Evening NEWS
DIGEST
29
Aug. 2017: 06 Zilhajja 1438:Vol:8, No:268
SC quashes HC order
asking Govt to pay compensation to repair Mosques, shrines damaged in Gujarat
2002 riots
New Delhi: The
Supreme Court today set aside Gujarat High Court’s 2012 verdict asking the
state Govt to grant compensation for restoration of religious places damaged
during the 2002 post-Godhra riots. The court accepted the scheme formulated by
the state Govt to provide "ex gratia assistance" of up to Rs 50,000
to all religious places, including mosques and temples, which were damaged or
destroyed during the communal riots, on par with the relief granted for
destruction of houses.A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla
C Pant referred to apex court verdicts and Article 27 of the Constitution
(freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of a particular religion) and
said that substantial part of tax payers money cannot be granted for repairing
religious structures."The said scheme has to be appreciated on the anvil
of the directions issued in the Prafull Goradia and Archbishop Raphael Cheenath
SVDcases (earlier judgements). "In the first case, the 2-judge bench has
opined that object of Article 27 is to maintain secularism and the said Article
would be violated if the substantial part of entire income tax collected in
India, or a substantial part of the entire central excise or the customs duties
or sales tax, or a substantial part of any other tax collected in India, were
to be utilised for promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or
religious denomination...,"CJI Misra, writing the order,said. Gujarat Govt,
in its scheme, had proposed to pay ex-gratia assistance of Rs 50,000 for repair
of damaged religious structures on the lines of its policy to pay for the
houses damaged during riots and put certain conditions like such temples or
mosques should not be unauthorised ones.The policy also said that no ex-gratia
assistance would be sanctioned to religious places, located in the middle of
the public road or at any unauthorised place, and there should be a prior FIR
with regard to the damages caused."Person/persons claiming such ex-gratia
assistance shall have to satisfy the District Collector of the District in
which such religious place is situated about the ownership and/or
administration rights of religious places concerned so as to ensure that any
person unconnected with a religious place may not claim and receive ex-gratia
financial assistance under the Scheme. The decision of the District Collector
in this behalf shall be final," the policy said.Approving the Govts
scheme, bench said, "we have noticed that the Govt has fixed the maximum
amount under the caption of ex-gratia assistance and also conferred the power
on the District Collector of the Districts where religious places are situated
to determine about the ownership or administration rights of religious places
concerned.Setting aside the HC verdict,the SC asked the claimants to approach
authorities within 8 weeks and directed that "the authorities shall
determine the same within three months from the receipt of the claims."The
SC dealt with various aspects and judgements and said, "we find the case
hinges on its own facts regarding grant of compensation. The power of the court
of judicial review to grant compensation in public law is limited. There cannot
be any quarrel about the said proposition of law." It referred to Article
27 which said that no person shall be compelled to pay any taxes for
"promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious
denomination" and said that State cannot grant substantial part of
tax-payers money for such purposes. The State is obliged under the Constitution
to "treat persons belonging to all faiths and religions with equality. The
individual has his freedom to practice the religion as he desires and it is
totally immaterial from the perspective of the State," it said, adding
"the protection of property and places of worship is an essential part of
secularism."However, the SC agreed to the contention that the State cannot
be commanded to repair places of worships as this act "will create a dent
in the secular fabric and further the expenditure from the state exchequer is
impermissible in view of the language employed in the Article 27". State Govt,
represented by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, challenged the HC
verdict. HC, while dealing with the PIL filed by NGO Islamic Relief Committee
of Gujarat (IRCJ), had passed a slew of directions including the order asking
the state Govt "to give compensation in favour of the persons in charge of
all the religious places including those of worship, which were damaged during
the communal riot of the year 2002 for restoration to the original position, as
those existed on the date of destruction." Senior Advocates YH Muchhala
and Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the respondents, IRCG, contended, among other
things, that compensation was being appropriated in lieu of violation of human
rights and not for the promotion of any particular religion or religious
denomination, and therefore the concept of secularism is not affected. PTI / barandbench
Religious places
damaged in Guj riots to get ex-gratia: SC
Compensation to
damaged shrines only under Guj govt scheme: SC
Gujarat govt won’t
have to rebuild religious structures destroyed in 2002 riots, rules Supreme
Court
In his first
verdict as CJI, Justice Dipak Misra sets aside Guj HC order on repairs of
mosques
What SC has ruled
on compensation for religious structures damaged in 2002 Gujarat riots
BABAS &
SCAMS
Now CBI looking
into case of hundreds of sadhus who allegedly brainwashed, castrated at Dera
Sacha Sauda
Dera Sacha Sauda,
headed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, who was convicted of rape on 25 Aug,
is a den of horrors that keeps giving.Apart from reports of women being raped
by Singh and the act being described by the euphemism "pitaji ki
maafi" in his secretive gufa or cave, at least 2 instances of murder and
the forced castration of hundreds of devotees have come to light, all allegedly
perpetrated under Singh's instructions.Shortly before the release of Singh's
controversial movie MSG: Messenger of God, a former member of the Dera accused
the spiritual guru of forcing around 400 men in his ashrams to undergo surgical
castration. In a chilling report in The Quint, Hansraj Chauhan describes the
ordeal he went through as a 19-year-old in the year 2000, when he was drugged
by a compounder with a glass of Pepsi a Dera Sacha Sauda hospital in Gurusar
Modiya in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar. He woke up two days later to find his
testicles wrapped in a bundle of bandages. Since then, he's not been able to
indulge in sexual activities for the past 17 years.His predicament, allegedly,
was shared by hundreds of other premis (or beloveds, as the male sadhus at the
Dera are called), who were spiked with drugs and forced to undergo such a
procedure in a bid to keep them celibate and pure. Castration, the men were
told, would allow them to get closer to god.CBI is currently looking into these
complaints of castration.Ironically, while this sterilisation drive was
enforced by the moral police at the ashrams, the chief of the sect presumably
indulged his carnal desires, as the stories of several women being raped would
attest. If the women were emotionally blackmailed into keeping their silence,
the men were allegedly given some drugs every morning to keep them distracted
and make them lose control over their will.huffingtonpost
Castration and
murder: Other cases against Gurmeet
Gurmeet Singh’s
ex-bodyguard says Dera chief got male followers castrated, was closest to
Honeypreet Insan
BJP offered my
father to withdraw rape cases against him for support in Haryana election: Honeypreet
Dera chief Gurmeet
Singh, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail for raping 2 of his disciples, had
a deal with BJP to withdraw sexual assault cases against him, claims his
daughter. According to a Sandhya Dainik report, his daughter Honeypreet said
that the Dera chief had met BJP National chief Amit Shah and had offered votes
of his followers in favour of BJP in return of removing rape cases against
him.She reportedly said that he first met Anil Jain, one of the national office
bearers of BJP, and Anil helped him to arrange a sitting with Amit Shah.She
also claimed that her father had ensured Shah the support of BJP in 28 assembly
seats.Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan has taken to the twitter to write about
the unholy nexus between BJP and Dera chief. Bhushan, sharing a report of
National Dastak on the same, wrote on twitter:"Wow! RamRahim's daughter
says BJP's deal was that the rape case would be withdrawn for support in
Haryana election". southlive
Withdrawal of cases
vs votes:Daughter exposes BJP’s deal
Dera violence was
planned, coded messages used to trigger violence: Punjab Police
“Tamatar tod do
(pluck the tomatoes).”This was the coded message sent to certain Dera Sacha
Sauda followers in Bathinda to set off violence on the day the Dera chief, Gurmeet
Singh, was convicted, a senior police officer said. In Sangrur, it was “sabji
tayyar hai, vartaoni hai (the vegetables are ready, they have to served)” and
“labour tayyar hai, nihaan patnian han (workers are ready, the foundation has
to be dug)”.Punjab Police have claimed to have uncovered a conspiracy to
unleash large-scale violence in Punjab on the day Ram Rahim was convicted, with
the arrest of all seven members of a “state-level committee” of Dera followers
formed earlier this year to deal with the court verdict. The committee was
appointed by a 45-member political wing of the Dera. The members asked Dera
followers in each district to form 5-member committees, who chose block-level
heads to pick 4 or 5 youths to follow their instructions.According to Tribune
Punjab Govt spokesperson said close to
200 persons had been arrested in connection with the dera violence till this
evening. “Police has registered 66 cases of arson and violence and arrested 133
persons. Another 66 persons have been taken into preventive custody,” said Govt
spokesperson. The police have recovered 52 petrol bombs from different deras,
besides other inflammable material. However, only one.12 bore gun and one
revolver have been recovered so far with about 30 live cartridges. Indian express,
Tribune
5 cops in Dera
chief detail tried to free him, arrested
Dera violence was
planned, says police probe
CBI to submit final
arguments in murder trials against Dera chief on Sept.6
New Delhi: Sept.16
will be a crucial date for Dera Sacha Sauda chieftain Gurmeet Singh. CBI will
submit its final arguments in the case on the said date in both the murder
cases hanging fire against the guru. This would mean that the verdict in the
two murder trials will shortly be pronounced after final arguments of CBI and guru’s
lawyers. It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab and Haryana High Court
last month had set a deadline of three months for the special CBI Court to
conclude the trial in the murder of Ram Chander Chhatrapati. economictimes
'I caught Ram Rahim
the rapist godman in bed with my wife', claims husband of his adopted daughter
Rapist cult leader
Gurmeet Singh, who was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail, also had sexual
relations with his adopted daughter, woman's estranged husband has told Mail
Today. Vishwas Gupta had also moved court in 2011, accusing the Baba of having
illicit relations with his wife, Honeypreet, and had sought her judicial
custody.Leaders of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect led by Ram Rahim has rejected the
allegations, terming them concocted and baseless. DailyMail
18 minor girls
taken out from Dera’s campus in Sirsa
Wasn't scared then,
not scared now, says woman who unmasked dera chief
Sant Rampal
acquitted in 2 cases, awaits judgment in at least eight more
New Delhi:A Hisar
court on Tuesday acquitted self-styled godman Sant Rampal in two cases
registered against him, after both eyewitnesses and the complainant turned
hostile. Briefing reporters outside Hisar Central Jail, where a special court
was set up to pronounce the verdict, Rampal’s lawyer A P Singh said: “Sant
Rampal has been acquitted in the two criminal case. He has been acquitted in
the 2 cases (426 and 427). It’s a victory of truth.”Rampal has been cleared of
two charges — obstructing Govt servants
from performing their duty and wrongful confinement of people. He will,
however, continue to remain in jail as he faces charges in at least eight other
cases, one of which dates back to 2005 where a villager was shot dead in Hisar. indianexpress
‘Ichadhari Baba’
booked for high-profile sex racket in 2010, arrested again in Delhi for
cheating
A self-styled
godman, earlier arrested from south Delhi in 2010 for allegedly running a
high-profile sex racket, has landed in police net again. This time, however, he
is accused of cheating people and duping them of money to fight his court
cases.Shiv Murat Dwivedi, alias Ichadhari Baba, allegedly duped people of lakhs
of rupees by promising them jobs in Govt organisations such as Indian Railways,
Indian armed forces, paramilitary services, Food Corporation of India and
Public Works Dept, said Romil Baaniya, DCP.Southeast district police arrested
the 46-year-old ‘godman’ for allegedly promising a south Delhi woman and her
two siblings jobs with IRCTC in lieu of Rs 30 lakh.To convince the woman that
it was a real offer, the man even called her to New Delhi Railway Station to
show her the future “workplace” and gave her an appointment letter that turned
out to be fake. The woman filed an FIR at Amar Colony police station soon after
realising that she had been duped.HT
OTHERS
China media says
Dera violence 'exposes India's problems' amid Doklam
Beijing:China's
media has drawn attention to the recent violence following the conviction of
Dera Sacha Sauda "godman" Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, which claimed 38
lives, saying it "exposes India's woes" amid the on-going border
stand-off at Doklam."It is India's internal affairs to settle the riots,
and China hopes the Indian Govt can
quell the unrest soon. But, as Beijing and New Delhi have been locked in the
Doklam standoff for some time, we have reason to worry that India may use the
border disputes to divert public attention away from the domestic conflicts if
the riots escalate," said a Monday commentary in the hawkish Party-run
Global Times. Global Times commentary was the latest to do so. Headlined
"Riots over sect head conviction expose India's woes", the commentary
by Liu Lulu said that the popularity of the Dera sect and the recent violence
had "expose[d] the country's serious political and societal
problems." Indiatoday
China to India:
Learn from Doklam standoff
A day after India
and China mutually decided to withdraw their armies from the face-off point in
Doklam, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday asked India to “draw
lessons” from the over 70-day standoff. “Chinese military will remain vigilant
and firmly defend its national territory and sovereignty following the military
stand-off between China and India,” said Wu Qian, a senior PLA colonel. indianexpress
Doklam standoff
ends: MEA says Modi to attend BRICS summit in China
New Delhi:PM Narendra Modi will visit China in the first
week of September to attend a summit of BRICS nations, the ministry of external
affairs said on Tuesday, a day after the Asian neighbours agreed to pull back
troops to end a months-long face-off in the disputed Himalayan region of
Doklam.“At the invitation of the President of People’s Republic of China, PM Modi will visit Xiamen in China’s Fujian
province during Sept.3-5, 2017 to attend the 9th BRICS Summit,”MEA said.PTI
Farooq Abdullah
reiterates support for Article 35A, says it is a 'non-negotiable article of
faith'
Srinagar: NC head
Farooq Abdullah on Monday said Article 35A was a "non-negotiable article
of faith" for the people of J&K and that his party was ready to fight every
battle to safeguard the state's special status."Article 35A is vital and
non-negotiable for the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and those trying to
divide us on regional and religious lines to further their agenda will have to
be defeated.". "This is a battle for the interests, rights and
dignity of every single citizen of J&K, irrespective of his religion,
region, language and caste," he said at a party convention in Kupwara
district.PTI
NIA grills
Geelani’s sons, JKLF chief’s aide in funding case
New Delhi:NIA on
Monday questioned Naeem and Naseem Geelani, the sons of hardline Hurriyat
chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, for 9 hours in connection with the ongoing
probe into terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in
Kashmir valley.A NIA official, requesting anonymity, said that brothers
appeared at the agency headquarters in central Delhi past 10 am.Beside
Geelani’s sons, Ghulam Mohammad Bhatt, cashier of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor
Watali’s company, Devinder Singh Behl, a close aide of Syed Ali Shah Geelani,
and Noor Muhammad Kalwal were also questioned by the counter-terror agency.HT
2 youth found dead in
Shopian
Srinagar:Two
unidentified youth were found dead in mysterious circumstances in Shopian
district of J&K , police said.The bodies of the youth, believed to be in
late teens or early twenties, were recovered near the forest area in Shopian
on Tuesday morning, a police official said.He said there were no injury or
torture marks on the bodies.PTI
AIMPLB: SC’s
privacy ruling to help shield minorities
New Delhi:
Describing the Supreme Court's ruling on right to privacy as
"historic" the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has said
it is a step forward in "constraining Govt al power to shield the
fundamental freedoms against legislative majorities". The board said the
ruling will "particularly help minorities, scheduled castes, scheduled
tribes and different sects that often face the trauma of legislative and
administrative action based upon majoritarian views"."Judges of the
SC have delivered a landmark judgment... on the right to privacy by declaring
it to be part of the fundamental rights of every citizen. It has also held that
the guarantee of constitutional rights doesn't depend upon their exercise being
favourably regarded by the majority," it said."...It has endorsed and
upheld the principle that the majoritarian concept does not apply to
constitutional rights.""By putting a person's house, their person and
their personal lives beyond the reach of the state, the SC has placed most
aspects of one's life that are touched by religion beyond the reach of
motivated or malicious state action," it said. timesofindia
UP: Madrasas to use
students to educate Muslim men about 'correct way to divorce wife'
Agra:With the
Supreme Court holding triple talaq illigal, madrasas have begun preparations to
educate Muslim men on the "correct way to divorce their wives". Mufti
Muddasar Khan, who runs a madrasa in Agra, said they have a full chapter on the
correct way of going through a divorce and will ask students to educate others
about it.Syed Jamal, who runs a madrassa in Aligarh also said triple talaq was
wrong according to Sharia Islamic law. "We want to educate people on the
correct manner in which talaq can be effected," he said adding that they
would tell their students to spread the message. Maulana Noman Ahmed Azhari,
who is lecturer in Albarkat Islamic Research and Training Institute,Aligarh
said institute gives cultural and social training to students who come from
madrasa. He said that it is true that many people are not aware of the Sharia
law and practice it incorrectly. "We will not only train our students well
but would motivate them to teach the correct things to others also, as there is
an urgent need to end the wrong practices.At present, there are 200 madrassas,
including non-recognised ones in Aligarh and 150 in Agra.TOI
Talaq to be part of
curriculum in madrassas: Dargah Ala Hazrat
Bareilly : To
educate Muslims about the practice of ‘talaq’ after recent Supreme Court ruling
on the matter, a leading Dargah of the Sunni sect has decided to include it in
the curriculum of madrassas. “There are many safeguards as per the Shariat
regarding talaq , but in a majority of cases they are overlooked and people
remain unaware of them…Now the right manner of practising ‘talaq’ as per the
sunnat will be taught to students of madrassas,” head of Darul Ifta Manzare
Islam of Dargah Ala Hazrat, Mufti Sayed Kafil Hashmi said. He said that the syllabus of madrassas linked to Dargah Ala Hazrat is
prepared in the light of the Quran and Hadis. This order will be issued to all
madrassas as also the ones run by Dargah Ala Hazrat, Hashmi stressed. Dargah
has also issued a helpline number for such cases, the Mufti said. Hashmi said that the Dargah Ala Hazrat has
also issued directives to the ulema all over the world to apprise the people of
the right way to practise talaq in their speeches at Urs and seminars. PTI
SC verdict on
triple talaq attack on Muslim personal law: Trinamool minister
Kolkata: Terming
the Supreme Court verdict on triple talaq as "unconstitutional" and
an "attack" on Muslim personal law, West Bengal minister Siddiqullah
Chowdhury on Monday urged Muslims in the country to continue with the practice.
"We respect the Supreme Court and the CJI but the verdict to bar the
triple talaq practice is an attack on the century-old Muslim personal law. It
is unconstitutional," Chowdhury, who is also the Jamiat Ulema state
secretary, said at an event of the organisation's state wing. "Muslims
would keep following the order of Quran and Muslim personal law on the triple
talaq practice. We do not agree with the verdict of barring talaq for the next 6
months," he said. Claiming the Supreme Court's decision was not unanimous,
he hoped the case would go to a 9-judge bench for further discussion. millenniumpost
Triple Talaq
Judgment is interference in Shariat: Consultation with Muslim Ulema essential
Hyderabad: Supreme
Court’s judgment on Triple Talaq is an open interference in the Shariat of the
Muslims. It is imperative on the part of the Govt. to negotiate with the Muslim
scholars in order to understand the meanings of the Quran and Hadith.Any person
who violates the Quran and the Hadith will no longer be a Muslim. A meeting of
the Muslim Ulema and lawyers was held at Sadaqath House, Malakpet on Sunday. It
was decided not to support the judgment of the Supreme Court which is
interference in the personal laws of the Muslims. During the time of Prophet
(PBUH) and the caliphs, the system of pronouncing divorce three times at one
sitting was not liked but divorce used to take place.Constitution of India has
given freedom to profess any religion and no one has any right to interfere in
it. Saffron activists are making an attempt to implement Uniform Civil Code.
The present judgment of the Supreme Court is the first step toward it.Siasat
Islam is complete
code of conduct and no court could interfere:Ulema discuss triple talaq, J&K's
special status
Srinagar:A round
table conference organized by the Karwaan-e-Islami held Islam was a complete
code of conduct and no court could interfere in it. Conference discussed issues
ranging from triple talaq to Kashmir’s special status. Representatives Of
Jamait e Ahle Hadees, Jamiat e Islami, Soutul Awliya, Minhaj Ul Islam, Anjuman
e Sharia Shaian, Anjuman e Tabligh Ul Islam, Parwan e Wilayat, Ahle Bait
Foundation, Itehad Ul Muslimeen, Haqani Memorial Trust, Darul Uloom Raheemi,
Ummat e Islami and Jamait e Ahle Sunnat
participated in the conference.
Professor Mohammad Taib Kamili Said: “ Our religion is complete and no
court can interfere in that.” Moulana
Masroor Abass Ansari of Itehad Ul Muslimeen said that govt organizations
interfere in our religious issues which
is unacceptable. “The aim is to divide the Muslims,” he said. He urged the
Muslims to unite. Moulana Ghulam Rasool
Noori of Ahle Bait Foundation said that the anti-Islamic powers had united
against Muslims. “But by the grace of Allah, they cannot defeat us,” he
said.Aga Syed Hassan Moosavi of Anjuman e Sharia Shaian also stressed need for
unity. “We have to follow Quran and Sunnah for our salvation,” he said. Moulana
Fayaz Rizvi of Tehreek Soutul Awliya said that
solution to all the problems faced by Muslims lied in Quran. “Follow the
Islamic tenets and do not allow outsiders to interfere in our religion,” he
said.Other speakers including Moulana Ghulam Mohideen Naqeeb of Minhaj Ul
Islam, Moulana Mushtaq Ahmed Veeri of Jamait e Ahle Hadees said Muslims are
being humiliated and ridiculed because they do not follow Qurana and Sunnah. Moulana
QamaruDin Owaisi of JamaiteAhle Sunnat said that interfarence in Shariah law is
interference in religion and we will not accept it on any grounds. Abdul Islam
Daga Of Jamaite Islami said Islam is the supreme religion which gives political, social and economic rights to all
the people. greaterkashmir
NHRC notice to
Jharkhand on deaths of 52 kids in 30 days
New Delhi: NHRC has
issued notice to the Jharkhand Govt on
the reported deaths of 52 infants in 30 days at Jamshedpur’s Mahatma Gandhi
Memorial Medical College, an official statement said on Monday.Taking sou motu
cognizance of media reports, the Commission has observed that the “painful
deaths” of children and infants, in such a large number, are a matter of
concern.Commission said it has also learnt that the cause of the deaths is
reportedly malnutrition.Accordingly, the Commission has issued notice to
Jharkhand’s Chief Secretary calling for a report within six weeks.IANS
RSS flag unfurled,
prayers chanted at Gandhi Darshan in Raj Ghat
New Delhi: RSS’s
intellectual body, Prajna Pravah, held a 2-day meeting last weekend at the
Tagore Hall at Gandhi Darshan, which adjoins Mahatma Gandhi’s samadhi at Raj
Ghat in New Delhi.At the meeting, which was attended by top RSS leaders,
including Mohan Bhagwat, ex-Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi and BJP general
secretary Ram Madhav, the RSS’s saffron flag was raised and prayers chanted.“RSS
flag was unfurled and prayers were chanted,” RSS pracharak said.Another
delegate said, “Significance of this meeting is that the RSS flag was unfurled
and prayers chanted at the place built after the assassination of Mahatma
Gandhi.”The Wire
I.Tax Dept warns against
cash dealings above Rs. 2 Lakh
New Delhi: Income
Tax Department on Monday warned people against cash dealings of Rs. 2 lakh and
more, saying any violation of this cap will invite strict penalty under law.In
a public message, the department said "accepting Rs. 2 lakh or more in aggregate
from a single person in a day for one or more transactions relating to one
event or occasion is prohibited". "Similarly, receiving or repaying
Rs. 20,000 or more in cash for transfer of immovable property and paying more
than Rs.10,000 in cash relating to expenditure of business or profession is
also banned."Cash payment prohibited! Contravention may result in levy of
penalty! Go cashless. Go clean," the message stated.The tax department has
also asked the public to report such violations or those pertaining to black
money to their jurisdictional principal commissioner of I-T dept or email the
same to blackmoneyinfo@incometax.gov.in. The dept, in the past, has issued
similar public advertisements.PTI
Will Aug.31
deadline to link PAN, Aadhaar stay after SC’s privacy ruling?
Officials are
unsure if the Aug.31 deadline to link Aadhaar and PAN will hold after the SC
ruled last week that privacy was a fundamental right for all Indians.“It’s too
early to say,” an Income Tax official said on Tuesday when asked to comment on
speculation that the deadline will need to be extended since Aadhaar case was still to be heard in the
Supreme Court.HT
WORLD
HRW: Satellite data
show fires burning in Rakhine:Aljazeera
Satellite data
accessed by a rights body shows widespread fires burning in at least 10 areas
in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, following a military crackdown on the Muslim
Rohingya population. Residents and activists have have accused soldiers of
shooting indiscriminately at unarmed Rohingya men, women and children and
carrying out arson attacks. However, authorities in Myanmar say close to 100
people have been killed since Friday when armed men, reportedly from ARSA,
launched a pre-dawn raid on police outposts in the restive region.Myanmar
authorities say Rohingya "extremist terrorists" have been setting the
fires during fighting with Govt troops,
while Rohingya have blamed soldiers, who have been accused of carrying out
extrajudicial killings. A Govt spokesperson could not be immediately reached
for comment."Burmese Govt should
grant access to independent monitors to determine the sources of fires and assess
allegations of human rights violations," HRW saidon Tuesday.HRW said fires
have razed 100km of land - an area larger than that burned during a crackdown
by Myanmar military following attacks by Rohingya fighters in Oct.2016, when
data from the group suggested some 1,500 buildings were destroyed.The locations
of the fires correlate with some witness statements and media reports
describing blazes deliberately set, the group said."This new satellite
data should cause concern and prompt action by donors and UN agencies to urge Burmese
Govt to reveal the extent of ongoing destruction in Rakhine State,"Phil
Robertson, HRW's deputy Asia director, said ."Shuffling all the blame on
insurgents doesn’t spare Burmese Govt from its international obligations to
stop abuses and investigate alleged violations." UN believes army's
response may amount to ethnic cleansing.
Rohingya crisis: UN
human rights official urges Myanmar to rein in security forces
Geneva:The top UN
human rights official called on authorities in Myanmar on Tuesday to ensure
that the security forces refrain from using disproportionate force against
Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state. Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, condemned coordinated attacks by insurgents on security
forces last Friday, but said that the political leadership had a duty to
protect all civilians “without discrimination”. More than 8,700 Rohingya have
fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh since the attacks, Zeid said in a statement.
“This turn of events is deplorable. It was predicted and could have been
prevented.”Reuters
World 'blind &
deaf' to Rohingya muslims plight:Erdogan
Istanbul: Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the international community to step up
efforts to help Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority, saying the world was
"blind and deaf" to their plight."Unfortunately I can say the
world is blind and deaf to what is going on in Myanmar," Erdogan said in a
live television interview marking his three years as president. "It does
not hear and it does not see," he added. He described the latest flight of
refugees towards Bangladesh as an "extremely painful event" and vowed
to take up the issue at the UN General Assembly next month.PTI
UN chief 'deeply
concerned' over Myanmar violence
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar to grant access to
humanitarian agencies following reports of mass civilian casualties after raids
by security forces against Rohingya insurgents." He is deeply concerned at
the reports of civilians being killed during security operations in Myanmar’s
Rakhine state," Guterres' office said.Anadolu
Bangladesh offers
Myanmar aid against Rohingya rebels
Dhaka:Bangladesh
has proposed joint military operations with Myanmar against Rohingya militants
fighting in Rakhine state, as the UN raised fears over reports of civilians
killed during fresh violence in recent days.An upsurge in fighting in Rakhine,
an impoverished state neighbouring Bangladesh, has been raging since Friday when
Rohingya militants staged coordinated ambushes against Myanmar’s forces. AFP
Yemen civil war:
‘Houthis and Saleh allies agree to end tensions after deadly clash’, say
officials:Reuters
Dubai:Leaders of the
Houthi group and loyalists of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, allies in
Yemen’s civil war, said on Tuesday they had had agreed to ease tensions between
them after three people were killed in a clash. The violence late on Saturday
between members of the Iran-aligned Houthis and Saleh loyalists marked a
breakdown within the main political coalition fighting the Saudi-backed Govt of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the 2
1/2-year-old conflict.Aref al-Zouka, head of Saleh’s General People’s Congress
(GPC), and Houthi Ansarullah group’s official spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam led
delegations at a meeting in the Yemeni capital Sanaa late on Monday. The
meeting decided to “remove all causes of the tensions that occurred in the
capital Sanaa and to return the security situation to what it was before the
activities last week,”two sides said.The 2 fighting groups together rule
northern Yemen and have maintained an uneasy alliance throughout a conflict
that has killed at least 10,000 people and unleashed hunger and disease. Indianexpress
Over 50 rights
groups demand UN probe in Yemen abuses
57 rights groups
from around the world demanded a UN inquiry into abuses in Yemen on Tuesday,
where a proxy war has killed thousands and fueled a humanitarian crisis.Yemen has
been wracked by violence since Iran-backed Houthi rebels and their allies
seized vast tracts of territory, including the capital Sanaa.The conflict
escalated when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015, exacerbating the
crisis that has left millions on the brink of famine and hundreds of thousands
suffering from cholera.In a letter to members of the UN Human Rights Council,
the 57 signatories called for the creation of an independent body to look into
violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian laws. aljazeera
Bomber targets
Kabul Bank kills 5; 13 civilians, including children, killed in Afghan forces
air attack
A suicide bomber
has blown himself up at a bank in the Afghan capital, killing at least 5 people
and wounding several others, officials say.The bomber hit the entrance to a
Kabul Bank branch close to the US embassy and the city's main diplomatic
quarter, Najib Danish, an interior ministry spokesman, said on Tuesday.The
front side of the Kabul Bank was completely shattered and there was much damage
to the fronts of several adjacent businesses. A charred motorcycle with its
parts mangled lay on the street.The attack also wounded nine, said Mohammad
Salim Rasouli, chief of Kabul hospitals at the Health Ministry. He warned that
the casualty toll could rise. The blast occurred on a street lined with shops
and banks at a time when many officials were collecting their salaries before
the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday at the end of the week.The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah
Mujahid said the bomber targeted a section of the bank where soldiers and
police were waiting to receive their salaries. In another development, at least
13 civilians, including women and children, were killed in an overnight air
attack by Afghan security forces that targeted Taliban in western Herat
province, according to Gelani Farhad, spokesman for the provincial governor. Aljazeera
Talks with us
suspended, bilateral trips cancelled:Pak
Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Mohammad
Asif has said that Islamabad had suspended talks and bilateral visits with
Washington as a protest over US President Donald Trump's remarks condemning Pak.Minister
told the Senate on Monday that Pakistan had taken Trump's remarks seriously,
reports Dawn news. Asif's statement comes amid tense relations between 2
countries following Trump's announcement of his new South Asia policy which was
critical of Pakistan. About Trump's South Asia policy, Asif said it envisaged
no military role for India in Afghanistan. According to the sources, the
Minister said it was rather a role of economic development. He claimed that India would not be allowed to
use Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan.Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua
informed the Senate that a meeting of Pakistan's envoys had been convened from
Sept.5 to 7 to chalk out a strategy over the new US policy on South Asia,
reports Dawn.IANS
China reaffirms
support for Pakistan's Afghan policy
China has
reaffirmed its “continuing and firm” support for Pakistan’s efforts to achieve
peace and stability in neighboring Afghanistan -- a move seen as a rejection of
US President Donald Trump’s recent allegations that Islamabad is harboring
terrorists.Chinese special envoy on Afghanistan Deng Xijun, who called on Pak
foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua in Islamabad, emphasized there was no military
solution to the conflict, according to a statement from Pak foreign ministry.He
underlined the need for a politically negotiated settlement through an
Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process.Anadolu
Former Pak envoy to
India calls his country's ambassador to US 'the worst foreign secretary ever'
New Delhi: Ex-Pakistan
envoy to India, Abdul Basit, told his country's current envoy to the US, Aizaz
Ahmad Chaudhry, that he was Pakistan's "worst foreign secretary ever"
and that "his heart is not in the right place".Basit delivered his
opinion to Chaudhry in a letter he sent him dated July 5 this year. A copy of
the letter has been doing the rounds on social media and Pakistani newspaper
Dawn confirmed its authenticity.Chaudhry was Pakistan's foreign secretary until
February, at which time he was named the country's ambassador to US."My
concern is you would end up being the worst Pakistan ambassador in Washington
DC," wrote Basit. timesofindia
Netanyahu on
settlements: ‘We’re here to stay forever’
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to evacuate
any settlements in the West Bank of their Zionist occupiers, according to Times
ofIsrael.At an event in the illegal settlement of Barkan yesterday,
commemorating 50 years of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Netanyahu
addressed the crowd, proclaiming:"We’re here to stay forever. This is the
inheritance of our ancestors. This is our land."Amid the re-starting of
peace negotiations just last week, Netanyahu alleged that stopping settlement
activity would not help bring peace, despite the issue being a core demand of
Palestinians. middleeastmonitor
US-Israel resume
talks on moving embassy to Jerusalem
Israel and the US
have resumed talks on the possibility of moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem. Times of Israel quoted private sources as saying that, on Thursday,
Israeli PM Netanyahu discussed the issue of moving the embassy with Jared
Kushner, Donald Trump’s advisor and son-in-law. Netanyahu’s office said that
that talks with Kushner were constructive and substantive and Netanyahu
expected that these talks would continue in the upcoming weeks. It added that
Netanyahu expressed his appreciation to Trump and his administration for its
strong support for Israel.
New Israeli
settlement plan in Jerusalem’s Old City
Israeli Minister of
Public Security Gilad Erdan has been seeking “security solutions” to build a
new Israeli Jewish settlement near Ras Al-Amoud neighbourhood in Jerusalem,
Quds Press reported yesterday.Israeli TV’s Channel 1 reported that the plan
includes building hundreds of new settlement units. It cited security issues as
having caused the delay.The website reported that the proposed security
solutions, including the expansion of security systems in the roads leading up
to the planned settlement, are being studied.middleeastmonitor
Arab League body:
Israeli occupation seeks to change status quo in Jerusalem
Arab League Educational
Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) yesterday condemned Israeli
settlers and Members of the Knesset who opened a synagogue in the Silwan
neighbourhood of Batan Al-Hawa to north of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The opening ceremony
coincided with a meeting held between US President Donald Trump’s aide Jared
Kushner and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.This proves that Israeli occupation,
ALECSO said, rejects any peace plan. This is also an attempt to put pressure on
the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinians to accept the de facto
policies. middleeastmonitor
‘Radical’ outfits
in Europe recruiting for Israeli army
Outfits linked to
the Israeli army are said to be cropping up all over Europe to enlist voluntary
recruits. The outfits specialising in
bringing individuals to Israel operate branches in major European cities
including London to provide military experience and also an opportunity to take
part in formal combat.While Israel is known to offer tourists, especially from
the Jewish diaspora, the opportunity to play the role of Israeli soldier, the
revelation by Al Jazeera of a network of recruitment agencies will come as a
surprise. Probe was prompted by a Ukrainian Jewish woman who appeared on TV
show “Lie Detector” revealing that she worked for the Israeli army and that she
had continued to do so. Norwegian journalist, Tarjei Leer Salvesen, described
the operation of the recruitment groups which he had been reporting on for some
time.
Ex-Egypt envoy:
Officials in Cairo seek to damage agreement with Hamas
Ex-Egyptian anvoy
Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Fahmy criticised his country’s policy towards Gaza
Strip, the abduction of a Palestinian pilgrim and the refusal to allow 17
others to travel to the Hajj.In an interview with Al-Resalah newspaper, Fahmy
said:“The abduction of someone in Egypt defames out army and reflects a feeling
that it is unable to protect a convoy of pilgrims. Such a smear happened when 4
Palestinians were abducted in Egypt [2 years ago].” Fahmy said this behaviour
“damages” the relationship with Gaza and this “is not in the interest of Egypt”
and raises concerns that there are “internal sides seeking to damage the latest
understandings with Hamas”.Regarding Rafah crossing, he said:“Some claim that
it is closed under the pretext that safety of travellers is not guaranteed.
This is the worst abuse that our big army cannot protect a number of travellers
till they arrive in Cairo Airport.”He added: “I hope that what I have heard is
false news. I cannot accept the abuse that our big army is unable to protect a
number of travellers. I hope that the understandings [with Hamas] go ahead and
do not stop.” middleeastmonitor
Israeli parliamentarians
enter al-Aqsa compound:aljazeera
2 right-wing
members of the Israeli parliament have entered the al-Aqsa Mosque compound,
after PM Benjamin Netanyahu lifted a 2-year
ban prohibiting legislators from visiting the site. Accompanied by
heavily-armed police, Yehuda Glick, of Netanyahu's Likud party, and Shuli
Mualem-Rafaeli, of the Jewish Home, took to the site early on Tuesday as part
of a one-day trial period.Palestinian leaders condemned the move.
Somalia: 10
civilians killed in US-Somalia raid
10 civilians were
killed during a US and Somalia Special Forces raid last week according to
locals, UPI reported.The raid was conducted on a village near Bariire in search
for Al-Shabaab fighters. US Africa Command are still conducting a post-raid
investigation into the incident. The attack went on to kill innocent farmers
working on their field. middleeastmonitor
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Not just mob
frenzy: What is common between followers of Ram Rahim and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
Sanjay Srivastava
Sexual crimes
committed in the name of God: A look back at 'Swami' Nithyananda's 'sex
contract': Monalisa Das,
Is there an
organised attempt to scuttle customs agency’s probes against Adani group?Varun
Santhosh
After Triple Talaq,
a Look At the Other Discriminatory Personal Laws That Need to Go: Shalaka Patil
Should a judge with
a serious moral flaw become CJI? Shanti Bhushan
Will aadhaar act
withstand a constitutional challenge? Prashant Reddy T
RSS's hierarchical
notions are BJP's core ideology, not 'India's genius':Kavita Krishnan
There will be more
Gurmeet Ram Rahims, it’s a question of demand and supply:Ruben Banerjee
Telangana: Arab
Gouraksha Dal protects cows
SC verdict on
shrines destroyed in Gujarat pogrom can reopen wounds: Charu Kartikeya
Iran and Turkey
step up cooperation
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:45 PM)
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