Evening NEWS
DIGEST
17 Aug. 2017: 24 Zulqidah 1438:Vol:8, No:258
Before Kerala case, SC upheld inter-faith, inter-caste marriages in
‘free and democratic’ India: legal experts call ordering NIA probe ‘absolutely
horrific’
New Delhi: A few years back, the Supreme Court came to the rescue of a
sitting Rajasthan High court judge’s daughter, allowing her to go with a man
she wanted to marry. Girl was kept under house arrest by her father, justice RS
Rathore, because the man she intended to marry was outside her caste.The top
court, however, ascertained the wishes of the woman and let her go with the
person.A similar incident played out in the Supreme Court more than 20 years
ago.2 Delhi-based advocates, Vipin and Jaspreet Gogia, approached the top court
seeking protection from the woman’s father, a civil servant in Punjab.
Jaspreet’s father was opposed to the marriage as she was a Jat Sikh and Vipin a
Khatri Hindu. Despite the court’s intervention, the couple were allegedly
abducted by a team of Punjab Police from outside the court premises. The then CJI,
MN Venkatachaliah, threatened the Punjab Police chief and Delhi Police of
consequences unless the couple returned safely. Days later, the couple returned
and Supreme Court blessed the union. In a recent landmark judgment, the Supreme
Court stood up for inter-caste and inter- religion marriages.“This is a free
and democratic country, and once a person becomes a major he or she can marry
whosoever he/she likes. If the parents of the boy or girl do not approve of
such inter-caste or inter-religious marriage the maximum they can do is that
they can cut off social relations with the son or the daughter,” court
said.“Inter-caste marriages are, in fact, in the national interest as they will
result in destroying the caste system,” it added.But a recent interfaith
marriage between a Hindu woman and a Muslim man in Kerala has become a matter
of national security, with the top court asking the NIA to probe the marriage
between Shafin Jahan and Akhila.While all of this plays out in Kerala case --
legal experts have called the Supreme Court ordering a NIA probe “absolutely
horrific”.“I am horrified. In every case of inter-caste or inter-religion
marriage, the first instinct of the court is to ascertain the wishes of the
girl and protect her from any influence. But here, the court has decided to
first let police investigate the matter and in the end speak to the girl,” said
Sanjay Hegde, a senior advocate.Anand Grover, another senior advocate, too felt
the court order was not correct.“Why do you need the investigation? In this
case, the girl and her marriage is the core issue and not something else. Ultimately,
it is about the wishes of the girl, she is an adult and she can take decisions
for herself,” he added. hindustantimes
NIA probe into Kerala ‘love jihad’ is another blow to individual
autonomy:Faizan Mustafa
SC ordering NIA to ‘probe’ Kerala woman’s conversion to Islam is
insulting: dailyo.in
"Wasn't forced to convert to Islam", says woman in alleged
Kerala Love Jihad case
While the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked NIA to probe an alleged case
of love jihad in Kerala, the woman in question, Akhila Ashokan rechristened
Hadiya has said that she did not convert to Islam by force. In a video played
by news channels, Hadiya is seen saying that she embraced Islam by choice.
"I did not convert to Islam because of anyone's force or incitement. I
understood what Islam is and realised its truth and only then converted. I do
not believe in idol worship anymore and that is why I embraced Islam," the
video shows Hadiya saying. The video comes at a time when the Supreme Court has
asked NIA to investigate the love jihad angle in Hadiya's conversion and
marriage to a Muslim NRI man. OneIndia News
Kerala Love Jihad Case; 'Will I live like this', asks woman on camera
Akhila was already Hadiya when she came to us, say Kerala Islamic centre: OneIndia News
Satya Sarani, an Islamic study
centre has come under the radar for its alleged role in a suspected Love Jihad
case from Kerala. Speaking exclusively to OneIndia, the manager of the centre
has refused charges of the organisation indulging in religious conversions.
"She came to study here in 2016 and pursued a course for two months. She
registered her name as Hadiya while all her certificates and records bore the
name Akhila. We have recorded both names. She came here with the name
Hadiya," said Mohammed Rauf, who introduced himself as the manager of
Satya Sarani. "Wasn't forced to
convert to Islam", says woman in alleged Kerala Love Jihad case Hadiya's
father accused the Islamic centre of keeping her captive and influencing her
thus forcefully converting her to Islam. The centre, however, has denied all
charges. "We only offer courses in Islam to those interested. She came
here for one such course. We do not indulge in religious conversions as
alleged. Neither did we convert her, nor did we arrange for her to get married
to anyone," Rauf added.He also said that Hadiya had come to study at
Sathya Sarani after Kerala High Court had allowed her to do so. This claim is,
however, contradictory to the proceedings in court. When Akhila aka Hadiya's
father filed a habeas corpus petition for the first time. Akhila produced
documents to prove that she had taken admission into Sathya Sarani to study
Islam. The court, at this juncture, had neither instructed her to continue her
studies nor was in the know of the same till Hadiya herself submitted all
records. Institution also denied having any role to play in the alleged Love
Jihad angle and insisted that Hadiya left the course almost towards its end and
left to Salem. Later in 2016, she got married to an NRI, Jefin Jehan. The
institution has been in the news time and again over allegations of indulging
in religious conversions and for links with PFI. BJP and RSS are Kerala have
been demanding for its closure for years now.
At Islamic Seminary That 'Converted' Akhila to Hadiya, Love Jihad Has no
Takers
Love Jihadis 'Compromise' Young Girls, Convert Them To Islam. It Is A
Dimension Of Terrorism: Swamy'
Dubbing 'Love Jihad' as a dimension of terrorism, BJP Rajya Sabha member
Subramanian Swamy on Thursday asserted that NIA is the appropriate agency for
the investigation as in the latest case the girl was allegedly being sent to
the ISIS. Swamy said, " Love Jihad is a dimension of terrorism; they are
going to be recruited for terrorist activities. These Love Jihadis are preying
on young girls. They are compromising them, taking photographs of them,
blacking them and then making them convert to Islam. In the latest case, the
girl was being sent to the ISIS. So, therefore NIA is appropriate agency for
the investigation into this." outlookindia
Love jihad case: Owaisi questions hypocrisy over women’s freedom
Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin
Owaisi asked those championing women’s rights in the triple talaq issue why
they were not defending the same freedom of choice when a Hindu woman decided
to marry a Muslim man. He was answering a reporter’s question here on NIA’s
statement in the Supreme Court that a “pattern” was emerging in Kerala as part
of the alleged ‘love jihad‘ campaign. “In the triple talaq issue, everybody
criticised that there is no independence to take decision for Muslim women.
Now, a 24-year-old woman (in Kerala) takes a decision on her own (to marry a
Muslim man), what happens to that independent decision? Why are those voices
silent now?” Owaisi asked. Siyasat/ nyoooz
Ex-SC Judge to get rs 1 lakh per sitting in love jihad probe
New Delhi: In order to “guide” the NIA in probing alleged cases of ‘Love
Jihad’, ex-Supreme Court judge R V Raveendran will be paid a compensation of Rs
1 lakh per sitting at Bengaluru and Rs 2 lakh per day for travelling outside
the city.A bench led by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar fixed the
remuneration in its final order released on Wednesday evening.“Mr. Justice RV
Raveendran shall be paid a consolidated fee of Rs.1,00,000/- for a sitting with National Investigation
Agency at Bangalore, and Rs.2,00,000/- per day for travelling outside Bangalore,
apart from reimbursement of all travelling, boarding, lodging and secretarial
expenses, while discharging the responsibility entrusted to him,” stated the
order. news18
SC reserves order on bail plea of Malegaon blasts accused Colonel
Srikant Purohit
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved order on bail plea of
Malegaon blasts accused Colonel Srikant Purohit. Earlier it was reported by ANI
that NIA is opposing the bail of Col Srikant Purohit and argues that the Bombay
High court order should be upheld by the Apex court. Lt Col Prasad Shrikant
Purohit was accused of conspiracy for terror and murder. He the first Armyman
who was booked under a terror act which shook the belief on the nation. Purohit
who comes from a middle-class Maharashtrian Brahmin family is the son of a bank
officer. Born in Pune, Purohit got his education from the Abhinav Vidyalaya and
Garware College. financialexpress
Defiant UP madrasas might face NSA case for defying Adityanath govt's
I-Day diktat: dnaindia
Lucknow: Quite a few madrasas in UP may face action under the stringent NSA for
partly defying the Yogi Adityanath Govt 's order that the tricolour must be
unfurled and the national anthem recited on their premises as part of
Independence Day celebrations.NSA was enacted in 1980 primarily to deal with
the country's security, defence and foreign relations. It has provisions to
detain citizens on presumption of possible tension alone without any recourse
to challenge the detention order.Many of UP's 16,000 madrasas didn't take the
order well that was to "inspire students and help them learn more about
the contribution of freedom fighters".A few madrasas in Western UP's
Bareilly and elsewhere in the state did flag hoisting but refused to recite the
national anthem — Jana Gana Mana... — on the ground that "Islam does not
allow anyone except Allah to be praised". A few Hindu organisations and
locals lodged a complaint with Bareilly divisional commissioner PV Jagan Mohan
in this regard."We have asked complainants to produce evidence. An inquiry
has also been initiated and if complaints are found true, NSA would be invoked
against madarsa management committees for causing disrespect to the national
anthem," he warned. Relevant sections of the Prevention of Insults to
National Honour Act, 1971, may also be invoked against the erring madrasas, he
said.There was no clarity if this will be a statewide action. The state Govt has sought legal opinion on whether or not the
NSA can be invoked against madrasas who defied its order that had also said
that all I-Day events on their premises must be videographed and footage
submitted to UP Madarsa Shiksha Parishad as proof. CM has asked divisional
commissioners to obtain footage and furnish a list of all erring institutions
in UP where nearly a fifth of India's Muslim population lives. NSA is invoked
for preventive arrests to check incidents that might lead to tension.Qazi of Bareilly,
Maulana A Raza Khan, had already announced that reciting the national anthem is
"un-Islamic as it contains words which are against the basic tenets of
Islam." Lawyers said that the police was free to invoke the NSA or any
other law against madrasas, but courts would take a final call. Only 600 of the
madrasas in UP are Govt aided.
UP minister seeks report on madrassas skipping anthem on
Independence-Day
Yogi’s Madrassa Diktat: Congress says using NSA against disobedient
madrasas unlawful
Lucknow: Congress has said targeting the Madrasas with NSA will be
unlawful. Speaking to News agency on the same, Congress leader Dwijendra
Tripathi said, “They probably don’t understand what NSA is all about. If they
do anything like this, then the High Court will take action against them.
Tripathi further said that NSA is only implemented if a person or a society
disturbs the public order. “Apex Court has examined this law and said that if a
religion doesn’t allow a person to sing the national anthem, then no one can
enforce them,” he added. “Commissioner shouldn’t make statements which aren’t
lawful and not under the parameters of the NSA,” he added.ANI/
If offering namaz on road cannot be banned, how can I ban Janmashtami in
police stations: Adityanath
UP CM Yogi
Adityanath stated that he has no authority to ban the celebration of
Janmashtami in police stations because he also cannot ban the offering of namaz
on roads during the festival of Eid.He also said that after being briefed by
officers regarding the usage of microphones, DJs and music systems during the
Kanwar Yatra, he had asked the administration if a ban on the sound could be
enforced and if such a thing was impossible, then the Yatra would continue as
it always had. However, he mentioned at the event organised by the Prerna
Jansanchar Evam Shidh Sansthan, Noida and Lucknow Jansanchar Evam Patrakarita
Sansthan that when he was told so by the officers, he stated that how would it
be a Kanwar Yatra if music was not played."I asked if this was a kanwar
yatra or a funeral procession. If they don’t play music and drums, don’t dance
and sing, don’t use the mike, how will it be a kanwar yatra," he said.
Times Now
Muslim leaders angry after MP Govt
ignores Muslim freedom fighters in advertisements
Clerics across Madhya Pradesh have criticised the Shivraj Singh
Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh Govt for ignoring and insulting Muslim freedom
fighters in an advertisement published on Independence day, Aug.15.
Advertisement listed freedom fighters like Rani Lakshmibai, Chandrashekhar
Azad, Ramprasad Bismil, Bheema Nayak, Shankar Shah, Raghunath Shah and many others.
But Govt has not mentioned any Muslim
freedom fighter in their advertisement.Condemning this act, the MP unit of
Coordination Committee for Indian Muslims, an umbrella organisation for various
Muslim organisations, issued a press statement, asking the Chouhan Govt why it was not able to find a single Muslim
freedom fighter?What makes this advertisement interesting is that all the
freedom fighters listed are either related to MP or born there. The statement
said, “People know that followers of every religion took part in freedom
struggle. They did not do it to make their name, but to give us a free
country.”It further said, “PRO of MP govt published names and photos of 12
freedom fighters. But there is not any single Muslim name among them.”“PRO limits
freedom fighters to a specific religion. We condemn this act, and ask a public
apology from PRO of the govt,” said the statement.Masud Ahmad Khan, the
secretary of the committee, said, “Any CM does not want to taint his image. PRO and Govt
should clear the confusing
situation.”Khan noted that freedom fighters were related to Madhya Pradesh. He
said, “Rani Lakshmibai was from UP, but Bundelkhand was a part of MP during her
times. But it is strange that Govt forgets Muslim freedom fighters of the
state.”TwoCircles
2 Gujarat officers, accused in fake encounters and reinstated after
retirement, forced to quit by SC
2 senior Gujarat Police officers, NK Amin and TA Barot, who have been
accused in encounter killing cases, undertook before the Supreme Court on
Thursday that they will demit their posts during the day. Amin, who retired in
August last year as SP, has been re-appointed as SP of Mahisagar district of
Gujarat on contractual basis for one year. He faced trial in the Sohrabuddin
and Ishrat Jahan fake encounter killing cases. Barot has been re-inducted in
October last year as Deputy Superintendent of Police with Western Railways at
Vadodara for one year after his retirement. He was accused in the Ishrat Jahan
and Sadiq Jamal encounter cases.A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and
Justice DY Chandrachud considered statement of the lawyer appearing for the two
police officers and asked them to “step down” from their posts during the day
itself. The bench then disposed of a plea filed by former IPS officer Rahul
Sharma against re-induction of the two officers. Ex-IPS officer, in his plea
filed through advocate Varinder Kumar Sharma, has referred to the apex court’s
order allowing Gujarat Govt to accept the offer of state’s top cop PP Pandey to
relinquish posts of director general and inspector general of police. Sharma
had challenged the Gujarat high court’s decision dismissing his plea against re-induction
of the two officers.The plea alleged that Amin had been charge-sheeted by CBI
in the two encounter cases and has already spent “close to 8 years in judicial
custody” and was immediately re-instated as the SP after getting released.PTI
Sharad Yadav’s meeting for opposition unity attended by 16 parties
New Delhi: Leaders of 16 political parties on Thursday pledged to save
India’s “composite culture” as they gathered in the capital in a renewed bid to
forge opposition unity at a meeting hosted by rebel JDU leader Sharad Yadav.The
meeting, called Sanjhi Virasat Bachao (save the composite culture), is the
first step by opposition parties to come together after JDU chief Nitish Kumar
decided to break away and join hands with the NDA on 26 July to form the Govt in Bihar. Kumar’s move caused disaffection
among sections of the JDU, with leaders including Sharad Yadav raising concern
over the Bihar CM ’s decision.Prominent opposition leaders attended Thursday’s
meeting, including ex-PM Manmohan Singh,
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury
and J&K National Conference head
Farooq Abdullah. Among those who were not present at the day-long event were TMC
chief Mamata Banerjee, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu
Prasad.In a speech, Rahul Gandhi attacked the central Govt , saying it has
failed to keep its promises. He said that PM Narendra Modi wants to create “a
Swachh (clean) India but we want Sach (honest) India.”He alleged that RSS, BJP’s
ideological wellspring, was changing the Constitution of India. “Constitution
gives us the right to have one man, one vote.They want to change Constitution,”
Gandhi said.Analysts say meeting was a preliminary step for opposition parties
to come together. livemint
Sharad Yadav unites opposition parties in a show of strength against
RSS-BJP
Sharad Yadav compares BJP reign with that of Adolf Hitler
China or Pakistan no threat, forces within India more dangerous: Farooq
Abdullah
NC president Farooq Abdullah
launched a scathing attack on the ruling NDA, saying that any outside source
doesn’t pose any threat to India, as those dwelling inside the nation are even
more dangerous.Addressing the crowd at the ‘Sanjhi Virasat Bachao’ programme,
Abdullah said, “Any outside source doesn’t pose any threat to India, as those
dwelling inside the nation are even more dangerous. China cannot do anything to
us, Pakistan cannot do anything to us, it is the thief sitting inside the
country that is ruining the nation and dividing all of us.”Abdullah further
said that he very proudly calls himself an Indian Muslim, saying that Muslim
Indians fought for the freedom struggle of India.Abdullah said, “Earlier our
fight was with the British, but today it is against our own people.”HT
Prasar Bharti admits it had asked Tripura CM to rework his Independence
Day speech: Report
Broadcasting agency Prasar Bharti, which runs DD and All India Radio,
has said that it had intimated Tripura CM Manik Sarkar about the “controversial and
objectionable content” in his Independence Day speech before deciding against
airing it, Indian Express reported.This comes a day after Doordarshan dismissed
allegations that it had intentionally blacked out Sarkar’s speech.In Sarkar’s
speech, he had claimed that the “spirit of secularism” was under threat in
India. “Conspiracies and attempts are underway to create an undesirable
complexity and divisions in our society...by inciting passions to convert India
into a particular religious country and in the name of protecting the cow,” he
had said in the speech. scroll
JNUSU calls panel findings on Vemula suicide ‘stupid’
New Delhi: The report that said Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit and that
his suicide was not a result of any political and administrative discrimination
was dismissed by JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) as “stupid” and just another act
in a series of “manipulatory tactics” by the Centre. A one-man Commission,
constituted to look into the suicide of Hyderabad University scholar Rohith
Vemula, came up with its findings on Tuesday stating that the scholar did not
commit suicide because of any pressure exerted by Union Ministers Smriti Irani
and Bandaru Dattatreya or university’s V-C Appa Rao Podile and that it was a
decision “of his own”.But the student body of JNU, governed by Leftist parties,
refused to trust the findings of the Commission.“It’s not just Hyderabad
University, but in all the central universities that the Centre is engaging in
manipulatory tactics. Rreport’s findings are stupid in that its outcome was
predecided,” Amal PP, Vice President, JNUSU, said.He said that Commission could
not have been completely impartial for “it was mandated by the same agency (HRD
Ministry) which was a party to the controversy”.“Why is there no action against
ABVP student N. Susheel. Even in the JNU case, they accused us of raising
anti-national slogans. Videos which were claimed to have captured those slogans
later turned out to be doctored… there is no justice for Najeeb even after one
year of his going missing… Is this the justice of ‘Sangh Parivaar’,” he asked. Refusing
to buy the Commission’s finding that Vemula was not a Dalit, JNUSU President
Mohit Pandey said the govt has turned into a Dalit “manufacturing factory”. He
also demanded an independent judicial probe in the matter.“It’s upto them who
they want to pose as Dalit and who they do not,” he told IANS over phone
referring to the newly-elected President of the country Ram Nath Kovind.IANS
Gorakhpur DM says children died
due to oxygen shortage; Dr kafeel given clean chit
Gorakhpur: A report submitted by Gorakhpur’s DM Rajeev Rautela to the UP
Govt has held disruption in oxygen
supply responsible for deaths of more than 30 children from August 10 to 11 at Govt-run
Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College and Hospital.On Aug.12, Adityanath Govt had asked the DM to launch a probe into the
death of several children at the BRD Hospital.DM’s report has charged the
medical college’s principal, doctors, paramedical staff and clerks of BRD
Medical College with criminal negligence.However, DM has said that the state Govt
was not aware of the impending oxygen
crisis in the hospital as none of the concerned authorities including the
principal of the medical college informed it.In the report, it is being said
that the principal Rajiv Mishra was aware of the impending oxygen crisis but he
failed to alert the medical education and health departments.He has been also
accused of failing to inform the Govt of
pending bill of Rs 69 lakh of oxygen supplier Pushpa Sales.Instead of tackling
the situation, Rajiv Mishra had gone on leave after the visit of CM Yogi
Adityanath got over on Aug.9. Hospital’s purchase committee. Dr Kumar had also
gone on leave on August 11 without taking permission of college Principal Rajiv
Mishra.The report has also recommended strict action against Pushpa Sales for
its failure to refill oxygen cylinders.DM Rajeev Rautela in his report has also
demanded action against Dr Satish Kumar, a member of BRD Medical. The report
has also recommended action against paramedical staffer Gajanan Jaiswal, who
was responsible for maintaining a log book of oxygen supply.Dr. Kafeel Ahmed
Khan, who was suspended by Govt after he was hailed as hero in the entire
episode for arranging oxygen cylinders by spending money from his own pocket,
has not been indicted in DM's report, NDTV reported. India Samvad
Dr Kafeel Ahmed may have made some mistakes, but he is not responsible
for death of children in Gorakhpur: TCN
SC norms on sound system of mosques need to be followed: Madras High
Court
Chennai:Madras High Court on Wednesday observed that freedom of religion
is a fundamental right which cannot be interfered with but stressed that the
Supreme Court guidelines on sound system used by mosques for giving prayer
calls should be followed.The observations were made by the first bench
comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar during the
hearing of a PIL on the matter.The public interest litigation alleged rampant
seizure of loudspeakers used for ‘azaan’ or the prayer call by mosques in
Pollachi taluk in Coimbatore district by officials without verifying whether
the sound levels were within the permissible limits or not.Petitioner Shaw
Nawaz Khan, president of Pollachi “Aikkiya Jamath”, sought to forbear the
Coimbatore Rural Superintendent of Police and the Additional Superintendent of
Police, Pollachi, from confiscating the loudspeakers in the mosques without
examining the decibel levels.When the petition came up, the bench said offering
prayers was the fundamental right and it cannot be interfered with. However, at
the same time, it said, the petitioners had to follow the Supreme Court
guidelines in operating the sound system. “There can be no doubt that freedom
of religion is a fundamental right. The religious practice that do not
contravene the law of the land ought not be interfered,” it said.The bench then
directed the petitioner to file an affidavit on seizure details of loudspeakers
and posted the petition to September 4 for further hearing. PTI
Azan cannot be disturbed if within legal decibel limits: HC
2 Lakh minority students ‘disappear’ from official records in U'khand
Dehradun: Uttarakhand govt’s scholarship scheme for children from
minority communities belonging to below-poverty-line (BPL) families has seen a
curious trend of late. The scheme which is meant for students of classes I to X
has seen a sharp decline in the number of beneficiaries in the past two years —
so much so that over 88% are no longer enrolled in the scheme. Data accessed
exclusively by TOI revealed that there were 2,21,800 students who were enrolled
for the scheme in 2014-15, but in 2016-17 the number suddenly dipped to just
26,394. What accounts for the disappearance of almost 2 lakh students who were
availing benefits of the scheme merely 2 years earlier? The scholarship amounts
varied depending on the class the student was in. Students in classes I to V
were entitled to around Rs 50 per month, those in classes VI to VII almost Rs
80 per month, while the scholarship amount was around Rs 120 for students of
classes IX & X. There are various theories being circulated to explain the
missing students. Since "disappearance" happened after the minorities
welfare department — which oversees the scheme — decided to digitise all its
records from 2015-16 onwards, the prevailing theory is that digitisation of
records busted the "massive corruption" that used to happen in the
guise of the scholarship scheme.“The amount meant for students availing of the
scholarship was paid to either the schools or madrassas where they were
enrolled. After the records became digitised, details of the students were
required to be uploaded online. This might have alarmed those indulging in
wrong-doing. Consequently, we saw that many districts stopped coming forward to
avail of the scheme. In fact, as many as 6 of the 13 districts reported in the
last financial year that there were no takers for the scheme,” said a source in
the minorities welfare dept.TOI
Naqvi discusses sea route for Haj pilgrims with Saudi envoy
New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi has discussed the option of sending Haj pilgrims from India through the
sea route with Saudi Arabian Ambassador Mohammed Alsati, who called on him at
his office. Naqvi said that various issues related to the ongoing Haj 2017 were
discussed in a meeting. The issue of reviving the option of sending Haj
pilgrims by the sea route was also discussed. Naqvi said talks on sending Haj
pilgrims through the sea route are already on with Saudi Govt and the response is very positive.He said that
a meeting in this regard would be held between the Minority Affairs Ministry
and the Union Shipping Ministry under the chairmanship of Union Minister Nitin
Gadkari at New Delhi on Aug.28.The Minister said that the new Haj policy for
2018 would be unveiled this month with a focus on providing world class
facilities to Haj pilgrims.IANS
Telangana: ABVP and RSS goons chanting jai shri Ram beat up Muslim
college principal On I-Day for unfurling national flag wearing shoes:
In a shocking case, a college principal in Telangana was roughed up,
allegedly by ABVP and RSS men on Independence Day because he was wearing shoes!
Incident happened in Nizamabad when Mohammed Yakeenuddin, principal of Govt Junior College at Nandipet Ailapur, was
hoisting the national flag.A video of the incident which appears to be shot by
the attackers themselves shows a group of men who pulled Yakeenuddin away from
the function while raising slogans like Jai Sree Ram and 'Bharat Mata ki
jai'.According to reports some even asked the principal to go to Pakistan, even
though it is not clearly audible in the video. Yakeenuddin tried to reason with
the goons saying that there was no such rule against wearing shoes while
unfurling the national flag and that even PM Modi was wearing shoes, but to no
avail, as they continued to shout slogans against the principal. INDIATIMES
Muslim college principal heckled
by ABVP, RSS men
Shiv Sena's transport wing chief claims party minister Raote targeted
him for being a Muslim
The chief of Shiv Sena's transport wing created a flutter on Wednesday
when he publicly accused senior party leader and state transport minister
Diwakar Raote of using a "derogatory term" for him. Haji Arafat
Shaikh of the Shiv Vahatuk Sena alleged he was probably being targeted as he
was a Muslim. He also claimed Raote had been shunning his followers and had not
created any new auto or taxi stands."What kind of justice is this in the
party?" Shaikh asked during a party function in Bandra. Shaikh expressed
his willingness to leave the post "if people so wanted".The incident
has brought differences in the Sena to the fore. Sena leader Anil Desai and
minister of state Arjun Khotkar, who were present at the dais, advised Shaikh
to be patient.Shaikh is the nephew of Shiv Sena's only Muslim leader late Sabir
Shaikh.He started his political career with the Sena and later moved to the Raj
Thackeray-led MNS. Around two years ago, he rejoined the Sena and was made a deputy
leader.Mumbai Mirror
On BJP’s mind now: Inroads into Maratha, Muslim areas in Maharashtra
Mumbai: BJP has decided to make inroads into the areas dominated by
Maratha and Muslim communities to expand its electoral base in Maharashtra. On
the first day of the 2-day state BJP executive meeting that commenced
Wednesday, the party deliberated that it should focus on the untapped segments
and constituents.“PM Narendra Modi’s
call on ‘New India’ and CM Devendra
Fadnavis’s ‘Modern Maharashtra’ mantra will be the central theme of our
conclave,” a senior BJP functionary
said.The conclave that started in the backdrop of serious corruption
charges against state BJP chief Raosaheb Danve and Housing Minister Prakash
Mehta is unlikely to see any action against the leaders.Marathas constitute 33 %
of the state’s population and Muslims 10
to 12 % .Indian Express
Chinese media now debates military options as Doklam crisis festers
Beijing: China’s media campaign on the Doklam crisis has become sharper,
shriller, and a shade bizarre, with a daily newspaper on Thursday threatening
that Chinese authorities may soon issue an “ultimatum” to India to end the
Himalayan standoff. Simultaneously, state-run Xinhua news agency released a
video mocking India for deliberately disregarding the enormity of the mounting
crisis. Both items allude to the urgency in defusing the crisis and avoiding a
war through India’s unilateral withdrawal from the Doklam plateau. thehindu
China, India dangerously close to military conflict: Foreign Media
After clash in Ladakh, India braces for more 'shallow intrusions' by PLA
New Delhi: Indian forces are bracing for more "shallow
intrusions" or "needling probes"+ from China's People's
Liberation Army (PLA) in vulnerable spots along LAC, according to sources in
the Indian defence establishment.This assessment comes even as the two forces
held a border personnel meeting (BPM) in eastern Ladakh on Wednesday to calm
down tempers, a day after Indian and Chinese soldiers pelted stones at each
other near Pangong Lake. PLA is unlikely to try anything near the already
restive Sikkim-Bhutan-Sikkim tri-junction+ because Indian troops are militarily
much better-placed there and can easily threaten China's narrow Chumbi Valley
in the region, if required, the according to India's assessment. "But PLA
could try something in eastern Ladakh, as was seen on Tuesday, or eastern
Arunachal or Lipulekh Pass and Barahoti in the central sector
(Himachal-Uttarakhand)," one of the sources said. timesofindia
4 top J&K ministers in Delhi Friday to firm up support for Article
35A
New Delhi: J&K Govt is sending four top ministers to Delhi on
Friday to explore further “legal support” for the state Govt in Supreme Court on Article 35A. They are also
expected to explain to leaders at the Centre the “devastating implications” in
case the constitutional provision is struck down and ensure the Union Govt backs the state’s stance in the apex court.“We
are going to Delhi on 18th (Aug) to see what can be done to put up a strong
defence to our case,’’ state Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan said. “We will meet
people and seek further legal opinion.”He said the J&K Govt ’s talks with
the Centre have been “very fruitful”, and that PDP and BJP, coalition partners
in the state, are talking at every level.Appreciating PM Narendra Modi’s views on ways to resolve the
Kashmir impasse in his Independence Day speech, Khan said, “It (the speech)
said everything. It gave everyone a lot of hope. So I don’t think there is any
reason to worry.”Khan was referring to Modi’s remarks that the Kashmir problem
cannot be resolved through “gaali” (abuse) or “goli (bullets)”, and that change
can “only come by embracing Kashmiris”.Besides the Law Minister, his senior
Cabinet colleagues Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, Horticulture Minister Syed
Basharat Bukhari and Information, Food and Supplies Minister Choudhary Zulfikar
will travel to Delhi. Drabu was the PDP’s points person in the party’s talks
with the BJP, which was represented by Ram Madhav, during the coalition
formation. Drabu and Madhav were also architects of the agenda of alliance
between the two parties. He is seen as close to the BJP brass and is valued in
Delhi, especially after he brought J&K under GST regime without any major
hassle. Bukhari is a former Law minister, while Choudhary is an influential
Gujjar leader from Rajouri, and his presence in the group of ministers is said
to be important. indianexpress
US terror tag on Hizbul unlikely to affect militancy in Valley
Srinagar: On Wednesday, US State dept declared Kashmir’s largest
indigenous militant group Hizbul Mujahideen as foreign terrorist organization.
The decision comes a month after Mohammad Yusuf Shah, alias Syed Salahudin, was
declared as global terrorist by the US state department. Salahudin, the chief
commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, based in Muzaffarabad, PoK, is also the
chairman of United Jihad Council (UJC) – an umbrella group of militant outfits
operating in J&K .For India, designation of Hizb as a foreign terror outfit
is going to be a big diplomatic victory as it will also put Pakistan under
pressure to rein in Hizb and its leadership in that country. India will sure
use this as an opportunity to deal with the militants and their sympathizers in
Kashmir with an iron hand, where militants are already feeling the heat of
stepped up anti-militancy operations by the forces. US decision may, however,
embolden India further as human rights violation in the Valley could now be
overlooked by the West.However, on ground in Kashmir, the US designation is not
going to affect the militancy much, as has been seen in the case of Lashkar,
which continued its lethal attacks against Indian forces in the Valley even
after US ban. Kashmiri militants who are fighting with Indian forces have never
looked towards the US for help, nor they have any assets there or travel to US
or other countries.For common Kashmiris, who see their struggle as secular,
legal and a fight for restoration of plebiscite rights as envisaged under UN
resolutions, the US ban is going to serve more as a psychological setback as
for decades people have been looking towards the US for its support and
intervention in resolving Kashmir issue. After this decision, majority of
people here may realize that US is, in no way, going to support any sort of
armed struggle in Kashmir whether run by locals or foreign cadres of any
militant outfit. Also, in Kashmir this decision is seen as a major shift in US
policy towards Pakistan and the Kashmir issue and also a favour to India.However,
the fillip side of the US ban is that more and more Kashmiri youth may get
attracted towards the radical militant organizations like al Qaeda or ISIS or
may force Hizb to drop its opposition to the entry of these organisation into
Kashmir Jihad. indianexpress
Pak: US move to blacklist Hizbul Mujahideen ‘unjustified’
Islamabad: Pakistan has said that it was “disappointed” with the US
decision to designate the Kashmiri militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a
foreign terrorist organisation and termed the move as “completely
unjustified.”“ Designation of individuals or groups supporting the Kashmiri
right to self-determination as terrorists is completely unjustified,” Foreign
Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said here.PTI
Despite restrictions in Kashmir, thousands participate in funeral of
slain LeT commander Lelhari: Greater Kashmir
Thousands of people on Thursday participated in the last rites of slain
LeT commander Ayub Lelhari in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.An eye witness
said that thousands of people marched towards Lelhar – anvestral village of the
slain District Commander of LeT – despite restrictions imposed by the
authorities.He said that forces had sealed all the entry and exit points of Kakapora
area to limit gathering of people.However, people took detours through orchards
and by-lanes to reach the ground where funeral prayers of Lelhari were offered.
Do not deport Rohingyas to Myanmar ‘where they face persecution’, HRW
urges India
Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged Indian Govt to “abide by its
international legal obligations” and not forcibly deport Rohingya Muslim
refugees to Myanmar, “where they face persecution”. The organisation said the
community needed protection from “systematic abuse” by officials and state
security forces in Myanmar.“India has a long record of helping vulnerable
populations fleeing from neighboring countries, including Sri Lankans, Afghans,
and Tibetans,” said HRW South Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly. “Indian
authorities should abide by India’s international legal obligations and not
forcibly return any Rohingya to Burma without first fairly evaluating their
claims as refugees.”HRW refuted Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren
Rijiju’s statement that New Delhi was not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee
Convention or its 1967 Protocol, saying India was still “bound by customary
international law” to not forcibly return refugees to a place where they face
serious threats. scroll
Syria hesitant about India’s role in reconstruction after Modi’s Israel
visit: HT report
Damascus: Syrian Govtis hesitant about inviting India to participate in
the war-torn country’s reconstruction because of public disappointment over PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, a top aide to
President Bashar al-Assad has said.The views expressed by Bouthaina Shaaban,
one of the closest aides of Assad, could be perceived as a snub by Indian
policy-makers, especially since New Delhi has tacitly backed Syrian regime
since the country’s conflict began in 2011. Sipping a glass of wine at a hotel
in the “green zone” of Damascus, Shaaban speaks of the bitter taste left by
Indian PM’s visit to Israel. “Allow me to say that Syrian people are very
disappointed with the visit of PM Modi
to Israel, because Israel is an occupying and a colonial force which has
deprived Palestinians of their indigenous rights. We never expected India will
move from its righteous and moral stand and pay that huge courtesy to Israel,”
Shabaan, a frequent visitor to India said.HT
TMC sweeps 7 civic bodies in Bengal, BJP a distant 2nd, Left
wiped out
Kolkata: CPI(M) has failed to win even a single ward out of the 148 that
went to the polls at seven civic bodies in West Bengal on August 13, even as TMC
emerged triumphant. The ruling party swept the polls held at Dhupguri, Haldia,
Panskura, Durgapur, Cooper’s Camp, Nalhati and Buniyadpur municipalities. BJP
emerged second in the race, although with just six seats, while the Left
parties put up a dismal show in the electoral contest preceding the crucial
2018 panchayat polls. Forward Bloc, only Left Front partner to notch a seat,
blamed the tie-up between the Congress and Left for the loss. “HT
Jayalalithaa’s death to be investigated by commission headed by retired
judge
Chennai;Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K
Palaniswami also announces that Veda Nilayam, residence of the former CM in Poes Garden in Chennai, will be converted
into a Govt memorial.The death of the
former CM , Jayalalithaa, would be investigated by a commission headed by a
retired judge, Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K
Palaniswami announced in Chennai on Thursday.He also announced that Veda
Nilayam, residence of Jayalalithaa in Poes Garden in the city, will be converted
into aGovt memorial.The announcements
indicate a step closer to a potential merger of the two AIADMK factions - the
AIADMK (Amma) and AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma).
10 kids a Day lost in Delhi as activists blaming trafficking gangs, families
eager to dump their daughters for shocking stats
India's capital has a reputation for swallowing up the young and many
are never found. Shocking figures on missing children from Delhi submitted by MHA
in Lok Sabha recently bolster this notoriety.According to NCRB data that was
furnished, nearly 900 girls and 500 boys, all minors, have gone without trace
from the Capital between January and July this year.A total of 2,179 girls, or
about 10 a day, had gone missing, but 1,291 were found.Similarly, of 1,365 boys
who have vanished, 881 were either tracked down or returned on their own.In all
of last year, a total of 1164 girls and 648 boys went missing and their status
remained so despite frantic countrywide police investigations.Importantly,
Delhi is leading among all states and union territories over the past number of
years for lost children.In 2014,city recorded 7136 'unrecovered' children while
larger and more populous MP stood second at 5,344 with West Bengal third at
3,424. DailyMail
Bihar floods: 98 dead;93 lakh people in 15 districts hit
Patna: Flood situation in Bihar worsened on Thursday as the death toll
mounted to 98 due to the deluge which has affected nearly 93 lakh people in 15
districts, forced postponment of examination and cancellation of trains.The
toll due to the floods triggered by rains in Nepal and northern parts of the
state was 72 on Wednesday, and 73.44 lakh people in 14 districts were hit.
Saharsa was the latest district to be affected, officials said.Araria district
accounted for 20 deaths, followed by East Champaran(14),West Champaran(13),Madhepura(12),
Sitamarhi (11),Kisanganj (8),Purnea (5), Madhubani (5), Darbhanga (4), Saharsa
(3), Sheohar (2) and Supual (1), said Disaster Management Dept Principal Secretary.PTI
Undercover team finds 'Nikah Halala' services for sale where divorcees
marry, have sex, then divorce just to REMARRY their first husband, claims Mail
Today report
A number of religious scholars in India are asking to be paid for a
one-night stand with divorced Muslim women who are using Islamic law to save
their marriages, an India Today investigation has found.Women are charged
anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh to participate in nikah halala, a
controversial practice that requires a woman to marry someone else, sleep with
him and get a divorce again in order to remarry her first husband under
personal laws, probe discovered. They demanded the perpetrators shown in the
network's special report be prosecuted for rape.Probe found many Islamic
scholars putting themselves up for sale to women desperate to restore their
broken marriages.At a restaurant in Ghaziabad, the undercover team first met
Mohammed Nadeem, an imam at Madina Masjid in Moradabad's Lal Bagh
neighbourhood.Cleric was already married.But he was negotiating his role play
as a husband for a night with the reporters posing as relatives of a fictitious
divorced Muslim woman. 'Will your wife object to it?' asked a reporter. 'No,
no. She won't have any objection,' imam Nadeem replied.v 'Have you spoken with her?'
the reporter prodded. 'No, I haven't spoken with her. I haven't told her.
What's the need to tell her?' Nadeem asked.Moradabad imam admitted he had
officiated several nikah halala marriages.This time, he proposed a package deal
for the entire service, including sex. 'It's Rs 1 lakh,' he said. Imam Nadeem
guaranteed issuing divorce after spending a night with the bride for her to
become eligible to go back to her first husband in accordance with the personal
law. The business of one-night grooms is widespread, the India Today
investigation observed.At Delhi's Jamia Nagar, the team met Zubair Qasmi, a
qualified maulana married with 2 wives. He nominated himself for a nikah halala
in exchange for money. 'I spend many nights out. It's much easier to manage
this with 2 (wives).'One would think I am with the second. And the second would
think I am with the other. It's not at all difficult with two (wives),' he
bragged.Zubair Qasmi based his fee on mehr, money or a gift a Muslim groom
pledges to his bride during Islamic marriages.'Don't worry about anything. I'll
make every arrangement. If Rs 30,000 is set as mehr, it will be either Rs
40,000 or Rs 50,000 (in return for
participation in nikah halala). No problem in it,' Qasmi said.The rot runs
deep. Next, India Today's investigative journalists visited Mohammad Mustaquim
of Delhi's Darul Uloom Mahmoodia Madrasa.'There was a woman in the room. I went
there and had sex. Before leaving at 2-3 am, I divorced her,' he
confessed.Mohammad Mustaquim performed nikah halala even without formal
marriage.'So you have taken part in 3 nikah halala. You actually married on one
occasion, right? Other 2 nikha halala were without marriage,' the reporter
asked. 'Without marriage,' he admitted. 'After sleeping with her,I left at 1 am.'
Mustaquim's fee for this service included donation for his madrasa.'You'll have
to pay Rs 20,000 for the madrasa. I am ready to do it for whatever amount. I
have done it several times before,' he said.
WORLD
Turkey to boost military cooperation with Iran after army chief's visit;
Erdogan to 'visit Iran in near future':Reuters
Ankara; Turkey and Iran have agreed to boost military cooperation after
talks in Ankara this week between the Iranian armed forces chief of staff and
Turkish leaders, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Thursday.Iran's
military chief General Mohammad Baqeri met Erdogan on Wednesday on a visit
Turkish media said was the first to Turkey by an Iranian military chief of
staff since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran.Erdogan spokesman Ibrahim Kalin
described the visit as "fruitful and successful", adding that talks
focused on counter-terrorism, the battle with Islamic State, and a joint effort
by Iran, Turkey and Russia to stem the fighting in parts of Syria."An
agreement was reached to hold further high-level visits from now on,"
Kalin told a news conference. "A series of activities will also be held to
boost military cooperation."Baqeri's trip to Ankara came days ahead of a
planned visit by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Iran's semi-official Tasnim agency
quoted Baqeri as saying he had agreed with Turkey to hold joint training
courses, and increase counter-terrorism intelligence sharing.He said Erdogan
would visit Iran in the near future.
Iran,Russia,Turkey mark new turn with $7 billion drilling deal
Turkey’s Unit International which signed a drilling deal last week with
Russia's state-owned Zarubezhneft and Iran's Ghadir Investment Holding says the
contract is worth $7 billion.The drilling in Iran will take place at three oil
fields estimated to hold 10 billion barrels of reserves and produce 100,000
barrels per day and a large natural gas field with a production capacity of 75
billion cubic meters per day, the company said on Tuesday.Unit did not name the
field but said its reserves are enough to meet Turkey's gas demands for the
next 150 years, with the production equal to 1.5 times 50 billion cubic meters
of gas which Turkey imports annually. presstv
Israel holds another 72 Palestinians over Al-Aqsa protests
Israeli occupying forces have arrested 72 Palestinians this week over
their alleged participation in protests over access to Al-Aqsa Mosque,
according to the Palestinian Information Centre. Spokeswoman for the Israeli
police, Luba Al-Sumari, said in a statement that 43 of those detained had
already been charged.“Anyone involved, directly or indirectly, in violent
riots, will be arrested and prosecuted,” she said. middleeastmonitor
Rights group: Israel’s ban on Arabs entering Al-Aqsa ‘illegal’
An Israeli rights group has slammed Israel’s banning of Palestinian
residents of town of Umm Al-Fahm from entering Al-Aqsa compound, calling it
“illegal” and “irrational”.Last week, reports emerged Arab citizens of Israel
were being prevented from entering occupied East Jerusalem to visit Al-Aqsa
Mosque.Adalah, rights group, confirmed the reports yesterday and revealed that
the reason for their prevention is due to nationals being members of the
Jabareen family.middleeastmonitor
Turkey: Kurdish independence vote could start civil war in Iraq
Referendum of Kurdish independence from Iraq could “result in a civil
war”,Turkish Foreign Minister Mouloud Jawish Oglu warned.“We are looking forward
to seeing the region retreat from its referendum plan regarding its
independence from Iraq,” Oglu said, adding: "Holding the referendum at a
time when the country is experiencing all of these issues will make the already
bad conditions even worse, and could perhaps even result in a civil war." middleeastmonitor
Saudi King Salman invites Qatar pilgrims to Hajj
Saudi Arabia will open its land border with Qatar to allow Hajj pilgrims
to pass through, its official press agency said.A statement on official Saudi
Press Agency on Thursday said the Salwa border point would be open for Qatari
citizens who wish to perform the annual pilgrimage to pass through with no
electronic permissions needed.The statement added that Saudi Arabia's King
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has invited Qatari pilgrims to perform this year's
Hajj pilgrimage at his expense. King Salman also ordered that private jets
belonging to Saudi airlines be sent to Doha airport "to bring all Qatari
pilgrims on his expenses".Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani welcomed the decision, but insisted that Hajj should not
be politicised and that the move should also include a full lifting of the
political and economic blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi and 3 other
countries. aljazeera
More than 100 cross-party politicians demand action over ‘Muslim
Problem’ article in Sun newspaper
Over 100 cross-party politicians have signed an open letter demanding
action over a column in The Sun for “using Nazi-like language” regarding the
Muslim community in Britain, The Independent can reveal. In a scathing letter
MPs from Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Green party unite to
say they “were truly outraged by the hate and bigotry” in a comment piece
written by the paper's former political editor Trevor Kavanagh. In the article
Mr Kavanagh argues Islam constitutes the “one unspoken fear” which unites
Britain and wider Europe but claims the phenomenon has been suppressed by
political correctness.“The common denominator, almost unsayable until last
week’s furore over Pakistani sex gangs, is Islam,” he wrote after 18 people
were convicted in a Newcastle grooming gang last week.“Thanks to former
equalities chief Trevor Phillips, and Labour MPs such as Rotherham’s Sarah
Champion, it is acceptable to say Muslims are a specific rather than a cultural
problem." Independent
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
There should be no place in India for Modi’s uncivil words against Hamid
Ansari:Jawhar Sircar,Ex CEO PrasarBharati
But Earth moves, Rohith Vemula is
a Dalit: Chandra Bhan Prasad
India’s Muslims and the Price of Partition:Ajaz Ashraf
Edited excerpts from Manik Sarkar’s I-Day speech that Doordarshan, AIR
declined to broadcast:Manik Sarkar
Gujarat RS elections: Vast resources of the BJP could not turn right
into wrong:Randeep Singh Surjewala
Hizbul Mujahideen ban goes global, but will it reach Valley?D. Suba
Chandran, Dean at National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:10 PM)
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