Evening NEWS
DIGEST
01
May 2017: 04 Shaban 1438: Vol: 8, No:179
Erdogan’s India visit: Turkey contradicts India’s stand, favours
multilateral dialogue on Kashmir
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan today assured India of his country’s
full support in the fight against terrorism as he held “extensive” discussion
on this evolving threat with PM Narendra
Modi, who described it as a “shared worry”. Holding that “no intent or goal or
reason or rationale can validate terrorism”, Modi, at a joint press event with
Erdogan, said the two sides have decided to work together to deepen
cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to effectively counter this
menace. In an obvious reference to Pakistan-based terror groups, Modi said
countries across the world need to “work as one to disrupt the terrorist
networks and their financing and put a stop to cross-border movement of
terrorists”.They also need to stand and act against those that conceive and
create, support and sustain, shelter and spread these instruments and
ideologies of violence, PM added. Erdogan said, “Turkey will always be by the
side of India in full solidarity while battling terrorism… And terrorists will
be drowned in the blood they shed.”Ahead of his visit to India, Erdogan had
pitched for a multilateral dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue to ensure
peace in the region.“We should not allow more casualties to occur (in Kashmir).By
having a multilateral dialogue, (in which) we can be involved, we can seek ways
to settle the issue once and for all,” he had told a TV channel in an
interview.The remarks are contrary to the position of India, which maintains
that the J&K issue is a bilateral
matter between it and Pakistan, and that there is no scope for a third party
mediation.Modi and the visiting dignitary had comprehensive discussion and took
stock of full range of bilateral relations, including political and economic. 2
leaders, who addressed a India-Turkey business forum earlier in the day, also
pitched for enhanced trade and business ties. Observing that India and Turkey
are two large economies which present an enormous opportunity to expand and
deepen commercial linkages, Modi said at the level of the two Govt s, there is
a need to approach the entire landscape of business opportunities in a
strategic and long-term manner.“Our bilateral trade turnover of around 6
billion dollars does not do full justice to convergences in our economies.Erdogan
also emphasised the need to increase bilateral trade to at least USD 10
billion, as soon as possible, and added that the countries will look at ways to
expand cooperation in the energy and infrastructure sectors, in particular.After
Modi-Erdogan meet, 2 sides exchanged 3 pacts, including one between their telecom
authorities.In his media statement, Modi also referred to Rumi and Sufi
tradition in India. PTI
Visiting Turkey President: Erdogan calls for multilateral dialogue on
Kashmir, cites ‘long talks’ with Pakistan
Erdogan meets Modi: India must remain firm, focus on trade and
investments even with albatross Pakistan
Turkey, India to ‘deepen’ economic ties: Erdoğan
Erdogan, Modi agree to disagree on Kashmir
Ready to resolve all bilateral issues with Pakistan including Kashmir:
India tells Turkey
India categorically told Turkey
that it is ready to resolve all bilateral issues with Pakistan including
Kashmir, which it said is essentially due to cross-border terrorism.India's
clear message came amid suggestion from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for a
multilateral dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue. India categorically conveyed to Turkey its
position that Kashmir was essentially a terrorism issue, Ministry of External
Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. He also said India told Turkey it is
ready to resolve all bilateral issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir.Spokesperson
was asked about Erdogan's suggestion of multilateral dialogue to resolve the
issue. PTI
Kashmiri leader praises Erdogan dialogue offer
Srinagar: A senior Kashmiri resistance leader on Monday praised Turkish
president Tayyip Erdogan for seeking a resolution to the Kashmir conflict.In a
statement, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq -- head of the multi-party Hurriyat alliance --
welcomed the Turkish president's offer to support dialogue and also expressed
“hope that Turkey, an influential Muslim country which is equally friends with
both Pakistan and India, would use its offices to end the political instability
in the region”. He also said the Kashmiri people wanted good relations between
India and Pakistan. Anadolu agency
Erdogan supports permanent UNSC seat for India
New Delhi: Tayyip Erdogan today called for reforms in the United Nations
Security Council as he supported India's bid for a permanent seat in the
exclusive body. "India, with a population of 1.3 billion is not a part of
the UNSC. Over 1.7 billion people live in Islamic world but they too are not a
part of the UNSC. This is not a healthy sign," Erdogan said here.He said
one cannot expect the UN SC to dispense justice without more representation.
The membership in the body should be on a rotational basis with 20 to 30
countries holding the mantle at a time, he said.Erdogan, who is on a two-day
visit to India, was speaking at Jamia Millia Islamia University where he was
awarded a Doctor of Letters degree.PTI
OTHERS
Telangana police set up bogus ISIS site for radicalising Muslim youths,
encouraging them to be ISIS Modules: Digvijaya
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday sparked a controversy
after he alleged that Telangana police were encouraging Muslim youths to join
ISIS.Singh who was on Saturday removed as office bearers in-charge of Congress
units in Goa and Karnataka after party's poor performance, levelled the
allegations in a series of tweets.Taking to micro-blogging site, Singh said,
"Telangana police has set up a bogus ISIS site which is radicalising
Muslim Youths and encouraging them to become ISIS Modules.""It was on
their (Telangana Police) information that MP Police arrested accused who were
responsible for the bomb blast in train in Shajapur District of MP. It also
resulted in Saifullaha encounter in Kanpur the same day," Singh said in
another tweets.Further questioning if it was ethical and moral, Singh asked,
"Has KCR authorised Telangana Police to trap Muslim Youths and encourage
them to join ISIS?"Singh also questioned if the CM had authorised then shouldn't he own the
responsibility and resign? "If he hasn't then shouldn't he enquire and
punish those who are responsible for committing such a heinous crime?" Congress
leader added. More than a week ago, UP ATS had busted a module with ISIS links,
arresting 3 suspects. The arrests were made after the UP ATS conducted raids in
a joint operation with the special cell of Delhi police, Maharashtra ATS,
Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab Police. Around 80 people suspected to have
been influenced by the ISIS ideology have been held across the country recently,
but no input suggests that the radical organisation has established a base in
India, the Govt had informed the Rajya
Sabha in April.DNA
Digvijaya accuses Telangana police of encouraging Muslim youths to join
IS, triggers row
ATS spreads net wider after UP arrests
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/anti-terror-squad-spreads-net-wider-after-up-arrests-4634962/
Lucknow: A team of the UP ATS will go to
Bihar, Mumbai, Bijnor and Muzaffarnagar to verify claims of 4 suspects who were
arrested during a nationwide raid on April 20. 4 accused identified as Umar
alias Nazim Shamsad Ahmed, Zeeshan alias Ghazi Baba alias Muzammil, Faizan
alias Mufti, and Ahtesham alias SK alias Pintoo, who were in police custody
remand, were sent back to Lucknow district jail on Saturday, said IG, ATS, Asim
Kumar Arun.Ahtesham and Faizan were in police custody for 8 days while Umar and
Ghazi Baba were in four days’ police custody. Indianexpress
Debate on triple talaq unnecessary: Sayed Jalaluddin Umri
Patna:Jamaat-e-Islami Hind chief and All India Muslim Personal Law Board
vice-president Sayed Jalaluddin Umri today said the nationwide debate on the
triple talaq issue was “unnecessary” and there will be no dispute if Muslims
follow the Sharia law. “There will be no dispute or discord if Muslims follow
the Sharia law in true spirit with regard to the issues of marriage, divorce,
inheritance, Mehar (right of a wife) and Nafqa (monthly stipend). The debate is
unnecessary,” he said.
The muslim personal law is “balanced and justified” and it helps and
promotes healthy family traditions, the Jamat chief told reporters here. It not
only gives respect and freedom to women but also protects their dignity and
rights, Umri said. Jamaat has set up 11 counselling centres and a helpine in
Bihar to provide advice to Muslims with regard to marital problems. “Jamaat has
set up a helpline 0612-2370863 and also set up 11 counselling centres in Bihar,
including in Patna to provide counselling to the people with regard to all
types of marital and other related problems,” he said.The centres will provide
counselling to Muslim couples before marriage to make them aware about the
Islamic laws on marital life, about provisions of muslim personal laws and
related issues. As part of the counselling programme, Jamaat’s volunteers and
members will tell couples about the rights and duties of men and women and how
to lead a marital life as per the Sharia law so that they can find solution as
per it if problems arise, the Jamaat chief said. Umri, who was accompanied by
Jamaat’s Bihar chief Nayyaruzzma, was here as part of the awareness campaign on
the muslim personal law. The campaign was launched on April 23 and will come to
an end on May 7 and workshops are being held as part of it. PTI
If govt is worried about women, it must think about female beggars in
Varanasi, Mathura: AIMPLB
Bareilly: Taking a dig at the BJP for highlighting the troubles faced by
Muslim women due to triple talaq, an All India Muslim personal law board
(AIMPLB) member on Sunday claimed that the Govt was talking about the practice because of
political vested interests.AIMPLB secretary Zafar Yab Jilani said a majority of
divorce and family dispute cases are reported from other communities, whereas
only 20% of such cases from the Muslim community are filed in courts.
"Only 20% of divorce cases are filed by Muslims. The remaining 80% are
registered by other communities. If the Govt is really concerned about women,
it should think about the women begging in Varanasi and Mathura," he said.
Speaking on the sidelines of an awareness campaign organized by Jamat-e-Islami
Hind on Muslim Personal Law, Jilani took potshots at BJP and said that the
saffron party is making a political issue out of triple talaq when it is merely
a provision in Islam which is rarely misused. Other speakers at the event also
expressed their anguish over the Govt highlighting the controversial practice,
claiming that it was an attempt by BJP to divert attention from issues like
unemployment, education and poverty. "The issue of a Uniform Civil Code is
repeatedly raised to misguide and instigate the Muslim community. Till date,
the Govt has not been able to even
prepare a draft resolution on the uniform code which it plans to implement in
the near future," Jamaat-e-Hind general secretary Mohammed Saleem said. timesofindia
Deal with triple talaq as reform measure: Naqvi
New Delhi: Centre will make all attempts to convince the Muslim community
that the triple talaq issue needs to be viewed as a “reform measure” and not
part of any political agenda, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has
said.“It is best that the reform comes from the community itself. We have had
informal sessions with many groups from the community,” Naqvi told ET on
Sunday. The emphasis was on asserting that the Govt wanted to bring reforms and justice in the
lives of women, he said. Triple talaq system gives a man the right to divorce
his wife by just announcing it to her, without citing any justification or
court approval.Senior officials in the Govt said the Centre had been making attempts to
reach out the Muslim community, bodies and NGOs that work in the area of
justice, religious minorities and those that work with women. Many of these
organisations have sought to consult AIMPLB that has asserted that it has “constitutional”
right to implement Muslim personal law. “To start with, we have reached out to
liberal Muslim intellectuals, women’s organisations, and have asked them to
reach out to as many people as possible,” a Govt official said. The line explained in the
meetings was that Muslims in India needed to “show the path of modernity” to
everyone else in the world, he said.Kamal Faruqui of AIMPLB, however, said the
board had written to the Centre seeking to put forward its point of view but
was yet to get a reply. “We have been advising Muslim men that divorce should
be the last option.Triple talaq should not even be considered.These efforts
should be acknowledged and it should be noted that the divorce rate in community
is low compared to others.” ET/TOI
Will abide by SC decision, triple talaq must end: Ulema and Mashaikh
Board leader
Nagpur: "The practice of triple talaq must end," said Maulana
Sayyad Ashraf Gilani, president of All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB),
Maharashtra. He was speaking at a special lecture 'Islam and Terrorism' on
Saturday."I would like study whether triple talaq is mentioned in the
Koran and how it should be followed," he added. Gilani also suggested that
the Govt must ask Islamic scholars to
deliberate on the issue and find a solution."Some politicians criticize
the divorce practice and use unkind words while describing it. I would request
them not to do so. They should work for justice in such cases," said
Gilani. He said that such criticism creates leads to problems among public.He
compared the practice of triple talaq to murder. He said, "In the eyes of
law, divorcing is haram (forbidden) just like murder.""The matter is
being handled by the supreme court and we will abide with whatever it decides.
An Indian Muslim has full faith in his country, its constitution and its
judiciary," he said.TOI
Women's Association demands equal rights for all women, not just Muslim
Lucknow: Targeting the BJP led central and state Govt s for malice on
siding with the triple talaq issue as emancipation of Muslim women, All India
Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) on Sunday said it would hold a mass
public protest across UP in May to remind BJP of its manifesto promises and for
cognizance of all women issues sans religion. Until Sept, AIDWA will hold
campaigns every month starting from rollback of 'meat bandi' before Ramzan, on
the status of toilets built under Swachh Bharat, inclusion of the women's share
in agricultural land under UP's Land Reform Act and a convention on all women's
issues.Holding its state wide three day meet in Lucknow with representatives
from 14 districts that ended on Sunday, AIDWA claimed that there are around
17,000 cases pending in Lucknow's family court. Of these, they said, almost 3,500
cases have been due since the past 10 years. "Around 85% of these cases
pertain to Hindu women. A number of Hindu women, even without divorce are not
allowed to live with their husbands. The percentage of divorce in Hindus is
also higher at 0.69% than in Muslims which is at 0.67%. Govt should look at
women issues as a whole," said Sudha Sundararaman, national
vice-president, AIDWA."On one hand, the Govt is acting to be sensitive for
the Muslim women, and on the other hand, it has attacked their choice of staple
food in the form of an unsaid meat bandi," added Madhu Garg, state
president, AIDWA. Garg claimed that the thousands of Muslim women that AIDWA
members met in the last few months across cities and villages were full of
angst on the issues of triple talaq and meat shortage.TOI
BJP's intervention in triple talaq is tokenism, 'selective justice is
not acceptable', says Owaisi
Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that BJP wants to
keep the communal pot boiling in the country through its remarks on triple
talaq.Talking to reporters, he said it was inappropriate on the part of PM
Narendra Modi, his Cabinet colleagues and others to speak on triple talaq when
the Supreme Court was set to hear the case from May 11.Reacting to Union Minister
Venkaiah Naidu's comments on Sharia, the MIM chief pointed out that a day after
the prime minister asserted the issue should not be politicised, the central
minister spoke about it.The Hyderabad MP also referred to the statement by Yogi
Adityanath that people should speak on triple talaq and to the remark by a
Uttar Pradesh minister that Muslims use triple talaq for lust.He said that if
the BJP leaders had anything to say on the issue, they should say it in the
Supreme Court, which was hearing the matter.Owaisi remarked that Venkaiah Naidu
was new expert in the country on Sharia."I would like to request Venkaiah
Naidu to explain to us what is Sharia," he said, adding that "Muslims
know what is in Sharia"."Some 1,400 years ago, Islam gave women the
share in father's property. Can you give us any such example," he asked.On
the BJP leaders' argument that they were speaking for justice to Muslim women,
Owaisi said such "selective justice" was not acceptable."Why
don't they talk about justice to the blind mother of Pilo Khan, who was killed
for carrying a cow, or justice to the mother and wife of Akhlaq, or justice to
the mother of Najeeb and to Zakia Jafari," he asked.Owaisi also wanted to
know why the BJP leaders were silent on the need for justice to 20 lakh Hindu
sisters, who were separated or abandoned."There are 4.30crore women who
are widows. Why don't they speak about it or do something for their
re-marriage?"IANS
BJP talking selectively about Muslim women’s rights: Asaduddin Owaisi
If Shariat is influencing BJP leaders, they should consider joining it:
Azam Khan on triple talaq debate
Lashing out at Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah
Naidu and the BJP opinion on abolishing the triple talaq norm among the
Muslims, the Samajwadi Party asserted that the former should consider joining
the Shariat, since it has been 'influential' to them. Speaking to ANI here on
Sunday, SP leader Azam Khan said that rather than focusing on this matter, the
BJP should consider addressing other issues.'BJP leaders are expressing their
hidden desires. If Shariat is influencing them so much, they should consider
joining it,' he said, adding BJP was the only party that was politicising the
matter.Drawing attention to the recent survey on divorce rates in the Muslims
conducted under the RTI in 6 states, Khan claimed that results showed divorce
rates in the community to be almost negligible.'Divorce rates in other
religious communities are much more than among Muslims. We don't want to
embarrass the BJP by disclosing these figures. They must first look to rectify
these before indulging in Shariat and the Quran,' he added.ANI
Stop harassment of Muslims or face consequences: Azam Khan warns PM
AIMIM supporters protest over triple talaq remarks by UP minister Swami Prasad Maurya
Allahabad: Activists of the hardline AIMIM party today staged a
demonstration in the city to protest against UP minister Swami Prasad Maurya's
controversial comments on 'triple talaq' and burnt his effigy. Led by AIMIM's district president Chaudhary
Ibrahim and its city unit chief Afsar Mahmood, hundreds of agitators gathered
in the heart of the city and raised slogans against minister who, while
defending the BJP's stand on triple talaq, had said that those taking recourse
to the regressive social practice "change their wives to satisfy their
lust". PTI
Adityanath warns Yuva Vahini to be decent, not misuse saffron
Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath has reportedly told workers of the Hindu Yuva
Vahini, an outfit he founded, that they must maintain decency of behaviour and
not misuse the colour saffron as the image of the outfit or the BJP would
suffer. The Vahini is involved in working on Hindutva-related issues such as
cow protection. UP CM supposedly made the statement at Gorakhpur a
little before speaking to RSS workers at a separate meeting where he told them
to behave according to the ideology they propagate.On the second day of his
Gorakhpur visit on Sunday, Adityanath first held the closed-door meeting with
Vahini leaders of the Gorakhpur region at the Gorakhnath temple. He told them
to monitor the execution of Govt schemes
and projects at the ground level and make a complaint to higher-ups in the Govt
and the organisation if they found any
discrepancy. “The CM has asked leaders and workers to behave with decency,”
said P K Mall, the state organisation secretary of the Vahini. indianexpress
UP: Retired Army colonel busted after Forest officials smash 'poaching
syndicate and gun-running cartel'
The strong arm of the law has finally caught up with a retired Indian
Army colonel and his national-level shooting champion son over the illegal hunting
and hoarding of protected wildlife.In a joint raid operation that lasted 17
hours at the duo's residence in Meerut's Civil Lines area, Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the forest department have unearthed a cartel
specialising in poaching, wildlife hunting and arms smuggling.117 kg nilgai
meat, animal skin, ivory and 40 guns were recovered while Col (retd) Devindra
Kumar and his son Prashant Bishnoi, an expert shooter, now face a slew of
charges under wildlife protection act and gun-running.Local residents told Mail
Today the father-son duo led a lavish lifestyle with a fleet of luxury vehicles
and collection of guns. The raiding team recovered a large haul of animal
skins, antlers, trophy heads, ivory, over 40 un-licenced guns, Rs 1 crore in
cash and 117 kg of neelgai (blue bull) meat from the premises. 'Who could have
thought of such illegal activity here? There is a police station nearby and a
DIG living barely 500 metre away,' said a local resident, requesting
anonymity.Apparently, they duo had also installed CCTV cameras on the street
leading to their house and at the entry point.While Devindra Kumar is believed
to have told the police and raiding party that the guns belonged to his son,
police sources said he remained tight-lipped about the recovery of animal parts
on his premises. Mail Today
Joint Lok Sabha, assembly polls from 2024? Niti Aayog in sync with PM
Modi over need for minimum 'campaign-mode' disruption
Niti Aayog has suggested a synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and assembly
polls from 2024 so as to ensure minimum 'campaign-mode' disruption to
governance.Outlining the details, policy think-tank has said implementing the
proposal may necessitate a maximum one-time curtailment or extension of some
state assemblies. It has made Election Commission the nodal agency to look into
the suggestion and recommended setting up of a working group of stakeholders
for deciding a road-map for synchronised elections.A report will be finalised
within 6 months and final blue-print will be ready by next March, as per draft 3-year
action agenda for 2017-18 to 2019-20.The draft report was circulated among the
governing council members (consisting of CM s of all states and others) of Niti
Aayog on April 23.The recommendation assumes significance as President Pranab
Mukherjee and PM Narendra Modi have
pitched for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls.'All elections in India
should happen in a free, fair and synchronised manner so as to cause minimum
'campaign-mode' disruption to governance.We may begin work towards switching to
a synchronised two-phase election from the 2024 election to the Lok Sabha,' the
Niti Aayog draft report says.'This would require a maximum one-time curtailment
or extension of some state assemblies,' it says. DailyMail
More than 30 Muslims from Kashmir part of BJP’s expansion drive: Amit
Shah
Jammu: More that 30 Kashmiri Muslim youths will be part of the BJP’s
expansion drive across the country for six months, its president Amit Shah
today said, terming it an “encouraging development” for the party. In the city
as part of his 95-day tour of the country to take stock of the party’s organisational
work, Shah met party workers from the state who will be travelling across the
nation as part of organisational works.“More than 30 Muslim youths from Kashmir
are part of Deen Dayal Upadhyay expansion plan of the party. Most of them are
engineers and double graduates. They have agreed to work for six months for the
BJP’s expansion. I welcome them from heart. This is an encouraging development
for the party,” he said.Kashmir, which has an overwhelming Muslim majority, has
always been a politically unfriendly territory for the saffron party. The
region has of late witnessed an upsurge in violence and protests. PDP-BJP
alliance is in power in the state.PTI
15-day-old baby, 4-month-old child among 30 Rohingya refugees rescued
from Indian boat by Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's coastguard have detained an Indian boat which illegally
entered the island's territorial waters and rescued 30 Rohingya refugees
including 16 children who were on board, an official said. The dhow operated by
two Indians had entered Sri Lanka's northern waters after crossing the sea
border, said navy spokesman Chaminda Walakuluge.'Coastguard noticed that there
were very small children on board and escorted the boat to a port and provided
them with emergency assistance,' Walakuluge told AFP.He said seven men, seven
women and 16 children were on board, in addition to the two-man Indian crew who
had been detained pending investigations.'There was a 15-day-old baby and a
four-month-old child on board,' Walakuluge said. 'We have taken them to port
and provided food and medical attention.'He said it appeared that the
passengers had left India, where they had lived for about four years as
refugees. They were handed over to local authorities to decide further action.Investigators
suspect that crew were trying to bring the Rohingya to Sri Lanka. Muslim
Rohingya in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine are denied citizenship and face
brutal discrimination in the Buddhist-majority country. Thousands have sought
refuge in other countries in the region. 4 years ago Sri Lanka's navy rescued
138 refugees from Bangladesh and Myanmar whose boat had been drifting off Sri
Lanka for over 10 days.AFP/DailyMail
Indian Army says soldiers mutilated, Pak denies
Srinagar:Indian Army on Monday accused Pakistan’s Border Action Team
(BAT) of mutilating bodies of two of their soldiers on two forward posts along
the LoC in Poonch district's Krishna Ghati sector.The Pakistan Army carried out
unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts along the LoC and
simultaneously launched BAT action on a patrol operating in between the posts,
said a statement issued by the Northern Army Command.In an unsoldierly act, the
bodies of two soldiers were mutilated by the Pakistan Army. Such despicable act
of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded, it added. Pakistan Army today
denied mutilating the bodies of two Indian security personnel, which has evoked
a sharp reaction in India.“Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation
on LoC as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers’ bodies
is also false,” a statement from the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public
Relations wing said.“Pakistan Army is a highly professional force and will
never disrespect a soldier,” it said.The deceased have been identified as Head
Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of the BSF and Naib Subedar Paramjeet
Singh of 22 Sikh Regiment of the Army. "Another constable from the BSF
also sustained injury, but is out of danger," a BSF spokesman said. thehindu
Indian soldiers mutilated: Defence Minister Jaitley vows retaliation as
Pak denies charges
5 policemen, 2 security guards killed in Kashmir’s Kulgam as militants
target cash van
Srinagar; Suspected militants killed five policemen and two security
guards in south Kashmir’s Kulgam on Monday as they looted the cash van of a Govt
-run bank, authorities said.The victims were killed by the attackers who
dragged them out of their vehicles, south Kashmir DIG SP Pani said.The van was
dispensing cash to local branches. The van was returning to a bank in the
village of Pumbai area, around 70km south of Srinagar, when it was
attacked.Militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen claimed responsibility for the
attack. However, a spokesperson told local news agency CNS that the civilians
were shot dead by securitymen.“We didn’t attack the vehicle with intent to loot
the cash. We have enough cash. We condemn the killing of the bank employees and
want to clarify that they were shot dead by the securitymen,” Burhanuddin
said.The incident came against the backdrop of spiralling tension in the
Valley, which has been reeling due to clashes and street protests by people
chanting separatist slogans since the death of a popular militant leader last
July. hindustantimes
Rajnath holds high-level meeting over J&K security, Sukma attack
New Delhi:A high level meeting was held on Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s
residence this morning, over recent attacks and security concerns in the
country. Matters under discussion are the security situation in J&K and the
Sukma attack that killed 25 CRPF jawans in Chhattisgarh. Apart from Singh, the
meeting also has Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, DG CRPF RR Bhatnagar, IB Rajiv
Jain and NSA Ajit Doval. indianexpress
College students clash again with security forces in Kashmir
Srinagar:Clashes erupted between security forces and students on Monday
after they took out a protest march against the alleged high-handedness of
security personnel at a college in Pulwama in south Kashmir, the police said.A
number of students of Boys Higher Secondary School and Pulwama Degree College
took out a joint march against the security forces action on April 15, a police
official said.When the march reached near Pulwama police station, some of the
students threw stones at security personnel, who lobbed teargas shells to
disperse them, the official said. There are no reports of any casualty in the
clashes, which were going on till reports last came in.PTI
Okhla MLA Amanatullah’s fate hangs in balance; tonight meeting crucial
Fresh troubles for Okhla MLA Amnatullah Khan after he circulated a
WhatsApp message saying Kumar Vishwas had called some AAP MLAs to his home with
the offer at the behest of the BJP. “Kumar Vishwas called some MLAs and asked
them that he should be made the party convener. I think all this is being done
at the behest of the BJP,” Khan said.The MLA told IANS that he indeed had
circulated the message because “Vishwas wants to usurp and break the AAP”.
While talking to OT.COM, Khan said he is going to participate in a meeting
today of AAP’s core group of leaders, the Political Affairs Committee, of which
both Vishwas and Khan are members. Moreover, Khan’s comment on Vishwas has
forced more than 35 Aam Aadmi Party legislators from Delhi and Punjab to write
to party chief Arvind Kejriwal. They have backed senior leader Vishwas and
sought action against Khan.Okhlatimes
Uttarakhand HC orders seizure of EVMs from 6 seats
New Delhi; 3 days after the Uttarakhand High Court ordered seizure of
all EVMs used during polls in Vikasnagar constituency of Dehradun district, the
high court on Monday ordered the seizure of EVMs of 6 more constituencies that
went to polls on Feb 15. These candidates have produced “circumstantial
evidence” that elections were rigged.The court’s order has come on election petitions
by Congress candidates who had lost from these seats.Taking cognisance of their
petitions, the court has also issued notices to Election Commission of India,
State Election Commission and others, asking them to respond within six weeks. indianexpress
Bhopal: Rector of Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid Pir Saeed Miyan is no more
Bhopal: Eminent Islamic scholar and rector of Darul Uloom, Tajul
Masajid, Maulana Pir Saeed Miyan Mujaddidi, passed away in Bhopal. He breathed
his last on Sunday at 5.40pm at his residence. He was 85.The late scholar was
born in Bhopal when it was a princely state ruled by last Nawab Hamidullah Khan. Referred respectfully
and affectionately as Pir Sahab by the Muslim community, he was unwell for a long time.Pir Saeed Miyan
belonged to the illustrious family that has its played a major role and is
known for religious and spiritual guidance to people in Bhopal for ages. One of
his ancestors, Shah Rauf Mujaddidi had established the Khanqah here.Later,
under it was Maulana Abu Ahmad who was lovingly called Pir Sahab in Bhopal,
that its fame as a centre of Islamic scholarship grew. People from across the
world including eminent Islamic scholars came here during their visits to
Bhopal.In fact, the Mujaddidi clan is related of the legendary Alif Mujaddid
Sani who had taken on the mighty Emperor Akbar when the latter had announced
his plan to come up with a new faith, Din-e-Ilahi, and there was a period of
confusion among the Muslim masses.Known for his simplicity and humility, Saeed
Miyan Mujaddidi was chairman of MP Waqf Board from 1989 to 1994 but never took
a penny from the board.He has been member of Majlis-e-Shoora of Nadwa, Lucknow
as well as member of AIMPLB for years. His father Shah Mohammad Yaqub alias Pir Nanhe Miyan was a well-known
Islamic scholar. NewsBits.in
Haryana: Bride’s family holds groom, 3 others hostage over dowry demand
Palwal: 4 persons, including the bridegroom and his brother, were held
hostage by the bride’s family after they demanded more dowry in Hathin village
in Palwal district. The incident occurred when the family of the groom, Farid
Qureshi, demanded more dowry and also made some comments against the bride’s
family.The bride’s family then locked the four persons inside, a police
spokesperson said. However, they were released later.Members of the panchayat
asked the groom’s family to transfer either 4 bighas of land or Rs 10 lakh to
the bride or else she would not be allowed to leave for Qureshi’s house, the
spokesperson said.PTI
Muslim men lynched for 'trying to steal cows' in Assam
2 Muslim men suspected of stealing cows have died of injuries sustained
after being assaulted by villagers in the northeastern Indian state of Assam,
according to local police. Police said they had registered a murder case over
the deaths of Abu Hanifa and Riyazuddin Ali who were beaten with sticks on
Sunday. 2 suspects have been detained for questioning.The incident comes amid rising
tensions over the killing and smuggling of cows in India, a Hindu-majority
country where the animal is considered sacred and its slaughter is a punishable
offence in many states."They were chased and beaten with sticks by
villagers who said the 2 boys were trying to steal cows from their grazing
field," Debaraj Upadhyay, Nagaon district's top police officer, told AFP
by telephone. aljazeera
Month after Alwar attack by cow vigilantes, victims stare at debt,
livelihood crisis
Nuh (Haryana); The economics of life has not been impressive for Azmat
since he was attacked along with Pehlu Khan and three others by cow protection
vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Alwar for allegedly smuggling the bovines for
slaughter—exactly a month ago.The group, traditionally dairy farmers hailing
from Jaisinghpur village in Haryana’s Nuh district, had bought cows from the
cattle fair in Jaipur and were returning when they were attacked.While Pehlu
Khan’s family has received financial assistance from some organisations after
his death, bed-ridden Azmat and Rafeeq are staring at a livelihood crisis and
rising debts.Ex-, who is recovering from a spine injury sustained in the
attack, had purchased three cows for Rs 75,000. “The attackers also snatched Rs
35,000 from me,” he says, shooing away flies settling on his face.His brother
Yusuf, who works in Mathura, says that they have spent nearly Rs 1.5 lakh
already on Azmat’s treatment. “I have to take him to AIIMS, Delhi, every 3-4
days for treatment, and each trip costs about Rs 5,000. All our savings have
dried up and we are running into debts,” he says.“There is no milk in the
house. Whatever little we get, we dilute it and give it to Azmat’s little child
(his one-year-old daughter),” says Azmat’s mother. hindustantimes
To protect their religion, Hindus should have ‘8 children’: Religious
guru
Sambhal: Hindu couples should have eight children each to protect their
religion, a prominent religious leader has said.The advice to follow the ‘we
two and our eight’ formula came from Swami Prabodhananda Giri, the national
president of Sanatan Dharma Mahasangh, when he was addressing an event at the
in Lakhipur here on Saturday.“In the present times, there is threat to Hindutva
and to protect it is responsibility of every Hindu. For this, every Hindu
should produce eight children so that he can contribute towards conserving,
preserving and protecting Hindutva and the society.“Hindus should follow - we
two, our eight - formula,” Giri said.To promote family planning in the country,
the Govt had in the past introduced the
‘Hum do, hamare do’ (We 2, our 2) slogan.At the event which was organised at Pawan
Van Vihar Ashram, Mahora in Lakhipur here, Giri also said that for safety of
Hindus, ‘Hindu Raksha Dal’ had been constituted and that it would be spread in
the entire state.PTI
NIA yet to appeal against Aseemanand order
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nia-yet-to-appeal-against-aseemanand-order/article18342700.ece
New Delhi:Almost 2 months after a Jaipur court acquitted ex- RSS member
Aseemanand in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case, NIA said it was yet to appeal
against the order as it has not gone through its contents. The judgment is in
Hindi and runs into over 600 pages; the investigating agency has now hired a
professional to translate the order into English.“We are yet to examine the
judgment. Since it is in Hindi, we have hired someone to translate it into
English first. Only when we have all the documents ready, will we be able to
take a decision whether to challenge the acquittal or not,” a senior NIA
official said. Incidentally, the NIA filed the supplementary charge sheet in
the case in Hindi. thehindu
Tension in Meerut after school girl found with cleric:IANS
Lucknow: Tension gripped Meerut in western UP on Monday when a school girl was found in the
room of a Muslim cleric in a mosque. The cleric was later taken into
custody.Police said the girl wearing a school uniform was spotted in the room
of a Muslim cleric in Swami Paada, Budhana Gate, by some locals.They raised an
alarm and soon a large mob started shouting communal slogans after which the
police rushed to the spot.The cleric tried to flee the mosque from the rear
gate even as the people wanted to lynch him. Police intervened and the cleric
was taken into custody and sent to the Kotwali police station.A large gathering
of people reached there and shouted slogans and engaged in a spat with the
police.Police had to resort to mild use of force to disperse the mob.IANS
WORLD
Palestinian rift aggravates Gaza crisis: UN report
Ankara : Internal Palestinian divisions are aggravating the situation in
the blockaded Gaza Strip, a UN report warned Monday. “The continuing dispute
between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas over electricity, payment of
salaries and the other critical issues have significantly aggravated the
situation in Gaza,” the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
Process (UNSCO) said in a report.“Palestinians in Gaza, who live in a
protracted humanitarian crisis, can no longer be held hostage by disagreements,
divisions and closures,” it said. Last week, a Palestinian official said the
Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) will stop paying for electricity
supplies to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Anadolu
N. Korea snarls at Israel after defense chief calls Pyongyang 'crazy'
North Korea lashed out at Israel on Saturday after Israel's defense
minister called the hermit kingdom's regime a "crazy and radical
group," blamed it of being an ally of Syria's Assad and the Lebanese group
Hezbollah and said growing tensions between the U.S. and Pyongyang have
"direct implications" for Israel. A statement released by North
Korean Foreign Ministry called Avigdor Lieberman's statement
"reckless" and a form of "sordid and wicked behavior" that
posed a "grave challenge to the DPRK."In the statement, North Korea
blasted Israel as the "only illegal possessor of nukes in the Middle East
under the patronage of the US" It said Lieberman's comments were part of a
"cynical ploy" to escape criticism of the occupation "of the
Arab territories" and "crimes against humanity."Haaretz
'Catastrophic' humanitarian situation in Mosul: Iraq VP
Baghdad; Iraqi Vice-President Osama al-Nujaifi has warned the
humanitarian situation in Mosul has become "catastrophic", where the
Iraqi army is trying to dislodge Daesh from its last stronghold in northern
Iraq."The situation is catastrophic amid famine and lack of food and
medicine, which make the city live an unbearable situation," al-Nujaifi
told a party meeting late Sunday.He said hundreds of thousands of families have
heeded Govt calls for not leaving their homes and the city. "However, they
are now going through an unprecedented predicament," he lamented. Anadolu
Missile attack kills 18 civilians in Syria's Aleppo
Aleppo: At least 18 civilians were killed in a missile attack in Syria's
northern Aleppo province, a local civil defense official said Monday.The attack
-- blamed on the regime forces -- targeted a three-storey building in Uwayjil
village in Aleppo's western countryside late Sunday, Mohammed Hallak said.He
said nine children and 4 women were among the victims."One woman was
rescued from under the debris of the destroyed building," he added. Anadolu
'Shockingly high' losses for Afghan forces over winter
Afghan security forces were killed at a "shockingly high" rate
during what has historically been a winter lull in fighting against the
Taliban, according to a report by a US watchdog.US Govt 's Special Inspector
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says 807 troops from the Afghan
National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) died between Jan1 and
Feb24."Afghanistan remains in the grip of a deadly war. Casualties
suffered by [ANDSF] in the fight against the Taliban and other insurgents
continue to be shockingly high," says the report, released on Monday.Levels
of violence have traditionally dipped over Afghanistan's cold winter months,
but this year the Taliban continued to battle Govt forces, most notably in an April 19 attack on
a military base outside the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. aljazeera
Turkey threatens more strikes on US-allied Syrian Kurds
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Ankara was
"seriously saddened" by footage showing US military vehicles
operating close to the border with Syrian Kurdish fighters, threatening further
military action against a group Turkey sees as "terrorists".His
comments came amid rising tensions over the weekend along the border, with both
Ankara and Washington moving armoured vehicles to the area. Turkish forces last
week carried out deadly air strikes on military positions belonging to the
Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), angering the US and sparking
days of border clashes with the Kurdish fighters. The US sent military vehicles
with American flags to the Syrian side of the frontier accompanied by YPG
fighters to carry out patrols, in an apparent bid to prevent further fighting. aljazeera
UN rights chief questions due process in Turkey purges
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced deep concern at mass
arrests and sackings of public employees in Turkey and the renewed state of
emergency there, saying a “climate of fear” now reigned.Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein
told a news conference in Geneva that Ankara had to respond to violent attacks
but must not violate human rights while doing so. Turkey expelled over 3,900
people from the civil service and military as threats to national security on
Saturday, in the second major purge since President Erdogan won sweeping new
powers in a referendum last month. middleeastmonitor
Indian American Muslim of Aligarh origin calls Donald Trump
‘liar-in-chief’
US journalists led by White House Correspondents’ Association president
Jeff Mason have slammed President Donald Trump for attacking the media.“We
cannot ignore the rhetoric that has been employed by the president about who we
are and what we do,? Mason said.“Freedom of the press is a building block of
our democracy. Undermining that by seeking to delegitimize journalists is
dangerous to a healthy republic,” he said to a standing ovation.Mason’s
impressive speech was quickly followed by Indian American stand-up comedian
Hasan Minhaj.“The leader of our country is not here, and thats because he lives
in Moscow,” Minhaj said amidst laughter from the audience. jantakareporter
Controversial amendments expand Sisi’s powers over Egypt’s judiciary
Egypt’s highest judicial authority, the Supreme Judicial Council, sent
the names of three judges to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Sunday for him
to choose one of them to head the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest
appeals court, in line with a newly amended law that now expands the
president’s powers over the judicial system.Sisi was Egypt’s defence minister
when he led the military ouster of then President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013,
and he was later elected president in 2014. He has been widely criticised by
local and international human rights advocates for what they see as broad human
rights violations committed by the state under his rule.Strongly opposed by a
number of judicial bodies, the new law was ratified by Sisi on Thursday after
it was approved by parliament. Prior to the amendments, courts’ top judges were
selected by the judiciary on the basis of seniority and the president only gave
ceremonial approval.The State Council had expressed its rejection of the new
law in a statement last week, describing the amendments as unconstitutional.
Egypt’s constitution stipulates that judicial bodies must be consulted on bills
related to the judicial authority, although it does not oblige the parliament
to abide by the judicial bodies’ recommendations. middleeastmonitor
Hamas to soften stance on Israel, Muslim Brotherhood in policy
document:Reuters
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas will remove a call for Israel's
destruction and drop its association with the Muslim Brotherhood in a new
policy document to be issued on Monday, Gulf Arab sources said.Hamas' move
appears aimed at improving relations with Gulf Arab states and Egypt, which
label the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, as well as with Western
countries, many of which classify Hamas as a terrorist group over its hostility
to Israel. The sources said Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since
2007, will say in the document that it agrees to a transitional Palestinian
state along the borders from 1967, when Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and
East Jerusalem in a war with Arab states. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.A
future state encompassing Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem along 1967
borders is the goal of Hamas' main political rival, the Fatah movement led by
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. His Palestinian Authority has engaged in
peace talks with Israel on that basis, although the last, US-mediated round
collapsed three years ago. The revised Hamas political document, to be
announced later on Monday, will still reject Israel's right to exist and back
"armed struggle" against it, said the Gulf Arab sources.A Hamas
spokesman in Qatar declined to comment. There was no immediate comment from
Egypt and Gulf Arab states.
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
I declare that I am prepared to die for reconstructing Babri Masjid:
Rajeev Dhavan, senior advocate
RAJEEV DHAVAN: 'Why I am prepared to die for the rebuilding of the Babri
Masjid'
In UP, it’s saffron, saffron and more saffron: Mohit Dubey, IANS
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:01 PM)
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