SRINAGAR, May 6: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday brushed aside PDP MP Waheed Para’s claim that the National Conference (NC) MLAs were planning to defect from the party, terming it “baseless”.
Speaking to reporters after a function at Tangmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Abdulah accused the PDP of spreading rumours and asserted that no NC legislator would leave the party.
“Do you think I would be attending these functions if some MLAs were preparing to leave? These are baseless reports. These are the same people who helped the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls. It is not that we are saying this; it was revealed by RTI. There is no such MLA in the National Conference who will leave the party to support the BJP,” he said.
Abdullah was referring to an RTI disclosure, which revealed that the PDP did not appoint a chief agent for last year’s Rajya Sabha elections, and enabled J&K BJP chief Sat Sharma to secure a seat, despite the saffron party lacking the necessary numbers.
Earlier, Para claimed on X that internal dissent was brewing within the NC, and that some of its MLAs were in contact with PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
In that post, Para had also questioned Abdullah’s silence on the J&K
government declaring Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, a prominent religious-cummodern educational seminary in Shopian, an ‘unlawful entity’ under the UAPA.
Responding to the charge, Abdullah said, “I do not work according to what some other party says. When I have to say something, I say it. Neither my government nor I is silent. Wherever issues come up on which we have to talk, we talk either on behalf of the government or the party.” Responding to a question about the West Bengal election results and the row over SIR, the CM said, “So many voters were deleted from the voter list, and the court said they will hear the matter after the elections. What will the hearing now achieve?
Elections are over and those people did not get an opportunity to vote. If the BJP had to do it for winning, then be it, they have won now. We will have to see what impact it will have in the rest of the country.” When asked about the possibility of cabinet expansion, Abdullah said, “Why are you people so concerned about it? When we have to do it, we will do it.” He said the tourist spots that continued to remain closed after last year’s Pahalgam attack would be reopened gradually.
“This was raised in the assembly as well. Many places have been reopened, some remain, and they will also be reopened gradually,” he said. (Agencies)

Washington, May 6: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump said.
According to Axios, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
It said many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped, but nothing is truly resolved. (Agencies)

JAMMU, May 6: Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) today carried out an extensive inspection and enforcement drive at Sector-02, Channi Himmat, Jammu, under the jurisdiction of Sub Division Green Belt, Gandhi Nagar of Electric Division-II, JPDCL.
The inspection was conducted by a special Enforcement Team constituted by the Superintending Engineer, O&M Circle Jammu. The team, led by Assistant Engineer Vishal Kumar Langeh, inspected 20 electricity consumers, including 02 domestic and 15 commercial installations.
During the inspection, 3 establishments were found indulging in illegal use of electricity and disconnected the supply on the spot. Notably, all three defaulters were prominent commercial establishments located along the main road of Sector-02, Channi Himmat. The violations reflect a serious attempt to evade payment of legitimate electricity dues and cause deliberate loss to Government revenue.
Further inspection revealed that 10 commercial consumers were using electricity beyond their sanctioned load, resulting in substantial revenue loss. Penal action was immediately imposed and their sanctioned loads were revised in accordance with actual consumption.
The enforcement team also detected 02 cases of damaged meters and 01 case of meter bypassing, indicating deliberate tampering. Necessary penal proceedings under applicable rules and regulations have been initiated against the violators.
The JPDCL reiterated its zero-tolerance policy against power theft, unauthorized usage and meter tampering. The Corporation has intensified enforcement drives across Jammu division and such inspections shall continue on a sustained basis.

Leh, May 6: In a significant step towards ensuring a sustainable and reliable drinking water supply in Ladakh, the Administration of UT Ladakh, on the initiative of Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, today signed an MoU with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, CR Patil, Hon’ble MoS, Jal Shakti, V Somanna and Secretary, Jal Shakti Ministry, Ashok KK Meena, were present on the occasion.
The MoU would formalise collaboration for the effective implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0, a flagship programme of the Government of India, aimed at providing clean and adequate drinking water through functional household tap connections to every rural household.
One of the most striking features of this MoU is the 100 per cent Central funding for water connection in each household in Ladakh, as declared by the Hon’ble Minister, Patil. Treating Ladakh as a special case, the Ministry would bear the entire cost of Rs 4 lakh per water connection in Ladakh. Notably, in the case of other states/UTs, 10 to 40 per cent of the cost is borne by the respective state/UT.
The development follows the proactive engagement of the LG, Saxena, with the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, CR Patil, wherein key issues related to water security in Ladakh were deliberated upon. The Lieutenant Governor has consistently advocated for enhanced central assistance and interventions in development projects in Ladakh, tailored to its unique ecological and geographical context.
According to the MoU, a structured framework has been established to ensure the commissioning and handover of piped water supply systems to local institutions, such as Gram Panchayats and Village Water & Sanitation Committees. The MoU was signed between the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) Department of the UT Administration.
The initiative is expected to significantly benefit Ladakh by addressing its unique water challenges arising from difficult terrain, harsh climatic conditions, and limited freshwater resources. By strengthening infrastructure and promoting efficient water management practices, the MoU will play a pivotal role in ensuring year-round access to potable drinking water for rural households, reducing dependence on tanker-based supply and seasonal sources.
“This MoU marks a significant milestone in our journey towards achieving water security in Ladakh. Through strengthened collaboration under the Jal Jeevan Mission and initiatives like Project Him Sarovar, launched recently to harness snow and glacial melt, we are committed to ensuring that Ladakh becomes water self-sufficient. Given Ladakh’s unique challenges, this partnership will enable us to build sustainable, resilient and community-driven water infrastructure for the future,” said L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena.
The MoU also seeks to establish a water quality testing and surveillance system, with tagging of water samples collected for testing at household locations. This would enable effective monitoring of remedial actions and ensure long-term water sustainability.