lapid's surprise comments on the much discussed film came at the closing ceremony of the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India on Monday attended by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur as well as actors Akshay Kumar and Asha Parekh. Agnihotri has compared The Kashmir Files, which portrays the exodus of Kashmir Pandits from the Valley d

EC now a 'branch of BJP', conducts polls on its signals: Mehbooba Mufti

Mufti slamming the Centre over the issue of Kashmiri Pandits said that the government is there to "disrupt everything".

Ahead of polls, AAP sets up 2 bodies of Kashmiri-displaced people in Jammu

In a bid to increase the footprints of the party in the region, the AAP on Friday announced formation of two bodies of Kashmiri-displaced people in Jammu., The party, as it made the announcement, also claimed that it will form next government in Jammu and Kashmir as people have made up their mind give them a chance. "People in Jammu and Kashmir are watching the model of governance of Arvind Kejriwal ji in Delhi and Punjab. They have made up their mind to elect AAP government in J&K. We will form government here," MLA Delhi and In-charge of J&K unit of AAP, Durgesh Pathak told reporters here. "People have tested National Conference, PDP, Congress. BJP is currently ruling here through backdoor. They tested them, and now they have made up their mind to vote AAP to power here," he said. Earlier, Patahak administered oath to the newly-appointed office bearers of the party. The party announced two panel for Kashmiri-displaced people -- a 16-member provincial level panel headed by M .

PM enjoying power while Kashmiri Pandits continue to be refugees: Rahul

Hitting out at the Centre over the alleged exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is enjoying power while members of the minority community continue to be refugees in their own country. The BJP has ruined the good work done by the UPA, the former Congress chief said. As terrorists carried out a number of targeted killings recently, 10 Kashmiri Pandit families left their village, Choudharygund, in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district out of fear and reached Jammu, according to residents. Members of the minority community, who have since been camping in Jammu, ruled out any plan to return to the Valley. However, authorities in Shopian have attempted to put up a brave face by claiming no exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has taken place from the south Kashmir district. "There have been 30 targeted killings in Kashmir this year. The exodus of Pandits is increasing rapidly. The BJP has ruined the good work done by th

Congress demands white paper from Modi govt on 'plight of Kashmiri Pandits'

The Congress on Thursday attacked the BJP over the alleged exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from south Kashmir's Shopian district and demanded that the Modi government release a white paper on the plight of the minority community during its eight-year rule. The opposition party also hit out at the BJP-led Centre over the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir and said the government must apologise for it. As terrorists carried out a number of targeted killings recently, 10 Kashmiri Pandit families left their village, Choudharygund, in Shopian out of fear and reached Jammu, according to residents. Members of the minority community, who have since been camping in Jammu, ruled out any plan to return to the Valley. However, authorities in Shopian have attempted to put on a brave face by claiming no exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has taken place from the district. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said tha

Kashmiri Pandits reject Shopian admin's claim, resolve to never return

Authorities in South Kashmir's Shopian attempted to put on a brave face by claiming no exodus of Kashmiri Pandits had taken place from the district but members of the minority community, who have since been camping in Jammu, ruled out having any plan to return to the Valley. While a verified Twitter handle of the Information and Public Relations department of Shopian claimed that the news about leaving of "Kashmiri non-migrant Hindu population" was "baseless", Ashwani Kumar Bhat, whose brother Puran Krishan Bhat was gunned down by terrorists on October 16, told reporters in Jammu that he has migrated and will never return to the valley. The authorities claimed on Twitter that "proper and robust security arrangements have been kept in place by the administration in the village. Even at other pockets of Kashmiri non-migrant Hindu habitations and villages, similar security arrangements are in place". Puran Krishan Bhat was killed by terrorists in Choudharygund area of Shopian at a plac

J-K: Shopian admin says no migration; Kashmiri Pandits reject claim

Authorities in South Kashmir's Shopian attempted to put on a brave face by claiming that no exodus of Kashmiri Pandits had taken place from the district but the members of the minority community, who have since been camping in Jammu, ruled out their plans to return to the valley. While a verified Twitter handle of the Information and Public Relations department of Shopian claimed that the news about leaving of "Kashmiri non migrant Hindu population" as "baseless", Ashwani Kumar Bhat, whose brother Puran Krishan Bhat was gunned down by terrorists on October 16, told reporters in Jammu that he has migrated and will never return to the valley. The authorities claimed on Twitter that "proper and robust security arrangements have been kept in place by the administration in the village. Even at other pockets of Kashmiri non migrant Hindu habitations and villages, similar security arrangements are in place". Puran Krishan Bhat was killed by terrorists in Choudharygund area of Shopian at a

J-K BJP pres, former dep CM visits slain Kashmiri pandit's house in Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina along with his party colleague and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta on Tuesday visited the house of slain Kashmiri pandit Puran Krishan Bhat here to express their condolences with the family, a party spokesman said. Bhat was shot dead by terrorists outside his ancestral house in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Saturday. Raina and Gupta visited the house of the slain Bhat at Muthi on the outskirts of Jammu and expressed their condolences with the bereaved family, the spokesman said. He said Raina assured support to the victim's family and also said that justice will be done with them.

BJP govt failing to give security to Kashmiri Pandits, says Congress

The Congress on Saturday accused the BJP government of failing to provide security to Kashmir Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir after another youth was murdered in Shopian. "Very sad! Another Kashmiri Pandit Puran Krishna Bhat was murdered in Jammu and Kashmir. The killing of Kashmiri Pandits is not stopping and the Modi government has failed to provide them security. "There is information that the administration is pressuring the family to perform the last rites early. Shameful," the Congress said in a tweet in Hindi. Deputy Inspector General of Police Sujit Kumar said the Kashmir Freedom Fighter (KFF) group, the proxy name of a militant outfit, has claimed responsibility for Bhat's killing. Bhat was attacked near his residence in the south Kashmir district. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead, they said. Less than a couple of months ago, another another Kashmiri Pandit named Sunil Kumar Bhat was shot dead by terrorists at an apple orchard in Shopian. His broth

BJP has failed to provide security to Kashmiri Pandits: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said the BJP has failed to provide security to the Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley, but would "sell" their blood for securing votes. Mufti's remarks came after Puran Krishan Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit, was shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday. "They (Kashmiri Pandits) decided not to leave Kashmir and stay with the people, with Muslims, here. Today, he (Bhat) was targeted after 30-35 years (since insurgency broke out in the valley), even as there is so much security, so many forces. "People are jailed in the name of hybrid terrorists, sacked from services on doubt, but even then, the BJP has failed to provide security to the Kashmiri Pandits," Mufti told reporters in Bandipora. She visited Dar-ul-Uloom Raheemiyah, an Islamic seminary. The residence of the rector of the seminary, Rehmatullah Qasmi, was raided by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister

Angry Kashmiri Pandits block Jammu road to protest killing by terrorists

Hundreds of protesting displaced Kashmiri Pandit employees, who are seeking their relocation from the valley, on Saturday blocked Jammu-Akhnoor road to protest the latest targeted killing of their community member by terrorists in the valley. Puran Krishan Bhat was fired upon by terrorists near his residence in the Chowdhary Gund area of south Kashmir's Shopian district this afternoon, resulting in his death. The Pandits, employed under Prime Minister's employment package, are on protest at relief commissioners office in Jammu over the past five months following the killing of their colleague Rahul Bhat in Kashmir last May. As the news of the latest killing of Kashmiri Pandit broke out, they came out of the protest site and marched towards the main road and blocked the highway, amid high pitch sloganeering to denounce the target killings by terrorists and the alleged failure of the government to deal with the situation. Our worst fears have once again come true with the latest ...

Very few Kashmiri Pandits returning to Valley: Congress leader Karan Singh

Constant sense of fear and apprehension among Kashmiri Pandits is why very few of them are willing to return to their homeland in the Valley, veteran politician Karan Singh has said. Singh, who was speaking at the release of a book, "When the Heart Speaks", memoirs of well-known cardiologist Dr Upendra Kaul, said most of the Kashmiri Pandits who could afford to go out have gone and "settled for good" -- be it abroad or different parts of the country. However, Kashmir will always remain "incomplete" without Kashmiri Pandits, Singh said. "Kashmir is beautiful and beguiling and the tragedy that has taken over the Valley since 1947 is heartbreaking," Singh, whose father Maharaja Hari Singh was the last Dogra ruler of Kashmir, said. He commended Dr Kaul and other Kashmiri Pandits like him who have returned and built their homes in the Valley but added that "such examples are very rare". "Very few Kashmiri Pandits are doing that because there is always a sense of fear and a sense of ...

Electoral roll revision will not gift Jammu and Kashmir to the BJP

Muslim voters will play a deciding role in 10 out of 43 seats in Jammu, and in the valley's 47 seats, BJP may not be able to open its account. The arithmetic doesn't favour a BJP majority on its own