Kashmir neither shut nor under curfew: Jitendra
Jammu, Sep 10 : Union minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said that Kashmir is "neither shut nor under curfew' but only under certain restrictions.
He warned anti-India forces that they have to soon change their mentality that they can do anything and get away with it.
"We need to condemn such statement (that Kashmir is under curfew and totally shut). Kashmir is not shut. There is no curfew. If there is curfew, people have to go out with curfew passes," he told reporters here.
"No person in Kashmir is being asked for curfew pass. However they are expected not to disturb peace. There are some restrictions," he added.
Singh was addressing the press conference to highlight achievements of the Narendra Modi government during its first 100 days.
He said that Kashmir is returning back to normalcy slowly.
On the issue of Internet shutdown, he said, "We want it to be restored as soon as possible. One attempt was made but fake videos were floated on social media and then the decision was reviewed again," he said.
The government is keen to lift these restrictions and Internet blockade, the Union minister of state in the PMO added.
On civilian killings engineered by terrorists, he said that Pakistan is backing them.
"There are perception and mentality that you can do anything and get away with it. Now you cannot get away with it and you will have to pay a price on anti-Indian activities," he warned.
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Nepal goes to polls in first general election since govt-toppling Gen Z protests last year
Kathmandu (PTI): Nepalese citizens on Thursday morning started to reach polling booths in all 165 constituencies amid tight security to cast their vote in the crucial general election, the first since a violent Gen Z protest that toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led government last year.
More than 18.9 million eligible Nepalese will be exercising their franchise to elect the 275-member House of Representatives from among the 3,406 candidates vying for 165 seats under direct voting, and 3,135 candidates vying for 110 seats through proportionate voting.
The voting started at 7 am and will conclude at 5 pm. The counting will start immediately after the ballot boxes are collected.
"Voting started in all the constituencies, including the southern plains, hilly area and the mountain region at 7 am," Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said.
“The election started in a peaceful environment across the country,” he added.
Addressing a press meet here on the eve of the polls, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari on Wednesday had said that all preparations for the election had been completed and urged voters to participate actively and enthusiastically in the democratic exercise.
In Kathmandu, the weather was fine, sky was clear and people were enthusiastically queuing up to cast their votes.
The Gen Z youth, through their two-day intensified protests on September 8 and 9, ousted Prime Minister Oli, chair of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) -- CPN-UML -- who was heading a coalition government with the backing of Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support.
After Oli's ouster, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives on September 12 and appointed Sushila Karki as the caretaker PM.
The major issues raised by Gen Z are anti-corruption, good governance, an end to nepotism, generational change in political leadership, etc.
Starting Wednesday, Nepal has declared a three-day holiday for the polls.
There are a total of 10,967 polling booths and 23,112 polling centres, the Election Commission data showed. As many as 65 political parties are taking part in the election.
