Evening NEWS DIGEST
05 Jan.2017: 06 Rabius
Sani 1438: Vol:8, No:81
'Postpone union budget to
after March 8 when state elections are over', Opposition tells Election
Commission
New Delhi: Several
opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK and JD (U), today met with
Election Commission (EC) officials to demand the postponement of the Union
budget to after elections are over in 5 states. Union budget is expected to be
presented on Feb.1. And polls in five states are scheduled to start Feb.4.
Opposition parties fear the BJP will announce sops and other programs to sway
voters towards them. This would be a violation of the Model Code of Conduct,
they said.An 11-member delegation of opposition party members met with EC
officials today."We have a simple solution. Present the budget after March
8 and get it passed before March 31, there's plenty of time," said the
TMC's Derek O'Brien. March 8 is the last day of polls in any of the five
states. Congress, TMC and other members of the delegation all said they wanted
the budget postponed."This is against the democracy, we have requested the
EC to stop the presentation of budget. Populist measures could be taken in
budget, so a just and fair election can't be held," said Ghulam Nabi Azad
of the Congress, after the meeting with the EC.Many have said since yesterday
this is a deliberate ploy by the ruling BJP."It is clear that the govt will
misuse the budget presentation and try to allure the voters just before
polls," said Anand Sharma, Congress spokesman, ANI reported."This
gives unfair advantage to the govt. It will influence the voters. It is clear
that govt will misuse the budget presentation and the President's Address to
both the houses of parliament which is customary to make announcements, popular
schemes, and also try to allure the voters," he told ANI. AAP, though not
part of the opposition delegation that met EC officials, is also against the
Union budget being presented before the state elections NCP's chief Sharad
Pawar also criticized the timing of the budget and said it shouldn't be held
too close to the five states' polls and should be deferred. timesofindia
Political parties seek
change in Budget date on fears govt may push for sops during polls
Opposition urges EC to
recommend deferral of Budget presentation
Budget on 1 Feb.aimed at
wooing voters before polls:CPM
Centre must delay budget
till state polls are over: Oppn
ICSE,ISC exams to be
rescheduled as dates clashing with polls
Disclosure of source of
candidates’ income be made mandatory: EC to SC
Banning tainted leaders
from polls: SC to set up larger bench
New Delhi:Ahead of crucial
upcoming Assembly polls in 5 states, the Supreme Court today said it would
“soon constitute” a 5-judge bench to decide questions like whether people
facing trial in serious crime cases can be allowed to contest and at which
stage of trial, a lawmaker would stand disqualified.“We must clarify this
matter so that people know the law by next election,” a bench headed by Chief
Justice J S Khehar said while considering the submission that these issues
needed to be decided at the earliest as many “dreaded criminals”, against whom
charges have been framed by courts in serious cases, are planning to contest
upcoming Assembly polls.PTI
Supreme Court to consider
banning charge-sheeted candidates from polls
SC on vote in name of
religion: Judicial push backed by legislative intent key to Indian politics
reforming itself: ANI
Yogi Adityanath hails SC
decision on no vote for religion
Will Shiv Sena, Akali Dal
and others lose name after Supreme Court verdict on religion in voting?
No, Muslims do not vote
strategically to defeat BJP In UP: New evidence from 15 yrs of voting data
busts myth
Muslim voters do not vote
en bloc or as told to by clerics, contrary to popular perception, and do not
vote strategically to defeat the BJP, new evidence from 15 years of voting data
shows. The most remarkable thing about the Muslim vote, the researchers argue,
is that it is not remarkable at all. Researchers Rahul Verma of the Department
of Political Science at Berkeley University and Pranav Gupta of Lokniti-Centre
for the Study of Developing Societies looked at the last 15 years of pre- and
post-poll surveys and National Election Studies conducted for three assembly
and two Lok Sabha elections in UP by Lokniti-CSDS to understand voting
preferences and views on politics of Muslims and other groups. Their research
was published in the Economic & Political Weekly on Dec.31.With Muslim vote
share for the BJP in single digits, there is a pervasive notion that Muslim
voters strategise to defeat the BJP, and this is achieved through mobilisation
and mass voting, often as a result of a call from clerics. Nowhere is this more
deeply rooted than in UP, where Muslims form 19.3% of the population and make
up over 20% of the electorate in more than a third of seats.The researchers
found that there was no difference between the Muslim voter and the state's
average voter when the survey respondents were asked whose opinion matters the
most in casting their vote--political or community leaders, family, friends,
colleagues or their own decision; Muslims were no more likely to say that a
cleric or community leader had influenced their vote. They also found that
Muslims vote on the same issues as other voters; in the 2014 Lok Sabha
election, for instance, economic issues such as price rise, corruption and
employment were seen as most important by Muslims and others. huffingtonpost
Muslims of UP in wait and
watch mode: TOI
Lucknow: Having played the
"deciding factor" on UP's electoral landscape for decades and reduced
to a non-entity by the Modi wave in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Muslims in the
state are on a wait and watch stance ahead of UP elections.TOI
UP polls: BSP first to
release list of 100 seats, gives 36 to Muslims
Prospect of 3-way split in
UP Muslim vote bank this election: TOI spl
In 2012, first phase of UP
elections was RLD’s stronghold, BJP lost on all reserved seats and Muslims won
11: TCN
Wooing Muslims won't help
any party this UP Assembly elections: Seemi Pasha
SP braces for show of
strength as Mulayam, Shivpal will meet EC over party symbol
Lucknow:Gearing up for a
show of strength, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today left for Delhi to
furnish details of support to the EC for retaining the ‘cycle’ symbol while the
faction led by his son Akhilesh met loyalists here to collect signed affidavits
to be presented to poll body. While sources in the Mulayam camp said the party
supremo was armed with signed affidavits of MLAs, MLCs and MPs which he would
furnish to the EC, the number of the signed affidavits with him was not
immediately clear.Mulayam was accompanied by Shivpal Yadav, who was “removed”
from the post of state SP chief at the party’s disputed national convention
where CM Akhilesh was crowned as SP
President replacing his father.As Mulayam and Shivpal left for the national
capital, Akhilesh met his loyalists at his 5-Kalidas Marg residence to collect
their signed affidavits to be presented before the EC in a day or two to claim
the party symbol, party sources said.PTI
Azam fails to broker SP
truce again
Akhilesh replaces ‘Maulana
Mulayam’ as favourite of Muslims in UP: India Samvad
Demonetisation
Demonetisation will lead to
a slowdown in economy: Prez
New Delhi:President Pranab
Mukherjee has issued a note of caution that the Modi govt's demonetisation
decision could likely lead to a temporary slowdown in the economy and hurt the
poor. President called for policymaking that would reduce the suffering of the
poor, and seemed to question the focus shift in the govt 's poverty alleviation
programmes and policies from an entitlement-based approach to an
entrepreneurial one. Mukherjee said he was "not too sure the poor could
wait that long" to endure the gestation involved in the transition.In his
New Year's address to Governors and Lieutenant Governors, President termed 2016
as a year of "mixed fortunes", which began on a positive note, with
the economy looking up, but ended with exports having slowed down because of
global cues. He said the losses could be recovered by improving the
competitiveness of domestic industry. "Demonetisation, while immobilising
black money and fighting corruption, may lead to a temporary slowdown in the
economy. We all will have to be extra careful to alleviate the suffering of the
poor which might become unavoidable for the expected progress in the long
term," Mukherjee said."I am not too sure that the poor can wait that
long. They need to get succour here and now" to have a future devoid of
hunger, unemployment and exploitation, the President said. Mukherjee said the
recent package announced by the PM will provide some relief. business-standard
Demonetisation complete
failure? 97% of banned notes back in banks: Report
New Delhi: As much as 97%
of currency notes, outlawed by the govt on Nov.8, 2016, have reportedly
returned to banks, posing a huge question mark on PM Modi’s demonetisation
move. According to a report by Bloomberg, quoting sources in the know, banks
have received 14.97 trillion rupees as of Dec.30, which was the deadline set by
the govt for individuals to return their
currency notes. Govt and the RBI faced criticism for their inability to implement the move in an efficient manner,
continuing to cause hardships to citizens across the country. Politically, too,
the Modi govt has faced immense
criticism from the Opposition as well as from within the ruling NDA with ally
Shiv Sena stating that demonetisation had created a sense of fear that was
witnessed during the British Rule.“People are alive and that is why these are
‘acche din’. Wool is being pulled over your eyes when they claim that people
are supporting demonetisation,” Uddhav Thackeray said.indian express
97% of banned notes back in
banks? Jaitley's short response, "I don't know'
When asked whether 97% of
banned notes had been returned to the banks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's
had a short reply: "I don't know."The question followed from a
Bloomberg report on Wednesday which said that banks have received ₹14.97
trillion out of the ₹15.4 trillion, which was put out of circulation in the
Modi govt 's demonetisation drive.The govt had initially estimated about ₹5 trillion
rupees of the ₹15.4 trillion rupees would be black money. huffingtonpost
Estimates of demonetised
notes back with banks may be incorrect: RBI
Mumbai: Reacting to media
reports about quantum of demonetised currency that has been returned to the
banks by the 30 December deadline, RBI today said such estimates may not be
correct.The RBI said the aggregating of accounting entries made at the various
currency chests still requires to be reconciled with the actual cash balances
in order to eliminate accounting errors and double counting. huffingtonpost
To deposit old notes at
RBI, you need documents from airport
New Delhi: Those trying to
deposit banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes at RBI must have a stamped document
from the airport to prove that they were abroad. A notice outside the RBI makes
it clear that old notes will not be accepted from anyone except those who were
not in the country after 500 and 1,000 notes were banned without warning in a
big move to end black or undeclared money. ndtv
Post note ban, Modi, Nitish
are all praise for each other
MP farmers get Rs 2,000
notes without Mahatma’s image from SBI
New Delhi:Farmers in MP’s
Sheopur have received Rs 2,000 notes without the image of Mahatma Gandhi,
sparking fears that they could be fake. According to ANI, farmers had received
the cash from a local branch of the State Bank of India.Farmers, who initially
thought the notes were fake, visited the bank where they were told that it was
a printing error and that the notes were “genuine”.Bank later took back the
notes. SBI official RK Jain, too, said that the notes were not fake. “It is not
fake currency, it is a misprint. We have sent it for probe.”
others
Clear conflict on rape law,
SC tells govt: As IPS allows man to have sex with his 15-yr 'child wife' but
POCSO terms below 18 as children
New Delhi: A chink in the
colonial era Indian Penal Code (IPC), allowing a man to have sexual intercourse
with his child wife, has led the Supreme Court to give a directive to the
Central govt. An exception to Section 375 in the IPC does not find a man guilty
to having sexual intercourse with his 15-year-old wife. This exception ensures
that he will not be charged for rape even though child marriage is a crime.
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012 defines
'children' as those aged below 18. It has specific provisions declaring that
'penetrative sexual assault' and 'aggressive penetrative sexual assault'
against children below 18 is rape. Nobel prize winner Kailash Satyarthi,
through his organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan, appealed to the SC on Thursday
for help to end this "statutorily backed" crime against children.In a
petition before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, the
organisation highlighted the conflict between the IPC and the POCSO Act.
Satyarthi wants the apex court to clear the conflict between the IPC and the
POCSO Act.The apex court has directed the govt to address the issue within four
months. If not satisfied with the govt's response, the Bench asked Mr.
Satyarthi to approach the Supreme Court on the same grounds for immediate
resolution.the hindu
Maharashtra health minister
Girish Mahajan urges Centre to conduct NEET in Urdu too
Mumbai: Following a demand
by the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), the state health and family welfare
minister Girish Mahajan on Wednesday wrote to the Centre demanding that
National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2017 also be conducted in Urdu. A
recent statement released by the Union health ministry had mentioned that NEET
2017 will be conducted in 8 languages, including English, Hindi, Gujarati,
Marathi, Assamese, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu. NEET scores are used for
admission to medical colleges across the country. “168 Urdu medium junior
colleges run in Maharashtra, from where around 11,000 students appear for their
class XII examinations. Considering the large number of students whose first
language remains Urdu, we request the govt to make appropriate changes to the
present rules,” read the letter addressed to Union health minister JP Nadda. An
online petition filed by SIO aimed at garnering support for NEET to be
conducted in Urdu has received over 2,400 supporters.The move to conduct NEET
in more languages came after the Supreme Court, in its 2016 order, made it
clear that any entrance test held at a national level should be conducted in
regional languages as well, especially as most state-conducted entrance exams
are conducted in more than 1 local language. While statement mentioned only 7
regional languages and English, SIO demanded that Urdu should also be included
considering students from Maharashtra as well as other neighbouring states will
need the advantage.HT
RSS affiliate Muslim
Rashtriya Manch to launch national campaign against triple talaq
Lucknow: Muslim Rashtriya
Manch (MRM), a group affiliated to the RSS, has announced a nationwide campaign
to attract Muslim women voters by raising the issue of triple talaq. It will
also implore its supporters to vote keeping the nation in mind and not caste or
religion. MRM is going to hold ‘Jalsas’ in different districts of UP to speak
to Muslim women and seek their support over the issue. RSS national executive
member and MRM ‘margdarshak’ Indresh Kumar and MRM national convener Mohd Afzal
will address these Jalsas. “2 Jalsas are being started from UP and Muslim women
will be told there that triple talaq was not exercised during the period of
Hazrat Mohammad because Hazarat Mohammad was against it,” said Afzal. He added
that the group will spread awareness among Muslims that talaq should be done as
per Quran only.“Our objective is not political but we will appeal the Muslims
to vote in the name of nation (in the upcoming election) instead of caste and
religion. We will make them aware that some political leaders are misleading
Muslims,” said Mahirajdhwaj Singh, MRM national co-convener.Afzal said that MRM
has also formed a ‘Zakat fund’ for helping the divorcee women and will arrange
free education too for their children. indian express
RSS Muslim Wing To Launch
Campaign Against Triple Talaq, Reach Out To Muslim Voters In UP
INDO-PAK
& SOUTH ASIA
Pak should have privileges
as India in nuclear development: Chinese state media
Beijing:India has “broken”
UN limits on nuclear arms and long-range missiles and Pakistan should also be
accorded the same “privilege”, state-run Chinese media said on Thursday as it
criticised New Delhi for carrying out Agni-4 and 5 missile tests whose range
covers the Chinese mainland. “India has broken the UN’s limits on its
development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missile,” the ruling
Communist Party-run tabloid Global Times said in its editorial.“US and some
Western countries have also bent the rules on its nuclear plans. New Delhi is
no longer satisfied with its nuclear capability and is seeking intercontinental
ballistic missiles that can target anywhere in the world and then it can land
on an equal footing with UNSC’s 5 permanent members,”it said.“India is
‘promising’ in vying for permanent membership on UNSC as it is the sole
candidate who has both nuclear capability and economic potential,” it
said.“China should realise that Beijing wouldn’t hold back India’s development
of long-range ballistic missiles,” it said apparently highlighting China’s
limitations in restricting India developing a nuclear and missile deterrence
against Chinese military power.Agni-5, 5,000-km range intercontinental
ballistic missile (ICBM), is widely regarded as a strategic missile targeted at
China as it can reach almost all parts of the Chinese mainland.The editorial
said that “Chinese don’t feel India’s development has posed any big threat to
it”.HT
India’s Agni long-range
missiles broke UN limits: Chinese govt’s mouthpiece tabloid
China justifies its stand
on Azhar,denies double standards
Beijing:China on Thursday
dismissed as “untrue” allegations of double standards by India by blocking its
bid to list JeM leader Masood Azhar as global terrorist by the UN, claiming
that it had adopted a “just, objective and professional” attitude in deciding
the matter.“With regard to the listing matter of the security council 1267
committee the so called double standards adopted by China on this relevant
issue is not true. We take action based on solid evidence that is the standard
upheld by us,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told media
briefing here.Responding to remarks made by minister of state for external
affairs MJ Akbar on Azhar’s issue during the press conference in New Delhi on
Wednesday Geng said, “We have taken a responsible and constructive part in relevant
discussion in a professional and objective way”. “Relevant members differed on
this issue. The purpose of China to put forward technical hold on that issue is
to create enough time for the committee and relevant parties to consult with
each other on the relevant issue,” he said. HT
India's record far better
in Kashmir Valley than China's Xinjiang: Canada think tank report
Toronto:India has given the
Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley population far greater political autonomy and
cultural freedom than China has done in Xinjiang, which too is a
Muslim-dominated province roiled by demand for separation from China, according
to the International Forum for Rights and Security (IFRAS), a Canada-based
think tank body.Research paper was released last month by IFRAS.The paper,
while drawing parallels between the provinces of J&K and Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region (XUAR), highlights how the Indian and Chinese govt’s have
adopted distinctly different approaches and methods to deal with comparable
challenges in the two regions. Enumerating similarities, namely a
Muslim-majority local population, extremism, cross-border terrorism emanating
from Pakistan and the disputed border, the paper concludes that as compared to
XUAR, J&K today enjoys far greater political autonomy.Despite special
political status granted to the two regions, study highlights that while
China's Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law has proven largely ineffective in ensuring
true self-governance by ethnic groups like Uyghurs, the people of J&K have
been provided guarantees under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and a
strong foundation to build a system of local governance.IndiaBloomsNewsService
India's record far better
in Kashmir Valley than China's Xinjiang: Canada think tank report
Discourse shifting to
'primacy of Islam' over 'Azadi': Army
Hyderabad:A top Indian Army
official today said the "discourse" in J&K is shifting to "primacy of Islam over
Azadi" adding to complexities in dealing with sectarian faultlines in the
border state. "...J&K indeed continues to be a challenge and it's
being dealt with; it's getting a little more complex as slowly the discourse,
as indeed the entire thrust, is taking a shift towards a primacy of Islam over
Azadi. So, that clearly adds a fairly complex dynamic to stabilising the nation
as it were," Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Subrata Saha, said.PTI
Locals joining militancy is
not a happy situation: Army chief on Kashmir
New Delhi: Plans are on the
anvil to bring in a shift in the counter-insurgency strategy in Kashmir in
which "false" propaganda inspiring youth to take up arms will be
targeted rather than individuals alone, says new Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat. Gen
Rawat, who has experience in handling the Kashmir militancy, said that unlike
naxalism in which locals are joining due to feeling of deprivation, it is not
the case in Kashmir which has been under the siege from Pakistan-backed
insurgency since late 1980s."When the local youth join insurgency and pick
up gun it is a matter of concern because our own countrymen getting involved in
insurgency is not a happy situation," Gen Rawat said.PTI
Pak’s Nawaz Sharif praises
‘vibrant, charismatic’ militant Burhan Wani, again
Needling India, Pakistan PM
Nawaz Sharif on Thursday again praised
Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani, calling him a “vibrant and charismatic
leader”.Addressing an International Parliamentary Seminar on Kashmir in
Islamabad, Sharif called for an end to the “continued suffering” of generations
in Kashmir. The world needs to tell India that “enough is enough” with regard
to its policy towards Kashmir, Dawn newspaper quoted Sharif as saying.Referring
to Wani as a “vibrant and charismatic leader”, he said that his “martyrdom has
become a rallying point for the freedom loving people”.PTI
Kolkata group denied permission
for seminar on Kashmir, Baloch refugees
Kolkata:A Kolkata group
Swadhikar Bangla Foundation claimed to have been denied permission to host a
seminar on refugees of Balochistan and Kashmir by the police who was “not
willing” to show a green signal, apprehending that it might “create problems in
the city”.PTI
others
Sahara gets immunity, tax
panel accepts its claim that seized papers not evidence
New Delhi: In what could be
one of the quickest orders passed by the Income Tax Settlement Commission
(ITSC), Sahara India has been granted immunity from prosecution and penalty
following raids conducted on November 2014 during which “diaries” listing
alleged pay-offs to politicians were recovered. Significantly, the ITSC has
concurred with Sahara’s claim that the “evidentiary value” of the “loose
sheets” recovered during the raids “could not be proved” by the Income Tax
Department. 50-page order, accessed by The Indian Express, shows that the ITSC
had earlier rejected the application of the company and then on September 5,
2016 re-admitted it. Indian Express
Sahara gets clean chit;
papers referred by Kejriwal, RaGa dubbed unauthentic
Rahul Gandhi:Immunity for
Sahara or immunity for Modiji?
Latching on to an order
from I-T settlement authority giving relief to Sahara Group, Rahul Gandhi
demanded an inquiry into Sahara diaries asking PM Narendra Modi why he fears
such a probe."Immunity for Sahara or immunity for Modiji? If your conscience
is clear Modiji why fear investigation?"he said.PTI
Kejriwal alleges PM Modi’s
‘attempts’ to scuttle inquiry proves he took bribe from Sahara
New Delhi:Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has said PM Narendra Modi’s alleged attempts to scuttle
inquiries against himself proved he took bribes from Sahara.“Not Sahara but
Modi ji who gets immunity. He recd bribes from Sahara. Modiji scuttling all
enquiries against him. Proves he took bribes,” Kejriwal said in a
tweet.“Shocking. Modi ji misuses CBI to frame his political opponents but gets
himself immunity without any investigation,” Kejriwal said in another tweet. indianexpress
BJP lauds PM Modi on
Twitter, claims Dawood's properties seized after diplomatic masterstroke
BJP has quoted several
media reports that UAE' govt has seized wanted gangster Dawood Ibrahim's
properties worth Rs 15,000 crore, according to a report in NDTV. The party
praised PM Narendra Modi on its Twitter account, calling the move a
'masterstroke of diplomacy'. In an image, accompanying the tweet, the party
said that the reported action was taken after PM handed over a list of Dawood's
properties during a 2015 visit to the UAE and demanded that the authorities act
against Dawood, Hindustan Times reported.The tweet, put up on the BJP Twitter
account, claimed this was the biggest ever crackdown on the Mumbai serial
blasts mastermind and that efforts were on to bring Dawood back to India to
face justice.
Another Surgical Strike By
PM Modi! UAE Govt Seizes Dawood Ibrahim’s Assets Worth Rs 15,000 Crores
Suspended JNU students
allege witch-hunt, selective targeting by varsity
New Delhi:9 students of JNU
who have been suspended for allegedly disrupting a council meeting today
alleged "witch-hunt" by administration and said they were being
"selectively targeted" for their political activism."There has
been a blatant violation of procedural norms and discriminatory witch-hunting
of students belonging to marginalised and oppressed communities. Proctor's
office has adopted the vindictive and arbitrary method of slapping students
with suspension notices on false and trumped up charges," Prashant Kumar,
one of the suspended students, said during. Out look
JNU’s suspended students
cite university committee report on interview marks reduction
JNU row accused unaware of
disciplinary proceedings: Umar Khalid's lawyer
Last year in February, JNU
and its students were the talk of the town due to being embroiled in
controversy arising from some students organising an event in the campus,
protesting against the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack accused, Afzal Guru.
On Feb.9, along with others, Umar Khalid and Anirban had raised anti-national
slogan at an event and later, got arrested.They recently told the Delhi High
Court that they were never told by JNU that a high-level enquiry committee
(HLEC) was carrying out disciplinary proceedings. indiatoday
SIMI leader Safdar Nagori,
10 others on trial
Indore:Trial against SIMI
leader Safdar Nagori and 10 others through video conferencing is scheduled to
begin at the special CBI court here from Wednesday. The trial will be held at
another room, where the video conferencing set up is installed, on district
court premises.The order for holding trial through video conferencing was
passed by special CBI Judge BK Paloda during the last hearing held in Oct.,
2016.TOI
Malegaon blast case: Kin of
main accused worried after suspended cop says they were killed
Bhopal:The families of
Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra, two main accused in the Malegaon blast case
who are wanted by the NIA, are worried after suspended Maharashtra police
officer Mahiboob Mujawar claimed that they were killed by the anti-terror
squad. The NIA has decided to probe Mujawar’s claim.“Ever since we heard it,
the entire family is in shock. We want a high-level probe into the matter. We
want to know the truth. If my father was indeed killed, ATS officials
responsible for his murder should be punished,” Kalsangara’s son Devbrat told The
Indian Express. 22-year-old said he last saw his father in 2008. He added that
Mujawar was associated with the probe and his claim can’t be dismissed. indianexpress
Mujawar to give evidence against ATS officers
in court
Spatial inequality a
glaring reality in Mumbai’s Muslim-dominated areas
Mumbai: Shivaji Nagar is
the microcosm of most of the Muslim-dominated localities in Mumbai. Squalid
ghetto on Mumbai’s periphery, where over half the population is below the age
of 30, has only one BMC-run higher secondary school. And their financial
inclusion is limited to two small cooperative banks serving a population of
over 6 lakh residents. According to a yet-to-be-released survey by NGO
Apnalaya, nearly 70% residents of Shivaji Nagar are forced to purchase water
from private vendors. indianexpress
DCW demands Delhi Police
act against Abu Azmi, Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara
New Delhi: Delhi Commission
for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal has sought action from Delhi Police
against Abu Azmi and G. Parameshwara for their alleged sexist remarks after the
molestations by a mob on New YearEve in Bengaluru. Maliwal urged Delhi Police to
file an FIR against MLA Abu Azmi and Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara
under Section 509 of the IPC.Parameshwara had blamed the influence of western
culture for such crimes against women, while Azmi advocated more modest
dressing for women.IANS
Won’t entertain privacy
concerns on Aadhar card : SC
Modi’s Hindutva ideology will
destroy country: Gogoi
Delhi & Lt Governor:
Under close watch - Akshay Deshmane: frontline
Canada experiment: is this
the world's first 'postnational' country?Charles Foran
WORLD
US army allows servicemen
to display religious symbols - turbans, hijabs or beards
US Army has issued a new
regulation under which servicemen who wear turbans, hijabs or beards can now be
enrolled in the military, making the force more inclusive of minority religions
and cultures.The new set of rules, issued by secretary of the army Eric
Fanning, allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level.
Previously it was at the level of secretary. Once that approval occurs, change
will ensure that the religious accommodation is enduring and applies to most
positions within the US Army. “This is a major progress, not just for the
Sikh-American community but for our nation’s military. Today’s announcement
will help do just that,” congressman Joe Crowley said welcoming the directive
issued by the US Army secretary.PTI
Hindus and Jews gain ground
in new US Congress
Washington: Hindus and Jews
have gained ground in the new US Congress, even as a latest research suggests
that the members of the legislative body remain overwhelmingly Christians
despite significant change in religious demographic profile of the country in
less than five decades. This is for the first time in American history that the
Congress has three Hindus members -- Tulsi Gabbard, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro
Khanna.After Jews, who have 30 members in the new US Congress, Hindus and
Buddhism, each having three members jointly share the third sport in terms of
religious ranking of US Congress members, according to Pew Center analysis.PTI
How could they respect her
and still choose him: A Muslim American teacher’s open letter to students
US: Hijab-clad woman and
her family abused, called a ‘bunch of terrorists’:PTI
Shia militias in Iraq using
arms from 16 countries:Amnesty
Pro-govt Iraqi
paramilitaries accused of war crimes are using arms from at least 16 countries,
including the US and Iran, according to an Amnesty International report. Report
released today said, predominantly Shia militias committed war crimes since
they were formed in 2014 to support the Iraqi govt in its fight against ISIL
group."International arms suppliers, including the USA, European
countries, Russia and Iran, must wake up to the fact that all arms transfers to
Iraq carry a real risk of ending up in the hands of militia groups with long
histories of human rights violations," said Patrick Wilcken, an arms
control researcher at Amnesty.Wilcken said the Iraqi authorities have helped to
arm and equip the Shia fighters - who are part of the Popular Mobilisation Unit
- and pay their salaries. aljazeera
Yemen's orphans face
'catastrophe' as fighting rages
Dar Ri'ayat
al-Aytam orphanage in Sanaa has been struggling with a lack of funds since
Houthi rebels captured the capital in autumn 2014, and the situation has
worsened in recent months. Abdullah al-Hindi, the head of the orphanage, said
that almost two years of war had decimated the economy, and there have been
severe cuts to public spending. aljazeera
Israel and China agree new
construction deal
China has agreed for thousands
of migrant construction labourers to work in Israel in a bid to alleviate a
housing crisis the Israeli govt said.Beijing
and Jerusalem are in the final stage of forging a deal to let 20,000 Chinese
construction workers come to Israel over the next few years.The deal was sealed
by an Israeli delegation,which left for China on Monday, that included the
Finance Ministry’s housing chief, Avigdor Yitzhaki, and the Construction and
Housing Ministry’s Director General, Asher Armoni.Outlining details of the
deal, Haaretz commented that workers would arrive in several groups. The first
group of 4,000 workers would arrive within next 6 months. Dates however have
not been set.middleeastmonitor
Israel sentences
Palestinian UN worker for aiding Hamas
Hamas to partake in
preparations for Palestinian National Council meeting in Beirut
Myanmar commission's report
on Rohingya 'flawed': HRW
A commission investigating
violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State has denied security forces had abused
Rohingya Muslims, a claim slammed by the Human Rights Watch.The commission's
report and the HRW's reaction to it came on Wednesday, days after a video
emerged showing police beating civilians from the Muslim minority. aljazeera
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:03 PM)
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