Two militants, one civilian killed in Kashmir
Srinagar, June 24: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed while another surrendered in a gunfight on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district where a civilian was killed and 10 others injured in subsequent street protests.
Police said two LeT militants, including a top commander, were killed while another one surrendered in Chaddar Motelhama in Qaimoh area.
As the gunfight progressed, civilians poured out of their homes and clashed with the security force in a bid to disrupt the operation, police said.
A civilian, identified as Yawar Ahmad Dar, 27, sustained a gunshot injury in the violence. He was shifted to hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Ten other protesters also sustained injuries in these clashes, the sources said.
Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said here that the terrorists were killed in a joint operation by the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police.
Police said the militants fired at a road clearing party of security forces in Chaddar Motelhama in Qaimoh area.
The security forces were carrying out a highway clearance operation for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra when they were fired at by the hiding militants, triggering the encounter, a police officer said.
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Test of democracy is king tolerates dissent, introspects: Nitin Gadkari
Pune, Sep 21: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said the biggest test of democracy is that the ruler tolerates even the strongest opinion against him, and it leads to introspection.
Writers and intellectuals should express themselves fearlessly, the senior BJP leader said at a book release function held at MIT World Peace University here on Friday.
"The biggest test of democracy is that the king tolerates the strongest opinion against him and introspects over it," he said.
In India, there is no problem of difference of opinion but "there is a problem of lack of opinion," the Road Transport and Highways Minister said.
"We are neither rightist, nor leftist. We are opportunists. It is expected from writers and intellectuals that they express their opinions without any fear," he added.
Gadkari also said that as long as untouchability and notions of social inferiority and superiority persist, the work of nation-building can not be said to be complete.
