Evening NEWS
DIGEST
22 March. 2017: 22 JamadiulAkhir 1438:Vol:8, No:148
2 ‘RSS pracharaks’ get life imprisonment for Ajmer blast; Court questions
over clean chit to others, Indresh Kumar
Jaipur: 2 persons were sentenced to life on Wednesday for the 2007 Ajmer
dargah blasts, which killed three people and injured 15. Special NIA Court also
imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively on “RSS pracharaks”
Devendra Gupta, 41, and Bhavesh Patel, 39.Judge Dinesh Gupta ruled out a death
sentence citing mitigating circumstances, including the fact that the two had
not been involved in any criminal activity prior to the blasts; they hadn’t
been shown to be a constant menace to society; and they had been found guilty
by drawing inferences from circumstantial evidence.At the same time, the court
questioned the NIA on its clean chit to two other accused, Ramesh Gohil and
Amit, as well as “suspicious persons” such as senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar,
Pragya Singh, Rajenda Chaudhary and Jayant, stating that it could not be done
without invoking appropriate sections of the CrPC. It ordered NIA DGP to do so
by March 28. Ramesh Gohil died recently.During the hearing, Public Prosecutor
Ashwini Sharma told the court, “Hinduism is not just a religion, it is a way of
life. Hinduism has always been viewed as a tolerant religion since anant kaal
(eternity) and nobody could have imagined that a Hindu could have been involved
in a terror activity. Hence, the actions of the convicts and other accused
deeply hurt the established values of Hinduism.”Invoking ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
(the world is one family)’, Sharma sought appropriate sentences for the guilty,
adding that “apart from Muslims, Hindus also come in large numbers to pay
obeisance at the (Ajmer) shrine and the aim of the bomb blast in the holy month
of Ramzan was to spread terror between the two communities and to prevent
Hindus from going to the shrine.” Countering Sharma, defence advocate JS Rana
said the present case had nothing to do with Hinduism, its culture or its
values. “At most, it can be said that those involved in this case acted
foolishly while considering themselves as being ethical.” Ajmer blast case saw
several twists and turns, with 26 of the total 149 witnesses turning hostile.
On March 8, Gupta and Patel, along with Sunil Joshi (who died in Dec.2007),
were found guilty.However, the court acquitted Swami Aseemanand and 6 others,
giving them “benefit of doubt”, including Harshad Solanki, Chandrashekhar Leve,
Mukesh Vasani, Lokesh Sharma, Mehul alias Mafat Bhai alias Maheshbhai Gohil and
Bharat Mohan Lal Ratishwar.In its hearing on Wednesday, court said Gupta’s
“active involvement” had been found in the blasts for he arranged SIM card used
in the timer device. “He is not an inactive party but has constructive
liability,” the court said.As for Patel, the court pointed out, he did not use
his mobile phone between 8.22 pm on Oct.10 and 7.18am on Oct 12, 2007, and was
found absconding by police. The blast at Ajmer Dargah took place on Oct.11,
2007.Questioning the clean chit to others, including senior RSS leader Indresh
Kumar, the court said, “NIA has given clean chit and expressed its intention
not to pursue further investigation against accused Ramesh Gohil and Amit as
well as suspicious persons Pragya Singh, Samandar (alias Rajendra Chaudhary), Jayanti
Bhai and Indresh Kumar. But in the view of this court, the court can’t consider
NIA’s actions as meeting legal requirements without invoking Sections 169 and
170/173 of CrPC… DGP, NIA, New Delhi, is directed to (do the needful) against
both accused and all the other 4 found suspicious by 28-03-2017.”indianexpress
2 RSS men get life imprisonment for Ajmer dargah blasts
Ajmer blast: 2 former RSS pracharaks sentenced for life, Defence counsel
to challenge verdict
Ajmer blasts: 2 terrorists affiliated to RSS sentenced for life
imprisonment
Centre can now reject judges for SC, HCs on grounds of 'national
security'
New Delhi:Putting to end a 17-month standoff with the Centre, the
Supreme Court collegium which is now headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar on
Monday said it had cleared the memorandum of procedure (MoP) for appointment of
judges to the apex court and various High Courts.The significance of this move
is that the collegium has dropped its objection to prime bone of contention-
Centre getting power to reject a candidate on grounds of national security and
also setting up of secretariats in the apex court and each HC to screen judge
aspirants. Khehar's predecessor TS Thakur, who headed the previous collegium
was adamant that he will not clear the MoP with these provisions.It had
resulted in matters being in limbo since August last year and stalemate over
appointment of nearly five apex court judges and 500 HC judges. "MoP has
been cleared. Now the filling up of vacancy in the High Courts can be sped up.
There is also a need to increase the post of judges in the High Courts. But the
priority will be to fill the existing vacancies," CJI Khehar said while
disposing off PILs which sought speedy filling of judicial
vacancies.Finalisation of the MoP, which will be sent to the Centre for
approval and adoption this week, raises hopes of speedy filling up of vacancies
in HCs, which are operating at below 60 % of their sanctioned strength. The SC collegium
also comprising SC's four senior most judges apart from the CJI agreed that a
name of a candidate for judgeship can be rejected by the govt on grounds of national security if specific
reason is put in writing.
Will move court if media didn't apologize for linking my son with ISIS:
Najeeb's family
New Delhi: The family of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed on Wednesday
lambasted a section of media including TOI for running a false story linking
Najeeb with terror outfit ISIS. While the media mentioned unnamed police
official as source of the story, Delhi Police rubbished story yesterday itself.
Najeeb’s family today warned that if media didn’t apologize for the fake story
maligning Najeeb, they would approach the court for action. Addressing a press
conference here, Najeeb’s mother Fatima Nafees said:TOI is a prestigious and
responsible newspaper. How can you do this?If TOI would do irresponsible
reporting, what can we expect from others?She urged media to help her find
Najeeb, rather than giving her more pain.“Rather than help, media is giving us
pain by saying Najeeb was linked to ISIS.We are Indians, ready to sacrifice
ourselves for our nation, test us,” said Fatima. “Media is our strength, so
please raise my voice rather than giving us pain," she appealed. “If media
don't offer apologies and Delhi police does not take any action against those
media outlets who ran the false story, we will approach the court for legal
action,” she said.Najeeb’s lawyer Qamber Ali Zaidi said: “Family has been
exhaustively seeking justice in the case for the last six months. So now if any
such story comes that her son was supposed to join ISIS then think what a
mother would feel.”“His mother told me that being a Muslim they are being
targeted. Even if Najeeb was searching about ISIS, does it mean he committed
any crime? If I search for bomb on Google, does it mean I want to make a bomb?
Please have some responsibility and feel pain of a family,"said lawyer.IndiaTomorrow
Police rubbishes media reports linking Najeeb with ISIS
Zakir Naik refuses to appear before NIA, rebuffs summons
New Delhi: Founder of IRF Zakir Naik refused to be present at the NIA
HQRS in association with a case filed against him under the antiterror law.The
development came after the NIA has dispensed a notice asking Naik to be present
before the NIA HQ. Reportedly, Naik’s lawyer has said that his client Zakir
Naik has not accepted any summons yet and hence he is not likely to be present
before the NIA. “If the summons is not served upon him according to law, then
there is no service of summons on him till today,” Naik’s lawyer M Solkar
said.ANI
Babri Masjid issue
Babri demolition: SC postpones hearing in case against Advani, others
till tomorrow
New Delhi: The Supreme Court adjourned on Wednesday a CBI plea
challenging a trial court’s decision to drop criminal conspiracy charges
against several BJP and other Hindu right-wing leaders in the Babri mosque
demolition case. Justice PC Ghose said the matter would be heard on Thursday
because justice RF Nariman, who was with him during the last hearing of the
case, was not part of the bench on Wednesday. Justice Ghose also declined to
adjourn the hearing by 4 weeks as requested by BJP patriarch LK Advani’s
counsel, senior advocate KK Venugopal. Advani was among the 13 leaders
exonerated by the trial court.“You want me to retire first,” the judge said in
a lighter vein when Venugopal made the request. Justice Ghose is due to retire
in May.On March 6, the bench had expressed anguish over the trial court
dropping the conspiracy charges against the 13 leaders on technical grounds.
They had hinted at reviving the conspiracy charges. Justice Nariman’s exclusion
from the bench for Wednesday’s hearing had raised eyebrows among lawyers
representing an individual who too has challenged the discharge of the senior
BJP leaders.The hearing was to be held a day after a separate bench of the top
court called for an amicable settlement to the decades-old dispute over the
religious site in Ayodhya, saying the “sensitive and sentimental matter” is
best settled out of court. Justice Nariman was more vocal in his criticism of
the trial court decision.“People cannot be discharged like this,” he said at
the commencement of proceedings.“There is something very peculiar going on in
this case. We prima facie do not approve of the way these people have been
discharged,” the bench had remarked.The criminal cases in the Babri Masjid case
stemmed from two crime files – 197 and 198. Both were filed shortly after the Masjid
was demolished. CBI, however, filed a combined chargesheet in the case.FIR
number 197 was registered against lakhs of unknown kar sevaks and dealt with
the actual demolition of the structure. The accused were charged with serious
offences including robbery or dacoity with attempt to murder and promoting
enmity between different religious groups.This case was being heard by a
Lucknow court, which dropped conspiracy charges against the 13 leaders. 2nd,
FIR 198, was registered against 12 persons, including Ashok Singhal, Giriraj
Kishore, Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Vinay Katiyar, Uma
Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambhara, who were present at the Ayodhya when the masjid
was being demolished.This case is also pending before a court in Rae Barelli.hindustantimes
Babri Masjid demolition case adjourned as judge is absent
Entire land should be for Ram Mandir, mosque can be built across river,
claims Swamy, blames Muslim bodies for creating hindrances in resolving issue
New Delhi:RS member Subramanian Swamy argued that the Ram Temple should
be built on Ram Janmabhoomi and the mosque can be built on the other side of
the Sarayu river.The Ram temple should be built at Ram Janambhoomi (birthplace
of Ram) while the Masjid (mosque) on the other side of Sarayu river to resolve
Ayodhya issue, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy suggested today."We were
always ready. Mandir and Masjid should be built but Masjid should be built on
other side of Sarayu river. Ram Janambhoomi should be entirely for Ram
Mandir," he told reporters here.Swamy argued that in Saudi Arabia and
other Muslim nations, mosque is regarded as the place where 'Namaaz' (prayer)
is offered and prayer can be offered at any place. "My suggestion is that
Masjid be built on other side of Sarayu river and Ram Janambhoomi be handed
over for Ram Temple. We cannot change the birthplace of Ram, but Masjid can be
made anywhere," he said. According to PTI Swamy accused Muslim bodies of
“creating hindrances” in resolving the dispute and said the “outer limit” to
settle the issue is April 2018. Swamy made these comments a day after Muslim bodies
appeared skeptical about the SC’s suggestion for an out-of-court settlement of
Ayodhya dispute.“All Muslim parties had yesterday said on TV that this
(out-of-court negotiation) is all waste of time…Only the SC should hear it…They
create hindrances in the hearing…Somehow, they are trying to delay it,” he
said.He said the matter has been pending before the SC for 6-and-a-half years,
but not a single hearing has been held. “Either we reach a solution through
mediation under SC judges or there is day-to-day hearing. If they (the Muslim
parties) try to avoid by adjournment, then the outer limit is April 2018.”
However, he did not elaborate what he meant by the “April 2018 outer
limit”.DNA/PTI
Ram temple should be built at his birthplace, Masjid on other side of
Sarayu: Swamy
Will pass legislation if compromise is not reached: Swamy on Ayodhya
dispute
UP Politics
3 shops selling meat, fish set ablaze in Adityanath’s UP
3 shops selling meat and fish were allegedly set on fire by unidentified
persons in Hathras, UP, triggering panic in the area, police said on
Wednesday.The incident comes close on the heels of some slaughter houses being
sealed in the state after Yogi Adityanath was sworn in on Sunday.Police said
the incident took place in Manyawar Kanshiram Colony on Tuesday night. Shop owners
said all their stock was charred in the fire.“Unidentified persons set ablaze 3
shops selling fish and meat. An FIR has been registered against them, ” said
Dilip Kumar Srivastava, Hathras SP.SDM Rakesh
Gupta later met shop owners and heard their grievances. Hindustantimes
Mob Sets Meat Shops On Fire In UP As CM Adityanath Cracks The Whip On
Cow Slaughter
Adityanath orders closure of slaughter houses in UP
Lucknow:In keeping with BJP’s manifesto, UP chief minister Yogi
Adityanath on Wednesday directed police officials to prepare an action plan for
closure of slaughter houses across the state.He also ordered a blanket ban on
smuggling of cows and said zero tolerance would be exercised in this regard.
Official sources did not specify the type of slaughter houses which will be
shut. However, the BJP manifesto had said that all illegal slaughter houses
would be closed and there would be a blanket ban on all mechanised slaughter
houses.NDTV
Adityanath asks officials to enforce ban on cow smuggling, shut illegal
slaughterhouses in UP
Aligarh DM gets NGT notice over slaughterhouse discharging filth in
drain
Agra: National Green Tribunal,
issued notices to Aligarh district magistrate, UP Pollution Control
Board (UPPCB), Central Ground Water Authority and 4 other agencies for turning
a blind eye to a slaughterhouse discharging filth in a drain situated beside a
government school in Aligarh. In Oct last year, the above respondents had told
the tribunal that no slaughterhouse will be allowed to operate in the state without
having permission under the Water and Air Act, especially in areas such as
Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Sambhal and Aligarh. Tribunal has fixed April 20 as
next date of hearing.TOI
UP govt cracks down on slaughterhouse, meat shops
Ghaziabad:2 days after the swearing in ceremony of BJP govt in UP,
district administration in the state has swung into action on the pre-poll
promises made by the party.A slaughterhouse in Varanasi, which was allegedly
being run illegally, was sealed by the district authorities in the Kamalgadaha
locality. Earlier, authorities had sealed two slaughterhouses in Allahabad. On
Tuesday, the Ghaziabad administration cracked down on an illegal slaughterhouse
and four meat shops in the district, and a case has been registered against the
alleged owner.Around 7.30am on Tuesday, a team of senior district officials and
police officers “acting on a tip-off” reached Kaila Bhatta locality in Gulzar
colony of Ghaziabad. “We had received information that slaughterhouses were
operating illegally in the area. By the time we reached, we found that the
ground floor of a building was being used as a slaughterhouse. We found buffalo
skin there,” said Atul Kumar, SDM (Sadar) Ghaziabad. According to the
administration, around 10 meat shops in the area were closed. “These were opened
by us and in four of them we found buffalo meat. These places did not have the
necessary permission to operate and they were functioning illegally. A team
comprising the Chief Veterinary Officer and District Health Officer inspected
the meat and it was found to belong to a buffalo. All 5 places have been
sealed,” Kumar said.While Kumar maintained that he was unaware of the source of
the tip-off, sources in Ghaziabad administration maintained that an activist
attached to a senior BJP leader’s NGO was behind information. According to the
administration, there are around 4 approved slaughterhouses operating in
Ghaziabad. “Apart from these four, the operation of any other slaughterhouse is
illegal. We are carrying out inspection in the district and strict action
against any illegal operation will be taken,” Kumar said. indianexpress
2 sentenced to 5 yrs in prison for cow slaughter in UP:HT
Muzaffarnagar:A local court in Muzaffarnagar has convicted 2 men and
sentenced them to 5 years in jail for slaughtering cows. According to govt lawyer Javed Ali, Additional District and
Sessions Judge Manoj kumar has also imposed a fine of Rs 15000 each on the
accused Gayyur and Gadhe Ali after holding them guilty under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.Police had
intercepted a truck and seized beef from it at a check post under Jhunjhala
police station in Shamli district in Jan.27, 2012, the two accused were
arrested in this connection.A case was registered against them.PTI
Lucknow kabab lovers make no bones in slamming ‘food politics’
Laying down law! Ghaziabad leads drive against illegal meat trade,'corrupt
cops' 2 days after new CM is sworn in
Pan, tobacco banned in UP schools, colleges, hospitals
Livid at the sight of betel juice stained walls of the building that
houses his office, UP CM Yogi Adityanath banned use of pan and tobacco
products in schools, colleges, hospitals and other govt buldings.On his first visit to secretariat
annexe building here, CM gave a piece of his mind to officials there asking
them to stop chewing pan and pan masala when on duty.PTI
Adityanath allocates portfolios, retains key 36 depts with
himself;Maurya gets PWD, Mohsin gets IT,
Waqf, Haj
UP CM Adityanath Yogi today distributed ministerial
portfolios among his council of ministers .Yogi has retained 36 key ministries
under him, including the portfolios of home, housing and urban planning,
revenue, food and civil supplies etc.
Meanwhile, deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya has been allocated public
works, food processing, entertainment tax and public enterprises
departments.Another deputy CM Dinesh Sharma has been allocated secondary and
higher education, science and technology, electronics and information
technology departments.Lone Muslim face in UP council of ministers, Mohsin
Raza, gets Science and Technology, Electronics, IT, Muslim Waqf and Haj. Business standard
UP will witness no corruption, communal riots on my watch: Adityanath
After complaint of hurting 'Hindu sentiments' for poem mocking
Adityanath, poet Srijato says he won't stop
A police complaint has been filed against poet Srijato Bandopadhyay for
a poetry which has posted on his Facebook wall. The poetry, headlined
‘Abhishap’ or curse has, according to the complaint by Arnab Sarkar, a member
of Hindu Samhati, hurt Hindu sentiments.“It appears that the poetry has been
aimed against new CM of UP Yogi
Adityanath but my objection is on the use or rather misuse of the word
‘trishul’ in the poetry. ‘Trishul’ essentially signifies Hinduism. Poets and
intellectuals like these can only insult Hinduism but they keep quiet when
there is an offence created by members of some other religion,” Sarkar said.The
complaint, filed at Siliguri’s Cyber Crime Police Station, said that the post
was an attempt to deprive Hindus from their fundamental right to preach,
practice and propagate their religion and that the poet should be immediately
arrested. He also said that if police didn’t take any action against the poet
they would move court. Bandopadhyay, however, said he had only exercised his
fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. “I think everyone should
protest against anything that goes amiss in society and I, as a poet have only
my medium of poetry to put up a protest. I had written a series of poems
protesting against the killing of Bangladeshi bloggers and even at that time I
had received several threats,” he said.Asked if such complaints would deter him
from posting in future, he said, “I would not have written any poetry if I was
afraid of these. Even in future my pen would speak for me against anything
which I find I should protest against.” dnaindia
Dad to Adityanath: Women in burqa too voted for you, needs to respect
all religions
Dehradun: Anand Singh Bisht, the 84-year-old father of UP CM Yogi Adityanath, has some advice for his son.
"He'll need to take everyone along," the retired forest ranger said.
"Women in burqa have also voted for him. He needs to respect all
religions, win their hearts." Bisht said his son had a lot of
responsibility. "Muslim women voted for BJP as they have high hopes that
the party would help them on triple talaq and other issues. People from all
faiths believe BJP and Adityanath can take them on the path of progress. That
has to be kept in mind," he said.Bisht, who lives with wife Savitri in
Panchur village of Pauri district, said, "On day one, the CM told his
staff not to use language that hurts people. He is making sincere efforts and
it is visible." He said his son needed to shed the tag of "Hindutva
campaigner".TOI
Adityanath's father advice: Muslim women voted for you, respect all
religions
BJP MLA's posters naming Deoband as Deovrind create stir in UP
BJP MLA Brijesh Singh's posters thanking voters for the recent
astounding victory have created a stir in Saharanpur district of UP after they named Deoband as Deovrind.While
Deoband is known for its historical significance and Darul Uloom Deoband since Mughal
era, Brijesh Singh had demanded that the city be renamed Deovrind after BJP
came into power."I have no such intention that can connect it to any
Islamic institution.All I want is to rename Deoband to Deovrind.It is all about
development", said Singh when asked about the posters. Singh's supporters
too articulated his demand to rename Mughal structures."We not only want
Deoband to be renamed as Deovrind, but also want all those places to be renamed
which were once under the Mughal rule. We want this to be done under BJP govt,"
said VHP leader Vikas Tyagi. However, MLA's move has not gone down well with
the Muslim community that forms a sizeable part of population in Deoband, which
is one of the 5 constituencies in the district."It doesn't matter even if
you change name a thousand times. Deoband will always be known because of Darul
Uloom," said Maulana Arshad Madani, chief of Jamat Ulema."Is renaming
Deoband the country's biggest issue? Will it aid in development anyway? Can
this improve roads and provide better education?" asked a student. Posters
have been put up in different parts of Deoband. Singh, in his defence, had
earlier said that the region has been extant since the time of Mahabharata.
According to him, even Pandavas worshipped here. IndiaToday
OTHERS
'Reopen hotel Rabbani, India is Gandhi's land, not Godse's'
Jaipur:A large crowd gathered at Shaheed Smarak on Tuesday to protest
against the closure of hotel Hayat Rabbani at Station Road late on Sunday on
the basis of rumours that the hotel was serving beef."We will not allow
the land of Gandhi to become the land of Godse," speakers said. Harkesh
Bugalia, a leader of workers, said, "This is part of a deliberate strategy
to break the backs of workers, farmers, adivasis and Muslims. We must stand
together to resist this assault on our livelihoods."Late Sunday, Kamal
Didi (who wears the robes of a sadhvi and signs her name with the suffix
"Didi"), leader of the Rashtirya Mahil Gau Rakshak Mandal, led a mob
seeking the closure of the hotel because, they alleged, beef waste was being
fed to stray cows in the vicinity.Naeem Rabbani, the owner of the hotel, told
TOI, "I later pleaded with mayor Ashok Lahoti to allow us to reopen the
hotel. He says the meat will be examined and a decision taken in due
course."
Jaipur meat assaults: Victims of cow vigilante attack were prosecuted –
but not mob members
Hundreds protest in Jaipur against attack at hotel on beef suspicion
New Delhi gets ready to welcome Turkish President
New Delhi: Close on the heels of a series of big visitors, New Delhi is
preparing to welcome Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in first week of May for
a visit that will be significant both for its timing and impact on bilateral
ties, MEA and Turkish officials confirmed to The Hindu. Turkish President is
expected to travel to Delhi with a large entourage of ministers, officials
said, for his first visit to India since 2008. In 2015, Mr. Erdogan put off his
plans to travel to India after a series of protests in his country.“This visit
was long overdue, and we have been preparing for it for sometime, ever since it
had to be put off in August 2015,” a Turkish diplomat said, adding that
President Erdogan and PM Narendra Modi share a “good relationship”, having met
twice already, including once in Turkey for G-20 summit.Officials also
confirmed that the new Turkish Ambassador to India Sakir Ozkan Torunlar, who
was earlier handling the India desk in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, will
present his credentials to President Pranab Mukherjee on March 29 to facilitate
protocol ahead of the visit. Officials on both sides didn’t wish to speak about
the expected outcomes of the Erdogan visit, as discussions are ongoing, but
said they would broadly follow the “road map for cooperation” in various
fields, including tourism and trade, which was signed by visiting Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi
last August.the hindu
India tries to fix Iran trade payments as Trump hardens line
New Delh:India is exploring setting up a new payments mechanism for
trade with Iran, after its old sanctions workaround broke down, as state banks
remain fearful of handling payments from Tehran in case the US imposes a fresh financial embargo.US President
Donald Trump has denounced an agreement between Iran and major powers on its
nuclear programme as a bad deal, and his administration has put Tehran “on
notice” after the test-firing of a ballistic missile. Under previous Western
sanctions, India had devised a barter-like scheme acceptable to Washington that
allowed it to make some oil payments to Tehran in rupees through a small state
bank, UCO Bank.Reuters
India ranked 131 on Human Development Index, bracketed with Pakistan and
Kenya
UN:India has ranked a lowly 131 among the 188 countries surveyed for
human development, a new UN report has said, bracketing third-largest Asian
economy alongside its South Asian neighbours like Pakistan, Bhutan and
Nepal.India has made no improvement in its ranking over the previous year,
despite the Human Development Report for 2015 noting that foreign direct
investment favours countries such as China and India. India’s Human Development
Index (HDI) rank in 2014 was also 131. PTI
JNU admission: Massive seat cut in M.Phil, PhD courses
JNU drastically reduced M.Phil, PhD seats for the upcoming session of
2017-18, with only 194 seats available for the research aspirants in comparison
to last year's figure of 1174 seats. According to the prospectus released by
Varsity late on Tuesday night, only 194 seats are available that includes both
integrated Mphil-Phd and direct PhD. In fact, there is "no" Mphil/PhD
seat available in most of its centers.The prospectus came after the Delhi High
Court last week rejected the plea of some Varsity students who moved to the
court challenging the adoption of UGC May 2016 notification. dnaindia
Aurangabad: Cops deny permission for protest to allow permission for
prayers at Bibi ka Maqbara Mosuqe:TOI
Aurangabad: Demanding that they be allowed to pray inside the mosque on
the premises of Bibi ka Maqbara, local muslim groups, a few political outfits,
along with Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, who claims to be a Mughal descendant,tried
to hold a mass protest outside the mausoleum on Tuesday.Police, however, denied
permission to stage any protest sensing a possible law and order situation.
ASI, in whose possession the mausoleum is, continues to stand by its decision
of not allowing prayers inside the Bibi ka Maqbara as it is a non-living
monument. Tucy, who claims to be the last direct descendant of Mughal emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar, has come to the city from Hyderabad and is presently
camping here to press for the demand. He also said that he has proofs to
support his claims. Bibi ka Maqbara was a living monument before ASI took
charge of it. "A refusal to allow 'namaz' inside the mosque is a violation
of basic principles of the Indian Constitution," he said, adding that he
would make documents supporting his claim public on Wednesday. Tucy reiterated
his argument that if prayers are allowed within the mosque located in Taj
Mahal, then why not inside its replica—the Maqbara.Without naming anybody, he
also blamed political elements for his failed bid to hold protest outside the
historic structure."We were planning to hold peaceful protest in the form
of hunger strike, but certain political elements tried to hijack our agitation
by blowing it out of proportion, making the police deny us permission,"he
said.
Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill making Aadhaar mandatory for filing tax
returns
New Delhi;A day after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed amendments
to 40 laws incorporating them in the Finance Bill and sent it for consideration
in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament on Wednesday passed the
Bill making Aadhaar mandatory for filing of Income-Tax returns. “We are moving
towards a time when there will be no shadow economy but some are still seeing
virtues of cash transactions,” said Jaitley in the Lok Sabha. He also said no
arbitrary power will be given to the Tax Department and there are no plans to
tax farmers’ income. The finance minister further said, “Tax buoyancy has
improved in the last two years.” Indian express
Reminder: Text of Supreme Court order saying Aadhaar is not and cannot
be mandatory:Scroll.in
What explains desperation to make Aadhaar mandatory for tax returns after
July 1, 2017?Nikhil Pahwa
Law matters, not PM’s word: A-G to SC on note ban
Central govt’s top law officer, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, told
Supreme Court Tuesday that the “law will prevail over” PM Narendra Modi in deciding that people cannot
be allowed to deposit demonetised currency after Dec.30, 2016. Rohatgi’s
statement came in the wake of contentions that the govt had wronged the people by issuing an ordinance
to restrict the deposit of demonetised currency till December 30, 2016, after
the PM had declared that old notes could
be deposited till March 31, 2017.“There is no question of PM’s speech…if PM
says March 31, 2017 but the law says December 30, 2016, the law will prevail
over the PM. Let’s be clear about that first,” the A-G submitted before a bench
led by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar. The bench said the “nation has to
know” through an affidavit whether the govt was willing to give another chance to people
to deposit old currency and if not, why. indianexpress
Churchill has as much blood on his hands as Hitler: Tharoor
New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been in the news for some
time after he wrote the book ‘Inglorious Empire’ highlighting the atrocities of
British colonial rule in India. This time, the subject of news is one of the
excerpts from the book where Tharoor has compared Winston Churchill with Adolf
Hitler stating that the latter has as much blood on his hands as the
former.“Churchill has as much blood on his hands as Hitler does. Bengal Famine
– millions died because of the decisions he took or endorsed. Not only did the British follow its own
policy of not helping the victims of this Famine, Churchill persisted in
exporting grain to Europe, not to feed actual ‘Sturdy Tommies’ as he described
them, but to add to the buffer stocks that were being piled up in the event of
a future invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia,”UKAsia quoted Tharoor. He further
mentioned that ships carrying wheat were coming to India from Australia during
the famine but Churchill instructed his people to sail the cargo to Europe
instead. indianexpress
Cops refuse to share SIMI jailbreak ‘key’ pics
Bhopal: MP police have refused to share pictures of the 'keys' used by
alleged SIMI operatives in the Bhopal jail breakout of November last year with
their kin, saying, "It can give an idea about the size of the
lock."Counsel for the alleged SIMI men killed in the post-jailbreak
'encounter' have jointly filed an application before the justice S K Pandey
probe commission, demanding several evidence from police, including the keys
that the undertrials were said to have fashioned to open the cell locks and
escape. Police have objected to the demand, say sources in the department.At
Tuesday's hearing, the jail and police department filed their affidavits, as
did the family members of the deceased. The commission ordered the affidavits
to be exchanged between officials and counsel for the dead undertrials."We
have received the affidavits submitted by jail officials as well as police
under instructions of the commission. After going through them, we will put
forward an application for the cross-examination of the evidence placed before
the commission," said advocate Sajid Ali, who represents the kin of
alleged SIMI operative Mohammed Saliq. The next hearing is on March 27.A
journalist and social worker has presented himself before the commission as a
respondent. Panel will decide its admissibility on March 25.TOI
LeT, not JeM, involved in Uri attack: NIA report
New Delhi: March 8 NIA report absolving 2 Pakistani teenagers of
involvement in the Uri terror attack of Sept.18 last year says it was LeT—and
not Jaish-e-Mohammad as claimed by Army—that did it. NIA report one also names
Abu Siraqa alias Mohammed Anas of Gujranwala as one of the possible attackers.
The closure report filed in NIA court at Jammu led to the release of Faisal
Hussain Awan and Ahsaan Khursheed, arrested after having strayed across LoC on
Sept.21.According to report, accessed by HT, the NIA’s conclusion that LeT
carried out the Uri attack is based on the coded matrix sheets recovered from
the neutralised attackers. hindustantimes
Maximum Kashmiri youths joined militancy in 2016:Govt
New Delhi: A total of 88 Kashmiri youths joined militancy in 2016, the
highest in last 6 years, the Centre has said, adding that infiltration almost
tripled last year as compared to 2015.PTI
Delhi Police arrest alleged Khalistan Commando Force member wanted in
over 50 cases
Delhi:A 51-year-old alleged member of Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) was
arrested from south Delhi’s Mahipalpur. Police said the arrested man, Gursewak
Singh aka Babla, was reportedly in the process of establishing KCF’s base in
Delhi with the help of some gangs of autolifters and robbers. By committing
bank and ATM robberies in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana with the Delhi’s
criminals, Babla was reportedly planning to raise funds to carry out terror
activities in Delhi and Punjab, police said.“Babla was under pressure from his
handler, KCF chief Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, to strike against India and revive
their outfit’s presence in Delhi and Punjab. Panjwar is presently based in
Pakistan and running anti-India activities allegedly with Pakistan’s
intelligence agency ISI’s help,” said a crime branch officer.indianexpress
Build separate crematoriums for Dalits: Gujarat Assembly Panel
Gujarat govt should build
separate crematoriums for Dalits in those villages where the community is still
facing problems, the Scheduled Castes Welfare Committee of the Gujarat Assembly
has suggested.Assembly panel, which serves as watchdog of welfare schemes being
run by various govt departments for SCs in Gujarat, also recommended
reservation system for the recruitment in self financed colleges in
Gujarat.These suggestions were made in 2 of the committee's reports tabled on
the floor of House on 20 March. In it's scrutiny report on the welfare schemes
for SCs run by the state Panchayats, Rural Housing and Rural Development
department, Assembly panel said Dalits are facing problems in conducting last
rites of their family members in those villages where there are separate
crematoriums for various castes.PTI
Visit to study crime scene: Gujarat HC judges likely to visit Naroda
Patiya riot site
Ahmedabad:A division bench of the Gujarat High Court is likely to visit
Naroda Patiya this Saturday to understand geographical location of the scene of
offence where 97 Muslims were massacred on Feb28, 2002, during the post-Godhra
riots.The bench, comprising Justice Harsha Devani and Justice AS Supehia, has
asked lawyers representing the Supreme Court appointed-SIT, which probed the
case, to make necessary arrangements. A senior lawyer representing the SIT said
the bench is yet to pass a formal order, but has orally instructed SIT
officials to remain present at the spot on Saturday morning. The bench is
hearing a set of appeal petitions moved by 30 convicts, including former BJP
minister Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babubhai Patel alias Babu Bajrangi
who have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The appeal also includes
petitions moved by the victims and the SIT for enhancement of sentences and
also against the acquittals.“We have been orally told by the bench that it
wants to visit the scene of offence to understand the geographical location.
There is a provision in criminal cases where judges can visit the crime scene
for better understanding of cases,” said senior counsel Prashant Desai, who
represents SIT in the court.The victims have narrated how a mob of 15,000 to
20,000 attacked the Muslims and went on killing spree, raping women and destroying
properties. indianexpress
VHP-run vedic school in Allahabad joins hands with Muslim scholars to
teach students: indiatoday
New Delhi:A Vedic school in Allahabad being run by the fringe group VHP
is all set to undergo a 'virtual' metamorphosis with the help of a Muslim
organisation.Students at Maharshi Bhardwaj Ved Vedang Shikshan Kendrais will
soon be taught by Islamic scholars as the school has joined hands with Gujarati
businessman Zafar Sareshwala's educational project Taleem-o-Tarbiyat.Acharya
Pankaj Sharma, principal of the school, said, "Taleemo-Tarbiyat came up
with the proposal to teach our scholars English, social science and computers.
Though we teach our students in Sanskrit, we are open to the idea of Muslim
scholars teaching our students in subjects which will enable them to have
better understanding and perspective of life, making them more
capable."Sareshwala,a close aide of PM Modi, had initiated the project to
provide a virtual classroom to students of Madrasas in 6 towns across India. It
aims to teach students only reading the Quran lessons in English, science and
math.Sareshwala said, "Our aim was to bring Taleemo-Tarbiyat to
Madrasas.But Vedic school is similar as only vedas are taught. Student is a
student, the religion is irrelevant. We are looking at a tie up soon," he
said.
UP: To avoid 'trouble' for kin, teen Hindu-Muslim couple kill selves
Shahjahanpur: For more than 4 months, Feroz Ahmed, 19, and Gunjha
Sharma, 18, of Badagaon village in Powayan near here had been in a
relationship. Over this time, they had come under increasing pressure from
their respective families, who objected to fact that they were from different
religions. According to their family members, the young couple had started
feeling that, given the situation in the state, their relationship was going to
bring trouble to their families. On Tuesday morning, near the railway station
at Bantara here, in front of shocked eyewitnesses, the teenagers hugged each
other, after which Feroz shot Gunjha in the head and then killed himself with a
pistol.In the immediate aftermath of the couple's death, the first reaction of
the police was to suspect that it was a case of honour killing, because of the
religions of the boy and the girl. However, eyewitnesses informed the police
how the teenagers hugged each other before Feroz shot Gunjha dead and then
turned the pistol on himself.timesofindia
Muslims of Rajasthan village boycotted after man elopes with Hindu woman:HT
Jaipur:A mahapanchayat in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district has decided
to boycott Muslims of a village after a man eloped with a Hindu woman,
described by Hindu right-wing groups as a case of ‘love jihad’.Police confirmed
the development but said they were trying to convince village heads to withdraw
the boycott in Gudia, a Muslim-dominated village about 400 km from state
capital Jaipur.HT
No council in 11 yrs, Jamia calls for polls amid uproar
Jamia Millia Islamia, which has not held student union elections since
2006 over allegations by the university that student representatives had
started interfering in administrative work, plans to have elections for a Jamia
Student Council (JSC) this year — albeit only for class representatives. The
administration’s move, which has been severely criticised by students, states
that only CRs can contest for the main offices — president, vice-president,
general secretary and joint secretary.There are 2 CRs per det — one to be
elected through a secret ballot, and the other is the class topper.
If Muslim quota increased, a Yogi will emerge in Telangana too: BJP
Warning the Telangana govt against increasing reservation quota to
Muslims in jobs and education in proportion to their population, a BJP MLA
today said that a Yogi will emerge in this state too if TRS govt goes ahead with its proposal to increase
Muslim reservation from the current four % to 12 % .Referring to the recent anointment of
Yogi Adityanath, the hardline BJP leader, as UP CM, BJP MLA N.V.S.S. Prabhakar
said, “If Muslims are provided the quota, another Yogi will emerge in
Telangana.” indiatvnews
WORLD
US, UK impose ban on laptops, tablets in some flights from Middle East;
social media calls out racism
US has banned large electronic devices onto flights bound for the
country, citing it as an anti-terrorist precaution. Hours later, UK followed
suit. The ban has been imposed on flights from certain countries in the Middle
East and North Africa, as well as Turkey. Ban does not affect mobile phones,
however, devices larger than a smartphone, that is phablet, tablets and laptops
will no longer be allowed in the flight cabins.The airlines affected by the US,
UK restriction are British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Monarch, Thomas Cook,
Thomson, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East
Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air, Saudia, Saudi Arabian Airlines,
Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
Passenger on these flights would not be able to carry laptops in cabin luggage
on inbound direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and
Saudi Arabia.
Muslim advocacy group seeks broader injunction against Trump's
travel-ban;AP
A judge is weighing a request from a Muslim civil rights group for an
even broader injunction against President Donald Trump's proposed travel ban
than what is already in place. Federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland have
issued orders that already block the vast majority of Trump's revised ban,
which would restrict immigration from refugees and from six majority-Muslim
countries.At a hearing in Alexandria, lawyers for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations asked a judge to issue an injunction blocking the entire
executive order. Lawyer Gadeir (geh-DEER') Abbas said a section of the order
affecting how waivers are granted for visa applicants remains in force.
Muslims more satisfied with US than any religious group: poll
Almost half of their children face bullying at schools. They're twice as
likely to face additional screening at airports. Yet Muslims in the US are the religious group most satisfied with
the nation's trajectory, a new survey found.The American Muslim Poll 2017 comes
from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a nonprofit focused on
American Muslims, found Muslims and Jews are most likely to express fear for
their personal safety after the election of President Trump. The study showed
both Muslims and Jews reported higher levels of fear and anxiety than other
faith groups because of the election results, with 38% of Muslims and 27% of
Jews expressing fear for their safety because of white supremacist groups.UsaToday
Trump administration to host first anti-ISIL meeting
Foreign ministers from 68 countries will meet in Washington on Wednesday
to agree on the next steps to defeat ISIL, the first such gathering of the
US-led military coalition since the election of President Donald Trump in
November.US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis
are expected to host Iraq's PM and
diplomats from the coalition partners in a meeting at the State Department. Aljazeera
Trump pledges support to Iraq in fight against IS:PTI
Deadly air raid hits refugee shelter near Raqqa: SOHR
Dozens of people were killed earlier this week in a suspected US-led
coalition air raid that hit a school sheltering displaced people near Raqqa, ISIL's
self-declared capital in Syria, according to a monitoring group.UK-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Wednesday that its contacts had
counted at least 33 bodies at the site near the village of al-Mansoura, west of
Raqqa.Group, which monitors Syria's war via a network of contacts on the
ground, said it believed the air raid at the school-turned-shelter had been
carried out by the US-led coalition fighting ISIL.The air raid early Tuesday
morning was also reported by the activist-run Raqqa is Being Slaughtered
Silently group, which said dozens of civilians were dead or still missing after
the air raid.The US-led coalition has escalated its aerial campaign against
ISIL around Raqqa this month, causing numerous civilian casualties. Aljazeera
Syria: 33 dead in US-led air strike as coalition meets today
Dozens of Mosul civilians killed by overnight US, Iraq airstrikes: Middleeastmonitor
Iraqi local and security sources have said
today that dozens of civilians have been killed with dozens more wounded after
airstrikes conducted by the Iraqi govt and the US-led coalition against
neighbourhoods in western Mosul.According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the aerial
bombardment lasted for most of last night in an attempt to facilitate further
Iraqi govt advances in areas of western
Mosul held by Daesh militants. Airstrikes targeted Zanjabili, Rifai, Islah and
Yarmouk neighbourhoods, as well as the Old City itself.The Iraqi govt is predominantly backed by the US-led
coalition, as well as Iran-backed Shia jihadists who fight under the banner of
the Iraqi-sanctioned Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), as well as units loyal
to the interior ministry. Local sources confirmed that no less than 50
civilians were killed, most of them women and children. Dozens more were
wounded by the strikes.In addition to reports that at least 50 were killed in
airstrikes in west Mosul today alone, Airwars’ statistics show that civilians
are being killed in high numbers, and to a disproportionate level.
Water Day: Over half billion globally 'have no clean water'
More than half a billion people across the world lack access to clean
water, with most of them living outside urban centres, according to an
international charity.In a report released on Wednesday to mark World Water
Day, WaterAid called for action to tackle existing challenges to water security
and ensure reliable access to safe water."Today 663 million people globally
are still without clean water and the vast majority of them - 522 million -
live in rural areas," the report said. According to WaterAid, Papua New
Guinea, Mozambique and Madagascar are among the countries worst off. aljazeera
Restored shrine at Jesus's tomb reopens in Jerusalem
The tomb where Jesus is believed to have been buried in Jerusalem's Old
City has been unveiled again after months of delicate restoration work.The
monument, which includes a 19th-century ornate edicule or shrine surrounding
the tomb, is a key part of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old
City.The tomb was formally reopened on Wednesday in a ceremony attended by
religious leaders and donors, following a nine-month-long and $3.7m renovation
led by the church's three main Christian denominations.The Greek Orthodox,
Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations share custody of the church, but
disputes between the three have led to renovations being delayed for decades.Al
Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from East Jerusalem, said the group of churches
controlling the site had previously been forced to agree on a restoration plan
as the structure was deemed to be unsafe by authorities. "This is the
first restoration that has taken place in about 200 years and is a considered
as a historic event," he said. aljazeera
Israeli occupation most malignant in world:UN rapporteur
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Michael Lynk, has described the
Israeli occupation as “the most malignant” in the world. The Canadian official
added that perpetuating an alien rule over almost five million people, against
their fervent wishes, inevitably requires the repression of rights, the erosion
of the rule of law, the abrogation of international commitments and the imposition
of deeply discriminatory practices.Lynk accused Israel of humiliating the
Palestinians and intensifying the crackdown on human rights activists. He
presented his report to the UN Commission on Human Rights and Human Rights
Council during its latest session on Israel. Israeli and US diplomats boycotted
the session dedicated to several UN reports criticising Israeli settlements,
the blockade of Gaza and the excessive use of force against Palestinians.
Assad welcomes Russian mediation with Israel
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has welcomed Russia’s mediation with
Israel after his forces fired an anti-aircraft missile at Israeli Air Force
jets during an air strike in Syria last Friday. Assad said that Moscow could
play an “important role” between Syria and its neighbour.Speaking to Russian
journalists, the Syrian president said that Russia’s entire policy was based on
international law, the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions. It can,
therefore, discuss issues with the Israelis according to these criteria. He
added that Russia could play a role in preventing Israel from attacking Syria
again in the future.The president’s remarks came after comments by Israeli
Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, in which he threatened to destroy the
Syrian air defence system if it fired another missile at Israeli aircraft.Following
the Israeli air force attack on a Syrian site near Palmyra, the Russian foreign
ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to discuss the incident. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said that the
bombing targeted “sophisticated” weapons designated to be transferred to
Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia.
Palestinian teen killed by Israeli fire in Gaza
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/palestinian-teen-killed-israeli-fire-gaza-170322083144182.html
A Palestinian teen has been killed and two other men wounded by Israeli
fire in southern Gaza, according to health officials. Gaza Health Ministry
spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said 18-year-old Yousef Abu Athira was killed before
dawn on Wednesday by Israeli artillery fire east of Rafah. aljazeera
Are past ties between India and Palestine being eroded?Maya Prabhu: aljazeera
UK Parliament Incident: Woman Dead, Others Treated For 'Catastrophic
Injuries'
One woman has died and other
people are being treated for "catastrophic" injuries after an attack
near parliament on Wednesday, British news agency Press Association reported,
citing a junior doctor at a central London hospital. A policeman was stabbed, an
assailant shot and several people injured on Wednesday close to Britain's
Houses of Parliament in what police said they were treating as a terrorist
incident.Reuters reporters inside the building heard loud bangs and shortly
afterwards a Reuters photographer said he saw at least a dozen people injured
on Westminster Bridge, next to parliament.The number of casualties was unclear.
"Officers - including firearms officers - remain on the scene and we are
treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise," London's
Metropolitan Police said in a statement.The House of Commons, which was in
session at the time, was immediately suspended and lawmakers were asked to stay
inside.Prime Minister Theresa May was safe after the incident, a spokesman for
her office said. He declined to say where May was when the attack took
place.The leader of the House, David Lidington, said in the chamber that an
assailant who stabbed a policeman had been shot by police.NDTV
Shooting incident near UK Parliament: Cop stabbed, at least 12 people
injured
Policeman stabbed, assailant shot at UK parliament
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:45 PM)
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