Evening NEWS
DIGEST
04
Oct.2017: 13 Muharram 1439:Vol:9, No:12
Notes Ban 'Largest Money-Laundering Scheme
Ever':Arun Shourie
New Delhi: Arun Shourie, ex-union minister,was
categorical today in blaming the economic slowdown on PM Narendra Modi's shock
outlawing of high-denomination notes a year ago. "It was the largest
money-laundering scheme ever, conceived and implemented entirely by the Govt,"
Shourie told NDTV today. It was an "idiotic jolt" he continued,
"everyone who had black converted it into white."RBI has said that
nearly 99 % of the banned currency has
been returned to banks, which suggests that black or untaxed money was not
destroyed by the giant move.He was quick to add the new national sales tax -- GST
-- to the list of Govt's misdeeds, stating that though it was an important
reform, it had been poorly implemented. "The rules have been amended seven
times within three months," said ex-BJP member in support of his claim,
adding that what makes it worse is the "event management of GST --
imagine! A tax reform is being compared to the independence of India" he
said about the special midnight session of parliament held to introduce the new
tax in July. Shourie's relentless criticism of Govt's economic mismanagement comes
days after ex-Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, said that the economy is a mess and that it
will not recover, despite Govt's claims, by the next general election in 2019.BJP
responded by dismissing Sinha and Shourie as frustrated politicians who are
avenging their sidelining by the party by publicly dissing its leadership."This
is their Standard Operating Procedure," Shourie said of BJP's response,
adding "they should publish a list in advance of frustrated persons"
as a pre-emptive strike against disagreement.He said major economic policies
are being decided in "a sealed echo chamber" of "2.5
persons" whom he listed as "Amit Shah,PM Modi, and an in-house
lawyer." His derision of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley echoes that of Sinha,
who said the buck stops with Jaitley for the economy plummeting to 5.7% growth
in the last quarter, marking a 3-year low.Shourie said that he agrees with Sinha's
assessment that others in the BJP share their concern over the Govt's economic
policies but are either prevented from or scared to raise questions. NDTV
Demonetisation was suicide, all arguments in
favour have collapsed: Shourie
Demonetisation an ‘idiotic jolt’ to economy,
GST badly implemented: Shourie
Demonetisation: Bank employees, yet to be paid
for working overtime and on off days, threaten strike
New Delhi: Unions representing employees of Govt
-run banks have threatened to launch a strike and head to courts if their
employers don’t clear overtime dues from the time they worked long hours to
handle the demonetisation rush. Union Govt ’s November 8 decision to scrap bank
notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination wiped out 86% of the currency in
circulation, triggering a countrywide rush as millions ended up in banks to
exchange their notes for legal tender. In some cases, staffers worked 14 hours
at a stretch and their leaves were cancelled as the system struggled to deal
with the unprecedented chaos.A majority of those employees who put in extra
hours were yet to get additional pay and overtime, almost 11 months since they
worked the extra hours. The rush lasted around three months. At present there
are about 8 lakh employees engaged with these banks. hindustantimes
India's crackdown on Muslim-run leather units
dents exports, hits jobs:Reuters
New Delhi:A Govt crackdown on Muslim-dominated abattoirs and
the trade of cattle dragged down India’s exports of leather shoes by more than
13 % in June, as leading global brands turned to China, Bangladesh, Indonesia
and Pakistan to secure supplies.The drop in exports of shoes and leather
garments comes as a setback for PM Narendra Modi, who has sought to create
millions of jobs by more than doubling the leather industry’s revenues to $27
billion by 2020.Emboldened by the victory of Modi’s BJP in the 2014 general
election, Hindu hard-liners, who consider cows sacred, became more assertive in
their calls for a clamp-down on both the meat and leather industries, run by
Muslims, who make up 14 % of India’s 1.3 billion people.“The writing was
already on the wall,”Nazir Ahmed, CEO of shoemaker Park Exports, told Reuters
by phone from Agra, a shoe-making hub and home to the Taj Mahal. “We have
killed the goose that laid the golden egg.” India, the world’s second-biggest
supplier of shoes and leather garments, exports nearly half its leather goods,
with overseas sales estimated at $5.7 billion in the 2016/17 fiscal year to
March, down 3.2 % from a year earlier. Footwear exports fell more than 4 % in
April-June, to $674 million.In March, after being appointed chief minister of UP
, India’s most populous state and a major leather exporter, Yogi Adityanath, a
firebrand Hindu monk, ordered a closure of abattoirs operating without
licenses.Slaughterhouse owners complain that much of India’s meat and leather
trade takes place in the informal sector, and it’s hard to get licenses,
especially for smaller units.In May, citing cruelty to animals, the federal Govt
banned the trade of cattle for slaughter,
and restricted livestock sales only for agricultural purposes such as ploughing
and dairy production. But the country’s top court overturned that order, citing
the hardship the ban had caused.That has not brought relief as repeated attacks
on trucks carrying cattle still rankle the leather trade.“The supreme court has
allowed the resumption of trade for cattle, but the ground reality is that cow
vigilante groups continue to be active and no one wants to risk his life by
transporting cattle,” Ahmed said.Deterred by a clutch of measures that squeezed
the supply of leather, a key raw material, brands like H&M (HMb.ST),
Inditex (ITX.MC)-owned Zara and Clarks, cut back their orders to India, said M.
Rafeeque Ahmed, a leading shoe exporter from the southern city of Chennai and
former president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.“We lost
orders because our buyers were sceptical of our ability to meet their
requirements. Instead, most buyers moved to rival suppliers in Asia and
southeast Asia,” he said. Reuters
Maharashtra tops list of complaints of traders
overcharging customers post-GST
Maharashtra reported the most complaints of
traders overcharging for packaged foods such as biscuits, chocolates and
beverages after GST regime kicked in on July 1, consumer affairs ministry data
shows.BJP-ruled state received 143 complaints between July 1 and Sept 30
followed by Odisha with 123, the ministry data, a copy of which is with HT,
says. There were 42 such complaints in the country’s most populous state UP while in seven states – J&K, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Sikkim,Tripura and Rajasthan – consumers
seemed to have no grouse against traders.HT
SC rejects govt’s stand on Rohingyas, says
judiciary can review executive decision to deport refugees
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it
has the authority to review the move to deport Rohingya Muslim refugees,
rejecting NDA govt’s stand that the judiciary must not interfere with an
executive decision.“To say this petition is not maintainable, I believe, is not
correct,” said an apex court bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra. “I, for one, believe
from my past experience of 40 years that when a petition like this comes to us,court
should be slow to abdicate its jurisdiction.” The judge was responding to
additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta’s argument that the Centre’s
submission with regard to the case was justified.Mehta contended that the
Centre had arrived at its decision (to deport Rohingya Muslims) on the basis of
constitutional principles.“Various parameters are considered before Govt
arrives at an executive decision,” he said.“It could be diplomatic
considerations; whether a country can sustain refugees; what would be the
repercussions of providing shelter among the local population…therefore,
executive decisions should be left to the Govt unless any motive is attributed.” hindustantimes
Rohingyas have fundamental rights like
indians; SC has jurisdiction to hear plea against their deportation: Nariman
No comparison of Rohingyas with Pakistan,
Bangladesh refugees: Govt in SC
2 held for vandalism, mosque committee agrees
to reduce prayer speaker volume
Noida: Police took 2 residents of a Noida
village into custody on Tuesday for vandalism at a mosque there a day earlier
and the district administration held meetings with members of two communities
to work out a peaceful solution to a row that broke out over a loudspeaker
being used to offer prayers.Around 9am on Monday, a group of 40-50 local youths
entered the premises of Masjid-E-Noor in Chhaprauli Bangar Village in Sector
168,near Shiv Nadar School and just 2km from the Noida expressway. The brother
of the local imam was also beaten up.Police said last Friday a number of people
had gathered for prayers, and that parked vehicles had choked the adjacent
road.A group of local residents took note of that and called a meeting of
members of both communities on Monday. But members of the minority community
stayed away, fearing an attack on them.Zainuddin-al-Hussaini, imam of the
mosque who joined last year, said he and his younger brother Saba Hasan (19)
were sitting in a resting room built as an annexure to the mosque when a mob
landed there."They barged into the room and asked us why we use a
loudspeaker for prayers. They held my brother by the collar and slapped him a
few times," Hussaini said.When he called neighbours for help, the mob
started retreating but threw stones at the resting room that shattered some
window panes. There was no damage to the mosque. The mob had dispersed by the
time a police team reached.Police later registered a non-cognisable report for
voluntarily causing hurt and intentional insult to provoke breach of peace
under sections 323 and 504 of IPC. On Tuesday evening, Om Dutt and Surendra,
both local residents, were arrested.Noida city magistrate Mahendra Singh and
circle officer Abhinandan held a meeting with members of the community members.
Surendra Chauhan, who attended the meeting, said they objected to the use of a
loudspeaker for prayers. "Also on Fridays, the mosque gets crowded and it
creates a traffic jam as people park their vehicles on the road," he said.
The minority community has sought deployment of police to ensure law and order
in the area."We have warned of legal action if anyone threatens peace and
tranquility in the village," circle officer Abhinandan said. The village
is home to around 2,000 families.The imam said since the mosque is located near
corporate firms, people working in MNCs along the expressway, and labourers at
construction sites join Friday prayers, which leads to an unusual increase in the
number of attendees from 8-10 on a regular day to 1,000-1,500 on a Friday.The
masjid committee also agreed to lower the volume of the loundspeaker and mount
it at a lower height. It also agreed to look into a solution to the parking
problem.TOI
Ghaziabad: Saffron outfits dare police to make
arrests for firing arms in Dasna temple
Noida:A number of saffron outfits on Tuesday
came out in support of those involved in firing that took place at the ancient
Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad on Vijaya Dashmi and condemned filing of an FIR
in the matter.Hundreds of devotees had performed ‘Shastra Puja’ rituals and
later fired weapons in the air inside the temple complex.A day later, SSP, HN
Singh, took cognizance of a video that had gone viral on social media, showing
the indiscriminate use of weapons and had ordered registration of an FIR at
Masuri police station.On Tuesday, members of several saffron outfits came
together to support the cause of temple’s mahant, Yati Narsimhanand, and said
that it was an attempt on the part of police to curtail the rights of
devotees.“We have been performing rituals and firing our arms on this occasion
for many years now, to check if our arms are in order and the police also know
of this. We opened fire inside the complex and not in a public place,” said
Shashi Chauhan, a woman councillor from Dasna, who also featured in the video. hindustantimes
MP police force farmers to strip, sit in
underwear in station after protest
Bhopal:Police in a MP town allegedly rounded
up a group of farmers and forced them to disrobe after a protest demonstration,
according to leaders of the Congress backing the agitation, who have decided to
approach the country’s human rights watchdog.Dozens of farmers gathered in
front of collectorate in Bundelkhand’s Tikamgarh on Tuesday afternoon to
present a list of demands to the district administration. The protest turned
aggressive, prompting police to use teargas, water cannons and sticks on the
people to disperse them.Bundelkhand is one of the most distressed farm regions
in Madhya Pradesh, which saw violent protests in June over the issue of loan
waivers. Five farmers were killed in police firing at the time.Local Congress
leader Yadvendra Singh said the protesters became angry after the district
collector did not meet them.“Due to this protesters started losing their cool.
The police used force and between 25 to 30 farmers were injured. When I reached
home, I received information that around 30-40 farmers have been detained by
police at Dehat police station. I went there and found they had been beaten up.
They were made to sit just in their underwear,” Singh said.“ It is a clear
violation of human rights and I will file a complaint with video and photos to
NHRC and State Human Rights Commission. Tomorrow we have called for Tikamgarh
bandh on this issue”, he said on Tuesday.The protest was led by leader of
opposition in the state assembly Ajay Singh. Tikamgarh SP Kumar Prateek told HT
that force was used after the crowd started throwing rocks. He said eight cops
and one protester were injured in the scuffle.He said he was unaware of the
protesters being made to strip and said police were only interrogating the
detainees.Photographs provided to HT showed the men inside the police station
only in their underwear.They were freed after Yadvendra Singh reached the police
station.Falling yield, mounting debt and increasingly costly raw materials are
seen as factors pushing farmers in several parts of the country to commit
suicide. hindustantimes
Rajasthan farmers stay ‘buried’ in ground in
protest over land acquisition
Jaipur: A ‘zameen samadhi satyagraha’ at
Ninder village, which has farmers squatting neck-deep in pits to protest land
acquisition by the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), entered its third day on
Wednesday as talks with Govt officials
remained inconclusive.JDA has been acquiring agricultural land for a housing
project, drawing protests from farmers in Ninder area.Nagendra Singh, president
of the Ninder Bachao Kisan Yuva Samiti (NBKYS), said the two parties were yet
to reach an agreement on the issue. “After meeting urban development and
housing minister Shrichand Kriplani, we proposed to JDA commissioner that a
fresh land survey be conducted with specific points in mind. JDA has asked for
a day’s time to discuss the issue before taking a decision,” he added. Hindustantimes
Why are Sanand Dalits of Gujarat changing
their display picture to a moustache? indianexpress
New Delhi:Over 300 Dalit men from villages
around Sanand in Gujarat are protesting against attacks on Dalit in a unique
way: by putting up WhatsApp display pictures featuring a logo of a twirled
moustache with a crown and Mr Dalit written on it. Read on to find out what has
led them to protest in this unique manner.This move has come after multiple
attacks on Dalits have surfaced from Gujarat in the past ten days. Dalits
across Gujarat are also being attacked allegedly by upper caste members over
sporting moustaches.The first assault took place on Sept 25, when Piyush Parmar
(24) was allegedly targeted by Rajputs for sporting a moustache. According to
the statement given by Parmar to the Gujarat Police, he was returning home from
a garba programme in his village, Limbodara, when some members of Rajput
community thrashed him over keeping a moustache.An FIR was registered on Sept
27 at the Kalol police station under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, but no arrests have been made
yet.According to reports, upper castes have been objecting to Dalits keeping a
moustache as they feel it is a privilege which rests with them.
Dalit student suspended from Ambedkar
University alleges harassment, discrimination at the hands of faculty
In another case of alleged discrimination
against Dalit students, Akunth, a second-year BA student at the Ambedkar
University, Delhi, was debarred from attending classes for a year for ‘failing’
one subject out of 14 papers. Akunth has alleged that this is a clear case of
discrimination against his Dalit and queer identity.In an open letter published
on social media in the last week of Sept , Akunth said he had been time and
again targeted for his identity. “A Bachelor’s second year student needs to
pass at least 14 courses to be promoted to the third year; I passed 12, failed
1 and challenged the results of 3 courses. This makes it impossible for me to
be promoted unless I pass in at least two of the ‘challenged’ courses.”TCN
Citizenship notice to ex-armyman Azmal Haque
was a case of mistaken identity: Assam Police
Guwahati: Following huge media uproar over the
citizenship notice to former soldier Azmal Haque who served the Indian Army for
30 years, the Assam police on Tuesday said the notice by the tribunal was
because of mistaken identity."Assam Police which accused Haque of being an
illegal immigrant now says it was a case a mistaken identity. The media outrage
did d trick," said Haque's lawyer Aman Wadud. IndiaTomorrow
Kashmir protests: SC shocked over submission
by J&K lawyers’ body
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Wednesday
admitted it is taken aback by the version of J&K 's top lawyers' body that
the accession of the State to India, rigged elections and the
"catch-and-kill" policy of security personnel are “historical
reasons” behind the street violence and protests in the valley.“We are slightly
shocked,” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra told the lawyers
appearing for J&K High Court Bar Association.The court was hearing the
arguments by the J&K High Court Bar Association, which has filed a public
interest litigation petition for a ban on pellet guns.The court pointed out
that the petition filed by the association dealt with extensive use of pellet
guns by security forces for “crowd control”. However, the affidavit filed by
the lawyers' body accused the accession of the State, rigging of polls since
1947 and the security forces for the violence.“We only tried to point out the
historical reasons,” the association's lawyers responded.They submitted that
the affidavit was filed after the apex court itself had asked them to give a
background to the continued protests.The Centre, represented by Solicitor
General Ranjit Kumar, urged the court to dismiss the association's petition,
arguing it was not maintainable.Kumar submitted that association crossed the
boundaries of their petition with their affidavit which blames the accession of
the State to India.“They say every poll since 1947 was rigged, that accession
should not have happened, they say that instead of taking peaceful means, a
catch-and-kill policy is adopted,” Kumar submitted. The court posted the case
for hearing on Jan.18. thehindu
Army Major killed, 3 officers injured in
accident in Jammu
Jammu:An Army Major was killed and 3 other
officers, including a colonel, were injured when the car they were travelling
in skidded off the Jammu-Poonch highway here today, police said. Their car hit
a tree around 03.30 a.m. today at Thati-Gharota area in Jammu district, they
said.An officer identified as Major Ashish died on the spot and a colonel and 2
other majors were injured, police said.PTI
Fidayeen are determined, can’t stop attacks in
Kashmir, says BSF chief:HT
Srinagar: The chief of BSF KK Sharma said on
Wednesday it is difficult to stop suicide attacks in J&K as the militants come “wearing shrouds” and
the only way to deal with them was the troops’ alertness, a day after the
paramilitary force’s camp was infiltrated near the Srinagar airport.“Fidayeen are
determined. We can’t stop their attacks. They will always manage to come but it
is the response which is important,” Sharma said after participating in the
wreath-laying ceremony for assistant sub-inspector of BSF BK Yadav in Humhama. Yadav
died fighting one of the three militants who entered the highly fortified 182
battalion camp near the Srinagar airport early on Tuesday. All the three were
killed after a gunfight that lasted hours.3 others security personnel also
sustained injuries in the early morning attack, claimed by JeM which is blamed
for similar strikes at Indian security bases including one at Uri in Sept.last
year that killed 18 soldiers.The paramilitary force’s chief without naming
Pakistan said such attacks would continue until people across the border don’t
stop. “So long our friendly neighbour does not behave, I think we will expect
we will have many more (such attacks),” he said. hindustantimes
US backs India’s opposition to China’s One
Belt, One Road initiative
Washington:US has reiterated its support for
India’s opposition to China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, a part of
which traverses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, with defence secretary James Mattis
telling lawmakers “no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating
such a project”.“In a globalised world, there are many belts and many roads,
and no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating ‘one belt, one
road’,” Mattis told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a
hearing onTuesday on US administration’s new Afghanistan-centric South Asia
strategy. US support for India’s opposition to the Chinese project was first
reflected in the joint statement issued by the two countries after PM Narendra
Modi’s meeting with Donald Trump here in June.HT
Convicts too must breathe fresh air, maintain
family ties:SC
New Delhi:Convicts too “must breathe fresh
air” and be allowed to maintain social ties provided they show a tendency to
reform,the Supreme Court has said and favoured a “humanistic approach” while
dealing with pleas for parole or furlough to those serving long jail terms. A
bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan asked the Govt to update its rules, framed way back in 1955,
on granting of parole and furlough, saying these were skeletal in nature.It
referred to one of the objectives of awarding punishment and said it was about
reformation of the convicts.The verdict came on the plea of one Asfaq, who is
serving life term in connection with cases lodged under TADA for his role in
serial bomb blasts that had taken took place in five trains on Dec.6,
1993.Asfaq had moved the apex court against denial of parole by the
authorities.The court, however, upheld the decision of the Rajashtan High Court
with a direction that he may file a fresh plea seeking parole after some time,
if the situation warranted.PTI
Case registered against actor Prakash Raj over
his criticism of PM Modi
New Delhi:A case has been registered against
National award-winning actor Prakash Raj in a Lucknow court on a complaint
lodged by a lawyer over his recent remarks on PM Narendra Modi, ANI reported.
The case is scheduled to be heard on Oct.7.On Monday, Raj stirred up a storm
after questioning the “absolute silence” of PM Modi on those “celebrating” the
killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh.The actor, a close friend of the Lankesh
family, said PM and others were acting as if nothing had happened despite
having social media followers celebrating killing on social media.“Who killed
my dear friend Gauri is not as important to me today as who has been
celebrating her death. There may not be proof as to who killed Gauri but we can
see who is celebrating it and from this we can form an idea of who could have
killed her. The underlying cruelty in all of this is apparent to many people.
Many of those celebrating Gauri’s death are persons followed by PM on social
media. PM has been absolutely silent about these people,” Raj said while
speaking at 11th annual convention of left-affiliated students’ group
Democratic Youth Federation of India.indianexpress
Kaskar extortion case: Dawood shown as wanted
accused
Mumbai:Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim
and his brother Anees Ibrahim have been shown as wanted accused in the case of
extorting ₹3 crore from a prominent builder, in which their sibling Iqbal
Kaskar is already booked, Thane Police said on Wednesday.This is the first such
case of extortion in which the three brothers have been named, an official of
Thane Crime Branch claimed. The Thane Police’s Crime Branch on October 3
registered an offence of extortion on the complaint of the builder against
Kaskar and the gang members of Dawood, a police official said.PTI
Hindus, Muslims Will End Conflict Through a
'Hindu Way', Says RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat
Kolkata:Mohan Bhagwat has said that despite a
conflict between Hindus and Muslims, one day the two communities will find a
solution and that path would be a "Hindu way". Bhagwat referred to
Rabindra Nath Tagore's views on Swadeshi Samaj, saying, “We believe in what he
had said." Bhagwat said, “We may have different ‘chitt’ (mind), but
despite that, we can walk together. There will be differences in opinion, but
for Bharat, we have to walk together. Bharat is our Dharma and we have to look
forward to Ek Bharat.”News18.com
'Love jihad' is a dangerous thing: Adityanath
New Delhi: UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath
on Wednesday called 'Love Jihad', a "dangerous thing".UP CM was
referring to an incident in Kerala of a 24-year-old Hindu woman who converted
to Islam and married a Muslim man. The Kerala High Court annulled the marriage,
after which the husband went to the Supreme Court asking it to set aside the
high court's order.Adityanath, who is against such unions - and has been
running a campaign against them for several years now - believes the CPM Govt in Kerala needs to take a stand on the
incident. "Love Jihad is a dangerous thing and the Kerala Govt should make its stand clear about it,"
said Adityanath upon his arrival Wednesday in Kerala to participate in a BJP
yatra protesting the killing of RSS workers in the state. timesofindia
Crowd mistook vendor’s ‘phool gir gaya’ cry as
‘pul gir gaya’: Elphinstone station stampede survivor
Mumbai:As the railways investigate the
stampede in Elphinstone Road Station in Mumbai, a student survivor has told the
inquiry panel that a flower vendor’s cry of “phool gir gaya [flowers have fallen]”
being mistaken as “pul gir gaya [the bridge has fallen]” might have set off the
panic.Vendors selling flowers and other products on the bridge is a common
sight. However, a senior railway official said they were yet to ascertain if
this was the sole cause of the mishap.On Sept 29, a massive crowd of morning rush hour
commuters stampeded on the stairwell of a narrow foot overbridge (FOB) at the
station, leaving 23 dead and more than 30 injured.On Oct.3, Western Railway
launched an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the stampede.“A woman
injured in the stampede told the inquiry panel that a flower vendor uttered the
words ‘phool gir gaya,’ which others mistook for ‘pul gir gaya,” a senior
Western Railway official said on Wednesday.the hindu
Internet services suspended in 7 districts
Patna:ITBP and SSB personnel were rushed to
Katihar on Tuesday following communal tension over a report that a place of
worship in the town was damaged while internet services were suspended in
Arwal, Jamui, Bhojpur, Nawada, Katihar, Sitamarhi and West Champaran districts
to check the rumours spreading after group clashes at several places during the
last two days. At least 100 petrol bombs were seized at Arghara Chowk in
Katihar.A company of central RAF allotted to the state by central Govt for deployment in Patna was also rushed to
Arwal town where curfew was imposed after the police along with STF recovered
two pipe bombs and two petrol bombs from Sahi Colony under the Town police station
area on Tuesday. The police lodged four FIRs and arrested 26 persons in
connection with the clash in the Town police station area over tazia and idol
immersion processions during the last two days. Source said STF commandos have
also been deployed at several places in different districts where incidents of
communal tension were reported. timesofindia
‘No permission’ from MEA,no Pak artiste at
Jaipur Sufi fest
4-Day South Asian Sufi Festival, which begins
in Jaipur on Friday, will not feature writers, scholars, or poets from Pakistan
this year. The festival organisers said MEA and MHA turned down their request
to invite 20 Pakistani authors for the Oct.6-9 event. MEA is one of the
“collaborators” for the event, which is organised by Foundation of SAARC
Writers and Literature (FOSWAL), in collaboration with Diggi Palace, Jaipur,
and supported by the Rajasthan Govt ’s Department of Tourism.In February, a
Pakistani delegation was denied permission for the South Asian Literature
Festival, also organised by FOSWAL. Punjabi author and Padma Shri recipient
Ajeet Cour, FOSWAL’s founder-president, said,“We have to get permission from
the political division of MEA (to invite Pak artistes). When they themselves do
not give us permission, how can we invite? Without permission,they (MEA) won’t
instruct our High Commission in Islamabad to issue visa…it is not in our
hands.”
WORLD
Saudi's king in Moscow: An unexpected
rapprochement
Moscow:Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry hailed
this week's visit of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Moscow as
"historic". Diplomats rarely mean what they say, and the word is a
bit of a cliche in their lexicon.But this time, it may be true.Riyadh and Moscow
have been at odds for decades. The two oil superpowers produce almost half of
the world's crude - and fiercely compete for market shares. Moscow's efforts
that propped up Syrian President Bashar Assad's Govt have pitted Russia against Saudis and other
Sunni Arab states.Yet, in the past year, an unexpected rapprochement between
the two nations has been in the making amid Moscow's deteriorating ties with
the US, and US President Donald Trump's unpredictable policy shifts."Our
main hope is that the visit will give a new, powerful impetus to the
development of bilateral ties, because the potential of our ties is much richer
than the de-facto situation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Friday.
Saudis no longer demand Assad's immediate removal from power and do not lambast
Russia's military operation that has entered its third year on Saturday. aljazeera
Kurdish secession tops Erdogan's agenda in
Iran visit
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
arrived in Iran on Wednesday to hold crucial talks with his Iranian counterpart
Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the outcome of the
Iraqi Kurdish referendum and other regional security issues.Erdogan's visit to
Tehran comes as Ankara continues to seek regional consensus on how to block
efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Govt (KRG) to split from Iraq - a move Turkey fears
would have a domino effect on its own 15 million ethnic Kurdish population.
Ahead of Erdogan's visit, the Turkish foreign ministry announced on Tuesday
that it wants Baghdad to take over from the KRG, the control of the border
between Turkey and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.On
Sunday, Erdogan told parliament members in Ankara that he expects to draw up an
agreement with Iran, on how to respond to the KRG referendum. aljazeera
Iran's Javad Zarif and Sheikh Tamim hold talks
in Doha
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister,
has met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for talks on relations and
strengthening "cooperation" between the two countries after almost
four months of a blockade against Qatar.The visit is Zarif's first to Doha
since four Arab countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain,
and Egypt - cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on 5 June and imposed a land, air
and sea blockade."During the meeting, they reviewed relations of cooperation
between the two countries in various fields as well as exchanged views on the
current situation in the region," a statement from Qatar News Agency said,
referring to Tuesday's talks. Zarif's trip comes after Qatar restored full
diplomatic relations with Iran in Aug. aljazeera
Will the UN blacklist Saudi-led coalition over
Yemen?
Human rights groups are urging the UN to
include the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on a blacklist over violations of
children's rights. A leaked draft of the UN's Children and Armed Conflict
annual report, set to be submitted to the Security Council later this month,
showed that the coalition was on the list. The coalition was the only side in
Yemen's war that was left out of last year's report.Though it had originally
been placed on the 2016 report, it was later "temporarily" removed by
then-UN chief Ban Ki-moon,who cited "unacceptable" pressure by the
Gulf countries, including threats by Saudi Arabia to cut funding to the UN. Ban
described his decision to remove the coalition off the list as one of the most
"painful and difficult," but stood by his choice warning that
"millions of other children would suffer grievously" in places such
as Palestine, South Sudan and Syria if funding was cut. Aljazeera
Afghanistan: Military blunders continue after
Kunduz hospital bombing
Concerns are growing as military blunders have
continued to kill innocent civilians in Afghanistan, two years after errant US
air raids killed at least 42 people and razed an MSF hospital to the ground. On
Oct.3, 2015, US raids bombarded the Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) hospital in
the northern city of Kunduz.24 patients,14 staff and four caretakers were among
the dead.US military said the air strike was a "mistake" and
apologised, but insisted the attack was not a war crime. Human rights groups
widely condemned the raids as they demanded an independent investigation.But 2
years on, relatives of those killed say rights groups are "silent"
over the raids, as civilians elsewhere continue face mounting insecurity,
displacement and death across the country."After every such mistake, they
open an investigation and in a few days' time, we never hear about it
again," said Zekrullah Ahmadi, a Kunduz resident whose brother Shafiq was
killed in the MSF hospital tragedy." Afghan Govt does not even question [US]
when civilians are killed in such air raids," he said, confirming he has
not heard about the result of the investigation. aljazeera
Iraq's former President Jalal Talabani dead
Jalal Talabani, former president of Iraq and
Kurdish politician, has died in Germany aged 84. He was Iraq's president from
2005 to 2014 and a key figure in the Kurdish region of Iraq, where voters last
week overwhelmingly backed independence in a controversial referendum."Our
leader died in Germany," an official with Talabani's Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK) said on Tuesday.A family member said Talabani's health had
taken a turn for the worse and he been transported to Germany, along with his
wife and two children, before the referendum. Zana Said, an Iraqi Kurdish
politician, paid tribute to Talabani as "the only president whose death
saddens Arabs, Kurds and all other ethnicities". aljazeera
Lieberman: European,Arab states lining up to
woo Assad
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman
believes that the Assad regime has won the ongoing war in Syria and many
European and moderate Sunni Arab states are working to get closer to Assad,
Arabs48.com reported.He told Hebrew media news website Walla: “We hope that the
United States will be more active on the Syrian front and in the Middle East in
general. We are on the northern front against the Russians, Iranians, Turks and
Hezbollah.”“I am looking at one of the biggest contradictions,”he said. “It is
what happened in Syria where about 600,000 were killed in a civil war during which
all red lines were crossed…and [there are] seven million refugees. I do not
remember any war bloodier than this since WWII.”
Report: Trump described Netanyahu as ‘bigger
problem’ than Abbas
US President Donald Trump described Israeli
premier Benjamin Netanyahu as a greater obstacle to advancing peace talks than
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, according to a report in Haaretz. Trump is
said to have made the remarks in conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres on 19 Sept , the paper says, citing a number of “Western and Israeli
sources who were either present at or briefed on the meeting”.“Trump said both
leaders are problematic,” said one Western diplomat. “But the general context
was that from the two of them, Netanyahu is the bigger problem.”A White House
official, cited by Haaretz, disputed the account of the meeting. “The president
said that he feels both sides want to make peace and he remains optimistic
about an enduring peace deal. We are focusing on our productive conversations
and not on the noise created by spoilers.” middleeastmonitor
Hamas: Everyone has the right to arm
themselves to resist the occupation
Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh
has said that everyone has the right to own resistance arms, adding that that
his movement has closed the chapter of internal division forever, Rassd.com
reported yesterday.During a TV interview with the Egyptian journalist Amro
Adeeb, who arrived in Gaza, Haniyeh said that any Palestinian has the right to
bear arms and resist Israel.However, he stressed, arms of the Palestinian
security services must be controlled by the state.The Hamas leader added: “We
want a Govt to dominate the West Bank
and Gaza Strip and carry out its work without any interference from anyone. In
order to achieve these goals, we are going to Cairo on Monday to talk about
security, the crossing and other issues.”Haniyeh continued: “We are ready to
discuss any issue with Fatah and the other factions to reach a united programme
on identity, authority and leadership.” middleeastmonitor
Turkey warns of dangerous conspiracy against
Palestine cause
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has
warned of dangerous conspiracy being planned against the Palestine cause,
noting that countries in the region are working to change the Palestinian
Authority (PA) and instate puppets, the Anadolu Agency reported .Cavusoglu
added that Turkey had been greatly criticised because it maintained contacts
with Hamas since it won the elections in 2006.He went on to stress the
importance of ending Palestinian division. Ankara, he explained, would continue
all forms of support to rebuild hospitals and schools in Gaza, as well as to
solve the electricity and water crises. middleeastmonitor
Egypt’s Sisi pledges support for Palestinian reconciliation
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi has
said that his country will offer all forms of support available to achieve
Palestinian reconciliation, Quds Press reported yesterday. In a recorded
message displayed on a screen during a meeting between the ministers of the Palestinian
Unity Govt and the Egyptian Intelligence Minister Khaled Fawzy in Gaza, Al-Sisi
said that Egyptian support would continue “without delay”. Al-Sisi also said that the day Palestinians
achieve reconciliation would be a “historic” day. middleeastmonitor
Reports: Israel to greenlight new settlement
between Jerusalem, Bethlehem
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly set to
greenlight a new settlement that critics claim will sever any remaining
connection between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.Citing a “well-placed Govt source”, the Israeli NGO Terrestrial Jerusalem
claimed yesterday that Netanyahu intends to reverse “his previous instructions
to refrain from publishing the Givat Hamatos tenders” for 1,100 new housing
units.Givat Hamatos will be located in the southwest of occupied East
Jerusalem, in between the pre-existing settlements of Gilo and Har Homa,
replacing the latter “as the newest settlement to be built in East Jerusalem
since 1997”.According to Peace Now, Givat Hamatos “will enhance the territorial
continuity of Israeli settlements that create a buffer between East Jerusalem
and Bethlehem”. middleeastmonitor
Egypt: Morsi’s ‘espionage’ trial postponed to
15 Oct
An Egyptian criminal court has postponed the
trial of former President Mohamed Morsi and a number of other defendants in a
court case in which they are accused of spying for Hamas; it is now due to take
place on 15 Oct.Morsi was ousted in July 2013 in a military coup that was led
by current President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who was the country’s defence
minister at the time. Since the coup, Morsi and scores of Muslim Brotherhood
members and sympathisers, as well as pro-democracy activists, have faced
trials, many of which have been described by international watchdogs as
“political” that were fabricated as part of a wider crackdown on opponents.In
the “espionage” case, Morsi, members of the Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau and a
number of former members of parliament are accused of spying for the Muslim
Brotherhood’s international organisation, Hamas, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and
Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The defendants are also accused of cooperating with
takfiri groups in the Sinai allegedly toward the goal of bringing down the
Egyptian regime and taking over power. Middleeastmonitor
UN: Myanmar violence may be 'crimes against
humanity'
UN rights experts have warned that violence
against women and children in Rakhine State "may amount to crimes against
humanity".UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) and the Committee on the Rights of a Child called on Myanmar
authorities to "promptly and effectively investigate and vigorously
prosecute cases of violence against women and children" in northern Rakhine."We
are particularly worried about the fate of Rohingya women and children subject
to serious violations of their human rights, including killings, rape and
forced displacement," the committees said in a statement."Such
violations may amount to crimes against humanity and we are deeply concerned at
the state's failure to put an end to these shocking human rights violations
being committed at the behest of the military and other security forces, and of
which women and children continue to bear the brunt."More than 507,000
Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Myanmar's army launched a military
crackdown in response to an attack by Rohingya fighters on dozens of police
posts and an army base on Aug25. aljazeera
Rohingya crisis heart-breaking, complex issue,
says British minister for Asia
New Delhi:The issue of Rohingya Muslims, is a
complex matter of ethnic cleansing and is a heart-breaking humanitarian crisis,
said British minister for Asia Mark Field as he called for regional initiatives
to help.Field, in an exclusive interview to HT on Tuesday, said Brexit will
bring more good news for Indian businesses. Central London MP, who recently
travelled to the trouble-prone Rakhine state in Myanmar and held discussions
with state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, termed the Rohingya crisis “heart
breaking.”“That is a pre-dominantly Muslim area. But those who are affected by
the ethnic-cleansing include Hindus and Buddhists. It is a complex issue,”
Field said.HT
FLASH:
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White Privilege of the “Lone Wolf”
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20 % Countries of The World Have Preferred Religion
India in list of nations whose Govt s do not
have official religion: PEW Research Centre
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:48 PM)
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