Evening NEWS
DIGEST
11
Nov.2017: 21 Safar 1439:Vol:9, No:44
Demonetisation, GST failures; PM Modi should
sack Jaitley: Yashwant Sinha
Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha urged PM Narendra Modi on Friday to replace Union
finance minister Arun Jaitley over issues with GST, saying “no amount of
tinkering with tax rates” will set things right.“With full responsibility, I
urge PM to bring in a new FM (finance minister) and also constitute a
committee, headed by Vijay Kelkar,to recommend fundamental changes in the GST,”
Sinha, once a Union finance minister, said. This isn’t the first time Sinha has
criticised the top leadership of his own party over the Govt ’s economic
policies. In late September, he wrote a newspaper opinion calling last year’s
note ban an “unmitigated economic disaster” and the implementation of the GST a
“badly conceived and poorly implemented” havoc. Those comments drew a sharp
rebuttal from Jaitley, who took a jab at “an 80-year-old man looking for
re-employment”.Jaitley did not name anyone but his reference was largely
understood to be to Sinha.“I may be 80, but I have presented all my 7 Budget
speeches ‘standing up’ unlike Jaitley. All I am saying is that he did not apply
his mind, blinded as he was with the obsession to achieve a revenue neutral
rate to avoid any fall in tax collection,”he said.Demanding Jaitley be sacked,
Sinha said: “GST in the present form has become ‘kabad’ (junk). Everyday
changes in tax rates are not going set the faulty rate structure right.A
complete overhaul is necessary. Even petrol and diesel should be brought under
its ambit for the benefit of people”.Sinha also repeated his attack on the note
ban. “One year is a long time. It has failed in its objective of flushing 4-5
lakh crore of black money from the system. Almost 99% of the currency is back
in the banks and some currency in Nepal and district co-operative banks are
still to be counted,” he said.He said 20 lakh jobs had been lost due to the
scrapping of the high-value notes.“Govt is taking recourse to false claims on
note ban to celebrate its success. A raid raj is underway to bolster the Govt ’s
claim on tackling black money,” he said, adding,“incidents of halt in stone
pelting instances happened in 2010 and 1931 too. Did it happen due to note ban
then?”BJP leader called for a new commission to look into status of the
implementation of quotas for SC, ST and OBCs and for ways to remove road
blocks, including dealing with the 50% cap on quota imposed by Supreme Court. hindustantimes
Demonetisation,GST failed;Jaitley should be sacked:Sinha
My Son Should Be Probed, but So Should Jay
Shah: Sinha
Taking another pot shot at Govt, Yashwant
Sinha, said that everyone named in Paradise Papers – including his son, Jayant
Sinha – should be investigated, as long as BJP chief Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah
is also brought under the scanner.
‘Latest revisions in GST fail to woo small
traders, ad-hoc nature of reforms not in interest of Small, Medium Enterprises’
New Delhi:With the GST Council announcing
relief after the council meeting in Guwahati, the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises say that the revisions fail to meet the expectations of the
economy.Talking to KNN, V.K Agarwal Past President of Federation of Indian
Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME) highlighted the concerns around the ongoing
ride of the new tax reformAgarwal said that the nature in which the GST Council
is addressing the concerns is not very rational."It has become a lobby
driven approach, only the industry that is able to pressurize and lobby is
getting their voices heard whereas the small and micro industries are yet to be
heard" he said.Agarwal further highlighted that Govt by constantly
revising items under different tax slabs hints towards inability of tax office
in rightly placing the items prior to implementation. Commenting on the
compliance burden that still prevails, he said that despite repeated requests
of the industry, the units are asked to comply with multiple norms which
further makes it difficult for the units to focus on their production." Govt
expects us to file multiple entries at different points under the new taxation.
Micro units that operates on a one man show format, there isn't the luxury of
such infrastructure" he added.Calling for a rationalisation instead of
relief, Agarwal said that the Govt needs
to explore ways for proper rational behind the placement of items under
different tax slabs.KNNINDIA
Knee-jerk GST overhaul a damning example of
ad-hocism that continues to govern India's public policies: firstpost
Retention of cement in 28% GST slab
unfortunate: Cement Manufacturers' Association
Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA)
expressed disappointment over the exclusion of the product from the 200 items
on which the Centre slashed GST rate to 18 % from 28 percent. The retention of
the cement in the 28 % GST bracket, along with luxury items such as washing
machines and air conditioners, is quite unfortunate, CMA head Shailendra
Chouksey said."This is a disappointment for the entire industry as cement
is integral to the Govt 's key schemes such as housing for all, Swachh
Bharat-related constructions and building of other key infrastructure
projects," he said.PTI
In 2019, we will reduce GST rate to just one
slab of 18%:Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul
Gandhi appears confident his party will win the next general elections because
he said if BJP doesn't reduce GST tax rate to a flat 18% "we will do it in
2019".He said he's not happy even though the Centre cut GST rate yesterday
on more than 200 items, to 18% from 28 percent. He also said India
"doesn't need" 5 different tax slabs and GST regime needs a
structural overhaul."We are not happy. We want the 'Gabbar Singh Tax' to
be abolished and people get one tax slab of GST. We want only one 18 % tax
slab. If BJP does not do it we will do it in 2019," said the Gandhi scion
who was speaking from the campaign trail in Gandhinagar in poll-bound
Gujarat."Gabbar Singh Tax" is what Rahul calls the GST. He's implying
the GST is as villainous as Gabbar Singh, an iconic baddie from Hindi
cinema.Rahul also said it was the pressure put on the Govt by ordinary people and by the Congress that
forced the Govt 's hand and led to it slashing rates. timesofindia
GST aimed to break backbone of India, benefit
selected businessmen: Rahul Gandhi
CBI should probe fixation of 'exorbitant
rates' by GST Council: Goa Congress
Congress in Goa today demanded a CBI probe
into the matter of initial fixation of "exorbitant rates" by the GST
Council.In a statement here, Goa Congress chief Shantaram Naik said the GST
Council had caused a "notional" loss of Rs 20,000 crore to the
central and states' exchequer."CBI should, suo motu, investigate into the
matter of initial fixation of exorbitant rates by GST Council and now causing
approximately Rs 20,000 crore loss to the Centre and states," he
said.Central agency should start criminal proceedings against those responsible
for the loss, Naik said.Congress leader said the Rs 20,000 crore loss may be
"notional" but the damage caused to the Centre and state Govt s is
real.PTI
GST tax rollback: It took 4 months for common
sense to germinate, says Chidambaram
P Chidambaram on Saturday took a dig at the Govt
over GST roll back in tax slabs, saying
it took four months for commonsense to “germinate, flower and ripen into a
fruit”.“Ministry of finance must be complimented for ‘improving’ the
macro-economic situation in four months and 10 days!” Chidambaram said in a
tweet.HT
Car sales fall in October as GST hits festive
demand
Car
sales declined 5% in Oct.and inventories remained at higher level as GST hit
demand in the festive season, auto industry body Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers (Siam) said.Vishnu Mathur, directorgeneral of Siam said that festive
season sales for cars were "below expectations" and dealerships still
have high stock levels with them. However, SUVs saw higher demand and sales
went up by 12%.TOI
GST Council cuts tax rates on 213 items;
eating out to get cheaper: thehindu
GST Council sharply reduced to just 50 the
number of items in the highest tax rate of 28%. At its 23rd meeting in
Guwahati, chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, it also staggered the
return filing process, reduced the tax rates on restaurants and expanded the
Composition Scheme for small firms.Tax experts termed the Council’s decisions —
virtually upending the original GST structure — a bold decision ahead of the
Gujarat elections. The decisions are expected to win over businesses struggling
to cope with the transition to the new indirect tax system.The Council decided
to reduce the tax rate on 178 of the current 228 items from 28% to 18%, with
effect from November 15. Items with tax rates reduced to nil from 5% include
guar meal, sweet potatoes, and dried or frozen fish.
Congress likely to allot 20-25 seats to Hardik
Patel’s outfit in Phase 1 of Gujarat polls: Reports
Congress on Friday approved the names of 80
candidates for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections that will be
held on Dec.9, theHT reported. The party is likely to announce the names of its
candidates by Nov. 16, The Hindu reported. During its central election
committee meeting, the party also earmarked 20-25 seats for the Hardik
Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. Patel was supposed to forward to the
Congress his list of candidates by Thursday, but it did not arrive by the time
the Congress panel met. Patel is now expected to send his list in a few days
after which the Congress will finalise names.Patel leaders within the Congress
have asked for 60 seats for the members of the Patidar community. Congress Vice
President Rahul Gandhi is reportedly willing to field them in at least 50
constituencies, according to the Hindustan Times. scroll
Drama in Supreme Court as chief justice annuls
order on case casting aspersions on judiciary
New Delhil:There was high drama in the Supreme
Court for the second consecutive day on Friday, with the Chief Justice of India
Dipak Misra constituting a special 5-judge bench to hear a case casting
aspersions on the judiciary and, at the same time, annulling an order passed by
a two-judge bench of the apex court on Thursday, listing the case for hearing
by a Constitution Bench of the five-senior most judges of the court, minus the
Chief Justice himself.The drama wasn’t restricted to the scrapping of the
day-old order, though. It also included criticism of that order, an exchange
between the chief justice and lawyer Prashant Bhushan – with the latter asking
the former to recuse himself from the case and the former refusing to do so,
and a demand by a group of lawyers for a contempt petition against Bhushan for
casting aspersions on Chief Justice.At the heart of the controversy that is
roiling the country’s top court, and forcing judges and lawyers to take sides,
is a case filed by Prasad Education Trust seeking relief from a Govt order barring it from admitting students to
its medical college in 2017-18 and 2018-19. The trust sought relief from the
SC and the Allahabad high court. On
Sept.18, a bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice denied it
relief for 2017-18 and asked the Medical Council of India to reassess the
college regarding its admission of students for 2018-19. hindustantimes
'Black day' in SC history: Prashant Bhushan
explains court ordeal
New Delhi: Petitioner and Supreme Court lawyer
Prashant Bhushan, who had sought an SIT Investigation in the medical college
bribery scam, termed CJI,Justice Dipak Misra, overriding J Chelameshwar's order
as a 'black day' in the history of the Supreme Court."I feel that the
behaviour of the CJI and the bench was not proper. We haven’t yet seen the
order of the court. We’ll first see and then take the call on our future course
of action," Bhushan told ANI."But this is certainly a black day in
the history of the Supreme Court," he added.The above-mentioned matter
pertains to a medical college bribery scam against IM Quddusi (retired Orissa
High Court judge) who was arrested among others, by CBI under the Prevention of
Corruption Act.Bhushan, earlier in the day, tweeted that CJI Dipak Misra
presided over a "hand-picked bench to override yesterday's order" by
another top court bench.hushan went on to explain the ordeal of the day's
proceedings."It was one of the most unfortunate days for the Supreme Court
and the judiciary, where the credibility of the court has been greatly
undermined and that too effectively by the CJI himself. The petition was
seeking an independent SIT investigation into a CBI FIR effectively registered
against the judges of SC, including the CJI, particularly the CJI. We were
asking for an independent SIT investigation and that it should not be left with
the CBI, which is a caged parrot under the Central Govt ," Bhushan said."A
similar matter was heard the previous day in which it was observed that it is a
very important case and can have serious ramifications and therefore, it should
be heard by five seniormost judges of the Supreme Court on Monday. Today when
our matter came to a different bench, the two judges first apparently said that
it should be connected with the earlier case but then at 2:45 pm, I received a
call from the registry that the CJI has constituted a seven-judge bench,"
he added.Bhushan further said that thereafter, a five bench started the
proceedings, but instead of hearing the matter on merits, it started asking all
kinds of random lawyers present there about the propriety of court no. 2
hearing this matter the previous day."When I said that CJI should not be
hearing this matter because he has a conflict of interest as this FIR is
effectively seeking an investigation into his role also, he ignored my point
and once again started listening to random lawyers," he said, adding,
"He did not allow me to say anything on the merits of the
case."Bhushan added that after trying for 4-5 times, he left the
court.ANI
Minority status for Hindus: Supreme Court
declines plea
New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday declined to
entertain a plea seeking minority status for Hindus in seven states and one
Union Territory where the community numbers have fallen according to 2011
Census. A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi “closed” the writ petition after
BJP leader Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay, who had filed it, prayed “for liberty to
withdraw this writ petition and instead approach the National Commission for
Minorities”. Indianexpress
All Eyes On SC Hearing Challenging Rakesh
Asthana’s Appointment as CBI Special Director: thewire
PIL petition calls for disclosure of all
relevant records pertaining to Asthana’s appointment.On Nov.13, the Supreme Court
will be hearing a most unusual case. For the first time in the history of the
country, the appointment of a serving top officer of India’s premier police
investigating agency is being questioned because he is himself being
investigated in a corruption case by the same agency.The person concerned is
Rakesh Asthana, officer of 1984 batch of IPS belonging to the Gujarat cadre. He
was appointed as special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation on
Oct.22 by an order issued by appointments committee of cabinet comprising PM
Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh.This appointment is being
challenged through a PIL petition filed by the non-Govt organisation Common Cause on the ground that
Asthana is not a person of “impeccable integrity.” A disclaimer is in order:
this writer is a member of the governing council of this organisation.
Birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan who
modernized army, roads, irrigation system observed amid protests
Govt of southern Indian state of Karnataka on
Friday celebrated the 268th birth anniversary of 18th century ruler of
erstwhile kingdom of Mysore amid protests from Hindu nationalist outfits.The
state Govt led by Congress party says
Tipu Sultan is a freedom fighter who fought against the British colonial
rulers, but right-wing BJP, which is the main opposition party in Karnataka,
calls him "tyrant" and "anti-Hindu bigot".BJP and its
affiliate organisations staged state-wide protests against the honoring of the
controversial ruler that started three years ago by the state Govt."Indians
are not divided over Tipu Sultan. It's only people motivated by a certain
ideology and politics who want to create divisions," said Mridula
Mukherjee, who taught history at JNU, referring to right-wing forces."Here
was a man who tried his best to try and resist Western conquest," she told
Al Jazeera.BJP and its ideological parent RSS claim Tipu was a fanatic who
destroyed temples and forcibly converted Hindus to Islam during his 17 years of
reign.Historians say this is part of the larger campaign run by Hindu groups
who paint Muslim rulers as barbarians and harsh against their Hindu subjects.
Roads named after Muslim kings from medieval era have been changed and the Govt
of PM Narendra Modi has been accused of
pushing for rewriting of history books to suit the Hindu nationalist agenda. There
are historical accounts of Tipu funding many temples and monasteries but those
accounts are not highlighted while his acts against Hindu community are often
exaggerated. "All rulers of the pre-modern era and even in the modern era
when they went for conquest of another people, there was inevitable cruelty and
brutality, so Tipu was not unique. Tipu was not an Ashoka or a Buddha. He was
just like any other medieval ruler," Mukherjee said.Rakesh Sinha,
ideologue of the RSS, admits Tipu Sultan was an Indian ruler with "both
positive and negative traits", but says he is against celebrations and
"iconisation" of the controversial ruler.#TipuJayanti trended all day
as people from both sides of the divide came out on the social media to express
their views.Mani Shankar Aiyar, senior leader of the Congress Party and former
federal minister said that the present ruling establishment (BJP) wants to
"promote a very business-oriented nationalism" in place of the idea
of India of Jawaharlal Nehru.Nehru's idea of India, he said "essentially
meant anyone living in India is an Indian and that we don't allow the sins of
their fathers to visit their children". Aiyer said that those who want a
Hindu Raj (rule) in a secular India "keep trying to find examples in
Muslim rulers of India of wrongs that they may have done, and then exaggerating
them".Tipu is also credited with modernisation of army, roads and
irrigation system, and historians point out attempts are being made to show
Tipu's multi-layered personality from a narrow sectarian prism. aljazeera
How Tipu Sultan was the original tech
innovator: ET
Even as Tipu Sultan's legacy weathers a
political hailstorm in Karnataka, ET explores how the ruler of Mysore was a
tech innovator. 18th Century ruler -who was the last hurdle to the British's
domination over South India -introduced ground-breaking changes to the economy
and even created technology parks across his kingdom. On his `Jayanti' today,
ET looks back at the radical changes Tipu brought about and which shaped the
economy of the region well into the modern era. Tyrant. Iconoclast. Religious
bigot. If this is the image the British painted of Tipu Sultan centuries ago,
political groups of today are terming him a "fanatic",
"opportunist", "rapist", "anti-Hindu" and
"anti-Kannada." Historians and researchers, on the other hand, regard
Tiger of Mysore as a secular, progressive king who was constantly on the
lookout for the best global technology for his kingdom. Records suggest that he
developed industries, laid the foundation of the silk trade and encouraged
foreign technology. To advance these, Tipu established banking networks and
cooperatives, where capital was raised from the public (similar to banks
inviting deposits), the principal held on an annual basis and returned with
interest (or `nafa'). In her book `Tiger:Life of Tipu Sultan', Australian researcher
Kate Brittlebank describes Tipu as a middlesized king with tawny complexion,
broad chest, slender waist and short mustachios.Although he encouraged Islamic
conversions, historical evidence never painted him as a fanatic. "In fact,
Tipu's attitude is primarily one of acceptance and understanding. This is most
evident in his revenue and commercial regulations, which require his non-Muslim
heads of departments to take oaths of service according to the conventions of
their respective faiths. Additionally, regulations instruct that when
non-Muslim officials attend court, they are to be fed appropriately; or in
other words, they should only be offered food permitted them," she writes.
"British called him a shopkeeper,"says historian Nidhin George
Olikara, who specialises in Tipu. "He established trading houses for
Mysore products worldwide, including places like Puducherry , Kutch, Karachi,
Oman, Baghdad and Constantinople." Tipu, Olikara explains, preferred to do
cashless, barter transactions for two reasons -one was to create a market for
Mysorean goods and workmen abroad and the other, more important reason, was to
curtail the drain of wealth out of India, which the Europeans, especially
British, were notorious for. He realised that trading in currency would sap
Mysuru's purchasing power at some point. How Tipu was the original Tech
innovator. One incident that highlights Tipu's economic strategy was a
procurement deal with France in Oct.1788 When French wanted to import pepper,
sandalwood, cardamom, cotton yarns, gum and ivory, Tipu demanded that the goods
be paid for by articles including cannons, ammunition, silk and woollen goods.
"Only the balance, if any , would be paid in bullion or silver,"
pointed out Olikara. Long before the Nehruvian fillip to public sector
undertakings, Tipu Sultan ruled that certain key industries would be
monopolised by the State. This included sugar, salt, iron, tobacco, sandalwood
and mining of silver, gold and precious stones. Tipu Sultan's library was
apparently filled with translations of world literature. `Tiger of Mysore'
would make handwritten observations of foreign countries. Ships arriving at his
port in Mangaluru would bring various gadgets like telescopes and barometers. He
often asked European ambassadors to bring him the latest technology from their
lands instead of precious stones and jewellery . Partly inspired by the
industrial revolution sweeping Europe, the ruler modified foreign technology to
meet his ends. economictimes
Several BJP MLAs, leaders defy party diktat,
join Tipu celebrations
Bengaluru: In an embarrassment to BJP leaders
who were vehemently opposing the Tipu Jayanti fete, 3 BJP MLAs and some
second-rung leaders participated in the celebrations held across Karnataka on
Friday, defying the party line.While former minister and BJP MLA from
Vijayanagara (Ballari) Anand Singh chose to participate in the Govt held event at Ballari, Shahapur MLA Guru Patil
not only attended the celebrations but also praised the 18th century ruler.
Singh, who arrived at the event organized at Hosapete draped in a shawl with
tiger stripes, spoke in Urdu."There have been protests against Tipu
Jayanti organized by the Gov and even
our party is against it. But I am not a politician who will get into such a
controversy. As a human being, I will rush to offer help to anyone,
irrespective of community," Singh said. timesofindia
Protests mar Tipu, 140 Hindu right wing
activists detained
For Pune University’s Academic Gold Medal,
Only Vegetarians and Teetotallers Need Apply
No matter how meritorius you are and no matter
your how excellent your academic performance, you are not going to get a gold
medal unless you are a vegetarian and a teetotaller. At least not in Savitribai
Phule Pune University (SPPU).University, whose admirers call it the Oxford of
the East, has issued a circular to that effect, angering students and education
activists who have called it an attempt at inculcating ‘sanskari’ values among
students. However university officials deny any such intention and claim that
the conditions are hardly new and were laid down by the family that gives away
medal and price amount. SPPU confers a gold medal called the ‘HBP Yogmaharshi
Rashtriya Kirtankar, Ramchandra Gopal Shelar Urfa Shelarmama Suvarnpadak’ to
the best post graduate student. Students of science and non-science streams are
given the medal every alternate year. This year’s (2016-17) winner for the best
student will be given to a PG student of the non-science stream.The circular
lists ten conditions for application. Condition number seven says students
should be vegetarian and without bad habits like consuming alcohol.As per
condition number three the student should believe in and follow Indian culture,
traditions and thinking in his daily life. Another condition compels that
students should have participated in activities such as spreading awareness
about HIV, blood donation, the environment, literacy and cleanliness. The rules
also say a prospective winner should have won medals and awards in individual
and group category of sport in national and international competitions. And in
that too, the student who does Yoga, Pranayama and meditation will be given
preference. It also compels student to be skilful in singing, dance, drama and
oratory skills.Students and education activists have slammed move as
saffronisation of education. Satish Gore, president, Student Federation of
India, SPPU, said, “We condemn this act by the university to spread right wing
ideology across colleges in the university. The university should follow
principles of equality as per the constitution. We are going ask the vice
chancellor to drop the conditions or we will agitate.”Sagar Duryodh, student
representative of All India Students Federation at the University said, “this
rule is against the progressive ethos of Maharashtra and also of Pune
University. Are students who eat non-vegetarian food inferior in any way? This
is ridiculous and we want the VC to take the circular back.” thewire
Remembering Maulana Azad, India’s 1st
education minister
Nov.11 is a special day in Indian history. On
this day, the country celebrates National Education Day to commemorate the
birth anniversary of freedom fighter and independent India’s first Education
Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Remembered as Maulana Azad, his contribution
to building an education foundation in this country has been remarkable. Since
a very young age, Maulana was an literature enthusiast. He is considered as one
of the greatest Urdu writers of the 20th century. His work was recognised
through his journalistic practice, publishing works critical of colonial
British Raj and espousing causes of Indian nationalism. He has also written
many books including India Wins Freedom, Ghubar-e-Khatir, Tazkirah and
Tarjumanul Quran.In 1920, he was elected as one of the founding members to
establish Jamia Millia Islamia at Aligarh in UP without the help of the British.Later in 1947,
he was elected as the first education minister of the independent India. He
served the post as education minister till 1958. Under his tenure, he founded
most of the major cultural and literary academies we have today including first
IIT, UGC Sangeet Natak Academy, Lalit Kala Academy, Sahitya Academy as well as
the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and School of Planning and
Architecture. Indian express
Here's Why Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's Birthday
Is Celebrated As National Education Day
I’m a great admirer of prophet of Islam;Ram
Jethmalani
Ram Jethmalani who is an eminent Indian lawyer
and politician says, he is a great admirer of the prophet of Islam, and is a
student of holy Qur’an.While speaking about secularism at Algebra, The Arts and
Ideas Club, he said that there is so much of misunderstanding and total
unawareness today among different communities about what India’s constitution
is.He said that people in India seem to forget that India is a secular state,
and secularism means the subordination of religion to reason. Siasat
Oh shed! In Kannur, RSS worker blows up roof
while making bomb: indiatoday
An explosion took place on the property of RSS
worker Valayangadan Raghu in Kannur's Koothuparamba area, allegedly while he
was making a bomb in his shed. The explosive that went off was a country-made
bomb. Koothuparamba police said the blast occurred in a shed close to Raghu's
house. Roof tiles and window parts were blown away.Police also recovered 500 gm
of gun powder, which was allegedly used to make bombs.A case was registered
against Raghu, but he and his son absconded after the incident.Last year, a BJP
worker died in an explosion in Koothuparamba while he was making country-made
bombs. indiatoday
Rare ayurveda and yoga manuscripts pit
Patanjali against culture ministry
New Delhi:There is a tussle going on between
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Divya Yog Mandir Trust Patanjali Yogpeeth and the
National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) which comes under the Union ministry of
culture over access to copies of rare manuscripts on ayurveda and
yoga.Patanjali wants to access digital copies of the manuscript for research,
but NMM doesn’t seem to be too keen on sharing the documents, despite the
intervention of its parent ministry, the ministry of culture. NMM director V
Venkata Ramana Reddy could not be reached for comment because he went on a
month-long medical leave last week. People familiar with the matter at NMM said
on condition of anonymity that Reddy’s message to them, mentioning the
intervention of the minister of culture and asking that the manuscripts be
shared, was seen as more of a guideline than a direction.NMM’s position has
been that there are copyright issues. In August, Reddy wrote to Patanjali: “NMM
cannot use or provide to any third party digital copies of any manuscripts
without the prior permission of the manuscripts holders. We have written to the
ministry regarding the ownership rights and also requested the institutes,
which have been covered under the digitization project to provide their consent
for making the digital data accessible to people on the website of NMM.”HT
Yoga Teacher Rafia Naaz's House Attacked In
Ranchi
Ranchi: Unidentified assailants have allegedly
pelted stones at the house of a woman yoga teacher in the Hatia area of Ranchi,
following which security was increased at her residence, an official said.A few
days back, Rafia Naaz was allegedly threatened by members of her community
after she performed yoga. She had informed the Ranchi SSP about it, DSP Vikas
Chandra Srivastav said.Following her meeting with the SSP, the police had
provided security to her. But after she gave an interview to a TV channel
today, some people pelted stones at her house, the police officer said.The
police are investigating the matter, he said.PTI
Husband took me to Saudi as sex slave, planned
to sell me: Kerala woman
A 25-year-old woman on Friday approached
Kerala High Court alleging that she was forcefully converted after her marriage
to a Muslim and taken to Saudi Arabia for sex slavery.The woman has filed a
petition in the high court calling for her marriage to be nullified. She
alleged that she was sexually exploited, forced into sexual relationship and
blackmailed with videos before getting married, according to a report in
NDTV."After reaching Saudi Arabia, 9th respondent showed his real colour.
He was considering the petitioner as sex slave. Woman, who is a Keralite, was
born and brought up in Gujarat. She met Muhammed Riyaz, whom she accuses of
forcefully marrying her, while studying at a private institution in Bengaluru.The
case will be considered on Nov.13.ANI
Hindu Woman Converted to Islam to Live With
Muslim Man as His Fourth Wife
New Delhi: Neither religious boundaries nor
the court of law could stop Jabalpur’s Shama Khan (previously Shiva Parihar)
from reuniting with her husband. The Hindu woman adopted Islam to live with the
love of her life but her parents objected to the relationship as the man
already had three wives.Shamim Khan, a resident of Damoh, had filed a petition
before a court in Jabalpur alleging that Shama, his fourth wife, was kept under
houses arrest by her parents and urged the court to set her free. The court
ordered the police to drop Shama to her husband’s house under full
protection.Arguing the matter, public prosecutor Akshay Namdev told the court
that Shamim, who is tailor by profession, already had three wives and three
sons and thus, Shama would find it difficult to adjust.However, Shama, 26, told the court that she was ready
to live with Shamim as his fourth wife despite the fact that he hasn’t divorced
his other three wives. ” I know he has three wives and has not taken divorce
from them. Despite this, I am ready to live with him,” Dainik Jagran quoted
her, as saying. India.com
‘BJP Borrowed Its Entire Plank of Protecting
Rights of Indigenous People in Assam Polls From Us’
New Delhi: Even as the National Register of
Citizens (NRC) 1951, is being updated in Assam as per Assam Accord under the
supervision of the Supreme Court, there is a rising demand among the indigenous
people of the state to grant them “constitutional safeguards” based on that
Accord.As per clause six of the Accord, signed between All Assam Students Union
(AASU), All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad and the then central and state Govts in
1985, “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be
appropriate shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the culture,
social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people”. Though what
constitutes the “Assamese people” has not been spelt out in the Accord, and
present AASU leaders haven’t dwelt much on it apart from using the term
‘Khilonjia’, there is presently a signature campaign being run by an
organisation called PrabajanVirodhi Manch(PVM) demanding “constitutional
safeguards” for indigenous people.Spearheaded by Upamanyu Hazarika, a senior
advocate of the Supreme Court, the organisation has demanded that the
Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP Govt bring in
a legislation in this regard. Delhi-based Hazarika said the party grabbed power
based on the plank of protecting the rights of indigenous people from the
Manch. Arguing for it, Hazarika stated that “the process of identifying and
deportation of the illegal immigrant from Bangladesh has not yielded results
and updating the NRC as per the Accord will not be enough to protect the rights
of the local people.” thewire
Massive ‘Mahapadav’ Protest in Delhi
Highlights Plight of India’s Workers
New Delhi: Even as New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar
no longer remains the bastion of resistance it once was, Parliament Street has
over the past two days turned into a sea of workers from across the country who
have come together to draw attention to rising joblessness. Flagged by various
Left-affiliated and other independent trade unions to mark the first
anniversary of demonetisation, the ‘Mahapadav’, as the dharna is being called,
seeks to address the fast deteriorating conditions of workers in India today.
The protest hopes to make a powerful statement against what the organisers call
the “anti-people policies” of the Modi Govt .While most of the workers
assembled attributed the dismal state of affairs in employment conditions to
the twin blows of demonetisation and GST, many remain hopeful that the Govt may lend them an ear now while taking what the
PM had referred to as “harsh steps.”The
protest is not merely about criticising the Govt . Many still believe that GST
and demonetisation may serve India’s interests in the long-run but also want
the Govt to take immediate steps to
penalise the powerful loan defaulters, who, according to them, enjoy political
immunity.Many of them think that Modi’s promises are big but he has not been
able to deliver. “Workers are the backbone of the economy. How can the economy
grow if they are in an unprecedentedly miserable state?” asked a truck driver
from Odisha.Irrespective of their political affiliations, the workers wished to
show a mirror to the Govt , tell the officials that all is not well and hoped
the PM will now sit up and address their
long-neglected concerns. thewire
Delhi sees protests by trade unions, farmer
groups
3 Reasons Why Big Media Blacked Out The
Massive Workers Mahapadev (Sit In)
Pollution level in North India remains severe,
Varanasi tops the list
New Delhi: Cities across North India continued
to be `severe` on the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday, as per the report by
the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).Varanasi topped the list at 491,
followed by Gurugram at 480, Delhi at 468, Lucknow at 462 and Kanpur at 461, in
the AQI. Pollution level is categorised as `severe` when the AQI ranges between
401 and 500, which affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with
existing diseases.ANI
Delhi air pollution: Delhi govt defers rollout
of odd-even, to approach NGT for exemption to women,2-wheelers
New Delhi: Delhi Govt on Saturday deferred implementation of its car
rationing scheme, which was scheduled to kick off from November 13. The
announcement came after a review meeting of the ongoing situation, following
new directions from the National Green Tribunal, ordering the Govt to lift exemptions granted to women drivers
and two-wheelers under the proposed Odd-Even plan. Delhi Govt is now going to move another application with
the green body on Monday to review its order and exempt women drivers and
two-wheelers from the Odd-Even scheme. Delhi Govt in the past two phases of the rationing had
kept them out of the scheme.The current phase of the policy was scheduled to be
implemented for a period of five days. The Govt in a statement said, “The NGT has issued
directions to withdraw many of the exemption including the exemption to
two-wheelers and women drivers. This Govt gives the highest priority to the safety and
security of women and therefore, it feels that the exemption to this category
should continue.”Meanwhile, on giving exemption to two-wheelers, the Govt said, “considering the large number of two-wheelers
in Delhi, unless an adequate number of buses are available, implementation of
Odd-Even will cause great hardship to such persons. This is not feasible to
arrange such a large number of buses at this stage.” indianexpress
Delhi smog: Doctors say N90 masks can help
protect from ill-effects
Stop pellet guns, involve Pak in talks:
Hurriyat to Govt
Jammu: Hurriyat Conference has asked the Govt of India to stop the use of pellet guns,
release all political prisoners and Kashmiri youths from jail, and involve the
leadership of Kashmir and Pakistan in talks if it wants to resolve the Kashmir
issue. “We want to tell the Govt of
India that this 70-year-old Kashmir issue cannot be solved in one day,” said
Devinder Singh Behal, a confidant of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, at
a gathering to mourn the death of a militant in Pulwama.Behal was arrested by
NIA in Jammu in July following raids at his Bakshi Nagar residence in
connection with the probe into the funding of terror activity in the Valley.A
video shot at the gathering shows Behal saying that he has been sent by Geelani
to assure the grieving family that the organisation and the people of state are
with them. “We are with you and will continue to be with you in future,” he
said, adding that whatever Hurriyat does will be for its own people.Referring
to the Centre’s appointment of Dineshwar Sharma to carry out dialogue with
stakeholders in J&K, Behal said, “And the second big thing, as you all know
about the initiation of peace process by the Govt of India, we want to say that this 70-year-old
Kashmir issue is not a matter that can be solved in just a day. We want to tell
the Govt of India that if it wants to
solve the issue in right earnest, it will have to first ban the use of pellet
guns. Secondly, it shall release all the political prisoners and Kashmiri
youths lodged in jails, and thirdly it shall remove bunkers set up in Srinagar
town, villages and all places in the Valley. Thereafter, it will have to agree
on involving the leadership of Kashmir and Pakistan in the dialogue process.” indianexpress
Farooq Abdullah claims PoK belongs to
Pakistan; rejects the idea of 'Azad Kashmir'
Srinagar: Opposition NC president Farooq
Abdullah said on Saturday that talk of an independent Kashmir was
"wrong" as the Valley is landlocked and surrounded by three nuclear
powers— China, Pakistan, and India.Abdullah also claimed that Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK) belongs to Pakistan and "this won't change" no matter
how many wars India and Pakistan fight against each other.His statement comes
days after Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi had rejected the idea of an "independent Kashmir", saying it
was not based on "reality"."I am saying that there is nothing
like the issue of freedom (independent Kashmir) here. We are landlocked. On one
side we have China, Pakistan on the other side and India on the third
side," the MP from Srinagar told reporters on the sidelines of a function
at the party HQRS.PTI
Relief for Abu Salem as court rules he can’t
be tried in Bhopal murder case
Bhopal:A single bench of the high court in
Jabalpur has quashed the production warrant issued in gangster Abu Salem’s name
by Bhopal district court in connection with a double murder case in which he
was allegedly involved. Salem’s advocate Alok Baghrecha said Justice Vivek
Agrawal ruled that Salem cannot be tried for any other case apart from the nine
mentioned in the extradition treaty between India and Portugal, under which he
was brought to India. hindustantimes
Muslim clerics in Jharkhand oppose govt move
on national anthem in madrasas: hindustantimes
Ranchi:Several Muslim clerics in Jharkhand
have opposed BJP govt’s proposal to make singing of the national anthem
mandatory in madrasas, terming it as violation of the basic principles of the
Islamic learning centres.State education minister Neera Yadav on Thursday
announced the Govt will issue a
notification mandating the singing of Jana Gana Mana in every school and
madrasa. The notification is likely to be issued on November 15, Jharkhand’s
statehood day.BJP-ruled UP has already
made it compulsory for singing the national anthem and flag hoisting in
madrasas, a move criticised by Muslim groups as a forced show of patriotism and
nationalism. Jharkhand’s Islamic scholars said madrasas follow their own
routine for years, which include singing of Maksud Tarana (madarsa song) every
morning.“We do not have a problem with our students singing the national anthem
on important days like August 15 and Jan.26, but making it mandatory to sing
the national anthem every day is unfair and violated our basic principle...,”
said maulana Azghar Misbahi, who runs Jamia Faizanul Quran Madarsa in Ranchi’s
Bariatu.Maulana Rizwan Ahmed Quazmi, who runs the Maulana Islamia Madarsa in
Upper Bazar locality of Ranchi, said the mandate was an imposition on the
madrasas and violated many rules.
Clashes break out over mosque toilet in
Aligarh, 2 dead, 25 families flee
Aligarh:At least 25 Muslim families have fled
an Aligarh village after a dispute over a mosque toilet sparked communal
clashes and arson that left two people dead, officials said on Saturday. A
firewood shop was burnt down on Friday night despite additional security
personnel deployed in Khurrampur Nagla Mewati village, about 20 km from
Aligarh.Sources that said about 155 Muslims who fled the village are unwilling
to return as tension ran high in the area. The village had an estimated 2,000
people before the clashes on Nov. 9.One person, identified as Ramveer Sharma
(50), died on Thursday in the hospital, while another person, identified only
as Hasin, was killed in crossfire during the clashes. Sharma was injured and
admitted to a hospital where he died, officials said.Sharma, 50, had allegedly
led a group of Hindus to demolish the toilet attached to a mosque when the
clashes started. The toilet was constructed on his land, allegedly without his
knowledge.The death of Sharma sparked fresh tension when several BJP leaders
reached the hospital with their supporters and later blocked a key road with
the body.The blockade was lifted only after the administration stepped
in.Family members and his associates said he had been seeking the
administration’s nod for demolishing the toilet for a long time. Aligarh DM
Rishikesh Bhaskar Yashod said he has sought documents to clear the confusion
over the toilet land.“Politicians, particularly from BJP, are giving it (the
incident) a communal colour. As MPs and MLAs have interfered in the incident,
the administration is under pressure. Muslim families have deserted the village
leaving behind their domestic animals. We will only return to the village when
the administration guarantees us security,” said Aslam, a relative of Hasin. hindustantimes
Students start campaign for University in
Muslim-majority Murshidabad
Murshidabad, one of the most densely populated
districts of the state of West Bengal, does not have a single full-fledged
University and students from various groups have started a protest to demand
for the same.In a press meet held in Kolkata Press Club on Nov.8, Students
Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) announced that they will lead a 10-day long
campaign for a university in Murshidabad district.SIO state president Osman
Gani said, “The legitimate demand to set up a full-fledged University is the
need of the hour.”SIO is also planning to march against the same. “We are going
to march to the West Bengal Assembly on November 21 against this selective
discrimination and educational deprivation,” said Gani.He also said, “The
demand for a university in Murshidabad is the long-term aspiration of about 80
lakh people in the area and it is at the verge of explosion.”The demand for a
University in Murshidabad, which has a majority Muslim population, has been
going on for the past several years.TwoCircles
Saharanpur illegal mining: BSP MLC Mehmood
Ali’s land, bank account seized
Lucknow : Saharanpur administration has begun
attaching properties of BSP MLC Mehmood Ali in order to realise the Rs 44 crore
he owed the Govt after an inquiry found
that he had illegally mined in Saharanpur. In the last three days, the
administration has seized around nine hectares farming land in seven villages
and also seized his bank account. Mehmood Ali alleged that he was being
harassed because he is a BSP worker.District Mining officer, Saharanpur, Pankaj
Kumar said that complaint against Ali was filed in 2012 after which an inquiry
was conducted. On the basis of the findings, notices were served to him and his
two partners seeking reply, he added. Meanwhile, SDM, Sadar, Sangeeta informed
that Ali’s house could not be attached as he is not the owner.
Mobile, social media distracting women from
their life’s purpose:GIO's women conference
Nagpur: As a Muslim, one is expected to be a
responsible human being, said Sana Mubashera, district organizer, Girls Islamic
Organization. She was addressing the women's conference on 'Role of women in
social reform' organized by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Nagpur Metro's Women Wing at
Muslim Football Ground, Mominpura."A woman's workplace is her home. She plays
different roles in her life, but the most important of all is of a mother. Due
to influence of mobile, Internet and social media, women have become distracted
from their life's purpose," Mubashera said."Islam provides a
repository of strength. However, many girls are going astray due to the
influence of TV serials. Mothers should treat their daughters as friends and
have them share things. Hijab is a societal way of protecting girls but other
sensible approaches should also be tried. Check their mobiles for any messages
and pay surprise visits to their schools and colleges," she said, adding
the concept of purdah had been chosen for women by Allah himself.Zeba Khan,
Jamat-E-Islami Hind Nagpur (West), then took to the dais to speak about how
angels came to support people in need. "Angels come to help those who are
going through difficult times and those who are weak, with Allah's choice and
permission. For them to come to your rescue, always be disciplined about the
recitation of Quran on holy days and prayers. Take care of those who are
unwell. When you truly believe in Allah and his teachings, angels will be by
your side even after life," she said.Sajeda Parveen, secretary of
Maharashtra Muslim Women's Wing, was the chief guest at the event. "Allah has
treated men and women as equal in all ways and both are close to god," she
said. Women, however, commanded respect in all their roles.
'National monument status could have saved
Babri Masjid'
KOCHI: Archaeologist K K Muhammed has said
that the controversy over Babri Masjid in Ayodhya could have been avoided if it
was declared as a national monument."The masjid should have been preserved
without demolishing it,'' he said after inaugurating a talk on 'Taj Mahal and
India', organized by KPCC Vichar Vibagh in Kochi on Friday.He was replying to
the question on the future of the masjid. "We excavated the relics of
temple from the masjid. Muslims should hand over the land to Hindus since it
belongs to them. Ayodhya is sacred place for Hindus like Mecca and Madina is
sacred place for Muslims. But when the mosque was demolished, communist
historians sabotaged the move to hand over the land to Hindus," he
said.Terming the demolition of the mosque a blemish on the nation, he said
there were plans to conserve the mosque as a national monument. "If the
mosque was not demolished and was declared a national monument, the controversy
over it could have been avoided," Muhammed said. timesofindia
Najeeb Case: Court Defers Hearing On CBI Plea
New Delhi;A court here on Friday deferred the
hearing on the CBI’s plea seeking consent for a lie detector test of nine
students in connection with the case of the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed.As
the concerned judge was on leave, the court listed the matter for November 13
for further hearing.The court had in the last hearing allowed the CBI plea
seeking early hearing on the application seeking consent of nine students for a
lie detector test.IANS
Don’t Let Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Involuntarily
Violate Fundamental Rights:UN Official
New Delhi: United Nations special rapporteur
Leo Heller on Friday urged the Centre to ensure that its emphasis on
constructing toilets under the Clean India Mission or Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
“should not overshadow the focus of drinking water provision for all” and that
it “should not involuntarily contribute to violating fundamental rights of
others, such as those specific caste-affected groups engaged in manual
scavenging, or those who are marginalised such as ethnic minorities and people
living in remote rural areas.”Winding up his visit to India, which has come at
a time when the mission is at a crucial juncture of eliminating open
defecation, UN special rapporteur called on all levels of Govt of India to incorporate a human rights
perspective in their national programmes on water and sanitation.“Everywhere I went,
I saw the logo of the Clean India Mission – Gandhi’s glasses. In its third year
of implementation, now is a critical time to replace the lens of those glasses
with the human rights lens,” he said. thewire
WORLD
Israel instructs diplomats to support Saudis:
Cable
Nazareth: Israel has instructed its overseas
embassies to lobby their respective host countries in support of Saudi Arabia
and its apparent efforts to destabilise Lebanon, a recently leaked diplomatic
cable shows.The cable appears to be the first formal confirmation of rumours
that Israel and Saudi Arabia are colluding to stoke tensions in the region.Sent
by the Israeli foreign ministry and disclosed by Israel's Channel 10 news this
week, the cable demanded that diplomats stress Iran and Hezbollah’s engagement
in "regional subversion".That closely echoes accusations Riyadh
levelled against Tehran and the Lebanese faction in recent days.Some analysts
have noted that diplomatic moves by Israel to intervene directly in a seemingly
internal Arab matter are "very rare".Yossi Alpher, a former adviser
to Ehud Barak when he was Israeli PM , called the cable "extremely
presumptuous"."Do the Saudis really need Israel to put in a good word
for them in capitals around the world?" he told Al Jazeera.But others
believe Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli PM , who also heads the foreign
ministry that issued the cable, may be looking to gain from an uptick in
uncertainty in the region.The cable comes as Saudi Arabia has dramatically
escalated its rhetoric against Iran and Hezbollah. There are widespread
suspicions that Riyadh ordered Hariri to step down as a way to destablise
Lebanon, whose complex and fragile political set-up has struggled to contain
sharp sectarian divisions.The leaked cable instructed Israeli diplomats
"to stress that Hariri resignation shows how dangerous Iran and Hezbollah
are for Lebanon's security".The diplomats were told to appeal to the
"highest officials" in their host countries to press for Hezbollah’s
expulsion from the Lebanese govt.It further called on Israeli diplomats to back
Saudi Arabia in its war in Yemen, emphasising that the missile directed at
Riyadh required "more pressure on Iran and Hezbollah".Menachem Klein,
a politics professor at Bar Ilan University, near Tel Aviv, said that it was
likely Netanyahu expected and wanted the cable to go public."If you send a
diplomatic cable and start lobbying every foreign capital, you have to expect
that it won’t remain private for long," he told Al
Jazeera."Netanyahu's aim was to make clear to the Saudis that he can help.
The message is, 'We have special relations with Western countries and we can
help you advance your political goals against Iran and Hezbollah, which we
share'."Analysts have suggested that renewed sectarian conflict in Lebanon
- a possible outcome of Hariri’s resignation - could also leave it more
vulnerable to Israeli aggression.Noam Sheizaf, an Israeli journalist, told Al
Jazeera the cable appears to be "part of Israeli efforts at
coalition-building with Saudi Arabia and most of the Gulf states"."Israel
understands that the Saudis lost to Iran in Syria and Yemen, and now they need
an ally with the military and diplomatic power that Israel can provide,"
he said.Jeff Halper, an Israeli analyst, suggested that Israel had even grander
ambitions."As strange this sounds, the cable shows how Israel is becoming
the unlikely leader of the Sunni world," he said.Al Jazeera
Saad Hariri resignation 'illegal':Hezbollah
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/nasrallah-saad-hariri-resignation-illegal-171110141956412.html
The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah has declared
that the country's PM is currently
detained in Saudi Arabia and that his "forced" resignation is
unconstitutional because it was done "under pressure". Hassan
Nasrallah said he was sure that Saad Hariri was forced to resign as part of
what he called Saudi Arabia's policy of stoking sectarian tensions in Lebanon. Nasrallah
said Hariri is being prevented by Saudi officials from returning to Lebanon,
which is why "we deem the resignation of Hariri illegal and invalid". aljazeera
Middle East Eye: Senior Saudi figures tortured,
beaten in purge
Some senior figures detained in last
Saturday's purge in Saudi Arabia were beaten and tortured so badly during their
arrest or subsequent interrogations that they required hospital treatment,
Middle East Eye can reveal.People inside the royal court also told MEE that the
scale of the crackdown, which has brought new arrests each day, is much bigger
than Saudi authorities have admitted, with more than 500 people detained and
double that number questioned.Members of the royal family, Govt ministers and business tycoons were caught up
in the sudden wave of arrests orchestrated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
known as MBS, under the banner of an anti-corruption drive.Some, but not all,
of the top figures arrested were singled out for the most brutal treatment,
suffering wounds to the body sustained by classic torture methods. There are no
wounds to their faces, so they will show no physical signs of their ordeal when
they next appear in public. Some detainees were tortured to reveal details of
their bank accounts. MEE is unable to report specific details about the abuse
they suffered in order to protect the anonymity of its sources.The purge, which
follows an earlier roundup of Muslim clerics, writers, economists and public
figures, is creating panic in Riyadh,Saudi capital, particularly among those
associated with the old regime of King Abdullah, who died in 2015, with power
then passing to his half-brother, King Salman.Many fear the primary purpose of
the crackdown is a move by MBS to knock out all rivals both inside and outside
the House of Saud before he replaces his 81-year-old father.On Wednesday night,
7 princes were released from Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, where they had been
held since Saturday. The top royals have been moved to the king’s palace,
sources told MEE.The crown prince’s cousin, Mohammed bin Nayef, who continues
be under house arrest, has had his assets frozen, the Reuters news agency
reported. Sons of Sultan bin Abdulaziz have also been arrested and had their
assets frozen.One of the most famous is Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a former
Saudi ambassador to Washington and confidant of ex-US president George W
Bush.There is no word on his fate, but Saudi authorities said that one of the
corruption cases they are looking at is the al-Yamamah arms deal, in which
Bandar was involved. Middleeasteye
Erdoğan criticizes Saudi
Crown Prince’s ‘moderate Islam’ pledge
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-criticizes-saudi-crown-princes-moderate-islam-pledge-122262
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has
criticized the recent vow by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to make
Saudi Arabia a bastion of “moderate Islam”.“Islam cannot be either ‘moderate’ or ‘not
moderate.’ Islam can only be one thing,” Erdoğan said in a speech at a program
hosted in Ankara by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on women’s
entrepreneurship on Nov. 9.“Recently the concept of ‘moderate Islam’ has
received attention. But the patent of this concept originated in the West,”
Erdoğan said.“Perhaps the person voicing this concept thinks it belongs to him.
No, it does not belong to you,” he added, noting that he was “asked about
‘moderate Islam’ at meetings in the European Parliament many years ago.”“They
are now trying to pump up this idea again. What they really want to do is
weaken Islam ... We don’t want people to learn about religion from foreign
facts,” Erdoğan said, also criticizing the previous practice banning women from
driving in Saudi Arabia. The ban was recently lifted with an order from King
Salman requesting that driving licenses be issued to women.“You say ‘moderate
Islam’ but you do not allow women to drive. Is there any restriction in Islam
banning women from driving? There is no such thing,” he said. Meanwhile, Erdoğan
also blasted the OIC for “obstructing” certain plans that Turkey wants to
implement to support women’s rights within the OIC.“Turkey proposes a women’s
platform within the OIC but some leaders of the organization do not agree,” he
added. hurriyetdailynews
Discrimination against Muslim women in EU
states spreading like a virus: Erdoğan
UAE plot to wage financial war on Qatar
revealed
A UAE plan to attack Qatar's financial system
has been revealed in a folder of an email account belonging to UAE ambassador
to the US, Yousef al-Otaiba.The Intercept, a US-based investigative website,
obtained the folder and exposed the plot, which involves an attack on Qatar's
currency "using bonds and derivatives manipulation".UAE also aims to
increase Qatar's debt by controlling its "yield curve", according to
the report.According to the Intercept, Luxembourg's private Banque Havilland-
owned by family of Britain's controversial financier David Rowland - developed
the plan for UAE.Its objective is to push Qatar's economy to collapse, reduce
the value of its bonds and increase its credit cost, ultimately creating a
currency crisis that drains the country's reserves. The document further
reveals that while weakening Qatar's economy, UAE would also launch a PR
campaign to draw attention to this development as part of its campaign to have
Qatar eventually stripped of its role of being the host of the football World
Cup 2022. Aljazeera
Hamas restoring relations with Iran: Analysts
GAZA:After years of tension over Syria’s civil
war, relations between Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Iran are
developing and returning to what it was in the old days, analysts
believe."Hamas' relations with Iran are fully recovering since the group’s
recent internal election," Walid al-Mudallal, head of the Center for
Policy and Development Studies in Gaza, told Anadolu Agency.He blamed policies
of oil-rich Saudi Arabia for pushing Hamas again toward Iran."There is a
wave of hostility led by Saudi Arabia against Hamas, and it is logical for the
group to look for backers," he said.Shia Iran is a main backer of Hamas,
which has ruled the blockaded Gaza Strip since 2007.Al-Mudallal pointed out
that Hamas has decided to restore its relationship with Iran, as the group
"is not interested in adventure amid current Arab and regional
conditions". "Hamas would not receive financial or logistical support
by other axes, unlike the Iranian axis which the group is not ready to
lose," he said.The analyst, however, said that Hamas was not interested in
antagonizing other parties such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE.Palestinian
political analyst Mustafa al-Sawwaf cited relations between Arab states and
Israel for pushing Hamas toward Iran."Hamas is seeking support for the
resistance, something which Arab states don't respond do, while Iran
does," he said.Anadolu agency
Trump, Putin agree 'no military solution' in
Syria: aljazeera
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/trump-putin-agree-military-solution-syria-171111090130089.html
Russia and the US will continue their efforts
fighting against the ISIL group in Syria, US President Donald Trump and Russian
Vladimir Putin have agreed.In a joint statement released by the Kremlin and
issued on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Vietnam on Saturday, the
leaders agreed there was no military solution to the conflict in Syria and
called on all parties to take part in Geneva process.White House did not
immediately confirm the details of the statement.Syria's Bashar al-Assad's
commitment to the process, in line with a UN Security Council resolution,
implies "constitutional reform and free and fair elections under the
supervision of UN" in which all Syrians can participate, the statement
further said. Local Russian media also reported that the two parties promised
to maintain existing Russian-US military channels of communication to ensure
the security of the armed forces.
ISIL 'recaptures 60%' of last Syria stronghold
Reports that ISIL has recaptured major parts
of al-Bukamal, its last stronghold in Syria, have emerged 2 days after the
Syrian army declared it had taken full control over the town. Rami Abdulrahman,
head of UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, told Al
Jazeera on Saturday that ISIL has captured some 60% of al-Bukamal, an eastern
town in Deir Az Zor province on the border with Iraq. Abdulrahman also said the
centre of al-Bukamal has continued to witness fierce fighting between ISIL and
Syrian army and its allies Hezbollah, Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces(PMF),
and Iranian Revolutionary Guard. ISIL's retaliatory attacks come after Syrian
army's announcement on Thursday that it had regained full control of the town.
Following the statement, Syria's political and armed opposition denounced the
entry of Iraqi PMU in al-Bukamal as a violation of its sovereignty. "Entry
of the militias of PMF into the town of Albu Kamal and any other part of the
Syrian territory is a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty, especially as
PMF militias are part of military establishment of Iraqi govt,"National
Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces said. "Assad regime
is primarily responsible for the current situation in Syria and for exposing
the country to various forms of foreign hegemony, occupation, and violation of
sovereignty." A video circulating online, said to be released by ISIL's
news agency Amaq on Friday, purportedly shows ISIL fighters battling Assad
forces in what the narrator says are the outskirts of al-Bukamal.The video,
which bears Amaq agency logo, is titled "Syrian regime forces fail to
enter al-Bukamal city for the third day in a row." It shows an ISIL
fighter speaking to the camera and claiming the Syrian army - despite being
backed by the Russian air force - has failed to take control over the
town. AL JAZEERA
In fierce fightback, IS retakes almost all of
vital Syria border town, says Monitor: AFP
Palestinian elected as Rapporteur of UNESCO
Cultural Committee
Palestine’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Mounir
Anastas, has won election for the post of Rapporteur for the organisation’s
Cultural Committee, Quds Press has reported. The result was announced on
Thursday.An Italian official has been elected as President of the Committee,
with representatives of Venezuela, Albania, the Philippines and Zambia taking
positions as members.During its meeting, Committee agreed unanimously, without
the need for a vote, on a resolution to maintain the cultural heritage of
Jerusalem’s Old City. The resolution called for an interactive monitoring
delegation to be sent to the Old City in order to evaluate the situation and
carry out a work plan and prepare advice on the measures needed to be taken in
cooperation with all interested parties. middleeastmonitor
Hamas: PA’s security coordination with Israel
greatest threat to unity
Security coordination between the Palestinian
Authority (PA) and Israel will harm the Palestinian national interests and
negatively affect the chances of promoting a national reconciliation, Hamas
said yesterday.In an official statement, the movement’s spokesman, Fawzi
Barhoum, stressed that “Hamas is surprised by the PA in the West Bank’s
resumption of security coordination and cooperation with the Zionist enemy,
which is the equivalent of the greatest danger to the Palestinian people, its
unity and its legitimate rights including the right to resist the
occupation.”“PA’s security coordination distorts the reputation of the
Palestinian people, its struggles and history,” he added.Barhoum called on the
Palestinian people to pressure the PA to stop what he described as actions
“that harm the national interest”. Middleeastmonitor
Israel accuses Myanmar Rohingya of ‘committing
war crimes’
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171109-israel-accuses-muslims-in-burma-of-committing-war-crimes/
Israel says it sold arms to Myanmar army
because it understood the situation in the country better than the UN does,
Haaretz reported Deputy Consul General in New York, Amir Sagie, saying.Speaking
to 6 American rabbis who voiced concerns about reports of Israeli arms sales to
Myanmar amid what the UN has been described as the “ethnic cleansing” of its
Muslim population, Sagie defended his country saying that both sides in conflict
are “conducting war crimes”.In response, Sagie noted: “We deny totally any kind
of relations or any connection to Israel with this tragedy. There is no direct
or indirect connection with what is going on with Rohingya people.”He refused
to give details about Israel’s arms trade with Myanmar. “Israel does not
discuss publicly with our friends or our foes Israel’s military or defence
relationships,” he pointed out. middleeastmonitor
'Bangladesh close to Rohingya repatriation
deal with Myanmar': Prothom Alo
Remained focused on having a 'bilateral'
solution to the Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh is very close to reaching a
repatriation agreement with Myanmar, said foreign secretary Shahidul Haque on
Saturday."Currently, we're focusing on signing a bilateral agreement for return
of Rohingyas...we're very close in terms of reaching a return agreement with
Myanmar authorities," he said.The foreign secretary was addressing a
dialogue titled 'Addressing Rohingya Crisis: Options for Bangladesh' arranged
by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a city hotel.He, however, said if the
bilateral arrangement does not work finally, Bangladesh has other options on
the table which he would not share right now.
Bangladesh Chief Justice resigns amid
criticism over constitutional amendment verdict
Dhaka:Bangladesh's Chief Justice Surendra
Kumar Sinha has resigned, 6 weeks after he went on long leave amid criticism by
the ruling party over his decision to scrap Parliament's authority to impeach
Supreme Court judges.President's office said on Saturday that it had received a
letter of resignation from Sinha, who is abroad.Sinha, the country's first
Hindu Chief Justice in Muslim majority Bangladesh, took office on Jan.17, 2015.
His tenure was to end in January next year, Bdnews24.com reported.He came under
fire from the ruling Awami League party after the top court in July this year
scrapped the 16th constitutional amendment, stripping the Parliament of its
power to impeach apex court judges. Ruling party leaders also attacked Sinha
for his observations on Bangladesh's politics, past dictatorships, Election
Commission, corruption, governance and judiciary in the verdict.The Awami
League accused him of "belittling" the Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in some of the observations.The opposition
BNP of former Premier Khaleda Zia had welcomed the verdict, which restored the
Supreme Judicial Council provision in the Constitution, a system introduced
during the party founder Ziaur Rahman's military rule to sack top court judges.
Sinha sat in his office for the last time on August 24 before the annual vacation
of the apex court started. The Govt announced his "sick" leave on Oct.3,
a day before the vacation ended.He left Bangladesh for Australia on Oct.13, to
stay with his eldest daughter Suchana Sinha. Before leaving, he issued a
statement, saying he was "not sick" and was "quite
embarrassed" about how a specific political quarter, including some
ministers and PM Sheikh Hasina herself, had criticised him over one of the
verdict. IANS
Govt forced Chief Justice Sinha to resign:
Opposition BNP
Chief Justice SK Sinha has been forced by Govt
to step down from office, claims the
BNP."Govt has filed 11 cases against him, which is a clear indication that
he was forced to resign," said Moudud Ahmed, who sits on BNP's
policymaking National Standing Committee.BNP had claimed that Sinha was forced
to take leave after he went abroad on leave last month.The Govt instead of going for the legal option to seek
a review of the verdict turned up heat on the top judge, according to Moudud.
Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha at a reception by Bangladesh Women Judges
Association at Dhaka’s Judicial Administration Training Institute on Saturday.
“The resignation tainted the nation and the judiciary's independence and
integrity," Moudud, who served as law minister under the 2001-6 BNP-Jamaat
administration, said at an event in Dhaka.BNP Standing Committee Member
Khandker Mahbub Hossain echoed him."He was forced to take leave for health
reasons. And now Govt forced him to
resign," said Hossain, a former vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Bar
Council.Describing the move as a 'blatant attack on the judiciary', he said
that it was aimed to 'influence' the judiciary. bdnews24
South Sudan using food as weapon of war -UN
report
South Sudan President Salva Kiir’s Govt is using food as a weapon of war to target
civilians by blocking life-saving aid in some areas, UN sanctions monitors told
the Security Council in a confidential report seen by Reuters on Friday.During
2016 and 2017, the UN monitors said a military campaign by Govt troops in the northwestern town of Wau and
surrounding areas in Western Bahr el-Ghazal targeted civilians on ethnic
grounds and displaced more than 100,000.“ Govt has during much of 2017 deliberately prevented
life-saving food assistance from reaching some citizens,” the monitors wrote.
French politicians protest over Muslim street
prayers
About 100 French politicians have marched on a
street in a Paris suburb in protest at Muslims holding Friday prayers in
public.Politicians, wearing tricolour sashes of office and singing the national
anthem, disrupted about 200 worshippers on a street in Clichy.Police kept 2
groups apart but some scuffles broke out.Critics say the prayers are an
unacceptable use of public space in France's strictly secular system. Worshippers,
however, say they have nowhere else to go since the town hall took over the
room they used for prayers back in March. bbc
"We Want God":Thousands of
nationalists to march in Warsaw
Thousands of nationalists and fascists are
expected to flock to Warsaw on Saturday to attend an annual "Independence
March" under the banner: "We Want God".The rally, which is
scheduled to begin at 3pm local time, coincides with Poland's independence day
on Nov.11.According to Independence March organisers, the event is the biggest
patriotic gathering of its kind in Europe.Having launched as a smaller
gathering in 2009, it now draws tens of thousands of supporters, including many
from neighbouring countries. The slogan "We Want God" aims to remind
that Poland is still the bastion of faith and religiosity in Europe, organisers
have claimed.The chairman of the Independence March association, Robert
Bakiewicz, said during a recent press conference that the protesters want to
confront atheist Europe and respond to the "invasion of
immigrants"."We are recalling the fighting church, which for
centuries was the keystone and fundament of Europe", he said. "We
want to show Catholicism not as a faith of weakness, but as a faith of strong
people".Beata Szydlo, current PM , leads the right-wing populist Law and
Justice party. On Thursday, she told a conference in Warsaw that Poland was
"in favour of an EU where Christian traditions are not censorship".
Elsewhere, on Friday, the far-right All Polish Youth and National Radical Camp
groups held a conference focusing on "the vision after the collapse of the
West, that is, the old world in the post-European Union era ... social and
economic changes and the shock of the future". aljazeera
Pakistan’s religious parties announce revival
of MMA
Lahore: 6 mainstream religious parties of
Pakistan have decided to revive Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a decade after
the political alliance was dissolved over differences.The parties in the MMA
represent all the four schools of thought — Brelvi, Deobandi, Ahle Hadith and
Shia.The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (United Council of Action) would contest next
elections under the old symbol (book) and manifesto. The parties’ heads decided
to contact other religious parties to convince them to join the alliance.The
six parties are Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulma-i- Islam-Fazal, Jamiat
Ulma-i-Pakistan-Noorani, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam-Samiual Haq and Islami Tehreek.The leaders of these parties held
a meeting on Thursday at Jamaat-i-Islami headquarters in Lahore’s Mansoora and
announced that they have decided in principle to revive the MMA.The leaders of
the parties expressed hope that under the MMA platform they will perform well
in 2018 polls.“We have decided to revive MMA,” Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator
Sirajul Haq said, adding that the decision was taken in the light of
recommendations of the six-member committee tasked to formulate mechanism for the
revival of the MMA.PTI
US Marine gets 10 years for abusing Muslim
recruits, taunting them as terrorists
Washington;A US Marine Corps drill instructor
was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for abusing more than a dozen Muslim
recruits, one of whom died in 2016,US media reported.Gunnery Sergeant Joseph
Felix was convicted a day earlier of maltreatment of the recruits during their
basic training at the Parris Island, South Carolina base.A jury of eight fellow
servicemen and women considered Felix, an Iraq war veteran, the most to blame
of 6 instructors who ordered and participated in extreme hazing of the
recruits, taunting them as terrorists.2 of them were forced into industrial-sized
clothes dryers and in one case the machine was turned on when they did not
renounce their faith.AFP
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
India-Israel: from a hush-hush relationship to
open celebration:Zafarul-Islam Khan, Milli Gazette
Why India alarmed at US funding of NGOs
promoting religious freedom?Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Milli Gazette
Fate of Millions of Assamese Muslims Hangs in
Balance As SC Takes Up Citizenship Issue:MANZAR BILAL QASMI
Saudi's last card in Lebanon: Use Israel to
strike Hezbollah: Prof.Madawi Al-Rasheed
Viral Video: Indian muslims burning the
National flag and raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans in Punjab is fake news:
Alt News
Gujarat Elections: Will Muslim voters be game
changer on some seats? Abdul Hafiz Lakhani
In its journey to sites of lynchings,
Karwan-e-Mohabbat found a stark waning of compassion, solidarity:Harsh Mander
Militant Buddhism Is on the March in
South-East Asia – Where Did It Come From?PETER LEHR
Voter Opinion Polls:Falling BJP support, GST
anger and questions about Jay Shah: Data from new Gujarat survey
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