Healing touch has Cong origin, says Azad

Seeking to dispel fear of any adverse fallout of change of guard in Jammu and Kashmir, CM-designate Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the healing ...

Seeking to dispel fear of any adverse fallout of change of guard in Jammu and Kashmir, CM-designate Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the healing touch policy could be traced to the Congress.

Azad said the policy was part of the Congress manifesto, issued long before the last elections, when the PDP led by Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti arrived on the state scene. He rejected the suggestion that people in the Valley were not comfortable with the idea of someone from the Jammu region taking over as the chief minister.

‘‘One could see this sort of a thing in the past. But now, Kashmir too is not untouched by globalisation,” he added.

Story continues below this ad

About biggest challenge ahead of him, Azad said, ‘‘Bringing normalcy in the state. Given the complex situation in the state, no political party can alone shoulder responsibilities there,” he said.

Regarding size of his ministry, Azad said he would go for a team smaller than the one headed by Sayeed. On choice of the deputy chief minister, he said it was PDP’s call.

Meanwhile, he gave a clean-chit to his VIP ‘‘friends’’ staying illegally at government houses. “Lack of ‘uniform housing allotment procedure’ is to be blamed,” he said. Disagreeing with the term ‘‘unauthorised’’, he said , ‘‘They are awaiting proper allotment. The segregation should have been made (in the list submitted to the court).’’

Delhi Traffic Police issue advisory for Dussehra, Ramlila from today: Check timing

Cities44 min ago

As the festival season sets in with Dussehra, and devotees are expected to flock to Ramleela Ground and the Red Fort areas, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory Sunday, saying they will close some routes from Monday until October 3.

View all shorts

Live Blog