Srinagar, March 17: An encounter broke out between security forces and hiding terrorists in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday.

Officials said that following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Krumbhoora (Zachaldara) village in Rajwar area of the district, security forces started a CASO (Cordon and Search Operation).

“As the security forces closed on the hiding terrorists, they fired at the surrounding security forces triggering an encounter which is presently going on. Two to three terrorists are reportedly holed up inside the cordoned off area. All the exit points of the terrorists are being plugged,” the officials said.

A joint team of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) has launched a coordinated operation to eliminate the threat.

Authorities have sealed off the area, and additional reinforcements have been deployed to ensure a successful operation. Civilians in the area have been advised to stay indoors and avoid movement near the encounter site for their safety.

The situation remains active and under close monitoring, said the officials.

Further updates will follow as the operation progresses. Security agencies are likely to issue press statements as more details emerge.

Terrorists under the orders of their handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have stepped up their activities.

Intelligence agencies believe that the peaceful, people-participative Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections in 2024 have frustrated terror handlers in Pakistan.

Recently, terrorists killed three innocent civilians in the Kathua district, including a 14-year-old boy.

The bodies of two civilians out of three who went missing from the Qazigund area of the Kulgam district on February 14 have been recovered.

These civilians belonging to the Rajouri district of the Jammu division were working as labourers to earn their livelihood in the Valley.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has chaired three security review meetings on J&K since the beginning of 2025.

He has given clear orders to the security forces to ensure zero infiltration and zero tolerance for terrorists and their sympathisers in the union territory.

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has also chaired two back-to-back security review meetings, one in Srinagar and the other in Jammu. The L-G has directed police and the security forces to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terror sustained by terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.

The L-G has said that funds generated from drug smuggling, drug trafficking and hawala rackets are ultimately used to sustain terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and the war against terror cannot be fought in isolation unless its breathing channels dry up.

Mumbai, March 15: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and MLA Abu Azmi on Saturday advocated for Hindi as a unifying language across India.

His remarks come amidst Tamil Nadu government’s decision to replace the official rupee symbol with its Tamil script equivalent in the state’s Budget 2025-26, a move that has sparked sharp political reactions.

“India is a large country. There should be a language that is acceptable to all, and I believe that Hindi is that language,” Azmi told media.

“There is a parliamentary committee for this also, and I feel that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Hindi should be given the recognition. What someone wants to do in their state is their call,” he added.

The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government’s move to replace the rupee symbol has drawn strong criticism from various quarters.

Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande termed it “unconstitutional” and a violation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.

“The Tamil Nadu government has no authority to change our national rupee symbol to any local language,” she told media.

Calling the move a “political stunt,” Kayande accused the DMK of deliberately challenging the Centre.

“The three-language policy has been accepted in India for a long time. Hindi is a common language. They give recognition to English but not to Hindi. They love speaking and learning English but do not like Hindi, even though it is an Indian language. This is just an attempt to create hatred among the people,” she said.

Speaking to media, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam called the DMK’s decision “treasonous” and “anti-national.”

He reminded that when the rupee symbol was introduced during the Congress-led UPA era, the DMK was part of the government.

“The rupee symbol is the pride of this country. Changing it and using Tamil letters instead is unacceptable,” he said.

Nirupam also accused the Dravidian parties of using anti-Hindi sentiments for political gain.

“The Stalin government is pushing an anti-Hindi agenda, which is objectionable and shameful. This phase of extreme opposition to Hindi could lead to Stalin’s downfall. The entire country is united today, unlike the 1960s when such movements took place. Hindi has gained respect nationwide as an effective communication language,” he said.

He further emphasised that Tamil Nadu’s resistance to Hindi could prove detrimental.

“People from Tamil Nadu do business in Hindi-speaking states and use Hindi for communication. If they continue this extremist attitude, they may end up isolating themselves, which would not be in Tamil Nadu’s best interest,” Nirupam warned.

Sambhal, March 15: The painting work of Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh will start from Sunday in the presence of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team. The mosque will be painted in white, green and golden colours.

Shahi Jama Masjid’s Sadar Zafar Ali, while talking to media on Saturday, said that the ASI team is present here. The painting work of the mosque will start from Sunday. Today only cleaning work is being done in the mosque.

He told that the ASI team has brought the labourers itself and the whole process is being done under their supervision. The work will be completed in three-four days. The mosque will be painted in green, white and golden colours.

Let us tell you that in recent times, Allahabad High Court had given permission to the committee of Shahi Jama Masjid of Sambhal to paint the outer walls of the mosque. The court, while partially accepting the application of the mosque committee, had ordered that painting can be done only on the outer walls of the mosque.

Apart from this, the High Court had said that lighting can also be installed on the outer walls, but this work should be done without damaging any structure. The mosque committee had filed this petition in Allahabad High Court, in which they had sought permission to paint.