Evening NEWS
DIGEST
28 Dec.2017: 09 Rabial Aakhir 1439:Vol:9, No:84
TALAQ BILL
After intense debate, Lok Sabha passes controversial
Triple Talaq Bill, now in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi: Lok Sabha has passed a bill that
makes instant "Triple Talaq" a criminal offence and proposes a
three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife by uttering the
word "talaq" thrice. Bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha, where
it is expected to face rough weather. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a
meeting of BJP parliamentarians this morning that he hopes the bill will be
passed in parliament with the consensus of all parties.Law Minister Ravi
Shankar Prasad, who introduced the legislation in the Lok Sabha, said it was a
"historic day for India" and a "significant step towards women
empowerment, women's respect and women's rights." The bill, the minister,
said is about justice and respect for women and not about any religion or
community.Several parties opposed the bill's introduction, including the AIMIM,
whose chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the bill "does injustice to
Muslim women," violates the Right to Freedom and that Muslims were not
consulted in its drafting. The Congress has emphasised that it supports
"any move to abolish the Triple Talaq," though it has questioned the
jail term provision and wants some changes in the bill. "We need to
strengthen the bill to protect women. If a man who abandons his wife and family
is sent to jail how will he give them maintenance?" said Congress
spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. Congress has said it would prefer a review of
the bill by a parliamentary panel and moved an amendment during the vote on the
"Triple Talaq" bill in the Lok Sabha; the govt has a big majority in
the house and so the bill sailed through anyway.Sources said the main
opposition party is likely to seek amendments in the Rajya Sabha as well, which
will mean that the bill will have to be sent to a parliamentary committee for
review and is unlikely to be passed in the winter session.Both houses must
clear legislation for it to become law.
Already the government side is depleted in the Rajya Sabha, with the
"Triple Talaq" bill being opposed by parties like BJD and AIADMK,
considered government-friendly as they regularly help it pass bills. Ruling BJP
and allies are in a minority in the Rajya Sabha and so need the help of such
parties to push bills. Trinamool Congress has not made its stand on the bill
clear yet. Samajwadi Party has said it opposes the bill in its current form. ndtv
Lok Sabha passes Talaq Bill, ball now in Rajya
Sabha
Congress MP Sushmita Dev calls triple talaq
bill full of lacunae, BJP calls it ‘instant relief’
New Delhi:Terming triple talaq Bill as one
with several lacunae, Congress MP Sushmita Dev said had there been more women
in Lok Sabha a “flawed” bill like the one brought by the government can never
be passed and asked why the government was not bringing the Women’s Reservation
Bill in Parliament. BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the bill had been brought to
give Muslim women “instant relief”. Initiating the debate on The Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, Dev pointed out that the
government was not legislating on the issue of marital rape citing that the law
might be misused, and questioned if the law on Talaq-e-Biddat may not be
misused.“Women’s equality is not an idea but a right... Entire country is
waiting for the Women’s Reservation Bill, not because we need reservation but
had there been more women in the House, a Bill like this with so many lacunae
would not be passed,” Dev said.“You are not ready to criminalise marital
rape...Would this Bill also not open possibilities for abuse of Muslim men,”
she said.Congress, while supporting the Bill, sought to send the Bill to a
standing committee to weed out the shortcomings in the legislation, but the govt
did not agree.Dev said there were contradictions in the Bill, and pointed out
that while there is a provision for three-year jail term, the Bill also
provides women right to seek maintenance from the husband, and questioned how a
jailed husband would provide that amount, and urged the government to set up a
corpus to help such women.She said the Bill’s provisions would close all ways
for reconciliation. She also questioned why the government waited for the
Supreme Court judgment before bringing the law if they found the practice so
regressive.BJP MP Lekhi said, “Codification of Islamic law is needed in this
country. No one knows what is Sharia, Talaq-e-Biddat... No one knows the
difference” .IANS
Triple Talaq Bill in Lok Sabha: The 6
Questions that MP Sumitra Dev Asked Law Minister Prasad
Congress Backs "Triple Talaq",
Salman Khurshid Strikes Discordant Note
New Delhi: Congress today said it supports the
"triple talaq" bill introduced in the Lok Sabha but wants it to be
strengthened to safeguard the rights of divorced Muslim women so they live a
life of dignity with adequate subsistence allowance. "Triple talaq"
is the Islamic practice of men divorcing their wives by stating
"talaq" (divorce) thrice.Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, however,
a former union law minister, struck a discordant note, insisting the proposed
law will be an "intrusion" into the personal lives of individuals and
bring divorce, a civil issue, into the realm of criminal law.Congress's
communications department in-charge Randeep Surjewala said parliament must
ensure the protection of rights of Muslim women and children under all
circumstances. He said the Congress was the first political party to welcome
the Supreme Court verdict banning "triple talaq", and had hailed it
as a decisive step toward women empowerment and victory for the rights of
Muslim women."The present bill needs to be strengthened to safeguard the
rights of women to a life of dignity with adequate subsistence allowance.
Parliament must ensure protection of rights of Muslim women and children under
all circumstances," Surjewala said. Khurshid, however, said, bill is an
intrusion into the personal lives of individuals."Taking criminal law into
the family, you have to be careful. To make divorce in any form a criminl
matter is unacceptable anywhere in the world," he said. Khurshid, also a
Supreme Court lawyer,said divorce or consequences of divorce, are areas of
civil law and not criminal law, which comes in only when there is violence."Criminal
law is kept out of family as far as possible, which is a general policy
everywhere. Why are we bringing criminal law into something which is a
non-existing factor? 'Triple talaq' is no institution or institutional fact of
life, the SC has made it very clear," he said. Surjewala said Section 5 of
the bill merely states that Muslim women are entitled to subsistence allowance
without defining subsistence allowance and explaining the method of calculating
it. It also does not clarify whether the maintenance awarded to a Muslim woman
under Sections 3 and 4 of the bill will be deducted from the proposed
subsistence allowance or will it be in addition to that. He said there was no
clarity on whether a divorced Muslim woman be entitled to one of the 2.
"Why should onus of proving instant 'triple talaq' be on women? Like in
every other law, the onus of proving the pronouncement of instant 'triple
talaq' would be on the victim. Why can't this law then envisage a presumption
in favour of the woman, putting the onus of proof on the husband to establish
that instant 'triple talaq' was not pronounced by him?" the Congress
leader said.All Muslim women's groups have asked an obvious question as to who
will pay the maintenance and subsistence allowance once the husband is in jail,Surjewala
said.PTI
Party in support of Triple Talaq bill, but
wants it strengthened:Congress's House leader, Kharge
Govt using Triple Talaq Bill for political
gains: Muslim board
New Delhi: All India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB) has dismissed the Triple Talaq Bill terming it as the govt’s attempt
to make political gains.“Central govt’s approach is based on their political
interests. They don’t have anything to do with Muslim women; they are only
doing it for political gains,” Zafaryab Jilani, AIMPLB member told media.Jilani
said the Parliamentarian was “misleading the Parliament” citing that apart from
prayer, and ritual, the divorce law is also protected by Article 25 of the
Constitution.The Constitution allows Muslims, the biggest minority in the
country, to regulate marriages, divorces and inheritance through their own
civil code.But in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice is
“void”, “illegal” and “unconstitutional”. nagpurtoday
Shia Waqf Board's Wasim Rizvi Seeks Minimum 10
Year Rigorous Imprisonment For Instant Triple Talaq
Shia Waqf Board has sought a minimum of 10
year rigorous imprisonment for instant triple talaq. Shia Waqf Board President, Wasim Rizvi, has
said that he has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this
regard. In a press statement, he also condemned the Muslim Personal Law Board’s
opposition to the Triple Talaq Bill.OUTLOOK
Triple talaq: Naqvi says Congress failure made
Muslim women suffer
New Delhi:Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi slammed
the Congress for not passing a bill during its rule to criminalise instant
triple talaq, saying Muslim women have been struggling for their rights due to
the party’s failure. PTI
Don't bring religion into triple talaq bill:
Soli Sorabjee
Eminent jurist and former Attorney General of
India, Soli Sorabjee, on Thursday appealed not to bring religion into triple
talaq bill.Sorabajee said the bill is to ensure gender equality and to see
women are not treated in an arbitrary manner.ANI
Triple talaq debate: MJ Akbar asks who made
personal law board representative of Muslims in India
Minister of State for External Affairs MJ
Akbar questioned the credibility of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and
asked who had chosen the organisation to represent the Muslim community in the
country.Akbar made the statement during a debate in Lok Sabha on triple talaq
bill. scroll
Triple talaq: Owaisi says it violates
fundamental rights
AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi said Parliament lacks
the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental
rights.Muslim League’s E T Mohammed Bashir said the proposed law was violative
of personal laws and was a politically motivated move. B Mahtab (BJD) said
while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was “faulty
and “flawed”. He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple
talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing
‘talaq-e-biddat’. A Anwar Raja of the AIADMK opposed the bill. indianexpress
AIMPLB women wing slam push for talaq law
Patna: The women's wing of the All India Muslim
Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Wednesday came out against the Centre's decision
to introduce a bill in the Lok Sabha to ban triple talaq. "Triple talaq is
not an issue at all. It is just politics by the central government. We have
freedom of religion and talaq for us is a religious matter and we should be
allowed to resolve it," AIMPLB's Bihar coordinator Mahjabeen Naz said.Naz
said the govt should focus on stopping incidents of "rape, atrocities on women,
dowry system and should work towards improving education and freedom among
women instead of harping on triple talaq."Naz and her colleagues were
talking to journalists at Haj Bhawan in Patna.They announced a daylong
conference on Dec. 30to protect the Shariat at the Anjuman Islamia Hall. AIMPLB
general secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani and women's wing president Asma Zahra
will be chief guests. Around 5,000 women delegates from all over the country
are expected to attend.Naz also hit out at Muslim women who celebrated the
Centre's move to ban triple talaq. "Their happiness is an outcome of
misunderstanding of Islam. They wouldn't have done so had they understood their
religion," Naz said. "They are dancing and playing holi, which is
unIslamic. They are not actually Muslims."Huda Rawal, a teacher and AIMPLB
councillor,said women with no Sharia knowledge find restrictions burdensome.
She agreed triple talaq via phone, email or SMS has no place in Islam, but said
those facing marital problems should seek the Imam's counsel. "Centre has
no business meddling in Islam," she said. telegraphindia
Didn't consult Muslim bodies before drafting
triple talaq bill: Minister PP Chaudhary
OTHERS
After UN vote, India readies red carpet for
Netanyahu
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares
to spend four days with Benjamin Netanyahu in January, weeks after India's
recent Jerusalem vote in the UN prompting a diplomatic protest by Israeli govt
which "expressed its comments and sentiments" through diplomatic
channels.Netanyahu's visit, the first by an Israeli PM after the 2003 trip by
Ariel Sharon, is expected to mark a new high in bilateral relations, with the
Israeli PM having a packed schedule for four days beginning Jan16. While the
formal part of the visit will be in the national capital where he will also
deliver a keynote address at the Raisina Dialogue, Netanyahu will take a break
from his official engagements to see the Taj Mahal in Agra with his wife. Modi
will then accompany him to Ahmedabad, where, as chief minister, he had
intensified ties with Israel.Netanyahu will meet India's business leaders in
Mumbai and spend some emotionally charged moments with young Moshe, who will be
returning to the Chabad House where his parents were killed during the
26/11terror attack in 2008.TOI
Netanyahu arriving in India on Jan 14 even as
Israel protests UN vote
Israel takes India’s vote in its stride
New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s visit to India in a fortnight will focus on taking cooperation on
“the double-T’s” of Technology, including on agriculture and water conservation
and on (Counter) Terrorism to the “next level”, according to officials familiar
with the planning of the visit. They also indicated that Israel’s unhappiness
with India’s vote at the United Nations last week had been put behind both
countries in a “diplomatic” manner.Netanyahu’s visit comes close on the heels
of India’s decision to vote for a resolution that criticised the United States
for its shift on the status of Jerusalem and urged Israel to keep its
commitments on talks for the two-state solution.Officials didn’t deny that the
Israeli govt had lodged a protest with India about its vote, but indicated that
India’s stand had to be seen in the larger context of its growing alignment
with Israel on other issues, and in particular PM Narendra Modi’s visit to
Israel in July 2017 as first Indian PM there. As a result Israel had used “the
right diplomatic channels” to express their sentiments, the sources added. thehindu
India, Israel hold talks on cooperation in
defence, security
Ahead of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to
India next month, the two countries today reviewed their cooperation in
strategic areas such as defence and homeland security.The review was done
during the foreign office consultations in which the Indian delegation was led
by Secretary Economic Relations in MEA Vijay Gokhale while the Israeli side was
headed by DG of Israel's Foreign Ministry Yuval Rotem."2 sides reviewed
our relations in defence, agriculture, S&T (science and technology),
education and homeland security,"MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.PTI
Indian oil cos to drop anchor in Israeli waters
as Iran deal hangs fire
New Delhi: A consortium of Indian state-run oil
and gas hunters led by ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) appears set to drop anchor in
Israeli waters for the first time amid New Delhi's growing closeness with Tel
Aviv and a widening chasm with Iran over its recalcitrance in awarding the
Farzad-B gas field discovered by the same Indian grouping.Israel's energy
ministry gave its preliminary nod on Dec. 11to the bid for one block submitted
by the Indian consortium of OVL, IndianOil, Oil India Ltd and Bharat Petroleum
subsidiary Bharat Petro Resources Ltd. Energean of Greece was the other bidder
to have secured approval for 5 blocks.ONGC Videsh MD NK Verma confirmed the
development, saying the consortium will go through certain processes before
deciding on drilling for oil or gas in the block. This was the first auction of
exploration licences, consisting of 24 blocks, in 4 years since Israel blocked
foreign companies from exploration in its eastern Mediterranean waters.TOI
Jordan’s king in India next year; security
ties on the table
Jordan’s King Abdullah II will visit India
next year to boost the existing ties between the two countries, especially in
the areas of intelligence and security cooperation, its foreign affairs
minister Ayman Safadi said today.Safadi said the relations between India and
Jordan go back many decades and added that these were good but “nowhere near
potential”.“Ties can be better. And we want to make them better. This is the
priority for his Majesty King Abdullah II who is looking forward to his visit
here next year. He wants to see expanded ties in every field -- in trade,
investment, tourism, cultural exchanges and intelligence and security
cooperation as we face the common enemy of terrorism and extremism,” he said.
Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was
delivering a lecture on ‘Middle East at Crossroads. The challenges of achieving
peace and security’ at the Indian Council of World Affairs.PTI
Malegaon blast: Court not exonerating Pragya
Thakur is vindication of our probe, says ATS
Mumbai: Even as the special NIA court dropped the
MCOCA against the accused in the Malegaon 2008 bomb blast case, Maharashtra ATS
officers, who were part of the investigation before the case was handed over to
NIA, said that Wednesday’s decision is a vindication of their probe.“The fact
that the court did not exonerate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur despite NIA giving
her a clean chit is a validation of our probe. We are completely sure that
Sadhvi Thakur was a mastermind and the court also saw merit in our case and
will try her under certain sections of UAPA relating to terror,” said an
officer who was part of the investigating team.Stating that the investigation
of the 2008 Malegaon blast was filled with “lacunae”, the NIA in May 2016,
filed a chargesheet against ten accused while stating there is no case made out
against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five others.The chargesheet has not only
said there is “considerable doubt” on applicability of MCOCA, but it has also
called the methods used by the Maharashtra ATS “questionable” and “dubious”. It
also said a CBI investigation has found ATS men linked to the disappearance of
a key witness. In demolishing the ATS case, the NIA relied on key new witness
statements. indianexpress
NIA hasn’t wiped out ATS probe: Judge Shripad
Tekale
http://www.asianage.com/metros/mumbai/281217/nia-hasnt-wiped-out-ats-probe-judge-shripad-tekale.html
It's difficult to believe that Sadhvi Pragya had
no links with Malegaon blast: court
Malegaon blast case: Court refuses to let Sadhvi
Pragya go despite NIA suggestion
In Delhi, BJP-ruled civic body to ban display of
non-veg food outside eateries over ‘sentimental’ reasons
Delhi: If the civic body has its way,
non-vegetarian food displayed in the open on stalls outside restaurants and
eateries of South Delhi would soon be prohibited for ‘hygiene’ and
‘sentimental’ reasons.The resolution approved in the last house of the BJP-ruled
South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) will come for final confirmation in
the next meeting on January 3 before policies outlining terms and conditions
are finally framed.The resolution was moved by councillors Raj Dutt and
seconded by Nandini Sharma saying that food items displayed in the open posed a
danger of “contamination” and also “hurt the sentiments of vegetarian
public”.“If restaurant owners are found displaying non-vegetarian items in
public, action against them should be taken as per the municipal law,” the
proposal stated.Many popular restaurants serving non-vegetarian food display
items such as roasted chicken, kebabs and shawarma. Leader of the house Shikha
Rai, who approved the proposal, said that the concern of the councillors was
hygiene and sentiments of vegetarian people. The proposal, she said, had come
from members in the health committee of the house.“It has been observed that
shops displaying non-veg outside their premises attracts dogs and raise hygiene
issue. Besides, it is also about hurting the sentiments of people who are
vegetarian,”she said.An SDMC official said that the proposal would come for
confirming the minutes of the meetings in the next house meeting scheduled on
Jan 3. After this, it will take two more months to frame the policy outlining
terms and conditions for rolling it out as per the Delhi Municipal Corporation
Act. “We have nothing against shops displaying the items inside their
premises,” he said. Saleem Khan of Al Bake in New Friends Colony also said that
despite space crunch, he will ensure that no item is displayed on road, once
the order comes to effect.HT
South Delhi Municipal Corporation Proposes Ban On
Display Of Non-Veg Food Outside Eateries
Haj guidelines say lunatic and cripple, show
bias: Activists
New Delhi: Criticising the Guidelines for Haj
(2018-22), issued by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, disability rights
activists have said that it not only discriminates against persons with
disabilities by making them ineligible for Haj, but also refers to them as
“crippled” and “lunatic.” ministry’s guidelines state that “persons whose legs
are amputated, who are crippled, handicapped, lunatic or otherwise physically/
mentally incapacitated” cannot apply for Haj.In a letter to Minority Affairs
Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, disability rights activists have said the
guidelines not only “blatantly discriminate against persons with disabilities” but
are also “in violation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWDA),
2016, which has equality and non-discrimination as its guiding principle.” They
have also pointed out that Saudi Arabia does not ban those with disabilities
from undertaking the Haj and has, over the years, made the pilgrimage more
accessible. Pointing out that the more politically correct term “persons with
disabilities” has replaced words like “handicapped” and “physically/ mentally
incapacitated”, Muralidharan, secretary of the National Platform for the Rights
of the Disabled (NPRD), said terms such as “lunatic” and “crippled” are
“abusive in nature.”“We have sent letters to Naqvi asking him to drop these
discriminatory provisions, and have also discussed the matter with some Members
of Parliament in the hope that they will raise it on the floor of the House
during the ongoing winter session,” he said. Ministry officials did not respond
to questions on the guidelines and whether they would be reviewed. indianexpress
No official data on existence of Female Genital
Mutilation in India, Centre tells SC: indianexpress
New Delhi:In response to a writ petition seeking
a ban on subjecting minor girls from Dawoodi Bohra community to Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM), the Ministry of Women and Child Development has held that
there is no official data or study that supports the existence of FGM in India.
Ministry, in its affidavit recently filed in the Supreme Court, said, “It is
respectfully submitted that at present there is no official data or study (NCRB
etc) which supports the existence of FGM in India.”Writ petition, filed by
child rights advocate Sunita Tiwari, sought a ban on “the inhuman practice of
‘khatna’ or FGM, also known as ‘female circumcision’ or ‘khafd’…making it a
cognizable,non-compoundable and non-bailable offence”.
Fiscal deficit target under pressure: Centre to
borrow Rs 50,000 crore more via G-secs in Jan-Mar
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday announced
plans to borrow additional Rs 50,000 crore but said there will be no change in
its Budget Estimates for net borrowing. This is because the additional
borrowing of long term securities will be accompanied by similar reduction in
outstanding Treasury Bills (T-bills). Analysts, however, expect the government
to face fiscal pressures in the backdrop of muted collections of indirect taxes
and weak economic growth.After the review of its borrowing calendar with the
Reserve Bank, the finance ministry said the government will trim down the
T-bills from present collections of Rs 86,203 crore to Rs 25,006 crore by
March-end, 2018. T-bills are securities with short-term duration of less than
one year while dated securities have longer maturity.“Government will raise
additional market borrowings of Rs 50,000 crore only in fiscal FY18 through
dated government securities. The government will thus, between now and March
2018, not be raising any net additional borrowing,” the ministry said. The govt
had pegged the fiscal deficit target of Rs 3.2 per cent of GDP for the current
fiscal. Additional borrowing by the govt may have impact on the fiscal math.
Since the revenue collection from GST is slightly lower than the expected in
the last 2 months, the additional borrowing would help bridge the shortfall. indianexpress
Facebook Asks New Users In India To Enter Names
As Per Aadhaar
Facebook has begun testing a feature with a set
of new users in India where they are being asked to enter names as per their
Aadhaar details.The social media giant, however, is not asking new users to
give their Aadhaar number but just the name as written on their Aadhaar
cards."This is a small test where we provide additional language when
people sign up for an account to say that using the name on their Aadhaar card
makes it easier for friends to recognise them," a Facebook spokesperson
said on Wednesday.Currently, only a small percentage of people who use Facebook
on mobile in the country are able to see this feature."This is an optional
prompt which we are testing," spokesperson added.IANS
Law ministry nixes plan to make Aadhaar mandatory
for driving licences
New Delhi:Aadhaar, 12-digit identity number,
can’t be made mandatory for issuing a driving licence, the law ministry has
told the road transport ministry which is coming out with a new application
form for drivers, HT has learnt.Aadhaar could be a “preferred identity
document” but linking it to new licences should be “voluntary”, the law
ministry said, citing the legal challenges the biometric identity number is
facing in the Supreme Court. The apex court had on December 14 extended to
March 31 the deadline for linking Aadhaar to various services and schemes. hindustantimes
4 years after Muzaffarnagar riots, Jats, Muslims
meet MSY to reach 'settlement'
Muzaffarnagar: In a fresh, but welcome twist to
the festering fight between Jats and Muslims following the riots in 2013 that
killed 63 and displaced more than 50,000, a delegation of people from the two
communities met former UP chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam
Singh Yadav at his Delhi residence on Tuesday to use his influence over both
the communities for a compromise. According to the leaders who were there at
the meeting, the two sides are trying to strike a deal which involves
withdrawal of ongoing cases from both sides. Following the violence, both
Hindus Muslims in large numbers had gone to court with cases against each
other. Ompal Nehra, former cabinet minister in the Akhilesh govt in UP,
confirmed to TOI that the meeting was held under the leadership of Mulayam.
“People from Muzaffarnagar, belonging to both the communities, met Netaji in
Delhi. A committee, which will work under his direction and has riots victims
as its members, has been formed to work out resolution of these cases and bring
back peace in the region.”Vipin Balian, president of Rashtriya Jaat Sanrakshan
Samiti, said, “In the first phase, victims from four riot-hit villages –
Purbalian, Kutba Kutbi, Kakara and Hadoli of Muzaffarnagar -- where a dozen
innocent people were killed in 2013 will submit their affidavit in the
Muzaffarnagar court for a compromise in the cases after due legal consultations.”Balian,
who was also present at the meeting, told TOI, “We have 15 members from both
the communities, including two former ministers of the previous Samajwadi Party
government, in this committee. We will take legal advice before moving court.
Around 1,400 people from the region were booked under various cases during the
riots.” Ghulam Mohammad Jola, an active leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union
(BKU) who quit BKU after the riots and formed a new farmer organization called
Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Manch, was also present at the meeting. “More than 100
Muslims from Muzaffarnagar, including riot victims, were present at the meeting
in Delhi. It’s good that both the communities have begun to come on the same
platform. We will make an attempt to reach compromises in cases where people
have suffered for years in court cases.”TOI
VHP to identify 500 upper caste families in India
to make friends with unprivileged
Bhubaneswar: VHP said that untouchability was
against Hindu values and had never been permitted in any religion. VHP said
that leaders and saints from all castes and creeds had come together in Udupi
in Karnataka in November and “slammed casteism by clarifying that
untouchability is not a product of Hinduism and there should not be any
prejudice because all should be treated equally well in a Hindu society”. “Untouchability
is against Hindu ideology and has never been granted in any religion,”
according to a resolution passed at a meeting of VHP’s Board of Trustee and
Managing Committee here.The meeting was attended by representatives from 35
countries and inaugurated by VHP international working president Pravin
Togadia.To make India free of untouchability, the VHP resolved to identify 500
upper caste families in each districts of the country to make friendship with
unprivileged, socially- backward, poverty-stricken families.PTI
Opposition against CPM move to open
Co-operative Society based on Islamic banking in Kerala: TOI report
Kannur: The cooperative venture, Halal Faidah
Co-operative Society (HFCS), launched by the CPM, based on the principles of
Islamic banking, might prove counterproductive to the CPM, because it is facing
opposition at political as well as legal fronts.Though the promoters claim this
venture is not aimed at any particular religion, the very name, and the claim
that it will function on the basis of the principles of Islamic banking might
lead to further complications, because there is concern that it might have a
communal angle. This was further strengthened when chief minister Pinarayi
Vijayan was bit apprehensive and also in his inaugural speech on Sunday advised
the society authorities to make sure they follow the rules and regulations
pertaining to the cooperative sector to avoid any complications. Meanwhile, BJP
state executive member K Ranjith said it was a clear case of communal
appeasement and the BJP was exploring the possibility of taking legal steps in
this connection because Islamic banking is not approved in India. "How can
a party like the CPM use such an illegitimate path, which is not at all
transparent, to woo a particular community, that too violating all the rules
and regulations," he asked.However, HFCS president M Shajar asserted that
the project was completed under the framework of cooperative law and the
investors were given shares in the business ventures that the cooperative
society invests. "The philosophy is to share profit instead of giving
interest but some vested interests are trying to misinterpret it to create
complications," he said.
Missing 21 From Kerala: NIA Releases Sketches
of all
New Delhi: NIA has released sketches of
individuals it has been looking into for the last one year to keep a tab of
their involvement with the Islamic State. The missing 21, as the group has come
to be known, had left Kerala around June last year and converted to Islam in
order to join the Islamic State.NIA has been probing their disappearance and
has now released sketches of all the accused. Marked as absconding by the
agency, the photos have a red dot marked on those who have been issued notices.
Of the 21, 6 are female.The details that the NIA has released states that 14 of
the accused are under the age of 26, with the oldest in the list being Shajeer
Managalassery from Kozhikode, who is 36.News18.com
Mehbooba’s brother Tassaduq Mufti takes oath
as minister
Jammu:Tassaduq Mufti, brother of CM Mehbooba
Mufti, was inducted into the council of ministers on Thursday.Javed Mustafa
Mir, a three-time MLA, who was dropped from the council of ministers in 2016
when Mehbooba took over as chief minister, was also re-inducted as cabinet
minister.In a simple and brief function, Governor NN Vohra administered the
oath of office and secrecy to the two at the Raj Bhavan lawns. Mir took the
oath first and was followed by Mufti.
Senior SC lawyer Rajeev Dhavan to make a
comeback in court, will appear in Ayodhya case: indianexpress
New Delhi: Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who
recently gave up court practice in wake of his courtroom spat with Chief
Justice of India Dipak Misra, has reconsidered his decision on the request of
his client to appear in the Supreme Court in the Ram Janamabhoomi-Babri Masjid
dispute.74-year-old Dhavan had on December 11 called it quits after what he
described as a “humiliating end” to the Delhi government-Centre dispute case
following heated exchanges between him and the CJI. Advocate Ejaz Maqbool, who
is representing some of the Muslim bodies in the Ayodhya land dispute case,
said that they had urged Dhavan to represent them in the matter and the senior
counsel has accepted the request.He said that before Dhavan announced that he
had given up court practice, the senior lawyer was appearing for them in the
Ayodhya dispute case.“We requested him (Dhavan) to make an exception for the
Babri Masjid case and he has accepted our request and he will continue to
appear for us in the Babri Masjid case,” Maqbool said in a letter sent to the
media.
India should control its border troops:Chinese
military
Beijing:Highlighting Doklam standoff as its
major achievement of international cooperation this year, the Chinese military
said on Thursday India should “strictly control” its troops and implement
border agreements to maintain peace and stability along the border.Chinese
defence spokesperson Col Ren Guoqiang said the highlights of his country’s
international military cooperation in 2017 included handling ‘hotspot issues’
such as Doklam.This year, under the unified deployment, the military has
“resolutely” safeguarded China’s sovereignty and security interests, Col Ren
told media here. Hindustantimes
Can't change India's mentality on OBOR, but doors
of cooperation open: Chinese media
Cow vigilantism: Don’t ferry cattle at night
to avoid misunderstanding, advises Jamiat
Jaipur:Concerned over attacks on people
transporting cattle in Alwar, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has asked dairy farmers
and cattle owners to not ferry bovines in the night hours to avoid any trouble.
The Jamiat leaders, who gathered in Alwar district on Tuesday to discuss the
issue, said many dairy farmers and cattle owners from the Mev community
transport cattle for dairy farming purpose but get targeted by cow vigilantes
or mobs under the impression that the animals were being transported for
slaughtering.“We have advised the dairy farmers and owners of the cattle to
prefer transportation of the cattle in day time and not in the night because
the chances of attack on them are high due to misunderstanding. It creates
trouble and disturbs peace and harmony,” Maulana Hakimuddin Qasmi, secretary of
the organisation, told PTI over the phone. He said that close to 50 leaders of
Jamiat and Mev community were present in the meeting held in Alwar on Tuesday.PTI
Hegde apologises for his remarks on
Constitution
New Delhi:In a bid to end the controversy that
erupted over his remarks on the Constitution and stalled parliamentary
proceedings, Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde today tendered
an apology in the Lok Sabha. He said his speech at a function in Karnataka was
distorted.Mr. Hegde first said that he held the country, the Constitution and
its architect Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in high esteem and there was no question of
showing disrespect to them.“As a citizen, I can’t think of violating the
Constitution,” he said.PTI
Most Economies in the World Increased GDP and
Lowered Unemployment in 2017. Not India:M.K. VENU, thewire
Kishanganj: Discontent growing against MP
Asrarul Haque in Bihar’s most backward muslim hub: Tarique Anwar
WORLD
Iraqi Yazidis fighters abducting, killing
civilians:HRW
A human rights organisation has accused Yazidi
fighters in Iraq of forcibly kidnapping and killing 52 civilians from the
Imteywit tribe earlier this year.Human Rights Watch(HRW), a US-based rights
group, said in a report on Wednesday that Yazidi forces detained and executed
men, women and children from 8 different families the Imteywit tribe in
June.According to HRW report, several senior Yazidis have alleged that the
tribe participated with ISIL in the executions and abuse of Yezidi men and
women back in 2014. "As the ground fighting against ISIS winds down in
Iraq, state security forces need to turn their focus to preventing retaliation
and upholding the rule of law," said Lama Fakih, HRW's deputy Middle East
director, in a statement."Past atrocities against the Yazidis don't give
its armed forces a free pass to commit abuses against other groups, whatever
their past."According to the victims' relatives, the abuses took place
when families were fleeing clashes between the ISIL group fighters and Iraq's
Shia-dominated paramilitaries, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) west of
Mosul.A member of the PMF's intelligence services told HRW that he saw mass
graves that local Yazidi residents claim contained the bodies of the
victims.According to members of Imteywit tribe, the disappearance happened as
they were being transported out of the desert in a convoy of about 70 cars
driving towards Tel Afar after PMF forces captured the area from ISIL group
fighters.The vehicles carrying the two men and their relatives - consisting of
52 members - broke off from the rest of the convoy, which was thought to have
been ambushed by Yazidi fighters.They never reached their destination in
Qabusiye village with the rest of the community, and their relatives say they
have since not been able to find out anything else.The relatives provided HRW
with a list of five suspects who they believe were responsible for the
killings.At the start of this year, Yazidi fighters formed several brigades
that were later incorporated under the PMF umbrella. PMF is largely outside
government control, yet the Iraqi parliament formally recognised it as a
state-affiliated institution when its own forces became depleted in the fight
against ISIL.A PMF member told HRW that he investigated allegations in Sinjar
province. With the help of local Yezidis, he was able to locate a cluster of 4
mass graves in Qabusiye.According to the report, he saw the bones and skulls of
at least four children as well as women and children's shoes near the
graves.Shortly after the disappearance, a legal advisor to a Yazidi brigade
told HRW that Yezidi forces were involved in the capture of 52 people.
According to the report, he also said that members of the tribe were "dogs
who deserve to die".Members of the tribe denied these allegations and said
that the Yazidis were blaming them for crimes committed by ISIL.HRW says an
Iraqi official has pledged to investigate the crime, but they say no one has
been held responsible yet. aljazeera
Syria Brotherhood rejects Russia-sponsored
peace talks
Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has categorically
rejected the Sochi conference sponsored by Russia scheduled for the end of
Jan.In a statement, group said that the conference is an attempt to consolidate
the Russian occupation and ignore the political solution stipulated in the
Geneva resolutions, which starts with the formation of a fully-fledged
transitional authority which does not include Bashar Al-Assad and his
regime.The group reiterated its adherence to the principles of the Syrian
revolution of overthrowing Al-Assad and his regime and rebuilding the country
as a state of justice, freedom, equality and human dignity.It also called on
all revolutionary forces and Syrian national figures to boycott the Sochi
conference. Syrian opposition negotiating body said there was widespread
rejection of the conference among opposition groups.MEMO
Turkey's Erdogan calls Syria's Assad a
terrorist, says impossible to continue with him
Tunis: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on
Wednesday called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a terrorist and said it was
impossible for Syrian peace efforts to continue with him.Syria’s foreign
ministry quickly responded by accusing Erdogan of himself supporting terrorist
groups fighting Assad in Syria’s civil war.Turkey has demanded the removal of
Assad from power and backed rebels fighting to overthrow him, but it has toned
down its demands since it started working with Assad’s allies Russia and Iran
for a political resolution.“Assad is definitely a terrorist who has carried out
state terrorism,” Erdogan told a televised news conference with his Tunisian
counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi in Tunis.“It is impossible to continue with
Assad. How can we embrace the future with a Syrian president who has killed
close to a million of his citizens?” he said, in some of his harshest comments
for weeks.Despite its differences with Russia and Iran, Turkey has worked with
the two powers in the search for a political solution in Syria.Ankara, Moscow
and Tehran also brokered a deal to set up and monitor a “de-escalation zone” to
reduce fighting between insurgents and Syrian government forces in Syria’s
rebel-held northwestern Idlib province.Reuters
Israel to set up fund for poor states to gain
support
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is
planning to establish a $50m fund to support development in poorer countries
and get the country diplomatic backing, according to Israeli media reports.If
the report by Israel's Channel 2 and other outlets is confirmed, the move comes
just a week after the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to reject the US
decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.Just eight states voted
with Israel against the resolution, with 35 abstentions and 128 states voting
in favour of the motion, which was authored by Turkey and Yemen. aljazeera
Kabul blast at Afghan Voice, Tebyan centre
kills dozens
At least 40 people have been killed and dozens
wounded in a blast in Kabul at a compound comprising a news agency, Shia
cultural centre and religious school, the interior ministry has said.The
explosion early on Thursday struck an area close to the Afghan Voice news
agency and Tebyan cultural centre, local media reported.People gathered at
Tebyan were marking the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan.
Women and children were among those killed. The majority of victims were
visitors to the centre. aljazeera
Bilawal Bhutto blames Musharraf for Benazir's
death
Islamabad, Pakistan - An impassioned Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari has accused former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf of being
responsible for his mother Benazir Bhutto's murder. Speaking at a rally to mark
the tenth anniversary of Bhutto's murder in the southern Pakistani town of
Garhi Khuda Bux on Wednesday, Bilawal led a crowd of thousands in a chant
declaring Musharraf "a murderer".Benazir Bhutto, who was twice
elected as Pakistan's prime minister, was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack
shortly after addressing a political rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi
while campaigning for elections in 2007. In August, a Pakistani anti-terrorism
court exonerated five men accused of involvement in the attack, while
convicting and sentencing two senior police officers for willful negligence and
tampering with evidence during the investigation into the murder. aljazeera
UN: More civilians killed in Yemen’s ‘absurd,
futile’ war
The top UN official in Yemen said airstrikes
have killed scores of civilians in the past ten days, in what he called an
“absurd war” in which all sides, including the Saudi-led military coalition,
show “complete disregard for human life”, Reuters reported. “This absurd war …has
only resulted in the destruction of the country and the incommensurate
suffering of its people, who are being punished as part of a futile military
campaign by both sides,” UN resident coordinator Jamie McGoldrick said in a
statement.“Also on 26 Dec., an airstrike on a farm in Attohayta District, Al
Hudaydah Governorate resulted in the killing of 14 people from the same family.
These new victims are in addition to 84 civilian casualties reported in the
last 10 days, including 41 people killed, and 43 people injured by airstrikes
in several governorates throughout Yemen,” the statement said. middleeastmonitor
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 5:58 PM)
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