Evening NEWS
DIGEST
10
Oct.2017: 19 Muharram 1439:Vol:9, No:16
Demonetisation, GST impact: IMF lowers India’s
2017 growth forecast to 6.7%
International Monetary Fund on Tuesday lowered
India’s growth projection to 6.7% in 2017, 0.5 percentage points less than its
previous two forecasts and slower than China’s 6.8%, attributing it to
demonetisation and introduction of the GST.(IMF raised its current year growth
forecast for China to 6.8%, 0.1 percentage more than its two previous
projections in April and July -- pushing the Communist giant above India at the
top of the global growth tally.It also lowered India’s growth for 2018 to 7.4%,
0.3 percentage points less than its previous two projections in July and
April.India’s growth rate in 2016 was 7.1%, which saw an upward revision of 0.3
percentage points from its April report.“In India, growth momentum slowed,
reflecting the lingering impact of the authorities’ currency exchange
initiative as well as uncertainty related to the midyear introduction of the
country-wide Goods and Services Tax,” the IMF said in its latest World Economic
Outlook report.“Strong government spending and data revisions in India led to
an upward revision of 2016 growth to 7.1% (6.8% in April), with upward revisions
of about 0.2 percentage point, on average, for 2014 and 2015,” it said.The
latest report, released ahead of the annual meetings of the IMF and the World
Bank in Washington this week, puts China slightly ahead of India in terms of
growth rate for the year 2017.The GST, which promises the unification of
India’s vast domestic market, is among several key structural reforms under
implementation that are expected to help push growth above eight per cent in
the medium term, the report said. “In India, simplifying and easing labour
market regulations and land acquisition procedures are long-standing
requirements for improving the business climate,” the report said.PTI
IMF lowers India’s growth projection,
attributes it to demonetisation, GST
World Bank reduces India GDP growth forecast
to 7% for 2017-18
New Delhi: After remaining the world’s
fastest-growing region for 8 consecutive quarters, South Asia has slipped to
the third position behind East Asia and the Pacific regions, as India’s economy
slowed to its lowest level in 13 quarters, World Bank said on Monday.This is at
a time when other South Asian nations like Bangladesh and Nepal have registered
strong economic growth.In June quarter of 2017-18, Indian economy decelerated
to 5.7%, lowest since the economy grew at 5.3% in the March quarter of
2013-14.In its South Asia Economic Focus (Fall 2017), World Bank reduced
India’s GDP growth forecast to 7% for 2017-18 from 7.2% estimated earlier,
blaming disruptions caused by demonetisation and implementation of GST, while
maintaining at the same time that the economy would claw back to grow at 7.4%
by 2019-20. Both Asian Development Bank as well as the Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have also cut their growth
projections for India to 7% and 6.7%, respectively, for fiscal 2017-18.World
Bank said the unexpected slowdown in India’s growth story is because of the
delayed consequence of demonetization, sharp decline in the growth rate of
public expenditures and uncertainty created by the introduction of
GST.“Moreover, the unusually low growth rate of the last quarter could also be
affected by measurement error. In India, final growth rate figures often differ
considerably from first estimates; on average they tend to be 0.5 percentage
points higher.The combination of temporary shocks and measurement error
suggests no need for a policy correction,” it added.However, it cautioned that
since economic growth has been slowing down for the last five consecutive
quarters, there could be more reasons at play.“Over this period, imports
increased sharply while private investment declined. Behind these trends lies a
combination of large public sector borrowing (especially by the states),
relatively sticky interest rates despite decreasing inflation, and an increasingly
stressed financial sector,”it said, advising Govt to appropriately adjust its
“economic policy stance” without further elaboration. Livemint
PM’s stand up India plan slows down, a reality
check
PM Narendra Modi had launched Stand Up India
on April 5, 2016 in Noida.The initiative was launched to support
entrepreneurship among women, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.Under
this, every bank has given a responsibility to ensure that wherever they have a
branch, in their area, they have to give loans to two individuals – Dalit or an
Adivasi, and a woman – in order to help them to start a new enterprise, new
business.According to the govt’s website, the stated goal of Stand-up India is
to enable bank loans between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore to at least one SC or ST
borrower and at least one woman per bank branch to set up a greenfield
enterprise.But nearly after one and a half years of the assurance, the data on
loans obtained from Dept of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, by Indian
Express under the RTI, shows a different picture. So far, only Rs 4,852 crore
has been disbursed from the total loan amount of Rs 8,803 crore that was
sanctioned across the banks.As per the records, after 17 months after the
assurance, only 6% of the 1.3 lakh bank branches have provided Stand Up India
loans to SC/ST individuals.Data shows less than 25 percent of the branches have
provided loans to women in the general category.21 public sector commercial
banks have together sanctioned Stand Up India loans to 38,111 individuals. Out
of which, 5,559 of them are SC, 1,653 ST and 30,899 general category women. The
average amount disbursed to SC/St applicants is Rs 10 lakh. The average amount
disbursed to women is Rs 12.27 lakh. As per the data, 6 of these 21 public
sector banks have together provided loans to less than 100 SC individuals.
However, 16 banks have not sanctioned a single loan to individuals belonging to
the ST category. Indian Express
Truckers’ 2-day ‘Token’ Strike Against GST,
Diesel Hikes Ends, But More to Come
2-day nationwide strike by truckers protesting
against the GST regime and the exorbitant hikes in diesel price entered its
second day on Oct.10.However, this chakkajam led by the All India Motor
Transport Congress (AIMTC) was only a “token strike”, and truck operators have
said they would intensify their stir after Diwali festive season is over, if
their demands are not met.“Working under the GST regime has become
cumbersome,”Naveen Gupta, AIMTC secretary general, told Newsclick.He said the
transport sector is divided into three verticals – truck drivers, brokers
(suppliers), and transporters. “And the multiple schemes, contradictory clauses
and complicated structure are causing a lot of confusion for all. GST claims to
bring uniformity, but it has created chaos and disrupted our work.” newsclick
'Millions of weavers vulnerable due to GST'
New Delhi: Millions of India's poor artisans
and craftspeople, struggling to keep alive their traditional crafts and
livelihoods, have been hit hard by the introduction of the GST that has pitted
them in an unequal battle against machine-made products, says craft activist
Laila Tyabji."The position of weavers is very vulnerable today because of
GST. Handloom (products) were free of tax all these years, and it was very much
part of national policy," Tyabji told IANS in an interview. Tyabji's
organisation, Dastkar, works with craftspeople to promote and revive traditional
crafts and recently organised "Grand Saree Fair" featuring
traditional sarees from across the country.Stressing that most of them come
from marginalised communities and need support, she said: "They received
encouragement from successive Govts. Mahatma Gandhi used to say that cottage
industries and weavers' craft are part of India's culture, society and also
economics."IANS
Law Ministry Permission to ASG to Represent
Jay Shah Runs Counter to Its Own Rules: The Wire
New Delhi: Even before The Wire carried its
story on Jay Amitbhai Shah’s Golden Touch, Union law ministry had granted
additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta permission to represent Jay Shah in
his yet-to-be-filed defamation suit against The Wire.The permission was given
on Oct. 6 while the story appeared only 2 days later, on Oct 8.Rule 8(1)(a) of
the Law Officer (Conditions of Service) Rules,1987,states: “Restrictions- (1) A
Law Officer shall not – (a) hold briefs in any court for any party except Govt of
India or Govt of a State or any University, Govt School or College, local
authority, Public Service Commission, Port Trust, Port Commissioners, Govt
aided or Govt managed hospitals, a Govt company as defined in Section 617 of Companies
Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), any Corporation owned or controlled by the State, anybody
or institution in which Govt has a preponderating interest”.This rule
essentially says that a law officer shall not hold briefs in any court for any
party except Govt or Govt-controlled bodies. The only exception allowed to this
is as per Rule 10, which too comes with a rider:“Power to relax – where the
Central Govt is of the opinion that it is necessary or expedient to do so, it
may, by order, and for reasons to be recorded in writing, relax any of the
provisions of these rules.”(emphasis added).
Firecrackers ban: Chetan Bhagat denounces SC
verdict, says why restrictions only on Hindu festivals
New Delhi:Writer Chetan Bhagat has expressed
his disagreement with the Supreme Court's order banning the sale of fire
crackers in Delhi-NCR till November 1, saying it should be regulated not
banned.In a series of tweets, he said that the tradition of burning fire
crackers was essential to the festival of Diwali.He went on to say that if
crackers were banned to control pollution, the action should be emulated for
"goat sacrifice and Muharram bloodshed" during festivals like
Eid."Can I just ask on cracker ban. Why only guts to do this for Hindu
festivals? Banning goat sacrifice and Muharram bloodshed soon too?,"
Bhagat wrote."I want to see people who fight to remove crackers for Diwali
show the same passion in reforming other festivals full of blood and
gore," he tweeted. Banning crackers on Diwali is like banning Christmas
trees on Christmas and goats on Bakr-Eid, Bhagat wrote. Bhagat's tweets were
met with sharp reactions by Twitterati including politician Shehzad Poonawalla,
who wrote, "Yes coz when Shri Ram returned to Ayodhya you (& those who
read your books) were bursting Chinese made crackers to celebrate the
homecoming?" abplive
‘Soon There Will be Ban on Hindu Cremations’:
Tripura Governor on Cracker Ban
Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy, known for his
‘twitter-happy’ ways, has once again kicked up a storm on social media by
insinuating that Hindu cremations could be the next tradition on the chopping
block after the Supreme Court ban on firecrackers. Weighing in on the apex
court’s ruling, Roy smelled a communal conspiracy that is one by one targeting
all Hindu rituals.“First Dahi Handi, now crackers. You never know, tomorrow the
award wapsi brigade and those carrying out candle marches might file a
litigation against the last rites ritual of Hindus, too," he tweeted on
Tuesday. News18.com
Rohingya not entitled to refugee status, says
brief concept note on Indian Council of Historical Research seminar
New Delhi:At a time when the Rohingya crisis
in Myanmar is being debated — including whether India should indeed deport them
or adopt a humanitarian stand — the Indian Council of Historical Research
(ICHR) is organising a seminar to flesh out the difference between “refugees”
and “illegal infiltrators”, seeing Rohingya Muslims as an example of the
latter.“Victims of religio-ethnic cleansing from the neighbouring countries
that were part of eternal Bharat since time immemorial but got separated from
us in 1947, are entitled to shelter and rehabilitation in India, but illegal
infiltrators from outside India are not,” says a brief concept note on the seminar
accessed by The Hindu.“Rohingya are certainly not entitled to the refugee
status. We have another category of refugees —who are internally displaced —
like the Hindu community from our own Kashmir Valley, unfortunately now
refugees in their own land!” The note also says: “Study on refugees, or ‘forced
migration’, is an established academic discipline in various countries, but
somehow, it has yet to receive that kind of acceptability in India. As against
this, there is the issue of illegal infiltration, and the two cannot be clubbed
together.”Governor of Tripura Tathagata Roy will inaugurate the seminar at
Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) and Indian Council of Social Science
Research Chairman BB Kumar will deliver the valedictory address.The Hindu
Allowing Women to go Without Male Accomplices
on Haj 'Un-Islamic': Barelvi Muslim Clerics
New Delhi: Sunni Barelvi clerics criticised
the move of allowing women aged over 45 years to go to Haj without their close
male relatives if they are travelling in groups of four or more and termed it
“un-Islamic”. The remarks came after Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar
Abbas Naqvi said that the Haj Committee of India might consider the
recommendation.Clerics said that the authorities’ motive was to “make women
work against Sharia”, the Times of India reported. “It is mandatory for women
to be accompanied by the husband or any other male blood relation. If women go
alone on Haj, they will end up committing a sin, which is the motive of the
authorities. As Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam, it should be done
according to Sharia and women cannot go without mehram (close male blood
relation),”said Mufti M. Salim Noori, spokesperson of Dargah Aala Hazrat.Mufti
M.Jameel Khan at Darul Ifta of Dargah Aala Hazrat called the policy un-Islamic.“Women
should consider Islamic rules instead of following changes introduced by
politicians. As the country has majority of Sunni Muslims within the community,
the Govt should draft the policy after contacting leaders belonging to all
denominations,” he said.Jamat Raza-e-Mustafa general secretary Maulana
Shahbudin Razvi said that they will write to Naqvi asking him not to give
permission to women to go on Haj alone.india.com
Clerics slam idea of allowing women to go on
Haj alone
Men, women should share pregnancy for 4.5
months: Jamiat Ulama on Gender Equality
Mumbai: Gulzar Azmi, Secretary of Jamiat Ulama
on Tuesday said that if everyone wants equality on the basis of gender, then
why men and women don't carry pregnancy for four and half months each.This
statement from the cleric came days after Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi proposed a Haj
Policy that will allow women above 45 to travel in a group of at least 4,
without a male member. Azmi said, "The decision to allow Muslim women aged
above 45 years to go on Haj alone is entirely illegal and is an intervention in
Islam. It is clearly stated in Quran that a woman cannot go on Haj
alone.""From the time this Govt has come to power, they tend to touch
upon such issues that make Muslim anxious which makes the people of our
religion believe that this Govt is against Muslims.The promises that were made
by PM Modi have not been fulfilled yet,
so to divert the attention they raise issues against Muslims," he
said.Touting Islam as a religion which respects women the most, Jamiat leader
said, "I do not understand which religion respects women more than
Islam."Questioning the issue of gender equality, Azmi said, "If we
talk about equality then there should be equality even in carrying a child in
womb. Then a man should carry the baby for four and half months and the women
for rest of the half time. Then only one can say that there is equality. First
there should be equality in the birth process then other aspects of equality
should be implemented in Islam." Huffingtonpost
/ANI
'Want equality for women? Get men to carry
baby for 4.5 months', says Muslim clerics' body: TOI
TN parties slams Centre for plan to phase out
Haj subsidy
Chennai:DMK and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK)
have urged the Centre not to accept the recommendations of a panel which has
endorsed a move to do away with the subsidy given to Haj pilgrims.Days after a
committee formed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs endorsed a proposal to
phase out the Haj subsidy, DMK working president M K Stalin said the Centre
should not accept the recommendations of the panel. “Besides (the proposed)
ending of the subsidy for Haj, cutting down the embarkation points to nine from
21 is tantamount to interfering in the religious freedom of the Islamic
people,” he said in a statement, adding that it was a matter of concern. “PM Modi
should ensure the subsidy for Muslims,” he urged.Referring to the minister’s
remark that the subsidy would be phased out, Stalin said, “This is against the
basic goal of that ministry.” PMK chief S Ramadoss claimed that the draft of
the new Haj policy would “only create an adverse impact” and urged the Centre
to take steps to maintain status quo in the matter, barring the initiative to
allow women over 45 years of age to go on Haj without being accompanied by
their male relatives.
Karnataka:Muslim panel to discuss Haj subsidy
abolition
Mangaluru: Muslim leaders in Dakshina Kannada
are yet to take a call on proposed Haj Policy that recommends abolition of
subsidy for Haj pilgrims.Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Muslim Central
Committee vice-president Ibrahim Kodijal said the committee will be meeting
within a day or two to discuss the proposed policy, which also recommends that
the central Govt allow women devotees aged over 45 to travel in a group of at
least four, without a male escort. "We read it in the newspapers and are
yet to go through the details of the proposal. Muslim Central Committee will
meet soon to discuss the proposal," said Ibrahim, who is also ex in-charge
president of Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee.TOI
J&K clerics ban women from travelling
alone
Clerics of Majlis-e-Shura, a religious
conglomerate in J&K's Kishtwar district, issued a diktat barring women from
going out alone in public.According to Times Now, the religious conglomerate
issued a list of diktats imposing restrictions on women in the state. According
to the diktat, women can't go to markets and public events alone, they must not
interact with men on the streets and there will be separate classrooms for boys
and girls in schools as co-education is 'un-Islamic'. The list also said that
music should be banned at marriage ceremonies and any kind of entertainment
during weddings will lead to the violators being socially boycotted. The
violators will be shamed publicly, the clerics said.Women should only venture
out in the company of their father, husband or brother, the clerics warned. firstpost
Darul Uloom fatwa bans rape-accused cleric
from heading any mosque: TOI
Bijnor: Former Imam of Bijnor Jama Masjid,
Maulana Anwarul Haq, who had faced rape charges earlier has now been barred
from becoming imam in any mosque by Darul Uloom Deoband through a fatwa.Imposing
the ban, the Darul Uloom committee comprising thre senior clerics spelt out
nine reasons for their decision. These include Haq developing illicit relations
with a woman, indecent conversation with women on the phone and "giving
the religion a bad name". However, on July 14 this year, a Bijnor court
had acquitted the cleric after the woman retracted her earlier allegations of
rape. Maulana had come out of jail two months ago. After this a controversy has
developed over bringing him back to the post of Imam of Bijnor Jama Masjid.According
to sources, a few days ago a meeting was held at the mosque over this issue.
After this caretaker of Jama Masjid, Javed Aftab went to Deoband to get a fatwa
against Haq. Aftab asked the committee at the influential seminary whether Haq
could be re-appointed considering the nature of the allegations against him."Committee
comprising 3 muftis has now given the fatwa, by which Haq cannot be appointed
Imam in any mosque," Aftab said.Reacting to the fatwa, Haq said,
"Aftab misguided the seminary and the media about the issue. Darul Uloom
has said in its fatwa that an investigation should be initiated by the
committee of the mosque. If these allegations are found true, then I cannot be
appointed Imam. To get political benefits, Aftab in his application concealed
the fact that I have been acquitted by the court."Haq added, "I don't
want to become the Imam of Jama Masjid. I have no desire for this post. Only my
supporters are staging protest in my favour. When I have no desire for this
post, I don't understand why somebody had to go to Darul Uloom over my
re-appointment."
Life imprisonment for Tunda in 1996 Sonepat blasts
case
Sonepat: A court here today awarded life
imprisonment to 75-year-old Abdul Karim Tunda in the 1996 Sonepat bomb blasts
case.The court of Additional District and Sessions judge Dr Sushil Kumar Garg
pronounced life sentence to Tunda, a day after it found him guilty, Tundas
counsel Ashish Vats said. Tunda will now be lodged in the Dasna jail in
Ghaziabad as many cases are pending against him in other parts of the country
as well, Vats said.PTI
Kerala terror camp case: Man held by NIA for
organising training
New Delhi:NIA said on Tuesday it has arrested
one accused for organising a terror camp in Kerala’s Kannur district in 2013. Azharudeen
aka Azhar, 24, a resident of Narath in Kerala, was arrested on Monday night, an
NIA official told IANS. He would be produced before a trial court in Ernakulam.The
counter-terror agency said the arrest involved the April 23, 2013, case when
the secret training camp was organised by Thanal Foundation Trust inside one of
its buildings to impart training in using of swords and explosives.On Jan.20,
2016, NIA Special court had found 21 persons of PFI guilty of the charges
including criminal conspiracy, membership of unlawful assembly, possession of
arms and explosive substances, inciting communal disharmony, assertions
prejudicial to national integration besides organising the terrorist camp.IANS
Bodies of riot victims exhumed: Setalvad moves
Gujarat HC against FIR
Ahemdabad:Social activist Teesta Setalvad has
filed a plea in Gujarat High Court, seeking quashing of an FIR lodged against
her for allegedly illegally exhuming bodies of 2002 riots victims in
Panderawada in Panchmahal district in Dec.2005. She moved the High Court after
the Supreme Court refused to give her relief in July this year.In the petition
filed in high court, she has stated that a chargesheet has already been filed
and there is no case made out against her. After the public prosecutor sought
time, the bench of Justice AJ Desai adjourned the hearing. Setalvad has been
accused of hurting religious feelings, fabricating false evidence, trespassing
on burial places, among other charges. In her plea, she has stated that there
was no question of hurting religious feelings as “not a single person from the
Muslim community who are supposed to have been hurt has filed any FIR”. Indianexpress
UP govt proposes ‘grand statue’ of Ram at
Ayodhya river banks
Lucknow: Yogi Govt plans to build a “grand
statue” of Ram on the banks of the Saryu river in Ayodhya as part of its plan
to showcase “Navya Ayodhya.” The proposal was presented to Governor Ram Naik as
part of the state tourism department’s initiatives to promote religious
tourism. Govt’s slideshow put the height of the statute at 100 m but some
officials said that wasn’t final.According to a press communique released from
Raj Bhavan, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Awanish Kumar Awasthi made the
presentation.The presentation also included information on programmes scheduled
for Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya on Oct 18. Governor Naik, CM Yogi Adityanath, Union Tourism Minister K J
Alphons and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma will be present on the occasion.The
communique stated that the statue will be build at Saryughat after clearance
from the National Green Tribunal.When asked about the statue, Awasthi said that
this was a “concept proposal” and the letter to NGT seeking clearance was yet
to be sent.Also part of the plan is a Ram Katha gallery on the banks of the
river, a multi-purpose auditorium in the Digambar Akhara premises and various
public utility services. For this integrated development of Ayodhya, the state Govt
had sent a detailed project report (DPR) of Rs 195.89 crore to the Tourism
Ministry at the Centre and the Ministry has so far provided Rs 133.70 crore to
the state.Indian Express
300 students of Shishu Mandir ill At UP's
Shamli After Inhaling Gas From Sugar Factory
Shamli: Around 300 schoolchildren fell ill
this morning in UP's Shamli after inhaling chemical waste from a sugar mill
near their school.Students of Saraswati Shishu Mandir were taken to a Govt hospital
after they suffering breathlessness, nausea, stomach ache, giddiness and a
burning in their eyes.Over 2 dozen children are believed to be seriously ill
and some of them have been referred to a bigger hospital in Meerut. "Between
30 and 35 children are in a serious condition, 15 have been referred to
Meerut," said Surjeet Singh, a senior district official.Doctors say none
of the other children are seriously affected. But at the hospital, there was
panic among parents and teachers.In visuals, little children were seen sitting
in groups at the hospital after first aid.The childrens' parents say waste from
a sugar factory is dumped at a site not far from the school.When the children
were heading to school today, factory workers were in the process of burning
the waste products, which allegedly gave off toxic fumes.While a few children
reportedly fell unconscious, others were taken ill when they reached
school.When hundreds of children appeared to collapse with the symptoms of the
toxic gas, teachers took them to the hospital. ndtv
Making Aadhaar card mandatory has made it
difficult to secure scholarships: Students
Mumbai:Applying for various scholarships has
become a hassle ever since the state Govt launched a new website in August to
disburse scholarship money, said students.
Those seeking scholarships through the new portal — www.mahadbt.gov.in — are required to
provide the details of their Aadhaar cards and their Aadhaar-linked SIM card,
and income and domicile certificates. The portal was launched to facilitate
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism of fund distribution. The state Govt decided
to transfer money allotted for the 43 scholarship schemes — 12 pre-matric, 31
post-matric — directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, instead of
handing it over to educational institutes.But the students complained that the
new formalities have made it difficult to secure scholarships.“Earlier, the Govt
would accept birth certificate and income affidavit while applying for
scholarship. Now, students have been directed, on a very short notice, to
furnish domicile certificates and income certificates. The students now have to
make rounds of tehsildar office and Aadhaar centres,” said Amir Nurle, head of
zonal scholarship cell, Students Islamic Organisation of India. HT
Muslim League MP ET Basheer’s Salafi remarks
backfire
Malappuram:The remarks made by E.T Muhammed
Basheer, IUML national organising secretary and MP from Ponnani, on Salafism has drawn flak from a section of
partymen, namely the EK faction of Sunnis.An article in its
mouthpiece ‘Suprabhatham’ on Monday lambasted
Basheer without mentioning his name which was followed by a strong
statement from the Samstha Kerala Jamiyathul Ulema (EK).The article alleged
that Basheer’s remarks endorsing Salafism would lure Muslims to radical Salafism which had proved fatal in many parts of the
world.Basheer had made the controversial
remarks in a short video which was produced and released recently by Kerala
Nadvathul Mujahideen, Salafi organisation popularly called Mujahids, as part
of the upcoming state conference which
is slated to be held in Malappuram in Dec. In the video, Basheer claimed that
the Salafi organisation played a crucial role in spreading the message of
puritan monotheism, which is considered to be the basis of Islamic belief. The
term was widely used by the Salafi preachers to vilify Sunnis.The remark has
drawn much flak from the Sunni organisations under Samastha and prompted them
to come out openly against Basheer’s stand at a time when the state is witnessing the perils of this ideology
which attracts youths to extremism. Meanwhile, Basheer has distanced himself
from the controversy preferring not to react.
Deccan Chronicle.
Gujarat assembly elections will be held in
December: CEC
New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
Achal Kumar Jyoti on Tuesday said that assembly elections in Gujarat will be
held in December this year."The term of the Gujarat assembly ends on
January 22, so the election will have to be completed in December. Assembly
elections will mostly be conducted in the December," he said.Gujarat BJP,
however, has demanded the elections be conducted in mid-January.When asked
whether the state will see a one or two-phased election, Jyoti said that they
were "still assessing various aspects, so it will be announced
later."Gujarat will be among the two states where as many as 75,000 VVPAT
gadgets will be used for the first time with electronic voting machines, it was
reported earlier. VVPAT machines will be attached to the EVMs and will allow
voters to verify if their vote has gone to the intended
candidate."Political parties welcomed introduction of VVPATs. They
emphasized need to publicize its functioning," said Jyoti. Jyoti added
that Election Commission had asked Gujarat state authorities to provide
cashless facilities to polling staff.TOI
Saudi to invest $300 billion in next 4-5 yrs:NITI
Aayog CEO
NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Monday said
Saudi Arabia will invest $300 billion in India in next 4-5 years. “Saudi Arabia
wants to invest in energy security and supply and become India’s investment
partner. It will invest $300 billion in next 4-5 yrs,” Kant was quoted as
saying by ANI.NITI Aayog CEO also said that PM Modi-led Union Govt would bring a ‘New Energy
Policy’ for the country within 30-45 day. Modi’s focus is also on making a
national grid for gas, added. energyinfrapost
Indian soldiers battle 'flawed caste-system'
promotion policy in court
After fighting enemies often on multiple
fronts, soldiers in the Indian Army are now fighting their own battles in
India's court. A soldier from the
services has approached the Supreme Court, saying, 'Do not post me to
operational areas to fight the enemies and terrorists if the army is
classifying me as a non-operational service'.Sipahi Prahlad Singh of the Army
Service Corps is not the only one. Several serving officers are up in arms,
alleging a 'caste-system' between combat arms and operational logistics
services in the promotion policy.The officers were present in the Supreme Court
on Monday morning as a notice was issued to the Centre and the army
headquarters to respond to the jawan's plea within four weeks. Before Singh,
Major Amod of the ASC had approached the apex court with a plea to not post him
to combat terrorists in the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit in J&K if he was deemed as a non-operational officer. 'This is an insult to me at the end of my
service,' a serving officer of the army ordnance corps told Mail Today.'I
trained as a regular officer and was commissioned as a regular officer of the
Indian Army. Dailymail
Pak rakes up Kashmir again at UN but India
ignores taunt
UN: Pakistan has again tried to sneak the
Kashmir issue into a General Assembly debate with no relevance to the topic,
but India took the high road refusing to be drawn into a “distraction” from the
agenda set for the meeting.Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi
devoted a significant part of her speech to Kashmir at committee dealing with
decolonisation on Monday. The minister in India’s Permanent Mission,Srinivas Prasad,
who spoke later said in his scheduled speech, “We reject the efforts of the
delegation of Pakistan to bring issues which have never been on the agenda of
this Committee ever in its history.”“We consider it a diversion from the agenda
and as a distraction not worthy of a response,” Prasad added.IANS
WORLD
Bangladesh arrests top leaders of
Jamaat-e-Islami
Dhaka: Bangladesh police Monday night arrested
the top leaders of the country´s largest Islamist party, an official said, as
the Govt appeared to have launched a crackdown on the main opposition parties. 9
people were arrested after a raid on a house in Dhaka's northern neighbourhood
of Uttara, including the top leader of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Maqbul
Ahmed, deputy leader Shafiqur Rahman and former member of parliament Golam
Parwar."We learnt from a secret source they were holding a meeting at a
secret place at a house in Uttara Sector Number Six. We have found some papers
from that place," Dhaka Police deputy commissioner Shaikh Nazmul Alam told
AFP, adding they were investigating the documents.He did not say what the
Jamaat leaders were arrested for, but that "most of them were
fugitive".Prothom Alo, the country´s largest newspaper, said the leaders
were arrested on charges of sabotage.The arrests came as the Govt appeared to
have launched a crackdown on the opposition parties after it came under heavy
flak for its handling of the Rohingya crisis which has seen a massive influx of
refugees fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar.A Jamaat spokesman condemned
the arrests, saying the leaders were attending "a social gathering"."We
protest the arrests. These are motivated. We are a democratic party and abide
by all democratic norms. We did not do anything that was violent or went against
the democratic ways," he said.Ahmed, 79, has not appeared in any public
meeting or political activities after he was elected as the head of the Jamaat
last Oct, months after the execution of previous leader Motiur Rahman Nizami
for war crimes related to the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.Rahman,
who was elected secretary general last year, is seen as his heir apparent. GEO TV
Bangladesh Jamaat calls nationwide strike
against arrests
Egypt court sentences 8 to death for violence
Cairo: An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced 8
people to death for committing violence following the 2013 coup against former
President Mohamed Morsi.The court also slapped 50 people with life in prison,
seven with a 10-year jail term each and three with a 5-year jail term each for
similar charges, a judicial source said on condition of anonymity due to
restrictions on speaking to media.The defendants were convicted of attacking a
police station south of Cairo in 2013 and killing five people, including three
policemen.Tuesday’s verdicts are still subject to appeal.Egypt was roiled by
turmoil when the military deposed Morsi, the country's first freely elected
president, in 2013.Following Morsi’s ouster, Egyptian authorities launched a
relentless crackdown on his supporters and his Muslim Brotherhood group,
killing hundreds and sending thousands behind bars. Anadolu Agency
Israel to advance plans for nearly 2,000
settlement homes
Jerusalem:Civil Administration’s planning
committee announced on Tuesday that it will review plans for 1,844 units in
Jewish settlements across West Bank during next week’s meetings. Israel is set
to advance plans for nearly 2,000 housing units in West Bank settlements next
week, including 30 homes in the flashpoint Palestinian-majority city of Hebron.
Civil Administration’s planning committee announced on Tuesday that it will
review plans for 1,844 units in Jewish settlements across West Bank during next
week’s meetings. Palestinians and most of the international community consider
Israel’s West Bank settlement construction illegal and an obstacle to peace.
Israel disputes this, saying the fate of settlements should be decided in
negotiations.AP
Hundreds of settlers storm Al-Aqsa complex for
‘Sukkot’
Jerusalem;Hundreds of Jewish settlers on
Tuesday forced their way into Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to
mark the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a Palestinian official said.Firas al-Dibs, a
spokesman for the Jordan-run Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, which is responsible for
overseeing the city’s Islamic sites, said a total of 537 settlers, backed by
Israeli police, have stormed the complex since morning.According to al-Dibs,
Jewish groups have called on supporters to converge on Al-Aqsa compound this week
to mark Sukkot, a week-long holiday, which started Wednesday and will continue
until Sunday. Anadolu Agency
Hamas, Fatah open reconciliation talks in
Cairo: AL Jazeera
Representatives from the Palestinian political
parties of Hamas and Fatah are meeting on Tuesday for reconciliation talks in
the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The talks come a week after Palestinian Authority
(PA) Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah visited the Gaza Strip to kick-start the
process of transferring administrative responsibility for the besieged
territory from Hamas to the national consensus government. The meetings in
Cairo are centred around implementing the 2011 Cairo Agreement between the two
political parties, in hopes of ending a 10-year political schism.Leading the
delegations are the deputy head of Hamas's political office, Saleh al-Arouri,
and a member of the Fatah Central Committee, Azzam al-Ahmad. A member of Hamas
in the occupied West Bank, Hassan Yousef, said that Israel blocked a delegation
from travelling to Cairo through Jordan to participate in the talks. Khalil
al-Haya, a member of the Hamas delegation, said the mission would discuss forming
a national unity government with the participation of all Palestinian political
parties and preparing for legislative, presidential and national council
elections. Haya said the negotiations would focus on ending Palestinian
division "to confront intransigence and the Israeli project". 2011
agreement stipulated that legislative, presidential and national council
elections should be conducted within one year of its signing. The deal would
see both Hamas and Fatah form a Palestinian government to appoint the prime
minister and ministerial positions.Fatah spokesman Osama al-Qawasmeh told the
official PA radio that the Egyptian-brokered talks would stretch for three days
and would focus on enabling the national consensus government to exercise its
political, security and economic functions in Gaza.Other issues on the agenda
include Gaza's electricity crisis, the salaries of PA employees in the coastal
enclave, security and the administration of border crossings. Ibrahim Abrash, a
political analyst and Gaza's former culture minister, said some issues, such as
Hamas' recognition of Israel and the 1967 borders, "will take time to iron
out ... but the dire situation in Gaza cannot withhold waiting any
longer".Abrash told Al Jazeera that, while he believes Fatah is serious
about carrying out presidential elections, the fear is that Israel will get
involved.
Hamas, Fatah open reconciliation talks in
Egypt
Divisions remain as Hamas-Fatah reconciliation
talks due to start
Hate crimes targeting mosques, Muslims doubled
in UK: Report
London: Violence, assaults, arson and other
hate crimes targeting mosques and Muslims more than doubled across the UK this
year, a media report said today, quoting latest official figures.Police forces
recorded 110 hate crimes directed at Muslim places of worship between March and
July, up from 47 over the same 6 month period in 2016, the Independent
reported.It said the crimes include racist abuse, threats to bomb mosques,
attacks on mosques and worshippers, damage to vehicles outside mosques,
graffiti daubed on buildings, arson attacks and physical assaults on Muslims
arriving and leaving mosques.Describing the figures as "deeply
troubling", Britain's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said attacks on
any religious group or minority are abominable.PTI
Afghan-Pak border villages brace for Berlin
Wall-style divide:Reuters
Chaman/Quetta: Thousands of Pashtun tribal
people who for decades ignored the invisible line that bisects their dusty
villages and demarcates the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier are bracing for a
Berlin Wall-style divide of their neighbourhoods. Pakistan, worried by Islamist
attacks, is building a fence to prevent militants criss-crossing the porous
2,500km frontier along the disputed colonial-era Durand line drawn up by the
British in 1893.The fence, which Kabul opposes,will run down the middle of
so-called "divided villages" where few people have passports and
Pashtun tribal loyalty often trumps allegiance to the state.Seven such villages
are dotted around Chaman district, home to the bustling border-crossing town of
Chaman in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan. Other divided
villages are believed to exist further north in the restive Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Ceasefire in Myanmar ends amid allegations of
govt-initiated ethnic cleansing
Yangon:Myanmar authorities said there was no
sign of attacks by Rohingya Muslim militants on Tuesday as a one-month
insurgent ceasefire came to end.Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) announced
the ceasefire from Sept. 10 in order, they said, to facilitate aid deliveries
to Rakhine State, where their attacks on the security forces on Aug. 25
triggered a ferocious Govt crackdown.The Govt offensive in the north of Rakhine
State has sent some 520,000 Rohingya civilians fleeing to Bangladesh and has
drawn international condemnation and UN accusations of ethnic cleansing.The Govt
denies ethnic cleansing. It had rebuffed the insurgents' ceasefire, saying it
did not negotiate with terrorists.Myanmar says more than 500 people have been
killed in the violence since late August, most of them insurgents.Reuters
Myanmar takes first step to ease
Buddhist-Muslim tension
UNHCR says 11,000 Rohingya refugees crossed
over into Bangladesh from Myanmar in a single day
Critical moment beckons for Catalan
separatists
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/crunch-moment-beckons-catalan-separatists-171010072759025.html
Spain's ongoing dispute with Catalonia could
come to a climax with speculation that the region's president might make a
unilateral declaration of independence as early as this evening. Carles
Puigdemont is due to address the regional parliament in Barcelona on Tuesday at
16:00 GMT, drawing warnings from the Spanish central Govt that it will not
allow the country to be split."Spain is not going to divide and national
unity will be maintained. To do so, we will use all of the instruments that the
legislation gives us. It falls to the Govt to take the decision and to do so at
the right time," Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy told Spanish newspaper, El Pais.
Deputy PM Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said Spanish leaders were considering
"all possible options" and described the Catalan leader's push for
independence as "fanaticism". "We are ready for any
circumstances because we are already vaccinated against the fanaticism of
Puigdemont and any hope that he will return to sanity and serenity," she
said. aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
End of good times for the BJP?Aijaz Zaka Syed
BJP IT cell’s attempt to use Nobel winner’s
name to endorse demonetisation backfires:Sam Jawed -
Will India Extend Protection to the World’s Most
Persecuted Ethnic Minority – the Rohingya?PRASHANT BHUSHAN AND CHERYL D’SOUZA
Firecracker Ban Is Not A Story Of Hindu
Victimhood: Sandip Roy Contributing Editor, HuffPost India
SC cracker sale ban ahead of Diwali in Delhi
needs welcome, not a communal twist: Here’s why:Rajeev Kumar
Who are Masked Men Targeting Rohingya Hindus,Why?
There is a case for regulating firecrackers.
But SC ban raises questions:Karan Thapar
Muslim Co-operative Bank’s chairman considers
bank his personal property: Imtiaz Shikilkar, former president of Baramati
Municipal Council
Modi’s pursuit of black money proves drag on
India’s economy: Financial Times
NIA being misused as weapon against us by BJP Govt;
PFI
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:01 PM)
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