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India is safe in the hands of PM Modi, says Farooq Abdullah on Pahalgam attack fallout

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New Delhi, May 2: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah on Friday strongly condemned the recent terror attack in J&K’s Pahalgam and called for strict action against the perpetrators of the massacre of 26 innocent civilians. He also asserted that India was safe in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In an interview with Media, Abdullah spoke about Pakistan’s role in terrorism and demanded strict action against those involved in the recent Pahalgam attack. He also discussed issues ranging from the Indus Water Treaty to the caste census.

Here is the full interview:

Media: What is your opinion on the Pahalgam terror attack?

Farooq Abdullah: The Pahalgam incident was very painful. It should not have happened. This is a murder of humanity. Those who did this must be condemned as much as possible. They should be caught and punished in such a way that it becomes an example for others.

Media: Do you think Pakistan has a hand in the Pahalgam incident?

Farooq Abdullah: Anyone could be involved in the Pahalgam incident. Until we catch them, we cannot say who it is. The handlers must be the same ones who did it before. It’s not just about today. They did it in Uri too. You must have seen what happened in Pulwama. Who did it in Mumbai? Who did it in Pathankot? Who did it in Rajouri and Poonch? The handlers are sitting there.

Media: Was the Pahalgam incident a conspiracy by Pakistan?

Farooq Abdullah: They (Pakistan) feel that we (Indians) are living in peace and thousands of tourists are roaming here in Kashmir. They didn’t like it. They don’t want us to live in peace. Since 1947, they have tried to destroy as much as they can and will continue to try.

Media: Can India take back Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir?

Farooq Abdullah: This is a decision for the country’s Prime Minister to take. Farooq Abdullah cannot give him any advice. This must be the Prime Minister’s call.

Media: Is the country safe in the hands of the Prime Minister?

Farooq Abdullah: If the country wasn’t safe in the hands of the PM, he wouldn’t be the PM. Today, the PM has to take care of everyone, every citizen of the country, he must do that.

Media: Pakistanis are being expelled from India, how do you see this?

Farooq Abdullah: Those people have been living here for 50 years. Women who were married here, have children, and now they’ve been sent to Pakistan. Now they are neither here nor there. What kind of justice is this? Their children are here. They are citizens here. The Prime Minister will have to make a decision on what to do.

Media: Did the Pahalgam incident happen because of the Waqf Act?

Farooq Abdullah: The Waqf Act is different, the Pahalgam incident is different. We cannot link both. The Waqf matter is in the Supreme Court. We hope the Supreme Court will look at this matter properly.

Media: Could local Kashmiris have had a role in the Pahalgam incident?

Farooq Abdullah: I don’t think this kind of thing can happen without some kind of help. Unless someone supports them, how did they come? From where did they come? I said earlier, too, when Masood Azhar was released, I said don’t release him. He has already made his paths. Who knows if he is involved in this too? But no one listened to me. They took him to Pakistan. Children were killed here. They shot my cousin at his home. We caught him with great difficulty, but they took him in a plane to Kandahar. No one listened to us in that.

Media: Is it right to stop Pakistan’s water?

Farooq Abdullah: We’ve been saying for years that this treaty should be renegotiated. We are generating power from that water, but their people come and monitor. The water is ours. We have a right to it. We already have a water shortage in Jammu. In my time, a Rs 200 crore plan was made to bring water from Chenab to Delhi but the World Bank did not approve. Today I believe it is the right time to work on this water issue so Jammu can get water. It’s our own water and we’re not even using it. This treaty must be renegotiated.

Media: Whose fault could the Pahalgam incident be?

Farooq Abdullah: We are nearing the point of war. At this point, if we point out whose mistake it is, it won’t be right. This is not the time to point fingers. This won’t make India stronger. Once the matter is settled and we catch them, then a commission should be set up to see whose mistake it was, and where the lapse happened. Now is not the time to blame anyone, now is the time to act.

Media: What is your view on the caste census?

Farooq Abdullah: The caste census is a very good thing. How many Dalits are there? How many Muslims are there, how many Sikhs, how many Christians, how many Buddhists, everyone will know. This country belongs to everyone. The world will know this country is a garden of many colours and that many people live here; people who believe in it. It’s a good thing. This demand has been there for a long time.

Media: Is the country ready for war?

Farooq Abdullah: This will be the Prime Minister’s final command. The PM has given full freedom to the three chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. But the final command is in the PM’s hand.

Media: Do you think war is the only solution?

Farooq Abdullah: I would say, we should see Russia and Ukraine’s war. Who suffered? Ukraine got destroyed. America did not, even give weapons, but people died in Ukraine. Both sides should think about who suffers. There should be an attempt to open diplomatic channels. In America itself there was terrorism, 9/11 can’t be forgotten. We have given warnings several times to stop terrorism but they won’t listen.

National News

Virat Kohli Breaks Silence 91 Days After Bengaluru Stampede With Emotional Note, Says ‘Together We Will Move Forward With Care’

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Virat Kohli penned down an emotional note for RCB fans and people who lost their lives in the Bengaluru Stampede on June 4th. Royal Challengers Bengaluru shared message on their social media handle in which Kohli said, “Nothing in life really prepares you for a heartbreak like June 4th. What should’ve been the happiest moment in our franchise’s history… turned into something tragic. I’ve been thinking of and praying for the families of those we lost… and for our fans who were injured. Your loss is part of our story now. Together, we will move forward with care, respect and responsibility.”

11 people were dead and 47 others were injured in the stampede near the city’s M. Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where the players were parading the trophy for fans. Kohli’s statement on the incident is a part of the team’s ‘RCB CARES’ initiative to ensure better crowd management in the future to avoid untoward incidents such as the June 4 stampede.

Recently, RCB made their first social media post 84 days after the tragic stampede incident in Bengaluru. In a post shared on Thursday, the franchise says they have launched RCB Cares in response to the tragedy that unfolded a day after the franchise won their maiden IPL title.

Here’s the full statement,” Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you. It’s been close to three months since we last posted here.The Silence wasn’t Absence. It was Grief.”

“This space was once filled with energy, memories and moments that you enjoyed the most.. But June 4th changed everything.That day broke our hearts, and the silence since then has been our way of holding space.” The franchise announced a financial compensation of ₹25 lakh to families of stampede victims

Meanwhile, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has been deemed ‘unsafe’ to host large-scale gatherings, as part of the findings of the report submitted by the Commission to the Karnataka Government. ESPN Cricinfo reported that the venue’s design and structure are ‘unsuitable and unsafe’ for mass gatherings.

As a result, the venue was also ticked off as one of the hosts of the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup. It has been replaced by the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

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Crime

Thane Sessions Court Grants Bail To Man Accused Of Rape On Promise Of Marriage, Says Woman Was Aware He Was Married

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Thane: The Thane Sessions Court has granted bail to Kashimira resident Savlaram Smartharam Chaudhary, who was accused of allegedly raping a woman on the pretext of marriage. The court, in its order, observed that the woman was well aware of the fact that the accused was married and hence was equally responsible for the act.

The order stated: “It appears that the accused has not denied or disputed physical relations with the victim. However, he claims that these were consensual relations between adult persons, whereas the victim claims that she consented to such relations due to an assurance of marriage. The investigation papers show that the accused got married on July 23,2024and has a baby. The period of the alleged offence is between August 2023 and January 2025, which means the victim continued her relationship with the accused even after his marriage. She is 28 years old and deals with monetary transactions. She knows the consequences of physical relations with a married person prior to marriage. In these circumstances, the ingredients of Section 69 of BNS are prima facie not attracted against the accused.”

The prosecution alleged that the accused gave a false promise of marriage and maintained physical relations with the woman at various hotels and lodges. He also allegedly obtained Rs 8 lakh from her and committed the offence of cheating, which led to an FIR being lodged against the accused and a co-accused.

The accused, however, claimed innocence, stating that he was falsely implicated. He was arrested on July 27 and has been in judicial custody since July 31 after custodial interrogation. The accused and the victim were colleagues at an imitation jewellery shop, where their friendship eventually turned into a relationship.

The accused further argued that he did not have sexual relations with the victim under a false promise of marriage and that the allegation regarding the Rs 8 lakh was baseless. He maintained that the money was taken as a loan to start an imitation jewellery business and was subsequently repaid.

He also produced a bank statement before the investigating officer, showing that the amount had been returned. Additionally, on April 25, the accused and the victim entered into a compromise deed stating that the victim did not owe any amount to the accused.

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National News

Bombay HC Swears In 14 New Additional Judges, Including CJI Gavai’s Kin, Total Strength Rises To 82

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Mumbai: Fourteen new judges were sworn in as additional judges of Bombay High Court on Tuesday. Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar administered the oath to the 14 judges, including Raj Damodar Wakode, a relative of CJI Gavai.

Others appointed as HC judges are Siddheshwar Thombre, Mehroz Ashraf Khan Pathan, Ranjitsinha Bhonsale, Sandesh Patil, Shreeram Shirsat, Hiten Venegavkar, Rajnish Vyas, Nandesh Deshpande, Amit Jamsandekar, Ashish Chavan, Vaishali Patil-Jadhav, Abasaheb Shinde and Farhan Dubash.

Advocates Patil, Shirsat, Venegavkar and Chavan have represented central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in several profile cases. Currently, Venegavkar is the chief public prosecutor at the HC.

The Supreme Court collegium recommended their appointment on August 19. The Central government cleared the same on August 27.

On August 19, three judges were sworn in as HC judges, including Aarti Sathe, whose elevation drew political attention over her previous role as a BJP spokesperson. Other two sworn in as judges were Ajit Kadethankar and Sushil Ghodeswar.

Until yesterday, the High Court had a functioning strength of 68 judges against a sanctioned strength of 94. With the new appointments, the strength has come up to 82.

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