J&K terror attack 'intelligence failure', Article 370 move has not ended violence: Sena (UBT)
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Mumbai (PTI): The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday claimed the deadly attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam was the result of an "intelligence failure" and maintained issues facing the Union Territory are not going to get resolved by threatening Pakistan.
In a sharply worded editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Uddhav Thackeray-led party rued that nullification of Article 370, which provided special status to the erstwhile state, has not ended violence in the Kashmir Valley, where Hindus are still being "targeted".
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated a "political festival" after the contentious provision of the Constitution was revoked in 2019, but left Hindus in the lurch, alleged the opposition outfit, attacking its former ally.
Since the August 5, 2019, measure, as many as 197 security personnel, 135 civilians and 700 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir, the editorial claimed.
Terrorists struck a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists from other states.
Where is National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, who poses as "James Bond"? the Marathi daily asked?
"After Pulwama (strike in 2019), the Pahalgam attack was a failure of intelligence agencies," the editorial averred.
The BJP has sought West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation for violence against Hindus in her state, but the national saffron party is not ready to take the responsibility for the massacre of Hindus (in Pahalgam), it noted.
The publication maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi lied when he said the 2016 demonetisation will "break the backbone" of terrorism.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted terrorism had ended in the Kashmir Valley after Article 370 was nullified, but blood is being shed there everyday, it said.
"There are no signs of violence ending in the Valley. Hindus are being targeted. And promises made to (displaced) Kashmiri Pandits have not been realised. On the contrary, Hindus are fleeing (the Valley). The BJP, which claims to be the messiah of Hindus, should be ashamed of it," the editorial emphasised.
The Centre is governing Jammu and Kashmir through the Lieutenant Governor, but cries and wails emanating from Pahalgam has made it evident how efficient that is, the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece said.
Issues are not going to get resolved by threatening Pakistan. This will only make "bhakts" (BJP supporters) feel good, it stated.
"Who will protect Hindus? It is their (the BJP) business to cry and wail after Hindus die and then blame Pakistan and Muslims. This also happened after Pulwama (attack)," the daily said.
Attacking the BJP-led central government, the editorial alleged that hate on religious lines is being spread throughout the country for the last ten years.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
