Evening NEWS
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04
Dec.2017: 14 Rabial Awwal 1439:Vol:9, No:64
Babri hearing to begin tomorrow: Muslims feel
an out of court settlement will be surrender
For MA Siddiqui, this would be 40th year as a
lawyer in the Ayodhya dispute case – one of the first cases he took on the day
he started practicing law. His client Hashim Ansari, the youngest of the
petitioners in the Sunni Waqf board's appeal in 1961 died last year at the age
of 95. "Hashim was a very vocal man. His house was barely 200 metres away
from the Babri mosque. Whether he is dead or alive is immaterial to the case.
The solution to Ayodhya is a matter of public interest and his death would have
no impact whatsoever," says Siddiqui. While the Ayodhya land dispute has finally
reached the country's highest court, the solution that people like Siddiqui
have been seeking all their working lives may still be some distance away. "Allahabad High Court has committed an
error by partitioning the inner side of the mosque compound as this was the
property of Muslims before 1949. The high court has presumed that Hindus were
also having a faith that it was the birth place of Ram. This faith was never
proved by any evidence. Hindus never exercised any such right until 1949.Faith
is not evidence. Evidence is what is defined under Indian Evidence Act
1872," says Zafaryab Jilani, lawyer of the Sunni Waqf board representing
the Muslim side in the case."Our appeal in the Supreme Court is going to
be that the entire trifurcation of the birth place of Ram is illegal. The place
of birth of Ram belongs to Nirmohi Akhara. We will also challenge the high
court's ruling that Nirmohi Akhara came into existence only after Babar.Ramananda
bairagees who make up Nirmohi Akhara have been in existence from times
immemorial. The formal nomenclature came later," says RL Verma, the lawyer
for the Nirmohi Akhara in the case."Faith is not a matter of a few
decades. It is a matter of centuries. We have shown that this was not the place
of faith of the Hindu community or the birthplace of Ram. We have given
historical and other evidence in court. There is no new evidence that can now
be given," says Jilani.While conflicting histories has introduced its own
set of complications, there also seems to be a bigger divide than ever before
on who is representing the Hindu side in the case. If the Nirmohi Akhara
decides to challenge this part of the order in the highest court, it would
intensify the acrimony between Hindutva representatives and Nirmohi Akhara.
That's because the suit on behalf of Lord Ram, to whom a third of the land has
been awarded, was filed by a former judge affiliated to the VHP. At present,
the representative of Ram in the case is senior VHP leader Triloki Nath Pandey.
If the Nirmohi Akhara manages to successfully challenge the VHP's claim over
Lord Ram, it could repudiate the VHP's decades-long projections of being the
champions of a new temple as is evidenced by their stone carving workshops in
Ayodhya and large-scale displays of an envisaged temple at its base camp at
Karsewakpuram in Ayodhya. "VHP is the outside party in this case. Their
influence has gone up manifold in Ayodhya after 1989. They started buying
properties and organising agitations in Ayodhya," says Verma. "In
1949, big people were not involved. Since 1976, RSS and BJP have taken up this
matter. Pictures depicting Ram in chains were pasted across Ayodhya and the
impression was given that these people have come to free him. This was an
emotional call to Hindus," says Siddiqui. With fissures deepening among
the non-Muslim parties in the case, there have been efforts by people like Sri
Sri Ravishankar to act as mediators with the goal of negotiating an out of
court settlement. But even a so-called out of court settlement is a minefield
not all parties want to enter. Muslims represented by the Sunni Waqf board are
averse to an out of court settlement. Nirmohi Akhara welcomes Ravishankar's
mediation but wants to firmly keep out VHP from the talks. "We are willing
to accept Sri Sri Ravishankar as the mediator. We want a solution. Our claim is
that the entire disputed site is ours. We are opposed to the VHP. Their goal is
to make a Ram temple with a portrait of Ashok Singhal outside. They want to
build a temple and employ Nirmohi Akhara as priests. That is impossible,"
says Verma. "We do not want to waste our time on third parties who have no
legal grounds. I am advising Sri Sri Ravishankar not to enter into this. He
should first approach the VHP. Only if the VHP is willing to negotiate should
he approach us," says Jilani. Beyond the preparations of a final push for
the disputed site in courts or the negotiating table, there is a sense of subdued
anticipation among VHP cadres in Ayodhya.Business Standard
Ayodhya hearing to begin from tomorrow
Ayodhya: The Supreme Court on Tuesday will
commence day-to-day hearing in the vexed Ayodhya title suit.Now, all the eyes
are the SC judgement. The SC full bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra
and also comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul Nazar would sit on
day-to-day basis to expedite the case.The lawyers of the petitioners are
already camping in New Delhi. The petitioners for Hindu side are Nirmohi
Akhara, Hindu Maha Sabha, Ram Lalla Virajaman, one Ramesh Chandra Tripathi and
Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, who represents Ramjanambhoomi
Punaudhar Samiti.The Muslim side has Sunni Central Waqf Board along with five
other petitioners. dailyexcelsior
MIM, MBT organise Babri protest meetings in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Muslim groups and political parties
have organised protest meetings ahead of the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid
demolition. United Muslim Forum along with MIM leaders organised a meeting at
Dargah Guntal Sha Baba Road, while Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) held a meeting
at Moghalpura on Sunday. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi participated in the
public meeting organised by UMF at Dargah.Speaking about Babri Masjid case, the
Forum said that it would accept the court verdict. "We will accept the
judgment of the court," Muneeruddin Ahmed of the Forum said.Another
protest meet was held at Urdu Ghar-Moghalpura under the ageis of MBT. MBT
demanded the arrest of RSS chief Mohan Baghwat for his recent remarks on Ram
Mandir."All secular forces should jointly condemn Mohan Baghwat's stand as
the matter is before the Supreme Court. I demand his arrest for propagating
confusion and contumacy," MBT president Majeed Ullah Khan said.Speaking
about the judgment, Khan said, "In light of consistent injustices in Babri
Masjid case, fascist forces are trying to influence Indian society through
their radicalised ideologies."Pointing at the demolition of Babri Masjid,
MBT spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan said it was more a failure of secular forces
than success of right-wing outfits.
'Is RSS chief Bhagwat Chief Justice of India',
asks Owaisi
Game of Ayodhya director Sunil Singh’s house
vandalised
http://www.newsx.com/entertainment/game-of-ayodhya-director-sunil-singhs-house-in-lucknow-vandalised
Game of Ayodhya director Sunil Singh’s house
was vandalised by workers of Hindu Jagran Manch. The group protested the
release of the film in front of the house of the director. While protesting,
the workers vandalised the property, painting the house black and put a lock on
the door of the house. Soon the police reached the spot but was unable to
control the protesters. After the protesters turned more violent extra force
was called but this attempt also failed to control the agitated workers.Later,
police decided to increase the security and stationed para-military forces in
front of the director’s house. Commenting on the incident director Sunil Singh
said, “People are protesting against the movie without even watching the film
which is unjust. Taking law in hands and protesting against a film is
disturbing and a threat to the entire film fraternity and the sovereignty of
the nation.” Sunil Singh further added that he is not scared of such threats
and will release the film on Dec.8.‘Game of Ayodhya’ is based on Liberahan
commission’s report that BJP has dumped, the director said. Talking about the
film the director had said, “I tried to tell the real story of the Babri Masjid
demolition through the lens of a love story and how a journalist helps
them.”NewsX
Law important to create fear among those
following triple talaq: Minorities panel chief
New Delhi:The chairman of National Commission
for Minorities, Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi, has said a law is important “to
create fear” among those still following triple talaq, despite the Supreme
Court suspending the practice for a specific period in the country. Dismissing
the contention of several Muslim organisations, Rizvi said those who were in
favour of triple talaq earlier were the ones against the law now.“The SC
delivered a huge verdict on triple talaq, but many people are still following
the practice. Many cases of giving talaq through WhatsApp and phone have come
up (since the SC’s decision),” he said. “A law is important to create fear
among those still following the practice of triple talaq. If there is a
punitive provision, they will be afraid of it and it will help eradicate triple
talaq. This law will benefit all the women and the Muslim community at large,”
Rizvi said.According to a draft law, triple talaq will be declared illegal and
will attract a jail term of 3 years for the husband.The draft Muslim Women
Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill was sent to the state Govt s last Friday
for their views. The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and several other Muslim
organisations have voiced their opposition against the govt’s step to frame a
law in this regard, calling it an interference in the personal laws of a
community.HT
Parsis’ petitions to retain Parsi matrimonial
courts
Mumbai: The Supreme Court is hearing a
petition that questions the validity of Parsi matrimonial courts that follow a
jury system.Though the court observed that the country’s parliament would be a
better platform to decide the issue, it has asked for Govt’s view on the
petition. The petitioner, who had earlier approached Bombay high court seeking
the dissolution of her marriage, said the procedure laid out under the Parsi
Marriage and Divorce Act of 1938 made divorces a long and torturous exercise.
According to her, the jury system made the procedure cumbersome, without any
access to recourses such as mediation and settlement that are available to
Hindu women under the family court system.The petitioner said hearings in her
case has been delayed because jury members — called delegates — have not been
appointed. There are special matrimonial courts presided over by a high court
judge at Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai — though as Mumbai-based lawyer Armaity
Engineer pointed out, these are not the only courts that hear Parsi matrimonial
matters; district courts in Pune, Bengaluru and Surat also look at them. In the
case of the high courts, the chief justice nominates a judge, who, aided by
delegates, hears the dispute. Names of delegates are suggested by Bombay Parsi
Punchayet (BPP), the community’s largest representative body. The delegates —
there are five though it was seven earlier — are selected by draw of lots. The
parties in the divorce case can object to a delegate’s presence if they suspect
his or her impartiality. The Bombay high court hears an average of 50 cases a
year.
Initiate High Level Judicial Inquiry Into
Judge Loya’s Death: Ex-Civil Servants Write to CJI
New Delhi: 32 signatories, including retired
secretaries to the Govt of India, four
former ambassadors and a former chief information commissioner of a state Govt ,
today appealed to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and the chief justice of the
Bombay high court to order a high level probe into the death of Judge Brijgopal
Harkishan Loya.The appeal attached the request made by ex-Navy chief Admiral
(Retd.) L. Ramdas, also to CJI and the chief justice of the Bombay high court,
that a high level judicial enquiry be initiated into the controversial
circumstances of the death of Judge Loya. Justice (Retd.) BH Marlapalle, former
judge of Bombay high court and Justice (Retd.) AP Shah, former chief justice of
the Delhi high court have also expressed the need for an enquiry.The pleas
seeking a probe have followed 2 reports the Caravan magazine published that
quoted immediate members of Loya’s family, who questioned the circumstances
surrounding his death. Loya, who was presiding over CBI court in the
Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, passed away on Dec.1, 2014, after a
heart attack while in Nagpur to attend a colleague’s daughter’s wedding.The
Wire
Pune's Mohsin murder case: Ujjwal Nikam blames
MP for quitting as special public prosecutor
Pune: Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam has finally
revealed the reason behind his decision to quit as special public prosecutor
(SPP) in Mohsin Shaikh murder case. Responding to a question during a programme
on ABP Majha, a regional news channel, on Nov.30 Nikam blamed a “Member of
Parliament” and a “journalist”, who had opposed his appointment as SPP in the
case, after pointing out that he had been “felicitated by some Hindu
organisations”. Nikam did not name either the journalist or MP.Following a
request made by Nikam earlier this year, the state Govt had cancelled his appointment as SPP in the
case. RV Chavan, the section officer, law and judiciary department, had passed
an order in this regard on May 19, 2017. Mohsin, an engineer in a private firm,
was attacked, allegedly by members of Hindu Rashtra Sena, during communal
clashes in Pune in June 2014. Days later, Mohsin succumbed to his injuries.As
per documents, which were procured by the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad under RTI,
on July 20, 2014, Hussain Dalwai, a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, had written to
then CM Prithviraj Chavan, stating that
Nikam should not be assigned the Mohsin Shaikh murder case.Dalwai had asked
Chavan to consider a demand made by Rashtrapremi Kruti Samiti, a social
organisation.Documents, obtained via RTI process, reveal that Pune-based
activist Anjum Inamdar, of Rashtrapremi Kruti Samiti, had written to then CM
Chavan and the state law department, on June 12, 2014. Inamdar had opposed
Nikam’s appointment as SPP and claimed that the lawyer was “close to Hindu
extremist groups”. When contacted Nikam on Saturday, he refused to comment on
the issue. MP Hussain Dalwai, on the other hand, told this newspaper that while
he “respects” Nikam, he “has his doubts” about the prosecutor.Meanwhile, Mohsin’s
family had requested the appointment of advocate Rohini Salian as SPP. Later,
lawyer Ujwala Pawar, district govt pleader in Pune court, appeared as SPP in
the case. indianexpress
Hadiya's 'husband' was in touch with IS men
before their marriage: NIA
New Delhi: Shafin Jahan, 'husband' of Akhila
Asokan alias Hadiya, was allegedly in touch with 2 key chargesheeted accused in
ISIS Omar-al-Hindi case, Manseed and P Safvan, via a closed Facebook group
comprising activists of PFI's political arm SDPI as well as a popular messaging
application, during the months preceding his marriage to Hadiya, an NIA probe
has found.Both Manseed and Safvan, arrested in October last year, have been
chargesheeted by NIA in the Omar-al-Hindi case. The case relates to criminal
conspiracy by members of an IS-inspired group to target HC judges, senior
police officers and political leaders as well as places of public importance in
south India.NIA believes it was Manseed and his SDPI associates including
Muneer, a friend of Shafin Jahan, and not matrimonial website 'waytonikah.com'
that brought Hadiya and Shafin together so as to 'arrange' their alliance. The
two got married in Dec.2016. timesofindia
Hadiya case: CPI(M)'s Brinda Karat attacks NIA
New Delhi: CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat has
accused NIA of being out on a "fishing expedition" in Kerala and
interrogating couples in inter-caste or inter-community marriages. Party's politburo
member said instead of celebrating inter-caste and inter-community marriages as
"symbols of India's open and liberal approach", there was a campaign
against them. "NIA is on a fishing expedition having already interrogated
89 such couples in Kerala," Karat said in the latest issue of party organ
'People's Democracy', while referring to Hadiya case. PTI
Army Chief Rawat going into detail on Myanmar
surgical strike leaves govt red-faced
While India is working to improve ties with
Myanmar, comments by Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, confirming for
the first time that Indian troops crossed into Myanmar in 2015 for operations,
are being seen as a cause of concern, officials in Home and External Affairs
Ministries have said. However, neither Ministry agreed to comment on the issue.
Govt has been trying to get Myanmar’s support for its efforts to control
cross-border movement of Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland rebels and
Rohingya refugees. “Army Chief should have been mindful of the realities in
Myanmar and our efforts there. Such detailed discussion on the operations
wouldn’t help the situation at all,” a senior official in the security
establishment, who asked not to be named, said.At a book release function in
Pune on Friday, Rawat elaborated on the cross-border raid carried out by Army
on NSCN-K militant hideouts in Myanmar.He particularly underlined the difficulties
that Special Force commandos faced in Myanmar “after crossing over” and the
“heavy losses” they inflicted on the militant camp there. It is the first time
a senior Govt functionary has given such extensive details of the operation. While
military sources had circulated some details of the operation at the time, Govt
of India had moved in quickly to stop any official reports after the Myanmar
govt and military objected, saying only that an operation was carried out
“along the border”.“We will not allow any foreign military operations in
Myanmar territory,” Zaw Htay, Director in Myanmar President’s office, said a
day after the surgical strike. “Every country must respect the other country’s
sovereignty.”The Hindu
India allows 1,300 Buddhists from Myanmar’s
Rakhine state to enter Mizoram
Aizwal: In a contradiction of its own policy,
Indian Govt has allowed over 1300 tribal
Buddhist refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine region to enter Mizoram. The refugees
left their homeland because of the ongoing war between the Myanmarese Army and
the Arakan Army, made up of Buddhist insurgents. This comes nearly a month
after the Union Home Ministry had directed the northeastern states to take
strict measures to prevent Rohingyas -- who are Muslims -- from entering Indian
territory despite persecution by Myanmar regime. The new group of refugees,
belonging to Chin and few other communities of Myanmar, have come to four
villages in Lawngtlai district.According to sources in the Mizoram Govt , the
administration is struggling hard to bring down the rising tensions among the
refugees and the residents of Laitlang, Dumzautlang, Hmawngbuchhuah and
Zochachhuah villages. According to the state administration, the refugees are
being taken care of on humanitarian grounds as all of them came to escape
clashes back home.IANS
UP civic poll results: SP may be losing Muslim
vote to BSP
A majority of the Muslim community, which has
backed SP in most elections after the Babri Masjid demolition, appears to have
voted for BSP this time. According to local leaders, the combination of
Muslim-Dalit votes helped BSP win the two mayor seats of Aligarh and Meerut and
its candidates performed better than than SP candidates on various other
seats.In Aligarh, SP candidate Mujahid Kidwai stood fourth with only 16,510
only votes, while BSP’s Mohd Furqan bagged 1.25 lakh votes to defeat BJP’s
Rajeev Kumar who got 1.15 lakh votes. Local BJP leaders claimed that Muslims
voted for BSP in the city, which has approximately 2.68 lakh Muslim voters and
about 50,000 Dalit voters. “Muslims are always with the SP. But some faults in
the numbering of candidates on EVM helped BSP. Also, of 50,000 Dalit votes,
nearly 40000 went to BSP. These Dalit voters voted BJP in the Assembly polls,”
said Kidwai.A BJP leader in Aligarh said,“In past elections, less number of
Hindu candidates compared to Muslim candidates led to a division of Muslim
votes.But this time, only 2 Muslim candidates contested and a majority of
Muslim voters found the BSP nominee stronger than that of SP and they voted BSP
to defeat BJP.” BJP leader added that Dalit voters backed the BJP in the past
when BSP did not contest on party symbol. “This time, BSP contested on symbol
and Dalits voted them. BJP too got Dalit votes, but less as compared to BSP,”
he said.In Muslim-dominated Meerut, BSP’s Sunita Verma bagged 2.34 lakh votes
and defeated state BJP vice-president Kanta Kardam who got 2.05 lakh votes.
SP’s Deepu Manothia got only 47,153 votes and finished third.There are around
2.4 lakh Muslim voters and 1.25 lakh Dalit voters in Meerut corporation area.
“Barely 2000 Muslims voted SP.Most of them voted BSP. Senior SP leaders are responsible
for this situation.indianexpress
Muslims in West UP repose faith in Mayawati
BJP loss in Meerut, Aligarh due to illegal
abattoir ban?
Lucknow: The ban on illegal slaughterhouses by
CM Aditya Nath Yogi might have boosted
his image as a strong leader who can take tough decisions and complex issues
head-on, but the decision seems to be the cause for BJP losing Meerut and
Aligarh mayoral elections.The meat lobby, party insiders said, mobilized the
Muslim community to vote en-masse for BSP candidates to ensure BJP defeat.Despite
Mayawati not campaigning and not even casting her vote, Dalits in general and
Jatavs in particular stood with BSP and this made choice easy for Muslims.This
tactical move is a worrying sign for Samajwadi Party as minority community has
remained loyal to it for long but voted for BSP in Meerut, Aligarh and
Saharanpur where BSP candidate was the runner-up.Political observers said the
meat trader lobby has a strong influence in Meerut. A BJP insider said leaders
like Yaqoub Qureshi, whose family is in slaughterhouse business, gets his
support mainly from Muslims who are somehow involved in the trade. timesofindia
Parliament may take up bill seeking jailing of
religious leaders seeking votes for party
New Delhi:A private member’s bill seeking up
to seven years’ imprisonment of religious leaders, who appeal to their
followers to vote for a political party, is likely to be taken up for
consideration in the winter session of Parliament beginning Dec.15. INLD MP
Dushyant Chautala has proposed an amendment to the Religious Institutions
(Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, to restrain religious institutions from
acting at the behest of political parties.“No religious institution or manager
or spiritual leader thereof shall issue any direction on appeal to any person
or group of persons to vote or refrain from voting in any election in favour of
any political party or any individual that election,” according to the bill,
introduced in 2015.“And if any spiritual leader does so, he or she shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years,”
Chautala, an MP from Sirsa in Haryana, has proposed in the Religious
Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Bill, 2015.There is also a
provision in the bill for Rs 1-10 lakh fine on offenders. The broader objective
of this bill is to check politicisation of religion, religious institutions and
spiritual leaders. At the same time, it aims at preventing criminalisation of
such institutions, he said.As politicians should not enter into religious
activities, similarly religious leaders should not enter into political
activities, he said. A private member’s bill is a legislation which any MP can
proposed in his or her personal capacity. Most of the times these bills don’t
enact into a law as they are not proposed by the Govt . indianexpress
Letter issued by Gandhinagar archbishop a
"fatwa":Modi
Ahmedabad:PM Narendra Modi has said “rashtrabhakti”
motivated him and his Govt to help
people of various faiths, including Christians, and dubbed as “fatwa” a letter
issued by Gandhinagar archbishop. PM was referring to the letter issued last
month by Thomas Macwan, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Gandhinagar, in which
he had appealed to Christians to pray to save the country from “nationalist
forces”.“I was shocked to see a religious person releasing a ’fatwa’ (diktat)
saying uproot the nationalist forces. It is nationalism that guides us to help
every Indian in any part of the world,”
Modi said.PTI
Farmers will also carry out surgical strike
against govt for not keeping its promise:Yashwant Sinha
Nagpur: Senior BJP leader and former finance
minister Yashwant Sinha on Sunday castigated his own party for not fulfilling
the promises made to farmers as he launched a campaign from Maharashtra’s Akola
for their justice. Addressing farmers at a programme called “cotton, soyabean
and paddy rally, organised by Shetkari Jagar Manch, Sinha said BJP had forgot
the promise of 50% minimum support price
(MSP) it had made to the ryots before coming to power. “Before coming to power,
he BJP had promised to give 50% over and above the minimum support price (MSP).
But after coming to power, the party forgot the promise,” Sinha said, referring
to PM Narendra Modi, who had made the promise in Vidarbha at a ‘Chai Pe
Charcha’ programme before 2014 polls. “Just as Indian soldiers had carried out
surgical strikes across border, the farmers will also carry out a surgical
strike against Govt till justice is achieved,” Sinha said. indianexpress
Rahul Gandhi nominated as Congress president; Poonawalla
calls it ‘black day’ for party
New Delhi:As Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination
papers for the post of Congress president, worker Shehzad Poonawalla on Monday
called it a “black day” for the party. Taking to Twitter, Poonawalla reiterated
that the election is a “farce,” and claimed the party was fielding a “dummy”
candidate against Gandhi. Poonawalla’s remarks come days after he first alleged
that the organisational polls were rigged to favour Gandhi.Brushing aside
Poonawalla’s “silly” comments, the Congress had initially said the party does
not get blackmailed by anyone.A day before the election process began, PM Narendra Modi raised Poonawalla’s remarks
while campaigning for Gujarat elections in Surendranagar. At a rally on Sunday,Modi
had said, “A youth named Shehzad Poonawalla called the process to elect the
Congress president as rigged… he said democratic values in this election have
been torn apart in public view.” indianexpress
Modi govt weakened Lokpal Act: Anna Hazare
New Delhi:Social activist Anna Hazare has
alleged that Modi-led Govt at Centre
weakened the anti-corruption Lokpal Act, PTI reported on Monday.“Ex-PM Manmohan
Singh rarely speaks, but he had also weakened the Lokpal law (when it was
framed). “Modi has further weakened the law by presenting an amendment in
Parliament on July 27, 2016 through which a provision was made that relatives
of (Govt ) officers including wife, son, daughter and others will not have to
submit details of their properties every year,” Hazare said, talking to
reporters here last evening. indianexpress
MP assembly passes bill awarding death for
rape of girls aged 12 or less: indianexpress
New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh assembly today unanimously
passed a bill that will see rapists of girls 12 years or below being hanged
till death. The move comes after the Cabinet approved bill last week.Called
Dand Vidhi (MP Sanshodhan) Vidheyak, 2017, the bill will be sent to the Centre
and will need the assent of the President to become a law.The development comes
after the latest NCRB report revealed that MP recorded the highest number of
rape cases in the country. The bill proposes death penalty or a minimum term of
14-year rigorous imprisonment or life imprisonment till death for raping girls
aged 12 or less.Minimum punishment increases to 20 years rigorous imprisonment
for gang rape of girls aged 12 or less.
RSS leader murder: Some say they did not see
clash, others point to ‘outsiders’
New Delhi: Around 7 am on Sunday, Rayees Ahmad
was on his way home to Nahali village when he heard about a clash between a
group of police personnel and a mob near Bada Masjid. At least 20 officers from
NIA, UP ATS and police from Ghaziabad and Meerut were pelted with stones and
fired at during the exchange.While one constable sustained a bullet injury, 5
others received minor injuries, police said. “police vehicles were on one side
of a pond, where the mob had gathered.People objected to someone being
arrested. There was an exchange of fire and stone-pelting, said Ahmad, the head
of Nahali village. On the other side of the pond in Ghaziabad’s Bhojpur area,
the house — which belongs to Malook, the suspect the police were looking for —
remained locked on Sunday evening. According to NIA, Malook was allegedly
involved in supplying arms in the murder of an RSS leader in Punjab nearly two
months ago.According to local residents and police, this was not the first time
that Malook’s name has come up in a police investigation. “There are
seven-eight cases against him. He was an accused in the murder of the village
pradhan in 2011-12. He was arrested but later acquitted,” said Akash Tomar, SP
(City), Ghaziabad.Ahmad said Malook’s family owned “7-8 bighas” and farming is
their main source of income. “Property belongs to his grandfather. Malook’s
father Shokeen, his wife and their four sons live here with their families.
Most of them are engaged in farming but Malook does not really do any work,”
Ahmad said.While some residents of the village claimed that they did not see
what happened, others said they “did not know anyone who was part of the mob”.
“Around 6 am, I heard a commotion, and then gunshots. I took my children and
hid inside the house,” said a woman whose house is next to Malook’s.Ahmad,too,
maintained, he did not recognise anyone who had allegedly “attacked the police”.“They
must have come from outside. I do not know who opened fire at the police or
started pelting stones,” he said. indianexpress
NIA-UP Police team under fire in Ghaziabad, cop
injured
Bihar: 10 arrested after firing at religious
procession triggers clashes in Patna
10 people were arrested after more than a
dozen, including a few policemen, were injured in clashes in Patna’s Phulwari
Sharif locality on Saturday night, Hindi daily Jagran reported. The area had
been tense since the morning after two groups almost came to blows. The police
had then stepped in and defused the situation.The clashes reportedly broke out
in the evening after unidentified gunmen on bikes shot at people at an Eid
Milad-un-Nabi procession. In the ensuing violence, an angry mob torched a
number of vehicles, ransacked shops and set a few houses ablaze, Hindi paper
Hindustan reported. Senior police officers, including Inspector General (Patna
zone) Nayyar Hasnain Khan and DIG Rajesh Kumar, visited the neighbourhood and
deployed around 300 policemen and Rapid Action Force personnel. The police had
to fire tear gas shells and charge the protestors with batons to bring the
situation under control, Bhopal Samachar reported. scroll
Security supervisor Gaikar nabbed for hoax
ISIS terror threat at Mumbai airport
Mumbai:An employee of a private agency has
been arrested for allegedly putting up a hand-written note at the Mumbai
airport's cargo facility threatening a possible attack by terrorist
organisation ISIS, a senior police official said on Sunday.A private security
guard found the note in a toilet in the cargo section around 6 pm on Nov.29 and
it read "attack the cargo on 26.01.18 or anytime - ISIS", police
said.The police official said that Askhay Gaikar, 24, working as a security
supervisor of a private agency at the airport, was arrested on Sunday after his
role was established in the incident."Someone had circulated a video in
their WhatsApp group of a similar incident that had taken place at the airport
in 2015. After watching the clip, he thought of doing something similar,"
he said.PTI
Bhopal gas tragedy: Many women couldn’t become
mothers again
Bhopal: The tragedy that struck this city 33
years ago following methyl isocyanate leak from an industrial unit has not
allowed some women to be mothers again and many homes have not been able to
hear the playful voice of children.City’s third generation, born after the
tragedy that struck in 1984, is also suffering from ailments.Rashida Bi, who is
involved in improving lives of the families of victims, says a women of her
family had miscarriages four times.“The impact of the gas that leaked from the
Union Carbide plant is still there. There are many women who could not become
mothers. This has been proved by research also. The biggest pain of a woman is
not being able to become a mother,” Bi said.The Bhopal gas tragedy, considered
the world’s worst industrial disaster, occurred on the intervening night of Dec.2-3,1984,
at the Union Carbide India Ltd plant here,with over 500,000 people exposed to
methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other toxic chemicals.The immediate death toll
was 2,259 but later Govt put the toll at 3,787, while health of thousands of
others was affected.IANS
Bhopal gas tragedy survivors march to site of
accident
Lakshadweep islands suffer over Rs 500 cr loss
due to cyclone: MP Faizal
Kochi:Lakshadweep islands, which was hit by
Cyclone Ochki, has suffered a loss of over Rs 500 crore, Lakshadweep MP
Mohammad Faizal said on Sunday. Faizal sought the Centre’s assistance to
restore normal life in the islands isolated by the storm. He said normal life
in three islands — Minicoy, Kalpeni and Kavaratti — was badly hit by the
cyclone.Around 500 houses suffered damage, several coconut trees got uprooted
and electric and communication lines were disrupted due to the calamity in
Minicoy island alone, he told PTI.Several crores of rupees have to be spent for
rebuilding the houses and paying compensation to farmers who suffered huge
losses as rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the Lakshadweep islands
under the influence of Cyclone Ockhi, Faizal said.PTI
Minorities insecure, suffocated: Scholars
Chandigarh:Despite all Constitutional
guarantees of India being a sovereign socialist, secular, democratic republic,
the minority sections in India — Dalits, creative artists, writers,
rationalists and sensitive, enlightened citizens — are all feeling suffocated,
insecure and less-than-equal citizens of India since the communal ideology has
come into power at the Centre and some big Indian states. This was stated by
scholars from Delhi, Panjab and Punjab varsities and representatives of
minority organisations from across India during a 2-day seminar which concluded
at Institute of Sikh Studies (IOSS),Chandigarh. Prof Kulwant Singh, president,
IOSS, highlighted several acts of intolerance and violence by those in
majority.Prof Apoorva Nand from Delhi University said: “When saffron fanaticism
is being promoted under the garb of nationalism, majority of Hindus are
answerable for the undesirable activities of some fringe radical, vocal
elements. In fact, it is not only a struggle between majority and minority
communities, but also a struggle between the enlightened and half-baked
Hindutva zealots.”Prof Khalid Mohd from Panjab University said Muslim bashing
was rampant under the garb of terrorism, love jihad, ghar vapsi, triple talaq, 4
marriages and beef-eating, etc. tribuneindia
WORLD
Yemen’s Houthi TV: Ali Abdullah Saleh killed
in Sanaa
Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh has
been killed in the capital, Sanaa, according to the radio station of the Houthi-controlled
interior ministry.Footage circulating on social media on Monday appeared to
display a body resembling Saleh, with one video showing how armed militiamen
used a blanket to move the corpse into the back of a pickup truck.There has
been no independent confirmation of Saleh's death. Saleh's party earlier denied
that their leader had been killed and said he was continuing to lead forces in
their clashes against his former allies-turned-foes, the Houthi rebels, in
Sanaa.He has made no public appearances since the reports of his death
surfaced.Sources close to Saleh told Al Jazeera that the head of the former
president's security detail, Hussein al-Hamidi, was also killed, but did not
provide further details.The reports of Saleh's death came two days after the
former president expressed his openness to talks with a Saudi-led coalition
fighting the Houthi rebels, in what the fighters called "a coup"
against their fragile alliance. His comments on Saturday came after days of
deadly clashes between forces loyal to him and the Houthis rebels, signalling
an end to their united front against the Saudi-led coalition.Earlier on Monday,
a Sanaa-based activist told Al Jazeera that the Houthi rebels had gained
control of the majority of Sanaa from Saleh's forces."Only small pockets
remain," Hussain Albukhaiti, who has close ties to the Iranian-backed
Houthis, added.Albukhaiti said that fighters had secured key areas south of the
capital, including the "very strategic" Al-Mesbahi residential area,
which is approximately 200 metres from Saleh's home."The area around his
home is completely surrounded and may be taken over by the Houthis within the
next few hours," he said.The tactical alliance between Saleh and the
Houthis had often appeared fragile, with both groups suspicious of each other's
ultimate motives and sharing little ideological ground.
Yemen’s Houthi TV says ex-president Abdullah
Saleh killed by rebel forces
Trump is 'close' to a decision on whether to
move Israel embassy to Jerusalem: Jared Kushner
US President Donald Trump is close to a
decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, his son-in-law
and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said Sunday. Palestinian leaders are
lobbying desperately against such a move, which the Arab League chief Ahmed
Abul Gheit said would boost fanaticism and violence while sinking hopes for
peace.But Kushner, the 36-year-old head of a small and tight-knit White House
negotiating team, made a rare public appearance to put an optimistic face on
his efforts."The president's going to make his decision," Kushner
told the Saban Forum, choosing not to deny reports Trump will declare Jerusalem
Israel's capital on Wednesday."He's still looking at a lot of different
facts and when he makes his decision he'll be the one who wants to tell you. So
he'll make sure he does that at the right time."Telegraph UK
Kushner: Trump still weighing embassy move to
Jerusalem
Dozens of MEPs urge Israel to abandon ‘Jewish
nation-state’ bill
Dozens of Members of European Parliament
(MEPs) have urged the Israeli government to abandon a draft “Jewish nation
state” bill, reports the Jerusalem Post.A statement by the 189-member Group of
the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European
Parliament reads: "We express our deep concern over the nation-state bill
currently under debate in the Knesset, which can be interpreted as an attempt
to deepen and legalise systemic discrimination against the Palestinian Arab
minority in the country." Letter comes two weeks after a delegation of
Joint List MKs visited Brussels, and according to MK Yousef Jabareen, the
statement “is certainly a result of our visit”, adding: “The topic of the
nation-state bill was one of the main topics we brought up in our meetings at
the EU.”Jabareen told Jerusalem Post that one EU official said the bill has “a
flavour of apartheid”. middleeastmonitor
Palestinians urge Arab, Muslim Govts to stop
'Al-Aqsa incursions'
Ramallah:Palestinian national unity Govt on Sunday urged the Govt s of Arab and Islamic
countries to end "incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque" by Jewish settlers
under the protection of Israeli forces. Govt Spokesperson Yousef Al-Mahmoud said in a
statement that the settlers stepped atop the Dome of the Rock inside the
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, under the protection of the Israeli police and
military forces, describing it as "insistence by the Israeli Govt to desecrate holy sites and attacking the most
sacred site for Arabs and Muslims in occupied Arab Jerusalem city, violating
all norms, international laws, human principles and ethics," Xinhua
reported.IANS
US withdraws from UN Global Compact on
Migration
Donald Trump's administration said it was
withdrawing the US from an international pact aimed at improving global
migration and refugee issues, prompting criticism from the UN. US has been a
part of the non-binding New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants since it
was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly last year.The declaration
called for negotiations on a Global Compact for Migration, aimed at protecting
the rights of refugees and migrants and helping them resettle.It also seeks to
fight xenophobia, racism and discrimination towards refugees and migrants.But
late on Saturday, US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the declaration's
"approach is simply not compatible with US sovereignty" and that the
US will instead define its own migration plan. "No country has done more
than the US, and our generosity will continue," Haley said in a
statement."But our decisions on immigration policies must always be made
by Americans and Americans alone," she added.UN General Assembly president
said he was disappointed with the decision."I regret [the] US decision to
disengage from process leading to a UN global compact on migration,"
Miroslav Lajcak tweeted after the decision was announced. aljazeera
Egypt's Ahmed Shafik still considering
presidential bid
Ahmed Shafik, former Egyptian PM , says he is
still considering running in next year's presidential elections but that he
will need to explore the option further.Appearing on Egypt's Dream TV channel
on Sunday evening, Shafik denied that Egyptian authorities had kidnapped him,
as was claimed by his family after he vanished upon his arrival in Cairo on
Saturday."Today I am here in the country, so I think I am free to
deliberate further on the issue, to explore and go down and talk to people in
the street ... so there's a chance now to investigate more and see exactly what
is needed ... to feel out if this is the logical choice," Shafik said.The presidential
hopeful landed in the Egyptian capital on Saturday after he was deported from
the UAE, where he found refuge in 2012 when he narrowly lost the presidential
elections against Mohamed Morsi. Aljazeera
Turkey, Iran, Pakistan see big trade boost with
Qatar
Doha: The move by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan to
increase bilateral trade with Qatar, following a Saudi-led blockade, has
benefited all four countries, according to experts.Saudi Arabia, UAE Egypt and
Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a land, air and sea blockade
on it on June 5. Analysts said the crisis has helped Iran, Pakistan and Turkey
increase bilateral trade with Qatar, as well as open new commercial routes and
strengthen political ties. "Trade between Iran and Qatar increased by 117 %
in less than 6 months and it shows the short-term effect of this crisis and
bodes well for both countries in the long term," Luciano Zaccara, an
expert on Gulf and Islamic studies at Qatar University, said. Al Jazeera.
US: Teacher reports 6-year-old Muslim boy with
Down's Syndrome to police for 'terrorism'
A supply teacher's call to police about a
six-year-old Muslim boy with Down’s Syndrome led to his family being
investigated for terrorism. Officers launched the probe after six-year-old
Mohammad Suleiman allegedly kept repeating the words “Allah” and “boom” class.
His parents from the Texan city of Pearland, around 20 miles south of Houston,
have claimed this cannot be true because “he doesn’t speak at all” and has “the
mental capacity of a one-year-old.”The boy’s father said the family been
through hell after becoming the subjects of both a police and social services
investigation.“The last 3 or 4 weeks have been the hardest of my life,” Maher
Suleiman told the Fox26 news channel. “My wife and kids were crying a few days
ago and I told them everything is fine.
“Mohammad was born with Down’s Syndrome Chromosome 21. He needs care all
the time."He added:"They claim that he’s a terrorist. This is so
stupid, this is discrimination actually. It’s not implied discrimination, it’s
a hundred percent discrimination.” Teacher was covering for a regular member of
staff at the CJ Harris Elementary School when he made the call. Independent UK
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
How did Houthi-Saleh alliance collapse? Faisal
Edroos
Independents Rock BJP Boat in UP, Party Vote
Share Slumps By 12 % In 8 Months:Amaresh Mishra
97% of BJP candidates defeated in Azamgarh civic
polls in UP:Caravan News
UP Civic Polls: BJP Performed Poorly Even in
Modi, Yogi Constituencies; Caravan News
Not just Hadiya: Indian courts have had a long
problem accepting women’s free choices:Shoaib Daniyal
Babri Masjid case: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind pins
hope on Supreme Court: Greater Kashmir
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