Indian troops were on Wednesday joined by their compatriots from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in celebrating the Republic Day at Chushul on the Ladakh-Tibet frontier.

Kashmir Valley was tense on Wednesday as the authorities enforced a security clampdown to foil attempts by BJP activists and Muslim separatists to pour into Srinagar’s central square Lal Chowk.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah has renewed his appeal to separatists to join the dialogue process initiated by the Centre.

The Jammu and Kashmir police has in its tough campaign against alleged “hawala” racketeers arrested half-a-dozen persons, including a woman, from different parts of the Valley. The accused, the police claimed, are associated with Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference faction and or were helping Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terror group.

Lal Chowk, which is once again in the political spotlight after being chosen by the BJP’s youth wing for hoisting the tricolour on January 26, witnessed worst traffic jams during the day on Monday as several neighbourhood streets and roads have been blocked for their close proximity with city’s Bakshi Stadium, the venue of official Republic Day celebrations.

A close associate of hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was arrested in connection with an alleged hawala racket and `21 lakhs seized from him, the police said on Sunday.

The Jammu and Kashmir police has begun a crackdown on BJP activists as the party’s youth-wing is adamant to hoist the tricolour at Srinagar’s historic Lal Chowk on Republic Day despite the official ban.

With BJP showing no signs of going back on its plan to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk here, security in the Kashmir Valley has been revamped and all attempts are being made to ensure that the Opposition party does not succeed in its endeavour.

Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has refused to meet the Centre’s interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir on the plea that none of the proposals submitted to the government following a series of meetings the conglomerate leadership had with the Prime Minister between 2004 and 2006 were conceded to by it.

The Jammu and Kashmir government will not allow hoisting of the tricolour by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists at the historic Lal Chowk here on Republic Day.
This was decided at a meeting chaired by chief minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu on Thursday. A statement said the government had directed the civil and police