Evening NEWS
DIGEST
04
May 2017: 07 Shaban 1438: Vol: 8, No:182
Bilkis Bano gangrape case: HC upholds life imprisonment for 11 convicts,
rejects CBI plea for death penalty
New Delhi: Bombay High Court has upheld the life sentence order of the
trial court against the 11 accused in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case. The
court has, however, set aside acquittal of the rest of the accused in the case
which include Gujarat police officers and doctors of the Govt hospital. The
court further said that it will consider the undergone jailed period of the
convicts as part of their sentence but will impose a fine on them.They were
sentenced to life by a trial court in 2008, for the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and
for the murder of her family members in the wake of the Godhra riots. They had
then filed an appeal in the High Court challenging their conviction. The
Central Bureau of Investigation had sought death penalty for the three men
convicted for having gangraped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members. The
court has, however, set aside the plea for enhancement.Appearing for the CBI,
Hiten Venegaonkar had argued that the present case was that of “mass murder” as
14 members of a family, including babies who were a few days old. The riots
caused a situation of “exodus” and while the family was on the run, they were
raped and murdered. Therefore the case belonged to the “rarest of rare”
category and warranted the maximum punishment. HC had, meanwhile, rejected an
intervention application filed by Bilkis Bano seeking that she be granted
hearing. indianexpress
Bilkis Bano hails Bombay HC verdict, says she and her family can live
free of fear
Gang-rape victim Bilkis Bano has hailed a Bombay High Court verdict that
upheld the life terms given to 11 convicts in the 2002 incident and quashed
acquittal of 5 Gujarat policemen. "I am very grateful that this verdict
has, yet again, vindicated me, and upheld my faith in the judiciary," Bano
alias Bilkis Yakub Rasool said in a statement issued through her lawyer. Bilkis
was gang-raped in Devgad-Baria village near Dahod on March 3, 2002 during the
Gujarat riots.Bilkis and around a dozen of her family members were attacked by
a mob, leading to killing of around a dozen of her family members.She said she
was happy that Gujarat and its officials now stand charged with tampering of
evidence."For state officers, whose sworn duty it is to protect the
citizens and ensure justice, this should be their great moral shame, to bear
forever," Bilkis said, in reference to the quashing of acquittal of five
policemen.IANS
Bilkis rape case: No death penalty for convicts, says HC
Assam proposes 2-child norm from Panchayat to MP-level
Guwahati: Assam Govt today
proposed to debar persons with more than 2 children from contesting any
election in the state, right from the panchayat level to MP-level.While
proposing to bring laws to bar people with more than two children from
contesting election for panchayat, municipal and other statutory bodies and
committees at the state level, Assam Govt will take up the issue with Central Govt for
its implementation in case of MLAs and MPs from the state.Addressing a press
conference while releasing second draft of a state population policy, state
Health minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma said, "We have made some changes
in the first draft population policy after receiving feedback. Some minor
changes could be incorporated later and placed before the next state Cabinet
meeting. We will, then, place the final draft policy before the state
legislative assembly in August."Stressing on the need to 'lead by example',
the minister said the new draft has proposal for making it compulsory to
adherence of two-child norm for MLAs and MPs from the state and the state Govt
will approach the Centre for suitable amendments in the relevant acts to
enforce it for Assam.The first draft policy had already mooted a strict 2-child
policy for Govt servants and
elected/nominated representatives of panchayat, municipal and statutory bodies,
with the second draft taking it a step further to include MLAs and MPs from the
state.The second draft policy contains measures for thrust on women education,
legal framework for protection of women's rights and special schemes for
widows/single women/divorcees, especially belonging to economically and
socially backward sections and Muslime women divorcees (triple talaq). UNI
Troops block Kashmir villages amid rebel hunt: aljazeera
Thousands of soldiers and paramilitaries were engaged in a huge
operation in Kashmir, where armed rebels have repeatedly attacked Govt forces
in recent weeks. Police said Govt forces had surrounded at least 20 villages in
the drive, launched on Thursday, in Shopian district in the volatile south of
the disputed Himalayan region."It is an unprecedented operation,"
deputy inspector general of police SP Pani told AFP."It is impossible to
capture the militants, but we hope there will be contact [exchange of fire]
with them in the course of the day."Suspected rebels are frequently killed
in shootouts with security forces in Kashmir, but are only rarely captured
alive.Witnesses said hundreds of residents came out onto the streets in two
villages, Sug and Tarkwangan, during the search operations and threw stones at
the soldiers.One said soldiers attacked private homes in his village with
sticks and rocks. "It was scary. Many houses were damaged," villager
said by phone, requesting anonymity.Witnesses said army helicopters were
hovering above the area as the search operations were going on. aljazeera
Security forces conduct massive operation to flush out militants from
Shopian district
Kashmir: Security personnel cordon off villages in Shopian district in
major crackdown
1,000 Jan Sena saints volunteer help in Kashmir to boost morale, take on
stone-pelters
Kanpur: A squad of 1,000 saints from the Jan Sena, a Kanpur-based
religious organisation, will leave for J&K on May 7 to help Army jawans and
paramilitary forces take on stone-pelters in the strife-torn state.Additional
squads of saints may be sent later as per the requirement, said Jan Sena
founder Balyogi Arun Puri Chaitanay Maharaj. Puri is the head priest of
Siddhanth temple in Janjmau. Sena founder claimed they have decided to go ahead
with the proposed plan under ‘Yudha Vijay Yagya’ despite the authorities
forbidding them from doing so. “We sought permission from PM Narendra Modi to allow us into Kashmir for
boosting the morale of jawans and helping them take on stone-pelters, but did
not get it.The district administration also denied us permission.However, we
are determined to go, regardless of the consequences. If our members are
stopped, we will travel in our individual capacity and regroup once we get
there,” he said. aljazeera
Islamabad denies LoC cease-fire violation and troop mutilation as Abdul
Basit is summoned to Delhi
Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar has reportedly summoned Pakistan's High
Commissioner Abdul Basit to demand that Islamabad take action against soldiers
and officers responsible for the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers.
Indian army has said the soldiers were killed and mutilated Monday in an ambush
by Pakistani soldiers along the highly militarized de-facto border that divides
the disputed region of Kashmir between the nuclear-armed rivals.India said that
Pakistani soldiers fired rockets and mortars at two Indian positions southwest
of the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector.It also accused Pakistani soldiers of
ambushing an Indian patrol operating between the two posts and mutilating the
bodies of two slain Indian soldiers.DailyMail
Muslim
Personal Law
Most advanced community in India is Muslim as laws were available for
divorce, marriages, inheritance, Islam gave them all rights centuries ago: Mary E John, Ex-Director of Centre for
Women's Development Studies
New Delhi: Injustice with women on the basis of gender has become a
global phenomenon and so there is a strong need to break the mindset and social
systems that encourage this injustice, said Mohammad Salim Engineer, Secretary
General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind while presiding over a seminar "Gender
Justice & Our Society" in New Delhi on Wednesday.
"Customs and traditions of
society mostly do injustice with women. Also in the countries which call
themselves champion of liberty and freedom of women, the status of women is not
better as the societies there have almost demolished the system of marriage,
divorce etc.," he said.He deliberated on rights enjoyed by women in
Islam.Nikah is conducted on the permission of woman. She has liberty to go out
of marriage through Khula. She has right in inheritance. Widows and divorcees
have right to remarry.Speaking on Triple Talaq, he said: "A perception is
being created that Muslim society and All India Muslim Personal Law Board
support Triple Talaq in one seating. It is completely wrong. No one likes
Triple Talq in one seating. It is against the teachings of Islam and it should
be stopped."But he made it clear that in the garb of Triple Talaq, some
sinister attempts are being made to impose a system on the Muslims.Other
eminent persons who spoke at the seminar included Ajay Kumar, Chief Editor, News Nation TV channel; Mary E John,
Member, Executive Committee, Centre for Women's Development Studies; and Prof.
Haseena Hashia, Jamia Millia Islamia. "In the 20th century India, the most
advanced community was Muslim as laws were available for divorce, marriages,
education and inheritance. Islam gave them all rights several centuries
ago," said Mary E John. "Before independence, Muslims were advanced
but after independence the reform was stopped among them too. They need to
focus on that," she said. India Tomorrow
Women divorced through triple talaq to get interim pension in Assam
Guwahati: Muslim women in Assam who have been divorced using the
provision of triple talaq will be provided interim pension by the BJP-led Assam
Govt as per a new policy. Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed this
here today while informing about the changes made to state’s draft population
policy announced last month. Draft, which is being renamed as population and
women empowerment policy, bars those having more than 2 children or marrying
before legally permissible age from getting Govt jobs.“There will be provision for skill
upgradation of Muslim women divorcee to help in gainful employment and in the
interim, such victims of triple talaq will be given family pension,” Sarma
said.Divorcees and single women from other communities will also be given
skill-based education and employment, but they won’t get interim pension. Sarma
said “steps will be taken to prevent and deter women from being abandoned or
deserted (or divorced) by husband on flimsy grounds such as birth of girl
child,etc. We will bring a law which will make it a punishable offence.”
RSS Muslim Manch may adopt kids of talaq victims
Kolkata: Muslim Rastriya Manch national executive committee will discuss
a proposal for adopting minor children of Muslim women divorced through triple
talaq. MRM is a body floated by RSS. MRM’s Bengal unit has prepared a
preliminary list of such children in several districts and has proposed to
provide them free education. Senior functionaries of MRM said that the issue
would be discussed at its national executive meeting in Roorkee on Friday and
Saturday. MRM members said it had come across many Muslim women and single
mothers from Bengal divorced through triple talaq. “We have received a proposal
from the Bengal unit and some other states seeking scheme for children of women
who have undergone triple talaq. We are trying to build a fund for
rehabilitation and studies of the children of our Muslim sisters.Bengal unit
has proposed to provide free education to children free,” Sahid Akhtar,
convener of eastern states for MRM said.
Muslim Woman in UP wants to give Triple Talaq to her ‘abusive husband’:
India Times
In what could further push the debate over triple talaq, a woman in
Meerut, identified as Amreen Bano wants to give triple talaq to her abusive
husband. 24-year-old Amreen has filed an FIR against her husband, alleging that
she was beaten and tortured every day by him and her brother as well. She also
suffered a miscarriage."My husband does not say anything. He does not give
money to me, my kids or my nephew, nieces. I want him to go to jail and I want
to give talaq to my husband. Like in the Muslim community a man gives talaq by
saying it three times. I want to do the same," Bano told ANI.Amreen and
her sister Farheen (22), who were married to 2 brothers from a neighbouring
village in 2012.Both the sisters alleged that since the wedding, they have been
frequently beaten and abused by her husbands, Sabir and Shakir. Yesterday, the
sisters went to meet a senior police officer, alleging that no action had been
taken by the local police on their complaint against their husbands. Indiatimes
/ANI
UP: Meerut woman wants to use triple talaq against her abusive husband
Muslim woman wants to give triple talaq to husband, cites unnatural sex,
domestic violence as reasons
BJP communalising triple talaq, trying to impose Hindu law: Javed Anand
led Muslim group
New Delhi: A Muslim group has accused the BJP Govt of communalising
triple talaq, while terming its proposal of Uniform Civil Code an attempt to
impose Hindu personal law. "BJP has made a lot of noise (about triple
talaq and nikal halala). Without questions, they are communalising and politicising
the whole issue," Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) General
Secretary Javed Anand told IANS. He said that it was "interesting"
that this call for an Uniform Civil Code came from one particular ideological
quarter - the Sangh Parivar - but there was no clarity on what it would entail.
"We have repeatedly and publicly asked for the BJP or anyone from the
Sangh Parivar to offer a draft of what a Uniform Civil Code would look like.
Which code are they referring to? Is it the concept of it or is it about the
uniform gender justice?" he said, adding the demand from one side only
leads rise to a suspicion that it could only be an attempt to impose Hindu
personal law and that's why there is opposition. IANS
Fully satisfied with Islamic Laws on nikah, talaq, fasakh, virasat:
Muslim Law Board
New Delhi:All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), in its one page
pro forma submitted to the Law Commission, has opposed any probable amendments
to triple talaq. The board’s document says: “We are fully satisfied with the
commands of Islamic laws, especially on Islamic orders related to nikah
(marriage), talaq (divorce), fasakh (annulment) and virasat (inheritance). We
are fully satisfied with and strongly deny the possibility of any type of change
in them.” ET has reviewed a copy of the board’s pro forma. Invoking the
Constitution, it further reads: “The Constitution of India has provided
complete freedom for followers of all faiths to practice their religion. We,
therefore, do not accept uniform civil code in any form.” The pro forma
concludes:“We are with All India Muslim Personal Law Board to save and protect
shariah laws.” The board claimed to have obtained signatures from over 4 crore
Muslims endorsing its pro forma. Providing their email addresses, the board has
appealed to all the signatories to email a copy of the pro forma to PM Narendra
Modi, PMO and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The board recently
submitted a disk to the Law Commission of India, which is tasked with exploring
the feasibility of a uniform civil code in the country. ET
OTHERS
SC rejects plea for making Hindi compulsory in schools, says somebody
will ask for making Sanskrit mandatory
“Why have you come to court with this demand. You say you are a BJP man.
Why don’t you approach the Govt? Your party is in power”, the bench headed by
Chief Justice J S Khehar told petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya. The Supreme
Court today rejected a PIL ×led by a Delhi BJP leader which sought a direction
to the Centre to make study of Hindi compulsory for all students of Classes
IVIII telling him to approach the Govt directly as “his party was in power”.“Why have
you come to court with this demand. You say you are a BJP man. Why don’t you
approach the Govt? Your party is in power”, the bench headed by Chief Justice JS
Khehar told petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya.When his lawyer R S Suri
insisted the bench to issue notice, the CJI shot back raising peals of laughter
in the courtroom: “Look the court cannot interfere in such issues. Today you
are asking for Hindi.Tomorrow somebody will come to court and ask for making
study of Sanskrit mandatory. You and me would ask for Punjabi” . Advocate Suri
has then withdrawn the petition. The Court dismissed it as withdrawn.On April
24 also the same bench declined to entertain a PIL led by Upadhyay for a
direction to the Govt to review the
working of the Constitution saying his party was in power and better approach
his Govt .“When your party (BJP) is in power at the Centre and no decision was
taken, the court cannot intervene as the issue raised by him is a policy matter
and it is indeed the prerogative of legislature and executive. You approach the
Govt”, CJI had told Upadhyaya then also. livelaw
SC’s no to plea to make Hindi compulsory in class I to VIII
Shun beef, adopt cows: RSS pracharak Indresh Kumar to tell Muslims
New Delhi: RSS-mentored Muslim Rashtriya Manch, which is scheduled to
meet at Piran Kaliyar near Roorkee on May 5 and May 6, will tell Muslim
families to adopt cows and learn about their benefits. It will also ask
madrasas to train students on the “ethos of Bharat”. Construction of Ram temple
at Ayodhya, deciding a place where the Babri Masjid could be rebuilt and triple
talaq will also be discussed at the two-day event. Over 300 moulvis are
expected to participate in the meeting. Piran Kaliyar is the dargah of 13th
century Sufi saint of Chishti Order — Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kalyari, also
known as Sarkar Sabir Pak. Indresh Kumar, senior RSS pracharak who mentors MRM,
said the objective of the meeting was to drive the Muslim community towards a
consensus on most raging issues. “Even the Quran says cow meat is not to be
eaten. The purpose of the meeting is to put forward some thinking points in
front of the decision-makers of the community and arrive at a consensus,” Kumar
said. “Arabs shunned beef for many years. Eating beef is something that has
come up recently among Muslims. Over 150 Muslim families across India are
already running gaushalas. We have identified them and we want them to be the
examples for the community,” he said. Kumar said madrasas, which give taleem
(training students on the sayings of the Quran), should also teach about
“Bharatiya tehzeeb”. Madrasas should also teach them to co-opt and live
peacefully with Hindus and understand the essence of Indian culture, he added.
On Ram temple and Babri Masjid, Kumar said: “It is certain that the temple will
be built where masjid stood. Many people have proved that Lord Ram was born
there. Muslims can decide where Babri Masjid should come up through
discussion,” Kumar said. economictimes
Congress corners RSS for urging Muslims to adopt cows
Taking a dig at RSS Muslim wing for urging Muslims to adopt cows and
open gaushalas, Congress termed it a double standard, while saying that ones,
who never fed fodder to cows, were promoting cow protection. All those friends,
who have become self-proclaimed chiefs should be asked whether they served even
a single cow in their constituency. Those who have never fed fodder to cow are
promoting this by wearing a mask of cow protectors.What else can be more
double-standard than this? Randeep Singh Surjewala said. ANI
Goa beef traders demand protection against cow
Panaji: Beef traders in Goa on Wednesday demanded police protection,
alleging they were being attacked while transporting beef or beef waste by
self-styled local “gau rakshaks” (cow vigilantes).Addressing a press conference
here, Manna Bepari, President of the Qureshi Meat Traders Association of Goa,
said that the association had also appealed to CM Manohar Parrikar, requesting him to put such
vigilante groups under surveillance.“We have FDA (Food and Drugs
Administration), health and municipality licences, unlike in UP. Despite this,
they are trying to replicate what is happening in that state. We will never
allow this to happen. We want Goa Govt …CM to protect us,” Bepari said.Last week, traders
transporting a consignment of beef waste to a Govt -endorsed disposal centre
located at the only legal abattoir here — Goa Meat Complex — were stopped
allegedly by gau rakshaks after stoning the vehicle and attacking its
inmates.Bepari claimed that such incidents were on the rise in Goa.IANS
SC bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra refuses to pass order on banning
right-wing terrorists
The Supreme Court today refused
to pass any order to direct DGPs of states to appoint a police officer in each
district to enforce the ban on right-wing terrorists posing themselves as cow
vigilante groups, saying it will first seek the response from Centre and the
state Govts.A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said at this juncture, it
cannot pass any order directing the DGPs of states to appoint police officers
to enforce ban on such groups without knowing the stands taken by the Centre
and the state Govts.The bench also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and M M
Shantanagoudar said the Centre and five states, which have not filed their
replies so far, should file it in 6 weeks.Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde informed
the court that only Karnataka had filed a reply so far with regard to the plea,
while the Centre and the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand
and UP have not filed them yet.He said
that by the time the state Govt s file their replies, the police chiefs of the
states should be directed to appoint a police officer to ensure the ban on
these groups as there were increasing incidents of violence.“No, we cannot pass
orders like this. We have to first see what is the response of Centre and state
Govts. Let the reply come,” the bench said. The bench posted the matter for
further hearing after summer vacation while allowing an NGO Vishwa Gau Raksha Vahini
to be impleaded as party. NGO has sought dismissal of petition as
non-maintainable. jantakareporter
In Kashmir, nomads battle cow vigilantes to keep alive traditional
practice
Rajouri:Given his agility, Bilal Ahmed (35) could be a champion sprinter
in any hurdle race – save the fact that he is not leaping on a track but
zigzagging his way down a slope on the Pir Panjal mountain range, followed by
his herd of 250 sheep.Ahmed has already walked for 18 days and crossed the
treacherous mountains in J&K. He will start again and reach the hill
station Sonmarg after 13 days -- where he will stay till Sept.According to
researchers, over 30% of the state’s 2-million-strong pastoral nomadic
community Gujjar and Bakerwal reside in the mountains of Kashmir in summer and
on the plains of Jammu in winter, travelling with their animals through hundreds
of kilometers when seasons change.HT
Tariq Mansoor is new AMU V-C
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee appointed Tariq Mansoor as AMU
V-C. Mansoor, 60, the principal of AMU’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, will
succeed Lt Gen (retd) Zameeruddin Shah, who will retire on May 17. He has been
associated with the university for 35 years. “I do not know anything about this
as I have not received an official communication or order from the Govt yet,” Mansoor said.Mansoor was selected from a
list of 3 names that the university’s court had sent to Union HRD ministry 2
months ago. Abu Saleh Sharif, executive director and chief scholar, US-India
Policy Institute, Washington, and Shahid Jameel, CEO, Welcome Trust and DBT
India Alliance were the other two contenders. A section within the university
has pointed out that Sharif and Jameel had never served as professors in an
educational institution as mandated by the UGC. The matter went to the Supreme
Court. It refused to interfere in the selection process saying that all three
candidates fulfilled academic guidelines.Indian Express
MP Official's request to live with Abu Salem in jail has sent govt into
a tizzy
Bhopal: How far would authors go to research their books? Author Anny
Cook once roasted and processed acorns in her apartment to see if they could be
preserved for a survivalist novel she was writing, set in 500 BC America.In MP,
a serving bureaucrat is determined to share a jail with Abu Salem so that he
can study the dreaded gangster intimately for a book on his romantic
life.Understandably, the state administration, which has never encountered a
request of this sort, is flummoxed. The plea of officer Niyaz Ahmad Khan,
currently posted as Additional Collector in Guna, has reached the General
Administration Dept (GAD). Khan is writing a book on the don's relationship
with actress Monica Bedi and has requested the Govt to send him to the Navi Mumbai prison where
Salem is incarcerated so he could research his subject.It seems Khan has
already picked a name for his novel — 'Love Demands Blood' — a dramatic
thriller inspired by the tragedy of Salem and Bedi's relationship. A top
official at the secretariat, who did not wish to be named, told HuffPost India,
"It is a highly sensitive matter and we are examining it"."No
decision has been taken on the application as yet," he added.huffingtonpost
Sadhvi Pragya seeks discharge from Malegaon blast case
Mumbai: Over A week after she was granted bail by Bombay High Court,
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has sought discharge from the Malegaon 2008 blast
case. The special court in Mumbai is currently hearing arguments on framing of
charges against the accused, including Thakur. In the discharge plea filed by
Thakur through advocate Prashant Maggu, she has said since the HC has observed
that there is no prima facie evidence against her, she is “entitled for
discharge” from the case. “HC observations on the bail granted to her (Thakur)
has considered all evidence against her, including on the points of ownership
of the motorcycle and presence in alleged conspiracy meetings. The order states
that there is no prima facie evidence against her, so we have argued for
discharge from the case,” Maggu said. indian express
Probe not complete, Zakir aide’s bail plea opposed by ED
Mumbai:Enforcement directorate (ED) opposed the bail plea of Aamir
Gazdar, a close aide of IRF founder Zakir Naik, on the grounds that the
investigation is not complete.ED said further investigations are on to identify
other proceeds of crime and efforts were on to locate Naik and his other
associates. Gazdar was arrested in a money-laundering case.Special judge
adjourned bail hearing to May 15. timesofindia
UP: Muslim youth says ATS, NIA torturing him, trying to falsely
implicate in terrorism cases
Lucknow: A Kanpur youth has alleged that ATS and NIA sleuths are
torturing him, trying to falsely implicate him in terrorism cases and link him to
a suspected terrorist whose "encounter" killing had created a
controversy during the UP elections. Mohammad
Atif, 26, an embroidery factory worker who lives in the Bangali Ghat locality
in the city's Jajmau area, has written to the Chief Justice of India, the Union
home minister and the director-general of UP police alleging that the two agencies were
summoning him at their offices every alternate day, thrashing him and mounting
pressure on him to "own up to" involvement in terrorist activities
along with Mohammad Saifullah, the suspected terrorist shot dead by the ATS a
day before the last phase of polling in UP in March. "The intelligence agencies
would be held responsible for any eventuality against me or my family,"
Atif has written in the letter.Atif held a media conference in Lucknow along
with his lawyer, Mohammad Shoeb, and alleged that ATS and the NIA had made him
sign on blank papers."Agencies have also taken my Facebook password. I am
receiving phone calls from dubious persons from Calcutta and Chennai. ATS and
NIA sleuths call me in the middle of the night and ask me to go to their office
in Lucknow at 9:30am. They interrogate me frequently and threaten to kill my
wife and newborn daughter if I didn't say I had links with Saifullah,"
alleged Atif.Atif alleged at the conference that interrogators had made him sit
face to face with a retired air force officer accused of
"radicalising" Saifullah and force him to accept that he knew
ex-serviceman for long."I do embroidery in a factory in Kanpur where Waqar
Anas, a relative of Saifullah, used to work with me. I had met Saifullah there
once or twice.But I didn't know him much,"he said.Lawyer Shoeb alleged
that the intelligence agencies were "cooking up evidence against Atif to
implicate him in a case".telegraphindia
3 ISI suspects arrested from Mumbai, Faizabad
Mumbai: 3 suspected agents of Pakistan's ISI have been arrested from
Mumbai and UP , police said on Thursday. An official said the arrests were made
in a joint operation by ATS of UP and Maharashtra, PTI reported. Acting on
leads provided by ISI suspect Aftab Ali, arrested from UP’s Faizabad on
Wednesday, the UP ATS picked up Altaf Qureshi on Wednesday night from south
Mumbai’s Masjid Bunder and Javed Iqbal from Agreepada, also in Mumbai, on
Thursday morning, IG UP-ATS Aseem Arun said in Lucknow.News18/PTI
Najeeb case: Court quashes order on JNU students' consent on polygraph
test
New Delhi: A city court quashed a police order summoning nine JNU
students for recording their consent or denial for a lie-detector test in the
case relating to the missing university student, Najeeb.ASJ Sidharth Sharma set
aside order passed by a magisterial court after it noted a defect in the notice
sent by the IO to the students. It, however, allowed the IO to send them a
fresh notice.PTI
Hyderabad Police registers case against Digvijaya Singh
Hyderabad: Jubilee Hills police station registered a case against
Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh for his controversial remark that
Telangana cops had been trapping Muslim youths into ISIS through inflammatory
posts from their fake sites.Telangana Youth leader Dinesh Chowdary lodged a
complaint with the police that Digvijaya had demoralised the Telangana police
and created fear among people of the state besides hurting the feelings of
section of society.Mumbai Mirror
BJP MP not a tribal: MP govt scraps her ST certificate
Bhopal:MP Govt has scrapped the scheduled tribe certificate of BJP
national secretary and sitting MP Jyoti Dhurve, triggering calls for her
resignation from the reserved constituency.HT
UP Governor writes to Adityanath, seeks action against Azam Khan
Lucknow: UP Governor Ram Naik has
written to CM Yogi Adityanath, seeking
action against former Minister Mohammad Azam Khan on various charges, including
misuse of official position .In his letter, the Governor has enumerated 14
points on the basis of which he wants action against Khan. IANS
If no compromise, court shall resolve Ram Temple issue: Subramanian
Swamy
Lucknow: If Muslims do not want a compromise on the Ram Temple issue,
there is a court to resolve the land dispute in Ayodhya, BJP leader Subramanian
Swamy today said, drawing sharp retort from the Babri Masjid Action Committee.
"If they do not want a compromise, we have the court. We have
already won in the Allahabad High Court, which has ruled that Lord Rama was
born at a place of central dome as per faith. If you talk of Hindu-Muslim
unity, a mosque can be constructed anywhere, but it cannot be constructed where
Lord Rama took birth," Swamy told reporters after his meeting with UP CM Yogi
Adityanath here, sounding confident of legal victory in the matter.PTI
Family of Muslim man lynched by a mob is thinking about leaving their
village in Bulandshahr
After an elderly man was beaten to death by a mob in UP's Bulandshahr, family
is now considering leaving their home in Sohi village."There are only 4
Muslim families in this village of 150 families. There is a threat to our
lives," Yaseen, younger son of Ghulam Mohammad said. Mohammad was attacked because a young
Muslim man from Sohi village in Bulandshahr had eloped with a Hindu woman from
the neighboring village of Fazalpur. HT reported that Mohammad was killed
because he refused to divulge information about the whereabouts of the couple. huffingtonpost
UP: Police detain interfaith couple whose disappearance led to man being
lynched
Rajasthan’s school mergers have dealt a blow to Urdu teaching, and its
speakers allege a conspiracy
The residents of Pahadganj are furious. In 2014, the Urdu-medium primary
school in this neighbourhood in Jaipur city, Rajasthan, was merged with a
Hindi-medium senior secondary school that operated out of the same premises in
the morning shift. The language of instruction at the merged school with
classes from 1 till 12 is now uniformly Hindi.Since 2014, the Rajasthan Govt has merged over 17,000 public schools into
other such institutions, with the promise that this pooling of teaching and
other resources would improve the overall quality of education. Another lot is
set to go this summer, with some activists estimating that the number could be
over 3,700. In the process, schools that used minority languages as mediums of
instruction have been subsumed within Hindi-medium institutions, leading to
widespread resentment among their speakers, especially Muslims who form the
largest section of Urdu speakers. There are also schools catering to Sindhi
speakers, though their numbers are much lower. Scroll
EVM tampering: EC to convene all-party meet on May 12
New Delhi: Election Commission of India has called for an all-party
meeting in Delhi on May 12 to address the issue of accuracy of the electronic
voting machines, ANI reported.
Iran delay in oilfield contract leads to cracks in Tehran-Delhi ties: timesofindia
New Delhi: A war of attrition appears to be on between India and Iran
over Tehran's delay in awarding contract for a major gas field. A move by
Indian state-run refiners to reduce Iranian oil imports has prompted Iran to
retaliate by reducing the credit period by a third and raising ocean
freight.India had stood by Iran through the sanctions over Tehran's nuclear pro
gramme and continued to buy its crude after securing a US waiver, citing its
rising appetite for oil. That relationship appears to have developed cracks
over Tehran dragging its feet for nearly a decade in awarding the contract for
Farzad-B gas field discovered by an Indian consortium led by ONGC Videsh.
WORLD
Russia, Iran,Turkey agree on Syria 'de-escalation zones'
Russia, Iran and Turkey have signed a deal calling for the setup of
so-called de-escalation zones in war-torn Syria during talks in Kazakhstan's
capital, Astana.The signing ceremony on Thursday was briefly interrrupted by
members of the delegation of the Syrian armed opposition, who stormed out in
protest against Iran's participation in the deal."We saw several members
of the opposition delegation stand up furiously condemning what was going
on," Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Astana, said. "They
shouted that Iran should not be a signatory to this. In fact, they went as far
to saying that Iran is a criminal entity that shouldn't be here and they
stormed out."Elshayyal said that neither the Syrian Govt , nor the
opposition - which on Wednesday suspended its participation in the talks
protesting against ongoing air raids - had signed the agreement. "It is
very clear that this is regional powers who have decided that they are going to
bulldoze their way forward and decide what’s best for Syria," he said.aljazeera
Iran oppositionist accused of insulting troops in Syria
Tehran:Iran’s public prosecutor heard a lawsuit lodged against an
opposition party leader -- known for his close ties with Iran’s reformist
current -- for allegedly "insulting Iranian soldiers fighting in Syria”. Gholamhossein
Karbaschi, head of the Kargozaran-e Sazandegi-e Iran Party, voiced sorrow over
the deaths of Iranian soldiers fighting in war-torn Syria.“Our hearts long for
peace in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen;that oppressed be given succor and that the Shia
are empowered,” Karbaschi declared in his address.“But can this be achieved by
sending money and arms and by carrying out military operations [in the
above-mentioned conflict zones]?" he asked. Anadolu
Russia beefs up troop strength in Aleppo’s Afrin
Aleppo:Following recent Turkish military operations against PKK
terrorist group's Syrian affiliates, Russia has reportedly deployed fresh
troops to several areas of Aleppo's Afrin district. Russia now maintains a
significant troop presence in the valley linking Afrin’s villages of Deir Sufan
and Zeitouna, the Bifanun Mountain region and the village of Tal Acar. Anadolu
Agency
Turkey 'took precautions before' Iraq, Syria airstrikes
Ankara: Turkish military has clarified it shared all necessary
information with civilian and military representatives before carrying out
airstrikes in northern Iraq’s Sinjar Mountain region and northern Syria on
April 25. Turkish General Staff said all necessary precautions had been taken
and maximum care was ensured to avoid casualties among official personnel and
civilians in the airstrikes. Anadolu Agency
Syria: Residents of besieged Ghouta fear it is time to flee
The humanitarian situation on the outskirts of the capital of Syria,
Damascus, is worsening as Govt forces
continue their siege on the opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta.In the
seventh day of fighting, UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today
that the infighting between rebel groups Jaish al-Islam, the al-Rahman Corps
and the al-Qaeda-linked Levant Liberation Committee(Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) has
killed at least 143 people, including 13 civilians. Aljazeera
Hekmatyar returns to Kabul under EU-backed deal
Kabul: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of the country's ex-rebel leaders from
the 90s-civil war period, arrived in the capital on Thursday under an EU-backed
peace deal with the Afghan Govt, almost 20 years after he left Kabul.Hekmatyar,
who heads the Hezb-e-Islami party, drove all the way from eastern Nangarhar
province and entered the city in a heavily-armed convoy of armored vehicles and
pick-up trucks packed with his top commanders and fighters.His party supporters
had decorated the Kabul-Nangarhar Highway and roads in Kabul with his posters.
Afghan air force helicopters were also used to escort his convoy.Hashmatullah
Arshad, party spokesman, said their leader had reached his residence in the
Darul Aman neighborhood of Kabul.Arshad said Hekmatyar would visit the
presidential palace later in the day and meet President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
A moot to welcome the former rebel leader has also been arranged at the palace.
Afghan Govt had released at least 55
prisoners associated with his party before the he arrived in capital in line
with the Sept. 2016 peace deal. On Saturday, the veteran Afghan mujahedeen
leader made his first public address since returning to Afghanistan following
almost two decades of self-imposed exile. Speaking in eastern Laghman province,
he had urged the Afghan Taliban to shun violence and join the peace process. Anadolu
Agency
Wary mood in Kabul as ex-warlord Hekmatyar set to return: Reuters
Over half of Rohingya girls who fled violence became child brides - UN
survey
Kuala Lumpur:More than half of Rohingya Muslim girls who fled violence
in western Myanmar ended up becoming child brides, according to a UN survey
that also showed widespread domestic abuse.Since 2012, violence and communal
clashes in Myanmar's Rakhine state have forced more than 168,000 of the ethnic
Muslim Rohingya minorities to flee, including a rising number of women and
girls, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.In a survey of 85 Rohingya
women and girls who have fled to India, Malaysia and Indonesia, UNHCR found
about 60 % married before the age of 18. Average age that they gave birth to
their first child was 18.Reuters
Trump: ’Very good’ chance for Israel-Palestine peace
Washington: The prospects for peace between Israel and Palestine are
"very good", President Donald Trump said Wednesday. “We will get it
done," Trump said as he welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to
the White House for the first time since he took office in Jan. Trump
reiterated his stance that peace cannot be imposed by the US or "any other
nation", stressing the parties themselves "must work together to
reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship, and thrive, and
prosper in peace.""I will do whatever is necessary to facilitate the
agreement," he said. Anadolu
Israel cuts back financial aid to UN over UNESCO vote
Israel said it will cut back $1 million in aid for UNESCO in response to
a recent resolution which is critical of Israeli policy in Jerusalem.Israeli PM
Benjamin Netanyahu, who announced the decision at a cabinet meeting on
Wednesday, said he had ordered the foreign ministry to immediately implement
the order.Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish
Ambassador to Israel, Carl Magnus Nesser on, following Sweden’s support for UNESCO
resolution. Israeli Minister Miri Regev, called on Govt to close the UNESCO HQRS in Jerusalem and
confiscate its building.
Israeli army storms hospital in occupied W.Bank
Ramallah: Several Palestinians were injured on Thursday when Israeli
forces stormed the Ramallah Medical Center in Israeli-occupied West Bank in a
dawn raid, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.“Israeli troops raided
the medical center and fired live ammunition and teargas at Palestinian youth
who responded by throwing stones,” the ministry said in a statement. Anadolu
Report reveals shocking reality of media restrictions in Palestine
Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has documented 66 new Israeli
violations of media freedoms in the Palestinian occupied territories during the
first quarter of 2017.In a statement issued on Wednesday to mark the Press
Freedom Day, the Syndicate said the Israeli authorities continue to detain 28
journalists including six administrative detainees; held without a charge or
trial.According to statement, Israeli attacks on journalists included shooting
with bullets and gas bombs, beatings, denial of press coverage and restrictions
of freedom of movement, such as preventing them from entering the city of
Jerusalem and traveling abroad. middleeastmonitor
FIBA allows hijab in professional basketball
Headgear, including the hijab and yarmulkes, will be allowed in
professional basketball following the approval of a proposal by the
International Basketball Federation (FIBA) that overturns a ban on such head
coverings. The organisation's central board approved the proposal on Wednesday
and the new rule was formally ratified during FIBA's midterm congress on
Thursday. "It came up in our board meeting and everyone supported making
the change," USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley told AP news agency prior to
Thursday's FIBA meeting. aljazeera
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
There is Nothing ‘Nationalist’ About Denying Fellow Indians Their Basic
Rights: MARIYA SALIM
Gujarat’s Genocide: Bilkis Bano’s incredible pursuit of justice that
lasted for 15 years
Why Muslims must give BJP a fair chance: Syed Zafar Islam, spokesperson
of BJP, ex- director, Deutsche Bank
How we created the myth of Muslim invader and a battlefield out of
Babri: Ruchika Sharma
Commemorating Allama Iqbal, great poet and philosopher of Islam: Dr. Ali
Al-Ghamdi, ex- Saudi diplomat
AAP has Decimated a Historic Mandate for Alternative Politics: Praveen
Rai, political analyst, EPW
The Foot Soldiers of Hindutva Have been Lurking in the Shadows For a
Long Time; PRAGYA TIWARI
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:50 PM)
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