Evening NEWS
DIGEST
5
Nov.2017: 15 Safar 1439:Vol:9, No:38
After Jay Amit Shah, NSA Ajit Doval’s son puts
BJP in a spot; Cong demands Ministers in NGO should quit as MPs
Weeks after questions over BJP national
president Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah’s business dealings were silenced through
judicial gag orders, the saffron party now finds itself in a spot over
allegations made against another son – that of Ajit Doval, National Security
Adviser and close confidante of PM Narendra Modi.A report published by The Wire,
on Saturday, raised the possibility of a “prospect of conflict of interest” in
the running of India Foundation, an influential think-tank, of which NSA Ajit
Doval’s son Shaurya Doval is the executive director. The Foundation has as its
directors Nirmala Sitharaman and Suresh Prabhu, Union ministers for defence and
commerce respectively along with MJ Akbar and Jayant Sinha, ministers of state
for external affairs and civil aviation respectively. In addition to the four
members of PM Narendra Modi’s council of
ministers, the Foundation also lists Ram Madhav, the influential BJP national
general secretary with his roots in the RSS, as its director.The news report
says: “the India Foundation’s opaque financials, the presence of senior
ministers as directors and the fact that executive director Shaurya Doval’s day
job is running Gemini Financial Services – a firm that specialises in
‘transactions and capital flows between OECD (Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development) and the emerging Asian economies’ – also raise
the prospect of conflict of interest and lobbying, problems Narendra Modi had
promised to banish forever from the corridors of power.”The report goes on to
say that “every event the Foundation organises is attended by key
decision-makers in that field, which in turn guarantees not just a full house
but also sponsorship – both by Govt bodies and private companies, Indian and
foreign” and that “despite the presence of ministers on its board of directors,
it refuses to part with any information about its source of revenue.”Reacting
sharply to the allegations and speculations raised in the report by The Wire,
former Union minister and Congress veteran Kapil Sibal, on Saturday, demanded a
CBI inquiry against the India Foundation and said that “PM Narendra Modi should fire all the four
ministers who are on the board of the India Foundation. We want to ask Modiji
when he will fire them”.Sibal’s broadside against BJP and PM Modi came soon after Congress vice president
Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the saffron party, drawing parallels between the
rise in fortunes of Amit Shah’s son and the purported impropriety by the son
for Modi’s NSA.Much to the chagrin of the BJP, the Congress had coined the name
– Shah-Zada – for Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah when The Wire published a story
about a 16000-fold rise in the junior Shah’s company’s turnover during the
period since Modi became PM in May2014.
Rahul’s ‘Ajit Shaurya Gatha’ was a clear reference to the meteoric rise of
India Foundation, run by NSA Ajit Doval’s son Shaurya.The report in The Wire
claims that its author, senior journalist Swati Chaturvedi had sent a detailed
questionnaire “to all 6 high-profile directors”of India Foundation seeking
their response the speculation of a possible conflict of interest and over the
issue of propriety, or the lack of it, in the association of top ministers with
a think-tank whose founder also deals with company that directly or indirectly
have dealings with Union Govt.The report states that: “Ministers chose not to
reply while Madhav promised that the ‘appropriate person’ would respond with
answers. That never happened. All that Shaurya Doval was prepared to tell The
Wire when asked about the source of foundation’s revenue was: “Conferences,
Advertisement, Journal.” He did not answer questions about the origins of this
revenue or explain how the India Foundation, which he said was registered as a
trust, financed its day-to-day operations, including the rent for its posh
premises on Hailey Road in Lutyens’ Delhi, and salaries for its staff.”“The
Wire wrote to 4 ministers who serve as directors about the propriety of the
India Foundation hosting events funded by donations or sponsorship from
companies that may have business matters with their ministries. ‘Would you accept
that there is a conflict of interest involved in you serving as a director on a
foundation that receives funding, directly or indirectly, from foreign
companies,’ The Wire asked Nirmala Sitharaman, ‘especially those that have
dealings with ministries you have handled such as commerce and industry,and now
defence?’Similar questions were put to Prabhu,Akbar and Sinha.Till the time of
publication, none of them chose to reply,” report adds further. apnlive
Ministers in Ajit Doval son’s NGO should quit
as MPs, demands Congress
After Story in The Wire, Opposition Leaders
Demand Probe Into India Foundation
3 young
men - Hardik, Jignesh, Alpesh- thwarted pitch for BJP in Gujarat:The Hinfu spl
report
The driver of the taxi I take at Ahmedabad
airport says, with a certainty that is surprising, that the ruling BJP will be
voted out of Gujarat in December. “It’s time for parivartan (change),” he says,
stressing, “no party should rule for as long as BJP has done here. This Govt has become very corrupt, and there’s also
demonetisation and GST. So, people want to get the Congress in to teach BJP a
lesson. I say, let’s vote for the Congress and then throw them out after 5 years
and get the BJP back in. We need a change every five years. It keeps the Govt on its toes.”And then, lest anybody thinks he
is biased for religious reasons, he adds, without being asked:“By the way, I’m
not a Muslim; I am a Hindu.”After 22 years of non-Congress rule, a period
marked entirely by BJP regimes — except for a one-and-a-half year stint by a
RJP govt — there is a perceptible change in mood in Gujarat.The spell that
Narendra Modi had cast over the State in his more than 12 years as CM has finally been broken, and ordinary Hindus —
as the driver underscored — are actually questioning his record, even
scrutinising his promises.What has caused this change? Ask anyone — academics,
civil servants, village folk, shopkeepers — and they will tell you that it is
because three young men representing different social segments have been able
to tap into people’s discontent against BJP in the State.Indeed, what is
happening in Gujarat bears a striking similarity to the way India Against Corruption
movement and the Gandhian activist Anna Hazare helped to create a mood against
the Congress-led UPA in the run-up to the general elections of 2014.If
24-year-old Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti chief Hardik Patel cast the first
stone in mid-2015, launching an agitation seeking reservations for his
community of Patidars (or Patels), then Alpesh Thakor,41-year-old founder of
OSS (Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Ekta Manch
and the Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena, immediately raised the flag to protect
OBC quota.Some even say that Thakor’s movement was instigated by BJP to
neutralise the Patidars.True or not, he reportedly negotiated with BJP for a
place in the party. But in September this year, he turned down an invitation to
attend an OBC conclave in Thakor-dominated Kheda district called by BJP head
Amit Shah, forcing the latter to cancel the event. A month later, he joined the
Congress officially. His movement to enforce prohibition has also gone down
well with rural women.And then in mid-2016, after four Dalits were publicly
stripped and flogged in Una in Gir Somnath district, 36-year-old lawyer and
activist Jignesh Mevani mobilised Dalits across Gujarat to fight back.Today, it
is acknowledged by all but the most diehard Modi supporters that the Centre’s
decision last Nov.to demonetise 86% of the country’s currency, combined with
the imposition of a complicated GST earlier this year, has taken its toll on
small and medium businesses across the State. For a mercantile people like
Gujaratis, there can be nothing worse than the disappearance of an enabling
environment to make money, and this has ensured that “vikas (development) has
gone crazy” jokes spread like wildfire across social media.To counter this
mood, and the fact that Modi has actually become the subject of jokes and even
derision in some quarters, BJP has released a short video film that makes an
emotional appeal to Gujaratis. It aims to counter the criticism of Modi as a
“dictator who disrupted people’s lives” by arguing that the country has never
had a PM like him — someone who has
worked tirelessly without a day’s break, fought black money, motivated
soldiers, and is trying hard to create a “clean India” without playing caste or
vote-bank politics the way other politicians do.Congress spokesperson for
Gujarat, Manish Doshi, says, “Modi magic was based on a 70% focus on
propaganda, 20% on self-advertisement, and only 10% on administration.No real
work was done. Only his cronies benefited. He has fooled too many people too
many times. That bubble has burst.” thehindu
‘RAM’ Vs ‘HAJ’: ‘Unable’ to Manage Voters’
Resentment, has BJP Begun Playing Communal Card in Gujarat?
Defensive on development and perhaps unable to
manage the voter resentment as the polling nears, the BJP is now playing
communal card to consolidate Hindu votes in its favour in the upcoming Assembly
elections in Gujarat which will elect a new house comprising 182 members on
Dec.9 and 14.A new poster titled ‘Pasangi Tamari’ (Your Choice) is being
circulated on WhatsApp that asks electorates to choose between RAM and
HAJ.‘RAM’ has been derived from the names of Gujarat CM Vijay Ramniklal Rupani, BJP President Amit
Shah and PM Narendra Modi. The photos of
the three leaders have been used right above the respective letters of their
names (R-Rupani, A-Amit Shah and M-Modi).Right next to it are photos of Lord
Rama in aggressive pose flying over the proposed structure of Ram temple in
Ayodhya. The poster a lotus – poll symbol of BJP – above the picture of Lord Rama.The bottom of
the poster has the word ‘HAJ’ in bold. The HAJ stands for Hardik Patel, Alpesh
Thakore and Jignesh Mevani. The picture of the trio, who has launched an
impressive campaign against the ruling BJP, stands next to the picture of Holy
Kaaba, where Muslims go to perform haj every year.In a clear attempt to
communalise the polls, the election symbol of the Congress party – Hand – is
printed just above the holy Islamic site. The poster seeks to brand the grand
old party along with the three activists on the side of Muslims.Similarly, RAM
trio (Rupani, Shah and Modi) has been portrayed as the voice of Hindus.The
poster has been made viral in the local WhatsApp group run by the local unit of
the RSS, the political mentor of BJP,in Amraiwadi Nagar in Ahmedabad. Newsclick.in
Kashi Vidyapeeth:No seats for ABVP in Varanasi
varsity polls
Lucknow: ABVP failed to win any of the 4 seats
in the students’ union elections in Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, a state
university, in Varanasi on Friday.While Samajwadi Party’s student wing,
Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (SCS), managed to hold on to its seats of
vice-president and library secretary, it lost the president’s post to Independent
candidate Rahul Dubey.SCS and Congress’s
student wing NSUI had supported common candidates this year.ABVP could not
retain even the post of general secretary — the only seat it had won last
year.While Rahul Dubey received 2,365 votes against ABVP’s Valmiki Upadhyay
(1,393) in the contest for president, Roshan Kumar (3,185) of NSUI-SCS alliance
bagged vice-president’s post, defeating ABVP’s Dayashankar Yadav (1,458).Anil
Yadav, an Independent candidate, won the seat of general secretary by bagging
2,842 votes. ABVP’s Ankita Singh received 1,690 votes. NSUI-SCS candidate Ravi
Pratap Singh (2,084 votes) won the post of library secretary, defeating ABVP’s
Sarvesh Pathak (631 votes). indianexpress
UP civic polls: BJP fields 25 Muslims in first
phase
Lucknow: BJP has given tickets to nearly 25
Muslims for the first phase of local body polls in UP. The number is all set to
go up significantly for the second and third phase of polls which will cover
most of west UP districts.The party has given tickets to 5 Muslim candidates
for Lucknow's Malihabad nagar panchayat.In Amethi, BJP has fielded Muslims
candidates in Mishrauli, Babaganj South and Ghosiyana wards in Musafirkhana
nagar panchayat. The party has also given tickets to a few Muslim candidates in
Pratapgarh district.BJP spokesman Chandramohan Singh told TOI that the ticket
distribution is in accordance with party's 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'
policy.BJP has given tickets to five Muslim candidates from Lucknow's Malihabad
nagar panchayat elections. It has fielded Atiya from Joshin Tola, Ali Mohammad
from Mohammadan Tola, Imran Ansari from Chaudhrana, Naziya from Kewalhar ward
and Azra Bano from Samda ward. Similarly, Abdul Gafoor Khan has been made BJP
candidate from Kurshat nagar panchayat of Unnao. In Sonebhadra district, BJP
has given ticket to Sarafat Ali from Hameednagar Mahal ward. In Amethi, the
saffron party has fielded Tarzan Khan from Mishrauli ward, Shahadat from
Babaganj South and Sikander Ahmed from Ghosiyana in Musafirkhana nagar
panchayat. In Ghazipur, Mushtaq has got BJP ticket from Jamaniya, Akhtar Jamal
from Ansari Mohalla and Feroz from Muhammadabad. Timesofindia
Jamaat Raises Alarm Over 431 Police Encounters
Under Yogi Govt, Demands NHRC Probe
New Delhi:Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in its monthly
press meet has raised alarm over the recent police encounters being carried on
in UP. While briefing the media, JIH Secretary, General Muhammad Salim
Engineer, said, “We are extremely disturbed by the media reports on UP police
having conducted 431 encounters of alleged criminals, in which 17 have been
killed.” Interestingly, these encounters, Engineer claimed, have taken place in
less than 6 months of the present UP Govt
coming to power. “This tendency to gauge
improvement in law and order by the number of police encounters is quite
worrying especially if the police officers are doing so under political
pressure. The mentality to control crime by resorting to extrajudicial killings
is not healthy for any democracy and the unprecedented number of encounters
gives rise to apprehension that some of them may be fake and used as an excuse
to eliminate suspects and hostile elements coming under the police dragnet,” he
added. The Jamaat put forward its demand of the National Human Rights
Commission to take cognizance of these fake encounters being conducted in UP. The
press meet was addressed by Jamaat President, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari.
Replying to queries posed by the media in regards to the efforts of Sri Sri
Ravishankar to intervene in the Babri
Masjid issue, Maulana Umari, reiterated the stand of the Jamaat and the All
India Muslim Personal Law Board to reject any out of court settlement. He said,
“We will only accept, court judgment.”On being asked to react to the
possibility of another Muslim organization –PFI being banned by the Govt of India, the JIH General Secretary said, “We
are against this propensity to ban legitimate organizations. If someone has
broken the law then he or she should be punished but outlawing the entire
organization is unacceptable.” caravandaily
Jamaat rejects out of court settlement of
Babri issue
India To Expedite Request For Zakir Naik's
Extradition From Malaysia: INDIATIMES
India will "very soon" make a
request to Malaysia for the extradition of Zakir Naik, the external affairs
ministry said, amidst reports that the preacher was there after being given
permanent residency. Asked about reports that Naik has been given permanent
residency by Malaysia, which maintained that it has not received any official
request from India related to terrorism allegations involving the preacher,
Kumar said, "Our legal process is nearing completion and we will be making
an extradition request very soon." Kumar also said that the nature of the
extradition request will be known in next few days.
PFI writes to home ministry, explains why it
should not be banned
New Delhi: Popular Front of India (PFI), facing
prospects of a ban under UAPA over alleged involvement of its cadres in terror
cases and alleged 'forced' conversions, on Saturday said it had written to the
home ministry and NIA seeking to be heard on why it cannot be banned both
"legally and democratically". "PFI as an organisation cannot be
banned. We have written to the home ministry, national security adviser and NIA
asking for a hearing (before a decision is taken on imposing a ban on the
outfit)," said PFI secretary Anis Ahmed at a press conference here.
Describing PFI as a social organisation working for marginalised communities,
especially Muslims, he claimed it had no links to terror and could not be held
answerable for activists of its alleged 'front' organisations. One such
activist Zainaba was found by NIA to be the common mentor behind the 'forced
conversion' of two Kerala women, including Hadiya, to Islam."Zainaba is
not a PFI member," Ahmed said adding that it was therefore for her alone,
and not PFI, to offer any clarifications on the alleged sting operation where
she is shown linking PFI and Sathyasarani to 'forced' conversions. "She
has already claimed the (sting) video is doctored," he added.
Incidentally, the NIA dossier on PFI forwarded to the home ministry describes
Zainaba as the president of National Women's Front, "the women's wing of
PFI".Asked why PFI was offering legal help to Hadiya alias Akhila Asokan
when it was not linked to her conversion in any way, Ahmed said it was only
because "we believe that a right has been denied to the girl, who is a
major, (to embrace Islam and marry of her own free will)".Ahmed even
denied that P Ahmed Sherief, the reported PFI leader shown in the media sting
as acknowledging funding of the outfit through hawala, was a founder member of
the outfit. The NIA dossier, however, lists one P Ahmed Sherief as the district
committee member of PFI and co-coordinator of a PFI front, National
Confederation of Human Rights Organisation.NIA confirmed that it had indeed
received a representation from PFI seeking to be heard, but only said the
letter had been documented in the case file for now.TOI
Kamal Haasan should be shot dead:Hindu
Mahasabha
Lucknow: A senior leader of a Hindu outfit –
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha – on Friday slammed veteran Tamil actor Kamal
Haasan for his “Hindu terror” remarks and said people like him should be “shot
dead”.Mahasabha vice-president Pt Ashok Sharma said these people accused the
followers of Hinduism of Hindu terror only to “push their own biased communal
agenda”. “There is no other way to handle people like Kamal Haasan but to
either hang them or shoot them dead,”he said.Angered by the remarks of the
actor, Sharma said people who used such language or were so biased against the
Hindu religion and its faithfuls had no right to live. Members of the Mahasabha
have also announced to boycott all films of actor and all actors from his
family, including his daughter Shruti Haasan. The outfit has also exhorted
others to follow the suit and boycott films of such artistes.IANS
'Just Asking': actor Prakash Raj After Kamal
Haasan Remarks On 'Hindu Terror'
Chennai:Noted South Indian actor Prakash Raj,
who risked the wrath of right-wing social media users last month with his
comments over the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, has commissioned a
sequel.Seemingly voicing support for Tamil mega-star Kamal Haasan who provoked
a similar confrontation yesterday saying that terrorism has infected right-wing
groups, Raj said, "If instilling fear in the name of religion...
culture... morality is not terrorizing...then what is it. Just asking."In
a Twitter post titled "To whomsoever it may concern", Raj added:
"If abusing and manhandling young couples on the streets of my country in
the name of morality is not terrorising... If taking law into hands and
lynching people on slightest doubt of cow slaughter is not terrorising... If
trolling with abuse, threat... to silence even a slightest voice of dissent is
not terrorising... Then what is terrorizing... Just asking."indianexpress
After Kamal, Prakash Raj, Arvind Swami hit out
at right wing
All Gau Rakshakas Are Hindu Terrorist, People
Who Lynch Dalits Are Hindu Terrorists: Congress
Congress leaders Dinesh Gundurao, dubbing cow
vigilantes as terrorist, said all the people who take law in their hands and
terrorise people are terrorist."Yes, there is (Hindu terror). Who killed
Mahatma Gandhi he was a Hindu terrorist. People who are lynching and beating up
Dalits, all these gau rakshakas are Hindu terrorists. These are the few who
terrorise people. All these people, who take law in their hands, decide to take
action on their own based upon some ideology," Gundurao said.The Congress
leader further said fundamentalism exists in our country and that we should
confront it rather than running away. "BJP supports any right wing Hindu
organisation and they will oppose any left wing or Hindu organisation. They
support Gau Rakshaks. Kamal Hassan said it differently. But the truth is it
(Hindu terror) exist," he added.ANI
Hindu terrorism exists in our country, we
should confront it: Congress leader Gundurao
Despite SC Order, Gujarat BJP Leader Accused
of Activist’s Murder Refuses to Surrender
Amreli: Khamba, a small village on the edge of
Amreli district in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, is where 62-year-old
Bhikhabhai Jethwa lives alone. His four children were born, raised and married
from here, the house Bhikhabhai still lives in. A happy, middle-class joint
family lived in the house together until Amit Jethwa, Bhikhabhai’s eldest son
and the sole earner of the family, was murdered in 2010.Amit, a prominent
environmental and RTI activist, was shot dead on July 20, 2010 in front of the
Ahmedabad high court. He had been seeking information using the RTI on the
illegal mining of limestone in the Gir region of Gir Somnath district, which
had continued unabated despite prohibition orders from the Govt . In the
process, Amit came to confront Dinubhai Boghabhai Solanki, a BJP leader and
former MLA from the Kodinar assembly seat, and then MP from the Junagadh Lok
Sabha constituency. Solanki had allegedly been involved the illegal mining of
limestone in the area.Amit had filed a PIL petition naming Solanki as one of
the many involved in the illegal mining months before he was shot dead. thewire
Ratan Tata testified in Netanyahu graft probe,
says Israel media; Tata’s office claims report ‘incorrect’
Jerusalem: Ratan Tata has “testified” before
Israeli police in connection with allegations of corruption involving PM Benjamin Netanyahu, reports in Israeli media
said, which were denied as “factually incorrect” by the noted Indian
industrialist’s office.Tata “testified to the police for two hours regarding
suspicions that he was involved in a case in which the PM is alleged to have
received gifts valued at hundreds of thousands of shekels,”Times of Israel
reported. The investigation into allegations against Netanyahu related to the
expensive gifts has been dubbed as Case 1000, and also involves Israeli
businessman and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. According to a Channel 10
report, Milchan allegedly asked Netanyahu to promote a free trade zone near the
Jordan-Israel border. The request by Milchan was allegedly made following
consultations with Tata. Initiative never came through.When contacted, Israel
Police national spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said he had “no idea whatsoever”.
Meanwhile, a statement emailed to PTI by Tata’s office did not deny the meeting
between him and the Israeli officials. But it said the reports in Israeli media
on the contents of the meeting were “factually incorrect and appear to have
been motivated”. “Tata holds Netanyahu in high esteem and considers him to be a
respected friend. Allegations such as those made seem baseless and highly
motivated,” the statement said. Tata Group said a few days before the ‘Fuel
Choices and Smart Mobility Summit’ on October 31 in Israel, a section of the
press reported that in connection with their probe of Milchan, an Israeli
investigative team might also speak to Tata while he was in Israel. It said
Tata was advised to cancel his visit but as he had nothing to hide, he attended
the conference in Tel Aviv as planned.PTI
Meet Mahiruddin Ahmed: Another Indian soldier
in Assam hounded as a ‘foreigner’
Mahiruddin Ahmed, a retired Indian Army
Havildar based in Assam has been accused of being an illegal immigrant. He has
been asked to come and prove he is an Indian citizen by a Foreigners Tribunal
in Barpeta, Assam. His wife Husainara Begum, too, has been served with a
similar notice.This comes barely a month after a retired officer of the Indian
Army was accused of being an illegal immigrant by a tribunal and served a
notice.Speaking to Catch from his village Khablarbhita in Barepeta, Mahiruddin
Ahmed says he received the notice in September. “I have since spoken to a
Colonel in Kolkata and other Army Officers in Guwahati,” he says.Ahmed says
this is the first time he received the notice from the Tribunal. “Although,
about 15 months back I had come to know that they marked me a ‘D Voter’
(doubtful voter) in 1997.”The retired havildar has served all over the country
including in Nagrota in Jammu in his 18-year stint with the Army, which ended
in 2004. Ahmed’s brother Jalaluddin Ahmed worked as an Assistant Sessions’
Judge in Assam.Ahmed and Husainara will appear in front of the Foreigners
Tribunal on November 6, with the documents.In Oct., after the case of Azmal
Haque, retired army officer asked to prove his citizenship came to light,DGP of
Assam Police had called it a case of mistaken identity.catchnews
Article in RSS monthly: ‘Deendayal Upadhyaya
was against Hindu-Muslim unity’
Lucknow :In the middle of a raging debate over
the ‘climate of intolerance’ in the country, an article in RSS mouthpiece
Rashtra Dharma has claimed that Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya was against
‘Hindu-Muslim unity’ and believed that issue of ‘unity’ was ‘irrelevant’ and
appeasement of the Muslims.Titled “Muslim Samasya: Deendayal Ji Ki Drishti
Mein”, the write-up appeared in a special edition of the Rashtra Dharma, which
was released by Union Minister Kalraj Mishra in Lucknow on Sunday. This special
issue of the monthly magazine is dedicated to Upadhyaya and carries articles
about him and his views.Written by Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma, the article even
claimed that Upadhyaya said that “a person turns an enemy of the nation after
becoming a Muslim”.According to the article, Upadhyaya also believed that while
a Muslim may be good individually, he in “bad in a group”, and further a Hindu
– who may be bad individually — is “good as part of a group”. The author said
that the difference in the nature of the groups must be understood.When
contacted, Rashtra Dharma editor Anand Mishra ‘Abhay’ said that special issue
on Upadhyaya was compiled at a very short notice.About the article on Muslims,
Mishra said, “I agree with the facts given in the article. This is true that
the Muslims could not unite with the Hindus. Muslims even fight among
themselves and with other communities like the Sikhs and the Parsis. Ram
Manohar Lohia also agreed with Upadhyaya’s views. It is necessary to learn from
history to improve our present and future.”In the article, the author further
claimed that Muslims still dreamt about restoring the Mughal rule and that
Pakistan was a medium to achieve that target. Talking about Upadhyaya views on
Muslims and Hindus, write-up added:Advocating political defeat of the Muslims,
the article claimed that changing the mentality of Muslims in India would be
difficult till Pakistan was defeated “politically”.“Political defeat will end
his aggressive attitude and he will return to his original Hindu nature,” read
the article.According to the author, Upadhyaya called those advocating
Hindu-Muslim unity as ‘Muslimparast’ and opposed such ‘unity’ policy of the
Congress. indianexpress
India ordered to probe 2,080 mass graves in
Kashmir
Srinagar: The state-run human rights
commission has told the Govt in Kashmir
to investigate at least 2,080 unmarked mass graves discovered in border areas
of restive region.Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), a human
rights group in Kashmir, told the commission there were 3,844 unmarked graves -
2,717 in Poonch and 1,127 in Rajouri, twin districts in the region that lie
along LoC.In response, the commission acknowledged the presence of 2,080
unmarked graves and asked the Govt for a
comprehensive investigation to be completed in 6 months, including DNA tests of
the bodies to compare it with family members of the disappeared. In 2011, the
commission directed the Govt to
investigate the mass graves. At the time, a special team from the commission
said 2,730 unidentified bodies were buried in 38 sites across northern
Kashmir."The commission has no hesitation to issue the same directions,
which were already issued in the case," the recent order said. APDP
maintains 8,000 people have disappeared in the decades-old conflict, and
accuses Govt forces of staging gun
battles to cover up killings.The association welcomed the commission's latest
demand to investigate mass graves in J&K state. Aljazeera
Dialogue only option to resolve Kashmir issue:
Geelani
Srinagar: Dialogue is the only option to
resolve the Kashmir issue and separatists are not against it, Syed Ali Shah
Geelani said in Srinagar on Saturday. Hurriyat hawk alleged the Centre “is not
sincere about resolving the Kashmir issue”.“We are not against the dialogue
process, but we favour only meaningful and result-oriented negotiations. We
have a clear agenda and our viewpoint is unambiguous … that the issue can be
resolved through dialogue,” he said.He said the onus lies with the central Govt
to “illustrate its seriousness and sincerity” to resolve the issue. Geelani
said a conducive atmosphere for negotiations is of “prime necessity”.PTI
ED notice ‘means of coercion’ to meet J&K
interlocutor, says JKLF chief Yasin Malik
Srinagar:JKLF chief Yasin Malik said Enforcement
Directorate (ED) notice against him for alleged forex violation was a “means of
coercion” to meet the Centre’s newly appointed interlocutor on Kashmir, adding
that such tactics cannot break his spirit. “Centre is arresting family members
of separatists and militants. Son of Syed Salahuddin was recently arrested by
NIA. NIA and ED are sending a series of notices. What is the aim behind all
this? Such notices will not break our spirit, rather will increase it. We are
ready to sit in prison,” he said.PTI
Article 35(A) was never part of Indian
constitution: J&K advocate general
Srinagar: J&K Advocate General Jehangir
Iqbal Ganai has said Article 35A, which is being contested in the Supreme Court
(SC) through a number of petitions, “is not a part of the Indian
Constitution.”“There is an argument projected that the President has no powers
to amend the Constitution. The fact of the matter is Article 35 (A) is not part
of the Constitution of India. It’s a part of the Constitution only applicable
to J&K. There is a difference. So there was no requirement of Parliament
amending it,” Ganai said. He said Parliament as such had no powers to add any
article of the Constitution to J&K’s Constitution except to Article 370. thehindu
Centre asks J&K govt to stop ads to
newspapers publishing 'anti-national articles': greaterkashmir
Centre has asked J&K Govt to stop
advertising in local newspapers allegedly publishing "anti-national
articles", a media report said.Home Ministry, according to HT, has told
the state Govt that some publications
were publishing “highly radicalised content, glamorising militants and
anti-national elements”.Centre has written to the Mufti-led Govt in the state to deal strictly with such
newspapers, said the report.
US discusses Maldives turmoil with India
New Delhi:Amidst growing political turmoil in
Male, a team of U.S. diplomats met senior MEA officials to discuss the events
in the Maldives on Thursday.The team, led by US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the
Maldives, Atul Keshap, shared their concerns about the political situation with
Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, and spoke about development cooperation in Sri
Lanka, The Hindu has learnt.Among concerns on the Maldives was the crackdown by
the Govt on Opposition leaders, most of
whom, like ex-President Mohammad Nasheed are in exile facing prison terms, or
like former President Gayoom’s son Faris Maumoon, are under arrest. The
American diplomats also said the action in Parliament in August, where the Army
was called in to stop lawmakers from passing an impeachment motion against the
Speaker of the assembly, was “very discouraging”.Asked about the concerns from US
that called the parliament action “disturbing and unfortunate” in a public
statement, Maldives Ambassador to India Ahmed Mohamed said the allegations that
the Yameen Govt was undemocratic were
“sensational” and represented a “western double standard”.“We have said other
countries must not be prescriptive or interfere in our affairs,” Mohamed told
The Hindu in Delhi. US diplomats also brought up the growing influence of
Chinese investment, as well as its maritime presence, with the China-Maldives
“friendship bridge” from Male to Hulhumale, an island being developed by
Chinese companies, becoming the focus of their attention. The MEA refused to comment
about whether India shared the concerns the U.S. team expressed, but a senior
official confirmed the meetings in Delhi this week. thehindu
Haj subsidy to be phased out next year
New Delhi:Haj subsidy borne by the Govt and extended to pilgrims travelling to Saudi
Arabia could be phased out as early as 2018. The subsidy was to be phased out
after a Supreme Court order recommended the same to the Govt in 2012, with 2022 as the outer limit.A
meeting of the review committee on the subsidy and Haj services, comprising senior
officials of the Ministries for Minority Affairs, Civil Aviation and External
Affairs and the Haj Committee of India, was held on Thursday where the decision
was announced.Haj Committee reportedly asked for a phasing out with the 2022
deadline in mind saying it would affect pilgrims from small towns.Union
Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi confirmed that the phase out
would be as early as 2018, with the subsidy reduced to “almost nil” from Rs450
crore being spent this year.“The decision is in consonance with the Supreme
Court order. The subsidy has been progressively reduced since 2012 and we are
looking to phase it out completely by 2018. We would like to spend the funds on
educational programmes especially for girl children of the minority community.
Subsidy is only one aspect of the Govt ’s responsibility with regard to Haj, we
are committed to a more transparent and open system for sending pilgrims and
their safety and security while they perform the pilgrimage,” the Minister told
The Hindu.He also said that a new Haj policy had been almost finalised and
would be made available to the court and the public soon.He added that it was
in the Modi Govt ’s regime that Haj quota for India was increased by the Saudi
Arabian govt by 34,000. thehindu
1 dead, 10 injured in communal clash over
demolition of toilet in Aligarh: dnaindia
One person, belonging to the minority
community, died and about 10 others were injured when members of the two
communities fired at each other and threw bricks in a clash over demolition of
a toilet near a mosque in communally-sensitive Aligarh district of UP on Saturday afternoon. Tension prevailed in
Khurramnagar under Vijaygarh Police Station in Aligarh district when members of
the two communities clashed with one another following a long dispute over
toilet near a mosque. Soon it turned violent when someone opened fired killing
18-year-old Haseen Khan on the spot.The small dispute soon took communal colour
and members from both the communities used sharp-edged weapons to attack each
other leaving about ten injured, four of them seriously. The mob also torched a
few vehicles.The injured have been admitted at the district and other
hospitals. Police Force and RAF have been deployed in and around mosque in
Khurramnagar village. The situation is tense but under control. FIRs have been
lodged from both sides blaming each other for the communal clash.
3 yrs after all arrested acquitted,
‘conspirator’ held in Akshardham case
Ahmedabad: Abdul Rashid Ajmeri, 60, accused by
Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of carrying out the 2002 terror attack
on Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, was arrested on Saturday, moments after he
landed at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport from
Riyadh.Ajmeri’s arrest — he is the ninth accused to be arrested — comes three
years after all the others arrested in the case were acquitted and the Supreme
Court set aside the Gujarat Police’s DCB, Ahmedabad, investigation.Ajmeri is
one of 28 people accused by DCB of carrying out the Sept.24, 2002, attack on
the Akshardham temple. While 8 of them went on trial, the DCB declared 20 of
the accused, including Ajmeri, absconders.In 2006, a special POTA court had
convicted six of the accused and sentenced Ajmeri’s brother Adam and Abdul
Kayum to death while awarding jail terms ranging from 10 years to life to Mohd
Hanif Shaikh, Abdullamiya Yasinmiya Kadri, Altaf Hussain Malek and Shaanmiya
Sajjadkhan alias Chandkhan.HC had confirmed the POTA court’s judgment. However,
in May 2014, the Supreme Court set aside DCB investigation and acquitted all
six persons who had been convicted by the POTA court. Months after this
judgment, trial court acquitted two others, Hyderabad-based Shaukatullah Ghori
and Ahmedabad-based Majid Patel.Advocate Khalid Shaikh, who has represented
some of the accused who later got acquitted, said, “Technically, Ajmeri will
have to face all the procedures, including the trial. But police may even close
the case in view of the Supreme Court judgment.” indianexpress
Azamgarh youth arrested from Mumbai airport
for suspected terror links: thehindu
Lucknow:UP police have arrested an Azamgarh-resident on
the suspicion of plotting terror attacks in the country.The suspect, identified
as Abu Zaid, was arrested by a team of the UP Anti-Terror Squad from the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai on Saturday night.Zaid was returning from
Saudi Arabia, the ATS said.According to the ATS, Zaid, who was living in Saudi
Arabia, induced and mobilised members in India for a terror module.Zaid's name
came into light, an ATS spokesperson said, during investigation of the 4 youths
who were arrested in an premptive operation from different parts of the country
in April."Solid evidence" of Zaid's culpability in organising members
for terror activities was "found from the mobiles of the arrested
perons," ATS spokesperson said.
Is another Hadiya-like case now being scripted
in Rajasthan?
Jaipur:Members of some Hindu right-wing groups
including VHP and Bajrang Dal were seen shouting communal slogans outside the
Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday. Inside the court was a 22-year-old girl in
hijab – Arifa or Payal Singhvi, as she was before converting to Islam. She was
responding to the queries posed by the judges hearing a habeas corpus petition
filed by her brother. Accused in the petition was Faiez Modi (ignore the
surname), a local Muslim youth. Payal, a post graduate in commerce, was
preparing for Rajasthan Administrative Services exam, but all of a sudden she
left home on Oct.25 and didn’t return, said her brother in the petition. The
family approached the local police station in Pratap Nagar, who refused to file
FIR saying that Payal has already approached the Jodhpur Police Commissioner
with a written notice and relevant documents about her conversion and marriage
to a Muslim man. In the notice, Payal told the police officer that she had
converted to Islam and married to Faiez Modi in April this year. Then the
family approached the Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court with a habeas
corpus petition. Hearing the petition on Oct.30, 2-judge bench called for SHO
of Pratap Nagar police station with all related documents. SHO appeared before
the court later in the day and presented the documents including Nikahnama.The
court said: “Prima facie, we are of the opinion that investigation is to be
made by the SHO to ascertain the correctness of the fact of conversion of the
religion by corpus Payal Singhvi as well as of the “Nikahnama” which states
that the nikah was solemnized on 14.04.2017 because the sister of the
petitioner, Payal Singhvi was residing with the family of the petitioner who
belongs to Hindu religion till 25.10.2017, then how conversion of religion from
one community to another community was made in the month of April, 2017.”The
court directed SHO of Pratap Nagar to register FIR upon the complaint filed by
Payal’s brother same day and “conduct investigation to ascertain the
correctness of facts and submit the outcome of the investigation on or before
01.11.2017.” The investigating officer was also directed to recover Payal and
produce her before the court on the next date of hearing (1Nov).In the petition
her family had alleged that she was induced and threatened by the accused.
However, on Nov.1 when Arifa or Payal was produced before the court, she denied
any inducement or threat.The court has ordered investigation into the case and
has sent the girl to a woman’s care centre. It is clear from the media reports
that the Hindu right-wing wants to use the case to polarize the
society.Terrified, Faiez’s family has locked itself at home and is not coming
out to tell their side of the story.Caravan
Daily
MP:Children restored by court, parents of
Christian Colony scared to return home
Indore : Parents of Christian Colony here whose children were
allegedly illegally confined after a protest by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM),
claiming forcible conversion, are not returning to their homes out of fear.Dennis
Joseph Michael, whose three children were among the seven — between the ages of
6 and 17 — taken away from the Indore railway station and kept at a shelter
home for a week, is now at an undisclosed location. “All these days I was
moving around dazed looking for my children. Now that we have got their
custody, we are too scared to return,” says Michael. indianexpress
Shah seeks report from state BJP on poor
turnout at yatra
Bengaluru:A day after the state BJP was left
red-faced due to the poor turnout at the launch of its Nava Karnataka Nirmana
Parivarthana Yatra, the party has started deciphering reasons for the flop
show.The party had expected three lakh workers to attend the launch of the Nava
Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatra at Bangalore International Exhibition
Centre (BIEC) but only a small percentage of that number actually turned up at
the venue.According to BJP sources,central leadership has expressed its
displeasure to the state unit for embarrassing party national president Amit
Shah, who had to launch the yatra in front of scores of empty chairs.Shah, it
is learnt, has now sought a report through BJP national general secretary P
Muralidhar Rao on what went wrong. deccanherald
WORLD
Saudi detains princes, ex-ministers including billionaire
prince Talal after cabinet reshuffle
Saudi Arabia has detained 11 princes and
dozens of former ministers through its newly formed anti-corruption committee,
including erstwhile national guard minister Mutaib bin Abdullah. According to
an MEE source in Riyadh, Mutaib was arrested along with his brother Turki.
Famous multi-billionaire prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz and a number
of former ministers and businessmen were also arrested. Both Mutaib bin
Abdullah and Al-Waleed bin Talal are senior members of Saudi's royal
family.Also among the arrested were Waleed al-Ibrahim, founder of MBC
broadcasting group, and billionaire businessman Saleh Kamel.The arrests came
hours after Saudi appointed new ministers. Economy minister Adel Fakieh was
replaced by Mohammed al-Tuwaijri while Khaled bin Ayyaf replaced Mutaib, son of
the late King Abdullah, as national guard minister.The new anti-corruption
committee, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was formed by royal
decree earlier on Saturday.The arrests and dismissals came just two months
after King Salman replaced his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef with his son Mohammed
as the country's crown prince.The move consolidates Mohammed's control of the
kingdom's security institutions, which had long been headed by separate
powerful branches of the ruling family."Since Mohammed bin Salman became
the crown prince in June, we've seen a lot of upheaval," Ian Black, of the
London School of Economics, told Al Jazeera."We've seen the announcement
of this very ambitious Saudi plan to transform the country the Saudi economy,
Vision 2030.""The breadth and scale of the arrests appears to be
unprecedented in modern Saudi history," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a fellow
at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.In Sept.
authorities arrested about 2 dozen people, including influential clerics, in
what activists denounced as a coordinated crackdown. Analysts said many of
those detained were resistant to Prince Mohammed's aggressive foreign policy
that includes the boycott of Gulf neighbour Qatar as well as some of his bold
policy reforms, including privatising state assets and cutting subsidies. middleeasteye
Saudi princes detained, ministers dismissed
Billionaire prince with stakes in Twitter,
Apple among those arrested in Saudi sweep
Foreign Ministers of anti-Qatar bloc hold
talks in Abu Dhabi
The foreign ministers of a Saudi-led bloc
boycotting Qatar held talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, according to Egypt’s
foreign ministry.The top diplomats of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain
met on the sidelines of the Sir Bani Yas Forum, ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu
Zeid said on Twitter.He said the meeting “reflected common interests”, but
without giving more details.On Friday, Egyptian authorities said Foreign
Minister Sameh Shoukry will attend the 8th annual session of Sir Bani Yas forum
to discuss a host of issues, including the Qatari crisis, the Middle East peace
process and developments in Iraq and Libya.The meeting came days after
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Khalid Al Khalifa, suggested explicitly on his
Twitter account freezing Qatar’s membership at the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC). middleeastmonitor
Bahrain re-opens border dispute with Qatar: aljazeera
Bahrain has claimed right to take Qatari
territory, as tensions between the 2 Gulf countries heighten amid political
deadlock. A press release published on the country's state news agency on
Saturday said that Bahrain had "every right to claim what was cut off
forcibly from its land and to dispute the legitimacy of Qatari rule".The
statement, which references a historic border dispute that was solved by an
international court in 2001, did not specify whether Bahrain intends to take
any action.
Thousands march through London to oppose
Balfour Declaration
London:Thousands of people marched through
London on Saturday to call on Britain to apologise for the Balfour Declaration.
The demonstration came as UK PM Theresa
May this week celebrated the centenary of the controversial 1917 document which
paved the way for the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Organised by
Friends of Al-Aqsa, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Palestinian Forum in
Britain and the Muslim Association of Britain, protesters marched through the
heart of London from outside US Embassy in Grosvenor Square to Parliament
Square in Westminster. The Balfour Declaration, which is dated 7 November 1917,
is a 67-word letter from Balfour, the foreign secretary of David Lloyd George’s
British Govt , to Walter Rothschild, the leader of the British Jewish
community, which is considered by Zionists to indicate British support for the
establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, which was then under the
control of the Ottoman Empire.While Israel reveres Arthur Balfour, naming
streets and a Tel Aviv school after him, Palestinians decry his declaration as
a promise by Britain to hand over land it did not own, which led to the
establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the eviction of many Palestinians
from their lands.Some of the signs held at the London march included hundreds
of "Free Palestine" placards and home-made signs aimed at Balfour. middleeasteye
Lebanon PM Saad Hariri announces surprise
resignation over assassination fears
Lebanon's PM Saad Hariri has announced his resignation,
saying that he sensed a "plot to target his life".In a statement
broadcast from Saudi Arabia on Al-Arabiya, the PM said that the climate in Lebanon resembles
that before the assassination of his father.He also criticised Iran and
Hezbollah's "grip" on the country."We are living in a climate
similar to the atmosphere that prevailed before the assassination of martyr
Rafik al-Hariri," he said."I have sensed what is being plotted
covertly to target my life."In his statement, Hariri said Iran was
"losing in its interference in the affairs of the Arab world," adding
that Lebanon would "rise as it had done in the past" and "cut
off the hands that wickedly extend into it".Hariri became Lebanon's PM late last year after a political deal that
also brought Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun to office as the country's
president.Hezbollah is politically dominant in Lebanon, but its ties to Iran
and its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have angered some
Lebanese.Hariri has visited Saudi Arabia, where he has strong political and
business ties, twice in the past week, meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
and other senior officials.Beirut-based al-Jadeed television reported Hariri's
resignation statement was made and broadcast from the Saudi capital
Riyadh.Aoun's office said Hariri had called him from "outside
Lebanon" to inform him of his resignation.Hariri flew to Saudi Arabia on
Friday after a meeting in Beirut with Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Afterwards, Velayati described
Hariri's coalition as "a victory" and "great success".Emile
Hokayem, an analyst on Middle East affairs at the International Institute for
Strategic Studies, tweeted that the resignation represented a failure to
contain Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon. middleeasteye
Lebanese PM Saad Hariri resigns citing Iranian
meddling
Gordon Brown says Pentagon misled UK over case
for Iraq invasion
The US defence dept knew that Saddam Hussein
did not have weapons of mass destruction but kept Britain in the dark,
according to an explosive new claim from Gordon Brown.In an extraordinary
allegation, the former PM states that a
secret US intelligence report into Iraq’s military capabilities was never
passed to Britain and could have changed the course of events. The revelation
leads Brown to conclude that the “war could not be justified as a last resort
and invasion cannot now be seen as a proportionate response”.He adds that the
evidence in question was never examined by the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq
war, which concluded that Britain chose to join the invasion before “peaceful
options for disarmament” had been exhausted. Brown’s intervention will reopen
the debate about Britain’s decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq. Tony
Blair used the assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction to argue
that Britain needed to join the military action.Brown makes the claim in his
new book, My Life, Our Times, published this week. He writes that there was a
“rush to war” in March 2003, adding that he asks himself “over and over whether
I could have made more of a difference before that fateful decision was
taken”.He said that as chancellor he had little more access to intelligence
than other cabinet ministers, but was reassured by MI6 that evidence about WMDs
was well-founded. However, having reviewed the evidence since leaving office,
he writes that he now believes “we were all misled on the existence of WMDs”. theguardian
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Shaurya Doval’s Response to The Wire Raises
More Questions Than It Answers:SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN
If freelance Muslim spokesmen do not shut up,
it's advantage BJP:Saeed Naqvi, IANS
How pornography removes empathy, and fosters
harassment and abuse: Sam Carr, University of Bath
Sexual Predators in Uniform:NIRIKSHA SANGHVI
and PAVANI NAGARAJA BHAT
NTPC Explosion: Were Safety Measures Bypassed
Due to PM Modi’s Visit?Newsclick
Junior Doval, the Question of Conflict of
Interest and Saudi Connection;V. Arun Kumar
My citizenship being questioned after serving
18 years in Army:Army veteran Mahiruddin Ahmed
“When I kept waiting for a dinner invitation
from Yasin Malik”:Kuldip Nayar
Is Govt's crackdown on fake news another way
of controlling media?: Sandip Roy HuffPost India
Jinnah’s Daughter Dina Wadia Dies, Leaves
Behind Disputed Property:The Quint
A year after demonetisation, Kanpur traders
face ‘chillar’ problem:Maulshree Seth
Less than half of new MBA graduates get jobs,
trend at 5-yr low
How uncle-nephew duo stole 50 million litres
oil from country’s largest onshore fields:HT
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