Evening NEWS
DIGEST
23
Nov.2017: 03 Rabiul Awwal 1439:Vol:9, No:55
3 Muslim clerics attacked, thrown off moving
train 'for covering head' in UP's Baghpat
Lucknow:3 Muslims clerics were attacked by
unknown assailants and thrown off a moving train in Baghpat district of UP .
The clerics, who were returning from Delhi, have suffered injuries and are
undergoing treatment at the district hospital. A case has been registered against unknown
persons. 3 men hailing from Aheda village in Baghpat were on their way back
after a visit to Markazi Masjid in Delhi, when they were attacked with rods and
thrown off the train near Aheda Railway Station. According to one of the
victims, the train was about to reach Aheda when they started wearing their
shoes to get down and some people locked the doors and windows and started
beating them with iron rods and an icepick. There were about 7 men who
allegedly attacked them and tried to throw them off the train.“We were sitting
on the upper berths and were about to reach our station. When we tried to get
down, the people sitting on lower berths locked the doors and windows. When we
asked them why they were locking the windows, they said “you will soon get to
know” and started beating us,” said Israr, one of the 3 clerics who is a
teacher at a madrassa.He added, “Only issue they had with us was the
handkerchief covering our head. They kept asking us why we had our head covered
with a handkerchief.” Israr also said that the attackers were unknown to them,
but he can identify them. Soon after the
incident,Israr informed the villagers, who rushed them to district hospital for
treatment. Clerics have sustained some serious injuries on their head, hands
and legs. news18
3 Muslim clerics beaten on train in UP, were
asked "why wear rumaal?"NDTV
Union ministers discuss triple talaq
legislation
New Delhi:A group of Union ministers today
closeted for an hour to discuss about a legislation to put an end to
instantaneous 'triple talaq'.Centre is planning to bring the legislation in the
winter session of Parliament, which is likely to begin from Dec.15.Chaired by
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the meeting discussed various issues related to
the proposed bill, which is expected to ensure that the instantaneous way of
divorce will be a punishable offence, a Govt official said. External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Social
Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot, Minister for Minorities Affairs
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Attorney General K K Venugopal besides others attended the
meeting.No decision was taken in today's meeting and further deliberations will
take place in coming days, the official said.The ministers also discussed
whether a new legislation should be brought or the existing penal provisions be
suitably amended to make the instantaneous triple talaq an offence, the Govt official said.NDA ministers have been tasked
to frame a new law or an amendment bill, he said.outlookindia
From Aadhaar to NCERT, UP Govt’s new policy
for Madrasas
UP govt is now tightening its norms specified
for madrasas in the state. A move that was launched in August by the state
govt,that claimed that it is for the purpose to modernise madrasas, prevail
transparency and digitisation in the Muslim educational institution, after
complaints of irregularities. UP govt had launched a portal of UP Madrasa Board
that month for online registration of the over 19,000 recognised and 560 aided
madrasas in the state.As per the Indian Express, now students in the
60-year-old three-storeyed Madrasa Ziaul Uloom located in Purana Gorakhpur have
been asked to show their aadhaar cards by the madrasa authorities. Hafiz
Nazirul Hasan, a teacher in the madrasa said, “for one, we are Muslim, and then
we also run a madrasa. What if they link any of our students to terror? There
could be false accusations, inspections and raids. We are careful now. We ask
for Aadhaar cards and even talk to their homes before admitting students.”
Although none of the madrasas in Gorakhpur has been raided since the Yogi
government came to power in March, still an underdeveloped fear persists.Apart
from anxiety and insecurity, madrasas are also feeling left out under UP govt.
As per the report, in Sept.the govt stopped aid to 46 madrasas after a probe
that apparently suggested they were not functioning within the required
parameters.In Oct.,it announced that NCERT books would be incorporated in the
madrasa syllabus. Principal Misbahi of Madrasa Ziaul Uloom said that they are
asked about the number of rooms in the madrasa as well as their measurements.
As per reports, in September this year, the State had asked madrasas to upload
details regarding their classrooms, a number of teachers along with the Aadhaar
card numbers and account details of the faculty members on its web
portal.Mohammad Iliyas, who works in the Madrasa Ziaul Uloom’s administration
says that there is no similar inspection of schools, even where only very few
children study, or which lack proper buildings, but it happens in madrasas.
“Help us, if you want us to modernise. But you can’t do it by targeting us”,
teacher Hafiz Nazirul Hasan was quoted saying by IE. Hasan added that the
madrasa needs computers, operators and regular salaries. At least madrasas like
ours, where there are regular teaching and students, must not be starved of
funds” says Salim Ahmad, who teaches science. financialexpress
Aadhaar to NCERT: Madrasas and the new normal
Movement to Boycott Israeli Industry Hails
India’s Decision to Scrap $500m Missile Deal
New Delhi: A global campaign to boycott
Israeli industry has hailed the reported cancellation of a $500-million deal
with an Israeli military firm for manufacturing Spike, an anti-tank guided
missile, as a “huge blow” to the military industry of the West Asian state.In a
press release, Jamal Juma, member of Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) national committee secretariat and coordinator of the ‘Stop the
Wall’ campaign, said that the cancellation is a “huge blow to the Israeli
weapons industry”, which he claimed was “deeply implicated in war crimes
against the Palestinian people”.“It is also a major setback for Israel’s
propaganda hubris that its technology is indispensable for India’s development and
modernisation. As many Indians are recognising, Israel is marketing military
and agricultural technologies in India to entrench Indian dependence on
Israel,” said Juma.According to Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement,
Israel’s “regime of oppression can never be a model for the great Indian nation
that once led the non-aligned movement and upheld the right of all nations to
self-determination”.He hoped that this was “the beginning of the end of Indian
complicity in Israel’s egregious violation of international law and Palestinian
human rights”. BDS campaign is a bottom-up movement of activists worldwide that
seek the global isolation of Israeli institutions and firms as a means of
putting pressure on Tel Aviv to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian
territory. The cancellation of the order has also got the attention of the
Israeli media, with most pointing out that there has not yet been any official
intimation of such a move.THE WIRE
India reduces investment in Iran to strengthen
Israel ties: reports
India has reduced its investments in the
Republic of Iran in favour of Israel, Israel’s Maariv reported today. Hebrew
agency added that the officials from India, Greece and Israel have met at the
centre of oil exploration in Israel. Indian Govt recently said that its
relations with Israel “are a sufficient reason to reduce its ties with
Iran.”Early this week, official sources revealed that Netanyahu is slated to
travel to India in January for a three-day visit during which he will meet with
his Indian counterpart, Narandra Modi, to discuss strengthening trade and
economic ties between the 2 countries. middleeastmonitor
Israeli PM to visit India in Jan
Jerusalem: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will
travel to India on a 4-day visit in Jan.to meet the country's top leadership, 6
months after his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi made a maiden visit to Israel,
informed sources said. Netanyahu would be received by Modi in Ahmedabad on his
arrival on Jan. 14, sources said.He would be the second Israeli premier to
visit India since diplomatic ties were established between the 2 sides in 1992.
Netanyahu would then be holding most of his official meetings in New Delhi on
Jan. 15 and 16. "The detailed programme is being still worked out but it
will include meetings with top leadership inIndia," informed sources here
said.PTI
Pakistan indicates it could take Kashmir issue
to ICJ
Islamabad: Pakistan today indicated that it
could take the issue of Kashmir to the International Court of Justice following
the footsteps of India which took the matter of death row prisoner Kulbhushan
Jadhav to the world court. Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal was asked
at the weekly media briefing whether Pakistan would take Kashmir issue to the
ICJ. Instead of saying a direct yes or no, he indicated that the issue was
being considered by the legal experts. "Regarding taking the matter of
Jammu & Kashmir to ICJ, it is a complex legal problem. The Attorney General
is working on the matter and may update in due course," he said in
response to a question. Faisal said Pakistan was doing its utmost to highlight
the issue of Kashmir to the international community. He said Pakistan had
offered a meeting between Jadhav and his wife on purely humanitarian grounds
and Indian request to allow his mother to meet her son was being considered.
"India has requested that the mother may be allowed to accompany the wife.
The Indian request is under consideration," the spokesman said.PTI
Tit for tat? Will India grant Baloch leader
asylum now that Pakistani court has freed Hafiz Saeed?TOI
New Delhi: On a day that a Pakistani court
ordered that Hafiz Saeed be freed, far away Switzerland rejected the asylum
application of another Pakistani, who along with his Baloch community, is a
victim of human rights abuses by his country's Govt and army.The bitter coincidence didn't go
unnoticed by the Pakistani in Switzerland, Brahumdagh Bugti, who is the leader
of the banned Baloch Republican Party (BRP).Bugti has also applied to India for
asylum. In Jan., TOI reported that the Indian Govt was delaying acting on that
application as it wanted to wait and see how bilateral relations shape up under
the then new Pakistan army chief.TOI
Pak involved in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid
dispute: Shia Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi
“When Babri Masjid was demolished (on Dec. 6,
1992), far bigger demonstrations were held in Pakistan than in India. Many
temples were also attacked in Pakistan. This shows Pakistan's involvement in
the issue,”Shia Waqf Board chairman said.“In 2005, terrorists had attacked the
makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya. This also shows Pakistan's involvement,” he
added.Earlier too, Rizvi had alleged that those creating hurdles in the
settlement of the Ayodhya land dispute were working at the behest of Pakistan,
which was trying to destabilise India by exploiting religious sentiments over
the issue.“This (Ayodhya) dispute is not getting addressed because Pakistan has
the biggest hand in it. Those representing the Muslim community in the Supreme
Court on the issue have direct links with Pakistan and want bloodshed to
destabilise the country,” Rizvi had said. timesnownews
Bukhari questions Shia Waqf Board's Ayodhya
proposal
Lucknow:Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid
Maulana Ahmed Bukhari today questioned the proposal of the UP Shia Waqf Board
for resolving Ayodhya dispute saying in which capacity is it coming up with a
formula as it is not a party to the case. "There is no point in giving a
formula. Earlier too there were some formulae which were presented, but no
solution was found. The matter can be resolved only through courts. Art of
Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has no formula... As far as the formula of Shia
Waqf Board is concerned, Shia community itself does not endorse it..." he
told reporters here.PTI
Ram Temple: RSS chief, Adityanath to attend
‘Dharma Sansad’
New Delhi:RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and UP CM Yogi
Adityanath will attend a three-day ‘Dharma Sansad’ beginning Nov. 24 that will
be organised by VHP to discuss the Ram Temple issue. It is being organised at
the time when talks of resolving the Ram Temple dispute outside court has
gathered momentum.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is trying to resolve the dispute by mediating
between different parties.“A large number of sants and sadhus are invited to
participate in the Dharma Sansad,” VHP’s international joint general secretary
Surendra Kumar Jain said. Both Bhagwat and Adityanath will deliver the keynote
address at the event.PTI
SC defers decision on use of panchayat
documents as proof for Assam’s National Register of Citizens
The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on
the matter of whether panchayat certificates submitted by applicants trying to
enter the rolls of the National Register of Citizens would be accepted as proof
of identity.Earlier this year, the Guwahati High Court had said that residency
certificates issued by panchayat secretaries were private documents and had no
“statutory sanctity”. This had left 48 lakh applicants, who had submitted such
certificates, in the lurch. National Register of Citizens is being updated for
the first time since 1951 in Assam, an exercise that is meant to root out
“illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh. To be counted as a citizen in Assam,
applicants had to provide two sets of documents – first, “legacy data” proving
they or their ancestors entered the state before the midnight of March 24,
1971, and second, a “link document” proving their relationship with the said
ancestor.A large number of married women, who have no other papers linking them
to their paternal homes, had submitted panchayat certificates as link
documents. These usually named the women concerned, mentioned who her parents
were and which village she was going to after marriage.In Oct., Prateek Hajela,
state coordinator for the register, had said that of approximately 48 lakh
applicants, 17 lakh were “original inhabitants” who would have no trouble
making it to the list. Hajela has since clarified that there will be no such
nomenclature in the list that is finally published.The two-judge Supreme Court
bench, comprising Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Fali Nariman, is hearing a clutch
of petitions that challenge the Guwahati High Court order and the category of
“original inhabitants”. All Assam Minority Students’ Union and the Assam State
Jamiat Ulema are among the petitioners.The counsel for the petitioners
challenged the HC’s characterisation of panchayat certificates as private
documents. scroll
Rohingya get ‘nationality verification’ forms,
they call it a grim reminder: indianexpress
New Delhi:A “nationality verification” form
sent out by the Delhi Police to Rohingya living in the capital a fortnight ago
has caused some discomfiture within the community. The form comes against the
backdrop of the Ministry of Home Affairs issuing an advisory on Aug. 8, titled
‘Identification of illegal migrants and monitoring thereof’, which had asked
states to “take prompt steps in identifying illegal migrants and initiate
deportation processes expeditiously and without delay”.“We have no clarity on
which body has asked the police to send us these forms. When we first got the
forms, many from the community refused to fill them, fearing that it could lead
to us being sent back to Myanmar. We convinced those people and submitted the
forms,” said 29-year-old Sabbir, founder of the Rohingya Human Rights
Initiative (ROHRIngya).5-page form has questions pertaining to education
details, occupation before leaving Myanmar,colour of eyes and hair, Myanmar
home address, details of leaving country, place of departure from Myanmar or
Bangladesh, mode of transport, passport details and case details of Myanmar
nationals arrested.
Thousands of Muslim Students Demonstrate
outside Bengal Assembly Demanding a Varsity in Murshidabad
Kolkata: To press for their decades-old demand
for having a university established in Murshidabad district comprising around
75 lakh population, thousands of students, mostly Muslims, demonstrated outside
the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday. They had gathered from Murshidabad and
other neighbouring areas under the banner of Students Islamic Organisation of
India (SIO). At the end of the demonstration, state Education Minister met a
delegation of the students and accepted the need of a university in the
district that has the largest Muslim population outside Kashmir. He promised to
take up the issue with CM Mamata Banerjee in couple of days. Murshidabad is
said to have around 40 colleges but no university.The nearest university is
about 200 kms away. Students have been demanding a university for long.“We have
been running the campaign for a university for the last 3-4 years in
Murshidabad. This time we decided to march towards the state Assembly in
Kolkata to press for our demand,” said Usman Ghani, West Bengal president of
SIO, while talking to Caravan Daily over phone.He said that Murshidabad has
around 75 lakh population but has no university while some districts with 20-50
lakh population, have 2-3 universities. “Nadia district has 50 lakh population
and has two universities. Birbhum district has 35 lakh population and there are
three universities. But Murshidabad with over 75 lakh population has no
university. The nearest university from here is Kalyani University (in Nadia
district) that is located at 150 kms from here. The next one is Gourbanga
University (in Malda district) and it is 200 kms away,” Ghani said.Caravan
Daily
‘Say
Vande Matram or leave India’: Dalit activist Kancha Ilaiah ‘heckled’
Hyderabad:Right-wing activists attempted to
attack Dalit rights campaigner and writer Kancha Ilaiah, who was rescued by
Telangana police outside a court in Jagital district’s Korutla town.Ilaiah later
told media that the attack was by people belonging to the Arya Vysya community
and the Bharatiya Janata Party, who at one point allegedly threatened to “cut
him into pieces” and told him to chant “Vande Mataram” if he sought to stay in
India.According to police, Ilaiah was getting into his car on Wednesday when a
large number of youth holding placards and saffron flags tried to surround him
and raised slogans. Some tried to attack him with slippers and others hurled
eggs. “However, the police safely got him into the car and whisked him away
from the spot,” Korutla police inspector Rajasekhar Babu said.Ilaiah told the
media later that the frenzied mob attacked his car with slippers and raised
abusive slogans. He said that a day before as well, some people stormed his
meeting at Jagitial where he was addressing a farmers’ gathering. hindustantimes
Mumbai: Muslim groups see red over journo’s
tweet
Mumbai: Complaints have been filed by Muslim
groups against a TV journalist after he tweeted about 'Sexy Durga' film controversy
making references to female icons in Islam and Christianity. Complaints were
filed against Rohit Sardana at around half a dozen police stations in the city
for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Sardana's tweet on Nov.16 made a
reference to women in Islam and Christianity including Prophet Muhammad's wife
Ayesha, daughter Fatima and Mary, mother of Jesus Christ.Muslim groups demanded
action against Sardana and said his tweet, which has gone viral, was aimed at
creating disharmony. "This is another attempt to get cheap publicity. We
don't know if he tried to appease some of his political masters or ideological
gurus but his words have hurt us deeply and we condemn it," said Mohammed
Abbas Rizwan Khan, president of Muslims' Association of Peace and Harmony. Khan
added that Muslim groups would protest peacefully on Friday if Sardana was not
arrested."By his slander, he (Sardana) has hurt the entire Indian
community across religious boundaries," said Anjuman-E-Khadim-E-Hussain
Trust in its complaint to Versova police. timesofindia
Major irregularities surfaced in voter list,
technical problems in EVMs
Agra: Large number of citizens had to return
back to home from polling stations without casting vote due to their name
missing in the voter list. Major irregularities surfaced in voter list at
different polling centers of the city. At Rahul Nagar polling station in
Jagdishpura area, Muslim voters staged protest alleging their names being
removed from voter list. Similar complaints were made in Mantola, Bodla and
Rambagh area. Besides voting started late at around half a dozen polling
centers due to be technical problem in the EVM. In Agra district, polling
process took place at 1328 polling booths in 365 centers.In ward 49 (Rahul
Nagar) when localities reached to cast their vote they didn’t find their name
in voter list. Majority of these voters were of Muslim community. No able
exercise their franchise these people staged protest and alleged that their
name has been removed from electoral rolls as part of the conspiracy of local
BJP leaders. Rahul Vihar is a Muslim dominated area and had 3000 voters
belonging to Muslim community. Local resident Bilal Ahmed said “names of around
900 Muslim voters were missing form voter list. We complaint it to officials
but no action was taken”. timesofindia
Furore in Meerut after voter presses BSP on
EVM, vote goes to BJP
Meerut: Voters at a polling booth in Meerut
erupted in loud protests that went on for most part of the day after one of
them discovered that an EVM was recording votes only for BJP, irrespective of
the button that was being pressed.First phase of civic polls in UP, 8 months
after BJP won assembly elections, began in the state on Wednesday.Although
officials replaced the "faulty" machine, claiming it was a
"malfunction", non-BJP parties alleged that machines had been
tampered with. City ADM Mukesh Kumar said,"We replaced the machine, which
was malfunctioning, immediately."A video of a voter trying unsuccessfully
to cast his vote for the candidate of his choice turned up online soon, leaving
officials scrambling to solve the problem. In the video, the voter, Tasleem
Ahmad, can be seen trying to vote for BSP."I voted for BSP candidate. I am
still holding the pressed button. The machine has recorded my vote as having
gone to BJP. I have been waiting here for an hour, but no solution has been
provided so far," Ahmad can be heard saying in video.An EVM, after
recording a vote, is immediately locked, so that the voter can't choose a
different option. The machine is unlocked only for the next voter. On hearing
of the matter, BSP supporters and members of other parties descended on the
polling booth and created a commotion, after which senior officials
arrived.Yogesh Verma, formed BSP MLA, said, "Area in which this problem
occurred is dominated by the minority community, and we have a strong presence
here. Although officials immediately replaced the machine, it is really
disturbing to note that all votes were going to BJP."TOI
Gujarat Phase-I Nomination: Independents swamp
Surat, 53 Muslims file nomination
Surat: As many as 99 candidates have filed
their nomination as Independents in the 15 Assembly seats in Surat which will
go to polls in the first phase on Dec. 9. While most of them are disgruntled
leaders from the BJP and the Congress who were denied tickets by their parties,
as many as 53 Muslims have filed nomination from eight Assembly seats.Among
those who have filed nomination as Independents include Bhimji Patel (BJP),
Ajay Chaudhary (BJP), Kunwarji Halpati (BJP), Anup Rajput (Congress) and Paresh
Kachhadiya (Congress). On Wednesday, after the scrutiny of the nomination
forms, it was found that Limbayat Assembly seat received the maximum number of
nomination at 42, of which 17 were Independents and as many as 10 Independent
Muslim candidates. In Surat (East) seat also, 17 candidates had filed
nomination as Independents. Both the seats have sizable number of Muslim
voters. The other seats where Muslim candidates have filed nominations as
Independents are Opad, Surat (North), Karanj, Majura, Surat (West), Choryasi
and Katargam. Indianexpress
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation adopts PPP
model to protect Sidi Sayed mosque
Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
(AMC) is scripting history by weaving together an agreement involving a
business group, social organisation, central Govt and the civic body to protect historic
monuments in the walled city.Following Ahmedabad's Unesco's World Heritage City
inscription in July and the subsequent visit of Japan PM Shinzo Abe and PM Narendra Modi to Sidi Sayed
mosque, civic body is formulating a PPP agreement for the upkeep of the
monument. The agreement will clear the way for all future corporate and
people's involvement in adoption and upkeep of monuments. In the case of Sidi
Sayed mosque, the hotel group House of MG; ASI; Suni Waqf committee; and AMC
are formulating an arrangement for conservation."After PM's visit to the
mosque, we were approached by the mosque authorities requesting not to
dismantle the lighting arrangement. It was then that a PPP arrangement was
thought of," said a senior AMC official.TOI
Naroda Gam riot: SIT court to watch video of
sting operation where accused admit to killing Muslims
Ahmedabad: A special SIT court in Ahmedabad
which is hearing the 2002 Naroda Gam massacre case will watch the video of a
sting operation, carried out by investigative journalist Ashish Khetan and
related to the post-Godhra riots.Judge PB Desai said that on Monday, he will
watch, in open court, the CD of 'Operation Kalank', a report on which was
published by the Tehelka magazine in its 7 Nov.,2002 issue. Footage from the
sting operation was also aired by some news channels.The court said it wants to
see the video to ascertain which parts of it may be considered as evidence
pertaining to the Naroda Gam riot case.The video of the sting operation
purportedly shows Babu Bajrangi, a former Bajrang Dal activist and an accused
in the Naroda Gam case, stating in gory detail how he and his associates killed
Muslim men and women during the riots. Khetan is one of the witnesses in the
present case. He has already been examined by the court. PTI
Sohrabuddin case: Trial to begin next week
Mumbai: In Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter
case, the CBI has submitted a list of witnesses to be examined in the first
phase of the trial. The special CBI court has issued summons to the witnesses
to remain present as per the dates on which they are expected to depose. During
the hearing last week, CBI submitted a list of 26 witnesses they will be
examining.The court has framed charges including murder, criminal conspiracy
and destruction of evidence against 22 accused. Bombay High Court has
restrained the trial court from framing charges against IPS officer Vipul
Aggarwal while it hears his appeal against the court’s order rejecting his
discharge application.Of the total 38 accused initially named by the CBI, 15
including BJP chief Amit Shah were either discharged or dropped by the court. Indianexpress
‘Boycott of Dalits’: Gujarat HC seeks Mehsana
Collector’s reply
Ahmedabad:A Division Bench of the Gujarat High
Court, led by Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy, on Wednesday directed the Mehsana
Collector to file a reply on a PIL alleging boycott of Dalits by upper caste
villagers at Nandali village in the district. According to petition, filed by
Babubhai Shankarbhai Senma, a Dalit, the upper caste villagers, mostly Rajputs,
have blocked his family and relatives from accessing public water, shops and
flour mill among others since April 2016.“Dalits have been meted out with the
most loathsome and inhumane treatment from Rajput Darbars, more so because the
petitioner even served as Sarpanch of Nandali Miyasna Juth gram panchayat from
2002 to 2007. This assertion of his rights despite being the lower caste has
been an irritant to the eyes of the high and the mighty of the village,” the
petition stated. Indianexpress
Govt to reintroduce bill to grant National
Commission for Backward Classes constitutional status:PTI
New Delhi:Govt will reintroduce a bill to grant
constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes in the
Lok Sabha in the forthcoming winter session, top Govt officials said on Thursday. The move will make
NCBC a constitutional body with full powers to safeguard the rights and
interests of OBCs, the officials said. “Govt is committed to ensuring equity and social
justice to Other Backward Classes and has decided to take up the bill in the
forthcoming session of Parliament,” an official said.The proposed legislation
is seen as a major push by BJP to consolidate OBC votes in its favour.
Responding to a long-felt demand from all categories of OBCs, Govt had
introduced the bill to grant constitutional status to the NCBC – on par with
the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes – in the
last parliament session, officials said.The proposed Constitutional amendment
bill was first introduced and passed in the Lok Sabha.Rajya Sabha then passed
the bill but with certain amendments. This resulted in two different versions
of the bill being passed by the 2 houses. Therefore, bill will now have to be
reintroduced in Lok Sabha.
Maoist papers show how note ban didn’t hurt
them
Raipur:While the BJP-led Govt s at the Centre
and state have claimed that demonetisation hit Maoist finances, documents
recovered from the site of an encounter in Abhujmaad on Nov. 7 show that they
successfully exchanged demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes adding up to Rs 2
lakh.D M Awasthi, Special Director General, Anti-Naxal Operations,
Chhattisgarh, confirmed to The Indian Express that at least 20 pages of
handwritten accounts, spanning several years, were recovered after the
encounter in the jungles of Abhujmaad in Narayanpur district on Nov. 7 in which
six Maoists were reported to have been killed. A postscript in the ‘balance
sheet’, maintained by the Nelnar area janatana sarkar (“local Govt ”), for 2017
states: “Note bandi ke dauran 2 lakh jama kiya manta (Deposited 2 lakh during
note ban).” While the year’s total expenditure has been put at Rs 46,720, there
is a line which says that a sewing machine worth Rs 16,000 was damaged during
an attack by security forces.The handwritten ‘balance sheets’, for 2013 to
2017, include sub-heads like expenditure incurred by the “vikas shakha”,
“raksha shakha”, “school sanskriti shakha”, “jan sampark shakha” and so on.
There are separate pages on expenditure incurred on “community infrastructure”,
such as building of wells and small checkdams as well. Indianexpress
2 students in Kashmir booked for not standing
up during National Anthem
Jammu:An FIR has been registered against two
students of Badshah University in J&K’s Rajouri district for allegedly
disrespecting the national anthemThe two students did not stand up when the National
Anthem was being sung at a function at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University on
Wednesday where J&K Governor NN
Vohra was the chief guest, District Magistrate Shahid Iqbal Choudhary told
PTI.“We have taken cognisance of the incident of disrespect of the National
Anthem by two students of Badshah University yesterday”, he said. “Disciplinary
action will follow. Law will take its own course”, he said and added that a
report has been sought from university authorities.PTI
1ST time stone pelters: J&K
govt starts withdrawing cases
Srinagar:A day after the Centre asked J&K Govt
to withdraw cases against youths found
involved in stone pelting for the first time, CM Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said her Govt has started withdrawing the cases. After the
killing of Burhan Wani, thousands of cases were registered against
stone-pelters across Valley.Earlier also, several cases were registered in
connection with stone pelting.Of these, 4,500 cases were registered against
those who were found involved in stone pelting or other incidents for first
time. indianexpress
Shimla: Army Colonel arrested for raping
daughter of junior officer, sent to police custody
Chandigarh:A 56-year-old Army colonel was
arrested Wednesday on charges of raping the daughter of a lieutenant colonel
posted at the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) in Shimla.The serving Army officer
was produced in court today and was remanded to police custody until Nov. 25.A
friend of his is also accused of raping her.The victim was allegedly raped at
the colonel's residence on Monday. She filed a complaint on the same day, PTI
reported. indiatoday
Tripura commandant held, editor says reporter
killed for exposing his corruption
Agartala:A day after Sudip Datta Bhowmik (52),
a senior reporter with Syandan Patrika, was shot, allegedly by a constable of
2nd Tripura State Rifles (TSR), his editor claimed that he was killed because
he had written a series of reports on “financial irregularities and corruption
cases” involving TSR Commandant Tapan Debbarma. According to police, Bhowmik
had also reported on Debbarma’s “extramarital affair”.“He was called by Tapan
Debbarma, 2nd TSR Commandant, and murdered in cold blood. Sudip’s only crime
was that he had exposed a number of financial irregularities and corruption
cases in which Debbarma was involved,” alleged Subal Kumar Dey, editor and
owner of Syandan Patrika. Debbarma, a senior Tripura Police Service (TPS) officer
(1998-batch)waiting for an IPS nomination, was arrested on Wednesday morning.
He and his personal guard, Nanda Reang, who was arrested on Tuesday, have been
sent to 10 days police custody.indianexpress
Discharge from new bio-toilets on Indian
trains no better than raw sewage: Study
A new kind of toilet using bacteria to break
down human excreta has been deployed in Indian trains over the last four years
at a cost of Rs 1,305 crore, but this toilet is no better than a septic tank,
the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, has concluded after a two-year long
study.As many as 93,537 “bio-digesters” – as the toilets are called – have been
installed in mainline express and mail trains by the Indian Railways. These are
small-scale sewage-treatment systems beneath the toilet seat: Bacteria in a
compost chamber digest human excreta, leaving behind water and methane. Only
the water, disinfected later, is let out on the tracks.However, sanitation
experts and various studies – including commissioned by the railways – have
pointed out that most of the new “bio-toilets” on Indian trains are ineffective
or ill maintained and the water discharged no better than raw sewage.“Our tests
have found that the organic matter (human waste) collecting in the
bio-digesters do not undergo any kind of treatment,” IIT professor Ligy Philip,
who headed the latest study, told IndiaSpend. “Like in the septic tanks, these
bio-digesters accumulate slush (human excreta mixed with water).”IIT study on
bio-toilets, shared exclusively with IndiaSpend, was sponsored by the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and submitted last week to the Union ministry of urban
affairs. IndiaSpend/ the wire
Prashant Bhushan’s affidavit in SC makes
explosive revelations on CBI’s special director, Rakesh Asthana
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan on Wednesday made
stunning revelations around the already questionable integrity of the CBI’s
special director, Rakesh Asthana. In his additional affidavit submitted before
the Supreme Court, Bhushan said that Asthana’s ‘arbitrary’ appointment as the
Special Director to CBI was illegal and ‘in violation of the principle of
impeccable integrity and institutional integrity as laid down by this Hon’ble
Court.’The affidavit also highlights several new facts that have not existed in
the public domain up until now. They include the Special CBI Director’s
association with the company, Sterling Biotech, which has been under an
investigation by his own agency- CBI- and how its owners, Sandesaras, had
hosted a wedding party of Asthana’s daughter in Nov. 2016.Bhushan’s affidavit
claimed that certain critical information had come to the ‘possession of the
counsel for the petitioner after the instant petition was filed, the petitioner
would like to place it on record for the kind consideration of this Hon’ble
court since it has a bearing on the issues raised in the instant writ petition,
and further substantiates the grounds raised in the writ petition.’It said that
the petitioner had opposed the appointment of Asthana as Special Director, CBl
since his name appeared in ‘Diary 2011’ that was ‘seized’ by the Income
Tax Department during the raid on
Sterling Biotech and Sandesara Group of Companies on 28 June 2011.It said, “In
this regard, CBI has already filed 2 FlRs dated 30.08.2017 and 25.10.2017
against officials of the Income Tax Department, owners of Sterling Biotech/
Sandesara Group, their CA and other public servants and private persons. As per
FIR dated 30.08.2017, ‘Documents seized revealed that the Sandesara group had
been acting as a depository for receiving funds on behalf of persons including
public servants and for further delivery to them at the place of convenience.
The evidence collected by Income Tax Dept showed corruption of various public
servants including three senior IRS officials.’ “jantakareporter
Modi Govt Cuts Planned Funding for National Health
Mission By Almost 20%:Reuters
New Delhi: India has approved a three-year
budget for its flagship public health programme almost 20% lower than what the
health ministry said was needed, according to sources and previously unreported
Govt documents reviewed by Reuters. The federal finance ministry in August
renewed the National Health Mission with $20 billion of funding between 2017-20,
against the health ministry’s estimated requirement of $25 billion, the
documents showed.Officials familiar with the plan said the finance ministry
reduced planned funding because of other spending priorities and because of
state Govt s’ poor track record of spending the health budgets they’ve been
allotted in the past.The finance and health ministries did not respond to
several requests for comment.National Health Mission is one of the world’s
largest health programmes and forms the backbone of public services in India.
It provides everything from free drugs to immunisation services to millions of
rural poor.PM Narendra Modi’s Govt has hiked federal funding for the overall
health budget this year as part of a plan to improve care and meet a 2025 goal
of raising health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP from the current 1.15%.National
Health Mission typically accounts for about half of the federal health budget
and officials said the lower spending approval would make achieving the Govt ’s
2025 target more difficult.After focusing on maternal and child health for
years, the programme had planned to broaden its priorities to tackle the rising
threat of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Faced with the lower funding, the
health ministry has reduced its three-year allocation to tackle NCDs such as
cancer and diabetes to $1.4 billion, close to half of the estimated need of
$2.4 billion, the documents showed.
NHRC notice to UP Govt on police encounters
Lucknow: NHRC has sought a reply from the UP Govt
on the recent encounters.Taking suo moto
notice of news reports of 19 criminals killed and 89 others injured in 433
police encounters published in newspapers, NHRC has asked the state’s chief
secretary Rajive Kumar to send a report on them. NHRC has also objected to
alleged statements made by senior politicians of the ruling party and the Govt saying that criminals would either be behind
bars or killed in encounters. HT
AMU scholar receives WHO award for work on
mental disorders
Aligarh:
AMU Phd student from the university's Department of Psychology, Faisal
Hassan Rizvi has been conferred with a special 'Research-Award' by World Health
Organisation (WHO) for his research on 'Psycho-Social impacts of mental
disorders in India: Emergent needs of evidence based approach for public
health'.Mr Rizvi received the award during 17th Pacific Basin Consortium
Conference in New Delhi. The conference was jointly organised by Public Health
Foundation of India and East West Centre, Hawaii, USA.Rizvi was awarded after a
panel found his research as an important breakthrough towards the intersections
of mental health and public health based upon evidences being translated into
policy. ndtv
Now, wife of AMU PRO alleges torture by
husband
Agra: Close on the heels of registration of
cases of harassment under Domestic Violence Act and under Dowry Prohibition Act
against an AMU prof Khalid Bin Yusuf Khan, another varsity official, Omar
Peerzada, is in the dock, as his wife has accused him of "mentally and
physically" harassing him for dowry. Aligarh police is all set to register
a case against Peerzada, who works as PRO at AMU, following a complaint of
dowry harassment filed by his wife.Saleha Zaini, wife of Peerzada filed a
police complaint accusing him of “mentally and physically” tormenting him and
deserting her. She also alleged that Peerzada had “deprived” her and their two
children of everything and was making life difficult for them. When contacted,
Peerzada said, “The matter is at a mediation centre. The issue is private,
subjudice, personal and matrimonial. I am not aware of any complaint against me
on this." timesofindia
Many in Bihar ready to slit Modi’s throat,
chop his hands: Rabri Devi
Rabri Devi has said that many people in Bihar
were ready to “slit the throat” and “chop” the hands and fingers of PM Narendra Modi.Speaking at a public rally on
Tuesday, Devi was reacting to Bihar BJP chief Nityanand Rai’s statement that
fingers raised at PM Narendra Modi will
either be “broken or chopped off”.“I challenge them to cut (hands), there are
many people in Bihar who are ready to cut the hands and fingers of PM Modi and
slit his throat,” she said in Hindi. Opposition RJD and Congress had slammed
Rai for his remarks and said that the statement has exposed the “mindset” of
BJP. thestatesman
WORLD
Palestinian Fatah, Hamas agree on elections in
2018
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/palestinian-factions-agree-elections-2018-171123055951413.html
Palestinian factions led by Fatah and Hamas
have agreed to hold general elections no later than at the end of 2018, as part
of the latest round of reconciliation talks held in Cairo.In a statement
released after the conclusion of the talks on Wednesday, representatives of the
factions urged the Central Election Commission to complete preparations for the
presidential and legislative elections by the end of next year.Other major
points agreed to were the activation of the now mostly defunct PLO as the true
representative body for the Palestinian people, and ending the suffering of
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have been living under a blockade for more
than a decade.In addition to the Fatah and Hamas movements, the Islamic Jihad,
the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic
Front for the Liberation of Palestine participated in the two-day Cairo
meetings.Fatah's national relations commissioner, Azzam al-Ahmad said that the
Palestinian Authority would need regulations to manage the Gaza
Strip."Palestinian security forces must be united, and steer clear of
names such as 'the weapon of the resistance'," he told Wafa Agency.
"We recognise that security is a complex issue and hence we do not discuss
it to the media." aljazeera
Arab nations blockading Qatar expand blacklist;
2 Islamic organisations, 11 individuals added to list
2 Islamic organisations and 11 individuals
have been added to an existing "terror list" drawn up by 4 Arab
nations that are blockading Qatar, claiming the entities and individuals are
supported by Doha. State-run Saudi Press Agency issued a joint statement by
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE on Thursday, saying the quartet's move
was taken "in light of their commitment to fighting terrorism, drying up
their sources of funding, combating extremist ideology…and its promotion".
The two organisations that were added to the blacklist were the International
Union of Muslim Scholars, headed by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and the International
Islamic Council for Da'wah and Relief." 2 listed entities are terrorist
organisations working to promote terrorism through the exploitation of Islamic
discourse and its use as a cover to facilitate various terrorist
activities," the statement read."The Individuals also have carried
out various terrorist operations in which they have received direct Qatari
support at various levels, including providing them with passports and
assigning them to Qatari institutions with a charitable appearance to
facilitate their movement," it further read.11 individuals include the
director of relief and international development at the Qatar Red Crescent,
Khaled Nazem Diab, Bahraini dissident Hassan Ali Mohammed Juma Sultan, and
acting general leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mahmoud Ezzat.It also includes
Muslim Brotherhood leader Alaa Ali Al Samahi, and Egyptian dissidents such as
Qadri Mohamed Fahmy Mahmoud Sheikh.A Qatari national, Mohammed Suleiman
Al-Haydar, is among the new entries, while some of the other additions are from
Egypt, Libya and Somalia.The countries said Qatari authorities have not
"taken effective action to stop terrorist activity", and reaffirmed
their commitment to establish "security in the region".In a separate
development on late on Wednesday, Qatari PM Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani said that the
ongoing Gulf crisis' objective was to "intervene" in Qatar's internal
affairs. aljazeera
Saudi-led bloc adds scholars’ union to terror
list
Egypt imposes entry visas on Qatari citizens
Egypt is reported to be imposing the need for
visas to Qatari citizens starting Thursday, official journal says.The decision,
which was published in the official journal, was approved by the Egyptian
Interior Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry.Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa also ordered the imposition of visas on visitors from Qatar on October
30th.World Bulletin
Report: Detained Saudi princes face prison if
they do not give up their wealth
Saudi princes and officials who were arrested
in the Kingdom’s mass purge could face trial and jail terms at the Kingdom’s
maximum security prison, Al-Ha’ir, if they do not give up their financial
assets, the Wall Street Journal quoted a Saudi source as saying.“Some detainees
have succumbed to pressure and could be released on probation and imposed house
arrest until funds are transferred from their accounts,” the paper
said.According to the paper, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman who leads the
anti-corruption campaign is personally supervising the negotiations with the
detainees and has become a regular visitor to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh
where they are being held.“Bin Salman travels with a few trusted advisers and
spends several hours in each visit, according to a Saudi official,” paper said. middleeastmonitor
Saudi arrests second richest man in kingdom
Saudi authorities have arrested Mohammed
Hussein Al-Amoudi a duel national with Saudi and Ethiopian citizen and is
reportedly the second richest Saudi, after Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. While
bin Talal’s arrest has gained most media attention. Al-Amoudi’s arrest is
especially important because it could potentially destabilize the economy of an
entire country, according to Middle East Eye.Al-Amoudi, who is also known as
“the Sheikh”, has invested in almost every sector of Ethiopia’s economy,
including hotels, agriculture and astrology.According to a leaked diplomatic
cable from 2008 “Sheikh’s influence on Ethiopian economy cannot be
underestimated.”middleeastmonitor
Egypt detains 29 suspected Brotherhood members
on charges they spied for Turkey
Cairo:
Egyptian prosecutors have ordered the detention for two weeks of 29 suspected
members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood on charges they spied for Turkey.A
prosecution statement today says the 29 illegally facilitated international
calls made by people in Egypt through Turkish-based servers offered at
discounted charges.The statement accuses them of then eavesdropping on the calls
to gather information on conditions in Egypt that they passed onto Turkish
intelligence. The money earned from the calls was allegedly also used to set up
media platforms outside Egypt that used the information to spread fake news and
rumours to incite Egyptians against their Govt . outlookindia
Russia, Iran and Turkey agree to hold 'Syrian
congress'
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his
Iranian and Turkish counterparts have supported a proposal to hold a
"Syrian people's congress" that will bring together Govt and opposition figures.The Russian leader on
Wednesday hosted Hassan Rouhani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just as some Syrian
opposition groups met in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, ahead of UN-sponsored
talks in Geneva. "The congress will look at the key questions on Syria's
national agenda," Putin told reporters at the summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, sitting
alongside Rouhani and Erdogan. "First of all, that is the drawing-up of a
framework for the future structure of the state, the adoption of a new
constitution, and, on the basis of that, the holding of elections under UN
supervision."congress is expected to also take place in Sochi ahead of the
next round of Geneva talks on Nov. 28. aljazeera
Syrian opposition in Riyadh: Assad has to go
Syrian opposition groups meeting in Saudi
Arabia have renewed their demand for the removal of President Bashar al-Assad
in a draft resolution obtained by Al Jazeera. The groups said that a solution
to the war in Syria can only be achieved with the departure of Assad at the
start of the transitional period - a position held by the Syrian opposition
since the start of the war, now in its seventh year."The participants
agreed that the goal of the political settlement is to establish a state based
on the principle of citizenship, which enables the Syrians to draft their
constitution without interference and to choose their leaders through free,
fair and transparent elections in which the Syrians participate inside and
outside Syria under the supervision of the UN," the draft reads. aljazeera
Myanmar, Bangladesh sign Rohingya return deal
Bangladesh and Myanmar have signed a deal for
the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees, who have taken
shelter in the border town of Cox's Bazar after a brutal crackdown by military.Myanmar's
foreign ministry confirmed the signing of the agreement on Thursday, without
releasing further details. "We are ready to take them back as soon as
possible after Bangladesh sends the forms back to us," said Myint Kyaing, permanent
secretary at Myanmar's immigration ministry, referring to registration forms
the Rohingya must complete with personal details before repatriation.Al
Jazeera's Scott Heidler, reporting from Yangon, said the deal was the result of
international pressure on Myanmar, which has been mounting steadily."For
Myanmar it's very important because it is showing some progress on this
Rohingya crisis," Heidler said.The deal comes after Myanmar's de facto
leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with Bangladesh's foreign minister to resolve one
of the biggest refugee crisis of modern times. aljazeera
Diphtheria in Yemen: More than 100 infected,
14 deaths
With Yemen's hospitals close to collapse and
famine imminent, aid agencies are pleading for a complete lifting of Saudi-led
coalition's blockade.Yemen is suffering the world's worst cholera epidemic -
and now doctors are warning of an outbreak of the potentially fatal diphtheria
virus.The WHO says that says the disease is spreading quickly and doctors in
Yemen are warning that the blockade is preventing essential medical supplies
from entering the country. aljazeera
British man : 'I was out to kill a Muslim'
A British man who tried to find and kill
Muslims with a 10-inch knife has been put behind bars for two years and three
months, a police statement said Wednesday.The 24-year-old Mickey Sage pleaded
guilty to a single count of threatening a person with a knife in a public place
and accepted that the incident was religiously aggravated.Sage stopped and
asked people with the large knife in his hand if they were Muslim in the early
hours of June 7, days before a "terror" attack killed a Muslim
worshipper near Finsbury Park. aljazeera
Phillipine, Indian Muslim figures slam
terrorism
Istanbul : Terrorist organizations are
targeting youth to bring them into their ranks, the chairman of Philippines'
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said.Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, who leads what
was once the largest Muslim rebel group in the southern Philippines, said young
people were being tricked into joining groups such as Daesh.Ebrahim, who was in
Istanbul last week for a two-day international congress of Muslim communities,
also criticized radical groups as extensions of terrorist organizations.Arif Ali
Thottancheri, vice president of India's Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said Muslim
youths have often been considered potential terrorists in India."In India,
eating cow meat and beef is a crime. Muslim youth can be beaten to death just
because they consume beef,” Thottancheri said.“We see that the situation is not
different from other countries, especially those where Muslims are in
minority.” Anadolu agency
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
After Violence and NSA Charges, Caste Lines
Are Deeper Than Ever in Saharanpur: Kabir Agarwal, the wire
UGC’s audit report on AMU demonstrates its
ignorance of law: Faizan Mustafa
A shocking silence hangs over allegations
about the death of Sohrabuddin case judge: Rohan Venkataramakrishnan
Judge Loya’s Death: 13 Questions That Remain
Unanswered:Vakasha Sachdev
New legislation on triple talaq should focus
on Muslim women's rights rather than criminalising practice: Deya Bhattacharya
Sadat to Salman: Israel at the expense of
Palestine: Marwan Bishara
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