Srinagar, July 19: The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today addressed Interfaith Dialogue for Harmony in Baramulla, organised by the Save Youth Save Future Foundation. He commended the Save Youth Save Future Foundation for their contribution to the drug-free Jammu Kashmir campaign. He said the young volunteers worked selflessly and took on a great responsibility for a better future for UT.

“Through this campaign we have strengthened trust within our families and institutions, reinforced youth’s confidence in their future, and sent a message across the country that when a society rises up on its own, it can overcome biggest challenges,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor also highlighted that this land of Jammu Kashmir embodies harmony and brotherhood.

“For generations, people of different faiths received respect and experienced spiritual peace. It is the lasting legacy of the saints, Sufis, and Rishis who spent centuries teaching our people the power of love, compassion, and unity.

Lal Ded’s teachings didn’t belong to one religion. Her Vakh spoke directly to the human heart. She never judged people by their faith. Instead, Lal Ded focused on bringing different ways of worship together. Similarly, Sheikh-ul-Alam showed us that true devotion isn’t about conflict or division. It is found in compassion and in serving every single human being.

The flourishing rishi-sufi tradition in Kashmir does not proclaim the superiority of one faith. Its message is that all religions and beliefs draw their strength from the same existence, and I believe this teaching is our shared heritage. This heritage does not belong only to Hindus, only to Muslims, only to Sikhs, Buddhists, or Christians. It is the legacy of every citizen born on this sacred land, and protecting this heritage is our moral and spiritual duty. We must safeguard this harmony in the same way we protect our families,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He also stated that social and religious harmony is the cornerstone on which a strong society, a strong Jammu Kashmir, and a developed India can be built.

“When the people move in peaceful coexistence then the energy of society becomes the greatest force for development. That is why I strongly believe that harmony is both a moral necessity for the people and the foundation of economic prosperity and it also a guarantee of a brighter future for coming generations.

We must strengthen the spirit of equal respect for all religions so that every citizen can progress with equal opportunities. We must reinforce mutual goodwill so that poverty is eliminated from every home. We must unite to promote fraternity so that we can uproot challenges like drug addiction.

From the soil of Baramulla today a message should go out that if there is any land in the world that can teach the world that different communities, sects, and faiths can live together in peace, joy, and trust, it is India,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor also called upon youth to believe in themselves.

“Believe in your ability. Believe that you can build a future far brighter than the past you inherited. For a long time, this land suffered from the scourge of drugs and terrorism, and that impacted the consciousness, dreams, and futures of the youth.

Today I say with full conviction that that era has now ended. Now the youth of Jammu Kashmir have taken the reins of their future into their own hands, and this Union Territory is moving toward a new era of education, entrepreneurship, innovation, spiritual awareness, and national unity. Let us together build a Jammu Kashmir that is stronger, more prosperous, peaceful, and progressive,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

During his visit, the Lieutenant Governor also met various public delegations. He assured appropriate action on the issues projected by them.

Major General Manoj Joshi, GoC, Dagger Division; Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary, Culture Department; Dr. Vinod Kumar, DIG North Kashmir Range; Syed Fakhrudin Hamid, Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla; Gurinderpal Singh, SSP Baramulla; Wajahat Farooq Bhat, Chairman, Save Youth Save Future Foundation; members of the Foundation; senior officials, civil society members, prominent citizens, people from different walks of life and youth in large number were present.

Srinagar, July 19: Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma on Sunday said politics can wait and humanity should come first as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to postpone its proposed July 20 protest in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the flash floods that caused heavy loss of life and property in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, accompanied by BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma, BJP State Vice President Shehnaz Gania, General Secretaries Gopal Mahajan and Anwar Khan and spokesperson Zorawar Singh, Sharma said the party had decided to defer tomorrow’s protest, which was scheduled to begin from Ghanta Ghar, Lal Chowk, and culminate at the Civil Secretariat, as the current situation demanded humanitarian support rather than political activity.

Sharma said this was not the time for political confrontation and all political parties should unite in helping the affected people.

“Politics can wait. At this moment, humanity should come first and every political party should stand with the victims,” he said.

He said the BJP’s central and J&K leadership, along with party workers, were deeply saddened by the tragedy and had resolved to stand with the affected people instead of holding demonstrations.

“As a responsible political party, we have decided to postpone the protest. This is not the time for politics when people are grieving and looking for help. Holding a protest at this stage will also hamper the administration’s rescue operations,” Sharma said.

He said the protest had only been postponed and not cancelled, adding that a fresh date would be announced after the situation normalises.

LoP Sharma said BJP teams would immediately leave for Poonch and Rajouri to assist victims and extend all possible support to families affected by the disaster.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were closely monitoring the situation and had spoken to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to review the ground situation.

He added that party leaders had also been directed to visit the affected areas, assess the situation and convey the ground realities to the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government.

Referring to the scale of the disaster, Sharma said one death had been officially reported in Rajouri while another person was feared missing, whereas 16 deaths had been reported in Poonch.

“These are not official figures. Based on information available with the party, the overall death toll in the two districts appears to be around 18,” he said.

He said flash floods had also affected Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and Bani-Basohli, though no major loss of life had been reported from these districts so far.

Sharma said the damage in Rajouri was unprecedented and could be the biggest loss to property witnessed in the history of natural disasters in Jammu and Kashmir, while rescue operations were still underway.

He also expressed grief over the tragedy in Surankote, Poonch, where eight members of a family were swept away in the floods, with only three bodies recovered so far.

Karnah, Jul 19: In view of the forecast of continued adverse weather conditions and heavy rainfall during the coming week, the Sub-Divisional Administration Karnah has intensified preparedness measures and initiated proactive steps to safeguard the lives and property of residents, particularly nomadic families residing in vulnerable areas.

The administration has  mapped all nomadic/migratory families of  the Sub Division and issued advisories to them to avoid camping near nallahs, water channels, landslide-prone locations and other vulnerable areas for the next one week. The families have been advised to remain vigilant, follow safety precautions and immediately inform the administration in case of any emergency.

Meanwhile, due to heavy rainfall during the night, the seasonal hut of a nomadic family belonging to Altaf Ahmad, son of Kaloo Chachi, resident of village Nachiyan, was damaged. On receiving information, the Sub-Divisional Administration responded promptly and provided immediate assistance to the affected family, including a kitchen set, tarpaulin and ration kit. Altaf Ahmad, who sustained minor injuries, was shifted to Sub-District Hospital Tangdhar for medical examination and necessary treatment and was discharged after being attended by the medical team.

SDM Karnah, along with SHO Karnah, visited the affected site, assessed the damages and interacted with the nomadic families residing in the area. The families were sensitized about the precautionary measures to be adopted in view of the prevailing weather conditions and the advisory issued by the administration.

The SDM Karnah also inspected a minor landslide triggered on the CTC Road due to rainfall. The road stretch had been temporarily restored by Beacon authorities, and necessary directions were issued for early clearance of debris and ensuring uninterrupted vehicular movement.

The Sub-Divisional Administration Karnah continues to closely monitor the situation and has activated all field-level mechanisms to ensure timely response, emergency assistance and public safety during the ongoing spell of inclement weather.

Srinagar, July 19: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu and Kashmir has postponed its proposed Secretariat Gherao March at Lal Chowk, Srinagar, which was scheduled to be held on July 20, in view of the flood situation in Rajouri and Poonch districts.

In a statement, the party said the decision was taken considering the devastation caused by heavy rains and flash floods in the twin border districts.

“The BJP Jammu & Kashmir protest (Secretariat Gherao March) at Lal Chowk, Srinagar, scheduled for July 20, 2026, has been postponed due to the flood situation in Rajouri and Poonch,” the party said.

It added that a fresh date for the protest march would be announced shortly.

The party had planned the march to press for its demands before the Jammu and Kashmir administration. However, the programme has been deferred in view of the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas.

Srinagar, Jul 19: Moderate rainfall was experienced in most parts of Kashmir on Sunday, bringing respite from the heatwave.

The rains came a day after most weather stations in the valley recorded above normal maximum temperatures.

Srinagar had on Saturday registered a maximum temperature of 35.9 degrees Celsius, which was the hottest day this year.

The heatwave had forced extension of summer vacations in the valley schools till July 22, officials said here.

The rainfall, however, led to waterlogging in several parts of Srinagar, with roads inundated and storm drains overflowing in areas such as Khanyar, the officials said.

Srinagar, Jul 19: Senior National Conference leader and Member of Parliament for the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, Mian Altaf Ahmad, has expressed deep sorrow and profound anguish over the loss of lives and widespread devastation caused by incessant rainfall and flash floods in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch.

In his statement, MP Mian Altaf conveyed his heartfelt solidarity and condolences to the grieving families who lost their loved ones to nature’s fury.  “ The region has been severely impacted by torrential rains, which triggered natural calamities resulting in many deaths and leaving several others missing. The worst of the destruction occurred in the Surankote and Haveli tehsils of Poonch, where landslides collapsed residential homes and buried families, alongside widespread infrastructural damage and vehicle submergence in Rajouri town” it said. 

MP Mian Altaf urged the Government and the local administration to take immediate relief and rescue measures for the affected people. “ Immediate measures should be taken to ensure the relief and rehabilitation of the affected people and disaster teams should be deployed for the rescue efforts “ the statement said. 

Mian Altaf said that he is in touch with the local administration and monitoring the situation.