Srinagar, Dec 25: National Conference leader and Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Thursday said he has neither forgotten nor abandoned the students agitating over their unresolved issues, and urged the government to immediately engage with them.

Ruhullah said the government must initiate dialogue with the students and clearly apprise them of the measures and decisions taken to resolve the matter. He said if government fails to engage with students by Saturday (December 27, 2025), he will sit with them on coming Sunday (December 28, 2025) at the same venue he joined protest on December 23, 2024.

Taking to micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter), Ruhullah said: “I have neither forgotten nor left the students alone. I urge the government once again to talk to the students and uprise them of the measures and decisions taken to resolve this issue”.

“If that does not happen till Saturday, I will not leave our youth and students helpless. I will walk with them and sit with them on this coming Sunday at the same place as we did the last year on 23rd December to make them heard,” Ruhullah added on X.

Srinagar, Dec 25: Awami Itihaad Party Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi on Thursday said that Baramulla Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid has written two detailed and strongly worded letters to the Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, seeking immediate and exemplary action against those involved in the assaults and humiliation of Kashmiri shawl sellers in their respective states.

Inam Un Nabi said the letters have reached the party through the legal counsel of the jailed MP. He said Er Rashid has expressed deep anguish over television visuals showing Kashmiri shawl sellers being assaulted and humiliated by fringe elements, terming the incidents deeply disturbing and unacceptable in a democratic country.

Referring to the letter addressed to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Inam Un Nabi said Er Rashid reminded the state of its long standing reputation for tolerance and secular values, and warned that such incidents severely tarnish that image. Er Rashid questioned whether similar acts against non Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir would have been met with silence, stating that in Kashmir, perpetrators would have been booked under stringent laws and branded extremists. He cautioned that repeated inaction raises serious questions about claims of inclusiveness and hurts the self respect of the victims as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir as a whole.

Speaking about the letter sent to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Inam Un Nabi said Er Rashid described the assault on a Kashmiri shawl seller from his parliamentary constituency as painful and deeply distressing. In the letter, Er Rashid asked whether being Kashmiri has effectively become a crime in the country. He reminded the Uttarakhand government that Kashmiris have historically treated tourists and outsiders with dignity and honour, and questioned why similar values were not being upheld elsewhere.

In both letters, Er Rashid demanded strict and exemplary action against the culprits to ensure that no one takes the law into their own hands in the name of ultra nationalism. He also urged the state governments to ensure the safety, dignity and livelihood of Kashmiri traders working outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Copies of the letters have also been marked to the Union Home Secretary, seeking immediate intervention to safeguard Kashmiris studying or earning their livelihood in different parts of the country. [KNT]

Srinagar, Dec 25: Churches across Kashmir were decked up as Christians in the valley celebrated Christmas on Thursday with religious fervour, and held special prayers for peace and prosperity for the people.

The biggest mass gathered at the Holy Family Catholic Church at Maulana Azad Road here, where the members of the Christian community held special prayers and celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.

The priest of the Church, Father John Paul, said the devotees prayed for peace and calm in Kashmir and the country.

“We prayed for peace and calm in Kashmir, in the entire country. We prayed for the people to be able to help and support each other. We also prayed for the generation of employment opportunities for the people in Kashmir who get fewer opportunities,” he told reporters here.

Lamenting the absence of snowfall here on Christmas, Father Paul said the devotees miss the snowfall, but the weather was still good.

“We were hoping for snowfall in the city and plains. But it did not happen. We still thank God for the lovely weather,” he said.

He called upon the people to awaken their feelings of humanity, brotherhood and love.

“Today, we see the advent of Artificial Intelligence, and we are also sort of becoming artificial as we are gradually losing our humanity, brotherhood and the feeling of love,” Father Paul said.

“We hope we awaken our feelings and these good things on the occasion of Christmas,” he said.

On the incidents of harassment against the community in a few parts of the country, he said the situation will improve, and the good times will be back.

“There have been some incidents when it comes to religion in the country in the last few years, but there will be changes gradually and we pray for that better change,” he said.

On several members of the majority Muslim community participating in Christmas celebrations, he said, people from different communities have to work together for the betterment of humanity.

“We are like brothers and sisters. Our beliefs may be different, but our aim is the same, that of the betterment of the people and humanity and we all have to pursue that together,” he added.

Christmas celebrations were also held in other churches of the valley, including in Gulmarg and Baramulla.

Srinagar, Dec 25: Police have detained an individual after a shocking video showing an elderly man being assaulted, allegedly by his own son, surfaced on social media and sparked widespread anger and concern.

The disturbing video quickly went viral across various platforms, drawing sharp reactions from the public and prompting police to take immediate notice of the incident.

A police official said that swift cognizance was taken soon after the video came to the notice of authorities. “A case has been registered at Police Station Tangmarg under relevant sections of law. The accused has been detained, and a thorough investigation is in progress,” the official said.

Police said the investigation aims to ascertain the exact circumstances of the incident and fix responsibility strictly as per law. (KNC)