Evening NEWS
DIGEST
17 Dec.2017: 27 Rabial Awwal 1439:Vol:9, No:74
INDIA
Akshardham attack ‘mastermind’ released from
jail in 40 days; media looks the other way
Ahmedabad: In the early morning of 4th Nov,
Abdul Rashid Ajmeri was picked in a dramatic style soon after he landed at the
Ahmedabad International Airport from Saudi Arabia. On all TV channels
throughout the day and on the front pages of newspapers next day, he was
presented as ‘mastermind’ and ‘main conspirator’ of the 2002 Akshardham terror
attack. But in just 40 days, the ‘mastermind’ has been released by the court
and there is no news about his release in the media.A POTA court here ordered
his release on bail on 15th Dec. and he was released from the Ahmedabad jail on
16th Dec.. Ajmeri’s counsel Adv. Ilyas Khan while arguing before the judge PV
Desai said that the accused was arrested after a gap of 15 years while the
Supreme Court has already acquitted all the accused in the case including
Ajmeri’s own elder brother Adam Suleman Ajmeri in 2014 for lack of evidence against them. While the prosecutor
opposed Ajmeri’s release on bail, the court ordered his release.Days and months
after the attack, at least half a dozen local Muslims including Ajmeri’s
brother Adam Suleman Ajmeri were arrested for the attack. In 2006, two of them
including Adam Suleman Ajmeri were awarded death sentence and 4 others life
sentence by the trail court. Gujarat High Court had also upheld the verdict of
the trial court. However, in 2014, the Supreme Court set aside the judgment and
acquitted all the six convicts. The SC had even pulled up the Gujarat police
for implicating the innocents.After remaining in the limelight as ‘big terror
catch’ for two days following his arrest on 4th Nov, Ajmeri was buried
somewhere in the media day after the POTA court denied his police custody and
sent him to jail on 5th Nov.The court, however, had allowed Ahmedabad
City DCB to question him inside the jail,if required. Ajmeri was provided legal
help by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind. Earlier accused persons were also helped by the
organization. Maulana Gulzar Azmi, Jamiat’s Legal Cell head, informed that special
POTA court had ordered Ajmeri’s release on Friday but as it had become late so the
order copy was sent to jail on Saturda and he was released in the evening the
same day. Azmi said: “Judiciary does justice but the administration has become
so blind in hatred against Muslims that it arrests Muslims even 15 years of the
incident and prosecutes them.” Coincidentally, Rashid Ajmeri’s arrest took
place just a day after PM Narendra Modi made a visit to Akshardham temple as he
kicked off campaign for Gujarat polls.Caravan News
Law panel to suggest law to compensate victims
of wrongful incarceration
New Delhi:Should those wrongfully incarcerated
be compensated and should India have a law in this regard? The Law Commission
will examine the issue in the coming days following a reference from the Delhi
High Court. Delivering its order in Nov, the HC had expressed concern over the
lack of legal remedies for victims of “wrongful incarceration and malicious
prosecution”.Referring to a report of GS Bajpai, a professor of Criminology and
Criminal Justice and Registrar at National Law University, court had pointed
out that 32 states in the US have enacted laws that provide monetary and
non-monetary compensation to people wrongfully incarcerated. There are specific
schemes in UK and New Zealand in this regard. Bajpai was appointed as amicus
curiae (friend of the court) in the case.India has no exclusive legislation on
the issue. But the SC in several cases has held that compensation can be
awarded by constitutional courts for violation of fundamental right, court had
said in the order.“These have included instances of compensation being awarded
to those wrongly incarcerated as well. But these are episodic and are not
easily available to all similarly situated persons,” it had observed.PTI
Zakir Naik, hold that sigh of relief. NIA to
file fresh Interpol Red Corner Notice request
NIA will submit a fresh request for an Interpol
Corner Red Notice against Zakir Naik, an agency official was quoted as saying
by IANS.The official said Interpol didn't accept the NIA's earlier request a
Red Corner Notice against the IRF founder because a "chargesheet had not
been filed when the request was submitted."Zakir Naik told India today he
was "relieved" by news of Interpol's refusal to issue the notice.
"I would feel even more relieved if my country's Govt and agencies clear me of all false
charges," he said in an exclusive video response.
I feel relieved, now want India to clear my
name of false charges-Zakir Naik
Christian priests detained in MP: Cop asked
us- ‘Why don’t you convert Muslims in Kashmir?’
Bhopal:“You are from Kerala. Everyone is a
Hindu here. Why do you come to preach and convert only Hindus? Why don’t you go
to Kashmir to convert Muslims to Christianity?’’ a uniformed policeman
allegedly asked priests and seminarians who were detained at Civil Lines police
station in Satna, MP, late on Thursday for alleged conversion by force.“He was
echoing right-wing Hindu activists who outnumbered the police,’’Paul Varghese,
a rector at the seminary in Satna, said, describing the atmosphere in the
police station where priests and seminarians brought from Bhumkahar village
were kept in a room. They went to the village to sing carols and perform a play
about saving the girl child. Accusing them of forcible conversions, some
villagers and Hindutva activists asked them to stop the programme and called
the police, who took more than 30 seminarians and priests to the police
station.Varghese, 39, alleged that the right-wing activists abused them in
front of police personnel. Except priests, who were let go on Friday afternoon,
seminarians were allowed to go after midnight, he said.Martin P Davis, 45, said
he and two other priests were on way to the police station to enquire about the
detainees when they saw a car burning outside the station. Davis alleged that
he was surrounded by about 20 activists after he got off the vehicle. “They
pulled my clothes, punched and pushed me several times. I was about to collapse
when a policeman rescued me,’’ he said. He was taken to a room near the police
station where wireless sets are kept and asked to hide. Davis said he hid under
a table and could access medical treatment for injuries only around 2.30 am.B
Head constable Rakesh Keavat said Vikas Shukla, 18, was arrested on Saturday
for allegedly torching the car belonging to the Christian group. indianexpress
'Draconian' FRDI Bill Will Take Away People's
Bank Deposits, Roll it Back: Mamata Banerjee to Jaitley
West
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has written to
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urging immediate withdrawal of FRDI Bill to
save people from "financial ruin".In a letter to Jaitley, she said
people will lose faith in the banking system if Financial Resolution and
Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill is not withdrawn.FRDI Bill will completely
shatter the age-old faith and trust reposed by the people in the banking system
of the country, she said in the letter.Centre is planning to table the bill
during the Winter Session of Parliament."I will like to sincerely appeal
to the Centre to desist from enacting this Draconian law and withdraw the bill
to ensure that the common people in the country are saved from financial
ruin," she wrote.Already, people are reeling under the adverse effects of
demonetisation and hastily-introduced GST regime, she said.Banerjee felt if FRDI
came into being, it would "forcibly" take away the hard-earned life
savings of common people entrusted to the banks, for "bailing out one
section of vested interests, who have siphoned off the loans given to them by
the banks".She said this is tantamount to cheating the depositors for no
fault of theirs. Citing examples, CM said the bill would forcibly convert the
deposits into equity shares of the bank, when it goes bankrupt.It could change
the nature of deposits from one class to another, thereby changing the interest
rate or the tenure of the deposit.It could also impose a stay on depositors'
right to withdraw deposits before maturity. It could also put a moratorium on
payment of interest during repayment of deposits on maturity, she said.“To
cover up the failures and allow one section of the vested interests to go unpunished,
the Centre wants the common depositors to forgo their life-savings. This is really
shocking and unacceptable,”she said.News18
All eyes on Gujarat, Himachal as stage set for
counting
Ahmedabad/Shimla: Counting of votes will be
held tomorrow for the Gujarat and Himachal assembly polls, viewed as a prestige
battle for PM Narendra Modi and a litmus
test for new Congress president Rahul Gandhi.While the BJP is seeking a sixth
straight term in Gujarat, the Congress is aiming to stage a comeback in power
after being in the opposition for over two decades.The results are expected to
have a bearing on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as Modi had come to power in 2014
based on the Gujarat 'model of development'. Much-awaited results of the keenly
fought elections will be announced on Dec. 18 when the counting of votes will
be held at 37 centres across the state's 33 districts, amid tight security.PTI
Engineers being hired to hack into EVMs:
Hardik Patel
2 days
after accusing the BJP of possible EVM tampering in Gujarat, Patidar leader
Hardik Patel on Sunday said that a group of software engineers was being hired
to hack into the machines."Preparations are on to hack 4,000 EVMs in
Gujarat with the help of 140 engineers from an Ahmedabad-based company,"
alleged Patel on Twitter.He followed his tweet up by claiming that there had
been an attempt to hack EVMs in Visnagar, Radhanpur, Vav, and several
Patel-dominated and tribal areas.Later in the day, he justified his claims
about EVM tampering by saying that if a divine creation like the human body can
be tampered with, so could an EVM.He added that ATM hacking was a reality, and
therefore, EVM tampering was not that improbable.This is not the first time
Patel has raised such concerns. On Friday, he used multiple tweets to warn
people to remain alert to prevent the BJP from indulging in
malpractices."If the BJP loses the Gujarat polls, it will be the party's
nemesis. BJP can win Gujarat election only through EVM tampering; it will win
Gujarat and lose Himachal Pradesh so that no doubts are raised," he had
written. timesofindia
Gujarat elections: Exit polls are nonsense,
BJP will definitely lose, says Jignesh Mevani
With a day to go for the declaration of
Gujarat election results, Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Sunday rubbished the
exit polls and said the BJP would not form the Govt this time.Mevani, who is contesting from
Vadgam in Banskantha district, was on Sunday present at his constituency where
re-polling was taking place. Polling at two booths under the Vadgam seat was
suspended on Thursday during the second phase after ink marks were found on the
election symbol of Independent candidate Mevani on EVM and a BJP candidate
raised an objection. On Friday, the Election Commission ordered re-polling in
six booths where polling was held on Dec. 14 during the second phase. indianexpress
BJP MP predicts dismal performance for his
party in Gujarat
Pune: As most exit poll surveys predicted the
BJP to win the Gujarat Assembly polls, its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kakade has
claimed that the party would not win enough seats to form the next Govt in the
state."Forget absolute majority, the party will not even get enough number
of seats to form Govt. Congress, on the other hand, will reach close to the
majority mark," Kakade claimed."If at all the party retains power in
the state, it will be only and only because of Narendra Modi," he
said.Kakade claimed his team has conducted a survey in Gujarat and his claim
was based on the outcome of that survey."I had sent a team of six people
to Gujarat. They mostly covered the rural part of the state where they met
farmers, drivers, waiters and labourers. Based on their survey and my own
observation, I feel the BJP will not get an absolute majority in Gujarat,"
he said.Kakade cited anti-incumbency against the BJP Govt as a reason for his
prediction."BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 22 years. Since
Independence, apart from the communists in West Bengal, there is not a single
party in the country which has remained in power for 25 years," he
claimed.Kakade said the negative feeling against the party may cost BJP in this
election.He pointed out that BJP leaders did not talk about development in any
of the campaign rallies in the last phase."In the last a few rallies,
there was no word on development by the party leaders. There was no mention of
employment generation in Gujarat or about any major decision taken by the party
during last three years. Rallies were aimed at targeting the Opposition and
making an emotional appeal to voters," he said. PTI
BJP MP Predicts Defeat In Gujarat Elections,
Says Muslim Population Unhappy
Punjab civic polls LIVE : Clean sweep by
Congress, CM hails victory
The Congress secured a sweeping majority in
the three municipal corporations of Amritsar, Jalnadhar and Patiala which went
to polls today, while counting continued at the remaining seats. Congress
bagged 66 out of 80 wards in Jalandhar, in Patiala in won 56 out of 60 wards
and in Amritsar the party managed to win 69 of the 85 wards.In a statement
issued this evening Punjab CM Amarinder Singh said, “I congratulate people of
Punjab for not succumbing to the pressure tactics of the opposition, which had
tried hard to derail the free and democratic poll process with its cheap
gimmickry and provocative acts.”Earlier in the day, three municipal
corportations and 29 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab went to
polls amid tight security. A total of 925 candidates are in the fray for the
elections to three municipal corporations with the ruling Congress, the SAD-BJP
and the AAP contesting the polls.The civic polls in the state were held nine
months after the assembly elections in the state, in which the Amarinder
Singh-led Congress government wrested the power in the state from SAD-BJP
combine. Notably, this was the first time the voters had the option of ‘None Of
The Above’ in civic bodies polls. indianexpress
Rahul Gandhi is the leader India needs, will
be next PM : Sudheendra Kulkarni
New Delhi:Sudheendra Kulkarni, ex- aid of BJP
leader L K Advani, on Saturday showered praise on newly-elected Congress
president Rahul Gandhi, saying he is the leader India needs and that he will be
the next PM Congratulating Gandhi after
he took over as the president of the Congress party, Kulkarni tweeted, “Today
I’m even more convinced Congress President Rahul Gandhi will, and should,
become India’s next PM. A new leader is born. A leader India needs,” Kulkarni
tweeted. He hailed Rahul Gandhi as a leader with “truly Gandhian philosophy of
politics”. “A leader with a new – truly Gandhian – philosophy of politics.
Politics of idealism, of love, of service, of inclusion, of dialogue,” he
tweeted.PTI
Why is a new law needed for triple talaq, asks
Women & Child Development Ministry: indianexpress
New
Delhi: Ministry of Women and Child Development is learnt to have expressed
certain reservations about the triple talaq Bill before the union cabinet
approved it on Friday.The proposed Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on
Marriage) Bill criminalises triple talaq. A copy of the draft Bill was
circulated among the concerned ministries.While most ministries concurred, the
WCD Ministry dissented on some issues.WCD Ministry questioned the need for
separate legislation, arguing that divorce by triple talaq amounted to cruelty
and hence, fell within the purview of Section 498A of IPC. This section,
“Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty”,
popularly known as the “dowry law”, defines “cruelty” as “any wilful conduct
which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or
to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or
physical) of the woman; or harassment of the woman where such harassment is
with a view to coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful
demand for any property or valuable security…”Law Ministry disagreed with the
WCD Ministry — arguing that while this section provided for punitive action
against a husband or his relatives, a separate law was required because there
were no dedicated provisions to deal with instant triple talaq. WCD Ministry
also flagged the issues of payment of maintenance, and the custody of children.
The proposed Bill provides for maintenance to be paid to the wife through a
magistrate, and for her to get custody of the couple’s child. Both of these
provisions would legitimise the talaq, WCD Ministry argued. In response, the
Law Ministry clarified that the maintenance was meant to serve as a
“subsistence allowance” for the woman and her dependent children in case of a
separation, until the divorce was finalised. Maintenance, as stipulated under
Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, would be applicable
only if, and when, the divorce was finalised. The Law Ministry also pointed out
that a magistrate can decide on the custody of the children even if the couple
were not divorced, and that custody in no way validated triple talaq. Under
Muslim personal law, the father has the upper hand, as he is considered to be
the natural guardian. The mother only has hizzanat or custody of a female child
until puberty; and of a male child, until the age of 7 in the case of Sunnis,
and just two for Shias.Incidentally, the WCD Ministry was not a part of the
inter-ministerial group that was set up to draft the Bill.
News on triple talaq is ‘mischievous,
misleading': Ministry
New
Delhi: Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) on Sunday asserted that it
fully supported the Cabinet’s proposal on ‘triple talaq’ making instant talaq a
criminal offence and termed a news item claiming otherwise as ”deliberately
mischievous and factually misleading”.In a strongly worded statement, the WCD
ministry also opined that it should have been contacted for clarification
before the leading newspaper which reported on the matter carried the story ”on
a subject with such serious ramifications”. dailyexcelsior
AIMPLB Meets senior community leaders today
Lucknow: All India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB) members meet senior leaders of Muslim community today in Delhi to
formulate a response on the proposed ‘Mulsim Women (Protection of rights on
marriage) Bill, 2017’ to be tabled in the Pprliament. AIMPLB is not happy with
the NDA Govt ’s move to rush with the bill as neither the Board nor any Muslim
outfit or prominent Islamic scjolars were consulted before its drafting. “A
meeting of AIMPLB office-bearers and some other important Muslim leaders is to
be held today, which will decide about the response of Muslims to this Bill,”
said Board secretary Zafaryaab Jilani. Jilani said representatives of Jamat-e-
Islami, Jamait Ulma Hind, Milli Council, Darul Uloom Deoband, and leaders of
Barelivi Sunni muslim sect from Bareilly and Mubarakpur (Azamgarh) and MIM MP
Asaduddin Owasi etc will participate in the meeting. dailypioneer
T.N. to oppose jail term for triple talaq
Chennai:Terming Bill an attempt by the BJP to
“interfere in the personal laws” of Muslims, A. Anwhar Raajhaa, secretary of
AIADMK minorities’ wing and Ramanathapuram MP, told The Hindu on Saturday that
the party’s position had been arrived at after a discussion with the party’s
co-coordinator and CM Edappadi K.
Palaniswami.The only Muslim Minister in the State Govt , Nilofer Kafeel, who
handles the Labour and Wakf Board, said that a consensus was arrived at a
meeting which was attended by religious leaders and Muslim representatives of
various political parties. “When we discussed the matter with the CM , he told
us that it was his duty to safeguard the interests of divorced women,” the
Minister said, adding that Mr. Palaniswami too felt that the punitive clause
was “slightly harsh.”According to a letter sent to the Union Law and Justice
Ministry on Friday, the State Govt favoured omission of the provision, which
envisaged punishment with three years’ imprisonment and a fine in the event of
any man pronouncing talaq-e-biddat. However, it supported the clause on
subsistence allowance for women and dependent children. Besides, it concurred
with the provision handing over to women the custody of minor children. thehindu
SC judgment on triple talaq correct: Tauqeer
Raza
New Delhi: Welcoming the decision of Modi Govt
to treat instant triple talaq as illegal
and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband, All India
Ittehad Millat Council Chairman Tauqeer Raza Khan said today the present Govt wants to declare instant talaq as a crime but
it has been considered a crime in shariah for the past 1400 years. He said
giving instant talaq is a major sin. Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) has expressed
strong anger over giving triple talaq at one go. The awareness we should have
created among the people regarding triple talaq at one go, could not be made
possible, however whom we consider as our enemy are doing the service to
Islam.He said though giving instant triple talaq is a punishable sin, but if
the talaq has been given, it would be valid , there are no ifs and buts in this
regard. Maulana Tauqeer Raza cited that the man who gave instant triple talaq
was punished with lashes during Hazrat Umar’s (RAA) time. siasat
Triple Talaq: Muslim women say they are
worried of repercussions
Hyderabad: A day after Union Cabinet cleared
draft bill which makes triple talaq a cognisable and non-bailable offence,
vigilant Muslim women from Telangana expressed concern on its
repercussions.Child Protection Officer from Karimnagar Durdana Parveen said if
marriage and divorce is brought in the purview of crime, the families of the
litigating parents will be the worst sufferers.She went on to argue that even
though the practice of pronouncing triple talaq at one go is wrong and against
Islamic, if the role of clergy in the process of divorce of Muslims no more
exists, it will only lead to more tension in the religious community. Some
women said they are concerned that the standard practice of Talaq-e -sunnat —
where the talaq involves a waiting period of three lunar months between the
first talaq and the confirmation of
divorce — will also be banned next if the law criminalising talaq e biddat is criminalised. newindianexpress
Triple talaq bill violation of Criminal Law: Faizan Mustafa
Hyderabad: Legal experts are strongly opposing
the proposed triple talaq bill to be introduced by the centre. Several experts
have raised objections on the draft bill prepared by the Govt and termed it as violation of criminal
laws.Commenting upon the draft bill, Faizan Mustafa, vice chancellor of Nalsar
University of Law, declared it destructive and damaging. He said though the
centre is adamant to pass the bill but the question is how can you identify
such thing as crime when the other person has not been harmed physically. This
matter is not appropriate for criminal justice system. Since the triple talaq
crime is an oral matter it is difficult to prove.Prof. Mustafa said criminal
law would not help in social reformation. He said several experts and even
Supreme Court have identified that triple talaq cases are very less in the
country. Centre disclosed that only 67 cases of triple talaq have come to the
fore, of which 2 are from Hyderabad.Prof. Mustafa urged the centre to create
awareness instead of punishing the men. siasat
Udaipur protesters call Afrazul killer ‘symbol
of Hindu anger’, cite ‘Muslim video’
Udaipur: Kishan Soni, Govt school teacher and
divisional head of the Hindu Jagran Manch in Udaipur, paced up and down outside
the Bhopal Pura Police Station here on Saturday, speaking incessantly on his
cellphone, occasionally jotting down numbers of FIRs.33-year-old was trying to
secure bail for the scores of youngsters booked by the police for violent
protests in the city on Dec. 14. They were arrested for stone-pelting on
officials, violating Section 144, and putting up a saffron flag over the main
entrance of the District and Sessions Court in Udaipur. A crowd of several
thousand had destroyed shops and left more than a dozen policemen injured in
the protests. Of the 207 arrested, 153 were released on bail after police
talked to Hindu outfits.Restrictions had been imposed under Section 144 in the
town on Dec. 14 to prevent protests over the arrest of Shambhulal Regar in
Rajsamand, accused of murdering labourer Afrazul Khan and sharing a video of
the killing.Soni said the arrested men were not associated with any
organisation, including the Hindu Jagran Manch. He claimed they were not
protesting in support of Regar but against offensive slogans raised at a
“Muslim rally” on Dec. 8 over the killing of Afrazul. “In the video, the
protesters are seen shouting slogans such as ‘If one has to stay in India, he
has to say Allahu Akbar’ and ‘There’s only one king of India, my khwaja’,” said
Gaurav Nagda, 21-year-old media in-charge of Shiv Sena in Udaipur.He said a
“massive campaign” was held on social media asking Hindu men to assemble at
Udaipur in protest of the video. Police have also arrested 10 Muslim men in
association with Dec.8 rally. Denying that there was anything “inflammatory”
about the video, Mohammed Khalil, president of the Anjuman Committee, Udaipur,
said, “These are standard slogans of people from the Muslim community during
rallies. Allahu Akbar means ‘God is great’ while the Khwaja we refer to is
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.” Calling it an attempt to mislead people, Khalil
said, “More Hindus go to the Ajmer dargah than Muslims… People are trying to
give the video a communal colour.” Defending the Dec. 14 protest held in
“retaliation”, Nagda called it a “spontaneous reaction” by “angry Hindu youth”.
“The destruction would have been worse if they were associated with outfits. If
Shiv Sena had not been neutral, situation would have got out of control,” he claimed.
However, while members of the Hindu outfits say they weren’t protesting against
Regar’s arrest, many justified Afrazul’s killing. “As long as a strong law is
not passed against ‘love jihad’, chances are that more Regars will come
forward. Regar is the symbol of what the Hindu community feels right now,” said
Ganesh Vaishnav, a member of Shiv Sena.Police said most of the protesters came
from outside Udaipur, specifically for the demonstration, hearing about it on
social media. indianexpress
Rajasthan: In village where Afrazul Khan was
killed, houses empty out
Soon, Mohammed Inaul will go home. Most of his
friends have left Rajasthan and the only thing that keeps the 34-year-old in
Rajsamand is his uncle Afrazul Khan’s death certificate. Khan was hacked to
death on Dec. 6, with the alleged assailant Shambhulal Regar filming murder and
later go on a long, anti-Islam diatribe.“I will get the death certificate from
the authorities in the next couple of days and then I will head back to
Saiyadpur in Malda,” says Inaul.A week after Afrazul’s death, migrant workers
from West Bengal, almost all of them from Malda, are leaving Rajasthan in large
groups, scared over their uncertain future. “I was in Rajasthan since the past
decade to earn money but after seeing Afrazul’s half-charred body, I can’t stay
here any longer,” says M.Ziaul Haq, a labourer.In Dhoinda, a village in
Rajsamand where Afrazul lived, most of the quarters are locked, their occupants
gone. Those who have stayed on are getting increasingly distrustful of
strangers.“I am still here because of a road construction contract that I had
taken. As soon as it’s finished, I too will head back to Malda. Here we hear
about processions and meetings every day since Afrazul was murdered and we feel
uneasy,” says Mohammed Barkat Ali, a labour contractor.“Back home, we have no
savings and don’t know if we will get work regularly. Here, in Rajasthan, there
is no dearth of work. But after this incident, I am scared to stay here any
longer,” says another labourer, Mohammed Rafiul.“We are not safe here and
that’s why we are going back to West Bengal. We may earn less but at least our
families won’t have to worry about our safety.” indianexpress
In Afrazul’s wake: Shaken by killing of Muslim
labourer in Rajasthan, some returned, but not for long: indianexpress
Amid police crackdown, villagers around Alwar
give up on cows: indianexpress
Free schooling for 2 kids of Muslim man shot dead in Rajasthan
JAIPUR : 2 children of a 35-year-old Muslim
man, who was shot dead in Rajasthan last month, will be admitted to a school in
Kozhikode after a Kerala-based political party offered to sponsor their
studies.Umar Mohammad was killed while transporting cattle with 2 other
companions, Tahir Khan and Javed Khan, on Nov.10 and his mutilated body was
found by the railway tracks in Alwar. A badly damaged pick-up truck was
recovered nearby.The incident agitated many local Muslim groups, who organised
protests. Police have arrested Tahir and Javed on charges of cow smuggling and
say Umar was killed by “anti-social elements”.2 other men have also been held
on the charges of killing and looting Umar. Police suspect Umar and his
companions were cow smugglers.A team of the youth wing of the IUML visited
Ghatmika, Umar’s village in Bharatpur, on Nov.14 and later the party’s MP ET
Muhammed Basheer gave a cheque of Rs 2 lakh to the family. HT
Aligarh BSP corporator takes oath in Urdu: 20
unidentified people booked for rioting, criminal intimidation
AGRA: 2 days after BSP corporator, Musharraf
Hussain, was booked for attempting to "outrage religious feelings"
after he insisted on taking the oath in Urdu, Aligarh police on Friday
registered a FIR on his complaint against 20 unidentified people for rioting
and criminal intimidation.Aligarh SP Rajesh Pandey said that cases have been
registered on the basis of Hussain's complaint alleging that he was assaulted.
SSP said that video footage of oath taking ceremony is being checked for
identification of people.TOI
Aligarh: 20 people chanting ‘BJP Zindabad’
booked for assault on BSP corporator
Hindutva a way of living, inherited from
ancient times: Vice President Naidu
Panaji:Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said
that there are some people who look at “Hindutva” with narrow religious
connotations rather than looking at it as a way of living of the people. He was
addressing the “India Ideas Conclave 2017” in Goa.He said, “It is unfortunate
that some people look at the word “Hindu” with a narrow religious connotation.”“It
(Hindu) was a larger identity of way of living of the people of this country
for years together,” he added.PTI
Anybody living in India is a Hindu: RSS chief
Agartala: Anybody living in India is a Hindu,
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday, asserting that the meaning of Hindutva
is to unite all communities.Hindutva is different from Hinduism, he told a
public function at the Swami Vivekananda Maidan in the heart of Tripura's
capital."The Muslims in India are also Hindus," the RSS
Sarsanghchalak said.Bhagwat, said,
"We have no enmity with anyone. We want welfare of all. To unite all is
the meaning of Hindutva."PTI
Jerusalem has been capital of Jewish community
for 5000 yrs, claims Israeli envoy
Kolkata:Israel’s ambassador to India Daniel
Carmon on Sunday said that Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish
community for five thousand years and would continue to be so.“It was a fact
stated by the President of the US. It is a fact that Jerusalem has been the
capital of the Jewish people for five thousand years. It has been the capital
of the modern state of Israel for seventy years. If you visit Jerusalem you
will see what it means to have Jerusalem the capital of modern Israel.
Jerusalem is the capital of modern state of Israel and it will continue to be
so forever,” Carmon said on the sidelines of the rededication ceremony of the
Beth El synagogue. He was in the city to attend the rededication ceremony of
Beth El and Maghen David synagogues — 2 of Kolkata’s oldest synagogues, which
have recently been restored. Indianexpress
It is not a battle of influence. This is an
issue of Iran interfering in our internal affairs: Saudi’s envoy to India
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to India Saud Bin
Mohammed Al-Sati talks about the recent social reforms in the country, calls
the anti-corruption crackdown a ‘straight-forward’ process, assures the
‘Nitaqat’ programme won’t impact Indian workers, and blames ‘expansionist’ Iran
for destabilising the Middle East. Al-Sati said, "India and Saudi Arabia
have an old friendship. We share cultural ties and heritage. There are a few
main pillars of the relationship between the two countries — trade, investment,
energy cooperation, security cooperation and the relationship we share because
of the large Muslim community here. We facilitate many of their visa
applications and welcome them to Saudi Arabia. This is a very important
dimension of the relationship. We also have very good security and defense
cooperation. Also, terrorism is a common threat to both the countries and we
have very solid cooperation in this area. Saudi Arabia will be hosting India as
its guest of honor for the national heritage festival to be held in Feb."
Replying to the question that the Saudi has been engaged in a battle of influence
with Iran?, he said, "It is not a battle of influence. This is an issue of
them (Iran) interfering in our internal affairs — whether it is Lebanon, Iraq,Syria,
Saudi, Bahrain, Yemen…It is not an issue of competition, what we see is a
country that is pursuing an expansionist foreign policy approach. It is an
issue of applying radical ideas, and it concerns us." On America's Jerusalem declaration, Saudi envoy said,
"We issued a very strong statement before the American President made the
announcement. Even after the announcement was made, we expressed deep regret.
We asked the (US) administration to reverse the decision. We took a strong
collective decision at a meeting of the Arab nations, which rejected the
American decision.We are the biggest supporter of the Palestinian cause. It is
top priority for our country, as it is for Arabs and Muslims all around the
world. We are actively engaged in trying to find a solution to the issue." financialexpress
Protests in J-K’s Kupwara over civilian
allegedly killed in firing by army
Srinagar:Protests erupted on Sunday in J&K
’s Kupwara district against the killing of a civilian driver allegedly by the
Army, but the military said the man died in cross-fire between security forces
and militants.Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said the Army
placed an ambush in Thandipora village on Saturday night after being tipped off
about the presence of militants.“At around 10.55 p.m., the military observed
suspicious movement of three persons which prompted the security forces to open
fire, leading to a gunfight,” the officer said.“In the cross-fire, a person,
later identified as Asif Iqbal Bhat, a taxi driver, was killed due to a gunshot
wound,” he added.But villagers alleged that Bhat succumbed to injuries he
sustained when an Army patrol fired at a vehicle.As people took to the streets
shouting slogans on Sunday, security forces used tear smoke to disperse them.
Internet was suspended across Kupwara district.IANS
J&K:Sacked teacher-couple reinstated but
refuse to join
Srinagar:The teacher couple who was sacked on
their wedding day for having a ‘love marriage’ have refused to join the school
even after being reinstated as their reputation has been maligned.The school
had on Saturday offered to give the teachers their job back after intervention
from local authorities. The couple, however, refused to join, saying their
image has been tarnished beyond repair.“What will the students of the school be
thinking about us? Will we enjoy the same status and respect among our
colleagues?” asked Tariq Ahmad.Tariq and his wife Sumaya Bashir, teachers of
Muslim Educational Institute of Pampore, were working in the school since 2013
and 2010 respectively.They were sacked on the day of the wedding, which
authorities termed was “a bad influence on 2000 students and 200 staff members
in the school”.Tariq, however, said giving the job back is not the answer and
wants action against the school. “I am planning a defamation case against the
school,” he said. hindustantimes
Court reserves order on The Wire’s plea
against gag order
Ahmedabad;An Ahmedabad court on Saturday
concluded the hearing on a petition filed by news portal The Wire against a gag
order in connection with a civil defamation suit filed by Jay Shah, son of BJP
chief Amit Shah.Additional Senior Civil Judge B K Dasondi said the order may be
passed on Dec. 23.Earlier, the Gujarat High Court had rejected the news
portal’s petition challenging the gag order, and asked it to approach the court
which had passed the order.The high court also asked the lower court to decide
The Wire’s plea before Dec. 26.The lower court had issued an injunction while
hearing the Rs 100-crore civil defamation suit filed by Jay Shah against seven
respondents over an article published by the news portal.PTI
Temple head donates land for mosque expansion
in Mangalore
Mangalore: The president of a Hindu temple
donated a part of his land for the expansion of a near-by mosque in the
Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka. He further asserted that there is
nothing bigger than unity and harmony between the Hindu and the Muslim
community in the nation.Mohan Rai, president of Eliya Sri Vishnumurthy Temple
donated 12 cents of his land to a masjid located next to his property. Rai is
from of Olemundovu village under Keyyur gram panchayat of Dakshina Kannada
district in Karnataka. The masjid authorities thanked him for the gesture and
appreciated this move.“The masjid is located close to my property and the committee
needed additional land. Though we are of different faiths, we have only one
god. Hence, we have to respect all religions. We should not discriminate in the
name of religions. God has given me everything and I am donating a part of it,”
said Rai, Times of India reported.
Damage to Jama Masjid serious, needs immediate
attention: Report
Delhi :The district administration’s report on
the degeneration of the iconic Jama Masjid says the damage to the structure is
serious and the 361-year-old mosque in the heart of old Delhi requires
immediate restoration.“Observations and suggestions for Jama Masjid restoration
have been compiled. The findings say the damage is evident and it should be
taken seriously. According to the survey report, the mosque receives 10-20, 000
tourists and worshippers every day and the damaged portions pose a threat to
them,” Delhi Govt official said. Teams comprising members of the District
Diaster Management Authority (DDMA), Delhi circle of Archaeological Survey of
India and Delhi Wakf Board (DWB)
examined the structure on Thursday.After the survey, the teams were to submit
their findings to their respective department heads on Friday.HT
Jama Masjid to get back its lost glory: Second
govt team visits mosque to assess damage
IMA opposes draft National Medical Commission
Bill, says it will ‘cripple’ profession
New Delhi:Indian Medical Association (IMA) has
strongly opposed the draft bill that seeks to replace the Medical Council of
India with a new body, claiming it will cripple the medical profession.The
draft National Medical Commission Bill was on Friday approved by the Cabinet.
It provides for the constitution of four autonomous boards entrusted with
conducting undergraduate and postgraduate education, assessment and
accreditation of medical institutions and registration of practitioners under National
Medical Commission (NMC).PTI
NIA lodges case against 5 alleged ISIS links from
Kerala
NIA has lodged a case against 5 alleged ISIS
sympathisers, hailing from Kerala’s Kannur district, the agency said on
Sunday.The central probe agency said it took over the case from the Kerala
police, which had booked the five men in Oct.5accused are -- Midhilaj (26),
Abdul Rasak (34), Rashid M V (24), Manaf Rahman (42) and Hamsa UK (57). hindustantimes
WORLD
UN draft resolution seeks to make US move on
Jerusalem null and void
UN Security Council is considering a draft
resolution affirming that any change to the status of Jerusalem has no legal
effect and must be reversed, in response to the US shift to recognise the city
as Israel’s capital.Egypt circulated the draft text yesterday, and diplomats
said the council could vote on the proposed measure as early as tonight.The
draft resolution stresses that Jerusalem is an issue “to be resolved through
negotiations” and expresses “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the
status of Jerusalem”, without mentioning Mr Trump’s move. “Any decisions and
actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic
composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and
void and must be rescinded,” it says.Diplomats said they expected the US to use
its veto power to block the measure while most, if not all, of the 14 other
council members were expected to back the draft resolution.US Vice-President
Mike Pence will visit Jerusalem on Wednesday, wading into the crisis over one
of the most controversial issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The draft
calls on all countries to refrain from opening embassies in Jerusalem,
reflecting concerns that other Govt s could follow the US.It demands that all
member-states not recognise any actions that are contrary to UN resolutions on
the city’s status.7 UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory
seized during the 1967 war and have reaffirmed the need to end the occupation
of that land.Backed by Muslim countries, the Palestinians are expected to turn
to the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution rejecting the US decision, if,
as expected, the measure is vetoed by the US at the council.Aside from the US,
Britain, China, France and Russia can veto any resolution presented at the
council, which requires 9 votes for adoption.AFP, AP
Over 80,000 protesters rally in Jakarta
against Jerusalem move, calling to boycott US products: aljazeera
Tens of thousands of protesters rallied
outside the US embassy in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, against President
Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.Sunday's protest
was the fourth and largest mass rally in Indonesia, world's largest Muslim
nation, since Trump's announcement on Jerusalem's status on Dec 6. An estimated
80,000 protesters called on Trump to stop his plans to move the US embassy from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Al Jazeera's Dessi Arianti, reporting from the protest in
Jakarta, said that many of the marchers travelled from out of town to show
solidarity with the Palestinian cause."Men, women and children, carrying
Palestinian flags and banners, condemned the US move while rallying at the
National Monument in Jakarta at sunrise on Sunday," Arianti
said."Many people, wearing white Muslim robes, held hands in prayers and
called on Israel to leave Palestinian soil. Indonesia has been a long-time
supporter of independent Palestine. Protesters called for a resolution to end
the conflict and vowed to continue fighting for the cause," our
correspondent said.Anwar Abbas, a top scholar from the Indonesian Council of
Ulema, read a petition calling on Indonesians to stop buying American products
until Trump revoked his move."Don't rely on their products," he said,
as the crowd - including men, women and children - responded by waving
Indonesian and Palestinian flags and shouting "boycott!"Jakarta
police spokesman Argo Yuwono said the protesters marched peacefully about 3km
from the National Monument Park to the US embassy.Some local media reported
that the number of demonstrators was double the police estimate.Head of Muslim
leaders' council, Ma'ruf Amin, said: "Let's fight together with Govt and
the world for the freedom of Palestine through political, diplomatic and
economic ways."
Thousands rally in Pakistan against US's move to declare Jerusalem Israel's
capital:AFP
Karachi: Thousands of Islamists have rallied
in two major cities in Pakistan to condemn US president Donald Trump for
declaring Jerusalem Israel's capital.Supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami party in
Karachi and advocates of US-wanted Islamist Hafiz Saeed in Lahore dispersed
peacefully after rallying Sunday for the Palestinian cause.Protests have
persisted in Pakistan since Trump's announcement angered Muslims across the
world.The chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Sirajul Haq, called on all Muslim nations
to suspend diplomatic ties with the US until it reconsiders its Jerusalem
decision.Hafiz Saeed said that Muslims the world over should put aside any
differences and unite around the cause of "liberating" Jerusalem.
Opposing Trump, Erdogan says Turkey will open
embassy in East Jerusalem
Turkey will open an embassy in East Jerusalem,
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, days after leading calls at a summit
of Muslim leaders for the world to recognise it as the capital of Palestine.“God
willing, the day is close when officially, with God’s permission, we will open
our embassy there,” Erdogan said, maintaining his fierce criticism of the US’
decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.Reuters
Arab media launch joint broadcast to support
Jerusalem
Arab radio stations and TV channels will
launch a joint broadcast on Sunday in a show of support for Jerusalem following
a US move to recognise the holy city as Israel’s capital.“This is a message to
[Donald] Trump that his declaration about Jerusalem is rejected,” Ahmed Assaf,
the general supervisor of official Palestinian media, told Voice of Palestine
Radio. “It’s also a message to Israel that Jerusalem belongs to Palestinians
and Arab,” he said.He said a large number of Arab radio stations and satellite
channels will take part in the transmission under the title “Jerusalem Unites
Us”. official Palestine TV and Voice of Palestine radio station will host a
number of Palestinian and Arab guests to speak about the importance of Jerusalem
to Arabs and Muslims.AA/MEMO
Thousands protest Netanyahu, corruption in Tel
Aviv, again
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171217-thousands-protest-netanyahu-corruption-in-tel-aviv-again/
Thousands of people on Saturday marched in
Tel-Aviv to protest Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged corruption. For
the third week in a row, the protesters gathered in Rotschild Boulevard, where
they chanted slogans against Netanyahu, who was interrogated for “several
hours” on Thursday at his Jerusalem residence as part of an ongoing corruption
investigation.Since last year, Netanyahu has been the subject of criminal
investigations in two separate corruption cases. He has repeatedly denied any
wrongdoing.The first case involves Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, who was
allegedly asked to purchase luxury items for Netanyahu and his wife Sara
Netanyahu. middleeastmonitor
Saudi airstrike hits wedding ceremony in Yemen
killing 10 women
Sanaa:Witnesses and health officials say an
airstrike by a Saudi-led coalition has struck a wedding procession east of
Yemen’s capital, killing 10 women.They say the Sunday airstrike targeted the
women as they marched to a village in Maarib province. They said the bride was
among the women, but it was not immediately clear whether she was wounded.It’s
a tradition in rural Yemen for the bride’s female friends and relatives to
escort her to the wedding ceremony, where the groom awaits.The witnesses and
officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation or
were not authorized to brief the media.AP
Civilians live a ‘nightmare’ in Syria’s
Eastern Ghouta
Ongoing regime attacks on Syria’s Eastern
Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, are turning the life of civilians in the area
into an endless nightmare.“Life under siege is a nightmare,” Abu Muhammed, a
resident of Eastern Ghouta, told Anadolu Agency.Abu Muhammed has lost his wife in
an attack by Bashar Al-Assad forces in the area. “My child Karim was only one-month old when
my wife was martyred,” he said. The
bereaved father said that his baby has also lost one of eyes and suffered head
injuries in the attack. The baby is now
being looked after by his siblings, who are also at child-age.Um Ahmad, who
survived the attack in which Karim’s mother was killed, said an artillery fire
had led to her death.“Shortly after we left our home, a rocket struck next to
us. The explosion hurled us around; when I came to myself, I woke up to see her
body was in pieces,” she said.Um Ahmad said it has become very difficult to
civilians to find food in the besieged region.“Our situation keeps getting
worse. My children haven’t eaten anything since yesterday,” she said. “We got
two kilos of barley yesterday of which we made bread and fed our children.
Today, we have nothing to eat,” she cried.Home to some 400,000 civilians,
Eastern Ghouta has been under siege by regime forces since Dec.2012. middleeastmonitor
Hoping to extend maritime reach, China
lavishes aid on Pakistan town:Reuters
GWADAR: China is lavishing vast amounts of aid
on a small Pakistani fishing town to win over locals and build a commercial
deep-water port that the United States and India suspect may also one day serve
the Chinese navy.Beijing has built a school, sent doctors and pledged about
$500 million in grants for an airport, hospital, college and badly-needed water
infrastructure for Gwadar, a dusty town whose harbour juts out into the Arabian
Sea, overlooking some of the world's busiest oil and gas shipping lanes.The
grants include $230 million for a new international airport, one of the largest
such disbursements China has made abroad, according to researchers and
Pakistani officials.The handouts for the Gwadar project is a departure from
Beijing's usual approach in other countries. China has traditionally derided
Western-style aid in favour of infrastructure projects for which it normally
provides loans through Chinese state-owned commercial and development
banks."The concentration of grants is quite striking," said Andrew
Small, an author of a book on China-Pakistan relations and a Washington-based
researcher at the German Marshall Fund think tank."China largely doesn't
do aid or grants, and when it has done them, they have tended to be
modest."Pakistan has welcomed the aid with open hands. However, Beijing's
unusual largesse has also fuelled suspicions in the United States and India
that Gwadar is part of China's future geostrategic plans to challenge US naval
dominance.
Church blast in SW Pakistan kills 8, injures
44
KARACHI:At least eight people were killed and
44 injured, including women and children, when a church in southwestern
Pakistan was stormed by heavily armed militants on Sunday, officials and local
media reported.The blast took place at 12 noon when some 400 people were
attending Sunday services at a church in Quetta, the capital of the
southwestern Balochistan province, said Abdul Razzak Cheema, the province’s
police chief.Nine of the injured are in critical condition, according to a
spokesman of the civil hospital in Quetta.When four militants stormed the
church, one blew himself up at the entrance, and another was shot dead by
security forces, said Cheema.Two escaped, and following an operation to rescue
the churchgoers, efforts are underway to apprehend the fugitives, he added.A
female eyewitness told reporters that the blast occurred when people were in the
middle of services.
Saudi releases Palestinian tycoon Sabih
al-Masri
Saudi authorities on Sunday released
Palestinian billionaire Sabih al-Masri, the chairman of Jordan’s largest lender
Arab Bank, according to two family sources.Al-Masri was detained in Saudi
Arabia on Wednesday for questioning after a business trip to the kingdom, but
the sources said he was set free on Sunday.It remains unclear whether he had
left for Amman or was still in Riyadh.World Bulletin
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Rajasthan HC Upholds Conversion, Marriage of
Payal Singhvi; Frames Guidelines To Check Forcible Conversion
‘Media got it all wrong’: Protests against
Rajasthan hate crime spark fresh tensions in Udaipur:Abhishek Dey
Evangelical Christian Zionists, Armageddon and
Trump's Jerusalem Resolution:Yvonne Ridley
For spouses of Indians with H-1B visa, Trump’s
plans are a nightmare coming true
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:11 PM)
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