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Lynched Zaffar Hussein was protecting wife and daughter, eyewitnesses
say Rajasthan govt official yelled ‘kill him’
Pratapgarh: For 24 hours, Rashida Bi has been in a daze. With a white
dupatta over her face, she sits facing a blank wall, wailing and talking
incoherently in snatches.Next to her, her 14-year-old daughter Sabra is reading
the Quran to come to terms with her grief, sitting on the floor of their modest
one-storey home in a congested neighbourhood in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh.Her
father, CPI (ML) member and activist Zaffar Hussein was allegedly lynched by Govt
officials early on Friday after he
objected to their photographing women defecating in the open.The mother and
daughter were among the women being clicked by civic officials, including the
commissioner.“They threatened my daughter, said they’ll burn her father, break
my face,” Rashida says in an outburst before collapsing into sobs.“It was about
6:30 am and we had gone for latrine [to relieve ourselves] there when the car
of municipal officials came. They started clicking our photos, abusing us and kicking
our water mugs. Abba came out and told them to stop after which they started
beating him,” says Sabra, the younger of Zaffar’s 2 daughters.Kamal, a sweeper
at the municipality, was hitting Zaffar’s head with a stone, she adds. “The
commissioner, who was sitting in the car, egged him on. ‘Maaro, maaro, jaan se
khatam kar do’,” says the daughter, who studies in Class 10.Shahida (30), a
neighbour who too claims to be an eyewitness, adds that Kamal’s hand and shirt
got stained with Zaffar’s blood during the assault.Police haven’t arrested
anyone for the alleged assault but has named 5 civic officials – including
commissioner Ashok Jain – in the FIR. “We were only telling women coming back
after defecating to stop doing it in the open. Zaffar came and attacked Kamal,”
he told HT.“I held him and took him aside. Whatever the issue, you must not
fight, I told him. Zaffar then left cursing us,” he said. He added that there
was no attack or retaliation from his men.But eyewitnesses dismiss the
official’s version of events and say they saw the alleged attack on the
48-year-old Zaffar. “They threatened my 14, said they’ll burn her father, break
my face.” -- Rashida Bi, wife of Zaffar Hussein.At the spot where the alleged
lynching took place, a few stones, a little larger than fist, are lying on the
road. “I was returning from there after taking a dump,” Durga Shankar, a
16-year old standing at the spot, says pointing towards a mound of black rocky
ground.“A white car was parked here. And the red-haired man [Kamal] was
punching him [Zaffar] in the stomach,” he says.Another woman who had gone to
relieve herself, Sarsi Meena, says Zaffar had come out running after the women
made noise. “The officials had been coming since four days and clicking our
photos and telling us to use the community toilet,” she says. Zaffar, who ran a
small grocery shop and worked for rights of labourers, had repeatedly
petitioned the municipal councillor to release money for the construction of
toilets in the homes, the villagers say.The photographing of people defecating
in the open is part of the govt’s Swachh Bharat scheme to shame and discourage
public defecation. But many experts say such naming-and-shaming doesn’t work
because poor and backward communities have scant access to functional toilets
or funds to build their own facilities. HT
Rajasthan officials beat man to death after he objects to their
photographing women defecating in open
Activist Zafar lynched to death in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh for objecting
photography of women defecating in open
Lynching of Zafar Khan: Hundreds protest in Pratapgarh
Jaipur: Hundreds of people came
out on the streets in Pratapgarh town of Rajasthan on Friday when news spread
about the lynching of a local resident Zafar Khan allegedly by municipality
employees when he tried to stop them from taking photos of women easing out in
the open.They marched towards the civil hospital where 44-year-old Khan's body was
kept. They were demanding death sentence for the assailants. Locals said Zafar
had submitted a memorandum to the local administration, a few days
ago,complaining about unavailability of the funds for construction of toilets
in houses under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.He had also demanded fund to repair the
public latrine, which is not in working state till now.IndiaTomorrow
No arrests made as cops aren't sure whether Zafar was indeed lynched: timesofindia
Jaipur: No arrests have yet been made although there are witnesses who
saw CPI-ML leader Zafar Hussain, 55, being beaten viciously by municipal
workers. Pratapgarh commissioner Ashok Jain was also allegedly part of the
group that was out touring early Friday morning in a bid to prevent open
defecation as part of PM Modi's Swachh Bharat Campaign at a Kachi Basti in
Pratapgarh.SP Shivraj Meena of Pratapgarh said,"We received a complaint
from the civic officials and a case was filed. We later received information
that Zafar Hussain had died. On a complaint from the man's brother, a case has
been filed under Section 302 of IPC. The
body has been sent for post-mortem examination and the report is awaited. Until
it arrives, we cannot ascertain the cause of death. If indeed he died of
thrashing, arrests will be made." In a handwritten note in Hindi signed by
Zafar himself (date not visible; copy with TOI), CPI-M has appealed to local
authorities to construct toilets in area and prevent sanitation workers from
harassing poor women who are left with no option but to defecate in the open,
given the lack of toilets.
Video: Mentally-challenged woman thrashed by hooligans in Rajasthan’s
Nagaur, forced to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’
Rajasthan:A mentally challenged woman in Rajasthan was thrashed by two
men and the act was recorded and uploaded on social media. The incident
reportedly took place on Tuesday in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. This incident
came to limelight when some of them uploaded the video of two people thrashed a
mentally-challenged woman with a rubber pipe on social media. Men those who are
thrashing the lady identified as Prakash Meghwal and Shrawan Meghwal has been
arrested by the police for thrashing a lady and forcing her to say Jai Shree
Ram. india
Rajasthan: 2 arrested for thrashing mentally-challenged woman
Jaipur:2 persons have been arrested for
allegedly thrashing a mentally-challenged woman with a rubber pipe in Nagaur
district of Rajasthan, police said on Thursday. 2 persons identified as Prakash
Meghwal and Shrawan Meghwal have been arrested, they said. “We are also
searching for the man who uploaded the video on social media,”SHO, Balaji
police station, Puranmal Meena said.PTI
Demonetisation one of most ‘disruptive experiments’, made ‘little
sense’: US Report
Washington: PM Narendra Modi’s “grand gesture” of demonetisation has
proved to be one of the most “disruptive experiments” in recent economic
history and it brought India’s cash-dependent economy to a “standstill”,
according to a report published in a top US magazine today. The report in the
latest issue of ‘Foreign Affairs’ magazine said demonetisation made “little
sense” economically even as it proved enduringly popular.“This (demonetisation)
has proved to be one of the most disruptive experiments in recent economic
history, and one from which Modi’s administration now risks learning all the
wrong lessons,” wrote author James Crabtree.A senior visiting research fellow
at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy NUS in Singapore, Crabtree who is
currently on sabbatical from his previous position at the ‘Financial Times’,
has been highly critical of demonetisation policy.“So far Modi’s economic
achievements are real, but his record on delivering growth-enhancing reforms,
especially those that risk upsetting the public, is mixed,” Crabtree
wrote.“Although his grand gesture of demonetisation made little sense
economically, it has proved enduringly popular, and it appears to have made
only a minor dent in the GDP. As he approaches 2019, it is not hard to see the
lesson that he might learn,” he wrote.“The fact that demonetisation has been
bad for short-term growth is no longer in doubt. Last week, India released GDP
figures for the first quarter of 2017, the period when Modi’s demonetisation
had its largest impact,” he wrote.“The fact that demonetisation has been bad
for short-term growth is no longer in doubt.”According to the report, hundreds
of millions of Indians were forced to line up at cash machines and bank
counters to replace their old 500-rupee and 1000-rupee notes which made up
about nine-tenths of the value of all currency in circulation.“The crunch hit
the poor particularly hard, and brought swaths of commercial activity in
India’s cash-dependent economy, and especially in its large semi-legal gray
market, to a standstill,” Crabtree said.PTI
Note ban fails? Govt report reveals that fake currency detection in
banks is highest in 8 yrs
The claims of PM Modi about curbing production of fake currency after note-ban
seem to be falling flat as counterfeit currency detection instances in the
banking channels have seen an all time increase in the last eight years at over
3.53 lakh instances, according to latest Govt report. According to reports, all banks,
either public sector, private or foreign banks in the country, are mandated to
report such instances to Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under anti-money
laundering law provisions. "The number of counterfeit currency reports
(CCRs) increased from a mere 8,580 in 2007-08 to 35,730 in 2008-09 and 3,53,837
in 2014-15," the report, accessed by PTI, said. However, the amount of fake
currency detected has not been specified.CCR is defined as the usage of a
forged or counterfeit currency note or bank note as genuine or where any
forgery of a valuable security or a document has taken place during a cash
transaction at a bank.Indiatimes
Traders in Chandni Chowk shut shop, protest against GST
Delhi: A view of the empty Nai Sadak in Old Delhi on account of bandh
called by the textile traders against implementation of GST. While a number of
brands and retailers have already started offering discounts to clear their
sellers stock, small traders across various parts of the country closed their
shops down demanding revision of the tax rates and withdrawal of taxes in
textiles.The landmark GST reform is expected to be levied from next month. India
times
No Aadhaar, no banking and threat to privacy: Do you have a choice?
New Delhi:On June 1, the revenue department of the finance ministry
issued a notification making linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts
mandatory.The notification amended the Prevention of Money-laundering
(Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 to make quoting of Aadhaar mandatory along
with PAN or Form 60 by individuals, companies and partnership firms for all
financial transactions of Rs 50,000 or above.This has intensified the privacy
debate in the country. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee termed it anti-poor and said,
"Aadhaar has serious issues about privacy." The SC is already seized
with the question of privacy versus Aadhaar. India today
Aadhaar mandatory for opening bank account, transactions of Rs 50,000
and above
‘Dad is not going to come back now’: Son of 1993 Mumbai blast convict
Mustafa as 6 convicted, 1 acquitted in case
Mumbai: “Everything is over... My dad is not going to come back
now.”This was how Shahnawaz reacted to the conviction of his father Mustafa
Dossa by a court in Mumbai in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts’ case on Friday. The
special TADA court convicted 6 out of 7 accused, including Dossa and extradited
gangster Abu Salem, in the second leg of the trial in the blasts case, 24 years
after the attacks, which had left 257 people dead. Though Shahnawaz was
struggling to stay composed tears welled up in his eyes. However, his sister
wore a stoic expression.“My dad has a heart issue... Just wanted to know if he
is fine,” she said.The court found Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan,
Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, and Tahir Merchant guilty under
multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against Govt of
India and murder.The court acquitted another accused, Abdul Quayyum for want of
evidence. Unable to contain his disappointment, Tahir Merchant’s cousin Arhan
Akhtar said, “We had not expected this verdict. We thought he will be acquitted
as all the evidences were in our favour”. Echoing him, Riyaz Siddhiqui’s
relative Ahan Siddique said they were shocked to hear the conviction by
court.“We had not expected this. We were hoping for the best. Though he (Riyaz)
is convicted, he has already served eleven and half years in jail. We will
decide our future course of action after consulting our lawyers,” he
said.However, Quayyum, who was acquitted by the court, was overwhelmed.“...(I’m
acquitted,” he kept on saying repeatedly.His relative said, “All of us are
waiting outside the court. Abdul (Quayyum) was away from us for the last 10-12
years. We are very happy that he is finally free”.HT
Abu Salem, Dossa, 4 Others Convicted In 1993 Mumbai Blast Case, Hearing
On Sentence To Begin On Monday
Violence rocks Kashmir: 6 policemen shot dead in LeT ambush, 2 civilians
killed in clashes with securitymen
Separate incidents in J&K on Friday killed at least 11 people -- 6
police officers, a soldier, 2 civilians and 2 suspected militants --
authorities said, as violence in the troubled region spikes. Suspected
militants ambushed a police patrol in the town of Achhabal, killing five police
personnel, a top police official said.Militants have stepped up attacks in
recent weeks on Govt forces patrolling
the area as counter-insurgency operations intensify.Militants ambushed the
police party on the outskirts of Anantnag district of south Kashmir, believed
to be the hotbed of new-age militancy in the state. The policemen retaliated
but could not break the trap laid for them. Militants overpowered them, then
fatally shot them in their faces from a close range and escaped with their
weapons. A Station House Officer of Achhabal area was among the victims of the
attack.“It is an unfortunate incident to have lost six men including sub
inspector Feroz , a resident of Pulwama. Their contribution to the police
service will be remembered,” director general of police SP Vaid said.Pakistan-based
LeT claimed responsibility for the attack, police said, adding it seems they
wanted to take revenge of Arwani encounter in which their local commander
Junaid Mattoo was believed to have died earlier in the day.Earlier, soldiers
and a police special counter-insurgency force cordoned off Arwani on a tip off
that armed militants were hiding in two homes, triggering a firefight. 2
civilians, including a teenage boy, were killed when security forces fired at
hundreds of villagers who marched to the site of the shootout to help the
militants escape, he added.Villagers said soldiers blasted at least two houses
with explosives.As the fighting raged, thousands of people in the village and
neighbouring areas ignored the Govt security lockdown and marched to Arwani in an
attempt to help the trapped militants escape. 2 suspected militants were also
killed in the shootout, an official said. It is believed that LeT commander,
Junaid Mattoo, and his associate were 2 militants gunned down in the operation.
Authorities suspended mobile internet services in Kashmir and cellphone service
in some areas of southern Kashmir, fearing activists would mobilise anti-India
protests in the region. Separatist leaders called for a general strike on
Saturday to protest the killings.Separately on Friday, a soldier was killed
when Pakistani soldiers fired at Indian posts in southern Naushera along the
LoC that divides Kashmir between the nuclear-armed rivals, Army said. hindustantimes
2 civilians killed as locals protest at J&K encounter site; 2
militants dead
Bodies of LeT’s Matoo, 2 aides found after ops;JK tense
Bodies of 3 LeT militants including top commander Mattoo recovered;
shutdown, curbs hit normal life in Valley
Scores attend LeT commander Matoo’s funeral, militants perform gun
salute
Srinagar: Scores of people, including militants, turned up for the
funeral of LeT commander Junaid Matoo at Khudwani village in Kashmir’s Kulgam
district on Saturday.Matoo was among the three LeT militants killed in an
encounter with security forces at Arwani in Bijbehara on Friday. Among the
mourners were fellow-militants who performed a gun salute at the funeral.A
resident of Khudwani village, 20-year-old Matoo was a category A++ militant
with a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. His name figured in a list of 12
wanted men released recently by the Army. He became the outfit’s Kulgam
commander after Majid Zargar was killed by security forces in Dec.According to
reports, Matoo was still a college student when he took up militancy in June
2015. hindustantimes
Security forces doing a great job in Kashmir: Army chief
Hyderabad:Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Saturday that security
forces were doing a great job in bringing the Kashmir situation under
control.He said the J&K situation should not be looked from the perspective
of what was being projected and that the security forces were taking necessary
action in the Valley.PTI
We have two options: Surrender or live like bravehearts, say joint separatist Kashmiri leadership: kashmirreader
Srinagar: The joint resistance leadership has called for complete
shutdown today against civilian killings, ransacking of properties and forces’
“arrogance”.In a statement, the leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik termed the forces’ action as “state-sponsored
terrorism”. “Forces have virtually declared war on civilians and feel free to
kill and (go) on rampage. They are not accountable for their wrongdoings,” they
said.They said authorities are creating mayhem and have given unbridled powers
to forces.Expressing deep grief over the killing of youth Nazir Ahmad of
Ashtengoo, in Rangreth area of Srinagar, and a civilian in Arwani by forces,
the leaders termed it as “target killing”. The leaders strongly condemned the
vandalising of private vehicles and ransacking of houses and business
establishments, saying it illustrates “sheer vengeance”. Geelani, Mirwaiz and
Malik said after the recent statement of Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat,
forces have been vested with unbridled powers and they feel free to go to any
extent. “They (forces) are treating (the) state as a hunting ground and killing
whosoever comes in their way,” they said.
Illegal VoIP phone exchanges allegedly used by Pak agencies busted in
Latur; Shankar, Ravi arrested
Mumbai: Illegal telephone exchanges routing calls via a computer network
and allegedly used by Pakistani intelligence agencies to access sensitive
military information have been busted in Maharashtra’s Latur district, police
said on Saturday. 2 persons, Shankar Biradar (33) and Ravi Sabde (27), have
been arrested in this connection.They were making use of Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP), a technology that allows a person to make voice calls using an
Internet connection instead of a regular phone line.The phone exchanges were
busted on Friday during raids conducted by a joint team of the Maharashtra ATS,
Latur police and telecommunication dept at 3 places in the district on a
tip-off from a J&K -based military intelligence agency, a police official
said.PTI
Is Taj Mahal not 'Indian' enough for CM Yogi Adityanath?
Taj Mahal may be the only Indian monument to be counted among the
wonders of the world and figure in the list of the world's top tourist
destinations, but the CM of UP doesn't think that the majestic white marble
mausoleum in Agra built in 1653 reflects "Indian culture", reports
The Telegraph.At a public meeting in Darbhanga in Bihar, Yogi Adityanath said,
"Foreign dignitaries visiting the country used to be gifted replicas of
the Taj Mahal and other minarets which do not reflect Indian culture." So,
the Modi govt, according to Adityanath, brought about a change and began giving
copies of the Bhagvad Gita and the Ramayan to visiting foreign dignitaries. He
was in Darbhanga, traditionally home to Maithili Brahmin community, to showcase
Modi Govt 's achievements upon the completion of three years of NDA govt at the
Centre. Party sources told the TOI that the venue had been chosen to appeal to
Hindu sentiments in the region.This is not the first time that there has been
controversy related to the Taj Mahal, 17th century mausoleum built by the
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. huffingtonpost
Over 100 Dalit women in UP's Saharanpur announce embracing Buddhism
A group of over 100 Dalit women here today announced embracing Buddhism,
alleging police excesses on the community. The women had gathered in Rampur
Maniharan area where they staged a demonstration for over two hours demanding
release of Bhim army workers who have been arrested in connection with the
recent inter-caste violence in Shabbirpur village.Later the protesting women
assembled at Rajbaahe culvert holding pictures of Hindu deities which they
immersed in water and announced embracing Buddhism, officials said."These
women have alleged that the police is harassing the Dalits," SDM Rakesh
Kumar Gupta said.The women also handed over a memorandum, addressed to the
President, of their demands to the district administration, according to
Gupta.PTI
More than 100 Dalit women convert to Buddhism amid caste tensions in
Saharanpur
Dalits still converting to Buddhism, but at a dwindling rate
Dalits ranked lowest in the Hindu caste hierarchy, first started
converting to Buddhism as a political gesture in 1956. This was the year BR
Ambedkar, a Dalit icon, embraced Buddhism contending that this was the only way
to escape caste oppression. The community has continued to use initiation into
Buddhism as a gesture of protest. Every time Dalit movement peaked, the number
of conversions rose. After 1956, the number of neo-Buddhists–or fresh converts
to Buddhism–grew again in the 1980s and 1990s because of the rise of the BSP, a
major Dalit-centric political party.Today, around 87% of Buddhists in India are
neo-converts; the rest belong to traditional Buddhist communities, mostly in
the north-east of India and other Himalayan regions.However, there has been a
decline in the growth rate of Buddhists in India in recent years. Among
religious groups, this decline is second only to the fall in the growth of
Jains, according to Census data.The number of Buddhists grew by 6.13% in
2001-11 and Hindus, 16.76%, Census data show. But in the previous decade, this
trend had been the reverse: Buddhists (24.53%) and Hindus (20.35%). decline was
most noticeable in states such as Karnataka, UP and MP–known for their
neo-Buddhist movements. Maharashtra, which accounts for 77% of all Buddhists in
the country, has also seen the growth rate in the community sliding from 15.83%
in 1991-2001 to 11.85% in 2001-11.IndiaSpend.org
Centre asks Rajasthan to crack down on cow vigilantes
New Delhi: In the wake of violence by 'gau rakshaks', the home ministry
has asked the Rajasthan Govt to follow
the Centre's advisory, issued a few months ago, on the need to check
lawlessness in the name of cow vigilantism.The latest case from the state
involved an attack on Tamil Nadu officials transporting cattle near Barmer.Officials
from the Tamil Nadu Govt 's animal husbandry department were attacked when they
were transporting cattle to the southern state on Sunday night. The decision to
name Rajasthan, a BJP-ruled state, indicates the Centre is feeling the heat
over cow vigilantism that has earned it bad press. timesofindia
Gau Rakshaks are hard criminals out to defame Govt , terrorise minority:
NCM Chairperson
New Delhi: Those who lynch people in the name of cow are not Gau
Rakshaks, they are in fact hard criminals who are defaming the Govt and terrorizing the minorities, said Syed
Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi, newly-appointed Chairperson of National Commission For
Minorities (NCM). In an exclusive interview with IndiaTomorrow ,NCM chairperson
highlighted his priorities and spoke on various contemporary issues pertaining
to religious minorities in the country.
Asked about lynching of dairy farmer Pahlu Khan by Gau Rakshaks (cow
vigilantes) and other such attacks by them in the name of cow, Rizvi said:
"They are not Gau Rakshaks, they are hard criminals who are doing such
things to defame the Govt and also to
terrorise the minority. This is a matter of law & order which is the
subject of the state....All such happenings are unfortunate. Minority
commission does not justify this. And we are making efforts that such incidents
may not occur in future."IndiaTomorrow
‘Local people have
apprehensions’: BJP-led Goa to write to centre against cattle rules
Panaji: The Goa Govt has decided
to write to the centre raising certain objections to the recent notification
banning the sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter, as it
has created “apprehensions” in the minds of local people, a state minister said
on Saturday.Talking to reporters, state agriculture minister Vijai Sardesai
said, “I have discussed the issue with CM Manohar Parrikar and he said he will write to
the Centre.”“The state Govt is going
raise certain objections and suggest some corrections to notification on the
Prevention of Cruelty Towards Animal Act,” he said.The notification has created
apprehensions in the minds of Goans, who fear that Govt wants to turn everyone into vegetarian, he
said adding, “A significant section of people in Goa eats beef and there is a
doubt in the minds of people that needs to be cleared.”PTI
Goa to object Centre’s cattle slaughter notification
UP: Man,kin arrested on charge of cow slaughter in Shamli
Muzaffarnagar : A man and his sister-in-law were arrested on the charge
of cow slaughter after police raided their home in neighbouring Shamli district
and allegedly recovered beef.Police said the raid was carried out yesterday
after a complaint was received from some villagers that a cow was slaughtered
in the household at Bunta village in Garhi Pukhta police station area. The
arrested were Mubarik (30) and Reshma (27). Tension mounted in the area after
the incident, prompting authorities to deploy policemen.In a separate case,
police raided a house in Banat town of Shamli and seized buffalo meat on
Friday. A case was registered against two persons, police said, adding that
they were on the run.PTI
Jharkhand: Principal jailed for cooking meat in school
Ranchi: Principal of a Govt school in Jharkhand’s Pakur district was
arrested on Saturday on charges of hurting religious sentiments by cooking beef
at the institute, police said.Her aide, one Birju Hansda, who ostensibly
supplied the bovine meat to her at the school, too was arrested.They were later
sent to the jail after being produced to the chief judicial magistrate’s
court.The meat was sent to lab to ascertain whether it was cow, oxen or buffalo
meat, said Pakur deputy commissioner Dilip Kumar Jha.“It was not mutton for
sure,” he added. The action was taken against the principal Rosa Hansda based
on complaints lodged by students on Friday. She was accused of cooking the meat
at the school’s kitchen where mid-day meals for students are cooked. hindustantimes
42 autonomous bodies, including NCPUL, SRFTI, FTII and IIMC to be
reduced after review by PMO and NITI Aayog
After a review of autonomous bodies, the Govt has decided to ‘corporatise’ three important
institutes, namely the Delhi Public Library, Satyajit Ray Film and Television
Institute (SRFTI) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The Govt
is also mulling the merger of the Indian
Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) with either Jamia Millia Islamia or JNU. Centre is planning to do this as part of
a review of 679 existing autonomous institutions. The review of these
independent institutions, which are formed under the Societies Registration
Act, began in Jan.of this year, according to the Indian Express.The first phase
of the review has covered 114 autonomous bodies which come under 7 ministries
or departments. After the review, the Govt has decided to reduce 42, over a third of
these, bodies or merge them with other entities or organise these bodies under
a common body. The review of these bodies has been spearheaded by the PMO and
the NITI Aayog. Ministries with a large number of independent bodies which get
a high quantum of central assistance were picked by the Centre or phase-I of
the exercise.PMO officials have told the Indian Express that after the
‘corporatisation’ of the aforementioned autonomous bodies could translate to
these organisations becoming special purpose vehicle (SPV) or they may become
independent companies. 24 of these 42 bodies which were reviewed will be
clubbed under a common umbrella. Of the remaining 18 organisations 11 bodies
will be merged with other organisations, 4 will be shut down and the last 3
will be given a corporate makeover.Rs 72,206 was allocated to these 679
autonomous bodies, which are spread across 68 ministries or departments, in
2017-18 budget. many of these organisations have either an overlapping function
or definitional problems. NITI Aayog will begin phase-II of the programme later
this month, which will look into societies registration act and cover Societies
Registration Act. Phase-III of the programme will look into bodies found
outside the ambit of Societies Registration Act.ICSSR, ICPR and ICHR to be
merged with JNU. National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language to be merged
with Central Institute of Indian Languages. National Council for Promotion of
Urdu Language to be merged with either MANUU or Jamia Millia. Children’s Film
Society to be merged with Film’s Division.Indian Express
Govt to corporatise autonomous universities; IIMC to merge with JNU or
Jamia
Darjeeling unrest: One police officer critically injured as GJM claims
death of 2 supporters
Singmari:On the third day of the indefinite strike, Darjeeling turned
into a war zone. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha claimed two of their cadres were in
police firing. Meanwhile, one police officer is in critical condition after
being attacked with sharp weapons. Various areas in the Hills saw pitched
battle between GJM supporters and police as four vehicles were torched. As
police allegedly resorted to firing and lobbing tear gas shells after lathi
charge, GJM workers hurled bombs and petrol bombs on policemen, apart from
throwing stones. indianexpress
Darjeeling violence is a deep-rooted conspiracy, police did not fire:
Mamata
Major Gaurav Arya circulates a fake image as evidence of lathi-charge by
W. Bengal Police: altnews
Major Gaurav Arya, Republic TV’s Defence and Strategy advisor, has
fallen for a fake viral image. Via his Twitter account, Gaurav Arya circulated
the picture of a bloodied man claiming him to be a victim of lathi-charge by
West Bengal (WB) Police against supporters of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GFM). In
reality, the person who’s image he circulated had passed away in March 2017.The
background to this issue is the lathi-charge on GJM supporters by West Bengal
police as reported by HT on June 9. According to HT, after the announcement by
West Bengal Govt that Bengali would be taught compulsorily up to Class 10 in
state schools, GJM supporters came out in thousands to oppose this diktat. In
order to curb the agitation and disperse the mob, West Bengal police had
resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells. Several people including
policemen were injured in these clashes.As it invariably happens these days, a
misleading image of a bloodied man was circulated on social media after the
clashes between the protestors and West Bengal Police. Major Gaurav Arya who
has joined the crony channel Republic TV as Advisor, Defence and Strategy,
posted same viral image on his Twitter account with the message,
“@MamataOfficial Please treat Gurkhas of Darjeeling with respect & honour.
You have seen them in peace.You are very fortunate.”
39 Indians missing in Iraq are alive, in touch with nations to rescue
them: Govt
New Delhi: India is in touch with all the countries which can help in
locating 39 Indians, believed to have been abducted by the Islamic State in
Iraq in 2014, Govt said on Friday. External affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal
Baglay said Sushma Swaraj had met representatives and families of these 39
Indians early this month. “We are in touch with all nations who are helping us
or who can help us. All possible steps are being taken. As of now we have the
information that the people are alive. We have no such information to suggest
that they are not alive,” Baglay said. hindustantimes
Hyderabad High Court refuses to stay State’s Iftar
Hyderabad: A Division Bench of the Hyderabad High Court comprising
Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice T. Rajani said the
Telangana Govt shall take care to ensure
that the various benefits announced by the State’s Iftar party are available to
poor and needy persons from the Muslim community. The bench refused to stay the
‘Iftar’ party proposed on June 18.The judge was dealing with case filed by
Lubna Sarwat. She contended that the Govt had been spending the funds of the
Minority Welfare department since 2015 in the name of Iftar dinners and this
year Rs. 60 crore was allocated for this. J.Rama Chandra Rao,Additional
Advocate General of Telangana, said Govt money was not being spent for the proposed
Iftar party at LB stadium.thehindu
RSS-affiliate MRM to keep Pakistan out of its international iftar event
on Monday
Kolkata: Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an affiliate of RSS, has decided
to keep Pakistan out of its mega international iftart party to be held at
parliament house annexe in New Delhi on Monday. National convener of the MRM
Mohammad Afzal told HT the neighbouring country was not invited considering its
“negative attitude” towards India.For the past two years it has been organising
iftar, the first meal a Muslim takes after Roza (dawn-to-dusk fasting) during the
month of Ramadan. Pakistan was not invited even last year.Diplomats and
representatives from over 50 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Indonesia, Malaysia and Tunisia, are
invited for the event to be presided by Union home minister Rajnath Singh.The
invitees will be offered cow milk to break the fast, which is a rare occurrence
at an iftar party. Muslims traditionally break their fast with dates and a
glass of water. But MRM this year is serving cow milk to those observing Roza
(fasting) at the iftar parties, it has been hosting across the country, to
create awareness against cow slaughter.Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar, Manipur
governor Najma Heptulla, Union minister of steel Choudhary Birender Singh, Delhi
BJP president Manoj Tiwari will attend the iftar among others.Last year
diplomats from more than 50 countries attended the MRM’s iftaar party. hindustantimes
RSS Muslim wing spree of iftar parties in UP preaching to shun non-veg
After complaints, loudspeakers from 7 mosques in Bareilly to be taken
down:TOI
Bareilly: After Hindus and a few Muslim residents of Premnagar in
Bareilly complained about loudspeakers in seven mosques letting out loud
wake-up calls for ‘sehri’ at 3 am every day during Ramzan, the administration
has decided to take up the matter with the mosque administration and take the
loudspeakers down or mute them.Aditional district magistrate Alok Kumar told
TOI, “I have instructed SP (city) to investigate the matter and take action in
accordance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines. Either the loudspeakers will be
uninstalled from the religious places or the caretakers will have to play them
in a low volume.”Residents had submitted a memorandum to district
administration last week.UP Udyog Vyapar
Pratinidhi Mandal (UPUVPM), a traders’ union that is considered to be close to
the Samajwadi Party, also came out in support of the residents and complained
about the issue to the ADM. Shobhit Saxena, district president of UPUVPM, said,
“Whether it is a temple or a mosque, no religion allows bothering others. My
father is a heart patient who has undergone an open heart surgery just last
year. My 73-year-old mother is also suffering from old-age ailments. They have
not slept peacefully for days. There are infants in every house.” Saxena added
that seven of his Muslim neighbours joined him in taking the matter to the
district magistrate.“They said Ramzan is about helping others, not causing
distress,” he said. Following the complaint, one of the Muslim neighbours, Asif
Beg, who had joined Saxena in his complaint, was allegedly targeted by some
people. Beg said, “They stopped me near the mosque when I was on my way home in
the evening and told me that I would go to hell as I had complained against the
mosque loudspeakers. After a heated argument, they even assaulted me and
escaped from the scene.”Bareilly deputy shahr qazi Shahabbudin Rizvi said,“It’s
wrong to use loudspeakers persistently to wake up people for sehri. Ideally,
there should be just one wake-up call within permissible decibel levels.”TOI
Bareilly residents complain against loud ‘sehri’ call
UP Minority welfare dept finds ‘anomalies’ in 12 Govt -aided madrasas
Lucknow; UP minority welfare dept
has, prima facie, found “gross anomalies” in 12 Govt -aided madrasas, including
in terms of infrastructure and staff records. Over the last few weeks, the
department has been physically verifying such madrasas across the state. It has
also been inquiring into the records of their teachers and expenditure.
According to it, there are 560 such madrasas out of a total of 7,500 recognised
ones in the state whose teachers’ salaries are borne by the state.On an
average, according to the Govt , it pays around Rs 60 lakh per annum in aid to
each madrasa and spends about Rs 550 crore per annum in teacher salaries. The
department claims there were complaints of a good number of these institutions
not submitting qualification records and other details of teachers appointed here.
Some of them did not even have proper buildings, said a source in the
department. The task of the verification and subsequent inquiry was given to UP
Madrasa Shiksha Board under the
department. Till now, over half of such institutions have been inquired into
and a list of defaulters is being prepared. indianexpress
Adityanath recommends CBI probe into finacial irregularities in running
of Waqf boards
Hours after UP Govt ordered dissolution of Shia and Sunni waqf
boards, CM Yogi Adityanath tonight
recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities worth multi-crores
committed by the two bodies in the state." CM recommended a CBI probe into alleged scam
worth crores in Shia and Sunni Waqf boards," Minister of State for Waqf
Mohsin Raza told PTI here. Raza said scam worth crores has come to the fore in
a probe by the Waqf Council of India.PTI
Kalbe Jawad welcomes move to dissolve waqf boards
Lucknow: A day after state minister for waqf and haj Mohsin Raza claimed
the state Govt had initiated the process
of dissolving the Shia and Sunni waqf boards, Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad
welcomed the move.Jawad had been at loggerheads with the chairperson of UP Shia
Central Waqf Board and former minister Azam Khan. timesofindia
Gujarat’s Madrassa mufti held from Mumbai airport in Congress leader
murder case: indianexpress
Surat: Mufti Abdulla of Darul Uloom of Hansot, arrested from Mumbai
international airport on Thursday for his involvement in the murder of a local
Congress leader Sabir Kanunga (44). He was about to fly to Jeddah. This is the
first arrest in the murder while other accused are still on run. Bharuch
police, which had issued a look out notice against Abdulla, seized several
documents, including his passport and visa, and cash from him. Hansot police
inspector KV Chudasma said they had information that Abdulla might leave the
country.Police said that Abdulla is accused of hatching a conspiracy to
eliminate Kanunga as the latter had forced him to leave his madrasa over
allegations of sexual harassment of students.After learning about the sexual
harassment of madrasa students by Abdulla and his aides, the Congress leader
had threatened the Darul Uloom chief to leave the village or face legal
actions.
‘These are rumours’: Sushma dismisses reports of being presidential
contender
New Delhi: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj dismissed reports
that she was a contender in the presidential poll as “rumours”.Though neither
the Govt nor the opposition has declared
their candidate for the poll to elect the country’s first citizen, several
names, including Swaraj’s, have been doing the rounds.“These are rumours. I am
an external affairs minister and you are asking me something which is an
internal matter,” she said when asked by reporters whether she was being
considered as a candidate in the presidential poll.The presidential poll is
scheduled to be held on July 17 while the counting of votes would be held on
July 20.PTI/HT
Presidential election: CPI says it asked BJP team about Bhagwat, reply,
‘RSS doesn’t contest’
As the BJP began reaching out to the Opposition ostensibly to build a
consensus on the Presidential elections, at least one party Friday bluntly told
the two top ministers when they came to meet them that the ruling alliance
should not field a “hardcore” (read RSS) person for the office. Bringing no
names or proposals to the table, ministers Rajnath Singh and M Venkaiah Naidu
met with and called a host of leaders starting from Congress president Sonia
Gandhi to CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav to
BSP chief Mayawati, leaving all of them guessing. indianexpress
Presidential election: BJP has nomination papers ready, name column
blank
President Mukherjee hosts RSS chief Bhagwat for ‘courtesy’ lunch
WORLD
Israel, Saudi said to discuss open economic ties: reports
Israel and Saudi Arabia are in talks to forge official economic ties,
The Times of London reported Saturday, quoting US and Arab sources. According
to the report in the British daily, Jerusalem and Riyadh are looking at
developing relations in steps, possibly starting by allowing Israeli companies
to set up shop in the Arab nation, or giving Israeli airline El Al permission
to use Saudi airspace in its flights. Officials close to Saudi Arabia denied
the story, saying the report was no more than wishful thinking by the Trump
administration.There have been various media reports of clandestine talks
between Israel and Arab powers, who have come to see the Jewish state as a
possible ally against what they consider to be the greater threats of Iran and
Islamist extremism. Saudi officials have had some open meetings with senior
Israelis, and a Saudi general has visited Jerusalem and met with officials and
politicians. Israel has been keen to see a regional peace process that would
see Arab states partially thawing their relations with the Jewish state, as a
step towards peace with the Palestinians. PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been promoting an
“outside-in” approach that would see ties normalized between Israel and
moderate Arab states as a way to promote peace.The Palestinian leadership,
meanwhile, has insisted on the formula laid down in 2002 Saudi-led peace
initiative, that sees a peace treaty between Israelis and Palestinians as a
prerequisite for normalization with the entire Arab and Muslim world.The
proposal was the result of months of negotiations led by then-US secretary of
state John Kerry and culminated in a secret meeting on February 21, 2016,
between Netanyahu, Kerry, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Jordan’s
King Abdullah.Opposition leader Isaac Herzog reportedly joined a second secret
meeting between Netanyahu and Sissi in Cairo in April of that year.Herzog told
Haaretz that meetings could have produced a deal that “changed the face of the
Middle East,” but that the opportunity was ultimately torpedoed by hardliners
in Netanyahu’s Likud party. Times of Israel
Israel,Saudi Arabia reportedly negotiating economic ties:Haaretz
Saudi Arabia’s trade talks with Israel carry huge risks: The Times
Saudis and allies working on list of Qatar 'grievances'
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says a list of "grievances"
involving Qatar is being drawn up and will be presented to the Arab Gulf
country shortly.Speaking in London, on Friday, Adel al-Jubeir called on Qatar
to respond to what he claimed were international and regional calls for it to
halt its support for "extremism and terrorism"."I would not call
them demands. I would say it is a list of grievances that need to be addressed
and that the Qataris need to fix," he said.Jubeir did not detail what
complaints could be made, but added that they will be presented "very
soon". aljazeera
Saudi, UAE, Bahrain say blockade on Qatar is necessary for ‘national
security’
Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain affirmed Friday that
their recent moves to diplomatically isolate Qatar are within their rights to
protect national security.Decisions to cut ties with Qatar are a sovereign
right of the States concerned and aim to protect their national security from
the dangers of terrorism and extremism said a joint declaration by the UN envoys of
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. The statement came in response to remarks
Wednesday by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein
expressing “alarm” about the human rights impact of cutting off ties.3 Gulf
states said they were ready to work with relevant authorities “to maintain
security, to combat terrorism and to safeguard the stability and well-being of
the people of the region”. Middleeastmonitor
Egypt: 31 sentenced to death in prosecutor Hisham Barakat's killing
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/31-sentenced-death-hisham-barakat-killing-170617125844796.html
An Egyptian criminal court has sentenced to death 31 people for their
alleged part in the June 2015 assassination of the country's top prosecutor,
Hisham Barakat. The ruling on Saturday, issued by judge Hassan Farid, referred the
case to the country's top theologian to get his non-binding opinion on the
death sentences, a formality followed by courts in the case of capital
punishment.Delivering the verdict, Farid called Barakat's assassination a
"heinous and cowardly conspiracy"."They shed the blood of a
Muslim while he was fasting in Ramadan," Farid said, referring to the holy
month for Muslims that fell in July in 2015."And whoever kills a believer
intentionally, his punishment is hell," the judge added, quoting a verse
from Islam's holy book, the Quran.Barakat was appointed prosecutor-general by
Egypt's then interim-President Adly Mansour in July 2013, shortly after the
military ousted the country's first freely-elected president, Mohamed Morsi.He
oversaw the acquittal of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.He was killed
in a car bombing near his house in Cairo on June 29, 2015, and was the most
senior government official killed by armed groups since Morsi's ouster.The
court will reconvene on July 22 to reaffirm the death sentences and issue its
verdict on the 36 other defendants in the case. Of the 67 defendants, 15 are at
large.The other suspects on trial, out of a total of 67, have yet to receive
their judgements.Egyptian authorities have accused the Muslim Brotherhood movement
and Palestinian group Hamas of involvement in the attack, an accusation
strongly denied by both groups.Dozens of the Muslim Brotherhood's leaders and
followers have been given heavy-handed sentences since Morsi's
overthrow.Amnesty international has recently criticised the increasing number
of mass death sentences handed down in Egypt. aljazeera
Egypt court seeks death penalty for 31 in prosecutor bombing case
CAR: Church shelters Muslims fleeing Anti-balaka
Bangui, Central African Republic - At least 1,500 people, mostly Muslim
civilians, currently stuck in a Catholic church in the country's southeast, are
growing increasingly desperate, a priest has told Al Jazeera. The displaced
people took refuge in the cathedral in the town of Bangassou after fleeing
deadly violence in mid-May."The situation is not safe enough to leave, and
so they cannot move from here," said Father Alain Blaise Bissialo, the
priest at the church."There are men who walk around town with
guns."The crisis in Bangassou began between May 13-17 when Anti-balaka, a
vigilante militia made up of mostly Christians, launched a series of attacks on
Muslims in Tokoyo, a largely Muslim district of Bangassou.Thousands flocked to
a nearby mosque to seek refuge.Yet, the mosque was subsequently attacked too,
culminating in the killing of the local imam.In an attempt to save civilians at
the mosque, the Catholic bishop sent trucks to Tokoyo to transport as many
civilians as possible back to the church for their safety.Al Jazeera
Russia: Daesh leader al-Baghdadi may killed in Syria
Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was likely killed late May in a
Russian airstrike in Syria’s northern city of Raqqah, according to the Russian
defense ministry on Friday.The Russian aircrafts attacked on May 28 a command
post, where Daesh leaders were meeting and killed around 300 Daesh militants,
including 30 field commanders, the ministry said in a statement.“According to
information, which is being verified via various channels, the meeting was also
attended by Daesh leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed during
the strike,” it added.Baghdadi, has managed to evade being killed or captured
by the US-led anti-Daesh coalition throughout its more than two-year campaign
in Iraq and Syria.Sporadic rumors have continued to mount that he was killed in
a variety of US-led actions, but little evidence has surfaced to support those
claims. middleeastmonitor
Hundreds of members of Indonesian tribe converts to Islam: Nomadic
'Jungle people' become Muslim
Hundreds of members of a nomadic Indonesian tribe have converted to
Islam as their rainforest hunting grounds are devastated by palm oil
plantations and coal mines. The new Muslims changed their religion to capture
the attention of the Govt , which they say ignores their needs. The Orang Rimba
- 'jungle people - are also hoping to be handed ID cards by officials, which
will then entitle them to benefits such as healthcare and education. Some
tribesfolk, however, have remained faithful to old ways and continue to
desperately hunt for prey in an area that was once lush Sumatran
rainforest. 'Thank God, the Govt now pays attention to us; before our
conversion they didn't care,' says Yusuf Muhammad, a convert.His small
community now gathers around a stilt-mounted wooden hut, while children inside
wearing Islamic skullcaps and hijabs enthusiastically recite the
Koran.Stick-thin and wearing only loincloths over their weather-beaten skin,
they brandish homemade rifles as they search for their next meal.Yusuf's group
converted to Islam, the predominant faith in Indonesia, and gave up their
nomadic ways in January in a bid to improve livelihoods that have been devastated
by the expansion of palm oil plantations and coal mines into their forest
homelands.Authorities insist the move is positive but critics say it amounts to
a last throw of the dice for indigenous groups driven to desperation by the Govt
's failure to properly defend their rights against rapid commercial
expansion.Indonesia is home to an estimated 70 million tribespeople, more than
a quarter of the total 255-million population, from the heavily tattooed Dayaks
of Borneo island to the Mentawai who are famed for sharpening their teeth as
they believe it makes them more beautiful.But as a nomadic group, the Orang
Rimba are a rarity.AFP DailyMail
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
The anniversary of a divide:Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Racism And Classism Killed The Residents Of Grenfell Tower:Skylar
Baker-Jordan
CBI crying foul over 'freedom of press' to New York Times is beyond
embarrassing:Angshukanta Chakra
Modi’s Govt , Like India, Has a Fake Photo Problem:KARNIKA KOHLI
More convictions in 1993 Mumbai blasts case but no justice yet for
victims of riots that came before: Aarefa Johari
How genetics is settling the Aryan migration debate: Tony Joseph, ex
editor of Business World
The blockade of Qatar may have more to do with Palestine than we think:
Nasim Ahmed
An 80-year-old Urdu poet declared dead by the Delhi Govt is struggling to survive: Firoz Bakht Ahmed
Mohan Bhagwat's presidential lunch reaffirms rise of RSS; no second term
for Pranab Mukherjee: Sanjay Singh
UAE: Gurdwara in Dubai holds Ramzan Iftar for people of all religions
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:52 PM)
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