Evening NEWS
DIGEST
20 March. 2017: 20Jamadiul Akhir 1438: Vol:8, No:146
With Yogi Adityanath at helm, India’s largest meat processing state
could lose Rs 11,350 crore a year
New Delhi:BJP, in their UP election manifesto, promised to close down all
“illegal” abattoirs in the state if it comes to power. BJP national president
Amit Shah, however, went on to state that all slaughterhouses will be closed
down on March 12, a day after counting of votes. His remarks came just before
the first phase of the Assembly elections in Feb. It has been 216 hours since
the results came in, 48 hours since the BJP chose Yogi Adityanath as the CM ,
and 24 hours since his swearing-in.In a press briefing on Sunday, when reminded
about Shah’s promise, BJP minister Shrikant Sharma told reporters that a
decision on the issue will be taken when the state Cabinet meets. Adityanath
asked his ministers to resist from making comments that would hurt anyone’s
sentiments, Sharma added. In the event of a ban on slaughterhouses in the
state, its impact on the economy and the loss of jobs will be significant.Data
from UP ’s Animal Husbandry department show the state produced 7,515.14 lakh kg
of buffalo meat, 1171.65 lakh kg of goat meat, 230.99 lakh kg of sheep meat,
and 1410.32 lakh kg of pig meat in 2014-15. The above figures also include
those from meat processing plants in the state.There are 72 Govt approved
abattoirs-cum-meat processing plants/standalone abattoirs in India at present;
38 of them in UP alone. In 2011, when Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) released its list of Govt approved slaughterhouses, there were only 30
across the country, but over half of them were based in UP. In its 2014
notification, the APEDA approved list increased to 53 abattoirs in the country.
The following year 11 more were added to the list, taking it to 62 overall. At
present, out of the 38 slaughterhouses — 7 in Aligarh, 5 in Ghaziabad — 37
produce and export buffalo meat.In 2016, India exported 13,14,158.05 metric
tonnes of buffalo meat worth Rs 26,681.56 crores to the world. The major
destinations for its exports are Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia,
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In UP, the law permits slaughter of
buffaloes/bulls that are over the age of 15 and unfit for breeding. There are
reports suggesting that the BJP Govt in
the state is likely to promulgate an ordinance banning slaughterhouses. It is,
however, unclear whether the Govt will
be targeting only those in the buffalo meat business or even the others
involved in the trade of other meat products.In the eventuality of the BJP
coming good on their poll promise, the decision will wipe away the crores of
investment that went into setting up the abattoirs and put the future of thousands
employed in the industry at risk. The owner of a slaughterhouse in UP, speaking
to the indianexpress.com on condition of anonymity, said:“They (BJP) said they
want to stop slaughterhouses but which ones is still not clear. Old Govt slaughterhouses have already been ordered to
shut down about three years back, but some are still working. I can’t comment
more on the issue.” Efforts to reach out to the All India Meat Exporters
Association have also hit a wall.Ban could lead to a deficit of at least Rs
11,350 crore (2015-16) in terms of revenue from exports. Indianexpress
Beef ban in UP, Uttarakhand imminent? Allahabad slaughterhouses closed; Rawat
backs law to protect cows
UP slaughterhouses set to face
the axe:ET
Will upcoming slaughterhouse in Lucknow face the axe?
On first day at work, Yogi govt sealed 2 slaughterhouses
Allahabad: Soon after Yogi Adityanath took charge as UP CM , Nagar Nigam
authorities sealed two slaughter houses in the city of Allahabad implementing
the BJP manifesto. According to media reports, the municipal corporation sealed
two slaughter houses running illegally in Atala and Naini area and is planning
to close down another in Rambag.Closing down of the illegal slaughter houses
was the main agendas of the BJP’s manifesto.UP has around 130 legal slaughterhouses and the
state tops in buffalo meat-producing in India.Though, the manifesto pitches on
closing down of illegal abattoirs, the owners of more than a dozen registered
mechanised abattoirs were panic as such a step will cripple investments worth
crores and the thousands of people will be left unemployed. Saisat
Adityanath’s favourite cow Nandini has a Muslim caretaker
When a mob of ‘gau rakshaks’ laid siege to a Jaipur hotel over beef
rumours
Jaipur:It was nearing midnight on Sunday, but wary expressions of a
large number of police personnel deployed near a hotel in Kanti Nagar area of
Jaipur suggested they had much work to do. For over 6 hours, the Pink City saw
a mob of more than 100 people — many of whom claimed to be self-styled gau
rakshaks (cow protectors) — protest in front of hotel Hayat Rabbani over
allegations that it serves beef. Fiery
chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Modi Zindabad’ rang out even as visibly
bemused boarders exited the hotel one by one. With a business-like expression
on her face, local councillor Nirmala Sharma of the BJP looked on and
instructed officials of Jaipur Municipal Corporation to seal the hotel
building. Like many of the people protesting, Sukhdip Singh, one of the
protesters was not a resident of the locality and identified himself as “from
Rajasthan University”. He conceded he had not seen the leftover meat, but heard
about it from “an acquaintance”.Many other slogan-chanting protesters could not
say how they knew for sure that the hotel had beef on its menu.“What kind of
question are you asking? Don’t you understand what meat a hotel named Rabbani
could serve? Isn’t name of the hotel proof enough that it serves beef?” said
Karamveer, one of the protesters outside the hotel which is near the city’s bus
stand popularly known as Sindhi camp. Karamveer too was not from the
locality.At a park a few hundred metres away from the hotel, Sadhvi Kamal
‘Didi’, the national president of Mahila Gauraksha Dal addressed a gathering of
protesters as they discussed their course of action. All this while, an SUV in
which the Sadhvi travels with two assistants was parked outside the gate with a
sticker of Gau Raksha Dal pasted on the windscreen.Only a handful did, while
more than 90% chorused they were from outside the locality.A youth interjected
with an unmistakable hint of pride in his voice, “Don’t worry about the numbers
as it will just take me a couple of phone calls to assemble 200 people from
somewhere else. After all, it was me and my friends who slapped Sanjay Leela
Bhansali on sets of Padmavati.” DCP(west) Ashok Gupta said, “We have collected meat
sample from the hotel and it will be sent to the forensic science
laboratory for testing.”ACP (Sadar)
Neeraj Pathak said police also arrested two people from the hotel after
receiving the allegations.“Hotel is owned by my brother-in-law and on Sunday I
had come there on some errand when the police took me along with them amid
allegations of beef selling by the hotel. I have absolutely no idea about the
matter but the police wouldn’t believe me,” said Abdul Rehman, who was briefly
detained by the police.The police released Rehman on the insistence of human
rights activists, who kept reasoning with officials at the Sindhi Camp police
station.According The Hindu report Hotel Hyatt Rabbani, owned by Naeem Rabbani
and functioning for several decades at Kanti Chandra Road near Central Bus
Stand here, largely caters to tourists and travellers from outside Jaipur. It
has been getting awards for its services regularly from various hoteliers’
associations.HT/the hindu
No proof that beef was served in hotel, 'could be chicken':Police
Two staff members of a hotel in Jaipur have been arrested and the hotel
sealed amid allegations that they served beef in the hotel. The police is on
the lookout for the owner of the hotel.However, there is no proof yet that
there was any beef served in the hotel.A police case was registered against the
hotel owner under section 295A of the IPC, which deals with deliberately outraging
religious sentiments, a senior police officer told HuffPost India.Yet, there is
no reason to believe that the bones in question were actually remains of a dead
cow."We don't know yet if the meat is beef," admitted Manphool Singh,
chief of Sindhi Camp police station where the FIR has been registered, in a
telephone conversation on Monday.Singh added that samples collected "could
even be chicken", and didn't "appear to be beef". However, a
case has still been registered and the matter is under investigation. "We
have sent it to the forensic laboratory for testing," he said.
Hotel sealed in Jaipur after rumours about beef cooking
Jaipur Hotel Sealed After Vigilantes Raise Ruckus Over Meat That ‘Could
Be Beef’
Jaipur: Minority community representatives meet police commissioner over
cow vigilantism, express concerns
Jaipur;After a Jaipur hotel, Hayat Rabbani, was sealed and two of its
employees arrested by the police, representatives of minority community and
social activists on Monday met Jaipur Police Commissioner and complained that a
deliberate attempt was being made to vitiate the atmosphere on the pretext of cow
vigilantism.The representatives mentioned that there is a sense of unease after
more than 150 vigilantes turned up outside the Hayat Rabbani hotel in Jaipur
and started a demonstration. The protestors were shouting slogans of 'Gau Mata
Ki Jai' and claimed that beef was being served at the hotel premises.The
representatives also mentioned that the police had arrested hotel staff
employees and hotel premises was sealed in an arbitrary and unjust manner. indiatoday
Adityanath will push RSS agenda, not development in UP: Mayawati
BSP chief Mayawati today attacked UP CM Yogi
Adityanath, alleging that he will "divide the state on communal
lines" and push RSS agenda in the state. outlookindia
A 'new India' where fringe is the mainstream:Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
Sufi clerics accuse Pak daily of calling them RAW agents
Will Yogi govt pursue Ayodhya case by Sunni WaqfBoard?
Faizabad: Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, the main claimant of the Babri
Masjid tittle suit, is a part of UP Govt that is going to be headed by CM Yogi Adityanath. The recipient of one-third
part of the Masjid after the high court's decision, Waqf Board is now fighting
for the case in the Supreme Court.In its manifesto, the BJP had announced that
it would work for the construction of Ram temple on the Babri Masjid site
"within law". However, now, the UP Govt will have to fight the case from the side of
Babri Masjid in the role of the Waqf Board.The Board's chairman and members are
nominated by the Govt and it is also
funded by the state Govt . All the moves in case of Babri Masjid, from filling
the case of placing of idols in Babri Masjid to the demolition, have been taken
by the UP Govt in favour of the Masjid till now.When the
idols were placed on the intervening night of Dec23-24 1949, the FIR was lodged
by UP Govt through Ayodhya Kotwal Ram Dev Dubey on the
report of beat constable Mata Prasad.In 1969, after the consent of UP Govt , the Sunni Central Waqf Board had filed
a suit in Faizabad court claiming the title of Babri Masjid."Digvijay Nath,
the then-Mahant of Gorakhnath temple and leader of Hindu Mahasabha had
engineered the placing of idols in Babri Masjid through local leaders in
Ayodhya Mahant Abhiram Das and Mahant Ram Chandra Das Paramhans in 1949,"
said Dhirendra K Jha, the author of 'Dark Night At Ayodhya'.Mahant Ram Das, the
chief priest of Nirmohi Akhara, said, "If the state Govt takes the step of withdrawing Waqf Board from
the case, it will open the way for the construction of Ram Mandir."Ranjeet
Lal Varma, the lawyer for Nirmohi Akhara, a litigant from the Hindu side, said,
"The Govt can do nothing unless any
change in law of Central Waqf Act is made. It might bring some formula of
settlement. If the Govt withdraws Waqf
Board from the case, there are more Muslim parties fighting the case as
appellants in Supreme Court.""We are ready for negotiation over this
issue. Let the new Govt bring some
formula in the light of Supreme Court's full bench verdict of Oct24, 1994. In
that verdict, there is provision for both mosque and temple," said Khaliq
Ahmad Khan, a litigant in the Babri Masjid case."Will Yogi Adityanath
allow the Waqf Board to stick to the claim of the title suit of Babri Masjid or
will he withdraw the Board from the case? This is a big question," said
Iqbal Ansari, a litigant from the Babri Masjid side.TOI
‘None other than Yogi has drive to build Ram temple’
Ayodhya: About 130km away from Lucknow where Yogi Adityanath was sworn
in in as UP's new CM , sadhus and mahants of Ayodhya cheered aloud, calling it
the unfolding of the will of God to build Ram Temple after a wait of almost 25
years. The priests hailed 'Centre mein Modi, State mein Yogi, Yeh Bhagwan ka
sanyog hai ki Ram Janmabhumi par mandir bane aur Ram Lala qaid se mukt ho (This
coincidence of Modi ruling at Centre and Yogi in state points at building of
Ram temple and freeing of Ram Lala)."Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of
Ram and Krishna Janmabhumi Nyas said, "Since Yogi is a priest, he would
work selflessly for everyone's development, in the footsteps of Modi."TOI
UP will go back to masjid-mandir, polarisation-communal days: Congress
on Yogi's appointment
Criticising Yogi Adityanath's selection by the BJP as UP CM , the Congress on Sunday dubbed the
decision as a 'cruel joke' and said the development has ensured that the state
will no longer remain secular.Congress leader Rizwan Arshad said, "It is a
cruel joke played on the people of UP. Yogi Adityanath is a divisive man, he
divides society. He shamelessly propagate divisive agenda, which he carries
forward from RSS."ANI
UP CM Adityanath called an
‘anti-Muslim bigot’ by foreign media: indianexpress
In light of BJP’s win in UP and the selection of Yogi Adityanath as its CM,
an editorial in the Guardian titled ‘The Guardian view on a key poll: victory
for anti-Muslim bigotry’ argues that religion is playing a role in country’s
regression. It describes Adityanath as an “anti-Muslim extremist” and now a
“powerful figure”, and says his previous statements against minorities — ‘If
[Muslims] kill one Hindu man, then we will kill 100 Muslim men’ for instance’ —
can’t be dismissed as mere rhetoric.
With 'anti-Muslim' Adityanath as UP CM, Muslims will stay 'insecure': UP
clerics
Meerut: Soon after the announcement of Yogi Adityanath as the BJP's CM ial
face for UP , "insecurity" crept in among the Muslim community.
Clerics in the state voiced their worry, saying with Adityanath who is known
for his "anti-Muslim" stand, at the helm, BJP has
"disappointed" a large section of its voters.Qazi Zainus Sajidin,
Meerut city qazi and former UP Madrasa Board chairman, said, "The
announcement of Yogi Adityanath as the UP CM is extremely disappointing for the
Muslims of the state, without whose contribution BJP could have not got such a
mandate. Maulana Shahbudin Razvi, general secretary of All India Jamat
Raza-e-Mustafa, a wing of Dargah Aala Hazrat in Bareilly, said, "There is
a sense of fear in a large section of Muslims after the announcement of Yogi
Adityanath as the UP CM face. It is said that when people don't have
responsibilities, their actions and words are not well thought of, but with
responsibilities change comes too. All we can hope is that the change comes in this
case as well."TOI
Shut down Deoband, Jamiat, other Islamic seminaries and organisations:
BJP leader after Deoband cleric’s arrest
Meerut: A day after Masood Madani, brother of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind
general secretary Maulana Mehmood Madani, was arrested on charges of rape, a
BJP leader has called for the Darul Uloom, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and other
Islamic seminaries and organisations to be shut down, claiming that such
incidents of clerics victimizing the gullible under the pretext of religious
healing had happened far too often."The most horrible crime has been
committed by Masood Madani, who is someone in a very powerful place. His brother
sits in the governing body of Darul Uloom and the Jamiat itself is a very
influential body. Masood Madani, himself, has been a minister and has been
associated with Jamiat and Darul Uloom. If people who hold this kind of sway in
such influential Islamic organisations commit these kinds of crimes, then organisation
should also be held responsible. They have not even issued a statement
condemning the incident, nor have they disassociated themselves from Masood
Madani. Therefore, the organisation's support is clear. I appeal to the state Govt
to shut down Darul Uloom, Jamiat and
other such organisations which exploit women under the pretext of Islam,"
said Gajaraj Rana, BJP city president, Saharanpur.Rana also claimed that
incidents of rape and exploitation at Darul Uloom and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind have
happened in the past, but only the BJP Govt acted.Raghav Lakhanpal, MP from Saharanpur Lok
Sabha seat, which Deoband is a part of, distanced himself from Rana's comment,
but did say that the Jamiat should have
issued a statement.TOI
Najeeb Ahmed case: Delhi Court to pass order on JNU students’ polygraph
test on March 27
New Delhi: Delhi court today said it will decide on March 27 whether
nine JNU students can be asked by Delhi Police to give their consent for lie
detector test in a case relating to the varsity’s missing student Najeeb
Ahmed.Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass, who was scheduled to pass the
order today, deferred the matter saying that the order was not ready.The court
had on March 15 reserved its order after the counsel appearing for the students
submitted that the “lie detector test is unconstitutional and illegal unless it
is voluntary”.The nine students, who are suspects in the case, have approached
the court challenging the notice sent to them by the Crime Branch of Delhi
Police seeking their presence before the magistrate for recording of their
statement that whether they were willing to undergo the lie detector test.PTI
ABVP demands action against AMU Professor of Islamic studies Dr Majid
Khan for alleged 'anti-India' stance
Agra: The year old issue of an AMU Professor of Islamic studies
allegedly making "anti Modi" statement and criticizing the Govt 's
handling of Kashmir issue has once again rocked the university with the ABVP
demanding stern action against him.Though this controversy has been going on
for the last one year, as no action was taken against the associate professor,
Dr Majid Khan, despite an inquiry reportedly indicting him, allegations that he
has been continuing with his tirade in classes have resurfaced. ABVP has now
submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding registration of cases
against Dr Khan for his "anti-national" activities and his removal
from the university.When contacted AMU Registrar, Dr Javaid Akhter, said the
earlier inquiry report was submitted a year ago to the Vice Chancellor, who had
called Dr Khan and instructed him not to discuss anything other than his
subject. He said that the inquiry report had stated that Dr Khan did discuss
issues other than his subject during his classes. However, Dr Akhter claimed
that there was nothing "anti-national" in Dr Khan's utterances.According
to university sources, a complaint that Dr Khan had been making undesirable
comments against Modi and on Govt 's handling of Kashmir situation was
submitted by 30 students, only 14 had confirmed their signatures on
it.Interestingly, though AMU PRO, Omar Peerzada denied that any complaint was
ever submitted against Dr Khan, the university's response to a RTI reveals that
an inquiry was conducted. In a recent response to a RTI filed by Sabhya Sanchi
Mishra regarding this complaint, Chairman of department of Islamic studies,
Prof Sayyid Ahsan has responded saying, "students had put up a complaint
in Feb 2016 about Dr Abdul Majid Khan's outburst in the class. I had sent the
complaint to VC and no action was taken against the teacher as it is not the
prerogative of the chairman". The response also states that an inquiry
committee was formed and they had visited the department and the concerned
class but what transpired after that was not known.TOI
ED attaches assets worth Rs 18.37 crore of Zakir Naik's NGO, others; NIA
issues second summons to Naik
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday attached assets worth Rs
18.37 crore of Islamic Research Foundation and others in connection with its
money laundering probe against Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.The agency issued a
provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) attaching
mutual funds worth about Rs 9.41 crore and five bank accounts containing
deposits worth Rs 1.23 crore in the name of Naik's NGO Islamic Research
Foundation (IRF).The order also attached a school building valued at Rs 7.05
crore belonging to Islamic Education Trust Chennai and a godown building in the
name of Ms Harmony Media Private Limited worth Rs 68 lakhs.The Enforcement
Directorate (ED) said it attached the assets "in view of their involvement
in the case."The central probe agency had registered a criminal case
against Naik and others last December after taking cognisance of an NIA
complaint filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).It had
also issued four summons to Naik to depose before it, but the agency said the
preacher has "avoided" all of them.Meanwhile, the NIA today issued
second summons to Naik to appear before it in Delhi on March 30.PTI
NIA issues fresh summons to Zakir Naik
Christian NGOs top in foreign funding:TOI
Kerala-based Ayana Charitable
Trust, the new name under which US charity Gospel for Asia is reportedly
funding projects in India, has emerged on top of the list of Indian NGOs with
the highest foreign funding in 2015-16.It is one of three Christian evangelical
NGOs -- the other two being Believers Church India and World Vision India --
that figure among the top four foreign contribution grossers in the country
last fiscal.
SC should come out with positive verdict on triple talaq, says Mani
Shankar Aiyar:ANI
New Delhi:With battle against triple talaq gaining momentum, senior
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Monday said he awaits the verdict from
Supreme Court for all Muslim women and wishes for improvement. “My concern is
towards to the 10 lakh Muslim women in the country who face issues regarding
the triple talaq. I’m totally against it and hope that Supreme Court comes out
with a positive verdict,” Aiyar told ANI. Aiyar further asserted that apex
court should prohibit the word ‘triple talaq’. “I totally disagree and wish
that apex court puts a ban on the word and act against triple talaq,” said
Aiyar.
RSS Muslim body plans to raise banner against triple talaaq
Nagpur: After facing initial resistance from the grass roots workers,
RSS outfit, Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) plans to take up the parent body's
agenda on triple talaaq. There are plans to take up a strong campaign with eyes
on votes from Muslim women as banning the practice may benefit them.A
state-level meeting of MRM has been planned on April 8 and 9 at Aurangabad on
the issue. Similar events will be held elsewhere in the country too, said
sources in the organsiation.
The Sangh Parivar is seeing electoral gains by raising the issue. It is
being claimed that the Muslim women voted for BJP in the UP elections as the
party was against triple talaaq. Now a similar campaign is planned for the
upcoming Delhi municipal elections. A meeting has been planned late this month
at Delhi to chalk out the strategy, said sources.TOI
Will move court against 'EVM tampering' in 2-3 days: Mayawati
New Delhi: BSP will move court against the alleged tampering of EVMs
during the UP Assembly elections in the next two-three days, its chief Mayawati
today said.She charged that "the BJP won elections by rigging electronic
voting machines"."We will approach court over the issue in the next
two-three days," the BSP supremo told reporters in Parliament
premises.Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) had rejected Mayawati's claim
that EVMs were rigged and said her demand for a repoll using ballot papers was
legally untenable.PTI
GSM alleges EVM tampering during Goa polls
Panaji:Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) has alleged tampering of EVMs during the
recently held Goa Assembly polls.“Votes polled by our candidates are too less
and unexpected. Such a low response to our candidates is not expected,” GSM head
Anand Shirodkar said.GSM polled only 1.2% of total votes during the Feb.4 state
elections in which they had contested on 6 seats in alliance with MGP and Shiv
Sena.PTI
BJP-led Govt in Manipur wins
trust vote
BJP led combination in Manipur won the confidence vote in the State
Legislative Assembly with a voice vote on Monday.Prior to the floor test, BJP
legislator, Yumnam Khemchand Singh was elected as the Speaker of the
House.After election of the Speaker, N. Biren Singh Govt won the confidence
vote through a voice vote. A Congress
legislator demanded that the voting be done through a secret ballot, which was
rejected by the Speaker.The Congress, which had won 28 seats in the Assembly polls,
is left with the support of 27 MLAs.THE HINDU
TV journalist Ravish Kumar gets first Kuldip Nayar award, here’s what he
said in his speech
New Delhi:For his contributions in the world of journalism, eminent TV
journalist Ravish Kumar on Sunday was honoured with the first Kuldip Nayar
journalism award. He was conferred with an award plaque along with a cash
amount of Rs one lakh.In the event organised by Gandhi Peace Foundation at the
India International Centre, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar was present to
bestow the award named after him. Nayar said that the award is being given at a
time when Yogi Adityanath has taken over as the CM of UP. He said that even
though there may be vast ideological differences, people have given Yogi
Adityanath and BJP mandate, which must be respected. Accepting the award
conferred on him, journalist Ravish Kumar said that in today’s age there is
time to explore possibilities. He said that there are journalists who are
constantly looking to fulfill the potential present in them. He added that even
when the potential is exhausted, they inspire others with their work. He
further added that once these journalists rise above the flattery of the
establishment, they will realise the importance of whatever potential they have
left. indianexpress
Those Who Throw Ink Have Become Party Spokesmen, Those Who Use Ink Are
Propagandists:Ravish
TN: 2 more surrender in rationalist Farooq murder case
Coimbatore :3 days after the murder of DVK functionary H. Farook, two
people whose name had surfaced in connection with the case, surrendered at a
court on Monday.Those surrendered have been identified as Sadam Hussain (32)
and Shansudheen (31), both residents of Podanur. While Hussain reached the
court and submitted his surrender petition in the morning, Shamsudheen
completed the formalities in afternoon. Both of them have been remanded to
judicial custody till April 4.The lawyer who appeared for Hussain and
Shamsudheen said that the duo surrendered before the court following harassment
by the police. The counsel claimed that both the persons did not have any
connection with the murder of Farook.“They were afraid to go home as police had
harassed their family. Hence they stayed away from the police and surrendered
before court as law permits,” said counsel.thehindu
H Farook Murder: Demand to shut Atheism WhatsApp group is the reason,
say police ...
China angry at Dalai Lama’s Nalanda visit, says move could disrupt ties
with India
Beijing:China lashed out at India on Monday for inviting Tibetan
spiritual leader Dalai Lama to attend and speak at an international Buddhist
seminar in Bihar, sponsored by the Central government, saying New Delhi was
acting against one of Beijing’s “core concerns”.Such moves would disrupt
bilateral ties, the foreign ministry said.Beijing regards the Dharamshala-based
Dalai Lama as a “separatist” and is sensitive to him meeting international
leaders, attending official functions or visiting places at the invitation of
the Indian govt.TOI
Clerics back from Pakistan, deny reports of detention
New Delhi: 2 Indian clerics who reportedly went missing in Pakistan
returned to Delhi on Monday, rubbishing Pak media reports that they were
detained there on spying charges. Syed Asif Ali Nizami and his nephew Nazim Ali
Nizami, both clerics of Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, landed at the airport
on Monday morning and went home. Nazim Ali Nizami said they left for Pakistan
on March 8 to meet a relative in Karachi. "We had gone to meet my aunt who
is 90 and lives in Karachi. My uncle met his sister after 26 long years,"
Nazim Ali told the media. He rubbished reports that they were detained in
Pakistan. At the same time he thanked Modi Govt for their return to India. "Irrespective
of our different religions, we all live here peacefully and in harmony. But
there are some elements who don't like this," he said."There is this(Pakistani)
paper 'Ummat' which reported falsely about us and printed fake pictures."
He said they were under "no kind of pressure". Nizami's son Syed
Sajid Ali also displayed the newspaper report to media persons where it was
reported that the clerics had links with the Indian intelligence agency RAW.
IANS
Nizamuddin clerics who disappeared in Pakistan are working against
India, claims Subramanian Swamy
New Delhi: In what may spark a fresh controversy, BJP Rajya Sabha MP
Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed that the two Indian clerics, who had gone
missing in Pakistan, are working against the nation."They are lying in
order to defend themselves and get sympathy. They are saying that they were
portrayed as RAW agent. We can't trust them. We have independent information
that they are working against the nation," Swamy was quoted as saying by
ANI. zee news
Uttarakhand High Court declares river Ganga ‘first living entity of
India’
New Delhi: In first of its kind decision, Uttarakhand High Court on
Monday recognised river Ganga as the ‘first living entity of India’. Along with
Ganges, river Yamuna has also been declared a living entity. As per the
decision, the rivers will now be entitled to all rights available to humans as
per the constitution, Jansatta reported. financialexpress
Is Yogi Adityanath a candidate to succeed Narendra Modi in the
future?Sushil Aaron
Yogi Adityanath: 'Give him a chance' and six other meaningless arguments
busted: Rohan Venkataramakrishnan
WORLD
US boycotts UN human rights body over Israel, Palestine
Geneva:US on Monday boycotted a UN Human Rights Council session on
Palestine and other Arab occupied territories, claiming it was biased against
Israel."The United States will vote against every resolution put forth
under this agenda item and is encouraging other countries to do the same,"
U.S. State Department Acting Spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.Toner said
it did not “suit the interests of the Council to single out one country in an
unbalanced manner”.The United Nations last Wednesday accused Israel of imposing
an “apartheid regime” on the Palestinian people -- the first time a UN agency
had leveled such an allegation.Anadolu Agency
Iraq buys fighters with Israeli radars: middleeastmonitor
Israeli military sources revealed on Sunday
that Iraq had bought fighter jets with radars made in Israel, Safa News Agency
reported.According to the website Israel Defence, Iraq bought 24 ‘T-50IQ’
fighter jets made in South Korea and equipped with radars made in an Israeli
factory.The Israeli website, according to Safa, said that Iraq had bought the
fighter jets which are similar in performance to the F-16s.
Israeli coalition crisis raises threat of snap polls
Israel's PM backed out of an
agreement to establish a new broadcasting authority on Sunday, creating a
coalition crisis with one of his key partners that could lead to early
elections. The conflict centres on the fate of the struggling state-run Israel
Broadcasting Authority. Netanyahu initially ordered it shut down and replaced
with a new corporation, only to reverse course once the emerging personnel of
the new body did not seem as favourable as his administration had hoped. Benjamin
Netanyahu insisted that his coalition partners are required to side with his
ruling Likud party regarding all media regulation matters. But Finance Minister
Moshe Kahlon, head of the centrist Kulanu party, said the corporation would
start broadcasting next month as planned. aljazeera
Arab MK: ‘I resigned from Knesset with no regrets”
Arab Israeli MK Basel Ghattas said on Sunday that he resigned from the
Israeli Knesset “without any regrets.” He noted that his parliamentary work was
just one area of his political work during the recent years.Ghattas faces a
two-year prison sentence after being accused of exploiting his position to
smuggle cell phones to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Under a plea deal, Ghattas agreed to resign
from the Knesset and serve a prison sentence in return for avoiding more
serious charges of “aiding the enemy and being an accomplice to terror.” Middleeastmonitor
Two-state solution ‘only game in town’: Fatah leader
Ramallah:Arab countries must reaffirm their support for the
establishment of a Palestinian state in exchange for normalized relations with
Israel, a leading Palestinian politician told reporters in Ramallah on
Monday.Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Fatah movement (the leading
faction within Palestinian Authority), said Arab leaders should use this week's
Arab League summit in Jordan to clarify their respective positions in response
to comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding a
“regional” solution to the conflict.Anadolu Agency
Trump invites Egypt's Sisi to White House
US President Donald Trump will host Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi for talks in Washington on April 3, a White House official said on
Sunday.The visit will be at Trump's invitation, the official said. aljazeera
Over 30,000 people fled fighting in Myanmar’s north: UN
Yangon;Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Myanmar’s
northern Shan State amid continued fighting between government troops and
ethnic rebels, according to the United Nations on Monday.Fighting has
intensified in the mountainous area along Myanmar’s eastern border with China
since March 6 when an ethnic Kokang rebel group -- the Myanmar National
Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) -- attacked the small town of Laukkai.Anadolu
Agency
Mosul refugee numbers mount amid humanitarian crisis
Nineveh;An Iraqi relief official has warned of the rapidly deteriorating
humanitarian situation at refugee camps amid a surge in the number of civilians
fleeing western Mosul, where Iraqi forces are fighting to dislodge Daesh
terrorists from the area.“The humanitarian situation for refugees from western
Mosul is worsening,” Iyad Rafed of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society said on
Monday.“The number of refugees fleeing the fighting continues to mount,” he
said. “Rains and bad weather are aggravating the situation.”Anadolu Agency
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:41 PM)
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