Anantnag, Sep 02: A tourist was killed after a boulder rolled down a hillside and hit a vehicle on the Khanbal-Pahalgam Road near Bumzoo shrine in Mattan area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday.

An official said that an Innova vehicle bearing registration number JK01AT-8081, carrying six tourists from Pahalgam towards Anantnag, was struck by a boulder that suddenly rolled down from the hillside.

He said that one tourist sustained serious injuries, while the other tourists, including the driver, were safe. The injured tourist was immediately shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, where doctors declared him brought dead.

The deceased was later identified as R Himansu Prasad Rao, son of R Pala Krishna Rao, a resident of Ganjam, Odisha.

Meanwhile, police have taken cognisance of the incident.—(KNO)

Srinagar, Sep 2: Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Omar Abdullah-led government, accusing it of failing to deliver development and attempting to divert public attention from its shortcomings.

Addressing a protest gathering at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, Sharma said people had made up their minds about the government’s performance and demanded that it either fulfil its promises or step down.

“People have made up their mind. Either they should work during the remaining three years of their term or they should leave the chair,” Sharma said.

The BJP leader also criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his remarks on the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharma said the chief minister should recognise the stature of the Prime Minister and wait for the appropriate time for his statements to translate into action.

“He does not know that the country’s Prime Minister is respected across the world and one should wait for the appropriate time for the things he says to take effect,” Sharma said.

Taking aim at the administration’s record, he asked, “What can be expected from such a chief minister?” Sharma alleged that the government had failed to deliver the expected development during its two years in office and was now attempting to divert public attention.

“In the two-year period, the development that has not taken place through him, attempts have been made and are being made to divert the attention of the people. People will not forgive them,” he said.

Sharma also accused the National Conference government of effectively giving Pakistan a “clean chit” whenever an incident occurs in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Whenever such an incident happens here, it is said that the central government is trying to spoil the atmosphere here,” he said, adding, “The BJP will never tolerate those who directly give a clean chit to Pakistan.”

Asked whether the protest could put pressure on the National Conference government, Sharma said the BJP was not concerned about the immediate political impact of the demonstration, claiming instead that public sentiment was turning against the government.

“It does not matter to us. People have made up their mind,” he said.

Sharma claimed that more than 10,000 BJP workers and members of the public had gathered at Lal Chowk for the protest. Referring to the historical significance of the site, he said, “This is the same historic Lal Chowk where at one time even hoisting the Tricolour of Bharat Mata was stopped.”

He said the presence of thousands of people demonstrated a clear demand for better governance.

“Today you can see that thousands of people have gathered and, in a good atmosphere, you can see how people have made up their mind that the government should either work or leave the chair,” Sharma said.

Srinagar, Sep 02: Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister and National Conference (NC) leader Sakina Itoo on Wednesday said the party would continue its peaceful struggle for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and statehood, asserting that “every day is a day of protest” for the party.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NC protest in Srinagar, Minister itoo said the demand for restoration of the rights of Jammu and Kashmir had continued since 2019 and would be pursued at every level.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir chose it and they can choose any day. For us, every day is a day of protest, and every day we will peacefully demand, at every level and on every platform, that our rights be restored,” she said.

Itoo said the demand was not confined to the NC but reflected the sentiments of people across Jammu and Kashmir. “This is not just the voice of one organisation, but it is the voice of the people of the entire Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.

The minister alleged that restrictions had been imposed at several places to prevent people from joining the protest and claimed that checkpoints had been established at multiple locations.

She also alleged that BJP workers were allowed to move freely through Lal Chowk while NC protesters faced restrictions. “This injustice, pressure and harassment will not be tolerated. We will continue to demand our rights and will do so peacefully. InshaAllah, we will achieve them,” she said.

“Our effort and our demand is that Article 370 and Article 35A be restored and statehood be restored, so that this high-handedness comes to an end,” Itoo said.—(KNO)

Srinagar, Sep 02: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma on Wednesday said the BJP’s protest in Srinagar reflected what he termed the failures of the National Conference-led government, as party leaders and workers gathered at Lal Chowk ahead of a planned march towards the Civil Secretariat.

Security was tightened across Lal Chowk ahead of the BJP’s proposed Civil Secretariat gherao, with the Hari Singh High Street road towards the Secretariat closed and heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel in place.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the gathering near the Clock Tower, Sharma said people were taking to the streets over issues including electricity, water, roads and unemployment.

“This is a reflection of the failures of the government, which you are seeing on the streets today. Those who are yearning for electricity and water, those who are yearning for roads, those who are yearning for a job, especially young people, those young people are told that today they will not get a job from PSC or SSRB,” Sharma said.

He alleged that the government had failed to provide adequate employment opportunities to the youth and claimed that jobs were being linked to contractors associated with the National Conference.

“Today you ask for a job from a contractor of the National Conference. Today, if you have to appoint a doctor anywhere, he will be the contractor of the National Conference,” he alleged.

Sharma also criticised the government over the increase in electricity tariffs, saying it had placed an additional burden on the poor.

“On top of that, the government has increased the electricity tariff and has put a burden on the poor. People are angry, that is why they are on the streets,” he said.

Targeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Sharma questioned the promises made by the National Conference during the Assembly elections, including its commitments on Article 370, free electricity and jobs.

“Mr Omar Abdullah had said he would bring back the so-called Article 370. He had said he would give 200 units of electricity for free and 100,000 jobs,” Sharma said.

He also challenged Omar Abdullah to seek a fresh mandate from the people on the issue of statehood.

“If Mr Omar Abdullah has even a little bit of dignity left, then come and fight the elections on statehood and resign from Ganderbal. If people win the elections and send you to the statehood, then we will bow before you,” Sharma said.

The BJP had announced that it would march towards the Civil Secretariat as part of the protest. The party leaders and workers were gathered at the Clock Tower at the time of filing this report and had not yet begun the march.—(KNO)

Srinagar, Sep 02: Police and security forces were deployed in large numbers at Lal Chowk and Jawahar Nagar here on Wednesday to maintain law and order in view of the BJP plan to gherao the Civil Secretariat and the ruling National Conference’s plan to stage a counter protest outside the office of the national party.

Roads leading to the BJP office at Jawahar Nagar have been sealed to prevent any unruly gathering, while all entry points to Ghanta Ghar at Lal Chowk have been put off limits to all vehicles, the officials said.

The BJP has asked its workers to assemble at Ghanta Ghar before they march towards the Civil Secretariat across the Budshah Bridge over River Jhelum, while the National Conference has asked its workers to gather outside Gindun Sports Complex at Rajbagh for the march towards the BJP’s office.

While the NC will gherao the BJP headquarters in Jammu and Srinagar over statehood issue, the BJP’s gherao of the Civil Secretariat here is over the Omar Abdullah government’s alleged failure to fulfil its electoral promises.

The NC announced that it will gherao the opposition BJP headquarters in Jammu and Srinagar, demanding accountability for the promises the Union government made in Parliament and the Supreme Court regarding the restoration of statehood.

The NC’s protest announcement comes in response to the BJP’s secretariat gherao plan for Wednesday to protest against the alleged failure of the Omar Abdullah government to deliver on the promises made by it during the election campaign in 2024.

The BJP, the principal opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir, had originally planned its secretariat gherao on July 20 but postponed it due to NC holding a peaceful sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press for restoration of statehood to J-K.

A BJP spokesperson said the youth of J-K are asking questions which the NC government must answer.

“On September 2, we shall raise the concerns over alleged backdoor appointments, job outsourcing, unemployment, corruption and unfulfilled commitments outside the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar,” he said.

The spokesperson said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve jobs and transparency in the appointments.

Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370.

In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision, observing that statehood should be restored as soon as possible.