
Kitchloo's re-induction will embolden anti-minority forces in J&K: BJP
The state president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jugal Kishore Sharma, on Saturday condemned the decision of the NC-led coalition government to rehabilitate Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo who was removed from the J&K cabinet following communal riots in Kishtwar.
The party has given a call for a 48-hour bandh to protest against the decision.
Kitchloo was given a clean chit on Friday by a commission probing the riots.
"We condemn the government's decision to rehabilitate Kitchloo on the basis of a manipulated interim report. The BJP will not take this irresponsible and communally motivated act in a light vein and will reach out to the masses to mobilise the opinion against the NC-Congress government," said Sharma.
He questioned on what basis was Kitchloo given a clean chit by the one-man inquiry commission. He also questioned the recommendation that village development committees (VDCs) be reconstituted by including members of majority community.
"It was in early 1990s that VDCs were constituted by the then governor general KV Krishna Rao to ensure security of minority community and their religious places and dissuade them from migrating," said Sharma.
Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Ashok Khajuria said the decision of CM Omar Abdullah to re-induct Kitchloo as MoS (home) would not only embolden the anti-minority forces in the state, but would also give rise to a sense of insecurity among the members of minority community which may lead to mass migration.
"It will also send a negative message to the patriotic forces which are putting up in militancy-affected areas of the state," said Khajuria.
BJP's national executive member Nirmal Singh said communalising the environment in the state had been a common practice of the NC-Congress government for crass vote bank politics.
"The coalition government has completely ignored its duty to create a congenial and positive feeling among various communities in the state by inducting into the cabinet a person whose acts of omission and commission during the August 9, 2013 communal riots in Kishtwar town are too well known," said Singh.
Earlier, party activists led by Janipur Mandal president Praduman Singh held a protest outside the residence of Jammu and Kashmir high court justice RC Gandhi (retd) at Janipur, levelling charges of manipulating facts against him.
Later in the afternoon, party activists led by Sharma took out a march to the Raj Bhawan to protest against the "provocative decision" of the state government.

Differences in Meghalaya BJP intensifies, coalition govt comes under strain
- The BJP unit has also been at loggerheads with the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) dispensation with its chief Earnest Mawrie accusing it of anomalies in governance.

UP cops hunt for clues into case of college girl found with burn injuries
- Shahjahanpur’s superintendent of police S Anand, SP, denied reports that the girl was burnt after a failed rape attempt

Expert team widens mouth of lake formed upstream Rishiganga for faster drainage
- An expert team is trying to drain out the lake to prevent another tragedy like the Chamoli flash flood.

Amid Covid-19 fears, thousands throng Telangana’s Sammakka-Saralamma festival
- The tribal fair draws devotees not only from Telangana, but also from other states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

West Bengal makes RT-PCR tests mandatory for arrivals from Maha, 3 other states
- The notice released by the state government stated “All passengers coming to West Bengal from the aforementioned 4 states shall mandatorily carry a covid negative RT-PCR report for such test conducted within 72 hours of flight departure.”

2 terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’ Anantnag
- The police said they were ascertaining the identities and affiliation of the two terrorists.

Lives lost to wildlife-human conflict inadequately compensated in India: Study
- The research says the average compensation paid for human death in the country is ₹1,91,437, and the average compensation paid for injury is ₹6,185.

News updates from HT: Railways ministry clarifies fare hike and all latest news

India rejects Pakistan's criticism of human rights situation in Kashmir at UNHRC
- India’s “right of reply” to the Pakistani minister’s speech was delivered by Seema Pujani, second secretary in the permanent mission to the UN.

Odisha MLA arrested in job scam gets bail, but will remain in jail
- Despite the bail, Pradeep Panigrahy will not be released from prison as three other cases of fraud have been filed by the people of Ganjam district.

India's foodgrain output to rise 2% in 2020-21: Govt

'Govt has no business to be in business': PM Modi bats for privatisation
- Reiterating his government’s stance on privatisation, the Prime Minister said, “We have made it clear in the new public sector enterprise policy that government will have limited role in only four strategic sectors and all other public sector units can be privatised.”

Cyberabad cops bust racket in Telangana after fraudulent issue of 72 passports
- Cyberabad police have arrested eight people in the passport scam, including two policemen who were responsible for verifying applications.

Tamil Nadu IPS officer accuses colleague of sexual harassment, inquiry ordered
