Evening NEWS
DIGEST
18
Oct.2017: 27 Muharram 1439:Vol:9, No:23
Aurangzeb era Diwali celebrated with gusto,
historians rebut ‘Mughals banned crackers’ claim
Mumbai: Far from banning Diwali crackers,
Mughal rulers, including Emperor Aurangzeb, patronised Diwali and other Hindu
festivals, historians claimed adding that there is enough proof to suggest that
Diwali with fireworks originated during the Mughals.“The Mughals patronised
Diwali. It became a court festival from Akbar's time. It became a festival for
everyone, not just Hindus,“ historian Professor Harbans Mukhia is quoted by TOI
as saying.TOI article published following the Supreme Court order to ban sales
of crackers in Delhi NCR and the consequent propaganda against Mughal and other
Muslim rulers claimed, the Nawab Vazir of Avadh and Nawab Nizam of Bengal
patronised Diwali and Durga Puja and organised spectacular fireworks displays
in the 18th and 19th centuries. “Fireworks became inherent to Diwali from the
late 18th century. There are Lucknow Nawabi paintings of fireworks at Diwali
and European paintings of fireworks at Durga Puja in Murshidabad and Calcutta,“
Dr Katherine Butler Schofield who teaches at King's College, London said."Mughals
and their Rajput contemporaries used fireworks extensively, “especially in the
dark months of the year -late autumn and winter“. “The chronicles of the reigns
of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb describe fireworks being used for weddings, birthday
weighings (tuladan), coronations (including Aurangzeb's), and religious
festivals like Shab-e-Baraat", Schofield said.Mughal attitude to Diwali
could also be gauged from what Fazl writes in the first volume of Ain-i-Akbari.
“His Majesty (Akbar) maintains it is a religious duty and divine praise to
worship fire and light; sur ly, ignorant men consider this forgetfulness of the
Almighty and fire worship", he noted.Rebutting the claim that Emperor
Aurangzeb banned Diwali fireworks, Schofield said, “His supposed `farman'
floating on social media is at best a modern copy or an outright fake (it's on
modern paper and uses contemporary Urdu orthography)."“There is no
religious reason why Aurangzeb would have banned fireworks. Holi was celebrated
in Aurangzeb's war camp in the Deccan in 1693, according to the Italian
traveller Gemelli Careri, so why not Diwali? "There is, in fact, a painting of
Aurangzeb's daughter Zebunnissa celebrating Shab-e-Baraat with fireworks in
Delhi in the late 17th century", she said. ummid
Diwali fireworks not very old, give Mughals credit:TOI
Firecrackers ban: Tripura Governor Roy asks
why there is no ban on Azaan being broadcast through loudspeaker
Agartala: Expressing discontent over
firecrackers ban in Diwali in the national capital, Tripura Governor Tathagata
Roy on Tuesday questioned as to why there is no ban on the use of loudspeakers
to broadcast Azaan to check noise pollution. Hitting out at certain secular
groups for adopting double standard and resorting to vote bank politics Tripura
Governor said that if the firecrackers have been banned to check noise
pollution then why there is no prohibition on Azaan being broadcast through
loudspeaker."The so called secular crowd rundown the noise pollution
caused by crackers saying that it harms the heart patient and therefore these
things should be banned. They don't see the same things about the Azaan that
broadcast over loudspeakers around 4.30 in the morning. Why this double
standard? I feel very sad about this but the reason is vote bank
politics," Roy said.Earlier in the day, the Tripura Governor took to his
Twitter saying that so called secular group pitch for firecrackers ban but
never talk about ban on Azaan broadcast to garner vote of a particular
community."Every Diwali fights start over noise pollution from crackers. A
few days in a year. But no fight about Azaan over loudspeakers at 4.30 AM!
Either 'secular crowd' themselves dabbled in vote-bank politics or their
patrons do and they have it in their mind when they talk of banning crackers,
but they don't talk about banning the Azaan over loudspeakers," he said in
a tweet.He further said that Islam doesn't enjoin that Azaan should be
broadcast over loudspeakers. "There are minarets around mosques and the
Muezzin is supposed to go up on minarets and shout the Azaan. He is not
supposed to use loudspeakers. At the time of Prophets of Islam there was no
loudspeaker. Therefore loudspeaker should not be used but still they are being
used and nobody says anything about it," he added."As a Hindu, I am
unhappy with the decision of the court, as Diwali is an all India festival and
probably, the most important Hindu festival, and bursting crackers is a part of
it," Roy had said.TOI
Tripura governor stokes fresh controversy by
comparing Azaan with firecracker noise
Hindu outfit bursts crackers outside SC, 14
Detained
New Delhi: In open defiance of the Supreme
Court’s ban on firecrackers, a fringe Hindu outfit burst crackers outside the
apex court’s premises in Delhi on Tuesday evening. 14 people, including 3
women, have been detained by the police and were taken to the Tilak Marg police
station. The members, who claimed to be from an outfit called the Azad Hind
Fauj, were led by a man named Satpal Malhotra, police said.The group took refuge
in the fact that the court had banned the sale of firecrackers and not bursting
them. They, however, ignored the intention behind the ban - to control Delhi’s
worsening air pollution. This came just hours after Delhi BJP spokesperson
Tajinder Bagga distributed sacks full crackers to slum kids in Hari Nagar area
of west Delhi. Bagga tweeted photos and a video of him giving out firecrackers
to the children, but claimed that just distribution did not amount to contempt
of court. Delhi Police’s public relations officer Madhur Verma said police will
not take any action against Bagga as distributing crackers as a gift is not a
crime.Bagga asked why restrictions on crackers have been placed just around
Diwali. “By banning them ahead of Diwali, you are just targeting a Hindu
festival. The ban should be implemented around the year,” he said. news18
Mughals were leaders of first independence
war: NALSAR University V-C Mustafa
Lucknow: These are times of aggressive
nationalism we are living in, said vice chancellor of NALSAR University of Law,
Hyderabad, Faizan Mustafa, where we have started to consider Mughals not part
of the country. Mustafa speaking at the grand 200th bicentenary birth
anniversary celebrations of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in Lucknow on Tuesday went
ahead to say that Mughals were in fact leaders of the first war of independence
of 1857 and were considered so by the likes of Tipu Sultan, Tatya Tope and
others."Mughals were an integral part of India who could not be fragmented
from its soul and now we are here in these times of aggressive nationalism
where we are having doubts about them. And this nationalism has not only made
us target the Mughals, but also recently there were similar talks about
Rabindranath Tagore," said Mustafa who was the guest of honour at the Sir
Syed Day organised by AMU Old Boys' Association. Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali was the
chief guest on the day, both of whom being former pupils of the university,
recounted their time spent at AMU.Mustafa also cleared that now when
criticising the Govt is equated to being
seditious, it was in 1860 after a fatwa (decree) from clerics at Deoband
against the British that the law of sedition as a charge was enacted. Mustafa
also exhorted his fellow Aligs (as past pupils of AMU are popularly known) that
the dream of Sir Syed has not yet been realised with Muslims lagging in both
modern education and securing Govt jobs.In his brief speech, Mustafa also touched
upon the controversy around AMU's minority status and said, "People say
that the minority status was for the college and with AMU a university, it does
not stand now. I researched for this when I had to submit in Allahabad high
court as AMU's stand on the case and I found that when Sir Syed laid the
foundation of the madrasa it was the university he had in mind and when he gave
his first speech in 1877 when the school was raised to the college level, in
front of Lord Lytton he said that one day the college would be a
university.Mustafa also said that blaming Sir Syed for the two nation theory
was not just wrong but also absurd. ON the day, the AMU Old Boys' Association
and its members that had gathered in the city from different parts of the state
passed the resolution to raise demand of Bharat Ratna for Sir Syed and to
generate funds for a Sir Syed House in Lucknow to carry on his Aligarh movement
of education.
Taj Mahal was originally Hindu temple, claims
BJP MP Katiyar; Christianity is Krishna Neeti? ibtimes.co.in
BJP MP Vinay Katiyar has kicked up a
controversy claiming that Taj Mahal — built in the 17th century by Mughal
Emperor Shah Jahan as a sign of love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal — was actually a
Hindu temple.This comes just two days after UP BJP MLA Sangeet Som had claimed
Taj Mahal was a "blot" on Indian culture. He had also said efforts
were being made to teach "true" Indian history in school.Katiyar —
one of the spearheads of the Ram Temple movement from the 1990s — told ANI:
" Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple. There are all the signs there of (Hindu)
gods and goddesses."He added: "There used to be a 'Shivaling' there
which had water dripping on it from up top. That 'ling' was removed and a
mausoleum built there."Katiyar's statement, meanwhile, is oddly reminiscent
of the teachings of PN Oak — a former member of the Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose-led Indian National Army who went on to become an author and a
journalist.Katiyar's claims bear an uncanny resemblance to those of PN Oak, an
author who had pushed for revision in history to make it more India-centric.One
of his more "famous" theories was that Taj Mahal was originally a
temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, and called Tejo Mahalaya back then.Perhaps some
of the more famous and Indocentric claims made by Oak in his writings are about
Christianity, which he claimed was a derivative of Krishna Neeti. The words can
be loosely translated from Sanskrit to "the law of Lord Krishna."He
also claimed that Jesus Christ was in India between the ages of 13 and 30, and
learnt this so-called Krishna Neeti here.Oak also claimed that the Vatican —
the home of the Holy See, where the pope lives — is derived from the Sanskrit
word Vatika, which means garden.
Taj Mahal is a Hindu Temple, Shiv Ling Inside
Was Replaced With Mazaar: Katiyar
After controversy, Taj features in UP Govt’s
2018 Calendar
Taj Mahal, which has been in the crosshairs of
controversy, has finally found a place of pride in the 2018 calendar brought
out by the UP govt.Also finding a place in the calendar is the Gorakhnath
Temple in Gorakhpur. Gorakhnath Mutt is represented by CM Yogi Adityanath. thequint
Taj Mahal is India's pride: Union Tourism minister Kannanthanam
Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam on
Tuesday said that the Taj Mahal was "India's pride" and core of
tourism circuit, after a BJP MLA questioned the monument's place in the
country's heritage."Taj Mahal is India's pride. There is no doubt, we hold
pride in Taj Mahal," he said. He also said the Govt had "elaborate plans" for the
historical monument.Stating that BJP's stand on the issue was very clear,
Kannanthanam said, "Taj is core of tourism circuit. UP Govt is developing new destinations and Taj is
already hugely popular."PTI
History not written by politicians: RSS
affiliate on Sangeet Som’s Taj Mahal comment
New Delhi: Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan
Yojna (ABISY), an offshoot of RSS, which pushes for rewriting history from a
national perspective, says politicians should refrain from making disparaging
remarks about the Taj Mahal, a monument built by Mughal ruler Shah
Jahan.“History is not written by politicians. It is the work of historians and
archaeologists to conduct research and this work should be left to them.
Politicians should not comment on the history of the Taj Mahal, which is the
outcome of hard labour put in by Indians,” Balamukund Pandey, ABISY secretary,
told HT.hindustantimes
Yogi's mega Diwali show to pitch Ayodhya as
tourist destination
New Delhi: UP CM Yogi Adityanath along with his cabinet reached
Ayodhya on Wednesday in a bid to "recreate the treta yug Diwali" and
to promote the city as a tourist destination."The Govt has sanctioned Rs 133 crore for Ayodhya. We
are taking efforts so that UP becomes
tourism hub for India and the world. Ayodhya has taught the lesson on humanity
to the world," Adityanath said while speaking at the "Deepotsav"
or Diwali celebrations in the city.Timesofindia
UP minority minister terms reports of canceling
madrassas affiliation as baseless, says structure of religious education won’t
be touched
Meerut: The structure of existing religious
education in madrassas of UP will not be
touched, minority welfare minister Laxmi Narayan said. “Instead, the science
and technology education which lead to employment opportunities for the
students will be promoted,” the minister who was in Meerut on Tuesday said.“In
the name of Islamic education, madrassas were being fooled earlier. The
previous Govts used to give financial help to the madrassas in the name of
appeasement and hence the money allocated for the education in madrassas never
reached them in true sense. Due to this reason, education could not reach the
madrassa students the manner it should have,” said Narayan.He said the Yogi
regime plans to transfer funds meant for the madrassas directly into their bank
accounts without any interference of the middlemen.The minister said that the
BJP Govt is making efforts to improve
the quality of education without tinkering with religious texts in their
syllabus.“Without tinkering with the religious education in the madrassas,
their subjects will be linked with employment and science and technology will
be promoted. This is being planned to help the madrassa students excel in various
fields and be part of the mainstream,” He said.Narayan termed reports that said
the state Govt wanted to cancel
affiliation of madrassas “baseless” and added, “over 16,000 madrassas have put
their details online and affiliation of not even a single one has been
cancelled.” timesofindia
Delhi Police called Maulana Anzar, Al-Qaeda
operative; Patiala House Court dismisses case even before trial
Bengaluru-based Islamic preacher, Maulana
Anzar Shah Qasmi, arrested in Jan. 2016 over alleged links to Al Qaeda, saw all
cases against him discharged by the Patiala House Court in Delhi. Discharged
means that the court, based on the evidence presented by the Special Cell of
Delhi Police, saw it unfit to even take the case to trial.Qasmi’s arrests had
made national headlines, with a number of mainstream media quoting police
sources to point out that he was working with the Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent
(AQIS) and had helped the terrorist organisation in recruiting members along
with helping top leaders of AQIS meet in Bengaluru. His arrests resulted in
massive protests across Bengaluru and Karnataka, with representatives from
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Tableeghi Jamaat, Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind, Sunni Jamaat, Huda
Muslim, Ahle Hadees and Shia Jamaat rejecting the allegations of police
regarding the involvement of Qasmi in any terror activity. MS Khan, the
advocate of Qasmi, spoke to TwoCircles.net and said that the fact that the case
was discharged showed how fabricated the charges were. “Police’s case was built
on two major points: one, that Qasmi helped a member of AQIS meet another
operative in Bangalore. One of these operatives was arrested from Sambhal in
December 2015 and is still in jail. The police said they exchanged letters but
was unable to produce them. Secondly, the Police said Qasmi had been giving a
number of violent sermons that egged people to join the AQIS. Again, they could
not produce a single evidence to substantiate his claim,” Khan said. He added
that Qasmi would be released at the earliest.This is not the first time that
Delhi Police has seen their investigation fail to even reach trial stage
against what they claim to be a “top” operative of the terror module in India.
Last year, they had similarly seen four cases against Abdul Karim Tunda
discharged. TwoCircles
Al Qaeda links: Delhi court discharges Anzar
Shah Qasmi
Abdul Karim Tunda conviction in Sonipat blasts
case: ‘No direct evidence, but circumstances form complete chain’
Chandigarh: Abdul Karim Tunda’s admission of
illegal migrations from one country to another, including Pakistan and
Bangladesh, and his meetings with LeT leaders like Hafiz Saeed and Zakir-ur- Rehman
Lakhvi connect him with the activity of terrorism, the trial court which
sentenced him to life imprisonment last week in the 1996 Sonipat blasts case
has said in its verdict.Additional Sessions Judge, Sonipat, Dr Sushil Kumar
Garg said while pronouncing the verdict that the guilt of an accused can also
be established by circumstantial evidence and added that in the blasts case, it
is “almost impossible to find out a witness who can claim to have actually seen
a bomb being planted somewhere by some person.” The trial court has said in its
judgment that it also observed Tunda’s conduct, including his claim of being a
Pakistani national, and “all these circumstances, taken cumulatively, form a
chain so complete that there is no escape from the conclusion that the same are
consistent only with the guilt of the present accused and totally inconsistent
with his innocence.”“Undoubtedly, in this case there is no direct evidence of
the crime in plantation of the bombs. Prosecution case hinges on circumstantial
evidence in this regard. It is an accepted proposition of law that even in
cases where no direct evidence is available in the shape of eye-witnesses etc.
a conviction can be based on circumstantial evidence alone,” judgment reads.During
the trial, Tunda had told the court that he was in Lahore at the time of the
blasts and that he went there using an illegal passport. “The accused herein
has miserably failed to bring on record any facts or circumstances which would
make the plea of his absence even probable, let alone, being proved beyond
reasonable doubt,” the court said while rejecting his contention. indianexpress
CAT stays investigation against whistleblower
Gujarat IPS officer Rajnish Rai
New Delhi:Rajnish Rai, Gujarat cadre
1992-batch IPS officer, who had probed 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter, was
charge-sheeted by the Union Home Ministry but got a reprieve from a Hyderabad
bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Monday which stayed the
inquiry against him for probing alleged “misconduct by CMD and functional
director, Uranium Corporation of India Ltd(UCIL), Jaduguda, in Jharkhand
without permission.”Rai is currently on central deputation in Chittoor with the
CRPF. During his stint as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) in 2015 with UCIL, Rai
is reported to have unearthed large scale corruption, allegedly running into
crores. Rai is known for arresting about a dozen police officers including
ex-IPS officer D G Vanzara among others in 2007 during Sohrabuddin encounter
probe. He was then posted in Gujarat CID (crime). Vanzara and scores of other
Gujarat police officers were released in 2016-17.In 2014, Rai was transferred
to Jaduguda as CVO on Central deputation. After a legal battle in 2015, the
Central Govt transferred him to Shillong as IG, North Sector,Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF). In June this year, Rai was transferred to Chittoor in
Andhra Pradesh at the Counter Insurgency and Anti Terrorism (CIAT) School of the
CRPF.Before he was shunted to Chittoor, Rai, as The Indian Express had first
reported, had alleged that two operatives of NDFB(S) in Chirang, Assam, were
killed in a fake encounter by Army, Assam Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and CRPF
in Chirang district of Assam on March 30 this year. Later, the Home Ministry
set up a probe panel headed by retired DG Ashok Prasad to probe the
allegations. The panel is yet to finalise its report. indianexpress
Household Spending: Urban homes spend 84%
more, Muslims spend mostly on food
Mumbai:Urban households spend 84% more per
month than their rural counterparts on household expenditure, according to a
paper released by the Ministry of Statistics. “Household Consumer Expenditure
across Religious Groups in India”, a paper by Monojit Das,deputy director of
the National Sample Survey Office, looks into variations in consumer
expenditure by various religious groups.Household monthly per capita consumer
expenditure (MPCE), usually taken to reflect the living standard of households,
is Rs 2,630 for urban India, 84% more than the MPCE for rural India which is Rs
1,430.The difference in rural and urban spending is the least for Muslims,
suggesting that where a household lives has the least bearing on its economic
position. The difference in rural and urban spending is the highest for Hindus
at 67.04%; for Christians it is 47.36%.The difference in spending in urban and
rural households is the least in the country’s Muslim community which remains
one of the most poor sections of Indian society. Spending on food is the
highest for Muslim households; this community’s expenditure on food is higher
than non-food expenditure. Economists say that the poor tend to spend most of
their expenditure on essentials like food. The share of spending on food and
beverages decreases as a household’s income rises.he share of food expenditure
for Muslims in Rural India is 59.3% compared to the national average of 52.9%.
In urban India, Muslims spend 49.5% on food compared to the national average of
42.6%. Indian express
India can get on UN Security Council if global
powers agree 'not to touch the veto': US envoy to UN Nikki Haley
India can help America in keeping an eye on
Pakistan and ensure that it is held accountable for giving safe havens to
terrorists, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has said. She also stated that
for India to become a permanent member of the Security Council, global
superpowers will have to agree to reform the structure of the UN body.She said
that one of the pillars of President Donald Trump's recently announced strategy
for combating terrorism in Afghanistan and South Asia is the development of
Americas strategic partnership with India."Americas overriding interest in
Afghanistan and throughout South Asia are to eliminate terrorist safe havens
that threaten us. And to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists,
we will use all the elements of our national power economic diplomatic and
military to pursue these goals," Haley said."Critically we will look
to our economic and security partnerships with India," the Indian-origin
diplomat said in her address at an event organised by the US India Friendship
Council. President Trump has taken a "tougher approach to Pakistan harbouring
terrorists, she said."Pakistan has been a partner to the US at times. We
value and respect that. But, we cannot tolerate this Govt or any other Govt giving safe haven to terrorists who target
Americans.This new approach will require understanding and restraint from both
Pakistan and India," she said.The US, she said, is looking at India to
help it more in Afghanistan particularly in economic and development
assistance. India has already made important contributions to the stability of
Afghanistan. "We are really going to need India's help in Afghanistan.
They are the good neighbours and partner that we have in the region," she
said.Haley emphasised that the key to India becoming a permanent member of the
UN Security Council is "not to touch the veto". She went on to
identify Russia and China as the two global powers against changes in the
current structure of the Security Council.PTI
India to tighten standards for consumer goods,
move to hurt China:Reuters
New Delhi:Govt officials said on Wednesday India would
tighten quality controls for consumer and capital goods. The move follows calls
to curb cheap imports from China amid diplomatic tensions between Delhi and
Beijing after the recently defused Doklam stand-off.The new rules target toys, electronic
goods, machinery, food processing, construction and chemicals, sectors
dominated by China, and come amid greater scrutiny of mainland firms looking to
enter India’s multi-billion dollar power transmission and telecom business. For
India’s toy retailers, who import everything from toy cars to musical phones
and even robots from China, the new requirements have meant supply disruptions
just ahead of Diwali. The new testing requirements for toys focus on their
chemical content and flammability and demand more stringent testing for those
that are electrically operated. China accounts for 85 % of India’s $760 million toy industry. Indian express
Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat welcomes unity
between Fatah and Hamas
New Delhi: All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat (AIMMM), the apex body of Indian Muslims, has welcomed the agreement
of unity between Palestinians' Fatah and Hamas groups after ten years of
discord, division and bitter relations.AIMMM president Mr. Navaid Hamid
expressed hope that "the unity deal would hopefully get rid, finally and
forever, of the division between the two factions and the leadership of West
Bank and Gaza and hopefully it also would bring desired relief to the enslaved
citizens of Gaza and end their sufferings and agony which they are facing for
more than a decade now because of the siege by Israel." Hamid also
expressed his satisfaction over the role played by the Egyptian officials to
bring warring factions to sign the historic unity deal in Cairo.IndiaTomorrow
27% children in India are married before they
turn 18: UN report
New Delhi: India is on track to population
stabilisation but is still lagging behind in preventing child marriage and
protecting mothers from birth-related complications and deaths.India’s maternal
mortality rate (MMR) — mothers dying per 1,00,000 live births — of 174 is below
the global average of 216, but it is a far cry from the MMR of 12 in the more
developed countries, shows ‘State of World Population 2017’ released by UN Fund
for Population Activities (UNFPA) on Tuesday. Twenty-seven % of India’s
children get married by age 18 as compared to 28% the world over. Among its
neighbours, Bangladesh is worst off, with 59% of the married couples being
under-age, followed by Nepal (37%).The report, which analyses changes in global
demographics — birth, migration, aging, death etc — notes India’s total
fertility rate (TFR) — number of children a woman has in her life — is lower
than the world average of 2.5.Updated data from India’s ministry of health puts
India’s TFR at 2.2. “The latest data shows TFR has come down to 2.2 but we need
to bring it down to 2.1, which is essential for population stabilisation,” said
a senior health ministry official. The average TFR in India’s neighbourhood of
the Asia and the Pacific regions is 2.1, while it’s 1.7 in more developed
countries.“We are focusing on select districts with TFR of more than three by
introducing programmes specifically designed for the purpose,” said the
official.The report also revealed that gaps in wealth have grown wide within
most countries; with many hundreds of millions living on less than Rs 78 a
day.The combined wealth of the world’s 2,473 billionaires exceeds $7.7
trillion, which equalled the combined gross domestic product of four-fifths of
the world’s countries in 2015.India ranks 18th in the world with 81% of its
births taking place through skilled personnel, which is better than 77%
globally. Adolescent birth rate per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years between 2006
and 2017 is 28. The rate around the world is 44 per 1,000 girls in the same age
group.HT
Kashmir: Mob protesting braid-chopping attacks
army, 2 hurt as forces open fire
Srinagar:2 people suffered bullet injuries
after security forces opened fire on protesters who pelted stones at them in
Pahalgam area of Anantnag district on Wednesday, a senior police officer told
HT.“There were protests in the area against allegations of “braid chopping” and
army personnel were passing through the area. Protesters pelted stones at them
and they opened fire in retaliation. Two persons suffered bullet injuries but
they are out of danger,” the officer said.The incident comes on the heels of a
continuing chaos in Kashmir Valley in connection to “braid chopping” -- a
phrase used to describe the mysterious phenomenon of several women claiming
that unknown men attack them and cut off their hair.HT
Aadhaar card mandatory for commoners but not
for ministers under Modi govt: indiatoday
If you fail to link your Aadhaar card with
your mobile operator or with your Bank you may not get uninterrupted service
till the time you link and update it. But, what is more surprising that PMO and
other few offices of Central government don't have Aadhaar card details of
Modi's Ministers.Modi Government has made linking Aadhaar card mandatory to get
benefits of all government services that the 125 crore Indian citizen utilise.
But, PMO does not have the information about the Aadhaar card details of its
own Ministers working under Modi government. This information has come to light
through a reply which was provided to RTI Activist Anil Galgali for his query. Galgali
said, "It is surprising to see that PMO or other few concern departments
don't have data of Aadhaar card with them of their own ministers. Yes, PM does
have an Aadhaar card number but due to security reason details were not given
to me."Moreover, RTI application filed by Galgali was transferred to 5
different Ministries. RTO application made rounds to Cabinet Secretariat, Lok
Sabha Secretariat, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Information and Technology
Ministry, and finally reached UIDAI where Galgali got an answer from the Under Secretary,
PMO.The information regarding the PM's Aadhaar number was rejected under
Section 8(1) of the RTI Act 2005. Information which relates to personal
information the disclosure of which has not relationship to any public activity
or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the
individual unless the Central Public Information officer or State Public
Information officer or the appellate authority, as the case may be satisfied
that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such Information.
Bank Aadhaar linking: RBI never issued any
order, reveals RTI
Kamal Haasan apologises for backing note ban,
says Modi should accept mistake
Apologising for supporting demonetisation,
actor Kamal Hassan said he will again salute PM Narendra Modi if he also
accepts that the note ban was a mistake.In an article in the Tamil magazine
Anandavikatan, the actor said accepting and correcting mistakes is a marker for
great leaders which Mahatma Gandhi was able to do.He said Modi should not be
stubborn in arguing that the rabbit he had caught has three legs.On his initial
support for the demonetisation, Hassan said he had welcomed the move and
tweeted that it should be supported regardless of party affiliation.IANS
JNU students angry over hostel raid, say
authorities trying to malign university
New Delhi :An early morning raid – the
authorities call it a check – in JNU’s hostel rooms has riled its students,
with many maintaining that attempts are being made to malign the university’s
scholars, especially its women. Students alleged that a group of security
personnel led by a lecturer entered the rooms of women and men students.“Many
girls found in boys’ rooms,” a newspaper headline screamed. The students
claimed 20-25 security guards led by JNU academic Buddha Singh entered the
rooms, including those in the women’s hostels, on October 5.“The wardens of
various hostels came for raids after 5 am. JNU being a residential campus has
always maintained its character and built an atmosphere of mutual trust and
respect. But this raid was just the opposite. The wardens didn’t even knock,”
said former JNUSU general secretary Satarupa Chakraborty.PTI
JNUTA ‘chargesheets’ V-C, wants to hold public
hearing
JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has served a
“chargesheet” to the Vice-Chancellor, listing charges against him, including
violating statutory provisions, harassing teachers and promoting
authoritarianism. The V-C has been given time till October 20 to respond to the
charges, following which the JNUTA said it will hold a public hearing against
him.“In exercise of the powers vested under the JNUTA constitution, JNUTA
proposes to hold a public inquiry against Professor M Jagadesh Kumar. The
substance of the imputations of misconduct or misbehaviour in respect of which
the inquiry is to be held is set out in the enclosed statement of the articles
of charges. Professor M Jagadesh Kumar is given the opportunity to submit, by
the end of working hours on Friday, October 20, a written statement in his
defence and state whether he desires to be heard in person or through his
representative,” the note given, along with the memorandum, read. JNUTA head
Ayesha Kidwai said copies of the chargesheet would also be sent to the Visitor,
Chancellor and MHRD minister. Indianexpress
CRPF man arrested over anti- Modi, Rajnath social
media post
New Delhi:CRPF has sacked Pankaj Mishra, constable
whose video castigating home minister Rajnath Singh for “not advising” PM
Narendra Modi “in the right direction” went viral in April. Mishra had posted
the video after a relative – also serving in CRPF – lost his life along with 24
others in a Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma area.On October 15, a day
after his dismissal – reportedly following an internal inquiry ordered after
the April incident – Mishra was arrested by the Assam police on the charge of
“obscene acts in public, criminal intimidation” under the IPC and the IT
Act.After his video on the Sukma attack went viral, Mishra was asked to present
himself at the CRPF headquarters in New Delhi, following which he moved the
Delhi high court to seek protection once he surrenders. On the advice of the
high court, he surrendered to CRPF director general on May 6. Pending an
internal inquiry, he was transferred to 119 Battalion stationed in the Rowriah
area of Jorhat town in Upper Assam.Though he was learnt to have been warned
against posting further videos and comments on social media and his phone was
allegedly taken away “by seniors,” on Oct. 7 Mishra posted another video to
Facebook from a phone he “borrowed from a friend”.In the video, he alleged
“beatings” following his post in April and thereafter in Jorhat as well. He
blamed both Singh and Modi for turning a blind eye to the “safety issues” of
CRPF soldiers and urged fellow “22 lakh jawans” to raise their voice against
“inequality” or “be ready to die”. His demands included fixed working hours,
same food as officers, weekly offs and end of physical punishments. thewire
23 more Rajasthan cops get heads tonsured, 250
face probe for going on mass leave
Jaipur: Rajasthan police on Tuesday ordered
departmental enquiry against 250 cops in Jodhpur who went on mass leave. The
policemen who refused guard of honour to visiting Union home minister Rajnath
Singh will also face probe. Senior police officials told TOI that most of the
police men who had gone on `unsanctioned' leave in Jodhpur and Sriganganagar
have reported back for duty on Tuesday. Continuing their protest, 23 more
policemen in Bharatpur got their heads tonsured. Rajasthan PHQ has asked senior
officials to talk to the constabulary , visit police lines and dine with them
to sooth the fraying nerves."All constables who had skipped work in
Jodhpur have reported for duty , and most of the constables in Sriganganagar
have come back to work," said additional DGP (law and order) N R K Reddy
.TOI
HC: Mischief mongers trying to hit communal
harmony
Chandigarh: Coming down heavily on right wing
activists for allegedly slapping a Muslim man for not chanting `Bharat Mata Ki
Jai', the Punjab and Haryana high court observed that "few mischief
mongers have tried to disturb the peaceful coexistence and communal harmony of
the country ."On July 11, Mohammed Haroon Kasni, a Muslim trader from UP ,
was allegedly targeted by unidentified persons when he refused to riase the
`Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan during a protest by Bajrang Dal activists in Hisar
against the attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Kashmir.Praising the law enforcement
agencies for prompt action, the HC observed, "It is unfortunate that a mob
of 10050 persons attacked a religious place of Muslims and beat up a person from
the community. But the law enforcement agency registered an FIR in the matter
and arrested those involved in the incident." timesofindia
Aligarh: 2 BJP MLAs rush in to prevent arrest
of doctors ‘caught’ doing sex-determination test
Lucknow:A doctor couple in Aligarh, caught
allegedly conducting illegal pre-natal sex-determination tests on a pregnant
woman who was a decoy planted by the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic
Techniques (PCPNDT) cell of the Rajasthan Govt could not be taken into custody after alleged
“interference” by 2 local BJP MLAs, Sanjeev Raja and Anil Parashar, late last
night.MLAs allegedly did not allow Rajasthan officials to seize the ultrasound
machine or pick up the accused doctors and left the local Kwarsi police station
only when the doctor was let go. Officials, including the Aligarh District
Magistrate, kept trying to convince the MLAs to let the Rajasthan team do their
job but they did not relent, sources said.The Rajasthan team had caught Dr
Jayant Sharma and his wife conducting the sex determination test in their
Jeevan Nursing Home on Monday evening. The woman reportedly escaped from the
hospital. Local police brought Sharma with the seized ultrasound machine to the
police station. MLAs, too, reached the police station and along with SP City,
City Magistrate and other officials, sat there until 2 am.Confirming this, DM
of Aligarh Rishikesh Bhaskar Yashod said: “We apprised senior officers in Govt regarding the local public representatives
interfering in the legal matter. We tried to convince the MLAs to allow the
legal procedure but they refused to listen.” Indianexpress
Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani appointed
Muslim Personal Law Board spokesman
Hyderabad: Keeping in view the importance of
media in the country, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) President
Maulana Syed Rabey Hasani Nadvi has appointed Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani
as spokesman. Earlier Maulana Khaleel ur Rahman Sajjad Nomani had been
appointed All India spokesman. Its General Secretary Maulana Vali Rahmani has
requested print and electronic media persons to contact Maulana Nomani and
Maulana Saifullah Rahmani for Board representation. Siasat
Boycotted for marrying a Muslim: Armed with
law, 61-yr-old files social boycott complaint
Pune: Ramesh Dattu Hiranwale, 61, made a
police complaint on Tuesday, alleging that he had been socially boycotted by
the Veershaiva Lingayat Gawali community he belongs to since he married a
Muslim girl in 1992. Following the complaint, police have booked 20 people,
said to be members of caste panchayat of Hiranwale’s community, under a new
Maharashtra law that seeks to protect people from social boycott.In his
complaint, Hiranwale said he was not allowed to attend his father’s funeral and
was forced to marry a Hindu woman on the assurance that his social boycott
would end. “I was also asked not be present for the engagement ceremony of my
niece in Dec.2016,” he said. An advocate who no longer practises, Hiranwale
said that he had fallen in love and married Shamshunnisa Khan, a girl living in
his neighbourhood, on June 19, 1992.“Soon, I was boycotted by my caste
panchayat. I had to leave my ancestral home at Gawali Wada in Pune Camp. I
started living at Shamshunnisa’s house. I requested the caste panchayat several
times and even apologised to them. But the boycott continued… At one point,
they assured me that they would stop the boycott if I married a Hindu woman. I
was under pressure and got married to a Hindu girl from Pune. But even then,
the boycott continued,” he alleged. “I came back to Shamshunnisa. She supported
me. I was accepted by her family. They honour me by adding my name on the
wedding cards of my Muslim relatives… I miss similar treatment by my own
community. I do visit my ancestral house and meet my relatives. They do not hate
me. But they are forced to maintain a distance due to the pressure from the
caste panchayat,” Hiranwale said. He has also alleged that some caste panchayat
members demanded money from him for lifting the social boycott.Indian Express
WORLD
US judge rules against latest travel ban,
saying Trump’s own words show it was aimed at Muslims
A federal judge in Maryland early Wednesday
issued a second halt on the latest version of President Trump’s travel ban,
asserting that the president’s own comments on the campaign trail and on
Twitter convinced him that the directive was akin to an unconstitutional Muslim
ban. US District Judge Theodore D. Chuang issued a somewhat less complete halt
on the ban than his counterpart in Hawaii did a day earlier, blocking the
administration from enforcing the directive only on those who lacked a “bona
fide” relationship with a person or entity in the US, such as family members or
some type of professional or other engagement in the US.But in some ways,
Chuang’s ruling was more personally cutting to Trump, as he said the
president’s own words cast his latest attempt to impose a travel blockade as
the “inextricable re-animation of the twice-enjoined Muslim ban.”Omar Jadwat,
who directs of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and represented those
suing in Maryland over the ban, said: “Like the two versions before it,
President Trump’s latest travel ban is still a Muslim ban at its core. And like
the two before it, this one is going down to defeat in the courts.”The third
iteration of Trump’s travel ban had been set to go fully into effect early
Wednesday, barring various types of travelers from Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen,
Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela. Even before Chuang’s ruling, though,
a federal judge in Hawaii stopped it — at least temporarily — for all of the
countries except North Korea and Venezuela.Washington Post
Canadian province Quebec to vote on law
forcing Muslim women to remove face veils on public transport
Muslim women who wear a burka or niqab in the
Canadian province of Quebec, could soon be forced to remove them when using
public transport. A new law proposed by the local Govt would ban any form of face covering for people
offering and receiving public services in the province. Bill 62 could be put to a vote in Quebec’s
National Assembly this week and if passed, it would ban public workers
including doctors, nurses, teachers and bus drivers from wearing face
veils. "As long as the service is
being rendered, the face should be uncovered," the province's justice
minister Stéphanie Vallée told the Daybreak TV show."This is a bill about
le vivre ensemble (living together in harmony). It's a bill about guidelines
and clearly establishes neutrality of the state."She said the ban was
needed for “communication reasons, identification reasons and security reasons”.
The law, which would be the first of its kind in North America, has received
criticism over both vagueness of its implementation, and its perceived
targeting of Muslim women. Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic
Party, told Huffington Post in August that Bill 62 “contravenes individuals
freedoms” and would “disproportionately impact Muslims”.“I think it is
important to acknowledge that the Muslim community is facing a very significant
amount of hate and Islamophobia, and it is up to all of us to stand in
solidarity with the community,” he said. Independent
Quebec to vote on controversial face veil ban
British men suffering Islamophobic abuse
because they 'look Muslim', reveals research
Non-Muslim men living in the UK have suffered
verbal, physical and emotional abuse because they “look Muslim,” research has
revealed. Interviewees described how animal excrement had been pushed through
their mailboxes and their shop windows smashed. Others said they were called
terrorists or linked to Isis because of their skin colour or their beards.The
study found there were increases in hostility around the EU referendum and
after terror attacks.In research presented at the House of Commons during Hate
Crime Awareness Week, Dr Imran Awan and Dr Irene Zempi argued the experiences
of non-Muslim men suffering Islamophobia because they look Muslim remains
invisible, both in official statistics and academic research. “Although it’s a
case of mistaken identity, Islamophobic abuse should not be happening in the first
place,” Dr Awan, Associate Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City
University, said. He said the research
showed how perpetrators of hate crimes target their victims “based on prejudice
and stereotypes”. The researchers interviewed 20 non-Muslim men aged between 19
and 59 from black, white and Asian backgrounds. They included those from the
Sikh, Christian and Hindu faiths, as well as atheists. Their responses were
made anonymous in order to prevent them from being identified. The Independent
Hate crimes rise around Brexit vote, recent
attacks
France arrests 10 over suspected plot
targeting politicians, mosques
Paris: 10 people were arrested in France on
Tuesday over a suspected plot to target mosques and politicians, including a Govt
spokesman, a source close to the
investigation told AFP.The arrests by anti-terror police of suspects aged 17-25
were part of an investigation into far-right activists, the source said.The
nine men and one woman are suspected of links to Logan Alexandre Nisin, a
former militant of the far-right group Action Francaise Provence who was
arrested in June, the source said.Another source named the targeted politicians
as Govt spokesman Christophe Castaner
and radical left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon.The suspects, taken into custody for
“association with terrorist wrongdoers”, were also thought to be plotting to
target migrants as well as mosques.AFP
Qatar accuses Saudi of promoting 'regime
change'
Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of trying to
engineer "regime change" during its four-month blockade of its Gulf
neighbour. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told CNBC
on Tuesday that Riyadh is attempting to destabilise Qatar's leadership."We
see [Saudi] Govt officials talking about
regime change …We see a country that is bringing back the dark ages of tribes
and putting them together in order to create a pressure on connected tribes in
Qatar," he said.Sheikh said the plan of the blockading countries was not
to thwart "terrorism" but to "disrespect and
bully"."It is nothing to do with stopping financing terrorism or hate
speech while they are doing the same by promoting incitement against my
country, promoting a regime change in my country," he said. aljazeera
Qatar's leader denounces 'unjust siege'
Qatar's leader says he is "open to
dialogue" in resolving the four-month blockade imposed by Gulf neighbours,
calling the move an "unjust siege".Speaking in Indonesia - which has
the world's largest population of Muslims and close ties to the Arab world -
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said he discussed the crisis with
President Joko Widodo."We conveyed … that Qatar is ready to conduct a
dialogue to solve the problem as we already know that no one will win,"
Sheikh Tamim told reporters after meeting with Widodo at the state palace in
Bogor, outside the capital Jakarta. aljazeera
Iraq's military declares mission accomplished
in Kirkuk
Iraq's military says it achieved its
objectives in a lightning-quick operation that saw troops sweep through
disputed Kurdish-held territory in a punishing riposte to an independence vote
last month. Iraqi troops and allied militia retook the northern province of
Kirkuk and its lucrative oil fields on Monday and Tuesday, as well as formerly
Kurdish-held areas of Nineveh and Diyala provinces - all outside the autonomous
Kurdish region.PM Haider al-Abadi said Kurdish hopes for an independent state
were now "a thing of the past". It remains unclear how many Peshmerga
fighters were killed in sporadic clashes during the takeover."Since last
night we've received 25 corpses of Peshmerga troops killed in battles of Kirkuk
and its suburbs," Barzan Mohammed, a morgue official in the Kurdish
region's second city of Sulaimaniyah, told Al Jazeera. aljazeera
25 Kurds killed in clashes over Kirkuk, say
medics
Myanmar security forces killed hundreds during
systematic campaign to expel Rohingyas: Amnesty
Bangkok:Myanmar security forces killed
hundreds of men, women and children during a systematic campaign to expel
Rohingya Muslims, Amnesty International said in a new report on Wednesday that
calls for an arms embargo on the country and criminal prosecution of the
perpetrators.Based on interviews with more than 120 fleeing Rohingya, Amnesty
International said at least hundreds of people were killed by security forces
who surrounded villages, shot fleeing inhabitants and then set buildings
alight, burning to death the elderly, sick and disabled who were unable to
flee.In some villages, women and girls were raped or subjected to other sexual
violence, according to the report.The witnesses repeatedly described an insignia
on their attackers' uniforms that matched one worn by troops from Myanmar's
Western Command, Amnesty International said.Among almost two dozen
recommendations, the human rights group called for the UN Security Council to
impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Myanmar and financial sanctions against
senior officials responsible for violations that Amnesty says meet the criteria
for crimes against humanity.It said the council should explore options for
bringing the perpetrators to justice under international law if Myanmar
authorities do not act swiftly.AP
US takes aim at Yemeni Islamic State for first
time:Reuters
DUBAI:US said it launched its first attack on
Islamic State’s deadly Yemen branch on Monday with a series of nighttime
airstrikes that residents said targeted two villages and killed several people.
Unmanned U.S. drones launched around 12 missiles at militant positions in Yakla
and al-Abl in southern al-Bayda province, according to local people living
nearby, who declined to be named due to safety concerns.They said the number of
casualties caused by the attack was not immediately clear because locals were
too afraid to approach the site as U.S. aircraft hovered over the area for
hours.The Pentagon said in a statement that U.S. forces had killed dozens of
Islamic State members in a strike on two camps where fighters trained in using
machine guns and grenade launchers.
Roadside blast kills elite police in
Pakistan's Quetta
Islamabad:A suicide bomber has killed at least
seven police officers and wounded 22 others in the southwestern Pakistani city
of Quetta.The attack targeted a truck carrying police personnel on the city's
main Saryab road on Wednesday morning, local police official Muhammad Akbar told
Al Jazeera.Provincial home minister Sarfaraz Bugti, speaking to media at the
site of the attack, said those attacked were "elite" officers.Six
police officers and a civilian were killed and 22 wounded, said provincial CM Sanaullah Zehri, speaking to reporters at the
hospital where the wounded were being treated.Quetta, the capital of
Balochistan province, has often been at the centre of attacks by both religious
armed groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban and armed ethnic Baloch separatists fighting
for independence from Pakistan. Al Jazeera
Chinese President Xi assures neighbours to
resolve disputes through dialogue
Beijing : President Xi Jinping on Wednesday
assured China’s jittery neighbours that Beijing is ready to resolve its
disputes through dialogue but not at the expense of its strategic interests, as
he opened a key meeting of the ruling Communist party elite that will boost his
grip on power with a second term and even an unprecedented third innings. Xi,
the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), called the
progress China had made under his watch “truly remarkable,” but told over 2,000
delegates attending 19th Party Congress that more needed to be done as the
country moves towards a goal of “national rejuvenation”.“Our party, our people,
our forces, and our nation have changed in ways without precedent,” he said
from the Great Hall of the People adjoining the Tiananmen Square in the heart
of Beijing on the opening day of the week-long meeting. About the neighbours,
Xi said China would “deepen relations its neighbours in accordance with the
principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and the policy
of forging friendship and partnership”.“We should commit to settling disputes
through dialogue and resolving differences through discussion, coordinate
responses to traditional and non-traditional threats and oppose terrorism in
all its forms,” Xi said. His comments assume significance in the backdrop of
the recent military standoff between India and China in Dokalam area in the
Sikkim sector. China was engaged in a number of maritime disputes with neighbours
in the South and East China seas.PTI
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
BJP’s Attack on the ‘Muslim’ Taj Mahal Is Part
of a Wider Project: Uldeep Kumar
Aaj Ki Baat: 'Need to modernize
madrasas':Rajat Sharma
Held under
Public Safety Act, 80-yr kashmiri political activist completes a year in jail:Majid
Maqbool, The Wire
Himachal elections: BJP announces list of 68
candidates, Dhumal to contest from Sujanpur: indianexpress
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