Maharaja Hari Singh's kin back Centre on Kashmir

New Delhi : Taking a stand different from his party's, veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, son of a former J&K ruler, late Maharaja Hari Singh, on Thursday said he does not agree with a blanket condemnation of the government's decision on Jammu and Kashmir and pointed out what he called were its several positives.

'In a statement the "positive points" Singh counted included the Union Territory status for Ladakh, scrapping of Article 35 A, future delimitation of constituencies as a result of the state's bifurcation into UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

However, he did not comment directly on Article 370 and also called for releasing the leaders of legitimate political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and initiate a broad-based political dialogue with them.

His son and Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh, while supporting Karan Singh's statement, said this is the beginning of a new era for people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Vikramaditya Singh said he fully supports the step for full integration of J&K state into the Union of India and its reorganisation

'Muscular nationalism'

Senior Congress leader and former home minister P Chidambaram attacked the government over its actions on Jammu and Kashmir, asking if "muscular nationalism" has resolved any conflict in the world.

The Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and divided it into two union territories.

Chidambaram also cited former civil servant Shah Faesal's comments on the issue to hit out at the government.

"Shah Faesal came first in the Civil Services Examination and joined the IAS. He has called the government's actions on J&K as 'the biggest betrayal'," Chidambaram said in one of a series of tweets.

If Shah Faesal thinks so, imagine what millions of ordinary people of J&K think, he said. "Has 'muscular nationalism' resolved any conflict anywhere in the world?" Chidambaram asked.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had some sharp words for Pakistan. "We have our utmost apprehensions about our neighbour.

The issue is that you can change friends but it is not in your hands to choose your neighbour. And the kind of neighbour who is next to us. I pray to god that no one gets such a neighbour," Singh said.

Time will tell if peace prevails: Kamal Nath

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said only time will tell whether the Modi government's move of scrapping Article 370 will establish peace and bring down terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

When asked about party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia coming out in support of the Modi government's move on Article 370, Nath said, "He (Scindia) is with the Congress Working Committee's proposal on the issue and will ultimately support the party's resolution on it."

Pakistan to approach UNSC

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that Pakistan would take the matter of India revoking the special status for occupied Kashmir to the United Nations Security Council, the Dawn reports.

He said the decision had been taken in light of several pre-existing UN resolutions on the Kashmir dispute.

The minister said Pakistan rejected New Delhi's impression that scrapping Article 370 of the Indian constitution was its "internal matter", saying the claim was wrong from a historical, legal and moral perspective.

SC refuses urgent hearing

The Supreme Court refused to accord urgent hearing to a plea challenging the Presidential Order on Article 370 which revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench headed by Justice N V Ramana.

Advocate M L Sharma, who has filed the petition, urged the court that his plea be listed for hearing either on August 12 or 13.

The bench, however, told Sharma that his plea would be heard in due course.

Pakistan clarifies on airspace

Pakistan clarified that it has neither closed its airspace for India nor re-routed any route for the Indian flights.

"There has been no change to the notice to airmen (NOTAM) and all flights are being operated as per schedule issued earlier," Civil Aviation Authority Pakistan spokesperson Mujtaba Baig told PTI.

"Pakistan has neither closed its airspace for India nor re-routed or closed down any route for the Indian flights," he said. Responding to a question about re-routing of a few routes as reported by the media, he said: "Not a single route has been re-routed after the latest tension between the two countries."

Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal also said that Pakistan had not banned its airspace for India. "We have not banned our airspace for India.

It is open for Indian flights," he told reporters in Islamabad. Pakistan said that it remains committed to complete the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor despite its decision to downgrade the diplomatic ties with New Delhi.

Azad stopped at Srinagar airport

The Congress party's J-K chief and leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha has been stopped at Srinagar airport as a preventive measure.

He was supposed to meet local Congress leaders who are against the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into union territories.

Over 500 important political workers and leaders, including former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have been detained in Jammu and Kashmir since the Centre decided to revoke provisions of Article 370 and divide the state to two union territories, officials said.

According to latest reports, about 560 such workers have been lodged in makeshift detention centres in Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar and other such centres in Baramulla and Gurez.

The BJP hit back at Azad for alleging that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's visit to Jammu and Kashmir was orchestrated with money, and demanded his apology, saying that the remarks could be used by Pakistan on global forums.

Concentration camp: Adhir Ranjan

In yet another controversial remark, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, compared the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir with that of the infamous concentration camps on Nazi Germany.

Questioning the government's approach on the issue, Chowdhury said PM Modi was not living up to his theory of embracing Kashmiris instead of controlling them with muscle power.

"Prime Minister had announced from Red Fort that we will take Kashmiris forward not with bullets but by embracing them. But today, the situation in Kashmir is similar to that of a concentration camp.

There is no mobile or internet connection. Amarnath pilgrimage was curtailed despite heavy security presence. What is happening there?" he told ANI.

Choudhary stoked controversy during a debate in Lok Sabha by questioning India's long-established position that Kashmir is an "internal matter" and no country has the right to intervene into it.

Speaking in the House on a resolution to abrogate special status to Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, he asked how was Kashmir issue an "internal matter" if "United Nations is monitoring it since 1948."

Malala appeals for peace

Taking to Twitter, Malala Yousafzai said: "The people of Kashmir have lived in conflict since I was a child, since my mother and father were children, since my grandparents were young.

For seven decades, the children of Kashmir have grown up amidst violence."

Expressing concern over the safety of the people of Kashmir, especially women and children, Malala said, "I am worried about the safety of the Kashmiri children and women, the most vulnerable to violence and the most likely to suffer losses in conflict."

"There is no need for us to continue to suffer and hurt each other," Malala asserted. Appealing to the international community to ensure peace in the Kashmir, Malala said, "I hope all South Asians, the international community and concerned authorities respond to their suffering.

Whatever disagreements we may have, we must always defend human rights, prioritise the safety of children and women and focus on peacefully resolving the seven-decade-old conflict in Kashmir."

Refrain from retaliatory aggression: US

Two powerful Democratic lawmakers of US have urged Pakistan to refrain from any "retaliatory aggression" against India and take "demonstrable action" against terrorist groups within its territory.

Pakistan expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and downgraded diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi's "unilateral and illegal" move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Senator Robert Menendez and Congressman Eliot Engel in a joint statement also expressed concern over the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir.

There is an 'urgent need' for dialogue among all actors to reduce tensions and to avoid a potential military escalation in South Asia, the United States said .