Evening NEWS DIGEST
18 Jan.2017: 19 Rabius Sani 1438: Vol:8, No:92
India slams China-Pak Economic Corridor, asks
China to respect its territorial sovereignty
New Delhi: In the midst of
growing unease in their ties, India on Wednesday asked China to respect its
territorial sovereignty and said its ascent should not be seen as a threat to
China’s rise. Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar also criticised Pakistan for
“blocking” SAARC, saying the regional grouping has become “ineffective” due to
insecurity of one member nation. Talking about China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor
(CPEC) which passes through Pakistan occupied-Kashmir, Jaishankar, addressing
the Raisina Dialogue, envisioned as the country’s flagship conference on
geopolitics and geo-economics, said China should respect India’s territorial
sovereignty as Beijing was “very sensitive” to matters relating to its own
sovereignty. “China is a country which is very sensitive on matters concerning
its sovereignty. So we would expect that they would have some understanding of
other people’s sensitivity on their sovereignty,” he said, noting there was no
sign of any reflection on India’s concerns over CPEC project.The foreign
secretary’s comments came a day after PM Narendra Modi, in a clear message to
China, said both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other’s core
concerns and interests.Modi had on Tuesday said only by respecting sovereignty
of countries involved, can regional connectivity corridors fulfil their promise
and avoid “differences and discord”. “What we are trying to do is to convince
China that our rise is not harmful to China’s rise just as China’s rise need
not be to India’s rise,” Jaishankar told the gathering.Referring to Donald
Trump’s election, the foreign secretary said relations between US and Russia
could undergo a major transformation not seen since 1945 and that its impact
was hard to predict. In this context,he said India’s relations with both US and
Russia were on an upswing and an improvement in US-Russia ties was not against
Indian interests.PTI
India trying to convince
China that our rise won’t harm its ascent: Jaishankar
China Pakistan Economic
Corridor passes through illegal territory of PoK: Foreign Secretary S
Jaishankar
China defends Pak corridor after
Modi criticism of projects
Beijing:A day after PM Narendra Modi implicitly criticised China's
connectivity projects for "overriding sovereignty" of other nations,
Beijing said its corridor through PoK was neither aimed at India nor reflective
of its position on Kashmir.China defended the China Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) on Wednesday when asked about PM's comments on connectivity and
sovereignty."In his remarks PM Modi did not directly mention CPEC," said
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying."Regarding CPEC, this is a
project that is devised for long term development and cooperation in various
fields. It is of great significance in regional connectivity and trade
cooperation. It is for regional peace and development."indiatoday
Chinese troops can reach
Delhi in 48 hours: Chinese state TV channel
A Chinese state TV channel
on Tuesday proudly proclaimed that it would take China’s motorised troops just
48 hours to reach Delhi. And while this, not the first ridiculous statement to
have come from the often hostile neighbours, it is as specific as one could
get. Experts believe that the statement is logically incorrect and by no means
can the motorised troops reach Delhi in 48 hours, considering the terrain and
the Indian forces to counter them. financialexpress
Differences over NSG
membership, Azhar ban issues should not be 'stumbling blocks' in ties with
India: China
Beijing:China has said
differences over India's NSG membership bid and designating of JeM chief Masood
Azhar as a terrorist by the UN should not be "stumbling blocks" in
developing ties and asserted that both sides must respect each other's core
interests and major concerns.Appreciating PM Narendra Modi's remarks that the rise of India
and China offered an "unprecedented opportunity" for both countries,
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here
that it is very important for both countries to have sound and stable
cooperation.Asked about India's concerns over China blocking India's NSG
membership bid and efforts to get Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Azhar banned by the
UN, Hua said the 2 are multilateral issues and both sides should understand
each other's positions instead of pointing fingers."I think we need to try
to understand from the other party's position. Respecting each other's core
interests is our basic position. We have common interests and we also have
differences," she said."The key is to resolve these differences
through friendly consultation, instead of pointing fingers at each other and
accusing the other of neglecting core interests. For the two issues, they are specific
issues, and they are not bilateral ones," Hua said."About the China
blocking India's efforts to get Azhar banned by the UN for his alleged
involvement in the Pathankot attack, she said, "the technical hold is to
uphold the effectiveness of the committee and show some respect to the rules of
procedure of the committee.""We have been following these rules in
maintaining contact with other countries. And this issue will be resolved when
all parties reach consensus. We need more time for more thorough deliberations
so that consensus is reached," she said."This (Azhar) issue will be
resolved when all parties involved reach consensus. We need more time for more
thorough deliberations to reach consensus. So these two issues shall not be
stumbling blocks for China-India to develop their relationship. We need to look
further and seek common ground to remain and maintain our mutually beneficial
cooperation and together seek a solution to these issues," she said.PTI
After PM Modi’s speech,
China says NSG, Azhar issues must not be ‘stumbling blocks’ in ties
OTHERS
Smriti Irani had asked DU
not to reveal her educational qualification, CIC told
New Delhi: Amid the row
over her educational qualification, Union Minister Smriti Irani had asked the
Delhi University not to disclose it to an RTI applicant, the School of Open
Learning has told the Central Information Commission.The Commission has now directed
the School of Open Learning (SoL) to produce before it all the records related
to educational details of Irani who is the Union Textile Minister.A fresh show
cause notice has been issued to the Central Public Information Officer of DU
for having failed to produce the records before the Commission as
directed.Irani's degrees have been caught in a row after a petitioner alleged
she had given contradictory information in her affidavits filed before
contesting elections in 2004, 2011 and 2014.In her affidavit for April, 2004
Lok Sabha polls, Irani had said she completed her BA in 1996 from DU (School of
Correspondence as SoL was then called), whereas in another affidavit of July
11, 2011 to contest Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat, she said her highest educational
qualification was BCom Part I, a petitioner had alleged in a city court.The
matter was dismissed by the court on the ground that considerable time had
lapsed in filing the complaint.The issue is, however, still alive before the
CIC where an applicant had filed an appeal, saying he was not given information
about Irani's educational qualification by the SoL.During a hearing, SoL's
Central Public Information Officer OP Tanwar said considering that it was a
third party information he had consulted Irani about the disclosure.PTI
Smriti Irani asked us to
not reveal her education details to RTI applicant: DU's School of Open Learning
Allow inspection of Smriti
Irani's board record: Central Information Commission tells CBSE
Govt to promote mainstream
education with religious teachings in madrassas
New Delhi: To encourage
madrassas to promote mainstream education along with their traditional religious
teachings, the union ministry for minority affairs is preparing to come out
with a "Madrasa Empowerment Programme" which would involve providing
free mid-day meals and other incentives including scholarships to students.A
committee of experts has been set-up by the ministry to work out the modalities
for implementation of the Program which will be applicable only to madrassas
providing mainstream education and a list of such institutions will be drawn to
ensure that the benefit reaches the deserving candidates. Program is expected
to be implemented by April. It is estimated that there are around 70,000
madrassas in the country. This number includes madrassas affiliated to state
Madrasa Boards and those that are non-affiliated. Minister of State holding
independent charge of minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said demand for mid
day meal and other facilities came from representatives working closely with
madrassas and so it was decided to set-up a committee to draw the guidelines
for implementation of the Madrasa Empowerment Program" that, he said,
would be named after freedom fighter Maulana Hasrat Mohani. "This will
include the mid-day meal component and scholarship among other facilities that
can help improve the standard of education in madrassas and encourage the
institutions to promote mainstream education," Naqvi said. Naqvi said he
had held a meeting with representatives of such madrassas on Monday to discuss
the issue and urged them to offer more suggestions in this regard. "We
decided to work on the empowerment program which also involves providing
mid-day meal to children at a meeting of the general body of Maulana Azad
Education Foundation (MEAF) held on Dece. 29, 2016. MAEF general body had also
decided to consider grant-in-aid scheme for the madrassas that provide
mainstream education like science, maths, etc." he said. On Funding, he
said that the finances for Empowerment Program may be drawn from those
available with MEAF. timesofindia
Centre to launch Midday
meal scheme for Madrasas: Naqvi
Naqvi introduces minority related
welfare works at annual meet of minorities commissions
"Ministry of Minority
Affairs will establish 5 world class educational institutions to provide better
traditional and modern education to students belonging to Minority communities
by 2018", said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of State for Minority Affairs,
while inaugurating the annual conference of state minorities commissions in
Delhi.He informed that welfare schemes and programmes of the Ministry of
Minority Affairs have been made "100% digital" which has ensured transparency
in these schemes.Naqvi said that making Haj application process completely
digital; launch of Haj mobile app and "cashless chaupal" are among
our measures for welfare of Minorities. Centre has also approved about 200
"Sadbhav Mandap" and 16 "Gurukul" type of schools with a
cost of about Rs 262 crore.Naqvi said that "a high-level committee has
been constituted for this purpose. Committee is working on a roadmap including
places where these institutes will be established. We are working on a strategy
so that these institutes can get started in 2018."He further said
-"We have proposed 40% reservation for girls in these institutions. It has
been decided to start "Begam Hajrat Mahal Girls Scholarship" and
"Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centre" across the country."Naqvi
said that Minority Affairs Ministry, in cooperation with state Govts, is
constructing schools, colleges, malls, hospitals, skill development centres etc
and revenue generated will be utilized for educational and other developmental
activities for Muslim community. Multi-purpose community centres "Sadbhav
Mandap" are also being constructed on waqf land which will be utilized for
marriage ceremonies, exhibitions and also relief centres during a calamity.ANI
DEMONETISATION
House panel criticises RBI
governor for inability to answer demonetisation questions: economictimes
Members of the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Finance on Wednesday criticised RBI Governor Urjit Patel
for his inability to answer queries related to demonetisation. "Patel was
unable to tell us how much money has come back to the banks," said Saugata
Roy, TMC MP. "Governor was unable to tell us that how much old currency
has come into the banks," added Saugata Roy. Sources also quoted the RBI
governor, as telling the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance that Rs
9.2 lakh crore in new currency has been introduced into the system. Patel
briefed the parliamentary panel about demonetisation and its impact on the
economy and the steps taken by the central bank to deal with the cash crunch.
Besides, representatives of the Finance Ministry, including from the Department
of Economic Affairs, Financial Services and Revenue, briefed the Standing
Committee on Finance headed by former Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily. Representatives
of Indian Banks Association, SBI, PNB and Oriental Bank of Commerce were also present in the meeting.
RBI Chief to MPs:
Demonetisation process started last jan
India Has Replaced Only ₹9.2
Lakh Crores Worth Of Scrapped Currency So far: RBI Governor Urjit Patel
Modi turned India into
Hiroshima, Nagasaki with demonetisation bomb: Shiv Sena
Mumbai:PM Narendra Modi has turned the country into
Hiroshima and Nagasaki by dropping demonetisation bomb, the Shiv Sena has said
in its most vicious attack on the Govt over the shock recall of high-value
banknotes.The Sena, an ally of the ruling BJP at the Centre, has been critical
of the Govt ever since Modi’s demonetization
step that sucked out 86% of the banknotes in circulation.In an editorial in its
mouthpiece, Saamana, Sena also accused Modi of taking decisions unilaterally,
besides making the comparison with the two Japanese cities destroyed by atomic
bombs dropped by the United States during the World War II.HT
Demonetisation woes: Too
many vegetables, too little cash hits sellers hard
Sunil Kumar, a 31-year-old
farmer in Tondala village, Kolar district, 85 km east of Bengaluru, lost Rs
300,000 in Nov.when tomato prices crashed after the Nov, 8, 2016, scrapping of
86% of bank notes, by value, and the excess supply of vegetables. Kumar, who
cultivates tomatoes on his 5-acre farm, said he made a profit of Rs 30 lakh
during the same time last year.The 110% drop in income from 2016 has come at a
time when the weather–and so the harvest–was good this year, said Kumar. So, demonetization
couldn’t have come at a worse time. With money sucked out of the market, there
was a tomato glut, and prices crashed by 80%.HT
OTHERS
Rohith Vemula’s mother,
students arrested as protest rocks Hyderabad varsity
Hyderabad/New Delhi: Police
arrested Rohith Vemula’s mother and a few students as protest rocked University
of Hyderabad on Tuesday on the first death anniversary of the Dalit research
scholar. Students staging demonstration in New Delhi were also detained by the
police.Radhika Vemula was arrested late in the evening soon after she addressed
protesting students outside the main gate of the university as she was denied
entry into the campus.Tension prevailed at the main gate as police took Radhika
and a few students into custody amid strong protest by dozens of pro-Rohith
students.During her speech, Radhika said she was facing a threat to her life
from the central govt. She alleged that during the last one year she and her
other family members were harassed on false charges that they are not
Dalits.Earlier, police arrested scores of protestors as they tried to defy the
ban orders and enter the campus to pay tributes to Rohith and take part in a
meeting.Activists of AAP, Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Islamic
Organisation (SIO),Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other student
groups were among those who gathered at the main gate.Police erected barricades
to stop outsiders from entering the campus.The Joint Action Committee for
Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of student bodies demanding justice for
Rohith, was holding a meeting in the campus to mark ‘shahdath din’ (martyrdom
day). The organisers invited Jaan Mohammed, brother of Akhlaq, who was lynched
by a mob at Dadri in UP over rumours of beef eating, Fathima Nafees, mother of
missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, suspended student and Birsa Ambedkar Phule
Students Association leader Rahul Sonpimple.HT
Police detains protesting
JNU students
Around 50 students, staging
a protest commemorating the death anniversary of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula,
were on Tuesday detained as they tried to block the Janpath road of central
Delhi. Following a protest call from JNU Students' Union, around 300 students
from JNU, Delhi University, and Jamia Milia Islamia University took out a rally
from Mandi House to Ministry of HRD but
couldn't proceed due to police barricading at Janpath.The agitated students
alleged being dragged and thrashed by the police.DNA
Human Rights Watch
criticises Modi Govt over increasing attacks on Muslims and Dalits
New Delhi: Hindu vigilante
groups attacked Muslims and Dalits over suspicions that they had killed,
stolen, or sold cows for beef. The violence took place amid an aggressive push
by several BJP leaders and militant Hindu groups to protect cows and ban beef
consumption, Human Rights Watch has said in ‘World Report 2017’.The human
rights advocacy group has said, “Govt’s failure to rein in militant groups,
combined with inflammatory remarks made by some BJP leaders, has contributed to
the impression that leaders are indifferent to growing intolerance.”The report
also cites various other cases like that of March 2016, in which a Muslim
cattle trader, Mohammed Mazlum Ansari and a 12-year-old boy, Mohammed Imteyaz
Khan, were found hanging from a tree in Jharkhand; their hands tied behind
their backs and their bodies bruised. In August, a man was killed in Karnataka
state by members of a nationalist Hindu group while transporting
cows.TwoCircles
Separatists slam Mufti’s
AFSPA stand
Srinagar: J&K CM
Mehbooba Mufti’s move to soft-pedal revocation of the AFSPA has separatists in
the Valley up in arms.In her address to the Upper House in Jammu, Ms. Mufti,
whose PDP advocates the removal of AFSPA, said, “The success of the security
forces depends upon when we start revoking the AFSPA. It also depends upon when
we stomp out militancy fully, and, slowly and steadily decrease the footprints
of security forces.”Ms. Mufti’s remarks are a departure from the PDP’s previous
stand to pursue the Centre “vigorously” for revocation of the AFSPA, which is
also part of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’.While soft-pedalling AFSPA in the wake of
growing home-grown militancy, Ms. Mufti pitched for connecting J&K with the
outside world. The hindu
Govt re-allots land
cancelled by UPA to RSS-backed body
New Delhi:Nearly 13 years after
the UPA Govt had cancelled the allotment
of institutional land to 29 right-leaning organisations by Vajpayee Govt in Delhi, the Modi Govt has restored the allotment of prime plots of
land to most of them. The majority of 26 plots, which have now been allotted,
are situated on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in the heart of the city. BJP Govt under
Vajpayee had made 225 allotments. These allotments were made between 1998-1999
and Sept.2004. Since of these 125 were made to Govt and political institutions,
the subsequent Manmohan Govt that came
to power in 2004 did not question their allotment.However, it did constituted a
committee under retired IAS officer Yogesh Chandra to review others. This
one-man panel had subsequently recommended cancellation of the land allotment
to 32 of the remaining 100 institutions that it believed had benefited due to
their political affiliations.Of these, 22 were affiliated to the RSS or belonged
to outfits backed by it such as Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram,
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Samarth Shiksha Samiti, Sewa Bharti and Swadeshi Jagran
Foundation.THE WIRE
Rajasthan govt asks public
libraries to keep the entire work of RSS idealogue
Jaipur;Over 300 public
libraries across Rajasthan will soon be required to feature the entire work of
Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya, to further his idea of “Ekatma Manavvad”
and popularise his “original thoughts on History, Sociology and Economics”
among the youth. Rajasthan School Education Minister Vasudev Devnani has given
out directions to make the 15-volume compendium of Upadhyaya’s work available
in all 361 public libraries in the state. 15-volume “Sampoorna Vangmay” of
Deendayal Upadhyay was released by PM Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and RSS
leaders including, Bhaiyyaji Joshi, among others in October last year.
Delhi-based Prabhat Prakashan publishes the compendium, priced at Rs 6,000. Indian
express
Citing RSS presence, MA
Baby backs out of Jaipur Lit Fest
Thiruvananthapuram: M.A.
Baby, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), has decided not to participate in Zee
Jaipur Literary Festival, as a mark of protest against the invitation extended
to two representatives of the Sangh Parivar. “I am fully cognisant of the fact
that in a democratic polity, everyone deserves to be heard and one should be
willing to interact with ideological streams of different kinds. I am equally
aware that it is normally unfair to decline participation in a literary
festival panel on the rationale that in another session, certain personalities
are invited with whom one has strong ideological differences. I would like to
urge you to understand that here it is not just ‘another’ ideology but the
ideology of a theocratic state of Hindu Rashtra. It is almost similar to
‘Islamic State’ and (is) already showing manifestations of annihilating
democracy,” Baby said in a letter addressed to the organisers.the hindu
STATES POLLS & POLITICS
Congress veteran ND Tiwari,
son join BJP ahead of Uttarakhand polls
New Delhi:Senior Congress
leader from Uttarakhand Narayan Dutt Tiwari on Wednesday joined BJP, giving it
a big boost ahead of the assembly election in the hill state.Tiwari’s son Rohit
Shekhar too joined the BJP in Delhi in an event where party president Amit Shah
welcomed them both.91-year-old leader is a 3-time CM of UP, one-time CM of Uttarakhand and also
held a gubernatorial post and several key portfolios in various Congress Govts
at the Centre. hindustantimes.
UP elections: After sealing
deal with SP, Congress keeps list of 160
New Delhi:With the formal
announcement of its pre-poll tie-up with Samajwadi Party (SP) expected within
the next 24-36 hours, the Congress is giving final touches to its list of
candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in UP .The Congress has prepared
a list of 160 candidates though it is hoping to get 80-90 seats. The idea
behind keeping a comprehensive list ready is to ensure that the alliance does
not get stuck on the choice of constituencies.UP CM Akhilesh Yadav’s camp has indicated that it is
willing to leave 115 of the total 403 seats for the Congress, the RLD of Ajit
Singh and the Krishna Patel faction of the Apna Dal. Hindustantimes
‘Akhilesh -led Samajwadi
Party and Congress tie-up will stop division of Muslim votes’
UP polls: Dozen clerics are
face of BSP’s Muslim outreach
Lucknow: In its campaign to
woo Muslims, BSP has presented more than a dozen clerics to vouch for it before
the community. They are taking part in BSP’s campaign to reach out to Muslims
in most seats in western and central UP, while a religious teacher from a
Lucknow-based seminary too has offered his support.Muslim clerics are seen as
influential enough to sway the community’s vote, who account for nearly 18 % of UP. It is a constituency the BSP hasn’t
tapped as well as it would have liked in the past, with Muslims wary
particularly after the BSP’s previous alliances with BJP. In 2014, the BSP
failed to get an endorsement by Jama Masjid’s shahi imam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari,
because it did not meet his demand for a clarification about future alliances.
Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, has had a long-standing understanding with
clerics, including Bukhari, and Maulana Arshad Madni of Jamiat Ulema.This time,
BSP’s campaign led by party general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui has involved
a number of maulanas. Many of them have been constantly taking part in BSP
public meetings and delivering speeches. Besides, BSP has given tickets to 97
Muslims. Maulana Qari Shafiq, 42, who has delivered speeches at nearly two
dozen BSP meetings in and around Lucknow, said he is among nearly half-a-dozen
clerics openly supporting the BSP’s campaign led by Siddiqui.Maulana Faryad
Hussain, 43, president of Bareilly-based Sunni Ulama Council, has been taking
part in BSP activities in Bareilly and Moradabad. He said a number of clerics
are working with him in these areas. Hafiz Abdul Gaffar Jalalabadi, part of a
BSP-backed campaign to garner support from Muslim clerics, said they have met
most clerics in west UP as well as central UP and hope to get their support.
Maulana Salman Nadwi, dean of information and preaching at Lucknow-based
Dar-ul-Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, has offered his moral support to the BSP. “I tried
to stitch an alliance of parties but that failed. So I have given my support to
the BSP. The party comes from a movement that talked of uplift of Dalits and
Muslims. Kanshi Ram [spoke] about the need for Dalit-Musilm unity. Although Mayawati
made a wrong decision in forming a coalition with BJP, we cannot forget the
movement that is behind the party,” he said.Siddiqui has twice visited the
Dar-ul-Uloom. On Monday, Siddiqui, accompanied by about half-a-dozen clerics,
met Lucknow-based Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad Naqvi, seeking his support. Naqvi,
however,has not committed himself, sources said. indianexpress
Cops seize ‘riots’ CD from
Sangeet Som’s poll campaign vehicle, MLA denies charge
Meerut: Police seized a CD
allegedly containing Muzaffarnagar riots' clippings from BJP MLA Sangeet Som's
election campaign vehicle from Fareedpur village in Meerut's Sardhana area. A
case was filed against the driver of election campaign vehicle and the person
who took permission for the vehicle for violating section 144 CrPc. Police sources
say that the CD contained clippings of clashes that took place in Kawal village
of Muzaffarnagar where a minor altercation between Hindu and Muslim youth had
snowballed into the riots in 2013.Meerut district magistrate B. Chandrakala
said, "We got a complaint from a source that a CD with clippings of
Muzaffarnagar riots is being played on the election campaign vehicle of Sangeet
Som in Sardhana area. I immediately called up the SDM of Sardhana to look into
the matter, who further informed police and seized the CD from the spot."Soon
after the information reached the police, officials reached the spot and seized
the CD from the driver of the election campaign vehicle, which had a screen
attached to it and was used for broadcasting clippings in rural areas ahead of
UP polls.TOI
Muzaffarnagar riots: 3
years on, police yet to chargesheet BJP candidate in 2 cases
Lucknow: The state police
are yet to file chargesheets against BJP candidate from Sardhana seat in Meerut
Sangeet Singh Som in two cases related to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots,
three-and-half years after these cases were registered.A SIT has been probing
both cases. indianexpress
Muzaffarnagar victims irked
over BJP tickets to riots accused
OTHERS
Delhi Police Commissioner
Alok Verma set to be appointed as CBI chief
New Delhi: When PM Narendra Modi led selection committee met with
leader of the Congress Party Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India JS
Khehar to appoint the next director of the CBI, many in the probe agency
expected the meeting to be eventful.While it is likely that Delhi Police
Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma will be appointment as the next CBI chief, the
much expected resistance by Congress to the idea over his appointment seems to
have been subdued.DNA
Delhi airport on alert: 7
‘terrorists’ seen in army uniforms
New Delhi:Security at Delhi
airport and Metro stations has been beefed up following intelligence input that
4 terrorists have managed to get army uniform worn by personnel of captain and
subedar rank. IB alert, which has originated from Amritsar, said: “Seven
terrorists have been seen outside Chakri and Gurdaspur border posts. The group
has acquired combat ranks of captain and subedar of Indian Army, which are
likely to be worn after infiltration”.Apart from the airport and Metro
stations, personnel on election duty in Punjab have also been asked to be on
alert. Increased security vigil at the Delhi airport has, however, put
passengers at an inconvenience.HT
Muslim United Liberation
Tigers of Assam cadres apprehended from Kokrajhar, 7 rifles seized
Kolkata: Red Horns Division
of the Army and Assam Police, based on specific inputs from Military
Intelligence, apprehended 3 linkmen of banned Muslim United Liberation Tigers
of Assam (MULTA) on Monday night. 7 rifles were seized from them."A late
nigh operation was launched on Monday in the area of Nayekgaon in Kokrajhar
district. During the operation, three persons were found moving suspiciously
and apprehended. They have been identified as Zehral Islam (36), Joved Ali (36)
and Ajit Ali (30). All are residents of the Bongaigaon district," said Lt
Col Suneet Newton, PRO, Ministry of Defence, Guwahati..TOI
NIA arrests another IS
accused from : HT report
Hyderabad: NIA on Tuesday
arrested one more accused in Hyderabad IS conspiracy case.Mohammed Irfan, a
resident of Mir Alam Mandi in the old city of Hyderabad, was produced before
NIA special court, which sent him to judicial custody for seven days.NIA said
Irfan alias Abu Jafar was arrested for his role in the IS terror conspiracy
module, exposed in the searches in Hyderabad in June last year.According to the
investigation agency, he along with the other accused took part in searching of
hideouts and physical training.“Investigation has revealed that Irfan also took
an oath of allegiance in favour of Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi,in the presence of
accused Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani and Muzaffer Hussain Rizwan and he was given a
kunya name, Abu Jafar by Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani,” said an NIA official.IANS
Pak link in Kanpur train
accident? ATS sleuths reach Bihar, NIA team to visit Motihari
To enquire about the
possible Pakistan link in the Kanpur train accident that claimed the lives of
140 passengers and injured over 150, a 2-member NIA team is likely to reach
Bihar's Motihari on Wednesday.Bihar police on Tuesday claimed to have unearthed
a suspected ISI link to target the railways with the arrest of three persons in
East Champaran district of the state.ATS sleuths have already reached Patna to
carry forward the probe into the untoward incident.Police claimed that the trio
had confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected
to Pak ISI to target the railways.DNA
'Kanpur train mishap may
have terror links with financial backing from a Dubai-based businessman'
ISI, Dawood behind Kanpur
train tragedy? Bihar police probes alleged Pakistani links
Third custodial death
revealed in Malegaon case
Mumbai: Inspector Mujawar,
who was part of Malegaon blasts probe, said he has revealed the identities of
the officers involved in the custodial killings to NIA.Suspended Inspector
Mehboob Mujawar, who created a stir late last month by claiming that two of the
main accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case -- Sandeep Dange and Ramji
Kalsangra -- were killed in police custody, has revealed that a third person
was also killed around the same time by Anti-terrorism Squad officials, who
were then handling the blasts probe.Mujawar was on Tuesday questioned for
nearly eight hours by a National Investigation Agency team at its Cumballa Hill
office. He, however, told the investigators that he did not know the identity
of this third person because he was not involved in the operation to arrest
him. mumbai mirror
Stop wearing short clothes
to avoid rape: Imam to girls
Kolkata: Shahi Imam
of Tipu Sultan Masjid in Kolkata, Syed Mohammad Nurur R Barkati has said that
girls should avoid wearing short clothes if they want to protect themselves
from getting raped or murdered. Asserting that boys get excited on seeing girls
in short dresses, he added that girls should dress up decently to save
themselves from the lust of men."Girls these days wear too short dresses
and very revealing shirts. We are not stopping them from wearing dresses but,
they should avoid wearing short clothes to save themselves from the lust of
men," Barkati told ANI.He also said that short dresses result into rape
and murder.ANI
Jallikattu protests: HC declines
to interfere
Madras High Court on Wednesday said it will
not “interfere” on the issue of protests in the city against the ban on
jallikattu, holding that the Supreme Court was seized of the matter.PTI
Teach children ‘Islam’, it
is not a ‘terrifying religion’: Author Anita Nair
Kolkata: Indian novelist
Anita Nair, who has brought to the fore tales from Quran for children, says it
is necessary for children to know that Islam is not a “terrifying religion” as
it is made out to be.Talking about her recently-launched “Muezza and Baby Jaan:
Stories From the Quran”, Nair said one needs to start combating negative
perceptions about Islam with children.
Telangana to pressurise Modi
govt for 12% Muslim quota
Hyderabad:Telangana
will pass a bill to provide 12 % reservations to Muslims in the state and bring
pressure on the Union Govt to include
the law in Constitution's 9th schedule as was done in case of Tamil Nadu, CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao said today. Reiterating
his commitment to provide quota to Muslims in proportion to their population,
he said that if the central Govt refuses, the state would fight a legal
battle.He told the state assembly that Telangana will follow Tamil Nadu model
to provide 12% quota to Muslims. He clarified that the quota will not be on the
basis on religion but will be based only on socio-economic
backwardness.IANS
SC allows 24-week pregnant
woman to abort foetus: A glimpse of the trajectory of India’s abortion laws
A Bombay High Court order
on a Muslim man's murder could just embolden fringe groups: Sruthisagar Yamunan
Muslim man's murder:
India's courts simply don't punish hate speech with the severity it merits:
Jyoti Punwani
WORLD
Fatah and Hamas to form
unity Govt
Fatah-dominated Palestinian
Authority has agreed to form a unity Govt with rival organisation Hamas, Al
Jazeera has learned. The agreement was reached late on Tuesday after a
three-day negotiation in the Russian capital, Moscow.The two organisations will
form a new National Council, which will include Palestinians in exile and hold
elections."Today the conditions for [such an initiative] are better than
ever," Azzam al-Ahmad, a senior Fatah official, said.The deal also
includes the Islamic Jihad group, which had not been involved in negotiations
for a long time.Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas have
been at loggerheads since the latter seized Gaza in a near civil war in 2007,
after it won the 2006 legislative elections. aljazeera
Palestinians killed in
Israeli home demolition raid
Israeli police officers
shot dead a Palestinian who they allege tried to ram them with his car during a
protest against home demolitions in southern Israel.A policeman who was struck
by the vehicle later died of his injuries, according to the Israeli
media.Residents of the Bedouin village of Um Al Hiran, in the Negev desert,
however, said that the driver was simply heading to the scene to talk with
authorities in an attempt to halt the demolitions.Al Jazeera's Imran Khan,
reporting from Um Al Hiran, said one other Palestinian was also killed during
clashes that broke out after the incident. aljazeera
Israel plants spy cameras
in Palestinian homes in W. Bank
Israeli forces have planted
spy cameras inside Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, a specialist on
prisoners’ issues revealed on Tuesday.Speaking to Al-Resalah, former prisoner
Fuad Al-Khuffash said that several Palestinian families have discovered spy
cameras and other equipment planted secretly in their homes after raids carried
out by the Israeli occupation forces.“These cameras and eavesdropping devices
transmit and report information to the Israeli occupation authorities day and
night,” he explained. middleeastmonitor
Shaikh Raed Salah ‘refused
to meet Israeli PM’ before release
The leader of the banned
Islamic Movement in Israel, Shaikh Raed Salah, said on Tuesday that he had
refused to meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu or Interior Minister Aryeh
Deri prior to his release from prison, Felesteen newspaper has reported. He
left prison on Tuesday morning.Speaking to supporters in Umm Al-Fahm who had
gathered to celebrate his release, Shaikh Raed revealed that Israeli
intelligence officers proposed that he meet with Netanyahu or Deri, but he
rejected both meetings. “Last Thursday, they moved me to the centre of the
military courts and there I met an [Israeli] intelligence officer,” he said.
“For 3 hours, he asked me why I have said that Al-Aqsa Mosque is in danger. My
response was: I am still saying Al-Aqsa is in danger.” Middleeastmonitor
Sheikh Raed Salah released
from Israeli jail
OIC envoy calls for UN
intervention to avoid genocide of Rohingya Muslims
Kuala Lumpur:UN should
intervene in Myanmar's Rakhine State to stop further escalation of violence
against Rohingya Muslims and avoid another genocide like in Cambodia and
Rwanda, said the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's special envoy to
Myanmar.The conflict which has left at least 86 dead and an estimated 66,000
people fleeing into Bangladesh since it started on Oct. 9, 2016, is no longer
an internal issue but of international concern, said Syed Hamid Albar,
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Special Envoy to Myanmar.Syed Hamid
said the OIC should seek UN intervention. His comments come ahead of a special
OIC meeting called by Malaysia on Thursday to discuss measures to deal with the
conflict affecting the Rohingya minority, who are predominantly Muslim."We
don't want to see another genocide like in Cambodia or Rwanda," Syed Hamid
told Reuters in an interview ahead of the meeting in Kuala Lumpur. reuters
700,000 in Syria have no
access to humanitarian aid
A number of high profile
international humanitarian organisations have appealed to warring parties in
Syria to unconditionally let humanitarian assistance reach almost three
quarters of a million people still under siege across the country, a joint
statement by an UN-linked relief website revealed on Monday.The statement was
signed by World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, the office of UN’s
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, the
World Health Organisation and the UNHCR.“While efforts to fully implement a
ceasefire in Syria continue, we again appeal for immediate, unconditional and
safe access to reach the children and families who are still cut off from
humanitarian aid across the country,” the statement said. middleeastmonitor
Syrian General, 8 Soldiers
Killed in Tunnel Blast: Group
A Syrian general and eight
other soldiers were killed in a tunnel bomb outside Damascus, a monitoring
group said. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebel fighters planted
explosives yesterday in a tunnel in the town of Harasta, northeast of
Damascus."The explosion killed a Syrian officer at the rank of general,
and eight other members of regime forces, and wounded several people,"
Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Blast hit Harasta's department of
motor vehicles, where the group had been meeting. "The building collapsed
and there are still 15 people who are unaccounted for," Abdel Rahman told
AFP, adding that the death toll was likely to rise as some of the wounded were
in critical condition.AFP
Egyptian football star Aboutrika
placed on 'terror' list
An Egyptian court has added
former football star Mohamed Aboutrika to the authorities' terror list, his lawyer
said on Tuesday, based on suspicions he financed the banned Muslim Brotherhood.In
2015, a Govt committee froze the assets
of the former player for Cairo-based club Al-Ahly and Egypt's national team,
two years after he retired.Govt accuses
him of financing the Muslim Brotherhood, which was classified as a terrorist
organisation at the end of 2013.According to an anti-terror law imposed in 2015
by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, anyone on the country's terror list is
subject to a travel ban, with their passport and assets liable to be frozen.Aboutrika,
one of the most successful African footballers of his generation, had publicly
endorsed the presidential bid of Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi in 2012.Aboutrika's
lawyer Mohamed Osman said that the court's decision was "contrary to the
law" saying the retired player "has not been convicted or formally
notified of any of the charges against him." firstpost
SC accepts Pak Jamaat’s petition
seeking disqualification of PM Nawaz
Islamabad: Supreme Court of
Pakistan has accepted Jamaat-e-Islam’s (JI) petition seeking PM Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification under Articles
62 and 63 of the Constitution.The apex court has issued notices to all the
respondents, directing them to submit their responses.During the hearing of
Panama Papers case today (Wednesday), Justice Asif Saeed KHosa remarked that
Jamaat-e-Islami’s lawyer will continue his arguments after conclusion of
arguments by Sharif’s counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan. Speaking to reporters outside
the Supreme Court, JI chief Sirajul Haq stated that his written arguments are
ready.“We want everyone’s accountability,” he added. Haq further stressed that
his party’s basic aim is to eliminate corruption from the country.Dunya News
Mankind is facing an
apocalyptic moral test: evolutionary psychologist Robert Wright
Evolutionary psychologist
Robert Wright sounded bleak in a couple of recent columns:"Given the
growing prospect that humankind, having reached the brink of a global
community, will dissolve into chaos ... you could say that our species is
facing an epic moral test," he wrote at meaningoflife.tv. "In light
of recent political and social developments in the United States and
abroad," he wrote at the New York Times, "our work is cut out for
us."Wright has argued in several books that expanding morality played a
central role in human evolution, creating the framework for ever-larger, more
cohesive, and more powerful societies. Today, he says, mankind needs to take at
least one more big step forward.His 2010 book, "The Evolution of
God," showed that we have at least come a long way already. In it, he
described how religion has gradually moved toward respect for all people. For
instance:- As empires emerged in the ancient world, local religions began to
take on universal characteristics, with moral codes that diverse groups could
follow. Most notably, the tribes of Israel united in the belief in a one true
god and the robust moral code embodied in the Ten Commandments.- Christianity
went a step beyond Judaism by offering salvation to anyone who converted.-
Islam could be seen as another step forward, as, at least occasionally, it
claimed that people of various religions could find salvation. (Speaking on the
difference between Jews, Christians, and Muslims, Mohamed himself said they
"are but a part of the men whom He hath created! He will pardon whom He
pleaseth, and chastise whom He pleaseth.")Perhaps even more significant
than the sequence of religions is how religions themselves have evolved.
Islamic scriptures, for instance, contains passages that are extremely
antagonistic toward the rest of the world-e.g. "Kill the polytheists where
ever you find them"-and others that are extremely tolerant-e.g. businessinsider
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:12 PM)
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