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Curfew-bound Kashmir calm but tense after Guru's hanging

[email protected] (IANS)
February 9, 2013

Curfew

Srinagar, Feb 9: Jammu and Kashmir was tense but calm Saturday as the news of Afzal Guru's hanging in Delhi's Tihar Jail spread. Authorities clamped a curfew in all major cities and towns of the Kashmir Valley as police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in full battle gear fanned out to pre-empt protests.

Local cable operators have been told to suspend their operations immediately, sources here said.

Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh told mediapersons in Delhi that Afzal Guru had been hanged in Tihar Jail at 8 a.m. Saturday after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, state Junior Minister for Home Sajad Kichloo and J&K Director General of Police Ashok Prasad flew into Srinagar from Jammu Saturday morning to supervise the law and order situation.

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq's moderate Hurriyat group announced a four-day mourning on Afzal Guru's hanging.

"We have announced four days of mourning on Afzal Guru's hanging. We demand that his body be handed over to his family immediately," Shahid-ul-Islam, secretary of the Mirwaiz, told IANS.

He said that the Mirwaiz is presently in Delhi and would be flying back to Srinagar soon.

Senior hardline separatist leader and chairman of his Hurriyat group Syed Ali Geelani is also in Delhi.

When IANS contacted Geelani's secretary Ayaz Akbar on phone, it was informed that Akbar had been arrested.

Sources close to Geelani said he had also announced a three-day mourning on Afzal Guru's hanging.

Another senior separatist leader, Muhammad Nayeem Khan, was arrested Friday in connection with an FIR against him for issuing a provocative statement in 2010.

Afzal Guru was from Doabgah (Seer) village on the outskirts of north Kashmir's apple-rich town of Sopore, 52 km from Srinagar.

He is survived by his wife Tabassum and 14-year-old son Ghalib.

Afzal Guru was arrested after the Dec 13, 2001, terror attack on parliament. He was convicted along with Shaukat Hussain, Afshan Guru (Shaukat's wife) and Delhi University teacher S.A.R. Geelani for being part of the plot.

The Supreme Court confirmed Afzal Guru's death sentence in 2004 while Shaukat Guru was released after he served his jail term.

Afshan Guru and S.A.R. Geelani were given benefit of doubt and released by the Supreme Court.

Five heavily armed terrorists had attacked parliament Dec 13, 2001, while it was in session. All the five terrorists and nine other people were killed in the attack, which had brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.

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News Network
June 15,2020

New Delhi, Jun 15: With an increase of 11,502 cases in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 count in India reached 3,32,424 on Monday, according to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

The spike is marginally lower than the highest-ever spike of 11,929 new cases the country registered a day earlier.

With 325 deaths being reported from across the country, the toll due to COVID-19 has now reached 9,520.

The COVID-19 count includes 1,53,106 active cases while 1,69,798 patients have been cured and discharged or migrated so far.

Maharashtra with 1,07,958 cases continues to be the worst-affected state in the country with 53,030 active cases while 50,978 patients have been cured and discharged in the state so far. 3,950 deaths have been reported due to the infection so far from Maharashtra.

It is followed by Tamil Nadu with 44,661 cases and the national capital with 41,182 confirmed cases.

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Agencies
August 6,2020

Mumbai, Aug 6: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday that overly focusing on what sovereign rating agencies think can take one's eyes off what needs to be done for the economy.

"It is also important to convince both domestic and international investors that after the crisis associated with the pandemic is over, we will return to fiscal responsibility over the medium term, and the government should do more to convince them of that," Rajan told the Global Markets Forum.

India was placed under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in late March for more than two months to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but cases have continued to rise steadily since the government eased restrictions in June, stymieing hopes of an economic recovery.

The government has announced several initiatives to help the poor and small- and medium-size businesses, but actual cash outgo from the government's measures has been estimated at just about 1% of GDP.

Several attribute the fiscal prudence to fear of a downgrade after Moody's cut India's rating and outlook in early June followed closely by a change in outlook from Fitch.

The central bank on its part too has reduced the key lending rate by 115 basis points on top of the 135 bps last year and is widely expected to cut rates by another 25 bps later on Thursday.

"The RBI and government have certainly been cooperating, but it seems like it is elsewhere, the ball is in the government's court to do more," Rajan said.

He said the RBI needs to focus on whether credit is reaching the stressed areas of the economy and also if the viable firms were able to access credit and not the unviable ones.

"And I think that's where it has to focus its attentions, because resources, as you well know, are limited in India today."

Recently analysts, however, have cited the growing possibility the RBI may prefer to pause and cut rates only at its October meeting.

Government officials too have suggested the possibility of any more fiscal stimulus being announced, would only come in the second half of the fiscal year, once a recovery has taken root and coronavirus cases have peaked.

"What India should focus on at this point is protecting its economic capabilities, so that when it has dealt with the virus it can go resume activity in a reasonable way. That should be the focus," Rajan said.

"And if it does that, there is no reason why the rating agencies will not see that as an appropriate policy".

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News Network
April 24,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 24: The month of Ramzan will be observed from Friday in Kerala.
The crescent moon was seen at Kappad beach in Kozhikode on Thursday.

Amid nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19, there will be no group prayers at mosques. The devotees have been directed to offer prayers at homes.

Palayam Mosque Imam, VP Suhaib said, "Usually at mosques in Thiruvananthapuram, devotees used to come to break the fast... But this year, amid lockdown, we direct people to prepare food at home and break the fast with family. Also, there will not be group prayers at mosques. People should pray at home."
"Imams and scholars have strictly directed people to observe all Ramzan-related prayers at home. There is no other option... Human life is the most important thing. Only if life exists, belief and religion can exist," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Later, the lockdown was extended till May 3.

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