On 20 November 2025, the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) conducted extensive raids on the offices of the historic Kashmir Times newspaper in Jammu.

#BREAKING: J&K Police SIA raids Kashmir Times newspaper office in Jammu for indulging in anti national activities and spreading disaffection against the country and threatening sovereignty. SIA FIR names Anuradha Bhasin, Editor of Kashmir Times who is likely to be quizzed for her… pic.twitter.com/4AIFSFrvKQ

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 20, 2025

The operation, based on specific intelligence, has unearthed a cache of alarming materials and opened a new front in the Union Territory’s ongoing security operations, targeting what officials describe as a “parallel power structure built on grievance and curated narratives.”

The SIA has registered an FIR naming Anuradha Bhasin, the Executive Editor of the publication, for allegedly “indulging in anti-national activities and spreading disaffection against the country.” Bhasin is expected to be questioned extensively about her links and activities.

The Raid: More Than Just an Office Search

While the raid itself was prompted by suspicions of disaffection and threats to sovereignty, the physical findings have added a grave, tangible dimension to the case. According to news reports, the search of the Kashmir Times premises yielded:

• Live AK-47 cartridges
• Pistol rounds
• Grenade levers

These discoveries in a media office have raised profound and disturbing questions. Bhasin has previously claimed the associated Srinagar office was “shut for years” after being sealed by authorities in 2020 for illegal occupation of government premises. The recovery of weaponry in Jammu now casts a long shadow over these claims, forcing a stark dichotomy: either the office was not as disused as claimed, or a deeper, more dangerous nexus has been operating under the guise of journalism, one that India’s agencies may have ignored for too long.

She’s now crying foul for the action taken by the SIT.

The Bhasin Dossier: A Record of Narrative Confrontation

The current action against Anuradha Bhasin and the Kashmir Times is not an isolated event but the culmination of a long-documented record that, according to security analysts, aligns more with a strategic information campaign against the Indian state than with conventional journalistic dissent.

A review of her public interventions reveals a consistent pattern:

2019: Bhasin moved the Supreme Court, petitioning against the security and communication clampdown following the abrogation of Article 370. Her petition framed the situation exclusively as a “state blackout,” conspicuously omitting the context of Pakistan-backed terror threats that necessitated the security restrictions.

2023: She authored an op-ed for The New York Times that portrayed India as an authoritarian state, a piece that was instantly weaponized by anti-India lobbies abroad. In it, she accused the government of systematic press repression and ominously warned that the rest of India may soon resemble Kashmir.

2022-25: Her book, A Dismantled State, was later listed among banned secessionist literature for its portrayal of India as an “occupier state.”

2020: The sealing of the Kashmir Times’s Srinagar office for illegal occupation of government premises was systematically packaged and amplified globally as a clear case of “press persecution.”

This pattern, experts argue, is not mere dissent but a form of “strategic narrative intervention” designed to shape a very specific, grievance-centric view of Kashmir on the global stage.

The Political Echo Chamber: Instant Amplification

The SIA’s action was met with immediate and predictable condemnation from certain political quarters, underscoring the symbiotic relationship between this media narrative and a particular brand of Kashmiri politics.

Almost in lockstep with the news of the raid, Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, took to social media, decrying the act. She wrote, “Kashmir Times is one of those rare newspapers in Kashmir that not only spoke truth to power but refused to bend or buckle under pressure & intimidation. Raiding their offices under the guise of carrying out anti national activities is preposterous & reeks of high handedness. In Kashmir every outlet of truth is being choked by invoking the anti national slur. Are we all anti nationals?”

Kashmir Times is one of those rare newspapers in Kashmir that not only spoke truth to power but refused to bend or buckle under pressure & intimidation. Raiding their offices under the guise of carrying out anti national activities is preposterous & reeks of high handedness. In…

— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) November 20, 2025

This amplification follows a well-established playbook championed by Mehbooba Mufti herself, a leader who has repeatedly made statements that run counter to the national security narrative, including warning that “bodies will burn” if Article 35A was touched, refusing to hold the Indian Tricolour until the J&K flag was restored. Following the Delhi Red Fort metro station suicide bombing, she shifted the blame to Delhi instead of the radical modules behind the attack.

Critics note that this political chorus never has a word of condemnation for groups like The Resistance Front (TRF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), their ISI handlers, or the hawala pipelines that fund terror.

The Bigger Picture: Information Warfare in a Stabilizing Kashmir

The crackdown occurs at a time when the ground situation in Kashmir is showing significant signs of stabilization. Tourism is at a post-370 high, stone-pelting incidents have dramatically declined, and the terror infrastructure is under unprecedented pressure as normal politics slowly returns.

For the old ecosystem, a network of political elites, activist-journalists, and their international amplifiers, this stability is a direct threat. Their influence and relevance were predicated on a perpetual cycle of grievance manufacturing.

The predictable cycle has been:

1. A terror strike occurs.
2. Pakistan and its proxies gain.
3. Indian security agencies respond.
4. Outlets like Kashmir Times publish “democracy is dying” editorials.
5. Political figures like Mehbooba Mufti amplify them.
6. Western media republishes the narrative.
7. Radical networks receive the narrative oxygen to sustain themselves.
8. The cycle restarts.

This is not seen as coincidence by security planners. It is viewed as a form of information warfare, running parallel to the physical conflict.

The discovery of weapons in a media office marks a potential escalation. It blurs the line between narrative and physical militancy, forcing a fundamental question: Is the Kashmir Times case about a “free press,” or is it about unmasking the intellectual wing of a failed separatist project, now fighting for survival through any means necessary?

The message from the security establishment is clear: New India will not bleed to protect the careers of old elites. In this view, the age of narrative impunity is over, and accountability is not censorship; it is an assertion of sovereignty.

(This article is based on an X Thread by Zeba Zoariah)

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The post After ‘Doctor’ Terrorists, Here Comes ‘Journo’ Terrorists: AK-47 Cartridges, Pistols And Grenades In Kashmir Times Office, Editor Cries Foul appeared first on The Commune.

No convoy of Yatris will move from Jammu to Kashmir on Thursday, as the Amarnath Yatra has been suspended for the day due to heavy rain. Officials stated that, in view of the inclement weather conditions on the Yatra routes, as an abundance of caution, the ongoing yatra convoy will not move from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu, on this day.

“Due to the heavy rains over in the Yatra area, the movement of pilgrims from the Base camps has been affected. Therefore, it has been decided that no convoy movement shall be allowed towards the base camps Baltal and Nunwan from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu on 31st July, 2025. Pilgrims shall be kept informed about the situation in due course of time,” Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar said.

So far, over 3.93 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave Shrine during the Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2025. However, in view of maintenance works required to be carried out on the Pahalgam Axis of the yatra route following the recent rainfall, the yatra will continue only through the Baltal Axis from Friday.

“Due to the recent heavy rains, urgent repair and maintenance works are required to be carried out on the Pahalgam Axis of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra route. The Yatra shall continue from the Baltal axis from 1st August onwards”, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said. Notably, the yatra from both the base camps (Baltal and Chandanwari/ Nunwan) was suspended due to heavy rain on July 30. So far, more than 3.93 lakh yatris have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave of Shri Amarnathji this year.

This year’s Yatra started on July 3 and will end on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals. The ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Mace) will start its journey from Amareshwar Temple in Dashnami Akhara building in Srinagar towards the holy cave shrine on August 4 and will reach its destination on August 9 in the morning.

The cave shrine situated 3888 metres above sea level houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

-IANS

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah left Srinagar for Jammu on Friday to take stock of the situation after a failed Pakistani drone attack there.

The CM said on his X handle, “Driving to Jammu now to take stock of the situation after last night’s failed Pakistani drone attack directed at Jammu city & other parts of the division.” The Pakistani drones and low-range missiles were neutralised by the alert troops in Jammu, Samba, R.S. Pura and other places. Terrorists aided by Pakistan troops made an unsuccessful infiltration attempt in J&K’s Samba district on the international border.A BSF spokesman said that a major infiltration bid from across the international border was foiled around 11 pm last evening. The intruding terrorists were forced to withdraw back into the Pakistan side of the border, the spokesman added.

A woman was killed and another injured in Pakistan’s heavy mortar shelling on civilian areas in the Uri sector of Baramulla district. Officials said a vehicle travelling from Razerwani to Baramulla was hit by a shell fired from across the LoC near Mohura. In this incident, a woman identified as Nargis Begum was killed while another woman, Hafeeza Begum, was injured.

The Pakistan Army continued resorting to heavy mortar shelling in Uri, Tangdhar, Poonch, Rajouri on the LoC and in Samba on the international border. Drones and low-range missiles fired at the Jammu airport, defence installations in Jammu city failed as these were neutralised in the air by an efficient air defence system in place by the Indian armed forces. A complete blackout was observed in Jammu and Srinagar cities immediately after sirens started warning the people of an impending attack by the enemy. Electricity has been partially restored in Jammu and Srinagar cities. Amid the prevailing situation, authorities on Wednesday said that schools, colleges and universities shall remain closed across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday and Saturday.

Sakina Itoo, the education minister, said that keeping in view the safety of students, all the private and government schools, colleges and universities shall remain closed on Friday and Saturday. Registrar of Kashmir University also said that classwork will remain suspended at the university for the day.

–IANS

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August 5 is a landmark day in India, especially since several historic decisions and steps were taken on this day over the years in the Modi era. Article 370 was abrogated on 5 August 2019.

While there is a debate on whether the move was good for the country and Kashmir as such, we take a look at 17 “firsts” that were possible because of the abrogation.

Tribals Of J&K Got Equal Rights

The abrogation of Article 370 ended decades-long discrimination against tribal communities like the Gujjar-Bakerwal and Gaddi-Sippi in Jammu and Kashmir, granting them equal rights for the first time since Independence. This change empowered these communities, protected their land, improved education, and uplifted their socio-economic status.

Following the abrogation, the central government implemented key initiatives, including implementing the Forest Rights Act, establishing milk villages, developing transit accommodations, and creating seasonal schools and hostels. The government also supported tribal women and established Tribal Chairs in educational institutes.

Double-Lane Bridge In Ladakh

In August 2020, the Union Territory of Ladakh got its first double-lane motorable bridge at Choglamsar.

Electricity Supply In Ladakh

In November 2020, Photoksar village in Leh district, Ladakh, received electricity for the first time since India’s Independence, bringing immense joy to its residents. The power grid line was attributed to initiatives like the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The electrification enhanced children’s education and overall living conditions.

Industrial Development Scheme

In January 2021, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir announced a new Industrial Developmental Scheme (IDS), with a substantial outlay of ₹28,400 crore aimed at promoting investment and fostering industrial growth at the block level for the first time in history. The initiative would transform the industrial landscape, bringing significant socio-economic benefits to the area.

Domicile Certificate

In July 2021, the Jammu and Kashmir administration announced a significant amendment to the Domicile Act, allowing non-state subject spouses of native women to obtain domicile certificates. Previously ineligible, spouses can secure domicile based on their partner’s status. The new policy ensures gender equality, addressing a long-standing issue where women who married outside the UT faced discrimination. It happened because Article 37o was abrogated.

Investments Pour Into J&K

For the first time in India’s history post-independence, the UAE became a significant investor in Jammu and Kashmir’s development in January 2022. In October 2021, both governments signed an MoU to develop real estate, industrial parks, and super-speciality hospitals. In January 2022, an agreement with the LuLu Group aimed to establish a food processing and logistics hub in Srinagar, facilitating the reach of J&K products to LuLu Hypermarkets across the Gulf.

Women Empowerment

For the first time since Independence, abrogation of Article 370 led to women being given 15% reservation in non-gazetted cadre in J&K Police on 27 January 2022.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha made this announcement on National Girl Child Day. This move aims to empower women and increase their representation. It also addresses long-standing inequalities and enhances the handling of gender-based crimes.

Data Connectivity In Ladakh

In June 2022, Reliance Jio launched 4G voice and data services in Spangmik village near Pangong Lake, becoming the first operator to provide 4G connectivity. This was a long-standing local demand and enhanced connectivity for tourists and troops. In May 2022, Jio started services in Kanji, Urbis, Hanupatta, and Chunglungkha villages. This project wouldn’t have been executed so well if the Centre hadn’t abrogated Article 370.

National Rowing Championship

In June 2022, the first-ever National Rowing Championship in J&K UT at SKICC was inaugurated. This event follows the historic ‘First Chess Olympiad Torch Relay.‘ The Nehru Park Water Sports Center, offering world-class facilities, trains 400 children daily and has contributed to 100 national-level medals in the last three years. Another water sports centre is being developed in Basohli, Jammu.

GI Tag For Ladakh Apricot

In December 2022, the Ladakh “Raksey Karpo” apricot received its first geographical identification (GI) tag.

J&K Tourism

For the first time in the history of J&K, 1.88 crore tourists visited the UT in the previous year, 2022. 

Electricity Supply In Kashmir

In January 2023, residents of Tethan in Dooru block, Anantnag district, received electricity for the first time in 75 years under the centrally sponsored PM Development Package scheme. The village, with a population of 200, had relied on traditional wood and candlelight until now. The electrification brought immense joy, with residents celebrating and expressing gratitude to the government and power department. The project included installing a 63 KV transformer, 38 High-Tension lines, and 57 LT poles, providing electricity to 60 houses.

Jammu Tourism

The first Tulip Garden in the Jammu division was inaugurated at Sanasar in April 2023. The garden is spread over 40 Kanals. It has 2.75 lakh tulip bulbs of 25 varieties situated amid lush green woods in the Ramban district.

Kupwara Tourism

In May 2023, J&K Road Transport Corporation started tourist bus services for the first time to Teetwal near the Line of Control in Kupwara to promote border and religious tourism. This followed the inauguration of Maa Sharda Devi Temple.

Poonch To Srinagar Tourism

In May 2023, the first-ever J&K Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) deluxe bus service from Poonch to Srinagar via Mughal Road was flagged off. Mughal Road, an alternate route connecting Jammu and Kashmir divisions, recently reopened for one-way traffic after delays due to inclement weather conditions.

Cinema Halls In Baramulla & Handwara

In July 2023, two 100-seater Multipurpose Cinema halls were inaugurated in Baramulla and Handwara, marking the return of cinema to Baramulla after over three decades. These halls, established under a Public-Private Partnership, offer recreational facilities, a café, VR, and seminar spaces.

Mobile Tower In Kupwara

In August 2023, on the fourth anniversary of Article 370’s abrogation, Machil village in Kashmir celebrated receiving its first mobile tower, an Airtel installation. This marked a significant advancement in the village’s communication infrastructure, which had long lacked mobile connectivity.

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The Border Security Force (BSF) has reported that small Chinese-made drones, carrying narcotics are flying over from across the border into Punjab and Jammu regions.

According to the BSF, these flights are a ”cause of concern” and technology solutions are being scouted actively, BSF director general (DG) Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Tuesday. The BSF is looking for ”low-cost technology solutions, smart fencing’, sensors, radars, and even countering the drones or the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) threat,” he said.

On the eve of the 57th Raising Day of the paramilitary, Singh told reporters that the BSF has seen at least 67 drone sightings in this year of drones along India’s western border with Pakistan. ”Right now, the frequency of drones that are coming to our country are fairly small and these are by-and-large Chinese-made drones…they are very good…and carrying small payloads and in 95 per cent cases they are carrying drugs.”

”We have installed some kind of anti-drone systems at the border and they are working fairly ok but we are in the process of getting more and more technology,” DG Singh said. He, however, added that covering the entire 2,300 km (of India-Pakistan border) with anti-drone system will cost a lost and hence a ”trade-off” can be thought upon.

Like if we have a vital installation or important asset on the border the anti-drone system to safeguard it can be installed there first, followed by other locations, Singh said. ”There is no fool proof system available in the entire world (regarding counter-drone tech)…there is no way as of now by which we can intercept, stall or make them (drones) de-active. We are in the process…this (getting anti-drone technology) is our number one priority I can tell you,” he said.

He told reporters that two drones have been shot down along the Pakistan border, he said and they have also come across instances of drones carrying weapons payload from across the Pakistan border into India and ”dropping them into our area”.

The BSF is now in constant touch with intelligence agencies and state police about these droppings as flights carrying narcotics or weapons have to be picked by someone on the Indian side and the DG also appreciated the Punjab Police and said they getting ”wonderful cooperation” from them.

Regarding the underground tunnels found in the Jammu area, Singh said the force is keeping a vigil on this activity and devising new methods to check these structures that aid infiltration.

The BSF is a 2.65 lakh para-military force raised on December 1, 1965, and is responsible for guarding over 6,300 km of the Indian fronts with Pakistan on the west and Bangladesh on the east.

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On 26 December, the Government Railway Police (GRP) took into custody 4 Rohingyas, including one woman, at Badarpur Railway Station, Dainik Jugasankha reports in its Silchar edition. They were caught by the GRP on Saturday morning when they were deboarding from Rajdhani Express at Badarpur Station. They were later arrested and taken into Badarpur GRP Police station by the authorities. After interrogation, they revealed to the police that they had travelled from Jammu to Delhi and then taken the Rajdhani Express to Badarpur Station from Delhi. Their final destination was Hailakandi.

The four who were arrested by the GRP are Mohammad Zubair (28), Rubban (21) from Myanmar’s Arakan region, Ilias(28) from Dhankali region and Mohammad Hussain (22) from the Itaf Region. Sources have said that the police, after arresting them, has taken them to Sri Gouri Government Hospital for a medical checkup. Badarpur GRP police station’s ASI Mujibur Rahman handed them over to a court in Karimganj on Saturday Evening.

Visible panic was seen at the Badarpur Railway Station after the incident.

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The mouthpiece of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala, Deshabhimani, carried an article on June 29, opposing the move to grant domicile to Dalits in Kashmir. They even went on to use the term ‘outsiders’ and ‘sweepers’ to address the Valmikis.

“The Valmiki community who were brought in from Punjab years ago as sweepers started receiving the certificates.” the article reads in Malayalam.

It said “Of the 33000 applications, only 720 were received from Kashmir while the rest came from Jammu. This move will upset the demography of J&K.”

The article also goes on to claim that the new domicile rules is a move by the RSS ‘to end the Muslim population majority in the state’.

Islamists as well as communist circles in Jammu and Kashmir have opposed issuing domicile certificates claiming that it will bring demographic change. Domicile certificates are issued under Jammu and Kashmir Grant Domicile Certificate (Production) Rules, 2020, to the residents who are living there for more than 15 years. It also allows religiously persecuted people from POK and Pakistan after 1947 and settled in J&K  to obtain domicile.

August 5, 2019, when the articles 370 and 35A were removed from the constitution, the air is being created that Hindus from other parts of India will migrate and surpass the number of Kashmiri Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir. With the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, the provisions that prevented Dalits from accessing equal opportunities and Kashmiri woman to hold property are gone. Many Gorkhas and Dalit community people suffered due to inequalities by the earlier provisions. They were not eligible for government jobs or college admissions. \

Now refugees from Pakistan and PoK who have settled in J & K are also eligible for getting domicile certificate that will give them equal treatment.

In 2008, 100 acres of land was sought by the Government of India for building temporary shelters and facilities for Hindu Pilgrims going to Amarnath. The Kashmiri separatists started a big stir against this step, citing the articles 370 and 35A. Thus the atmosphere of separatism that was constantly created and nurtured had became a hurdle in integrating Kashmir with the rest of the county.

As of 27th June 2020, around 25000 thousand, out of 33157 who had applied for domicile in Jammu and Kashmir, were granted domicile in the Union Territory.

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Hilal Ahmad Dar, who went for a trek to Narang in Ganderbal district in central Kashmir on June 14, has reportedly joined Hizbul Mujahideen.

Inspector General Vijay Kumar of Jammu and Kashmir Police while addressing the media confirmed that the Ph.D scholar from Srinagar has joined the terrorist outfit.

The IG had taken part in a wreath laying ceremony of a CRPF jawan who sacrificed his life in a gunfight in Pulwama. One of the reporters asked IG for an update on Hilal to which he replied, “He joined Hizbul Mujahideen.”

Hilal had gone on the trek with four of his friends on June 14. All of them returned on the same evening except Hilal.

On June 22, Hilal’s family members protested in Srinagar urging the police to locate him. They told that he was an orphan and lost his parents when he was 10.

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Tahir Ahmad Bhat, another Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist belonging to Pulwama was neutralized by Indian security forces in Khotra village of Doda district on Sunday (May 17). An Indian Army personnel who came under heavy firing from the terrorists, succumbed to injuries.

Tahir is said to be an Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) expert and has been operating in the belt for the past three years.

The killing of Tahir comes within a fortnight of eliminating another most wanted and top terrorist of the Hizbul Mujahideen – Riyaz Naikoo. He was a close aide of Haroon Abbas, another Hizbul terrorist who was neutralized earlier this year.

Tahir is said to have conspired in carrying out an attack on CRPF convoy near Banihal after the Pulwama bombing which did not succeed. His name also figured in the killing of RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO in Kishtwar, Jammu IG Mukesh Singh said.

An AK rifle and large number of arms and ammunitions were recovered from the encounter site.

Speaking about the operation, the IG said that security forces cordoned off the area throughout the night to avoid collateral damage. Troops started inching towards the place where terrorists were holed up at the break of dawn. The encounter lasted for 5 hours with the elimination of the dreaded terrorist.

People of the area rejoiced over the slain of the terrorist who was indulging in recruiting locals into the Hizb.

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