Evening NEWS
DIGEST
15 Jan.2018: 27Rabial Aakhir 1439:Vol:9, No:98
INDIA ISRAEL:
SOUTH ASIA
Netanyahu India Visit Sandwiched Between
Protests In Tel Aviv and Delhi: Bibi Go Home!
New Delhi: That all is not right at home was
made resoundingly clear as Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu boarded the flight for
India with reporters asking why he was not taking his son Yair with him. All of
course knew the reason for the question, as thousands took to the streets in
Tel Aviv against Netanyahu for corruption and his son Yair’s anti-women
comments.Several protests, against the Israeli PM’s state visit, were held in
Delhi. The hashtag #NoToNetanyahu is making the rounds of the Internet.
Protestors marched chanting slogans echoing calls for freedom for the
Palestinians, and later dispersed closer to the Israeli embassy. Their voices
echoed against the usual din of traffic, but all the individuals that this
writer had a chance to talk to, spoke about the need for recognition of crimes
and atrocities against the Palestinian people.The answers were based in
nostalgia for the Gandhian support of the Palestinian cause, and extremely
critical of the defense deals signed between the two countries in the wake of
the Israeli military atrocities against the people of Gaza.The protests against
the Netanyahu family have been increasing in strength and frequency over the
past two months, with the PM already
under a probe for corruption that includes bribery and fraud. His son Yair
Netanyahu who has been speaking loosely of Govt deals, is now again in the eye of an even
bigger storm with his disparaging remarks about women while touring stripper
clubs with a state provided bodyguard and driver in tow. The tape in wide
circulation has the son telling his friend, who is the son of business tycoon
Kobi Maimon, not to argue with him over 400 shekels meant for a prostitute when
his father received $20 billion from Netanyahu. Maimon is a real estate mogul
and shareholder in Isramco, a company that owns owns Israel's offshore Tamar
gas fields. Netanyahu signed this natural gas deal in 2015.In Delhi at least
two major protests were held, covering most of the day coinciding with
Netanyahu’s arrival here. In a statement signed “Left parties, All India Peace
and Solidarity Organization, Palestine Solidarity Committee, India,” the first
march today hit out at “the profits made through trade and defence relations
(that) go directly into funding further oppression of Palestinians and more
theft of Palestinian lands.”Students from Ambedkar University and Delhi
University mentioned the imperial forces in power, and referred to the
colonisation of Palestine, juxtaposed against Kashmir, recognising both lands
as occupied territories. Burhan, a masters student from DU, said, “Palestine
deserves to be recognised and given the right to self-determination. We are
also here to protest the growing convergence between Fascism here[India] and
the right-wing there.” He spoke in length about the manner in which several
Palestinian and Arab citizens of Israel are made into second-class citizens, or
non-citizens, similar to the treatment of Muslims and Dalits in current-day
India.Detailing the convergence, Komita, a theater practitioner from Jana Natya
Manch, mentioned that while there were obvious similarities, it would be unfair
to club these together because the model of execution followed in India is
still painted as informal mob-lynchings, and those in Israel are publicly known
to be state-sponsored. Hindutva, in her opinion, was still in its initial
stages.Moloyashree Hashmi, from the Jana Natya Manch, also spoke about the
economic causes behind this growing affection. She noted that the two schools
of Zionism and Hindutva were only two applications of the larger Right-wing
philosophy. She spoke about the absolute lack of labour reforms. Capitalist
motivations behind the relationship, associated with the USA, and its brand of
neoliberal imperialism was central to the gathering.Meanwhile back home in Tel
Aviv the media is full of reports about the protest and Yair Netanyahu’s tape.
The son lives with his father in the official residence, and as Israeli
commentators have pointed out, this makes the PM responsible.There were protests in Kargil,
Nagpur and Mumbai as well. A second protest in the national capital by citizens
drew large crowds. Israeli PM has been
questioned seven times in a corruption probe that was converted into charges of
bribery, favourities and fraud. All of December there were weekly protests
against him in the country, with a demand to resign amidst chants of “Shame”
and “Bibi Go Home”. Thecitizen
Protesters burn Israeli PM’s effigy in Kargil,
Delhi
Thousands of people in J&K’s Kargil today
protested against Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu's visit to India.The protesters shouted slogans against the Israeli
PM and burnt Netanyahu effigy, American and the Israeli flags. Protesters were
holding placards and Palestinian flags to express solidarity with the people of
Palestine.The protests were organised by the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust
(IKMT).While addressing a press conference, the chairman of IKMT said, “the
land of Mahatma Gandhi can't tolerate war-criminal like Netanyahu.”He said
India has always supported Palestine but the sudden “paradigm shift” will make
India democratically weak internationally. Similar protests were held in Delhi
on Sunday as a group of men showed crossed-out images of Israeli PM that read
"Go back, Netanyahu” in English and Hindi. newsnation
Thousands march in Kashmir against Israeli
PM’s India visit, burn his effigy
Left parties protest against Israel PM
9 pacts including Cybersecurity, tech, oil,
Gas signed: Israel to invest $68.6 million in tourism, tech, agriculture
Indo-Israel relations underwent hiccups when
India voted against United States’ decision to make Jerusalem the capital of
Israel, but it seems both the countries are over the past as they signed nine
agreements on Monday including on Homeopathy and Cybersecurity to take forward
the trade ties beyond diamond and defence.The agreements were signed following
delegation-level talks headed by PMs Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu in
New Delhi. Interestingly, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday, called Indo-Israel
relationship a “marriage made in heaven”, and assured that one UN vote will not
affect the ties between the two countries, which last year celebrated 25 years
of diplomatic relations.9 pacts signed between the 2 countries will take
Indo-Isreal trade ties beyond diamond and defence as proposed by Israel in
2007. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Israel
in 1992, trade ties have comprised primarily of diamonds.While India’s exports
to Israel in areas other than diamonds have increased over the years, diamonds
continued to constitute around 49% of the bilateral trade in the year 2010.
Besides diamond, defence has also been important for both countries. India is
Israel’s biggest arms market, buying around $1 billion worth of weapons every
year. However, India had cancelled $500 million order to Israel’s state-owned
defence contractor Rafael for home-made anti-tank missiles, which Israel is
confident of solving.Here is the list of MoUs/Agreements signed between India
and Israel:1. MoU on Cybersecurity Cooperation between India and Israel.2. MoU
between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Energy on
Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sector.3. Protocol between India and Israel on
Amendments to the Air Transport Agreement. 4. Agreement on Film-co-production
between India and Israel. 5. MoU between the Central Council for Research in
Homeopathy, Ministry of AYUSH and Centre for Integrative Complementary
Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center on Cooperation in the field of Research
in Homeopathic Medicine. 6. MoU between Indian Institute of Space Science and
Technology(IIST) and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology for cooperation in
the field of space. 7. Memorandum of Intent between Invest India and Invest in
Israel. 8. Letter of Intent between IOCL and Phinergy Ltd. For cooperation in
the area of metal-air batteries.9. Letter of Intent between IOCL and Yeda
Research and Development Co Ltd for cooperation in the area of concentrated
solar thermal technologies. Israel will also invest $68.6 million to boost
cooperation with India in areas like tourism, technology, agriculture and
innovation over a period of 4 years. The commitment is in addition to the
India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund of $40
million over 5 years.financialexpress
Netanyahu in India: calls Modi a
"revolutionary leader", 9 pacts signed to boost cooperation
PM Modi invites Israeli defense companies to
work in India
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi said that he has
invited Israeli defense companies to work and invest in India.“In defence, I
have invited Israeli companies to take advantage of the liberalised FDI regime
to make more in India with our companies,” Modi said while addressing a press
conference along with his Israeli counterpart.“We are venturing into less
explored areas of cooperation such as oil and gas, cyber security, films and
start-ups,” he added. Modi said India and Israel would strengthen the existing
pillars of cooperation in areas that touch the lives of peoples in both the
countries, which include agriculture, science and technology and security.
India, Israel to focus on technology in
science, industry, agriculture: MEA
New Delhi: India and Israel would like the new
technology to be applied more effectively in science, technology and
agriculture sectors, Ministry of External Affairs said.MEA Secretary (Economic
Relations) and Foreign Secretary-designate Vijay K. Gokhalesaid, “PMs of India
and Israelspoke on the use of technology in agriculture. Our PM, Modi stressed
on the use of technology in the agricultural sector. PM of Israel, Benjamin
Netanyahu, spoke about the technology used in agriculture such as – how it
reaches farmers, how it improves productivity and yield of the fields through
water and fertilisers. Both the countries are working on this proposal.”“We
want to modernise our science and technology sectors with the help of
technology, through Israel’s expertise. The fund that was announced by both the
PM s at Tel Aviv, at the time of PM Modi’s visit, has now been operationalised.
The two countries have proposed 20 US million dollars. We have sent calls for
proposals”, added Gokhale.“In the industrial sector, water can be treated
effectively with the help of technology, when industries discharge waste in the
water bodies. We would also like to implement the same here”, said Gokhale.ANI
China slams Gen. Rawat’s remarks as
“unconstructive”, says contradict Xiamen consensus
China has slammed comments by the Chief of
Army Staff Bipin Rawat as “unconstructive,” and said his remarks did not
conform to the spirit of Sept.talks in Xiamen between Chinese President Xi
Jinping and PM Narendra Modi.During last week’s press conference, Gen. Rawat
had said that India needed to shift its military focus from its western border
with Pakistan to its northern border with China. He had also observed that if
China was strong, India was not weak either.Besides, Gen. Rawat had highlighted
the possibility of the return of Chinese troops to Doklam — an area that was
the scene of a tense 73-day standoff between Indian and Chinese troops last
year.“During the past one year, relations between China and India witnessed
some twists and turns,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in
response to a question. He underscored that in September, the leaders of India
and China reached some important consensus on properly handling the differences
and promote China-India relations. “Recently, 2 sides enhanced dialogue on
consultations, and bilateral relations have shown sound momentum of improvement
and development,” he said, in an obvious reference to the visit to India by the
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and State Councilor and Politburo member Yang
Jeichi.“Under such background, unconstructive remarks by the Indian senior
officials not only go against the consensus reached by the two heads of state,
and do not conform to the efforts made by the 2 sides to improve and develop
bilateral relations.” He added: “It cannot help to preserve tranquility and
peace in the border areas.”When asked to spell out any specific remark of Gen.
Rawat that had irked China, Lu said: “I have made myself clear. If the senior
official according to the report referred to Donglang (Doklam), I think you are
clear about our position - Donglang belongs to China and has always been in the
effective jurisdiction of China.”“China border troops patrolling and stationed
in the area are exercising our sovereignty rights. We hope the Indian side has
learned the lessons of history and will avoid similar accidents to take place
again,” Lu observed.He added: “If he refers to the situation in the whole
India-China boundary, I have also said that last September the 2 heads of state
have reached important consensus during the Xiamen summit. Both sides have
maintained effective communication since then.”thehindu
Army General Rawat’s remarks ‘unconstructive’:
China
Pakistan protests to US about Indian Army
chief’s ‘irresponsible’ remarks, LoC ‘escalation’
Islamabad:Pakistan on Monday protested to the
US against what it described as the Indian Army chief’s “irresponsible” remarks
and the “pattern of escalation” on LoC and called on Washington to advise New
Delhi to exercise restraint. Foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua raised the
tensions with India during a meeting with visiting US acting assistant
secretary of state Alice Wells. Wells is the first top American official to
travel to Islamabad since the US suspended security-related aid worth nearly $2
billion over Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts.HT
‘Danger of conflict between Pakistan, India
growing’ claims Pakistan daily
Islamabad;The danger of a conflict between
Pakistan and India is growing, a leading Pakistani daily warned today after
Indian Army chief said his force was ready to call Pakistan’s “nuclear bluff”
and cross the border to carry out any operation if asked by the Govt .General
Bipin Rawat made these remarks while responding to a question during a press
conference in New Delhi last week on the possibility of Pakistan using its
nuclear weapons in case the situation along the border deteriorates. “If we
will have to really confront the Pakistanis, and a task is given to us, we are
not going to say we cannot cross the border because they have nuclear weapons.
We will have to call their nuclear bluff,” Rawat had said.Dawn newspaper in its
editorial said the very idea of calling a “nuclear bluff” ought to give all
right-thinking and sensible people in South Asia pause.“With the army chief
appearing to suggest that the Cold Start doctrine has become a core part of
Indian military strategy against Pakistan, the danger of a general conflict
between Pakistan and India is growing. Crossing the international border is an
act of war, and Pakistan would simply have no option but to respond,” the daily
said.PTI
7 Pak soldiers killed along LoC in retaliatory
firing: Indian Army
Jammu: Indian Army said it killed 7 Pakistani
soldiers along the Line of Control in Mendhar sector of Poonch district of J&K
in “retaliatory action” against
“unwarranted and inhumane act”, days after an Indian soldier died in cross
firing between the two neighbours.Both the countries accused each other of
violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement on a day India is marking the 70th Army
Day.The publicity wing of Pakistan’s army, ISPR, said the soldiers were busy
with maintenance of a communication line when they were “fired upon and hit by
[a] heavy mortar round” in the Jandrot sector of PoK.ISPR also claimed that 3
Indian soldiers were killed and a “few injured” in an exchange of fire,”report
added.HT
OTHERS
SC judges rift: No change in the Constitution
Bench
Days after a press conference was held by 4
senior Supreme Court judges and raised their concern on some of the burning
issues in the Indian judiciary, according to the latest developments, there has
been no change in the Constitution Bench. The bench comprising CJI Dipak Misra,
and Justices AK Sikri, Khanwilkar, Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan will hear
eight matters listed for hearing from January 17. In the presser held by senior
SC judges on January 12, the judges including — Justices Jasti Chelameswar,
Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph — said that there was an immediate
need to preserve the judiciary in the country if democracy is to be protected.
The senior Supreme Court judges also went on to say that Democracy will not
survive unless judiciary is preserved.However on Monday in another development
in the SC judges row, the Attorney General while speaking to NewsX said that
the SC judges matter has been resolved via talks between CJI and judges in the
special meeting which convened in the morning. Also, the Bar Council of India
Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on January 15 said the issues raised by four
dissenting top judges of the Supreme Court have been resolved, and that the judiciary
did not want any political party to take advantage of the situation. “As you
can see the matter has been laid to rest and all courtrooms in the Supreme
Court are functioning normally,” Mishra informed media today. A 7-member
delegation of the BCI on Sunday met 15 Supreme Court judges, including Chief
Justice Dipak Misra, and three of the four rebel judges who went public with
their differences with the Chief Justice.NewsX
After senior SC judges presser, NewsX decodes story
behind it all
Judge Loya’s Son ‘Under Pressure’ to Claim ‘No
Doubt’ About Father’s Death: Uncle Shrinivas
New Delhi: Just hours after late judge
Brijgopal Harkishan Loya’s son reiterated his claim that there was “no doubt in
family” that his father had died of natural causes, Loya’s paternal uncle
Shrinivas Loya contradicted him, saying that he wanted an inquiry into the
matter and that 21-year-old Anuj Loya was likely “under pressure” to make those
claims.At a hurriedly-arranged press conference on Sunday evening, Anuj had
blamed his earlier suspicions on “emotional turmoil,” adding that his family was
not making allegations against anyone. Upon being asked whether he had ever
harboured suspicions over the special CBI judge’s death, he said: “I was in
emotional turmoil, right now I am in emotional turmoil.”When reminded about the
doubts raised by his family members about the inconsistencies in what they had
been told about Loya’s death, Anuj claimed yesterday: “They had some suspicions
because of emotional turmoil at that period. So right now even they are clear
with it and even they don’t have any issues.” Loya’s sister and Anuj’s aunt
Anuradha Biyani, however, when asked whether she agreed with Anuj’s
characterisation of her views, told an NDTV reporter: “I have nothing to say.”
She had earlier told The Caravan that her brother had told her that Justice
Mohit Shah had offered him a bribe of Rs 100 crore to give a favourable verdict
in the Sohrabuddin case.THE WIRE
Won’t challenge discharge of officers in Sohrabuddin
case: CBI
Mumbai: CBI told the Bombay high court on
Monday that it will not challenge the recent discharge of any of senior IPS
officers in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case.CBI counsel Sandesh Patil and
additional solicitor general Anil Singh told the HC that the agency had already
challenged the discharge of some junior officers in the case.However, CBI had
decided not to challenge the trial court order that absolved senior officers,
including former deputy inspector general of Gujarat DG Vanzara, Rajasthan IPS
officer Dinesh MN and Gujarat IPS officer Rajkumar Pandiyan, in connection with
the alleged fake encounter killing of Sohrabuddin and his aide Tulsiram
Prajapati, they said.CBI’s submissions came while a single bench of Justice
Revati Mohite-Dere was hearing a revision application filed by Sohrabuddin’s
brother Rubabuddin Shaikh, challenging trial court orders of discharge of these
officers.The trial court had in 2016 and last year discharged Pandiyan, Vanzara
and Dinesh MN. Rubabuddin has filed separate petitions challenging the
discharge of the 3 officers from the case.However, his counsel advocate Gautam
Tiwari told the high court on Monday that while they had been able to serve
notices to Dinesh MN and Pandiyan in the case, they had been unable to trace
the address or contact details of Vanzara.The high court had earlier directed CBI
to provide Vanzara’s address to the petitioner, but Tiwari said the central
agency had provided an incorrect address.The court today directed the CBI to
trace Vanzara’s whereabouts and serve him the notice directing him to present
his side of the case in the HC on the next date of hearing.“CBI is a premier
probe agency. It should not encounter any impediment in finding the
respondent’s (Vanzara’s) whereabouts, or getting his address. We often direct
the investigating officers to serve notices, so in this case the CBI should do
it to avoid further delays in hearing,” Justice Mohite-Dere said.The special
CBI court in Mumbai, hearing the case after the Supreme Court ordered for the
trial to be transferred out of Gujarat, had discharged the above three
officials on the ground that the CBI had failed to get prior sanction or the
special permission to prosecute them.However, on a previous hearing, Justice
Mohite-Dere had questioned whether the lack of such sanction alone could be an
adequate reason to warrant an accused person’s discharge from the case.She had
also dismissed the CBI’s argument that it had challenged the discharge of two
Rajasthan police sub-inspectors Himanshu Singh and Shyam Singh Charan and
senior Gujarat police officer N.K. Amin.PTI
Medical College Bribery Scam: CBI Tapes Talk
of ‘Prasad’ for ‘Temple’ in Delhi, Allahabad: thewire
https://thewire.in/213787/medical-college-bribery-scam-cbi-tapes-talk-prasad-temple-delhi-allahabad/
New Delhi: Transcripts of phone conversations
involving three accused persons in the controversial medical college bribery
scam – retired Odisha high Court Judge I.M. Qudussi, middleman Vishwanath
Agarwala and B.P. Yadav of the Prasad Education Trust – show that college
officials had indeed planned to bribe senior functionaries of the Supreme Court
and Allahabad high court to get favourable orders. The phone conversations,
transcripts of which have been accessed by The Wire, are available with the CBI
which is probing the case. The matter assumes great importance in light of the
ongoing fight between CJI Dipak Misra and the 4 senior-most puisne judges who,
in a press conference on January 12, had accused Justice Misra of defying the
court’s convention by allocating work to judges “selectively to the benches ‘of
their preference’ without any rational basis for such assignment” and
by-passing senior judges in the process. The bribery scam, in which the Prasad
Education Trust is said to have lined up kickbacks up for senior judicial
functionaries, has become one of the most significant cases on a subject
usually-considered taboo – corruption in the judiciary.The telephone
conversations between the three accused persons on September 3 and September 4,
2017 happened at a time when the trust-run Glocal Medical College and Super
Speciality Hospital and Research Centre – which was barred from admitting
medical students by the Union Govt after
having been found guilty by the Medical Council of India (MCI) for non-compliance
with its requirements – had moved both the Supreme Court and the Allahabad high
court against the Centre’s decision.In the hearings that lasted from August
2017 to September 2017, the trust was granted multiple favourable orders in the
Supreme Court, all in benches headed by CJI.The Wire
Judicial crisis leads to “Save Constitution” march
in Mumbai on Jan 26: Pawar, Yechury, Mevani, Hardi, to participate
New Delhi: “Democracy is in danger” warned the
four senior serving Justices of the Supreme Court in an unprecedented press
conference. India has been thrown in turmoil since with the Govt silent on the
serious concerns expressed by the Justices. However, the Opposition has
responded with a Republic Day march in the financial capital of India, to be
led by senior leaders like Sharad Pawar (NCP), Sitaram Yechury (CPIM) and
others.“Samvidhan Bachao” march with include the youth leaders Alpesh Thakor,
Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani who is now a legislator from Gujarat. But will
also involve workers and farmers organisations, including Shetti who walked out
of the BJP front recently. Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Gandhi, will also
be a participant along with other Opposition leaders including Sharad Pawar.
Patel has already responded to the call with,"I will be a part of
#SaveConstitution rally in #Mumbai on 26Jan #Republic day. Country faces a
serious threat to democracy and is inching towards #Fascism and we will not
allow that to happen.... lets stand together and save our #Democracy and
#Constitution.”Shetti has said that he will be part of this march, being one of
the initiators, as it was in his mind but he was galvanised into action
following the judges press conference. thecitizen
Opposition leaders, activists to protest in
Mumbai against Centre’s efforts to change Constitution
Deoband: An Islamic Bank for Poor, Including
4% Hindus, Who Can't and Need Not Pay Interest
New Delhi: Earlier this month, Islamic
seminary Darul Uloom Deoband issued a fatwa asking Muslims to avoid families
that raise 'haram' (illegitimate) money earned from a banking job. Reason:
Taking interest from loans is something that goes against the Sharia law and
Islamic banking system.However, the first thought that an average man has
before borrowing money from a conventional bank is the interest rate that the
bank would levy. And how does a bank function without charging any interest
money on the borrowed amount, except for the minimal organizational charges?RBI
guidelines specifically state that banks are compulsorily required to charge an
interest and pay taxes to the central Govt according to pre-decided rates set by the apex
bank and the finance ministry.However, Muslim Fund Trust in Deoband headed by
Haseeb Siddiqui is a financial institution that works on an interest-free loan
module adapted as per the Quranic Shariah model. Haseeb Siddiqui explains this
ideology that he runs his trust on, “Interest is haram (illegitimate) in Islam.
The Quran states that if you cannot provide a 100% assurance that a customer’s
money is safe in your bank, charging an interest until then is wrong.
Conventional banks levy upfront interests and say that your money is safe from
everything, however, what if there is an earthquake or a sudden fire or flood?
What will the banks do then? So, there is a chance that your money is unsafe
even if due to unforeseen circumstances. This is where Islamic rules state that
one shouldn’t be charging interest.”One wonders how the institution functions,
financially, if there is no interest charged.To overcome the compulsory need
for money, the trust has formulated mandatory rules for its potential
consumers.The trust offers loans to only those who have a savings deposit
account with them.“We need to have reserve some cash before we start lending.
Therefore, we lend money only to those who have deposited money in our trust
before. The entire procedure is very simple. You don’t need any identification
proof and it takes only two hours. We have 76,000 accounts in our trust, with
members coming from Deoband and its surroundings. 4% of these account holders
are Hindus,”said Siddiqui.Conventional banks demand security before issuing
loans, which it has the option of falling back upon, in case the consumer
defaults. Muslim Fund Trust accepts only ornaments as security.While the entire
procedure seems lucid, there is still a filling necessity for money to pay
employees, run the office and take care of other expenses that conventional
banks largely use the interest money for. The trust, however, has a different
mechanism, much like the Govt stamp
papers where clauses of an agreement are authorized, Deoband’s trust sell what
they call forms as agreement papers.“These forms cost 4% of the total loan
amount that is disbursed. Say, a consumer takes a loan of Rs 10,000, provides
the required ornaments of the exact market valuation and pays Rs 250 to get the
agreement form. Proceeds from these forms are what go into the funds used to
run the office and manage other ventures,” said Siddiqui. news18
MP: Catholic school outfit moves HC seeking
protection from ABVP
Bhopal;Days after the district administration
foiled an attempt by ABVP to enter St Mary’s PG College in Vidisha to recite
Bharat Mata Aarti, the Madhya Pradesh Catholic Diocesan Schools’ Association
has moved the high court seeking protection for their educational institutions
alleging that the students’ body, affiliated to the ruling BJP, was trying to
whip up communal tension.Secretary-General of Catholic Bishops Conference of
India (CBCI) Theodore Mascarenhas said the institutions run by minority
community were being increasingly targeted by the student body. He said the
ABVP had given a call to its members on local WhatsApp groups to go to the
college on Tuesday, forcibly enter its premises and recite the aarti. He said
the minority community tried to initiate a dialogue with the students’ body but
the effort was in vain. Hundreds of ABVP activists had created a ruckus outside
the college on Jan.4 when they were not allowed to enter the premises. A few
activists, who are also students of the college, had managed to enter the
premises and chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai.The decision to move the court was also
prompted by an alleged attack on priests and seminarians in Satna in December
when they were singing carols ahead of Christmas. Priests and seminarians were
detained in a police station. While the police had booked one priest for
conversion, a Bajrang Dal activist was arrested for torching a car belonging to
the minority community.In another incident, right-wing organisations have given
a bandh call to protest the punitive action against around 20 students of St
Joseph School in Namli, near Ratlam, for chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” on
Thursday. Accusing the school of being anti-national, Bajrang Dal activists
alleged that students were not allowed to appear in a pre-board examination for
chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” in school after the morning assembly.IE
Madrassas produce IAS officers, not
terrorists: NCM chief Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi
New Delhi: The chairman of the National
Commission for Minorities today dismissed Shia board chief Wasim Rizvi’s
controversial “madrassas breed terrorists” remark, saying the Islamic
institutions produced IAS officers, not militants. Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi
said it was a “laughable” remark made to earn a few brownie points from the Govt.
“It is laughable and juvenile to connect madrassas with terrorism. One or 2
isolated incidents cannot be used to defame madrassas,” he said. “Nowadays,
children who studied in madrassas are becoming IAS officers and earning fame in
multiple spheres. Madrassas don’t breed terrorists, they produce IAS officers,”
he added. Waseem-ur-Rehman from Deoband in UP cleared UPSC in 2008. He got
404th rank. Maulana Hammad Zafar from Madrassa Ali Arabia in Mau, MP cleared
the exam in 2013, he said. Minorities commission chairman said Rizvi’s letter
would have no bearing on Govt’s stance towards madrassas. PTI
Bareilly based Muslim group announces bounty
of Rs 10 lakh and Haj trip for head of Wasim Rizvi
Bareilly: Days after Shia Waqf Board president
Wasim Rizvi said that he has been getting death threats, All India
Faizan-e-Madina Council (AIFMC), Bareilly-based religious body, on Sunday
announced a bounty of Rs 1,000,786 and a free Haj trip for anyone who brings
them his head. It alleged that Rizvi had hurt Muslim sentiments by branding
madrassas as places which produce terrorists.AIFMC head Moeen Siddiqui Noori
said if Rizvi didn’t take back his statement and apologize within two days,
followers of his organisation would behead him.“Soon after BJP came to power at
the Centre, home minister Rajnath Singh said that there is no terrorist
studying in Indian madrassas and that the Govt wouldn’t close any such
institute. He made that statement in Lok Sabha and was supported by PM Narendra
Modi, who patted the table in acknowledgement,” Noori said.“Today, Wasim Rizvi
has become a big threat as he wants to ruin the social fabric of the country.
We demand the state Govt to immediately
terminate his services as Shia Waqf Board president. If he doesn’t apologize
for his statement, our organisation will behead him and we will award the
person responsible with a cash prize of Rs 1,000,786 as well as a free Haj
trip,” Noori said.TOI
Muslims burn effigy of UP Shia Board chief
Wasim Rizvi
Congress obstructing justice by attempting to
derail Triple Talaq Bill: M J Akbar
Criminalisation of triple talaq corrects the
historic wrongs committed in Shah Bano case, said Minister of State for
External Affairs MJ Akbar on the much debated Muslim Women (Protection of
Rights on Marriage) Bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha recently. Speaking to
ET, Akbar also responded to allegations made by people including former
information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah that he has changed his stance on
the reform of Muslim women, stating that people have "partisan, if not
selective memory." He said, "I think this legislation will happen.
There are means and ways. A joint session is also among the options that Govt can
pursue. I am sure the Govt will make a serious effort to get it through Rajya
Sabha. It has options which it will consider."ET
Rajasthan: Shambhulal used 'love jihad' to hide extramarital
affairs: Cops
Jaipur: Rajsamand hate crime accused
Shambhulal Raigar has committed the gruesome murder of a migrant worker from
West Bengal to divert attention from his extramarital affairs and show it as an
act of revenge against migrant labourers involved in 'love jihad', the
Rajasthan police have said in its chargesheet filed recently. 400-page
chargesheet, filed before Rajsamand district court on Jan. 12, have named
Raigar's wife Seeta and a nurse, with whom Raigar had an affair also, as
witnesses. On Dec.6 last year, a chilling video of Raigar hacking 50-year-old
migrant worker, Afrazul, to death and burning his body went viral and shook the
nation's consciousness. Raigar was booked under various IPC sections and the IT
Act.TOI
Face Recognition to Now Be Permitted as
Additional Means of Aadhaar Authentication
UIDAI allowed face recognition as additional
means of Aadhaar authentication to be used in combination with existing ways
such as fingerprint or iris scan.The move will enable easy authentication for
those individuals who face a difficulty in other biometric authentication like
fingerprint and iris.The facility is being allowed only in a “fusion mode” that
is along with other existing means of authentication and will be available by
July 1, 2018, an official release said.“This facility is going to help in
inclusive authentication of those who are not able to biometrically
authenticate due to their worn out fingerprints, old age or hard work
conditions,” UIDAI said.As of now, two modes of biometric authentication,
fingerprint authentication and iris authentication, are allowed under
Aadhaar.PTI
Govt plans to split Air India into 4 entities
ahead of sale: Report
New Delhi: Govt will split national carrier Air India into
four separate companies and offer at least 51% in each of them as part of a
divestment plan, Bloomberg reported on Monday.The debt-laden airline would be
divided into core airline business, regional arm, ground handling and
engineering operations, the report added.The core airline business comprising
Air India and Air India Express, the low-cost overseas arm, will be offered as
one company, and the process will be completed by the end of 2018, Bloomberg
reported, Jayant Sinha, minister of state for civil aviation.“The aviation
sector is a very fast growing sector, with really exciting opportunities for
all participants, so we felt all of this will unlock growth and competitiveness
of Air India group,” Sinha told Bloomberg. “We expect it to be a very bright
future for its employees.”Reuters
Telecom to lose more jobs; on course to cull
90,000 more: Report
Mumbai:Faced with uncertainty, the
once-sunshine telecom sector will continue to witness decline in headcounts for
the next six-nine months taking the total number of job losses to
80,000-90,000, says a report. sector, which has been witnessing rough weather
in terms of profitability due to rising competition and lower margins, has
witnessed large scale lay-offs making job scenario uncertain, said a CIEL HR
Services in a report on Monday.Report is based on a survey among around 100
senior and mid-level employees of 65 telco and software and hardware service
providers to telecom firms.PTI
Minor Dalit girl brutally gangraped in
Haryana, foreign objects inserted in private parts
New Delhi:In a grim reminder of the infamous
Dec.16, 2012 ‘Nirbhaya gang rape’ of a 23-year-old paramedic student in New
Delhi, a 15-year-old Dalit girl was brutally gang-raped and killed in a very
ruthless manner. The body of the minor
Dalit girl was found with severe injury marks at the bank of a water channel in
Jind district, Haryana on Saturday. She was missing from her home in Kurukshetra
since Jan. 9. The postmortem of the body which was conducted at Rohtak forensic
lab revealed that she suffered brutalities similar to ‘Nirbhaya’ before her
death. According to the autopsy reports, the assailants inserted a blunt object
into her genitals. Her lungs were also found to be crushed suggesting somebody
sat on her chest.Reports also showed at least 19 injury marks including on her
face, head, chest, and hands. She had several internal injuries suggesting
foreign objects were inserted into her private parts. NewsNation
Togadia goes ‘missing’ as Rajasthan Police
comes to arrest him, VHP blocks highway in protest
New
Delhi:VHP on Monday claimed its international working president Pravin Togadia
was missing after a Rajasthan police team came in Ahmedabad to arrest him in
relation to a 2015 case. The Ahmedabad crime branch confirmed that Togadia was
missing and said they were investigating his whereabouts. VHP blamed the
Rajasthan Police, saying Togadia went missing after he was detained by them.
However, the police team said they could not find the VHP chief at his
residence when they came to execute an arrest warrant against Togadia under
Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the
IPC in an old case.Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Jay Shah claimed Togadia was
detained by the Rajasthan Police and was taken away by them. However, the
Rajasthan Police denied rumours that Togadia was in their custody and said they
were returning empty-handed. “Togadia was not at all arrested by our team. indianexpress
Cong blames EVM tampering for loss in Himachal
polls
Shimla;A month after Congress suffered a
humiliating defeat in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, Pradesh Congress
committee (PCC) chief Sukhwinder Sukhu raised questions on the fairness of the
EVMs used in the polls and suspected selective tempering of the machines to
influence the results.In a memorandum submitted to Chief Election Commissioner,
Congress demanded that no EVMs should be used in the next Lok Sabha polls in
Himachal. Previously, ex-CM Virbhadra Singh had also alleged EVM tampering at
some of the polling booths to ensure that the Congress didn’t return to power. Congress
won only 21 seats in the polls, while BJP returned to power with 44 seats in 68-member
House.indianexpress
800 acres of waqf land encroached in Jammu:
J&K Govt
Jammu;J&K Govt on
Monday said nearly 800 acres of Waqf board land has been encroached in this
region.Around 800 acres of land belonging to Waqf board has been encroached by
various individuals and Govt organisations in the region, Minister for Haj
and Auqaf Abdul Rehman Veeri said in a written reply to the question of PDP
member Firdous Ahmed Tak in the Legislative Council.PTI
Democracy at stake in the country: Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind
Jalna: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind today said that
democracy was at stake in the country. Its all-India secretary Iqbal Mulla
today said that India's vibrancy and progress was due to its Constitution and
democracy."Democracy is at stake and it seems as if the country is heading
towards autocracy and fascism," Mulla said while addressing reporters
here.He expressed anguish at the recent developments at the Supreme Court and
stated that these developments were a matter of concern.Raising objection to
the way the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill was introduced
in the Parliament, Mulla said that Govt should have consulted Muslims before
its introduction.He informed that the organisation had started an "Islam
for Peace, Progress and Salvation" campaign from Jan.12, which will run
till Jan. 21, to remove misgivings in the minds of citizens about Muslims and
Islam. "The aim is to replace the atmosphere of fear prevailing currently
to one of love and brotherhood," he said.PTI
In Western UP, VHP Relies on Network of
Waiters to Keep Check on 'Love Jihad'
New Delhi: Assault on a Muslim youth and his 2
brothers, allegedly by members of Hindu Yuva Vahini and VHP, has once again
brought into focus right-wing groups’ fight against what they call “love
jihad”.Over the last year, these outfits have come up with new ways to “keep a
tab” on “love jihad” so they can intervene and put an end to interfaith
relationships. The latest weapon in the VHP’s arsenal is a network of spies who
work as restaurant employees across Western UP.“We have had great success in
stopping the scourge of ‘love jihad’ in Western UP.This is primarily because we
get information as soon as we hear about a potential relationship between a
suspicious Muslim man and a Hindu girl. In fact, even the cops are befuddled!
They don’t know how we get information before they do,” said a beaming Vivek
Premi, VHP convener of Shamli, Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat districts.News18
WORLD
US coalition to build 30,000-strong Syrian
border force; Erdogan says US trying to form 'terror army' in Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
that the US was working to form a "terror army" on his country's
southern border by training a new force in Syria that includes Kurdish
fighters."What we are supposed to do is to drown this terror army before
in comes into being," he said in an address in the capital Ankara on
Monday, calling the Kurdish fighters "backstabbers" who will point
their weapons to the US in the future.His comments came after reports revealed
US' plan to establish a 30,000-strong new border security force with the
involvement of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.According to media reports
quoting US officials, the US-led coalition fighting ISIL will recruit around half of the new force
from the Syrian Defence Forces (SDF),an umbrella group of fighters dominated by
People's Protection Units (YPG).Ankara considers Kurdish YPG fighters as a
"terrorist" organisation with links to the Kurdish fighters within
Turkey that seek more autonomy. The US views the YPG as a highly effective
fighting force against ISIL.Erdogan said that Turkey's armed forces had
completed preparations for an operation against the Kurdish-controlled region
of Afrin in northwest Syria and the town of Manbij. He warned Turkey's allies
against helping "terrorists" in Syria and said: "We won't be responsible
for consequences." Turkish foreign ministry made a statement in the same
line late on Sunday, saying that it was "wrong and objectionable" to
cooperate with the YPG."The establishment of the so-called Syria Border
Protection Force was not consulted with Turkey, which is a member of the
coalition," the Turkish foreign ministry said."To attribute such a
unilateral step to the whole coalition is an extremely wrong move that could
harm the fight against Daesh," it added, using an alternative acronym for
ISIL.Turkish forces pounded US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria with artillery
fire on Sunday, after the intention to establish a new force was
announced.Turkey carried out a military campaign called 2016 Euphrates Shield
Operation, which targeted ISIL and the YPG. That eight-month battle officially
ended in March 2017.US President Donald Trump decided to arm YPG fighters,
despite Turkey's objections and a direct appeal from Erdogan at a White House
meeting last May.American arms shipments began before the offensive to recapture
the city of Raqqa from ISIL.aljazeera
Erdogan threatens to ‘nip in the bud’ new
US-backed security force in Syria
US coalition to build 30,000-strong Syrian
border force; Turkey cries foul
Russia: US wants to slice up Syria
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has
said the United States "does not want to keep Syria as a state in its
current borders", accusing Washington of seeking to establish a
Kurdish-controlled entity along Turkish and Iraqi border zones.Speaking at an
annual press conference in Moscow to review the past year's diplomatic activities
on Monday, Lavrov also said Russia would not support Washington's attempts to
change the Iran nuclear deal."The [US'] actions that we have been
observing indicate that the US does not want to keep Syria as a state in its
current borders ... The US wants to help the Syrian Democratic Forces to set up
some border security zones," he said, referring to a US-backed rebel
alliance dominated by Syrian Kurds, known as the SDF.aljazeera
Somalia political opposition leader’s son
killed in Syria
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180115-somalia-political-opposition-leaders-son-killed-in-syria/
Faysal Ali Warabe,leader of Somaliland’s Justice
and Welfare Party (UCID), confirmed the death of his son by airstrike in Syria
today, Garowe Online reported.At the age of 24, Hussein Faysal Ali Warabe
travelled to Syria in 2013 and joined the Daesh insurgency to fight the
President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces. Hussein took along his wife, who confirmed
the death by sending a video clip to Hussein’s mother residing in
Finland.Hussein last contacted his family on 24 Dec.telling his mother and
siblings of his intention to leave the war in Syria and return to Finland.“I
don’t have any information about the whereabouts of my son’s family – wife and
two children who were born in Syria during his life with the extremist militant
group,” Faysal Ali Warabe, founder and chairman of the Justice and Welfare Party
in Somaliland, said.Hussein was born and raised in Finland and was known by the
nom de guerre Abu Shuaib Al-Somali.middleeastmonitor
Saudi Binladin Group denies Govt takeover after chief Bakr bin Laden detained
Riyadh: Saudi construction giant Binladin
Group denied Saturday any state takeover after its chairman was detained, but
said some shares may have been transferred to the Govt .The firm, which has
been forced to lay off tens of thousands of workers due to financial problems,
said it remained a private shareholding company and was undergoing
restructuring. International media this week reported Saudi Arabia's Govt had taken over the firm after chairman Bakr
bin Laden was detained. Saudi Binladin Group "would like to confirm that
it remains a private sector company owned by its shareholders", it said in
a statement.But some company shares may have been transferred to the Govt in a settlement of "outstanding
dues", it added, without providing any details on the size of any such
shares.newindianexpress
Binladen Group could concede their shares to
Saudi Govt
Qatar monitoring Sheikh Abdullah's 'detention'
in UAE
Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani released a
video statement on Sunday saying he was "a prisoner" in UAE capital,
Abu Dhabi, and that if anything happened to him, "Sheikh Mohammed" is
responsible. While he did not specify, Sheikh Abdullah appeared to be referring
to Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed."I am currently in Abu
Dhabi. I was a guest of Sheikh Mohammed. I am no longer a guest; I am a
prisoner," he said in the video, which was widely circulated on social
media."They told me not to leave. I am afraid that anything could happen
to me, and the people of Qatar would be blamed. So I just wanted to inform you
that if anything happens to me, the people of Qatar are innocent," added
Sheikh Abdullah."I am a guest of Sheikh Mohammed and if anything happens
to me after this, he is fully responsible." UAE's foreign ministry denied
that Sheikh Abdullah was held against his will. aljazeera
Trump leaning towards major cut in UNRWA
funding
Trump administration is preparing to withhold
tens of millions of dollars from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).Washington will cut “the year’s first
contribution by more than half or perhaps entirely, and making additional
donations contingent on major changes to the organisation”, according to a
report by AP citing unnamed US officials.While Donald Trump has not apparently
made a final decision yet, the AP story says that the US “appears more likely
to send only $60 million of the planned $125 million first instalment.”“Future
contributions would require the agency, facing heavy Israeli criticism, to
demonstrate significant changes in operations,” officials added, saying “that
one suggestion under consideration would require the Palestinians to first
re-enter peace talks with Israel.”MEMO
Israel may ‘apply Israeli law’ to W.Bank
settlement varsity
Israeli Govt is looking to “apply Israeli law
to institutions of higher learning in West Bank”, with a draft bill that has
already passed its preliminary vote in Knesset, reports Haaretz. According to paper,
Education Minister Naftali Bennett threatened PM Benjamin Netanyahu that he would block other
legislation until this one advanced.Now, some 220 Israeli academics have backed
a campaign “calling on Israel’s Council for Higher Education to oppose the bill
that would place Ariel University under its auspices”.Haaretz article, written
by Amiram Goldblum, professor emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
argues that, if passed, the bill would be “a serious blow” to Israel’s academic
institutions.MEMO
Abbas slams Trump over 'slap of the century'
Mahmoud Abbas has sharply criticised Donald
Trump, saying Palestinian Authority (PA) will never accept the US president's
decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.PA president made his
comments on Sunday at the start of a 2-day central council meeting of PLO in
Ramallah."Politically, Jerusalem is our capital; in our religion, it is
our capital; geographically, it is our capital," said Abbas."But it
was removed from the map with a tweet from Mr Trump," he added."Now
we say 'No' to Trump, we won't accept his plan - we say the 'deal of the
century' is the slap of the century," noted Abbas, referring to the US
president's pledge to achieve the "ultimate deal" - peace in the
Middle East. aljazeera
Car bomb blast in Lebanon wounds Hamas member:aljazeera
A car bomb explosion in the southern Lebanese
city of Sidon has slightly wounded a member of Hamas, according to the
Palestinian group, which blamed Israel for the assassination attempt. Mohammed
Hamdan suffered a leg injury on Sunday after a bomb planted in his car
detonated, Hamas' media group said in a statement."Initial indications
point to Zionist fingers behind this criminal act," Hamas said without
further details. Hamdan was taken to a local hospital for treatment, according
to local media reports and a photograph released by Hamas.
Orthodox Christian property sales to Israelis,
documented
Central Council of the Orthodox Christians in
Jordan and Palestine said on Sunday that it has documents proving that
strategic properties belonging to the Patriarchate in Jerusalem have been sold
to the Israeli occupation authorities and Jewish settlers, Safa News Agency has
reported. In a letter sent to the Palestine Liberation Organisation, the
Orthodox Christian body said that the documents also prove that property linked
to Al-Aqsa Mosque has been sold as well.The letter reiterated the importance of
countering Israel’s Judaisation plans for Jerusalem and the displacement of
citizens through selling property belonging to the Orthodox Church. According
to Safa, the letter also noted that these sales were carried out by a “Greek
group monopolising Arab Orthodox Church”; Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem
is said to be at the top of the list of these “conspirators”. Such sales, group
said, support Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.MEMO
Myanmar says temporary camp will house 30,000
Rohingya targeted for repatriation
Yangon: Myanmar is building a camp to
temporarily house 30,000 Rohingya Muslims targeted for repatriation after
fleeing violence in Rakhine State, state media reported on Monday, as Myanmar
and Bangladesh meet to discuss how to implement a repatriation deal.Over 650,000
Rohingya have headed across the border to Bangladesh after Army crackdown. Crackdown
has been described by US and UN as ethnic cleansing, which Myanmar repeatedly
rejects.Officials from Myanmar and Bangladesh meet today to discuss a repatriation
deal signed on Nov.23. The meeting in Myanmar‘s capital, Naypyitaw, is the first
for a joint working group set up to hammer out the details of the deal.State-run
Global New Light of Myanmar paper said a camp in Hla Po Khaung in northern
Rakhine will be a temporary transition camp for people who are to be “accepted
systematically” for repatriation.“124-acre Hla Po Khaung will accommodate about
30,000 people in its 625 buildings,” the newspaper said, adding that some 100
buildings will be completed by end of Jan. Reuters
Deadly twin blasts rock central Baghdad
Twin explosions in the Iraqi capital of
Baghdad have killed at least 38 people and wounded over 100, police and medical
sources said. Aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Netanyahu Visit: A Reality Check on
India-Israel Ties;The Wire
BJP leaders cite growing Muslim population as
threat to India; facts don't back their claims: Chaitanya Mallapur,IndiaSpend
Goa’s cow politics: How gau rakshaks and NGOs
have worked to starve the state of beef:scroll
A Meeting With Umar Khan’s Family: His Child
Was Born 2 Days After He Was Killed by Gaurakshaks:KHAYATI SURI
Does BJP Intend to Change The Indian
Constitution? — Prof Ram Puniyani
A Pakistani Spy & Lord Hanuman Walk Into
an Aadhaar Centre. What Does the UIDAI Do?AnandVenkatanarayanan
Violence Against Dalits in Maharashtra Is Not
New, but Dalit Reaction to It Is Changing:Sumeet Mhaskar
CIC Issues Notice to Ministry Over Release of
Rs 2.5 Crore for a Film on Tilak That Was Never Made:Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
When Autocrats, Theocrats and Lapsed Democrats
Pose as Liberators of Muslim Women:Rafia Zakaria
Interview: Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar
on the SC Judges’ Press Conference
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:30 PM)
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