Evening NEWS
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INDIA
7 including 4 Muslims lynched by mob in Jharkhand in 2 separate attacks over
kidnap rumours
7 persons, including 2 brothers returning from work linked to the Swachh
Bharat campaign, were beaten to death by mobs in two attacks over the last 24
hours in tribal-dominated areas near Jamshedpur following rumours of gangs
involved in kidnapping children being active in the region. Jharkhand Police
said 2 other persons were killed similarly on May 12 and May 13 in the
neighbouring Jadugora and Asanboni areas.Kolhan DIG Prabhat Kumar said, “Lynchings
took place because of rumours of a child-lifting gang in the area even though
no such case has been reported. We don’t know how this rumour began and who
started it.”Police said members of the mob involved in the attacks were from
the tribal community.On Friday, residents in different areas near Jamshedpur in
East Singbhum district and Seraikela-Kharsawan district, where Thursday’s
attacks took place, staged protests against the killings, downing shutters in
shops and blocking roads. In Jugsalai market, a tribal was assaulted and his
bicycle set ablaze. 3 of those killed in the first incident at Rajnagar on
Thursday morning were identified as Sheikh Sajju (25), Sheikh Siraj (26) and
Naim (35). Another member of this group, Sheikh Halim (28), was initially
reported missing but his body was found in the locality on Friday, said police.
Family members of the 4 have refused to accept their bodies from the morgue and
demanded Rs 25 lakh as compensation from Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das. They refused to accept the Rs 2
lakh offered by the state Govt on Friday. In the 2nd incident on
Thursday afternoon, police said, Gautam Verma (27), his brother Vikas Verma
(25),and their friend Gangesh Gupta were beaten to death in front of their
80-year-old grandmother as they were returning to Jamshedpur. A fourth member
of the group, Uttam Verma, the elder brother of Gautam and Vikas, suffered
injuries in the attack, police said. Uttam said from a hospital in Jamshedpur,“They
were standing on the road with swords and other arms. When police arrived, my
brother got into the police jeep. But the mob dragged him out and killed him in
front of my eyes. Our 80-year-old grandmother, who was with us, was made to
watch, too. The police just stood there and did nothing.”Uttam said they had
recently started a toilet installation business and were in the area to
identify spots to place hoardings as part of the Centre’s flagship cleanliness
initiative.The reason why the first group was visiting the area was still not
known, said police.In the first incident, police said, Sajju, Siraj, Naim and
Halim were visiting villages under the Bagbeda police station when they were
chased for close to two hours by a mob and attacked in Rajnagar.”They had
started their journey on Wednesday night from Haldipokhar in East Singhbhum for
Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharsawan district. They were stopped at Sobhapur village
by the mob, which alleged that they were child-lifters. When Rajnagar police station
officer-in-charge Tuleshwar Kushwaha and other policemen arrived at the spot,
the mob set their jeep ablaze and heckled them,” said police sources. “While
Sajju, Siraj and Halim managed to flee, the mob beat Naim with stones and
wooden sticks. Another police team took Naim to a hospital in Seraikela where
he succumbed to injuries,” said sources.According to police, the mob later
caught hold of Sajju and Siraj at the house of a local resident, Sunil Mahto at
Shosomauli village in Rajnagar.“They lynched the 2 despite resistance from a
group of locals,” said police sources.In the second incident, Verma family and
their friends were attacked at Bagpeda.Last week, Nikhil Tudu and Naseem were
killed by mobs in similar attacks.Indianexpress
Hands folded, blood-soaked body: Pictures of Naeem begging for life
capture brutality of Jharkhand lynching
Jamshedpur: In the last photographs taken of him, Mohammed Naeem is
pleading to a group of villagers as blood trickles down from his head. Half of
his body is soaked in red. His shirt presumably ripped away, and dirt marks on
his pants suggest he was kicked repeatedly. Hands folded, the father of three
struggles to convince the people surrounding him that he is innocent. But they
lynch him anyway. Naeem was the last of 4 people to be beaten to death on
Thursday by villagers in Sobhapur, less than an hour’s drive from Jamshedpur,
Jharkhand’s most populous city. Another group of 3 were lynched less than 20 km
away. hindustantimes
Jharkhand lynching: How mob justice took 3 lives on a single night
Jharkhand lynching: ‘Saw my brother die in front of my eyes:Uttam Verma
No communal angle in lynching of Muslim cattle traders: Jharkhand police
6 people, 3 of them Muslim cattle traders,
were lynched by tribal villagers in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district
near the steel city of Jamshedpur in three separate incidents within 24 hours
following rumours about child-lifting gangs on the prowl. Police denied there
was any communal angle behind the killings even as Jamshedpur, in neighbouring
East Singhbhum district, witnessed massive public protests on Friday. PTI
Protest at outside Jharkhand Bhawan in Delhi against ‘holy mob’: okhla times
Some Okhla-based activists, along with Delhi-based activists, turned up
outside Jharkhand Bhawan in Delhi today to protest against the Holy Mob. Protesting
peacefully, they carried a banner written on protest against Holy Mob.
Moreover, the protest was also telecast live on the social media.According to
India.com report, three Muslim cattle traders were lynched to death by an angry
mob over child-lifting rumours in a Jharkhand village near Jamshedpur on
Thursday.
Muzaffarnagar Bajrang Dal activists thrash 2 youths who had come to meet
their female FB friends
New Delhi:The extremist Hindu organisation Bajrang Dal has hit the
headlines in UP's Muzaffarnagar. Some members of the infamous Hindu
fundamentalist organisation grabbed two young men and thrashed them in public.A
group of Bajrang Dal activists on Saturday mercilessly bashed two youth who had
reportedly come to meet girls they had met on social media site, Facebook.The
video, which has gone viral, has Bajrang Dal activists mocking law and order at
their will.The violent Bajrang Dal activists are seen thrashing the two young
men brutally. They ask their names as one of the activists continues to hit one
of the young men.Another Bajrang Dal member failed to stop slapping the youth. After
a few seconds into the video, a man grabs a leather belt and unleashes the fury
upon one of the youths. According to ANI inputs, a police complaint was filed
after which four persons, including two Bajrang Dal activists, were
arrested.However, they were later released on bail.IndiaToday.in
Jaipur’s Meat Sellers Living in Fear After Intimidation, Licence
Crackdown
Jaipur: In the last 3 weeks, Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) has
sealed approximately 100 meat shops in the city. The closures are apparently
because these shops had not renewed their licences – but the owners have
alleged that the JMC has not issued any licence renewals since 2016.After
spending decades working in the meat business, the owners are confused by the
sudden crackdown. “The licences for the year 2016-17 were not issued because a
proposal for licence fee increment was under consideration,” Kamlesh Meena, a
senior veterinary officer at the JMC, told The Wire.Meat shop licences issued
by the JMC are valid only for one year. “The renewal process takes almost the
whole year. We start applying from April and get the renewal in February, just
two months before its expiration. The licence should be renewed for at least five
years,” said Abdul Rauf Qureshi, president of the New Jaipur Meat Merchants’
Association.“I was working in my shop as usual when some officials came asking
for a licence. This was the 1st time I had encountered any interference with
our business. I showed them the latest licence I had (from 2015) and daily
slips from the Chainpura (legal) slaughterhouse. But they wanted only the
renewed licence, which nobody has. They started threatening me, saying they
will take action using Section 133 and make me close my shop. Our shop is the
oldest in the area, it’s almost 50 years old now. My father used to run it and
now I take care of it,” said Riyazuddin Qureshi (37), a meat seller in Sindhi
colony, Jaipur. the wire
Alwar lynching: Pehlu Khan’s cows find shelter in his ‘assailants’
gaushala
Alwar: In an irony of ironies, the cows that
Pehlu Khan - the Muslim man lynched by vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Alwar in April
- was suspected to be smuggling have found shelter in a gaushala run by one of
his alleged assailants. The cows are currently sharing space with 600 other
bovines in Shri Rath Sarvajanik Gaushala of Dahmi village. The cowshed was run
by one Jagmal Yadav, who has been on the run since Khan’s death at a hospital
two days after being brutally assaulted.2
Babri Masjid demolition case: VHP leaders surrender in CBI special
court, get bail
Lucknow: A CBI special court on Saturday granted bail to 5 VHP leaders
in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case on personal bond of Rs 20,000 each and
a guarantor for every defendant. Judge SK Yadav approved the bail applications
of Ram Vilas Vedanti (59),Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (79), Mahant Dharamdas (68),
Champat Rai Bansal (71) and Baikunth Lal Sharma (88) after they surrendered in
the court before applying for bail. A sixth accused, Shiv Sena leader Satish
Pradhan from Mumbai did not appear because he is unwell. “All 5 persons have
been granted bail by the court. Satish Pradhan will appear on Wednesday,” said
KK Mishra, counsel of VHP leaders. Following directions of the Supreme Court
for daily hearing of the case, the judge fixed Monday as the next date of
hearing.“After appearance of Satish Pradhan before the court, date for appearance
of LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti will be fixed,” Mishra
added.The court campus, which has been set-up on the third floor of the
Institute of Cooperative and Corporate Management Research and Training, Indira
Nagar, resonated with chants of ‘Jai Sri Ram’ when the VHP leaders came out
after their bail applications were approved.VHP leaders appeared before the
special court after it sent them a notice. According to ANI the court was
hearing a case against the accused alleged to having been involved in
demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in 1992.This comes a week after the
Supreme Court allowed the CBI's appeal in the Babri Masjid demolition case and
restored criminal conspiracy charges against BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar
Joshi, Uma Bharti and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh among others.The apex
court ordered that two separate cases in Lucknow and Raebareli against Advani,
Joshi and Bharti and unknown 'kar sevaks' shall be brought together in one
trial.The Supreme Court also directed the trial court in Lucknow to commence
the proceedings in four weeks and hear the matter on a day-to-day basis so as
to complete the hearing in two years. The SC also said there will be no 'de
novo' (fresh) trial.HT/ANI
Babri Masjid demolition case: former BJP MP, VHP leaders surrenders to
CBI, gets bail
Babri Masjid case: Ram Vilas Vedanti, Champat Rai, BL Sharma, Mahant
Nritya Gopal Das and Dharamdas surrender in Spal CBI court in Lucknow
Babri demolition case: Vedanti reveals Babri demolition had backing of
then Govt
After being granted bail in the much disputed
1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, former MP RV Vedanti today, in an explosive
revelation, said the pulling down of the 'edifice' had the backing of the then
Govt .Vedanti said that then PM P.V.
Narasimha Rao had agreed to their request of not sending any forces in order to
smoothen the process of demolition without any hindrance."On the night of
Dec.5,1992 around 11 pm, then PM
Narsimha Rao called me and asked what would happen tomorrow? I told him
that the kar sevaks would not move back behind demolishing the structure. He
then asked what help I wanted.I told him that if their forces don't come, we
would demolish it, to which Narsimha Rao agreed," ANI
180 Dalit families convert to Buddhism in riot-hit Saharanpur
Meerut: Some 180 Dalit families from three villages of Saharanpur
district have converted to Buddhism in protest against what they called unfair
targeting of the community and Bhim Army, after incidents of violence over the
past month in Saharanpur.Dalit residents of villages around Shabbirpur, where
60 houses of the community were allegedly burnt by Thakurs, said they had been
living in fear ever since."Police and the Thakurs are hand-in-glove. We
want to flee. We hope that the conversion will give us some strength,"
said a Dalit resident of Shabbirpur.In the recent past, several incidents of
violence involving Dalits have been reported in Saharanpur. On April 20,
skirmishes broke out in Sadak Doodhli village over an Ambedkar Jayanti
procession.On May 5, another clash occurred over a procession of Maharana
Pratap taken out by Thakurs in Shabbirpur village, in which a Thakur man died
and several people of both communities were injured.On May 9, a group of Dalits
led by the Bhim Army were on their way to hold a 'mahapanchayat' when they were
stopped by the police, leading to stone pelting and arson in which three
policemen were injured.Members of the Bhim Army have been on the run ever since
after multiple FIRs were registered against them. "Everybody is targeting
Dalits and the Bhim Army. The truth is it was a pre-planned attack on Dalits.
The villages were attacked at a time when the men were out in the fields. Women
were beaten up. One woman's hand was cut off by a sword. But, the police are
not doing anything about that. Instead, they are targeting the Bhim Army, which
is only working for the powerless and voiceless Dalits. They are calling us
Naxalites, and putting 14-year-old Dalits behind bars," said Vinay Ratan
Singh, national president of Bhim Army to TOI, talking on the phone from an
undisclosed location."This conversion is just the beginning. Now more and
more of us will convert to Buddhism. If we are not treated as human beings in
Hinduism, we will not remain silent spectators," Singh added.Saharanpur
police, however, are not taking the conversion seriously. "See, Buddhism
is only a branch of Hinduism. Like some people go to Arya Samaj temple, some
people will go to Buddhist temples. Everybody at the end of the day is
Hindu," a policeman told TOI.
Dalit movement gathers steam after Saharanpur violence
Saharanpur: Bheem Army chief booked, 5 of its workers held; cops foil
Thakurs’ meet
Lucknow: Weeks after clashes between Thakurs and Dalits in Saharanpur
district, police are still lodging FIRs and arresting people on charges of
instigating communities, violence and provisions of the Information Technology
Act.While 5 activists of Bheem Sena have been arrested and three other
activists —- including Bheem Sena head Chandrashekhar —- booked, an alleged
attempt to hold a panchayat of Thakur-community members has also been
foiled.Sadar Bazar police station SHO Piyush Dixit said a case was filed
against Chandrashekhar on Thursday on the basis of an audio clip purportedly
released by him. indianexpress
Gujarat riots witness:Didn't see Bajrangi in mob
Ahmedabad: One more witness came before the special SIT court hearing
the Naroda Gam massacre case and deposed on Friday that he did not see the key
accused persons - Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and VHP leader Jaideep Patel
-in the mob that was rioting in the area on February 28, 2002.Eleven persons
were killed in the Naroda Gam massacre that took place during the 2002 riots in
Gujarat. As many as 84 persons are being tried for the killings.Apart from
Bajrangi and Patel, ex minister Maya Kodnani is also an accused in this case. Bajrangi
andKodnani were convicted to life imprisonment in another 2002 riots case, Naroda
Patia massacre, in which 97 persons were killed.Kishan Kirstal, who lives in
Naroda, appeared as a defence witness and told the court that he passed through
the market of Naroda Gam twice on the morning of Feb28, 2002, but did not
perceive tension there. At around 1.30pm, he saw a mob rioting near Mayur
Hotel. He said he did not see Bajrangi, Patel or Vallabh Patel in the mob.
Vallabh was a BJP municipal councillor from the area then.TOI
Zakir Naik denies being granted Saudi citizenship
Dr Zakir Naik, has denied media reports of him being granted Saudi
citizenship. In a statement, his organisation IRF, said, “It (news of Saudi
citizenship) is false, unless Allah wills. This is how media even prints gossip
as facts.”Quoting sources, Middle East Monitor website had reported that King
Salman had intervened to grant Naik Saudi citizenship to protect him from an
arrest by Interpol. Janta Ka Reporter
Naik denies reports of Saudi citizenship:TheQuint
Has Zakir Naik got Saudi citizenship? India Today
Pak funding: Hurriyat suspends Nayeem Khan over sting op remarks
Srinagar: The Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference suspended the
membership of Jammu Kashmir National Front chairman Nayeem Khan on Saturday, a
few days after a sting operation by a Noida-based television channel allegedly
showed him admitting to the use of Pakistani funds to finance the 2016
unrest.Confirming the development, a Hurriyat leader told Hindustan Times that
Khan will remain suspended until “further inquiries are conducted”.Earlier in
the day, Khan told reporters that the sting operation was “fake and doctored”.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, he alleged that the media group had
used his statements out of context to “defame the Kashmir struggle”.“We
generate funds at the local level to help victims of the conflict,” Khan
added.The sting operation, which also featured Tehreek-E-Hurriyat leader Gazi
Javed Baba and J&K Liberation Front (R)chairman Farooq Ahmed Dar, showed
Khan saying that all “separatists get funds from Pakistan”. Neither of the
three had been in the news in recent times. Separatist leader Yasin Malik
lodged a police complaint against a woman journalist of the media group concerned
on Friday, alleging that she “breached his privacy”. “I was sleeping when she
barged into my room, asking questions about the sting.I was half-asleep. This
is against the ethics of journalism. You don’t barge into people’s bedrooms,
telling the family that you have an appointment,’’ separatist leader said. An
NIA team had arrived in Srinagar the previous day to question top separatist
leaders regarding funds received from Pakistani sources, including terror
outfit LeT, to fuel the Kashmir unrest.Although sources said four prominent
separatist figures – including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Khan – will be
questioned in this regard, a Hurriyat spokesman said they have “received no
notice so far”.HT
Alarmed at probe, Hurriyat says it has no terror links to Lashkar
Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference reacted with anger and alarm to Centre's
announcement of NIA's probe into the source of its foreign funding.NIA stepped
in after allegations made by Hurriyat official Nayeem Khan of the Geelani faction
that separatists, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, received funds from
Lashkar-e-Taiba to carry out terror activities in the Kashmir Valley. Hurriyat
spokesman Ayaz Akbar, also of the Geelani faction, denied links to LeT,
saying,"Agency has earlier harassed and questioned party officials,
including Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai and Syed Geelani's son-in-law, but could not
find anything. These are fabricated charges to pressure us, as authorities are
unable to control clashes in Kashmir." JKLF chief Yasin Malik, who joined
the Hurriyat in 2016, said, "They try to prove I'm receiving funds from
Pakistan.They've tried to do the same many times but failed to prove me
politically corrupt." TOI
NIA orders enquiry into Hurriyat funding in Kashmir by Pak terrorists
Kashmir: District magistrate imposes restrictions in three areas of
Srinagar citing law and order
Srinagar: Authorities on Satuday imposed restrictions on the assembly of
people in three police station areas of Srinagar as a precautionary measure to
maintain law and order. The restrictions have been imposed in three police
station areas in old city, an order issued by district magistrate (deputy
commissioner) Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone, said here.PTI
Rs 246 cr spent on training scheme for Kashmiris, only 10% get jobs
New Delhi: 6 years after New Delhi introduced Udaan, a flagship
programme to provide Kashmiri youth with professional training and jobs, an HT
investigation shows fewer than 10,000 people, or just over 10% of the target,
were employed through a scheme riddled with corruption. The low rate of success
comes despite an expenditure of Rs 246 crore that the Govt gave private companies to cover
accommodation, food and travel expenses of candidates.Worse, of the 9,780
Kashmiri youths who received jobs under Udaan, it is unclear how many are still
employed because the scheme’s nodal agency,National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC), eventually loses track of the beneficiaries.“As mandated in
Udaan guidelines, all candidates are tracked up to three months after they join
the organisation,” an NSDC spokesman wrote by email on condition of anonymity.HT
has also found instances of job offer letters being forged to claim money, and
of humanities students being placed for training in technical subjects they
knew little about. The NSDC spokesman said they hadn’t come across any such
complaints.HT
ICJ can’t nullify Jadhav’s death sentence, gave no ruling on consular
access: Sartaj Aziz
Pakistan said on Saturday that its domestic laws will prevail in the
case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, ex-Indian Navy officer given capital punishment by a
military court, and the International Court of Justice cannot nullify his death
sentence.Sartaj Aziz, the adviser on foreign policy to PM Nawaz Sharif, said ICJ had not given any
ruling on providing consular access to Jadhav. No decision has been made on the
matter of consular access, he said while addressing a news conference along
with foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua.Aziz noted that Europe was opposed to the
death penalty and it was normal for the ICJ to stay Jadhav’s execution. He said
the ICJ had a tradition of ruling against the death penalty.“But they cannot
nullify our sentence,” he said, adding Jadhav’s case would be handled according
to Pakistani law.HT
Musharraf: Jadhav bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab, Pak should have
ignored India's ICJ petition
Pervez Musharraf on Friday said that Kulbhushan Jadhav is a bigger
terrorist than Ajmal Kasab.In an interview to Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf
drew parallels between Jadhav and Kasab, who was hanged to death in India for
his role in the Mumbai attacks. Musharraf said Kasab was just a
"pawn" while Jadhav is responsible for getting "dozens of
people" to carry out terrorist activities."Who is a bigger culprit
(between Jadhav and Kasab)," Musharraf rhetorically asked, before saying,
"Obviously it is Jadhav." "I don't even know how many people's
deaths Jadhav is responsible for," Musharraf added.The former Pakistani
army chief also slammed his country for appearing in the International Court of
Justice, which this week put a stay on Jadhav's death sentence. "It was
wrong that India went to the ICJ," Musharraf said, adding, "Pakistan
should not have gone (to the ICJ".Issues of espionage and sabotage are
Pakistan's internal matters, Musharraf added, saying no one has the authority
to advise his country on these issues.He also went on to indicate that world
bodies like the UN and the ICJ don't have any real power. Directives issued by
these world bodies are ignored by some countries, he said when asked whether
Pakistan could have realistically avoided sending a team to ICJ to defend
against India's claim.IndiaToday
ICJ stays Kulbhushan execution:
Cleric offers Rs 20L to garland Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif with shoes
Hate speech case against Adityanath: HC bench restrains court from
passing order on closure report
Lucknow : An Allahabad High Court bench comprising Justices Umesh
Chandra Srivastava and Ramesh Sinha has “restrained” a Gorakhpur court from
passing any order on the closure report submitted by CB-CID in a 2007 hate
speech case, in which CM Yogi Adityanath
had been named among others. The order was passed on May 11, day the state Govt in an affidavit informed the court that it had
refused sanction for prosecution of the CM
and others named as accused.In its order, the HC bench also asked the
Chief Secretary to file details of the status of all 29 cases registered in
connection with incidents of communal violence that occurred on Jan 27, 2007,
in Gorakhpur district.“As it is apparent from record that 29 criminal cases,
including the present case, were registered with respect to the incident dated
27.1.2007 in district Gorakhpur where communal riots broke out…as there has
been loss of lives and properties of public at large, we direct the Chief
Secretary of the state to file status of all those cases till date through a
detailed comparative chart,” the order said. Indianexpress
2007 Gorakhpur riot case against Adityanath: UP govt counsel sacked
Lucknow: UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s Govt in UP has relieved Govt counsel
Vimlendu Tripathi of his charge. He had misled the Allahabad high court on a
case in which Yogi Adityanath was the main accused.A GO issued by special
secretary, law, Brijesh Kumar Misra, on Thursday, stated that the order of April
23, 2017 appointing Vimlendu Tripathi as Govt
counsel was being cancelled. According to sources, Tripathi is the first
casualty of the pending criminal case against Yogi Adityanath in the 2007
Gorakhpur communal riot case pending before Allahabad HC. Tripathi has
reportedly been punished following the Allahabad high court’s adverse comment
against him. The division bench of justices Ramesh Sinha and Umesh Chandra
Srivastava had charged Tripathi of misleading the court to complicate issues by
not letting the court know on May 4 that the principal secretary Home, who is
the competent authority in the matter, had already taken a decision the
previous day, that is on May 3, refusing the sanction for prosecution against
Adityanath, main accused in the case. On May 4, the court passed an order
calling upon the UP chief secretary to clarify whether on the Draft Final
Report, which was submitted by Crime Branch of CID(CB-CID) after probe, was
pending for approval or grant of sanction for prosecution of the accused was
awaited.The court termed as “painful and disturbing” the fact that Tripathi did
not inform the court on the matter though he later offered an oral apology. Petition
under consideration had been filed by social activist Parvez Parwaz along with
advocate Asad Hayat. Asian Age
Not anti-Muslim riots, new NCERT text book will call it Gujarat riots
from now
It will be known as Gujarat riots and not anti-Muslim riots in the NCERT
textbooks. The decision to term the 2002 incident as Gujarat riots was taken at
a meeting of the course review committee that includes representatives of CBSE
and NCERT, HT reported while quoting sources. The textbook for the Class 12
which was published when the UPA was ruling referred to the incident as the
anti-Muslim riots. Now it will be called as the Gujarat riots only. Around 800
Muslims and 250 Hindus were killed in the riots that took place between Feb.and
March 2002. The violence was a result of the train burning incident at Godhra
in which 57 Hindu pilgrims were killed. The new text book would effect this
change once it is printed. The new text books are expected to be printed by the
end of 2017. NCERT has however termed the move as routine and aimed at keeping
the text books updated.A chapter titled "Politics in India since
Independence" (page 187) in Class XII political science textbook has a
passage under the heading "Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat".It reads-
"In February-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took place
in Gujarat...A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of
karsevaks was set on fire...Suspecting the hands of Muslims in setting fire to
the bogey, large-scale violence against Muslims began in many parts of
Gujarat..."the passage reads. OneIndia News
Revised NCERT Class XII Textbook To Say 2002 Gujarat Riots Weren't
'Anti-Muslim'
Sabarmati Express blast: Kashmiri AMU researcher Gulzar Wani acquitted of all charges after 16 yrs
Lucknow/New Delhi: A court in UP ’s Barabanki district acquitted former
AMU research scholar and suspected Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) operative Gulzar
Ahmed Wani on Saturday of all charges in the 2000 Sabarmati Express blast
case.“The court of additional sessions judge MA Khan acquitted Wani and
co-accused Abdul Mubeen of all the charges due to lack of evidence,” Prabhat
Singh, Wani’s counsel said. Mobin was already on bail since 2008.Passing the
order, Judge MA Khan observed that no evidence had been produced by the police
before the court against Gulzar Ahmad Wani and Abdul Mobeen.Only of the basis
of portraying them as SIMI members, the cops had made the two accused in the
Sabarmati Express blast, said the court.
Wani, who was pursuing his PhD in AMU’s Arabic department, was arrested
from New Delhi on July 31, 2001, and named as an accused in the case. He was 28
years old.A resident of Tapper Pattan in Baramulla district of north Kashmir,
Wani, has been in jail since then. After Saturday’s verdict, Wani would be a
free man after languishing behind bars for 16 years. His family, the counsel
said, was in Lucknow to complete his release formalities from the jail.Wani was
also accused of being a conspirator in 10 other cases of explosions and slapped
with 14 FIRs in different police stations of Delhi, Maharashtra and UP prior to
2000. But he was acquitted in all other cases.On April 25 this year, the
Supreme Court termed Wani’s custody spanning over 16 years without bail as
“shame”. “He has been acquitted in 10 out of the 11 cases but still you want
him to be in jail without bail,” a bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and justice
DY Chandrachud told the counsel for UP Govt , who opposed Wani’s bail. The top
court also fixed a date in November for his release even if the trial was
incomplete.Among the 11 cases against him, Wani was, however, convicted for 10
years for allegedly carrying explosives to trigger a blast in Delhi.But, Singh
said, his sentence was suspended and that it was one of the longest jail terms
for a person before being acquitted in all cases. The only pending case against
him was the Sabarmati Express train blast case. hindustantimes
Sabarmati Express blast: After 16 yrs of imprisonment, Court acquits
ex-AMU scholar
Sabarmati Express Blast: Ex-AMU Student Acquitted Of Charges After 16
Years
NIA won’t challenge Aseemanand bail
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nia-wont-challenge-aseemanand-bail/articleshow/58757837.cms
New Delhi: NIA will not challenge the bail granted to Swami Aseemanand
in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case two months ago. Its decision is based on a
couple of Supreme Court verdicts that had justified bail to
"non-hardcore" terror undertrials on grounds of delayed prosecution
and long incarceration.Aseemanand had walked free in March this year after he
was granted bail by a Hyderabad court in the 2007 case. At the time, he was already
on bail in the 2007 Samjhauta Express case and had just got acquitted in the
Ajmer Sharif blast case. Home ministry sources told TOI that NIA took a
decision around 20 days back not to appeal against the Hyderabad court's bail
order.NIA chief Sharad Kumar, when contacted, refused to confirm or deny the
development. Earlier, the agency had refused to challenge bail granted to
Aseemanand by the Punjab & Haryana high court in the 2008 Samjhauta blast
case, taking the view that there were no legal grounds to file an appeal in the
SC.Sources said NIA's decision not to challenge Aseemanand's bail in the Mecca
masjid case is based on Supreme Court verdicts in the Shaheen Welfare
Association Vs Union of India & Others case (1996) and Jayant Kumar Ghosh
Vs NIA case (2014).TOI
Muslim Personal Law
Govt may step in and enact a law to ensure triple talaq is banned:
Venkaiah Naidu
New Delhi: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has said the Govt may be driven to step in and enact a law
banning triple talaq — an instant divorce practice under Islamic law — if the
Muslim community does not ‘change’ the practice. Citing other instances of
ancient practices banned by the Govt
such as the Hindu traditions of child marriage, sati and dowry, Naidu
said the Govt was not trying to
‘interfere’ with personal matters but trying to ensure justice to women and
equality before the law.“It is for the society to take up the issue and it will
be good if the (Muslim) society itself changed the practice. Otherwise, a
situation may arise where the Govt will
have to bring in a legislation (banning triple talaq),” Naidu was quoted as
saying by news agency PTI. He added that the decision was not only limited to
triple talaq, but will be applicable to any practice ‘against the society’s
good’.“This is not to interfere in anybody’s personal matters, but at the same
time it’s a question of justice to women.All women should have equal rights.
Equality before law…that’s the issue,” Naidu said. “Hindu society discussed
child marriages and Parliament passed a legislation banning it. Second is sati
sahagaman, an ancient practice, wherein a woman too ended her life following
her husband’s death. Now it is prohibited by law, by the Hindu society itself.
Third is dowry. Dowry Prohibition Act was passed and the Hindu society accepted
it,” he added. indianexpress
Govt will enact law if Muslims fail to 'change' practice: Naidu on
triple talaq
'This battle is about women and not religion': Maneka Gandhi speaks out
about triple talaq
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi raised the contentious triple talaq issue
with PM Narendra Modi, and maintains retrograde practices in any religion should
be weeded out. Her comments came a day
after the Supreme Court concluded hearing arguments against and in favour of
the Islamic divorce practice that allows men to split up with their wives by
saying 'talaq' thrice. 'The matter came to me after a court order and I took it
to PM Narendra Modi as far back as in
2016,' she said. 'After this, a group of ministers was formed and the Govt's
stand was very sensible, which was the same as my stand. We want the happiness
and well-being of all women, irrespective of religion or region...'Therefore,
any custom that is unfair should be weeded out. It has nothing to do with
Muslim or Hindu community. It's just women,' Gandhi said in the exclusive
interview. DailyMail
Scrap triple talaq immediately:Najma Heptullah
Imphal: Manipur Governor Najma A Heptullah, has called for the immediate
scrapping of triple talaq, saying that it is a medium of oppression. Dr.
Heptulla said, "Triple talaq should be scrapped immediately as it is only
a medium of oppression. It is contradictory that we are living in the age of
Facebook and Whatsapp and we are favouring a 1400-year-old ritual."ANI
Muslim judge on multi-faith bench kept mum all through in duing hearings
on Triple talaq: TOI report
New Delhi: A unique, multi-faith 5-judge bench of the Supreme Court,
with a Sikh, Christian, Parsi, Hindu and Muslim on it, concluded hearings on
the challenge to the triple talaq practice on Thursday but Justice Abdul Nazeer
did not utter a single word during the 6-day hearing.CJI J S Khehar and Justices
Kurian Joseph, RF Nariman and UU Lalit freely engaged the counsel seeking
clarifications on doubts over religious practices and customs of the Muslim
community, but Justice Nazeer had no question to ask. Probably, he was well
aware of the origin, practice and prevalence of triple talaq among Muslims in
India and abroad.No hearing in any court in India on any Muslim custom,
practice or personal law can be complete without referring to Sir Dinshah
Fardunji Mulla's monumental work on interpretation of Mohamedan law. When Mulla
was referred to by senior advocate Salman Khurshid on Thursday, Justice Nariman
said, "Mulla was not only a great scholar on Muslim law but also a
qualified priest like me in the Parsi community." Justice Joseph, who had absented
himself from Chief Justices Conference in 2015 protesting at the event being
scheduled on Good Friday and shooting off a letter to the PM reminding him that
equal importance must be shown to sacred days of all religions, was the most
vociferous. He asked simple and intricate questions about the connection
between religion and social practices. He also made the counsel feel at ease
before the bench.While AIMPLB was adamant that Muslim personal law practices
could not be tested for its validity by courts, petitioners were adamant that
triple talaq was a blot on the Muslim community for denying right to equality
to women. With the division getting sharper as the conclusion of hearing
neared, senior advocate Indira Jaising said, "SC has to walk the razor's edge.There
is no escaping this." CJI Khehar replied in a lighter vein, "If we
walk the razor's edge, we will be cut into 2." Another advocate, Ashwini
Upadhyay, attempted to ridicule AIMPLB's stand saying tomorrow there would be a
Hindu Personal Law Board to take a rigid stand on Hindu practices. The bench
stopped him and said, "You are a lawyer, don't argue this."TOI
OTHERS
Future elections will be conducted using EVMs and VVPATs, says Election
Commission
In the wake of a string of allegations levied on the Election Commission
of India (ECI) regarding the use of EVMs in March’s Assembly polls, Chief
Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi clarified that future elections would
be conducted using both EVMs and Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPATs). In
lieu of this clarification, the EC also issued a statement challenging state
and central political parties to prove their stance on the EVMs being tampered
with.“EC has put forth a challenge, which will be open from June 3. Interested
participants must register by 5 p.m. on May 26. Either through a combination of
key press or communication with the control unit, ballot unit or both via
external hardware, participants must be able to prove their allegation of
tampering,” asserted ZaidiAddressing a media briefing here on Saturday, Zaidi
while rubbishing the claims of EVM tampering said no credible information was
received to strengthen the complaints of tampering.“Complaints came after
elections in the five states, but we did not receive any credible material
information on EVM tampering from the complainants. We believe in complete
transparency and have no reason to hide anything,” he said.“We conducted a
thorough investigation after we received complaints following the elections
held in Bhind. It has been made clear through the demo that no tampering was
done. These are baseless rumours,” he added. Asserting the implausibility of
tweaking the process through external hardware, Zaidi revealed that EVMs, being
standalone machines, have no frequency receivers or data decoders to support
technology involved with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or any such services requiring a
stable internet connection. Commenting on the accusation of Trojan horse, a
key-press sequence being used to deliberate data on the chip, Zaidi while dismissing
the same said the chip was a one-time programmable device.“Trojan Horse cannot
be inserted into EVMs since the chip on the EVM is one-time programmable. It
doesn't have a Wi-Fi chip and therefore cannot receive external signals
either,” said Zaidi.EC’s new version of EVMs comes with self-diagnostic
tamper-detection software which recognises digital signature. Hence, any
alleged mishandling would be immediately detected, said Zaidi.ANI
Election Commission throws open EVM challenge from June 3, asserts
machines are tamper-proof
MP BJP functionary among 9 arrested for running prostitution racket
through website, 4 women rescued: NewsBits.in
Bhopal: A gang that was allegedly involved in running a prostitution
racket was busted, with the arrest of nine persons on Friday.The gang members
lured girls--mostly from other states including Noth East, with the promise of
jobs and later threw them into prostitution racket. Cyber Cell had got
information about the sex racket after it received complaint about a
pornographic website that was being used to contact those who solicited sex
workers. The police conducted a raid and arrested the gang members. The racket
was run from a house in Arera Colony in Bhopal. Those arrested include Neeraj
Shakya, who is a BJP functionary. He was media in-charge of the party's
scheduled caste wing. After the arrests and the revelation, BJP has expelled
him from the party. AIG Cyber Cell Shailendra Chauhan, said that the the
accused may have links with gangs in other states too. The kingpin Subhash
Dwivedi alias Vir is yet to be arrested.The modus operandi of the gang members
was such that they tracked girls who applied on job sites. They would contact
the girls and offer them job of receptionist or a job at the call centre.After
the girl would arrive, a gang member introducing himself as 'reception manager'
would met them and promise job. However, the girls were later forced into sex
racket. Those arrested include Suresh Gahlot, Neeraj Shakya, Ravi Prajapati,
Harjeet Dhanwani, Manoj Gupta, Krishna Kumar Jaiswal, Misba Uddin and Suresh
Belani. The police are interrogating the accused.NewsBits.in
Kerala Law Student Chops Off Genitals Of A Swami, Her Alleged Rapist
Kerala: That's how her 8-year-old ordeal ended on Friday. A 23-year-old
law student in Kerala allegedly chopped off the penis of a swami, a self-styled
godman, who had been allegedly raping her for many years at her house. Accused identified
as Swami Ganeshananda, or Hari swami as he is also known as, is a member of the
Panmana Ashram in Kollam.Kerala CM
Pinarayi Vijayan reacted to the incident and said that it was brave of
her to take such a step. "It's a courageous and strong act by the
woman," he said.Prameela Devi, member of the Kerala State Women's
Commission, said such an act is unacceptable. People like these are supposed to
be role models not rapists, Ms Devi added. 54-year-old swami first allegedly
assaulted the girl when she was 16. The girl has told the police that the swami
would come to their home to meet her mother and whenever he got the
opportunity, he would allegedly rape her.Last night, when the accused again
showed up at their home and tried to force himself on her, she got hold of a knife
and attacked his penis. She immediately called the police. after the incident.Accused
was rushed to the Trivandrum Medical College. A team of experts conducted a
plastic surgery on godman, who is said to is be out of danger now.Sparjan
Kumar, Trivandrum City police commissioner said that the swami abused the woman
in several ways. ndtv
Kerala: Woman chops off genitals of a Swami after he tries to rape her
Kerala: 54-yr-old swami's genitals Chopped Off by girl, CM lauds woman's
'courageous step'
Kerala swami claims he, not girl, chopped off his sexual organ as it was
not useful
Tension in Aligarh old city over mosque repair work, security up
Aligarh: Security in some sensitive localities in the old city area in
Aligarh has been beefed up with deployment of RAF team after tension between
members of two communities over repair work at a mosque. A police official said
today that two sides exchanged brickbats at Phool Chowk under Kotwali police
station area last night. The police had to use mild force to restore the order,
the official said. The trouble began when a shopkeeper from one community
objected to the installation of a new minaret to replace a damaged one.Police
said that his shop was in the building adjoining the mosque and the shopkeeper
argued the new minaret was larger than the original one and this could obstruct
any future construction by him.The mosque committee agreed to install a smaller
minaret after the authorities intervened. However, rumours started that the
mosque was going to be demolished after senior district BJP leaders arrived on
the spot.SSP Rajesh Pandey told PTI the situation “is well under control” but
police are taking no chances. Rapid Action Force team has been deployed in the
area and the dispute over the minaret has been resolved, he added. Meanwhile, a
senior district official is reported to have asked the members of the mosque
committee as to how repair works at a place of worship was undertaken “without
official permission”.PTI
Tension in Aligarh over construction of a pillar in a mosque
Experts on GST rates: Indeed a new beginning but telecom, insurance,
hotel booking to pinch consumer
Putting rest to concerns whether the 1 July rollout of GST is possible,
GST Council finalised rates for various products and services over the last two
days. Experts now feel the meeting the deadline will not be an issue, though
there are a few more issues to be sorted out.For various industrial sectors, it
is indeed good news that the Govt has
ended the uncertainty surrounding the taxation regime in time. However, not all
sectors are happy. So also the tax experts. firstpost
BJP fields record number of Muslim candidates in Malegaon, Bhiwandi
corporation polls
Mumbai: In a major outreach towards the minority community in two of
Maharashtra’s minority-dominated towns, BJP has fielded a record number of
Muslim candidates in Malegaon and Bhiwandi for the upcoming urban local body
elections.In Malegaon, located 280 km north of Mumbai where Muslims constitute
79 % of the town’s population, BJP is
contesting on 50 seats in the 84-member civic body. Of these 50 candidates, 30
are Muslims. In Bhiwandi, located 35 km north of Mumbai, Muslims constitute 52%
of the city’s 7 lakh population as per 2011 census. BJP is contesting 57 of the
90 seats. It has fielded 18 Muslim candidates in the city.“For me, personally,
I believe the BJP has won even before the elections as we have been able to
reach out to our brethren. BJP has for long been unfairly criticised as being
anti-Muslim. When poll process was announced, we had over 170-180 Muslims who
approached us seeking tickets. This signifies a huge change in mindset and is
truly a victory of our democracy,” said Nitin Pophale, member of BJP’s state
working committee, who is handling the elections in the town. BJP has never
been able to make a mark in the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, which has been
dominated by the Congress and Janata Dal over the years. Indianexpress
In UP polls, those with criminal cases won more votes: Report
New Delhi: The winning candidates with criminal and serious criminal
cases pending against them polled a higher vote share (44 % ) compared with
candidates with a clean record (43 % ) in the recent assembly elections in UP
.The surprising revelation has been made by the ADR on Friday in a report
analysing the vote share and representativeness of elected candidates in
UP and Uttarakhand assembly polls held
in February-March this year. In Uttarakhand, however, candidates with clean
record won with a marginally higher vote share (48 % ) compared with those with
criminal record (47 % ).In both the states, the maximum number of all
candidates won with a vote share between 41 %
to 50 % .In a positive trend for the Indian democracy, the ADR report
said in both the states, the vote share of the winning candidates also
significantly increased compared with 2012 assembly elections.“ Winners of the
2017 UP assembly elections won by an
average of 43 % of total votes polled.
In 2012 elections, winners won by an average of 35% of total votes polled,” the
report noted.IANS
Will uproot Modi govt. before it completes term: Lalu
Patna: Stung by a series of scam charges and Income Tax raids against
his family members, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Friday declared
that he would uproot the Narendra Modi Govt
at the Centre “before it completes its 5-year term.”He also accused the
BJP of conspiring to tarnish his image through I-T raids and making “frivolous
allegations” against his sons and daughter.“Listen, BJP/RSS people, Lalu will
drag you off your seat in Delhi, whatever be my situation... Get this straight…
don’t you dare threaten me,” tweeted Lalu Prasad. On the recent Income Tax
raids against his family members and others in connection with several
“dubious” land deals, Prasad’s second tweet asked:
“Chapa…Chapa…Chapa...Chapa...kiska Chapa? Kisko Chapa? Chapa to hum marenge
2019 mein...Main dusron ka hausla digata hun, mera kaun digayega (Raid…Raid…
Raid… whose raid? Who is being raided? … I’ll do a raid in 2019…I make others
nervous, who will make me nervous?). Prasad asked the media to name the 22
places where Income Tax officials had conducted raids. “How did they [the
media] report without any verification or evidence,” he asked.Speaking to a
select group of journalists in Patna, RJD chief said Modi Govt had completed 3 years.“But it’s not going to
complete its full 5-year term...BJP has been conspiring to tarnish Lalu’s
reputation… How can my family and I become super rich and others remain paupers
..It’s all part of a political conspiracy.”the hindu
‘ISI agent’, 2 Pakistani men detained in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer
Jaipur: A suspected agent of Pakistan’s ISI was detained in a joint
operation in Jaisalmer by the intelligence units of Rajasthan Police and the
Indian Army, officials said on Saturday. Two Pakistani nationals were also
detained in another operation but officials said they will be sent back. A
report by IANS said Haji Khan was detained from his house in Kunjari village of
Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs.Khan, accused of sending confidential
information to ISI, has been sent to Jodhpur for further interrogation, a
Rajasthan Police official said.“Khan was detained a few months back but
released due to lack of evidence,” official said, adding:“He used to visit
Pakistan at regular intervals as his maternal house is there.”HT
WORLD
Rouhani wins Iran's presidential election: aljazeera
Iran's reformist President Hassan Rouhani has decisively won the
country's presidential election, according to official results, fending off a
challenge by principlist rival, Ebrahim Raisi. With all of votes in Friday's
poll counted, Rouhani was re-elected with 57 percent, Interior Minister
Abdolreza Rahmanifazli said on Saturday."Of some 41.2 million total votes
cast, Rouhani got 23.5 ...and won the election," Rahmanifazli said in
remarks carried live by state TV.Raisi, Rouhani's closest rival, got 15.8
million votes, he added.A big turnout on Friday led to the vote being extended
by several hours to deal with long queues.The election was seen by many as a
verdict on Rouhani's policy of opening up Iran to the world and his efforts to
rebuild its stagnant economy. Rouhani swept into office four years ago on a
promise to reduce Iran's international isolation.Friday poll was the first
since he negotiated a historic deal with world powers in 2015 to curb the
country's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.In the campaign
trail, Rouhani sought to frame the vote as a choice between greater civil
liberties and "extremism", criticising continued arrest of reformist
leaders and activists.
Iran state TV declares Rouhani wins vote for 2nd term
Iran election: Rouhani set to seal landslide victory
PM Modi congratulates Rouhani on resounding victory, says India
committed to strengthening ties with Iran
Trump arrives in Saudi in first foreign trip
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia on the first leg
of his first foreign trip since taking office, in a crucial test abroad as
political scandals mount at home.In a red-carpet airport welcome, Saudi King
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud greeted Trump, his wife Melania and his entourage
shortly after they landed in the capital, Riyadh, around 06:50GMT on Saturday. Trump
will hold a series of meetings with the king and other Arab and Muslim leaders
on Saturday and Sunday, before jetting off to Israel, the occupied Palestinian
Territories, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy in a 9-day tour across the Middle
East and Europe.During the two-day visit to the kingdom, Trump is expected to
sign a major weapons deal, give a speech on Islam and discuss the battle
against "terrorism" with more than 50 leaders.It is the first time a
US president has chosen Saudi Arabia as the first stop on a maiden trip.Trump's
visit is seen as highly symbolic, as he looks to repair Washington's ties with
its closest Arab ally. aljazeera
trump’s speech on islam being drafted by ‘stephen miller’- composer of
‘muslim ban’ speech
Washington: Stephen Miller, an architect who composed speech on ‘Muslim
Ban’ has been assigned the task of drafting Trump’s speech on Islam.The speech
on combating radical Islam is to be given to around 50 Muslim leaders during
the President’s first official visit to Saudi Arabia. Wonder where this draft
will land Trump.“President will deliver an inspiring but direct speech on the need
to confront radical ideology and the president’s hopes for a peaceful vision of
Islam to dominate across the world,” NSA HR McMaster said. “The speech is
intended to unite the broader Muslim world against common enemies of all
civilization and to demonstrate America’s commitment to our Muslim partners,”
he added.Miller, who is senior adviser to the President, played a key role in
drafting the Trump administration’s ban on people from seven Muslim-majority
countries, which was denounced as a ban on Muslims. Saudi Arabia was not on
list of seven Muslim-majority countries affected by the President’s ban. saisat
US, Saudi sign $110 bln arms deal to support Riyadh’s defense needs
Saudi King Salman presents Trump with King Abdulaziz Medal
Saudis backing Islamabad request for Trump-Nawaz Sharif meet at Riyadh
summit tomorrow: Pak media
Saudia Arabia maybe backing
Islamabad's request for PM Nawaz Sharif
meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a summit tomorrow in
Riyadh that some are touting as an 'Arab Nato' meet, Pakistani media reported."Diplomatic
sources" told Dawn that on Saudi Arabia's urging the "Americans are
trying to find space for a very brief one-on-one between Mr Sharif and Mr
Trump". Sources told the Tribune that Sharif "will raise the issue of
extremism, terrorism and human rights violations" in Kashmir with the US
President.Sharif is among 54 leaders scheduled to join Trump for the Arab
Islamic American Summit being held on Sunday. He was invited by Saudi king
Suleman bin Abdul Aziz.TOI
Depopulation of last free Homs neighbourhood by Syria regime continues
Syrian civilians and opposition fighters began to leave the last
opposition-held district of Homs city today under a deal that will see dictator
President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime take back the area once they have
depopulated it of anti-Assad elements, a Reuters witness, a monitor and state
media said.At least one bus carrying families of civilians and some fighters
left Al-Waer district earlier, and dozens more were expected to follow,
bringing some 2,500 people out of the neighbourhood long besieged by Govt forces
and their allies.The evacuation and depopulation of Al-Waer district is one of
the largest of its kind, after a series of similar deals in recent months
brought many areas of western Syria long held by the opposition and besieged by
Govt and allied forces back under Assad
regime’s control. Middleeastmonitor
UN sees ‘incremental progress’ in Syria talks
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura ended 4 days of Syria talks yesterday,
saying there had been “incremental progress” and he planned to reconvene
negotiations in June. But the warring sides still showed no sign of wanting to
be in the same room, let alone on the same page in terms of negotiating Syria’s
political future.Syrian regime negotiator Bashar Al-Ja’afari told reporters the
talks had not included any discussion of the four main agenda items – reformed
governance, new elections, a new constitution and the fight against
terrorism.He suggested the United States had tried to undermine his negotiating
position by saying at the start of the round that a crematorium had been built
at Sednaya prison north of Damascus to dispose of detainees’ remains.middleeastmonitor
164 Palestinians wounded by Israeli forces in W. Bank, Gaza Strip: middleeastmonitor
Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) reported that Israeli forces wounded 164
Palestinians as they cracked down on protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
in solidarity with hunger strikers. In a statement, the PRC said that one of
the Palestinians from Nablus suffered moderate injuries after he was shot with
a live bullet in the leg, while two others suffered moderate wounds as they
were shot in the upper parts of their bodies in eastern Gaza.PRC also reported
dozens suffered light wounds after they were shot with rubber bullets, while
others suffered breathing problems due to tear gas inhalation. Earlier this
week, protests were arranged in solidarity with the hunger strikers in a Friday
“day of anger” in order to pressure Israel.Activist committees called on
Palestinians to clash with Israeli forces if at all possible.
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
Interview: Of Torture, Impunity and the False Charges on Abdul Wahid
Shaikh: The Wire
A Tale Of Modern Slavery Has Horrified America, But In India It's A
Familiar Story: Sandip Roy Editor, HuffPost
Modi must begin talks in Kashmir before it is too late: Islamism is on
the rise in Valley, separatists are fast losing control of the street: Barkha
Dutt
Metal cows,attacks: 10 months since Una assault, cow politics still
stalks Gujarat’s Dalits:Aarefa Johari
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:35 PM)
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