Evening NEWS
DIGEST
23 Jan.2018:05 Jamadiul-1 1439:Vol:9, No:105
INDIA
Court can’t decide marriage is invalid: SC says
no NIA probe in Hadiya's marriage
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today observed
that NIA cannot take a call on whether the marriage of the 24-year-old Hadiya
with Shafin Jahan is legitimate. “If she (Hadiya) has no issues (with the
marriage), that’s the end of the issue,” LiveLaw quoted Justice DY Chandrachud
as saying.His remark came during hearings on the controversial case which pits
advocates of the autonomy of an adult woman to decide whom she marries against
conspiracy theorists who see Hadiya’s marriage as part of a supposed Muslim
plot to seduce and convert Hindu women.“How can we say marriage is not valid
when she says she married…she can choose independently. She is 24 years old,”Bar
and Bench quoted bench comprising CJI Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar
and Chandrachud as saying. “Marriage has to be separate from criminal activity,
otherwise we will be creating a bad precedent in law.”Lawyer representing
Hadiya’s father, who had insisted from the beginning that the marriage is a
case of ‘love jihad‘ even though Hadiya converted to Islam before she met
Jahan, said that the circumstances leading to the marriage needed to be
investigated. To this, the court said that the couple’s marital status was not
a matter for investigation. NIA can continue with its probe but it cannot
investigate into the marital status of the man and the woman, PTI quoted the
court as saying.NIA told the court that it has made “substantial progress” in
its probe into ‘love jihad’ in Kerala.The SC also said today that it is not
within the courts’ jurisdiction to decide whether or not a grown woman should
live with her parents. “When the girl says I don’t want to go with father, how
can the court compel her? She is an adult, she appeared and made a statement,”
LiveLaw quoted the bench.The court also accepted lawyer Kapil Sibal’s request
to make Hadiya a party to the proceedings, and said that the matter will next
be heard on Feb. 22. thewire
Kerala conversion case: NIA can investigate
all aspects except Hadiya’s marriage, observes SC
Now we can live normal life:Hadiya’s husband
“I feel we can lead a normal husband-wife life
now,” said Shafin Jahan, Hadiya’s husband, as he received the dispatches from
the Supreme Court from Tuesday morning. “Allah is supreme. Truth will prevail,
always,” he added.Hearing a request made by Jahan, a bench of the SC made a
statement long awaited by the woman and her husband:“That’s her choice.”Jahan,
who described his struggle, from legal battles to terror charges, as
“harrowing”, can’t wait to move on as well. Asked what the couple will do next,
he said, “That I will decide after consulting with my wife. I am yet to talk to
her. I will be meeting her in a couple of days.” For the moment, he can’t thank
the judicial system enough. “I have unflinching faith in judiciary. For people
like us, it is the last resort.” hindustantimes
'I want to meet my husband,' is all Hadiya says
as she leaves delhi
New Delhi: Hadiya said that she would meet her
husband Shafin Jahan after winning a reprieve from the Supreme Court. She was
yesterday freed her from her parents, who have refused to accept her marriage
to a Muslim man."I want to meet Jahan. I believe I will meet him in
Salem," she uttered repeatedly, facing reporters at Delhi airport.Escorted
by Kerala policemen, Hadiya took a flight from Delhi to Coimbatore, from where
she is likely to be taken to Salem by road. ndtv
CPI(M) considering impeachment motion against
CJI Misra
New Delhi:CPI-M said it was contemplating an
impeachment motion with other opposition parties against Chief Justice Dipak
Misra after 4 senior-most judges complained about arbitrary allocation of cases
in the Supreme Court.“In this situation, there is no other option but to
correct this institution (SC) in case there is anything wrong. This can be done
by an impeachment motion against the CJI,” CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said.He
said the matter was being discussed with other opposition parties on the
possibility of an impeachment motion against the CJI in the upcoming budget
session that begins Jan.29.“We are moving ahead. I think by the time Parliament
opens on Jan. 29, the matter will be very clear. We will be moving towards
impeachment motion. It is time for the legislature to play its role along with
the executive.”IANS
Discussing possible impeachment motion against
CJI with other parties: Yechury
Lawyers in Silent March For Justice, As SC
Begins Judge Loya Case Hearing
New
Delhi: Approximately 300 lawyers gathered demanding a fair and just inquiry
into the death of Chief Justice Loya on Monday. The peaceful Silent Protest
March was held in front of the Supreme Court.On the call of Lawyers’ for
Democracy, all sections of society including Lawyers’, Delhi University
Teachers & Engineers of CPWD participated in the demonstration. Protesters were
carrying placards demanding court monitored fair and impartial probe in the
death of Judge Loya.Similar protests also took place in Rajasthan and Assam,
with signs reading, “Country wants to know, who killed Judge Loya” and “Judge
Loya’s death accident or murder?”thecitizen
Must constantly study how institution is
functioning: Justice Chelameswar
New Delhi: In his first public appearance
after the dramatic press conference in which he and three other senior judges
of the Supreme Court questioned the conduct of the CJI, Justice Jasti
Chelameswar said Monday that one “must constantly keep analysing and examining
how exactly the institution is functioning”, and its achievements and
failures.Speaking at the launch of the book Supreme Court of India — The
beginnings, Justice Chelameswar said: “I believe, and I am sure, each one of
those present in the gathering believe that for the survival of a liberal
democracy, an impartial and independent judiciary is essential, without which,
I don’t think, liberal democracy can flourish.”Referring to the book, written
by late Prof George H Gadbois Jr from the University of Kentucky in the US,
Justice Chelameswar said:“This book…made a study of the foundations of the SC
of India, the functioning of the approximately the first two decades of its
existence. Those of us who are interested in sustaining and improving the
institution for the welfare of the people of this country need a greater study
for the remaining period. This must be an ongoing process.You must constantly
keep analysing and examining, how exactly the institution is functioning, and
what are all the achievements and what are all its failures. It is a matter,
which requires constant examination.”Justice Madan B Lokur, who was also
present along with Justice Chelameswar at the press conference on Jan. 12, was
a part of the audience. Referring to “various aspects of the SC discussed in
the book”, Justice Chelameswar said:“The SC of India is not a superintending
court over the entire judiciary of this country. At least, the text of the
Constitution does not provide for such superintending power. But in practice,
the SC exercises a great deal of superintendence. Directly, the matter of
appointment and transfer of judges of the high courts. Of course, indirectly,
by laying down the law regarding various aspects of the administration of
justice at the high courts and subordinate court levels in the
country.”Expressing concern over the huge backlog of cases in the SC, he said
that a “solution must be found, if the institution is to remain
relevant”.indianexpress
Sohrabuddin encounter case: CBI to oppose PIL
over Amit Shah’s discharge
Mumbai: CBI
has said it will oppose PIL filed in Bombay High Court against the
agency’s decision not to challenge a lower court order discharging BJP chief
Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. PIL, filed by the Bombay
Lawyers Association last week, termed as “illegal, arbitrary and malafide”CBI’s
action of not challenging the Dec.30, 2014 order of a special CBI court here
discharging Shah.“We are opposing the petition. We also have an issue on the
maintainability of the petition. The discharge order is of Dec.2014...there is
an issue of limitations,” CBI counsel Anil Singh said in the HC.A division
bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and Bharti Dangre posted the petition for
arguments on Feb.13 after CBI counsel sought time.Senior counsel Dushyant Dave,
appearing for the petitioner, pointed to the bench that PIL has also sought
records from the high court administrative committee on why CBI judge, who was
initially assigned to conduct trial in the case, was transferred.PTI
More Hindu women experiencing domestic
violence than Muslims
New Delhi: Through the fierce debates over
triple talaq in and outside the Parliament, BJP Govt at the Centre and assorted
TV channels have been peddling a deliberately misleading narrative, trying to
portray Muslim woman as the most oppressed and vulnerable because of the
“lethal weapon” of triple talaq wielded by men. Thus she needs to be “rescued”
with a stringent criminal law to protect herself from from her husband.
However, National Family Health Survey 2015-16 conducted by Central Govt punctures its own argument.The data collected
during the survey shows that other women, far more than Muslim women in percentage,
are experiencing various kinds of atrocities and violence at home even though
their husbands are not armed with the ‘weapon’ of triple talaq. As per the
National Family Health Survey 2015-16, which was released a couple of weeks
ago, 27% of women in the country have experienced physical violence since age
15 and 6% have experienced sexual
violence in their lifetime. 3% of even pregnant women have experienced physical
violence during any pregnancy.Indian Muslim women protest against the Triple
Talaq Bill introduced by the Modi govt.As for spousal violence, 31% of married
women have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence.The most common
type of spousal violence is physical violence (27%), followed by emotional
violence (13%). 6 % of ever-married women have experienced spousal sexual
violence. Survey also collected community-wise data of domestic violence. In
the age group of 15-49 years, 28.7% Hindu women have ever experienced physical
violence as against 21.5% Muslim women closely followed by Christians (21.4%).
Among religious communities, the Jain women are safest with just 9.3% of them
experienced physical violence.Of women of all categories, the largest victim of
physical violence are Scheduled Castes women (33.2%) followed by women of OBCs (29.2%)
and tribal women (26.3%). Even after marriage, women continue to experience
violence of various kinds – now at the hands of their husbands.As for spousal
violence, both Hindu and Muslim women face emotional violence in equal
percentage. But when it comes to physical violence, while percentage of Hindu
women victims is 28.8%, that of Muslim women is 23.5%. More Hindu women (6.6%)
become victim of sexual violence than Muslim women (5.7%). caravandaily
Kolkata: BJP member Ishrat Jahan’s husband
Ansari denies divorcing her using ‘triple talaq’
Kolkata: The husband of Ishrat Jahan, a key
petitioner against triple talaq in the Supreme Court, has claimed he “never
divorced her using triple talaq”. Ms. Jahan had stated that her husband
divorced her using triple talaq on phone from Dubai in April 2015. However, she
denied his latest statement as “false and baseless”. Ms. Jahan’s husband
Murtaza Ansari said on phone from Bihar that he had “never said teen talaq
(triple talaq) to Ishrat on phone from Dubai”. He added, “I have certain
reservations about her conduct and if she changes herself and agrees to stay at
my home in Bihar, then even now I am ready to live with her.” Asked why he was
not willing to allow her to stay in Howrah district, Ansari claimed her
“earlier conduct” at his Howrah residence was “inappropriate”. Denying the
allegations,Ms. Jahan said, “He divorced me by using triple talaq on phone from
Dubai. So I don’t have any proof of it. He said that ‘I am giving talaq from
Dubai’. There were 2 or 3 people with him at that time.” Ms. Jahan joined the BJP
earlier this month. thehindu
Did Ishrat Jahan, one of the petitioners in
Triple Talaq, lie about her divorce?
AAP MLAs approach HC to quash their
disqualification, matter to be heard tomorrow
20 AAP MLAs today moved the Delhi High Court
seeking to quash their disqualification by President Ram Nath Kovind which was
done on the recommendation of the ECI.The HC has agreed to hear the matter
tomorrow.Appearing on behalf of one of the MLAs, advocate Manish Vashisht
submitted before the bench that the matter required urgent listing given the
notification disqualifying 20 members of Delhi Assembly.The plea by the MLAs
has also sought a stay and quashing of the Govt's notification stating the
President had held that the MLAs stand disqualified under the Govt of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD)
Act.indiatoday
AAP calls Election Commission ‘Khap
Panchayat’, slams new CEC Rawat
New Delhi:AAP dubbed the Election Commission a
“Khap Panchayat” and raised questions over new chief election commissioner OP
Rawat’s relationship with BJP.AAP spokesman Raghav Chadha said Rawat had
recused himself from hearing an office of profit case against the disqualified
20 AAP MLAs after allegations that he was close to many BJP leaders including MP
CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Chadha said that 6 months back Rawat again became a
part of the case without informing the party or its MLAs. “It was first time in
the history of India that a judge who had recused himself from a case sneaked
back to the case through back door.”IANS
AAP says office of profit charge false as MLAs
were not entitled to any benefits
Shiv Sena won’t ally with BJP for 2019 Lok
Sabha, Maharashtra polls, Aaditya Thackeray elevated
Shiv Sena announced that it would contest the
2019 state and Lok Sabha elections on its own, and elevated Uddhav Thackeray’s
son Aaditya in its hierarchy to make him a part of the core team. Party
spokesperson Sanjay Raut made the announcement.Shiv Sena national executive,
which met at the NSCI in Worli on the birth anniversary of their late founder
Bal Thackeray, passed a resolution that the party would contest the 2019 Lok
Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls solo.The decision comes amid increasingly
strained relations with its ally, BJP. For a while now, the Sena chief has been
taking on the BJP and even CM Devendra
Fadnavis — with whom he is said to share a good personal rapport — on several
issues.HT
Uddhav Thackeray attacks PM Modi: He is
interested in flying kites with foreign leaders
No mediation on Kashmir unless both parties
agree: UN chief Antonio Guterres
UN: UN chief Antonio Guterres has ruled out
any mediation to resolve the Kashmir issue unless all parties agree to it and
asked India and Pakistan to address their outstanding issues through talks
amidst heightened tensions along the border. UN Secretary-General’s spokesman
Stephane Dujarric said that in principle good offices of the UN chief are
always available for mediation, but everyone needs to agree on involving the
world body.Asked about escalating tensions between India and Pakistan due to
ongoing skirmishes and firing along the border, Dujarric said, “We’re obviously
aware. We’re following this… what’s been going on, really for the last 10
days.”Asked why the Secretary-General is not so keen to involve himself in this
crisis, Dujarric said, “In principle good offices of Guterres are always
available for mediation, but everyone needs to agree on involving the UN.”“As a
matter of principle I’m not talking specifically about this issue, but about
any issue where there is conflict between parties, the Secretary-General’s good
offices are always available,” he said. “As in any issue…if there are multiple
parties, everyone needs to agree on involving the UN. That is true of any
mediation effort,”Dujarric said.“Secretary-General would encourage both sides
to address any outstanding issues through dialogue,” he said. PTI
UN chief asks India, Pak to resolve issues
through talks
Indian aggression will get befitting response:
Pak Army chief on LoC firing
Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa
warned that any Indian “aggression” or “misadventure” will always get a most
befitting response.He made the remarks during his visit to the LoC and Working
Boundary in Khuiratta and Ratta Arayan sectors, Inter-Services Public Relations
said. Army chief met local commanders, who briefed him about the ceasefire
violations, specially alleged targeting of the civilian population across the
LoC and WB, it said.“Our commitment to abide by the ceasefire agreement of 2003
should never be misconstrued as response limitation. Indian aggression or any
misadventure shall always get a most befitting response,”Gen Bajwa said.PTI
Assam forces accused of waterboarding
detainees:report
Guwahati: On the night of Jan.9, a police team
headed by officer Ranjit Hazarika raided the home of one Hasen Ali of No 2
Atakata village in Mangaldoi district of of Assam. Suspecting him of possessing
illegal arms, the police barged into his home at midnight and searched for the
weapons but couldn’t find any.Hasen, who had been a migrant worker in the
southern state of Karnataka, had recently come back home with his wife and 3
children, including an infant.40-year-old was the sole breadwinner for the
family.Hasen's wife Jamiran Nessa said that her husband was dragged out of the
home and at least 4 policemen pinned him down in the courtyard and kicked him
indiscriminately."Police covered his face with a cloth and poured cold
water on his face. He vomited and fainted after a while," Nessa, 35,
said.Police brought him to Mangaldoi Civil Hospital around 12km from his home,
where a doctor declared him "brought dead".Next morning when news of
Hasen's death spread, a large number of villagers gathered to protest against
police atrocities and demand justice. At least one person died when police opened
fire on the agitated crowd of about 5,000 people. Ainuddin Ahmed, a student
activist from Darrang district, claims that waterboarding is a widely practiced
torture technique used by the Assam police as part of their notorious
"third degree", or torture practices, in police custody to extract
information from detainees. Ainuddin's organisation, AAMSU, works for the
victims of police atrocities and persecution of minorities."Tens of
thousands of genuine Indian Muslims of Assam have been harassed on the pretext
of being illegal immigrant from Bangladesh and over 2000 of them are put up in
detention camps across the state,"Ainuddin, general secretary of AAMSU,
said.Aman Wadud, a lawyer based in Guwahati who provides a pro-bono legal aid
to the victims of state persecution and targeted violence, says police actions
against Muslims are often harsh."Police have always been uncharitable
towards Muslims of Assam; it has a different and very harsh parameter to deal
with Muslims. Whenever Muslims protest for their rights, the police forces
hardly hesitate to open firing,"he said.2 days after the custodial death
of Hasen, a journalist from a local channel, Swarupjyoti Chetia, was picked up
by security forces in a midnight raid at his residence in the Dibrugarh
district.The channel alleged that Chetia was subjected to torture during
detention, including pouring cold water on his body in the middle of the winter
night.Police officer Hazarika has been accused of using waterboarding before to
get confession from detainees. Aljazeera
Muzaffarnagar riots: Khap leaders threaten stir
if cases against leaders are withdrawn
Meerut: 2 the state Govt seeking opinion of DM
and SSP Muzaffarnagar on the withdrawal of 9 cases related to 2013 riots
against some BJP leaders, powerful khap leaders of western UP assembled in
Shamli and registered their protest. Naresh Tikait, head, Balyan Khap, said, “More
than 600 people from both Hindu and Muslim communities are facing trials in
several riots cases. And the leaders who benefited immensely from these riots
and got plum political positions want withdrawal of cases against them. This is
selfish attitude.”Tikait said, “If cases of hundreds of others are not withdrawn
along with the leaders, we will be forced to launch a massive agitation.”
Leaders of various other influential khaps were also present at the meeting.The
letter in question, sent from the office of the special secretary, Raj Singh,
in the department of justice, had sought information on the possibility of
withdrawing nine criminal cases pending in a local court in Muzaffarnagar
against some top BJP leaders. Cases were then filed against UP minister Suresh
Rana, ex-Union minister Sanjeev Balyan, MP Bhartendu Singh, MLA Umesh Malik and
party leader Sadhvi Prachi. timesofindia
My son is innocent, charges are false: Qureshi’s
Father
Residing in a humble locality of Mira Road,
Mohammed Usman Qureshi, father of arrested SIMI alleged suspect Abdul Qureshi
applauds the arrest of his son in the hope that the Indian Judiciary system
will declare him innocent one day.Usman Qureshi stays with his wife Zubeda on
the sixth floor apartment at Highland CHS in Nayanagar area of Mira road.
Neighbhours remember Abdul to be a very hardworking and religious man. Naya
Nagar and Kanakia police of Thane Rural police dept often visited the Qureshi
residence to gather information about Abdul.“I remember Abdul teaching Quran at
a local madarassa and also teaching academics to students in the locality. But
we never knew about his involvement in terror activities until media reports
with his picture were flashed,” said Dr. Mohammed Hamid, a local resident.
Usman said, “I remember that he had informed us once about he being working
with SIMI. But it was only for preaching and not for terror activities. I am
happy that he has been arrested and the court will declare him innocent. For me
my son is innocent and the charges against him are false as he has been never
involved in terror activities.”“Since he left the house we have never heard
from him. The police officers often come to our house to gather information and
every time I have to tell them that we do not have any such information,” said
Qureshi. Mother said, “Govt has falsely
implicated my son. But truth will soon come out.”DNA
Father of Abdul Subhan Qureshi says he was not
involved in any terror activities
Silence over 8-yr-old Bakerwal girl’s rape, murder?
After 4 serial rape cases reported from
different parts of Haryana in the past fortnight, now 8-year-old from Hiranagar
tehsil in J&K’s Kathua district became the victim of sexual violence. The
minor victim belonging to the Bakerwal or Gujjar community was abducted on Jan.
10, held captive for a week and raped before she was murdered.Her body was
found on Jan.17 deep inside bushes located over a km from her home near a
police station. Her family suspects that she was electrocuted to death as there
were severe burn and bite marks on her body.The police have constituted a SIT
led by a SP rank officer to probe the incident and one arrest has been made so
far. “As soon as we received a missing complaint, we registered an FIR on
Jan.12 and launched a search operation but her whereabouts could not be traced.
After the body of the girl was found, we rounded up few people and arrested a
boy who is a minor. Our investigation is still on and we are trying to nab all
those who were involved in the heinous crime,” Kathua SSP Mohammad Suleman
Choudhary said.But the victim’s family and the community accuse the police of
not making sincere efforts to trace the girl even after registration of a
missing complaint on Jan.11. “The parents and relatives of the victim went to
police station to lodge a missing complaint but officials denied to do so and
asked the worried family to trace her on their own. The police lodged the
complaint on Jan. 11 but told the family to keep patience as it is Govt work that takes time. Instead of searching her
in the village, the police visited forest areas and that too only once. The
jungle is best known to be second home for tribals and no one knows jungle
better than them,” said Waqar Bhatti, an activist who along with others and
family members is fighting for justice.He said the body of the girl was badly
mutilated with bites of human teeth. “The goons tried to crush her body with
stones due to which her collar bone, ribs, arms and hip were broken,” he
described. Terming the arrest of the minor boy an attempt to “cover up” the
matter and let go the culprits “scot free”, Bhatti said, “Police on Jan. 19
claimed to have solved the case by nabbing a 15-year-old boy who they say has
confessed to commit the crime and he kept the girl in a cowshed. The questions
that arise here are: how can a 15-year-old boy manage to hide girl for 7 days
and that too in cowshed without any help, how did he manage to get live wire
for electrocution and how did he manage to hide himself from the police and the
girl’s family? The police is trying to save the real culprits by arresting a
juvenile. This is real foul play.” The family and people of the area suspect
involvement of locals associated with various Hindutva espousing outfits, which
– according to them – wants to throw the Gujjar Muslim tribals out from the
region.Newsclick
Brutal rape, murders: Dalit teenagers’
killings in Jind divide a Haryana village
Jind: When a 15-year-old girl and her teenage
male friend went missing from Jhansa village near Kurukshetra on Jan.9, the
police’s first reaction was to treat it like any regulation elopement. They
picked up the boy’s relatives for questioning and called on the girl’s parents
to search for their daughter.But when teenagers’semi-naked bodies were
recovered separately over the next week, the police realised they were handling
a more complicated case with multiple possibilities. Girl had suffered brutal
injuries, reigniting memories of Dec.16 gang rape and murder in Delhi.The older
of two daughters in a Dalit family from the Chamar community, the girl lived
with her family in a single-storey house that had just two rooms. Her father
works as a tailor at a shop around 20 kilometres away. “She aspired to be a
doctor and would say she would rid us of our poverty. We decided to provide
private school education and tuitions to our daughters,” her mother
said.hindustantimes
PMO protecting Bhima-Koregaon violence
accused: Prakash Ambedkar
New Delhi: Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar alleged
that PMO had given orders not to arrest Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide, booked
on the charge of orchestrating violence during the celebrations of Battle of
Bhima-Koregaon this month.He claimed PM Narendra Modi and Bhide had good
relations. “CM Devendra Fadnavis had assured on the arrest since an FIR had
been registered. But when we inquired, we learnt the message had come from the PM
’s Office not to arrest Bhide or take action against him,” Ambedkar said.“Modi
had worn saffron turban during his first speech from the Red Fort on Bhide’s
advice.Modi praised him in an event.This is the relation.” He warned that in
case there is no response from the Govt, his outfit will take the issue across
the country.The Dalit leader said Bhide had not even filed any application for
interim bail since he was quite sure that PMO was protecting him.IANS
UP: Dalit farmer dies after loan agents throw
him down from tractor
Lucknow: At a time when the Yogi Govt in UP is vouching for its work in easing farmer
loans, in a tragic incident, a farmer in Sitapur was crushed under the wheels
of a tractor after the private loan financier’s men threw him on the road,
police said.Police say they have registered a case of murder against the
accused persons from the finance company and were on a look out for them.The
incident took place on Saturday when the finance company’s men came to the
house of the 45-year-old Gyan Chandra.They asked him to pay back the loan dues
of Rs 65,000 he had taken to purchase a tractor. When he pleaded helplessness
in settling the amount at the time, the company people tried to drive away with
the tractor.IANS
BJP-RSS want Dalit-Muslim Mukt Bharat: Owaisi
AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has sparked yet
another controversy as he alleged that RSS-BJP wants a Dalit-Muslim Mukt (Free)
Bharat.Owaisi was addressing a huge public meeting in Aurangabad of Maharashtra
on Monday.AIMIM chief said, "Muslims and Dalits have
to wake-up because BJP-Sangh Parivar is suppressing the down trodden and weaker
section of the society.""Whole BJP wants to make this country Muslim
Mukt, RSS wants Dalit mukth bhaarat," said roaring Owaisi amid cheers of
the people.He alleged that Sangh parivar's ideology, Guru
Golwalker's ideology, Hegdewar ideology, Sawarker ideology wants to convert
Muslims into Hindutva and it is now required that Dalits and Muslims unite and
wake up against these kind of effort and say that they will not accept Hindutva
ideology.Pitching for Dalit-Muslim unity, Owaisi said that the Dalit-Muslim
Unity is the need of the hour to stop oppression, discrimination by Sangh
Pariwar.Owaisi also tweeted on Talaq Bill: "40,000 people at Aurangabad
Aam Khaas Ground which also included women all opposed the Triple Talaq Bill as
it is against Muslim women, against Right to Equality, there is no need for
such flawed law."indiatoday
Triple talaq bill is tactic to bring women on
road, send men to prison: Owaisi
If 4% Rajputs Can Fight Against Padmaavat, Why
Can't 14% Muslims Fight For Shariat: Owaisi
Haj committee of India seeks GST exemption for
Hajis
Lucknow: Haj committee of India (HCoI) has
proposed to the central Govt to not levy GST on pilgrims going for Haj 2018 in
wake of Haj subsidy rollback.HCoI member, Iftikhar Javed, present in Lucknow on
Monday, said that HCoI has written to the central Govt to end airport tax in the form of GST on Hajis
to ease some burden off the pilgrims."With the Haj subsidy slashed,
pilgrims could have to pay an approximate Rs 25,000 including taxes of around
Rs 10,000. If the latter is taken back by the Govt , it would be helpful to
Hajis," he said. timesofindia
Urdu at 4 among Languages Being Studied at PG
Level
New Delhi: Urdu is among the top 5 Indian
languages in which students are enrolled at Ph.D., M.Phil. and Post-Graduate
levels at universities in the country. After Hindi, Bengali and Sanskrit, it is
Urdu language in which students are enrolled at university level. Sanskrit’s
closest competitor is Urdu.At PG level, there are 3.34 lakh students enrolled
out of which 2.10 lakh are females and 1.24 lakh are males. According to the
All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE 2016-17), Hindi with 1,38,676
students has the highest number of students enrolled at PG level. Out of that,
65.1% are females and the rest are males. Bengali language has 32,359 students
with 67.8% female students. Sanskrit has total number of 26,197 students with
64.9% females. And Urdu has 23,262 students enrolled at PG level with 52.6%
females.Caravan News
SC dismisses Rajasthan, MP govts’ pleas
against Padmaavat, tells states to abide by order
New Delhi:The Supreme Court dismissed
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh govts’ pleas to modify its earlier order lifting
the ban on controversial Bollywood film Padmaavat.The top court had last week
set aside the notification passed by Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and
Gujarat to ban the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat.SC asked states
on Tuesday to implement its Jan. 18 order and said it will examine pleas to
stop exhibition of the film on case-to-case basis if the situation warrants. HT
Man claiming to be 'gau rakshak' has criminal
record: Maharashtra govt to HC
Mumbai: Maharashtra Govt denied in the Bombay
High Court the allegations that the police in Malegaon had ordered the
externment of a local 'gau rakshak' as they were opposed to his cow protection
efforts.In an affidavit, state Govt submitted that it had inquired into the
allegations of Macchindre Shirke that he was being targeted because of his
efforts towards cow protection.However, the inquiry revealed that Shirke had a
criminal history and several serious cases were registered against him, the
state Govt said."The petitioner
(Shirke) has several cases against him dealing with serious offences such as
culpable homicide, theft and property feuds. However, because of the power he
wields among the locals, several witnesses were hesitating to testify against
him," said the affidavit, signed by Malegaon's sub-divisional officer. "Therefore,
police ordered that he stay away from the village for two years to ensure that
they could question witnesses freely while probing the criminal cases against
him," it said.PTI
Cow shelters in UP reel under money, management woes
Kanpur/Lucknow:Money and management problems
appear to be troubling 2 of the biggest cow shelters in UP .The Kanpur Gaushala
Society, considered the oldest and richest of all the cow shelters in the
state, has about 1,200 cows but almost a third of them are ill, say doctors at
the facility. 128-year-old facility hit the headlines last July when it was
revealed that 150 cows had died in the previous five months, and at least six
of them from alleged starvation.The society, which is spread over 400 bighas
and was set up to take care of stray cows, faced outrage and allegations of
siphoning of funds after an autopsy of the cows pointed at empty intestines and
urinary bladder – this indicated that the animals hadn’t eaten anything or had
water.Six months on, the situation hasn’t improved much. Staff at the shelter
said on the condition of anonymity that the animals were given half of their
daily diet – eight kg of hay and 15 kg of green fodder – as the management was
busy settling court cases and personal battles. As a result, a third of the
animals are said to be sick.Moreover, the society with properties worth Rs 220
crore has its all bank accounts frozen on the orders of Allahabad high court.hindustantimes
Actor slams Bollywood biggies for meeting
Israeli PM
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit
to India sparked a controversy after big names from Bollywood met him and took
selfies with the leader, which has upset and angered many Indian Muslims. Bollywood
actor Ajaz Khan isn’t too happy with his fellow artists for meeting the Israeli
PM either, as he took to social media to criticize the actors for attending the
event. The former ‘Bigg Boss’ contestant wrote on his twitter that he has lost
all respect for the stars, especially Amitabh Bachchan, who went to the event
and took selfies with the PM and his wife.In the six minute video published on
YouTube, the actor slammed Modi for inviting the ‘killer of the innocent’. Ajaz bashed Amitabh for taking photos with
Netanyahu, without considering the sentiments Indian Muslims. He further said
that he is disappointed in director Imtiaz Ali, Vivek Oberoi, Aishwarya Rai and
Karan Johar for their hypocrisy.Ajaz went on and showed the images of the
Palestinians kids and women who have lost their lives in Israeli attacks. The
actor further said that he is not scared of getting banned by the TV and film
fraternity for standing up for something that he feels is right.brecorder
Nature of ex-judge Quddusi’s plea ‘serious
interference’ in probe: CBI
New Delhi: CBI said that the plea of former
Orissa High Court judge IM Quddusi seeking a court-monitored investigation into
the leak of transcripts of his purported telephone conversations is “not maintainable”,
and that an application “of this nature” causes “serious interference” in the
probe. Quddusi, who is on bail in connection with a medical college graft case,
had on Jan.17 also sought an inquiry on whether any documents or conversations have
been tampered with.His application mentioned that there “should not be a media
trial”.indianexpress
UP: Influenced by Hindu culture, Muslim man gives
Hindu names to his children
Basti (UP): Badiuzzama
Siddhiqui, 65-year-old Muslim man in UP 's Basti has given Hindu names to his
children. He says that he is very much influenced by the Hindu culture.His
elder son's name is Pankaj and the name of his daughter is Palak. Badiuzzama heads a joint family,so he has given Hindu names to his
nephews as well who are named Neeraj, Anoop, Anil and Alok respectively.A
lawyer by profession, Badiuzzama has been reciting Ramayana and Gita for the
last 40 years. Along with the 5 times Namaz, listening to Hindu scriptures is a
part of his daily routine. He is very much fluent in Quranic verses as well as
slokas of Gita and Chaupai of the Ramayana. People of both Hindu and Muslim
communities respect him. timesofindia
SC panel chief Shankar Katheria ‘threatens’
cop in audio clip gone viral: Are you challenging Yogi?
Lucknow : In An audio clip that is being
shared online, a voice, purportedly that of National Commission for Scheduled
Caste chairperson and Agra MP from BJP Ram Shankar Katheria, is heard
threatening a policeman.The clip begins with a man addressing SI Mahesh Pal
Yadav, in-charge of Bodala outpost in Agra. He claimed he was calling from
“MP’s house”, and that several people had arrived there complaining that Yadav
did not allow them to hold a bazaar in the area. He seemed to be referring to
an anti-encroachment drive in the area earlier. S-I is purportedly heard saying
he was merely following instructions of the SSP.The man then ostensibly hands
over the phone to Katheria. “Mahesh Pal Yadav-ji, Yadav ho tou gunda to nahi na
ho tum. Yogi ko challenge karte ho?… Naukri kha jaunga aur jail bhej doonga
dubara bakwas ki to (You maybe a Yadav but you are no thug. You dare challenge
Yogi?… You will be dismissed and sent to jail if you do any mischief again),”
the voice is heard telling the S-I.indianexpress
PM Modi made yoga popular in 80 Muslim
countries, claims UP minister
Gorakhpur: UP Transport minister Swatantra Dev Singh credited PM Narendra Modi with popularising yoga in the
Islamic countries. “PM Modi is taking the country on the path of development
and people respect him. Due to his efforts, yoga is getting popular and 80
Muslim countries are following ‘surya namaskar’ and other postures,” Singh
claimed here.PTI
WORLD
Pence in Jerusalem pledges embassy move by end
of 2019, faces protest
Jerusalem:US Vice President Mike Pence pledged
to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by the end of 2019 on
Monday in a speech to Israel s parliament that saw Arab lawmakers expelled
after they shouted in protest.As Pence spoke, Palestinian president Mahmud
Abbas arrived to meet European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, urging them
to "swiftly" recognise the state of Palestine.Pence s speech, filled
with biblical references and praise of Israel, was greeted with loud applause
by Israeli Jewish lawmakers, including PM Benjamin Netanyahu.Referring to the 1948
founding of Israel, he said US President Donald Trump’ss decision to recognise
Jerusalem as the country s capital last month "righted a 70-year
wrong"."In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan
to open the US embassy in Jerusalem," Pence said."And that US embassy
will open before the end of next year."As Pence was set to begin his
speech, a group of around a dozen Arab Israeli lawmakers shouted in protest,
with some holding signs saying Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.They were
escorted out by security agents as Netanyahu and others stood and applauded
their expulsion. Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation,
denounced Pence s speech as "messianic" and a "gift to
extremists".Pence, devout Christian, will visit Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in
Judaism today.AFP
Arab MPs ejected after protesting Pence
Knesset speech
Middle East christians shunned Pence, but US supporters
are thrilled with his Israel Trip: Haaretz
When the White House first announced that Vice
President Mike Pence would visit the Middle East in October, the trip was to
draw attention to the plight of Christians in the region, and aim at securing
their rights.Instead, Pence will complete his visit on Tuesday without holding
a single meeting with a prominent Christian leader from any of the 3 countries
he had visited - Egypt, Jordan and Israel.Christian leaders in Egypt and
Jerusalem decided to boycott his visit in protest over the Trump administration's
recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.Palestinian Authority, which
was originally part of Pence's itinerary, declared that he was" unwelcome
in Palestine," leading to the cancellation of his visit to the holy city
of Bethlehem. Pence's office briefed the
journalists traveling with him that he raised the issue of protecting Egypt's
Christian population in his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi
on Saturday. That was, at least publicly, the only mention of the issue of Christians
in the Middle East during a visit that originally was presented as focusing on
their fate. What Pence's visit in Israel definitely has achieved, however, is
praise from Christian leaders and politicians in the US, who consider
themselves strong supporters of Israel. Many of those leaders and politicians
are also strong supporters of Trump administration, at least partly due to its
policy alignment with the current right-wing govt in Israel. haaretz
Abbas wins renewed EU backing for Palestinian
capital in East Jerusalem
Brussels European Union assured President
Mahmoud Abbas it supported his ambition to have East Jerusalem as capital of a
Palestinian state, in the bloc’s latest rejection of US decision to recognise
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.At a meeting in Brussels with EU foreign
ministers, Abbas repeated his call for East Jerusalem as capital as he urged EU
Govt s to recognise a state of Palestine immediately, arguing that this would
not disrupt negotiations with Israel on a peace settlement for the region.While
Abbas made no reference to Trump’s move on Jerusalem or U.S. Vice President
Mike Pence’s visit to the city on Monday, his presence at the EU headquarters
in Brussels was seized on by European officials as a chance to restate
opposition to Trump’s Dec. 6 decision to move the U.S. Embassy to
Jerusalem.Reuters
HRW: Pence ignored ‘entrenched discrimination’
against Palestinians
HRW accused US Vice President Mike Pence of
ignoring “entrenched discrimination” facing Palestinians in Israeli-occupied
East Jerusalem, following Pence’s speech at the Israeli Knesset. Responding
Monday, Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the Middle East division of
Human Rights Watch, said that while Pence “lauded Jerusalem’s pluralism”, he
“unsurprisingly ignored entrenched discrimination against Jerusalem’s 330,000
Palestinian Christian and Muslim residents”. “One cannot speak of safeguarding
persecuted minorities in the region and turn a blind eye to Israel’s two-tiered
system in Jerusalem”, she continued.Noting how Palestinians make up 37% of the
population of the Jerusalem municipality, including occupied East Jerusalem,
Human Rights Watch noted how the Israeli Govt ’s “master plan for the
municipality explicitly lays out its goal of ‘maintaining a solid Jewish
majority in the city’”.middleeastmonitor
Fatah requests Ghannouchi mediation to
accelerate implementation of reconciliation deal with Hamas
Fatah movement has asked the leader of Tunisian
Ennahda movement, Rached Ghannouchi, to intervene with Hamas in order to
implement the terms of the reconciliation agreement signed between the two
parties in Cairo in October.Azzam al-Ahmad, Fatah Central Committee member and
its official for the reconciliation file, said in an interview with Quds Press
that “he met with the head of Ennahda, Ghannouchi, on Monday in Tunis and asked
him to intervene with Hamas to accelerate the practical implementation of what
was agreed upon in Cairo”. He added: “I have briefed Sheikh Rached in my
meeting with him today, which was a lengthy meeting, on the situation in
Palestine in all its aspects, and the importance of unity of the Palestinian
people in confronting the occupation and the Trump Declaration on Jerusalem.“He
added: “I also briefed him on the obstacles that have emerged in the
implementation of the reconciliation agreement according to the mechanisms
signed between the Hamas and Fatah movements on 12 Oct. in Cairo and the very
slow pace of the implementation of what was agreed upon, both in terms of
enabling the national consensus Govt to
perform its functions according to the order and law in Gaza as in the West
Bank, as well as other points in the agreement.”Al-Ahmad revealed that he told
Ghannouchi: “We in Fatah and Palestine Liberation Organization adhere to the
literal text of what has been signed. We asked Sheikh Rached to intervene with
the brothers in Hamas, and I told him we accept you to be a judge between us
and the one who hinders the implementation of the agreement.”middleeastmonitor
Israel distributes eviction, demolition
notices to Palestinians in Bethlehem area
Israeli occupation authorities distributed
eviction and demolition notices Monday to Palestinians in Khillat al-Nakhla
village in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Felesteen.ps
reported.Anti-settlement activist in Bethlehem Hassan Brijea reported that
Israeli occupation forces raided the village and handed over the notices to the
Jubran family, asking them to evacuate their 45-dunam agricultural land.Brijea
said that the Israeli occupation authorities claimed, in the notices, that the
designated area is classified as a state land.middleeastmonitor
Young American Jews increasingly hostile
towards Israel, says Jewish Agency CEO
Young American Jews are increasingly turning
away from Israel, the Jewish Agency CEO has warned, viewing “the Jewish state
as antithetical to their liberal values”, reported Haaretz. Speaking in what
the paper described as “uncharacteristically blunt terms for an official in his
position”, Alan Hoffman said the trend was “extremely worrisome”. According to
Hoffman, the solution is to “encourage young Jews not only to engage in Israel
advocacy and in defending Israel – those are all important things – but also to
have them accept the legitimacy of challenging Israel”.Senior official made the
remarks while “addressing a conference sponsored by the Israel Democracy
Institute on Israel’s relations with Diaspora Jewry”, said Haaretz.Hoffman
cited a recent study showing “that support for Israel among Jewish college
students in the US had dropped 32% between 2010 and 2016”.middleeastmonitor
US aid cut risks more Mideast instability: UNRWA
chief
The head of the UN agency that helps
Palestinian refugees said on Monday that US plans to cut funding to the body
were abrupt and harmful and risked destabilising the Middle East.Pierre
Krähenbühl, commissioner-general of the UN UNRWA, visited the Gaza Strip on the
same day that US Vice President Mike Pence told the Israeli parliament in
Jerusalem that the US would move its embassy there by the end of 2019. US, by
far the largest contributor to UNRWA, announced on 16 Jan. that Washington will
withhold $65 million of $125 million that it had planned to send to UNRWA this
year. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member
states.middleeastmonitor
Egyptian army detains ex-military chief over Prez
bid
Egyptian ex-military chief of staff Sami Anan
was detained in Cairo on Tuesday, three of his campaign organisers said, after
the army summoned him for questioning over his intention to run for president.
The interior ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. Military gave
no immediate comment on the alleged detention.The army had said in an earlier
statement, which appeared in text on state TV and was read aloud by a spokesman,
that “the armed forces will not overlook the blatant legal violations (Anan)
has committed which are a serious breach of the laws of military service.”It
said he had announced his candidacy “without getting permission from the armed
forces … or taking the steps necessary to terminate his service”.Former army
officials must have ended their service and received permission from the
military before they can run for political office in Egypt. The statement said
Anan had falsified official documents that stated his military service had
ended, in order to run.middleeastmonitor
Turkey seeks no clash with Russia, Syria, US,
but will pursue Syria goals: minister
Ankara:Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with
Syrian, Russian or US forces during its operation in northern Syria but will
take whatever steps it needs for its security, Turkey’s foreign minister was
quoted as saying on Tuesday.The US and Russia have both urged Turkey to show
restraint in its military campaign, Operation Olive Branch, to crush Kurdish
YPG control over the Afrin district on its southern border. Syria has condemned
the incursion.Reuters
Turkey battles Syrian Kurds 'on two fronts' in Afrin
Turkish troops have taken control of 11 Kurdish positions and created
"safe zones" in neighbouring Syria's northwestern region of Afrin,
according to Turkish media.Reports on Tuesday said the army, aided by Free
Syria Army rebels, is pushing towards the southern part of the Syrian region
with fronts on the west and the east.The Turkish army, which launched the Afrin
operation on Saturday, captured the villages of Shankal, Qorne, Bali and Adah
Manli, as well as the rural areas of Kita, Kordo and Bibno and four other hills
in Afrin, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported.aljazeera
Afrin clashes kill 54 Syrian Kurdish and
pro-Turkey fighters: monitor
Beirut: 3 days of fighting since Turkey
launched an offensive on the northern Syrian region of Afrin have left at least
54 Syrian combatants dead, a monitor said Monday.Among them were 26 Kurdish
fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces that have controlled the region on
the border with Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.Many of
them were killed in Turkish air strikes, the head of the Britain-based
monitoring organisation, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. Another 19 fighters from
the ranks of the pro-Ankara rebels who are fighting alongside Turkey were also
killed, the monitoring group said, adding that nine more unidentified bodies
were found on the battlefield.The civilian death toll rose to 24 over three
days, Abdel Rahman said.AFP
Assad regime attacks E.Ghouta with chlorine
gas, reports
The Assad regime attacked a besieged Damascus
residential suburb with chlorine gas on Monday, according to the pro-opposition
Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets).At least 21 civilians, including children,
were injured in the attack, which hit the city of Duma in the Eastern Ghouta
region, according to civil defense.The injured were taken to a health center in
the region.Meanwhile, regime artillery and airstrikes targeted Eastern Ghouta’s
cities of Harasta and Duma as well as the towns of Arbin and Marj, according to
Anadolu Agency correspondents in the region.middleeastmonitor
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Why Are India’s Strategic Thinkers Silent
About the Country’s Decline Under Modi?SUSHIL AARON
Triple Talaq Bill: Another tool to diminish
Muslim Community: Dr Shabana Kesar Suri
No PM , Earning Rs 200 a Day By Selling
Pakodas is Not Employment:Gurdeep Sappal
Indian Muslims need smart leaders: Aijaz Zaka
Syed
Merger of two factions of a Muslim group could
realign political forces in Kerala:Samastha Kerala Jemiyyathul Ulama split 31
years ago:TA Ameerudheen
Indian Hindu Man Adopts Destitute Muslim Girl,
Raises Her As A Devout Muslim And Marries Her Off Islamic Way
Fact Check: PM Modi’s claim about improved
strength of Indian passport: India ranks 86 out of 104 countries with a score
of 49: Sam Javed, altnews
The sham of Republic TV’s Twitter Polls:Sam
Jawed
Karat finds Congress, not Modi, against the
working class: Zafar Agha
How the Hindutva gang backstabbed Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose : SHAMSUL ISLAM
The cities of Delhi: How the sultans built
citadels of Qutub and Siri: Saudamini Jain, Zehra Kazmi, HT
Salve Vs Dave: The Gripping Courtroom Exchange
In SC During Judge Loya Death Case Hearing: LIVE LAW
Yogi’s claims of improved law & order
punctured as Lucknow emerges as UP’s crime capital: Biswajeet Banerjee
Questions Zee News & Times Now did not ask
PM ModiNH Political Bureau:nationalheraldindia
Modi govt’s neglect of agriculture and education
sectors contributing to rising inequality: expert
As SC Takes up Judge Loya Matter, Questions of
Propriety, Objectivity Loom Large:THE WIRE
India among least inclusive in G20 economies:
World Economic Forum report
Petrol, diesel prices jump; Ministry seeks
excise duty cuts
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