Evening NEWS
DIGEST
25 Jan.2018:07 Jamadiul-1 1439:Vol:9, No:107
INDIA
Forces that 'killed Muslims, Dalits, now are
targeting our children says Kejriwal over violence after film release
New Delhi:Claiming that he "couldn't
sleep all night" on learning of the mob attack on a school bus in Gurgaon
during Padmaavat protests, Arvind Kejriwal said today that the forces
"that killed Muslims and burnt Dalits are now coming after our
children." Delhi CM said it was a
"matter of shame" for the nation that school children were attacked
just a few kms from the national capital before Republic Day
celebrations."I appeal to everyone. We cannot afford to remain silent
anymore. They killed Muslims, burnt Dalits alive, thrashed them. Today, they
have started pelting our children with stones, have started intruding into our
homes. Don't remain silent now, speak up," Kejriwal said in a speech
during an event to mark Republic Day tomorrow."It is the land of Rama,
Krishna, Gautam Budhha, Mahavira, Guru Nanak, Kabir and Meera, followers of
Prophet Mohammad and Jesus Christ. I want to ask whether the people who hurled
stones were Hindus, Muslims or Christians. Which religion preaches violence
against children?"Little children of GD Goenka World School kneeled down
on the floor and held their teachers to escape stones thrown at their bus at
the Sohna Road yesterday afternoon. The children cried in fear as the goons -
around 60 of them - struck the bus with sticks in an attempt to force the bus
to stop. The protesters were blocking the road and had burnt a state-run bus
just seconds before.A video captured the frightening moments for the children
and teachers, who were on their way home when their bus was caught in protests
against "Padmaavat", which released today. "I couldn't sleep the
entire night.... People here love their country and want peace and love. I
request the powers at the Centre (Hukum marano), please spare us," said
Kejriwal, adding that the attackers should be given punishment "harsher
than Lord Rama's punishment to Ravana."NDTV
“When they killed Muslims, we remained silent.
When they burnt Dalits, beat up Dalit, we remained silent”
School bus attack: Muslims, Dalits done, ‘they’
are targeting our children, says Kejriwal
Mobs that 'killed Muslims, Dalits are
targeting our children': Kejriwal
Film Padmaavat released amid violence as school
bus vandalised in Gurugram
New Delhi:Hindu right-wing groups have
vandalised public and private properties and attacked cinema halls across five
Indian states protesting against the release of Bollywood film
"Padmaavat".Many Indian states ruled by the rightwing BJP, including
Haryana, Gujarat, Bihar and Rajasthan, have stepped up security after members
of Karni Sena, an organisation belonging to the Rajput caste, ran amok in the
past couple of days.On Thursday, members of the Hindu outfit Karni Sena
brandished swords, burnt tyres, stopped buses, vandalised shops and blocked
roads in the state of Rajasthan and Bihar. The film, dodged by protests since its
inception, released on Thursday across the country after the Supreme Court
lifted a ban on the film. An attack on a school bus in Gurugram, a wealthy
suburb of New Delhi, on Wednesday by the members of Rajput caste forced
authorities to shut schools in and around the capital, New Delhi, ahead of the
release.Videos of petrified children sobbing while hiding under seats in the
bus cowering in fear went viral on social media sites triggering a public
outrage.At least 18 people have been arrested in connection with the school bus
attack, a police official said.On Tuesday, protests in the state of Gujarat
turned violent with a mob burning dozens of motorcycles and vandalising cinema
halls, following which the state police opened fire at the crowd.Many
commentators have however, criticised filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali for
portraying the medieval Muslim King Alauddin Khilji as a "monster".
Writing in the DailyO website, columnist Kaveeree Bamzai said that
"Padmaavat is actually about 'good Hindus' and 'bad Muslims'".Indian
opposition parties have criticised the Govt for "failing" to uphold
law and order."
Padmaavat movie protests: Bhansali’s film hits
screen amid violence by Rajput outfits, cinegoers defy threat
‘BJP setting country on fire’. PM Modi faces
criticism from all quarters over ‘Padmaavat’ violence
"Padmaavat" Twists Alauddin Khilji's
Portrayal: Historians
People who did it are terrorists: Twitter
slams Padmaavat mob attack on Gurgaon school bus
A
school bus in Gurgaon's Sohna Road was attacked by a mob carrying out protests
against film Padmaavat. These protesters were videotaped hurling stones at the
bus carrying children and screaming slogans, while the kids inside cowered in
fear.Reacting to this, many have come on social media to lash out at the mob
for hitting out at children. While the Gurgaon police has detained 18 people so
far, people are not satisfied with how these violent protesters are being
handled.Soon after the video clip from the school bus went viral on social
media, big names like Congress President Rahul Gandhi, actors Farhan Akhtar,
Prakash Raj, Ayushmann Khurrana took to Twitter to slam the protests and more.indiatoday
Padmaavat: 'Modi has surrendered before
protesters. He has 56 inch chest only for Muslims,' says Owaisi
New Delhi:Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM criticised
BJP in general and PM Narendra Modi in
particular over the Central govt's handling of protests related with Padmaavat
movie."This is nothing but 'pakoda' politics practiced by BJP. PM and his party have meekly surrendered before
these people who are protesting. He has 56 inch chest only for Muslims,"
Owaisi said, reported ANI.ABP News
Padmaavat release: Contempt pleas in SC
against 4 states, Karni Sena; hearing on Jan. 29
MP: 3 Muslim youths arrested for offensive
post against queen Padmini
Bhopal: 3 Muslim youths from Dewas have been
arrested for an alleged offensive Facebook post and comments against queen
Padmini at a time there is uncertainty in Madhya Pradesh around the release of
the film Padmaavat.A complaint was filed against Adnan Shaikh alias Addu, 19,
and others for an offensive post against the queen in the Kotwali Police
Station by Vinod Sisodiya, who identified himself as a member of the Rajput
community.Sisodiya, who was accompanied by many people when he lodged the
complaint, said his religious beliefs had been hurt by the comments made on
Monday. The police said Sisodiya is not a member of any of the organisations
leading protests against the movie. The first comment was posted by Adnan, a
resident of Khari Bavdi locality in Dewas town.The police also arrested Aftab
Irshad Shaikh alias Appu, 19, and Javed Khan, 21.indianexpress
Congress undecided over supporting impeachment
motion against CJI Dipak Mishra
With the CPI(M) planning to censure CJI Dipak
Mishra, the Congress is yet to take a stand on whether to support the Left’s
move to bring in an impeachment motion against the CJI. CPI(M) has been hitting
out at CJI Mishra after four Supreme Court judges questioned the functioning of
the apex court, claiming that the democracy in the country was in danger. “Unless
there are proper grounds, solid grounds… on concrete terms, you cannot go in
for impeachment. There is no sufficient ground…. Unless evidence is available,
I don’t think it is proper to go for the impeachment of the CJI…. It is not
going to serve the purpose. It is not a political issue…. Going for the
impeachment of CJI should not be a political issue. It should be a judicial
issue,” said senior Congress leader and former Law Minister M Veerappa
Moily.And while Congress president Rahul Gandhi had showed support for the four
judges, the party has not yet decided its stand on the issue of impeachment
motion against the CJI.Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said, “There are very
important issues that have been raised by the Communist Party. Leader of
Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and party leader in Lok Sabha
Mallikarjun Kharge would talk to everybody and make their positions
clear.”Further stating that the judicial proceedings should not be politicised,
Singh said, “We continue again to say that we will never politicise the
judiciary of this country. They are a very important pillar of democracy and we
have not politicised it nor raised any issue.”Justifying the party’s decision
to stand by the demands of the judges, Congress sources said it was to ensure
that correctives are introduced by the judiciary itself and political parties
should not join the issue.apnlive
SC crisis: Opposition mulls impeachment motion
against CJI Dipak Misra
CJI must act and resolve the crisis of faith
in judiciary: Ex-chief justice of Patna HC
Ex-chief justice of Patna High Court, Iqbal
Ahmed Ansari, was a colleague of the four senior Supreme Court judges who held
an “extraordinary” press conference and questioned the conduct of the CJI,Dipak
Misra. He also worked with Dipak Misra in the Patna HC. He said, "I
certainly wish for a situation where the judges did not feel compelled to take
such an unprecedented step. They are very accomplished and carry with them vast
experiences of working in high courts from all over the country. So instead of
second-guessing their decision maybe we should listen to what they are saying.Chief
justice must act and resolve this crisis of faith in the judiciary." theprint
Dissent fine, but don’t celebrate Afzal Guru,
Yaqub Memon: Venkaiah Naidu
New Delhi;Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said
that while India would allow “dissent”, “disintegration” would not be acceptable
and there should be no celebration of people like Afzal Guru and Yaqub Memon.
He also expressed displeasure at particularly the intelligentsia who attack the
Army on issues of human rights but said that public opinion was not with them. “Dissent
is agreeable but disintegration will not be allowed. Afzal Guru can’t be
celebrated. Yaqub Memon, who killed so many people, how can he be celebrated?”he
said. indianexpress
Nitish’s Rs100 Cr Allocation for Minorities
Stands at Rs56 Per Head. Are You Joking, Mr. CM?
Patna:The
Bihar Govt of CM Nitish Kumar has
decided to allocate Rs. 100 crore per year for employment generation among
minorities in the state. Is it really an honest effort for economic upliftment
of these communities or just a tokenism to keep a section of the voters in good
humor? But given the huge population of the minorities (over 1.7 crore) in the
state, it appears to be a cruel joke, nothing else. ‘Concerned’ with gross
unemployment among minorities, the state cabinet chaired by CM Nitish Kumar on
Tuesday gave its nod for an amendment in the guidelines for “Mukhayamantri
Alpasankhyak Rozgar Rin Yojana” (CM Minorities Employment Loan Scheme) The
amendment will enable Nitish govt to allocate Rs 100 crore every year to the
State Minorities Finance Commission, with effect from the financial year
2017-18.As per Census 2011, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain together
account for 17% of the state population or in crude numbers, they are
1,77,55,202 out of total population of 10,40,99,452. Muslims alone are 1.75
crore. When one divides the sum of Rs 100 crore among the population of these
five minorities in the state, it stands at just Rs 56 per head. What kind of
employment will this amount generate?Caravan Daily
Relief for Maharashtra students: NEET 2018
will not clash with state entrance exams
Mumbai :Putting an end to speculations around
the date of the NEET 2018, the CBSE has announced that the exam will be held on
May 6.Medical and dental aspirants from Maharashtra had been worried that the
dates for NEET and the state Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) would clash. The
MH-CET, which is conducted by Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra
for admissions to engineering, technology and pharmacy programmes, is scheduled
on May 10.While the CBSE initially said that NEET 2017 will be conducted in eight
languages including English, in the last week of January 2017 the board added
two more languages to the list.NEET 2017 was conducted in English, Hindi,
Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Assamese, Bengali, Kannada and Oriya but
despite repeated requests by Student Islamic Organisation (SIO) as well as
several other state Govt officials, Urdu was not included in this list.The
matter was dragged to court and the Supreme Court finally ordered CBSE to
conduct NEET 2018 in eleven languages, including Urdu. hindustantimes
Followers of Islam in India not against cow
protection: Bhagwat
Darbhanga: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said people
belonging to all religious faiths in India were like brothers, and even
followers of Islam were not against cow protection. RSS chief also said many
Muslims in India did not eat beef. "In India, people of all religions are
like 'sahodar bhai' (brothers born to the same mother). Even followers of Islam
here do not oppose 'gopalak' and 'gorakshak' (people rearing and protecting
cows)," he told a gathering of RSS volunteers. Bhagwat's comments came in
the backdrop of incidents of cow vigilantism at several places for which
opposition parties blamed BJP, RSS and its allied organisations. Noting that
the condition of farmers was a cause for worry, Bhagwat said India's prosperity
was closely linked to the well-being of those involved in agriculture, and
stressed on promoting cattle rearing and organic farming. timesofindia
Karnataka: Not 23 ‘Hindu’ deaths, only 9,
Congress tells BJP
Bengaluru:Congress rebutted BJP’s charge on
“23 Hindu deaths” having taken place in Karnataka, saying only nine persons
were killed in communal incidents.On July 8, 2017, Shobha Karandlaje, BJP MP,
submitted a list of “murder of 23 Hindus” to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh
and cited the inefficiency of the State Govt to maintain communal harmony. She
held “jihadi elements” responsible for the murder of the 23 people, who were
affiliated to the BJP and its affiliate organisations. Home Minister Ramalinga
Reddy said of the 23 listed by the BJP, 13 were not killed in communal
incidents. Among the list, Ashok Poojary is still alive. Only nine deaths were
caused owing to communal reasons; the rest were caused by personal enmity, accident
or suicide, he said.The State Govt and the police have taken appropriate action
and investigation of all cases, Reddy
said. thehindu
Karnataka: Basheer’s murder was conspired inside
a jail
Mangaluru City police have identified four
more people in connection with the murder of Abdul Basheer who was brutally
assaulted following the murder of BJP worker Deepak Rao on January 3. Speaking
to reporters in Mangaluru on Wednesday, City Police Commissioner TR Suresh said
that the accused had visited the jail soon after the murder of Deepak. They met
the accused lodged in the jail and conspired to kill Basheer. One of the
accused, Mithun alias Kalladka Mithun, 28, from Bantwal who was picked for
creating communal tension in Bantwal and is also accused in a jail assault
case. He has several cases against him including attempt to murder. He has been
shifted to Bengaluru jail. The other accused are Tilak Raj Shetty, 28, from
Akash Bhavan in Mangaluru who was arrested in a murder case at the Kankanady
police station and is currently lodged in Ballari jail; Raju alias Rajesh, 21,
from Farangipete was arrested in a murder case and is currently lodged in
Belagavi jail. Anup who helped in identifying the place and the victim is yet
to be arrested.“Since most of the accused are in judicial custody, body warrant
would be sought and they would be taken under police custody for further
investigation,” the commissioner said.So far, the police had arrested Kishan
Poojary, Srijith, Dhanush Poojary, Sandesh Kotiyan, Pushparaj and Latheesh. Bangalore
mirror
Adityanath could create a law and order crisis
by withdrawing riot cases against BJP leaders: the wire
Adityanath Govt has made its intentions clear.
It wants to withdraw the pending cases against many senior BJP leaders for
their alleged role in provoking violence against Muslims during the 2013
communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, which left 63 dead and more than 50,000
displaced.The move, which many have called a clear violation of the idea of
justice, was communicated through a Govt letter to DM and SSP, Muzaffarnagar,
asking their opinion on the possibility of withdrawing Muzaffarnagar
riot-related cases filed against BJP leaders in “public interest”.It’s important
to note here that the Adityanath Govt’s move came after Lok Sabha member
Sanjeev Balyan, one of the BJP leaders booked for allegedly provoking the Hindu
mob, asked the state Govt to withdraw the cases. Balyan had to surrender in a
Muzaffarnagar court two weeks ago after a non-bailable warrant was issued
against him for his failure to present himself.In a letter – seen by The Wire –
that Raj Singh, special secretary in the UP Department of Justice, wrote on Jan.
5, the DM and SSP were asked about details of nine criminal cases pending
against BJP leaders in a Muzaffarnagar court. The letter does not mention names
of the leaders, but it does refer to the file numbers related to the riot cases
against them.In the letter, Singh sought information from the two senior
officials on 13 points, including facts about the people involved in the cases,
evidence the prosecution has against them, logic the accused/applicant has put
forward to support his withdrawal claim, the prosecution’s status report on
available evidence and whether there is any merit in withdrawing the case.The
Wire
Don’t need lessons in patriotism from Shia
Waqf Board chief: Deoband Ulema
Muzaffarnagar: A day after UP Shia Central
Waqf Board chairperson Wasim Rizvi wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath demanding that the national
anthem be made compulsory in all madrasas and their syllabus be developed on
the lines of CBSE, ICSE and state board curriculum, religious leaders from
Deoband on Wednesday said that they did not need "patriotism lessons"
from Rizvi."It is good to sing the national anthem, but we do not need a
recommendation from an opportunist like Rizvi who unnecessarily praises every
move by the Govt to get importance. We are also in favour of modern education
and lots of steps are being taken in that direction. However, we cannot force
state or central board syllabus on Darul Uloom seminary students as it will
amount to overburdening them. If we do that, they will neither be able to do
justice to their existing course and nor to the new curriculum," said
Deoband-based Maulana Salim Ashraf Qazmi.UP president of Tanzeem Ulema-e-Hind,
Maulana Nadimul Wazidi said, "Who is Wasim Rizvi to tell us what we should
do. He doesn't need to teach us patriotism. We love our country and we sing
national anthem on January 26 and August 15. India knows that thousands of
Muslim religious leaders made sacrifices for the country during the British
rule. However, there are some people who like to play politics over such
sensitive issues."TOI
Mannan Wani’s conduct not objectionable: AMU
Meerut: The internal probe constituted by the
AMU into the conduct of Mannan Bashir Wani has found “nothing objectionable”
against him in his stay and conduct as a student of the University. Mr. Wani
was suspended by the AMU on Jan.8, 2018, immediately after a picture of him
with an AK-47 surfaced on social media. 109-page report by the University,
however, describes him as a “brilliant student” and certifies his “good
conduct”. Wani, 25, was studying as a Ph.D scholar in Applied Geology after
completing his Masters and M.Phil. in geology from AMU. Immediately after
suspending Mr. Wani, the AMU had constituted a 2-member probe committee to
submit a report on his activities at AMU. The committee declared in its report
that it found “nothing suspicious or objectionable against Wani as far as his
stay in the university as a student was concerned”.The report has been
submitted to the Aligarh Police, which is probing Mr. Wani’s disappearance. AMU
had filed a report with the police saying that Mr. Wani had gone missing since
January 2. The University authorities had declared in the missing person
complaint that if Mr. Wani was caught for his involvement in illegal
activities, the AMU would not be held responsible for it.Aligarh SSP Rajesh
Pandey confirmed receiving the committee’s report and said that the police will
send it to the UP. Meanwhile, AMU Students Union (AMUSU) has decided to launch
a nationwide campaign demanding the Govt “declare concrete evidence that Wani
had joined a terror group”.AMUSU president Mashqoor Ahmad Usmani told media,
“It is indeed sad and unfortunate that merely on the basis of social media
reports, the Govt of India concluded that Wani has joined a terror group. Even
the investigative agencies do not have any proof or evidence to substantiate
the allegation.”thehindu
In J&K, Gujjar community threatens
state-wide agitation against alleged rape and murder of 8-year-old Tribal girl
Jammu: J&K got a terrible news of the
death of an 8-year-old tribal girl, a week after she went missing while doing
household chores. The girl belonging to the nomadic Bakarwal community was
found dead in Rasana village of Hiranagar, in Kathua district of Jammu and
Kashmir and the family has alleged that she was raped before the murder.
Mohammad Yousuf, the girl’s father, told News 18 that her modesty was outraged.
She bore torture marks on her face and some other body parts, he said. “She was
bitten on her lips. There were marks of violence on her thigh and face,” he
cried, as dozens of mourners arrived at his home for condolence.The murder of
eight-year-old tribal girl has led to protests in different parts of the state
even after the Govt claimed to have arrested the accused.The students of Degree
College Poonch on Tuesday also staged a protest in Poonch town against the
alleged rape and murder of a tribal girl demanding immediate action against
those involved.A group of people from Gujjar community who alleged Govt of not
providing them justice also held a protest in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district
on Tuesday, demanding justice and threatened of an agitation by the community
in case no swift action is taken.“We are more than 26 lakh in population. If
they fail to provide us justice, it would be a full-fledged revolt,” a
protester was quoted as saying by Greater Kashmir.Jammu Muslim Front (JMF) has
also condemned the brutal murder of the tribal girl and termed the“Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao” programme of PM , a fake slogan.TwoCircles
Draw lessons to avoid nother Doklam: Chinese
military to India
New Delhi:Hitting out at Army Chief General
Bipin Rawat for his recent remarks that Doklam is a disputed territory, Chinese
military on Thursday asserted that it is very much part of China, and India
should draw lessons from the 73-day standoff to avoid similar incidents in the
future. Responding to the remarks of Gen Rawat, Chinese Ministry of Defence
spokesperson Colonel Wu Qian said, “Doklam is part of China.”“People’s
Liberation Army (PLA) of China has occupied the area in the west of Torsa
nullah called northern Doklam. At the actual spot the two sides have
disengaged. The tents remain. The observation posts remain. This is a territory
disputed between Bhutan and China,” Rawat had said on January 12 on the eve of
the Army Day.Wu said, “The remarks of the Indian side also shows that the
illegal crossing of the Indian border troops is clear in fact and nature”. He
added the Indian side should draw lessons from the incident to avoid similar
incidents in the future.indianexpress
Telangana :Qazis told not to solemnise nikah
after 9pm
Hyderabad: Telangana state Wakf Board will act
against those qazis who solemnise nikah at function halls after 9pm from
February 1. The board received large number of complaints from the public for
the nuisance being created with late night marriages.Mohammed Saleem, chairman
of the wakf board said that if any qazi solemnises marriages after 9pm, in the
first instance he will be issued a notice. If he caught again, the board will
not issue him a marriage booklet or marriage certificate. To educate the
community the board will be holding awareness programmes and urging imams of
mosques to spread awareness in the community. Apart from Nikah all other
activities at the function hall can continue till midnight, told a board
representative.Religious scholars, heads of religious school of thoughts and
senior police officials attended a meeting at Haj House and decided to curb
ostentation and public worriment caused by late night marriages. Mufti Khaleel
Ahmed, rector of Jamia Nizamia said that in the interest of the community and
the poor families, we should abnegate such unnecessary practices.indiasamvad
BJP youth wing quiz question calls Nehru
‘greedy’
Bhopal: A question at a general knowledge quiz
by the BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha here raised a storm with
the question describing the country’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru as
“greedy”.Congress then questioned the contribution of Deendayal Upadhyay and
the RSS in the freedom struggle.Most of the questions in the competition,
attended by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, were about the policies of the state Govt.
A booklet “Mere Deendayal” was also distributed on the occasion.While Congress
was attacked in the booklet, one question called Nehru as “greedy for
power”.IANS
Lingayats win Maratha, Muslim backing over
separate religion
Kolhapur: Marathas, Muslims and 70 other
communities from the city have extended their support to the state-level mega
rally organised by the Lingayat community, which is demanding status of
separate religion, on Jan. 28. Lingayats are around 1 crore across the state
and the major population resides in south Maharashtra. They are considered as
part of Hindu religion.A majority of seers from the community support the
demand while some are opposed to it saying that it is against Hindu religion.
The demand is widely being made in Karnataka, which is going to the polls in
the next few months.On Wednesday, the leaders of over various communities
attended the meeting at the Muslim Boarding. Similar support was extended by
many communities to Marathas demanding reservation. Vasantrao Mulik, district
president of Maratha Mahasangh, said, "We are not just extending support
to Lingayats, but we will be actively involved in its activities. The demand
was made many years ago, but the political establishments have been ignoring
it."Lalit Gandhi of the Jain community said, "We fought to get the
status of religion for the Jain community. The Lingayats' demand is just demand
and the Govt should accept it."TOI
NIA chargesheet against trader Birju Salla who
faked plane ‘hijacking’ midair
Vadodara: NIA filed the chargesheet against
Mumbai-based businessman Birju Salla, 37, who allegedly faked the “plane
hijacking threat” midair in October last year while travelling business class
in a Jet Airways flight. NIA said that Salla’s act “jeopardised the safety of
the passengers and crew members on board”.The investigating agency said in a
press release “…it has been established that accused Birju Salla, who travelled
in the business class of the Jet Airways flight on 30/10/2017, from Mumbai
prepared a ‘threat note’ in ‘English’ and ‘Urdu’ and he intentionally placed it
in the tissue paper box of the toilet near the Business Class thereby
jeopardised the safety of the passengers and crew members on board.” indianexpress
Sohrabuddin encounter : As media gagged, most
witnesses go hostile
Mumbai:Nearly 2 months since trial began in
the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case, majority witnesses,
presented by the prosecution to support its case that Sohrabuddin, his wife
Kausarbi and associate Tulsiram Prajapati were victims of an extra-judicial
killing, have turned hostile. Of the 40 witnesses examined until Wednesday, 27
were declared hostile by the prosecution, while the deposition of one has been
deferred for later.Since November 29, when the media was restrained from
reporting trial proceedings by the special CBI court in Mumbai, the trial has
seen policemen say they are unable to identify their former colleagues — now
accused — present in the court room. Eyewitnesses who gave statements to
investigators earlier have said they never saw Sohrabuddin, Kausarbi and
Prajapati being abducted from a bus in November 2005.indianexpress
ASEAN nations seek to purchase BrahMos, Akash
missiles from India
ASEAN nations are seeking to purchase major
defence and weapons systems from India, including the Akash and BrahMos
missiles, according to a report by The Financial Express.According to the
report, export of Akash and BrahMos will be topping the agenda when the 10
ASEAN leaders meet during the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on
the eve of India's Republic Day.India has been increasing its engagement with
the regional bloc as per its 'Act East Policy'. India has been making
engagements in the fields of maritime security, military exercises, trade and
investments.In August 2017, India clarified that it was not supplying BrahMos
anti-ship cruise missiles to Vietnam even as the South Asian country had said
that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations had been
growing in many fields including security and defence.moneycontrol
WORLD
It is wrong': 21 groups slam US for cutting
UNRWA aid
The leaders of 21 aid groups have written to US
administration to object to a decision to withhold $65m out of $125m in planned
contributions to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.The letter warned of
"dire consequences" if the cut to the UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) was maintained, according to the letter seen by Al
Jazeera on Thursday."We are deeply concerned by the humanitarian
consequences of this decision on life-sustaining assistance to children, women
and men in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza Strip," it
said."Whether it is emergency food aid, access to primary healthcare,
access to primary education, or other critical support to vulnerable
populations, there is no question that these cuts, if maintained, will have
dire consequences."The letter was sent on Wednesday to US Ambassador to
the UN Nikki Haley, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, National Security Advisor
HR McMaster, and Secretary of Defence James Mattis.aljazeera
Israel tries to block draft resolution
denouncing Trump’s Jerusalem decision
The Israeli Govt has been working intensively
to block a draft resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe denouncing US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s
capital, Israeli Walla news site has reported.The site said yesterday that the
council is expected to vote on the resolution today, noting that a delegation
from the Israeli Knesset headed by MK Aliza Lavie of Yesh Atid party has been
working to amend the draft resolution.The draft resolution was submitted by the
Palestinian National Council which is a democratic partner in the
Council.According to the site the draft resolutions condemns Israeli
construction in the Palestinian occupied territories, including East Jerusalem,
and calls on Israel to stop the policy of house demolitions.The draft
resolution also includes a clause which states that the United States’ role as
a serious broker in the peace process was undermined after its president
declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. middleeastmonitor
Israel media: US embassy transferring
equipment to Jerusalem hotel
Israeli Channel 2 has reported that the US
embassy is starting to transfer equipment from their Tel Aviv office to a hotel
in Jerusalem, a preliminary step to moving the country’s headquarters to the
city.Following the announcement of US President Donald Trump recognising
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the US also stated their intention to move
the embassy to the city, although a completion time has not been made public.Eyewitnesses
in the Arnon neighbourhood reported seeing large trucks unloading equipment
inside the Eidan Hotel yesterday, which was allegedly closed due to a lack of
visitors. However, the hotel is now playing host to the US embassy’s equipment,
with the proposed building situated less than one kilometre away.The US
consulate in Jerusalem currently operates two facilities, the main branch on
Agron Street and the consular section on Flusser Street in Arnon. In 2014, the
US purchased a building next to the Flusser Street offices known as the
Diplomat Hotel, which could be used as an annexe for the embassy or the
consulate. middleeastmonitor
Over 10,000 People Including 700 Children
Killed In US-Led Anti-Terror Coalition Forces In Syria In 40 Months
Over 10,000 people have been killed since the
US-led anti-terror coalition forces began its operations against the Islamic
State (IS) in Syria in Sept.2014, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said
on Tuesday.According to the data, at least 2,815 civilians, including 655
children, and 7,396 IS militants were among those killed.London-based watchdog
group said that the US-led coalition forces continue to carry out airstrikes in
Syria, despite the loss of major IS strongholds in northern and eastern Syria.
Only 3% of the country's territories is now controlled by the militant
group.Syrian Govt criticised the US-led coalition force, slamming it as
'illegitimate' and conducting airstrikes without its consent.The Govt has urged
the UN to dissolve the US-led coalition force, owing to a large number of
casualties.ANI
Ex-US envoy says Rohingya global panel a
'whitewash', quits
A veteran US diplomat has resigned from an
international panel set up by Myanmar to advise on the Rohingya crisis, saying
it was conducting a "whitewash".Bill Richardson, a former member of
Bill Clinton administration, accused Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi
of lacking "moral leadership". "The main reason I am resigning
is that this advisory board is a whitewash," Richardson told Reuters news
agency in an interview, adding he did not want to be part of "a
cheerleading squad for the Govt".His resignation comes as the 10-member
Advisory Board was making its first visit to western Rakhine State, from where
nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since August last year. Richardson
said he got into an argument with Aung San Suu Kyi during a meeting on Monday
with other members of the board, when he brought up the case of two Reuters
reporters who are on trial accused of breaching the country's Officials Secrets
Act.He said Aung San Suu Kyi's response was "furious", saying the
case of the reporters "was not part of the work of the advisory
board". The argument continued at a dinner later that evening, the former
New Mexico governor said.aljazeera
Myanmar army accused of gang-raping Rohingya
women
Fears over US-Turkey military confrontation in
Syria
A US-backed Kurdish militia has deployed
fighters to the front line of Syria's Manbij to battle Turkey's military after
President Tayyip Erdogan said it would be next after launching the cross-border
Afrin operation. Manbij is about 100km east of Afrin where the United States
has military personnel deployed in the fight against the ISIL, meaning troops
from the NATO allies could come face to face on the battlefield. US military
coalition operating in Manbij said soldiers there have the right defend
themselves against any attack, and wouldn't hesitate to do so."Clearly we
are very alert to what is happening, specifically in the area of Manbij because
that is where our ... coalition forces are," spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon
told Reuters news agency. "The coalition forces that are in that area have
an inherent right to defend themselves and will do so if necessary. "Sharfan
Darwish of the Manbij Military Council - a unit of the YPG Syrian-Kurd militia
currently under attack by Turkey in Afrin - said his forces were preparing to
confront Turkish soldiers."We are in full readiness to respond to any
attack. Of course our coordination with the international coalition continues
with regards to the protection of Manbij," said Darwish. aljazeera
Turkish offensive on Afrin cuts fuel supply to
2 million in Idlib
The price of fuel has doubled for the two
million people in Syria’s opposition-held Idlib province, after the Turkish
assault on Afrin disrupted trade routes, according to news agency Syria
Direct.Residents, hospitals and traders are being forced to utilise their
stockpiles of mazot, a cheap form of diesel, to keep electricity and heat
running, with the price per barrel rising from 40,000 Syrian pounds ($77) to
75,000 ($145) in the span of just five days.“Fuel is the backbone of life in
Idlib city,” Ismael Al-Andani, president of the Syrian Salvation Govt’s Idlib
city council, said yesterday. “We rely on it for electrical geerators,
transportation, machinery and bakeries. Our fear is that this closure will last
for long time.”Turkish armed force and the allied Free Syrian Army (FSA) began
“Operation Olive Branch” on Saturday, an air and ground assault on
Kurdish-controlled Afrin, cutting off the supply route that delivered fuel to
opposition territories.
UN Special Envoy: Syria talks in Vienna at
'critical moment'
Vienna: A new round of Syria talks is starting
on Wednesday in Vienna in what officials said may be the "last hope"
for a resolution to the seven year-long conflict.Delegations representing both
the Syrian Govt and the opposition are expected to attend the negotiations in
the Austrian capital at the behest of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan
de Mistura.The UN envoy defined this as a very critical moment for the
languishing peace process. France's foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian said
the UN-led process is the only and last resort for the international community
to find a way out of the Syrian crisis.aljazeera
Egyptian:
Sisi gets clear run as 'final rival' lawyer Khaled Ali quits election
race
A prominent Egyptian human rights lawyer has
become the latest presidential hopeful to withdraw his campaign, leaving only
current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the running.Khaled Ali said
conditions did not allow for a fair contest in the presidential elections,
which are set for the end of March."We today announce our decision not to
enter this race and will not present our candidacy papers," Ali said
during a news conference in Cairo on Wednesday, Reuters reported.The vote is
scheduled to take place on March 26-28 across Egypt.Ali, an opposition leader
who ran for president in 2012, faces a suspended jail term that was widely
believed to hamper his ability to formally present his candidacy this
year.Critics say the Sisi Govt has exerted pressure on its political opponents,
several of whom have withdrawn their campaigns for president in recent weeks.On
Tuesday, another potential challenger for the presidency, Sami Anan, was
arrested by the army.aljazeera
NGOs urge Egypt to revoke death sentences
Ankara: 54 non-governmental organizations
issued Wednesday a joint declaration urging Egypt to revoke death sentences
that came after the 2013 military coup.Turkish and Egyptian NGOs called on the
international public and international institutions which Egypt is part of --
including the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the African
Union -- to discourage the executions from being carried out.“It is everyone’s
responsibility to prevent execution of the death sentences of these people, most
of whom are young political prisoners,” said the declaration. The Egyptian
military deposed Mohamed Morsi, the country's first freely elected president,
in a 2013 military coup after one year in power. Egypt’s current president,
Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, came to power in a 2014 election that followed the
military coup.The NGOs gathered in Istanbul said that on the Sisi
administration's watch 109 had been sentenced to death in 2013, 509 in 2014,
538 in 2015 and 237 in 2016.The statement added that most were not involved in
violence and were pacifist activists, scholars or journalists. The statement
also called for a cessation of human rights violations in Egypt. Anadolu agency
Members Of Ruling Communist Party In
Muslim-Majority Region In China Sign Atheism Pledge
Members of the ruling Communist Party of China
in a Muslim-majority region in the northwest, often dubbed as "China's
Mecca", have signed an atheism pledge to proclaim their devotion to the
pursuit of Marxist purity, official media reported today.Top regional CPC
officials and party members of the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu
Province last weekend signed the commitment at a Party meeting, state-run
Global Times quoted Linxia committee of the CPC as saying.Linxia with a
population of about two million is an autonomous prefecture for the Muslim Hui
people. The prefecture also includes two autonomous counties for other Muslim
groups, namely Dongxiang, Salar and Bonan.PTI
Over 800,000 children displaced in eastern
DRC: UNICEF
More than 800,000 children have been forced to
leave their homes due to conflict between the army and militia groups in the
eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN Children's Fund
(UNICEF) said on Thursday."The DRC is facing one of the biggest child
displacement crises in the world," the UN agency said in a statement.The
800,000 displacements are in the South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces, UNICEF said,
adding that $65 million was needed to assist these children in the next six
months."Children in eastern DRC continue to suffer the devastating
consequences of these waves of violence which destabilize the region,"
said Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF representative in the DRC. ''Hundreds of
thousands of children in the region no longer have access to health care and
education."Anadolu agency
Canada: Freed Hassan Diab demands probe over
'terrorism' ordeal
After three years and two months held in
solitary confinement in a maximum security prison in a Parisian suburb, Diab -
a 64-year-old Canadian - was stunned in disbelief when his lawyer finally
delivered the news that he had been dreaming about for so long.The judge had
dismissed the allegations against him and had ordered for his immediate
release.He was freed on January 15.Just to be sure that the "miracle"
was real, Diab asked her to repeat and clarify the news a few times."If
you don't know English any more, it means we won," she said.After 10 years
of draconian bail conditions and imprisonment, Diab is finally a free man. He
arrived back home in Ottawa last week, rejoining his wife and two children, the
youngest who was born in his absence."It's a different world here,"
Diab told Al Jazeera. "I'm trying to reintegrate back to ordinary, normal
life."Diab, a Lebanese Canadian was wrongly labelled a
"terrorist", accused of involvement in the 1980 synagogue bombing in
Paris that killed four people.He was arrested in Canada in 2008 at the request
of French authorities and placed under draconian bail conditions before his
extradition to France in 2014.aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Narendra Modi: A false crusader for women's
rights:Ajaz Ashraf
Padmaavat violence shows Muslim groups have
greater respect for Supreme Court than BJP, Rajputs:Ajaz Ashraf
Disqualification of AAP MLAs is questionable
on both legal and procedural grounds:Shreenath A. Khemka, Law Scholar at
University of Cambridg
How Hindutva Gang Backstabbed Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose:Shamsul Islam
Is Narendra Modi planning to call for early
Lok Sabha elections this year?Rohan Venkataramakrishnan
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:27 PM)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment