All 11 abducted kin of J&K policemen released after Hizb militant's father freed
Srinagar, Aug 31: The three-day face-off between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir ended on Friday as police released a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander's father and militants freed all 11 relatives of policemen they had abducted in retaliation.
All 11 family members of policemen abducted in three days from south Kashmir were released unharmed on Friday, police said, hours after Hizbul operational commander Riyaz Naikoo's father Asadullah Naikoo was freed by the police.
Riyaz Naikoo said on the social media that the police had "compelled" the militants to act against the families of policemen because a non-combatant relative of a militant had been arrested by them.
Authorities on Thursday confirmed that eight relatives of policemen were abducted from south Kashmir areas. Three more relatives of policemen were abducted on Friday.
Those abducted on Thursday evening were Zubair Ahmad, son of a policeman from Arwani area of Kulgam district; Arif Ahmed, brother of a middle-rung police officer from Arwani; Faizan Ahmad, son of a policeman from Kharpora, Kulgam; Sumeer Ahmad Rather, son of a policeman from Yaripora, Kulgam; and Gowhar Ahmad, brother of a Deputy Superintendent of Police from Katapora, Kulgam.
Earlier on Thursday, militants abducted Nasir Ahmad, son of a policeman from Midoora Tral.
Militants had on Wednesday abducted Asif Ahmad, son of a local policeman Rafiq Ahmad Rather, from Pinglish village of Tral in Pulwama district.
Authorities had on Thursday decided to launch a massive operation in south Kashmir areas to check the alarming trend of abduction of relatives of police personnel, but the decision was put on hold due to fears that the abducted persons could be harmed in case of a large-scale operation.
A high-level meeting was held by top brass of security forces on Thursday evening where it was decided that for the safety of the abducted persons, it was necessary to release Assadullah Naikoo.
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Will of people supreme, says Mahua Moitra after BJP's landslide victory in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): A day after the Trinamool Congress faced a drubbing by the BJP in the West Bengal assembly elections, TMC MP Mohua Moitra on Tuesday said her party respects the mandate as the will of the people is supreme.
She also said that the party will continue the fight for a “secular country”.
In a post on X, Moitra said, “The will of the people is supreme. If Bengal wanted BJP, then Bengal has got BJP. We respect that.”
The BJP on Monday scripted history by winning 206 seats to secure more than a two-thirds majority in the West Bengal assembly polls, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule.
"We fought the good fight against unimaginable odds on an uneven pitch and for that I am proud of my leader & my party," Moitra said.
She said the TMC will continue to stand and fight for a secular country where the constitution, and "not brute majoritarianism, is the last word”.
