Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: Gadigarh police today arrested an absconder, who was evading his arrest for the past over 22 years.
As per police sources, on specific inputs, police team from Gadigarh police post arrested an absconder, who was at large since 1992.
The accused have been identified as Harminder Singh, son of Partap Singh, a resident of Bhour Camp.
Police team headed by Incharge Police Post Gadigarh SI Khyati Maan Khajuria made the arrest under the supervision of SDPO Gandhi Nagar Harjeet Singh.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: Some Congress leaders today visited the site where dental Surgeons are sitting on protest dharna at Amphalla.
On the directions of PCC president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, PCC vice president Th Hari Singh, general secretary Vinod Sharma along with other leaders including Pt Jagan Nath, Neeraj Gupta, B B Gupta, Sanjiv Sharma and Mian Nazir paid visit to the agitating unemployed dental surgeons and rendered their party support in their struggle. Braving sun and rain, these youth are sitting on dharna for the last 26 days.
The PCC leaders heard the grievances of dental surgeons and received a memorandum from them for the State Government. They are demanding complete absorption of all the unemployed dental surgeons of J&K, regular recruitment of dental surgeons and separate Directorate for the dental field. The team assured the agitating medicos to forward the memorandum to Health and Medical Education Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: The former Union Minister and MLA, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta has observed that the decision of the ruling alliance of Congress, National Conference, is an act of frustration caused by the loss of confidence of the masses. But their estrangement in the prevailing political scenario provided opportunity to the deprived, especially the Jammuites to change the course of continued discrimination, he added.
Commenting upon the decision about parting of ways of the two allies in the coming Assembly elections, Prof. Gupta said that the alliance was obviously opportunistic and like a marriage of convenience just to share the bounties of power. It was apparent that the two parties forged coalition without even framing a common minimum programme although they had contested 2008 Assembly elections on separate, rather conflicting manifestoes.
The two parties, especially the Congress had forgotten their election promises including for having fresh de-limitation of Assembly constituencies so as to have fair representation to each region.
The rejection of this coalition by the electorates was so high that the ruling alliance could not get a single seat in the recently held Lok Sabha polls.
Prof Gupta also pointed out that the leadership of two parties viz: the Congress and the National Conference had always been behaving like jilted lovers and one fails understand dragging the Coalition Government even after their announcement for parting of their ways in the coming elections.
He said the coming of the events gave an opportunity to those who suffered discrimination at the hands of Congress – National Conference for the past over six decades, can have justice, if they act wisely and untidily.

Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 22: Inordinate delay in construction of a bridge by Borders Road Organisation (BRO) on a national highway at Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir today figured in Rajya Sabha with a member demanding its immediate completion besides an investigation into the delay.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Prof Saif-ud-din Soz (Cong) said “the BRO has become defunct in its operations in the field. It has become so defunct that it could not complete a bridge on the highway near Sopore in 10 years leaving entire North Kashmir in difficult conditions.”
He alleged such a situation has become due to posting of retired Army officials in BRO.
The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that despite the Chief Minister stating that he will lead a protest march, the bridge could not be completed.
Demanding an investigation into the delay, he drew the attention of the Government towards immediate completion of the bridge.
Some of the members associated themselves with the demand.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 22: Terming the recent developments in Kashmir valley an outcome of increasing influence and sway of militarized Pan Islamic fundamentalism, Panun Kashmir today urged the Government of India to recognize the need of creating a centrally administered Union Territory on the North and East of river Jehlum in the Valley for the rehabilitation of over seven lakh internally displaced Kashmiri Pandits.
This is the only viable means of resettling the KPs and reversing their genocide, PK convener, Dr Agnishekhar, its chairman, Dr Ajay Chrungoo and senior leader O N Trisal told reporters here.
They said that no other solution except the homeland for the return of Kashmiri Hindus is acceptable to the community.
They said that PK is hopeful that the New Union Government led by Narendra Modi will address the issue of Kashmiri Hindus as an issue of reversal of genocide and not as an issue of economic package. The PK is also hopeful that the present Union Government will make a radical departure from its predecessors on the issue, they added.
Opposing the return of Pandits to Kashmir where the writ of fundamentalists runs large, they said return of displaced Kashmir Hindus in this type of an atmosphere in Kashmir valley appears both comical and mischievous.
“We will not return to a Talibanized society and only solution to our problems was creation of a separate homeland within valley with UT status”, said O N Trisal.
The PK leaders said politics in Kashmir has a dominance of Pan Islamists and over ground workers of Pakistan are active in Valley. But it is unfortunate that New Delhi has so far failed to take cognizance of the same and they were again trying to push Pandits in that society which believes in the politics of intolerance and has rejected the composite culture and principle of co- existence- the two basic fundamentals of secularism.
They said the KPs have developed a faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it is expected that he will not pursue the policies of previous Congress Government on Kashmir. “We appeal the PM not to see things superficially in Kashmir and instead address the genocide issue of KPs” said Dr Ajay Chrungoo. Dr Agnishekhar said that Pandits are victims of ethnic cleansing and KPs are hopeful that instead calling our exodus as migration the new Union Government will accept it as religious cleansing or genocide.
He demanded that GoI should constitute Fast Track Tribunal to punish those responsible for killing of over 1200 Pandits in Valley.
Stressing on constitution of Tribunal, Dr Ajay said this State is without anti terrorism law and constitution of Tribunal is must to punish the killers of Pandits and those who are responsible for genocide.
PK leaders Kuldeep Raina, Om Ji and Sanjay Moza were also present in the press conference.

NEW DELHI, July 22:
Slamming the ‘sari and shawl’ diplomacy with Pakistan, ruling NDA constituent Shiv Sena today said Government should have no talks with the country and give it a “befitting” reply after the killing of a jawan in shelling at the Line of Control.
“What is this sari and shawl diplomacy? There should be no talks with Pakistan and this has been our stand yesterday and even today when we are in the Government,” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told reporters here.
“Should we continue to keep counting our dead soliders? If they have killed our one soldier, we should kill (their) ten (soldiers) and this would be a befitting reply to Pakistan,” he said.
Raut’s remarks were a jibe at the gesture of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to send a white sari for the mother of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi who had gifted a shawl for Sharif’s mother, when the Pakistani leader visited India to attend Modi’s swearing in ceremony.
Shiv Sena has steadfastly opposed any talks between India and Pakistan. Asked how would the party take up the issue now that it is in power, Raut, who is also the editor of party mouthpiece ‘Samanna’, said, “It is we who raised this issue in the House today and now that we are in the Government we will also take it up with the Government.”
He, however, did not elaborate.
An Indian Army jawan was killed after Pakistanis fired along LoC in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district, in yet another violation of ceasefire. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 22: Thirtynine shopkeepers have been booked in the summer capital here over profiteering.
A police spokesman said on the directions of SSP Srinagar Amit Kumar, police today booked about 39 shopkeepers including chicken sellers, butchers, green grocers, bakers under Section 3/7 Essential Commodities Act.
In these connections 39 case FIRs have been lodged in different police stations of the city and all the 39 shopkeepers were presented before the local magistrates and the cases were challaned within 24 hours, he said.
“SSP Srinagar said that, the drive will continue during the week,” the spokesman said.