Evening NEWS
DIGEST
11 Feb.2018:24 Jamadiul-1 1439:Vol:9, No:118
INDIA
Modi launches project for 1st Hindu
temple in Abu Dhabi
Dubai:PM Narendra Modi on Sunday officially launched a
project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing
the holy place as a “catalytic agent” of humanity and harmony that will become
a medium of India’s identity. Modi laid the foundation stone for the BAPS
Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he
addressed the members of the Indian community. “I would like to request all
those associated with the construction of the temple that the rulers here have
shown so much respect for India. They have been proud of India’s cultural
history. Now it’s our responsibility that there is no mistake on our part,” he
told the gathering, amid applause. Modi asked people associated with the
construction of the temple and also the worshippers not to cause any harm to
others. “This is my expectations from you,” he added.He thanked Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the
construction of the grand temple in the Gulf emirate. “People were surprised
when Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince took forward the talks of building a temple in
Abu Dhabi. I whole heartedly thank his highness on behalf of all 1.25 crore
Indians,” Modi said, amid applause. Modi said this temple will also become a
“medium of India’s identity”. “We have grown in a culture where temples are a
medium of humanity...Holy place is a catalytic agent of humanity and harmony,”
he told the gathering. “I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms
of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of ‘Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam’ to people across the world,” he said.Temple Committee members had
presented the temple literature to Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last
evening in Abu Dhabi.The temple will come up on 55,000 square metres of land.
The structure will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the
UAE. It will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious
backgrounds.PTI
When Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Sultan started his
speech with 'Jai Siya Ram' - Watch video
PM Modi addresses at World Govt Summit, expresses his gratitude to UAE for being
home to 12 lakh NRIs
Dubai:While addressing World Govt Summit, PM Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his
gratitude to UAE Govt for accepting as
many as 12 lakh NRIs as a part of their country and providing them shelter.
"It is a matter of pride for not only me but also the 125 Crore people of
India that I have been called as the Chief Guest at 6th edition of World Govt
Summit: PM Narendra Modi in Dubai #ModiInUAE," he said. This is his second
visit to UAE after 2015, however, each time he visits the land, he is warmly
welcomed and shared that he feels no less than being at home.ANI
PM Modi to visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in
Oman
Muscat: PM Narendra Modi on Sunday arrives in Oman after
concluding visits to Jordan, Palestine, and the UAE. On the last leg of his 4-nation
tour, the PM will address a large community programme in Muscat. He will also
visit a 200-year-old Shiva temple and Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat.The
PM will visit Grand Mosque in Muscat on Monday. The mosque, which allows
non-Muslim visitors, is one of the highlights of Muscat. The breathtaking complex
is said to be a magnificent piece of modern Islamic architecture.Persian carpet
in the main prayer hall measures 70m by 60m wide, making it the second-largest
hand-woven Iranian carpet in the world. Six-hundred women took four years to
weave the carpet. timesnownews
PM Modi
says ‘I am seeing mini-India in Oman’
AIMPLB & BABRI ISSUE
Salman Nadvi no longer member of the board: AIMPLB
Hyderabad: AIMPLB today approved Maulana Syed
Salman Husain Nadvi's "decision to quit" as its executive member,
days after he met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over the Ayodhya dispute and said at the
board's meeting that shifting of a mosque is possible according to the Sharia."Moulana
Salman Nadwi is no longer a board member. Sub- committee of the board accepts
Nadwi's (sic) decision to quit the organization," All India Muslim
Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) today said in its official Twitter account.However,
AIMPLB member Qasim Rasool Ilyas said "action" was taken against
Nadvi after he disagreed with the board's views on the matter.Asserting that
Nadvi had himself "disassociated" with the board's views, Ilyas told
reporters today, "The board has taken a stand and took the action... This
is the Board's unanimous decision. Now he is a free man." Referring to
Nadvi's remarks that a mosque can be shifted as per the Sharia (Islamic law),
he said the AIMPLB had made its stand clear that masjid is the "home for
Allah"."Masjid always remains like that. It cannot be shifted or
gifted or sold. This is Sharia. Salman Nadvi's stand is opposite to this. He
made it clear that he did not want to change his stand," Ilyas said. AIMPLB
Secretary Zafaryab Jeelani and board member Kamal Faruqui told reporters that
Nadvi had given statements against the board's stand."He (Nadvi) said he
did not agree with the board's stand.He made allegations against the board and
he himself said he wanted to leave the AIMPLB," Jeelani said, adding that
Nadvi had said that he wanted to form a new board."He (Nadvi) skipped the
meeting yesterday and today. As he himself is saying he wants to disassociate
with the board, the committee unanimously accepted that he is no more a
member... It is he who said he wanted to leave and left and we accepted
it,"Jeelani and Faruqui said.When contacted today, Nadvi only said that he
was at the airport boarding a flight. One of his close aides said Nadvi had
offered to quit the board yesterday itself.PTI
AIMPLB removes cleric Nadvi after his remarks
over Babri issue
Babri Masjid essential part of Islam's faith,
Muslims can never ‘abdicate’ it: AIMPLB
Hyderabad: Babri Masjid will remain a mosque
till eternity and Muslims can never exchange land for the masjid, AIMPLB said
in Hyderabad on Sunday.In a statement issued on the concluding day of its 26th
plenary, the board said Babri masjid is an essential part of faith in Islam and
Muslims can never "abdicate" the Masjid."Babri Masjid is an
essential part of faith in Islam and Muslims can never abdicate the Masjid nor
can they exchange land for Masjid or gift the Masjid land. Babri Masjid is a
Masjid and it shall remain a Masjid till eternity. By demolishing Babri Masjid,
it never loses its identity as a masjid. And according to Shariah, it always remains
a Masjid," the statement said.AIMPLB chief Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi
presided over the 3-day meet which was attended by 400 members and special
invitees from different spheres of life including clergy, intellectuals, social
and political personalities. The meet discussed and decided to protect the
Islamic Shariah.The board stressed the struggle for the reconstruction of the
Babri Masjid would continue."Without any doubt, we make it clear that the
struggle for the reconstruction of Babri Masjid continues and the appeal in the
Supreme Court is being fought rigorously with all the resources available at
the disposal of the board," the statement said.AIMPLB further said the
country's topmost lawyers are appearing in the apex court in the case on behalf
of Muslims.On the triple talaq issue, the board said a bill moved by the Centre
to criminalise the practice is "anti-women" and is against the
Shariah and the Constitution." Talaq-e-Biddat bill moved by the central Govt
is anti-women. It will create more
difficulties for women. It is against Shariah and it is against the
Constitution. The efforts made by the Board will continue to stop this bill in
the Rajya Sabha," the statement said. AIMPLB will start a country-wide
awareness campaign against the bill and will also coordinate with Opposition
parties that are against the bill, it said. AIMPLB also decided that state-wide
committees and district-level committees will be formed under the aegis of the
central body for the purpose.PTI
Attempts being made to outlaw, alter some
aspects of Shariah:AIMPLB
AIMPLB expels Maulana Salman Nadwi over Ram
Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid remark
I was forced to quit, will continue working
for Hindu-Muslim unity: Salman Nadwi
NEW DELHI: Hours after being expelled from the
AIMPLB, former executive member Maulana Salman Nadwi said an amicable
settlement of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute was imperative for
Hindu-Muslim peace and unity.After returning to Lucknow from the AIMPLB's 26th
plenary session in Hyderabad, Nadwi alleged that "hardliners" had
hijacked the board, which forced him to distance himself from their
"official" stance on the Ayodhya dispute."Hardliners in AIMPLB
are overpowering the board and it's stand on the Ayodhya dispute, so I stepped
away and was made to step away. In 25 years, court could not do anything so it
is better to have an out of court settlement for peace and unity," Nadwi
told TOI.He opined that any ruling by the Supreme Court, which is currently
hearing final arguments in the politically sensitive case, would be partisan
and further divide the two communities."Board is saying it will wait for
whatever the court decides, I'm saying why wait when you can sit together and
decide for peace and stop any riot like situation in the future. Why have such
disputes of land that separates people. What the court decides will hurt either
one of the community," he said.The Islamic scholar said he will continue
to hold meetings with people from both sides of the spectrum, adding that the
next meeting will be held in Ayodhya.TOI
Will carry on effort to resolve the Babri
Masjid issue out of court, says Maulana Salman Nadwi
Probe Board spokesman Sajjad Nomani's
'massacre of Indian Muslims' speech: Salman Nadvi’s attacks AIMPLB
Hyderabad/Mumbai: Salman Hussaini Nadvi has
asked the govt to probe a speech by Khalilur Rahman Sajjad Nomani in which he
talked about the "Rohingya style massacre of Indian
Muslims"."It's a very serious matter. I want the government of India
and also Prime Minister Modi to take a note of it and order a probe so that the
facts come out", Salman Nadvi, who is in the news since last three days
because of his "Ayodhya Peace Formula", said.Salman Nadvi was
referring to a speech made few months before by Khalilur Rahman Sajjad Nomani,
who is spokesperson of AIMPLB, in which he said "arms and weapons"
have been distributed in every part and district of the country."I ask the
government to probe who has distributed arms and weapons in every part and
district of the country. It’s a serious matter and should be probed in
depth" Salman Nadvi reiterated while talking to India TV."I also ask
the RSS people to provide details of its camps where Sajjad Nomani is a regular
visitor. The RSS should also make public the names of its members with whom the
spokesperson of the Muslim personal law board has close relations", he
said.Salman Nadvi said he had also raised the matter during the working
committee meeting of AIMPLB which is underway since Friday in Hyderabad.He said
he demanded from the Muslim personal law board to ask its spokesperson about
his relation with the RSS but the board members were not ready to talk on the
matter.According to Salman Nadvi, as soon as he entered the meeting hall, some
of the board members started asking him to withdraw my proposal about Ayodhya
dispute. “I however said that board spokesperson Khalilur Rahman Sajjad
Nomani’s claim about the massacre of Indian Muslims is a more serious matter
and hence should be discussed first”, he said, demanding dissolution of the
Muslim personal law board.“The Muslim personal law board was never a
representative body. As on today it has also lost its credibility. Hence it
should be dissolved, and a more representative and accommodative Shariah
Application Board should be formed”, he said.ummid
Hindu, Muslim bodies reject Sri Sri’s role in
Babri parleys
Lucknow: Talks for a possible out of court
settlement of the Babri Masjid dispute initiated by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
founder of Art of Living, seem to have run into trouble at the
onset.all-powerful chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das,
VHPand prominent saints of Ayodhya have refused to accept any ‘outside’
mediation.Nritya Gopal Das is the most revered saint of Ayodhya and his opinion
is taken seriously by the Yogi Govt .The comments coincide with a similar
stance from Muslim organisation AIMPLB which too opposed parleys.“Nothing less
than construction of Ram temple at lord Ram’s birth place in Ayodhya is
acceptable. Babri Masjid will not be accepted in Ayodhya,” said Sharad Sharma,
state spokesperson, VHP.HT
AIMPLB linked to terror groups operating in
Pak, Saudi: Wasim Rizvi
Lucknow: Shia Central Waqf Board chairman
Wasim Rizvi on Sunday termed AIMPLB as one of the subsidiaries of terror groups
operating in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia."Terrorist organizations of
Pakistan and Saudi take major decisions related to AIMPLB is a branch of such
terrorist organisations that is spoiling the atmosphere of the country by
following their ideologies," an official statement from Rizvi read.The
statement comes in the backdrop of removal of its executive member Moulana
Salman Hasni Nadvi, who supported the construction of Ram Temple on the
disputed land in Ayodhya,Rizvi also stated that the AIMPLB should be considered
a terrorist organisation and be banned.deccanchronicle
Babri: Intellectuals react strongly on attempt
to out-of-court settlement
New Delhi:Anger prevails among Muslim circles,
on the meeting of Muslim intellectuals with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for out of
court settlement of Babri Masjid dispute. Now that the Supreme Court has made
it clear that the issue is of ‘place’ nor of ‘faith’, the meeting is
meaningful.They urged Muslim Personal Law to clear its stand on the meeting and
to take strict action against those who attended the meeting. Prof. Akhtarul
Wasey said though there’s no ban on meeting with someone, but the interest of
the community should not be toyed with. Chairman Delhi Minority Commission Dr
Zafarul Islam Khan said Babri Masjid has been demolished, there’s no need to
act without pondering, now SC will give the judgment. Religious leader and imam
of Shahi Masjid Fatehpur, Dr Mufti Mukarram Ahmed said now all the phases of
discussions have ended. He said when the court cannot intervene into the
shariah how can some scholars decide of shifting the masjid at another place.This
is not a house. President Muslim Majlis Mushaverat Naveed Hamed said that
meeting of Muslim leaders with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is technically meaningless,
because the dispute cannot be solved without the consent of the parties, if they
were so serious did they spoke to Sunni Waqf Board, AIMPLB and other parties
who are party to the Babri Masjid dispute case, he asked. siasat
Babri Masjid dispute has nothing to do with
Hindu faith: Swami Agnivesh
Kochi: Social activist Swami Agnivesh has
urged the Central Govt to complete the
remaining proceedings in the Babri Masjid demolition case, in which several BJP
leaders were chargesheeted by CBI. Agnivesh welcomed the Supreme Court decision
to consider the controversial Babri Majid issue as a land dispute case. “Hindu
fundamentalists are persuading Muslim groups to give up their claims on Babri
Masjid. The dispute has nothing to do with Hindu faith though BJP leaders claim
it to be a matter of Hinduism. First, a
decision should be taken over the further proceedings in the Babri Masjid
demolition case in which leaders, including LK Advani, have been
chargesheeted,” he told reporters here on Saturday. Agnivesh lambasted the
claim of Hindu groups that the disputed land is the actual birthplace of Lord
Rama. “There is no historical evidence to prove Rama was born at the place
where Babri Masjid is located. There are more than 15 temples, claiming to be
the actual birthplace of Rama, in the vicinity of the controversial land,” he
said. He also cited a host of reasons to contradict the claim Babri Majid was
constructed after demolishing a temple in 1528.“Poet Thulasidas was in Ayodhya
when the invaders alleged to have desecrated the temple. Thulasidas should have
been disturbed if a temple was demolished. There has been no mention of any
such attack on the temple in any of his literary works. Great scholars like
Guru Gobind Singh, Maharshi Dayanand, Swami Vivekananda or Mahatma Gandhi never
mentioned about a Ram temple in Ayodhya in their lifetime,” he
said.newindianexpress
Babri dispute: Maulana Salman Nadwi is going
against the stand of his grandfather Maulana Ali Miyan
AIMPLB Women
members oppose triple talaq bill
Hyderabad:Women members and invitees to AIMPLB
plenary meet reiterated their changes in Triple Talaq Bill.During the debate at
the internal sessions in the evening, women were unanimous in their decision to
oppose the Bill. High Court advocate Neelofar S. Akhtar, who had arrived from
Mumbai on an invite, said, “We have freedom of religion and talaq for us is a
religious matter and we should be allowed to resolve it. It is just politics by
the Centre and should stop.” “Bill is being wrongly interpreted, though the
present setup is sufficient. Women and men have equal rights in Islam but it is
being projected wrongly,” she added.Another women member, who insisted on
anonymity, said the model nikahnama being proposed by the board would reduce
the problem to a certain extent. “Islam prohibits instant triple talaq. So
where is the question of bringing in a law,” she said.deccanchronicle
OTHERS
Jammu Army camp attack: 5 soldiers, a
civilian, and 3 militants killed, says Army
Srinagar: 3 soldiers, one civilian and the
third militant killed in the ongoing operation against the holed up fidayeens
in the Sunjwan camp of Army’s 36 Brigade on Sunday, according to the
Army.Jammu-based Army Public Relations Officer Lt. Col. Devender Anand told The
Hindu that the bodies of 3 soldiers, including a JCO, were found during the
sanitising of the residential quarters. “They were killed by the terrorists in
the initial stage on Saturday,” said the Army spokesman. He said the body of a
civilian, a father of a jawan, was also found.“A total of six casualties
occurred, including two JCO, and a civilian since Saturday morning,” said the
Army.The Army said it killed third Jash-e-Muhammad militant. “The militant was
also heavily armed like two others and was carrying AK-56, ammunition and
grenades,” said the Army.All the deceased soldiers belong to Jammu and Kashmir,
said the Army. The police had earlier suggested four militants were killed in
the operation. 10 civilians, including six women and children, were also
injured in the past two days. The condition of a 14-year-old boy remains
“critical”, said an official. Meanwhile, the Army said the operation is on in
the area.thehindu
Army confirms 9 fatalities in Army camp attack
in Jammu
In the line of cross-fire: From bullets to
guided missiles, the risks are a living reality along LoC
JKLF leader Maqbool Bhat death anniversary:
Restrictions in Kashmir, separatist leaders detained
Srinagar ;Authorities imposed restrictions in
Srinagar and some other parts of the Kashmir Valley on Sunday to prevent
separatist-called protests to mark the 34th death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat,
founder of the JKLF. Bhat was hanged on February 11, 1984, in Tihar
Jail.Besides Srinagar, restrictions were imposed in north Kashmir’s Kupwara
district and Sopore town. Bhat belonged to Kupwara’s Trehgam village.Senior
separatist leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin
Malik, have been placed under detention to prevent their participation.
Contingents of police and paramilitary CRPF in full riot gear have been
deployed in the restriction imposed areas. Public transport remained off the
roads in Srinagar and most of the places in the Valley. Meanwhile, Saima Wani,
18, injured during gunfight in Shaigam village of Shopian district on January
24, succumbed in a Srinagar hospital.IANS
Kasganj murder case: Wife of accused dies, kin
says was taken ill since his arrest
Lucknow: A 63-year-old woman, who had been ill
since the arrest of her husband and son accused in the Abhishek Gupta murder
case, died on Friday during treatment in Aligarh medical college. Police had
picked up Naseeruddin (70) and Akram (19) following the Kasganj communal clash
on Jan.26. According to their relatives, Naseeruddin’s wife Haseen Bano lost
consciousness soon after the arrests. The duo were allowed to perform final
rites of the deceased on Friday, on the orders of the DM.“Mother was rushed to
a local clinic, but her condition did not improve. On Thursday, her condition
deteriorated and we rushed her to Aligarh medical college where she died around
3.30 am the next day,” said son Masrat Hussain, 28, who runs a motorcycle
repair shop in Kasganj.Apart from the murder charge, Naseeruddin and Akram are
also accused of sedition. “They are falsely implicated in the case. Both were
at their shop on January 26 when police arrested them. My sister later met
senior police officers and told them that they were not involved in the
violence. They had assured her that both would be released after questioning.
However, next day, we came to know that police produced my father and brother
before court on murder charge and they were sent to jail.”indianexpress
More Muslims than Hindus killed in communal
murders: govt
Mangaluru: Stung by BJP's scathing comment
('It's ease of doing murders not business in Karnataka'), Conrgess Govt has hit back by releasing statistics about
communal killings during their tenure which indicate that such crimes have
drastically reduced.On BJP's accusation of increase in communal murders,
Congress pointed out that, since 2013, 13 Muslims were killed by organisations
such as HJV, Sri Rama Sene, Bajrang Dal and others compared to 11 Hindus
getting killed by Muslim activists. It pointed out that MP Shobha Kharandlaje's
list mentioned 14 persons killed due to communal reasons, but investigation
revealed that one person is still alive and majority of the rest were killed
for "political" reasons and suicide.Majority of both Hindu and Muslim
deaths had taken place in undivided Dakshina Kannada."BJP said Congress is
fostering communal tensions and murders increased during our tenure. To expose
their lies, we have released data which point to a steep decline in crime
rates," said home minister Ramalinga Reddy. TOI
Central agencies nab 3 ISIS suspects in Gaya
Patna: The central intelligence agencies
including NIA and IB along with Gaya police have nabbed 3 suspects allegedly
owning allegiance to global terror outfit ISIS from different locations in Gaya
district on Saturday.Intelligence agency sources said the suspects have been
identified at Mohammad Anwar Hussain (24), Mohammad Shammi (22) and Mohammad
Shaad (22). Arms and ammunition including a country made 9mm pistol have also
been seized from their possession. Sources said that they were under
surveillance for a long time and were involved in financial transaction made to
different part of the country for terror funding and luring youths for ISIS. 2
posters appealing youths to join ISIS were also found in Rohtas and Aurangabad
in Bihar in last one year.They also said the trio have associates in primarily
in Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Kerala and UP.A senior intelligence officer
on condition of anonymity, said that Anwar was running a marble cutting shop in
Maroofganj under Civil Lines police station area but behind the curtain he
along with the others were working as a covert agents for ISIS to build its
network for terror attack across India.timesofindia
Bihar: NIA picks up 3 with terror links for
quizzing
Policeman arrested for rape and murder of 8-yr-old
girl in Jammu
Srinagar:
Last month, when a nomad family from Kathua district, 80 kms away from
Jammu, filed a missing report for their 8-year-old daughter, among those
appointed to trace her was a young Special Police Officer (SPO) called Deepak
Khujaria. A week later, police found her body - she had been brutally raped and
murdered. Now, the police say, it was the same officer who carried out the
crime.Khujaria, a 28-year-old SPO posted at Police Station Heera Nagar, has
been arrested by a Special Investigation Team of the Crime Branch for the
incident.The little girl was kidnapped when she was herding horses at Rasana
village on January 10. Her disfigured body was found on Jan.17.The police said
Khujaria, along with an underage boy, raped and murdered the 8-year-old after
holding her captive for a week."We have clinching evidence about his
(Deepak Khajuria's) involvement. There was motive and we have evidence as
well," said Alok Puri, the Additional DGP, Crime Branch Jammu and
Kashmir.The police say the accused has confessed to his crime after he was
confronted with evidence. The motive behind the crime was to spark fear among
the nomad community.Khujaria was part of a police team that had searched the
area after the nomad family filed a missing report at police station at Heera
Nagar. When members of the nomad community held a sit-in protest demanding
justice on January 21, the girl's family said, it was Khujaria who started
hitting them with batons. Several people were injured in the police action.ndtv
SBI Wrote Off Rs 200 Billion Worth of Bad
Loans in FY17
The country’s largest lender, the State Bank
of India, wrote off bad loans worth Rs 203.39 billion in 2016-17, the highest
among all the public sector banks. PSBs had a collective write off of Rs 816.83
billion for the financial year.The data pertains to the period when the
associate banks of SBI were not merged with it.PSB’s write-off stood at Rs
272.31 billion in 2012-13, Govt data
showed.The figure has jumped nearly three-fold in five years.In 2013-14, the
state-owned banks wrote off bad loans worth Rs 344.09 billion; Rs 490.18
billion in 2014-15; Rs 575.85 billion in 2015-16 and hitting Rs 816.83 billion
in the fiscal ended March 2017.Besides SBI, Punjab National Bank had a
write-off of Rs 92.05 billion in 2016-17, followed by Bank of India (Rs 73.46
billion), Canara Bank (Rs 55.45 billion) and Bank of Baroda (Rs 43.48
billion).In the current financial year, PSBs have written off loans worth Rs
536.25 billion in the six months to Sept.PTI
If Modi returns to power in 2019, there will
be President’s rule, says Hardik Patel
Kolkata;Taking a dig at PM Narendra Modi, Patidar leader Patidar leader
Hardik Patel on Saturday said there would be “President’s rule” if Modi comes
back to power after the 2019 general elections.He also called for a unity of
non-BJP parties to fight against the Modi Govt which was “trying to divide the country”.“If
Narendra Modi comes back to power after the next year’s Lok Sabha elections
there would be President’s rule. All non-BJP parties should unite to fight
against the Govt which has been trying
to divide the country,” he told Bengali news channel ABP Ananda.Patel also
criticised PM for his comments in
Parliament against the opposition.“I want to see someone as the PM of the country who will speak on education,
health, employment, agriculture and security or safety of the country but not
someone who spends 90 minutes criticising the opposition in the Parliament. I
do not want such a PM ,” he said.IANS
For second time in six months, Azam Khan and
son get death threats on phone
Bareilly: Rampur police registered an FIR
against unknown people on Saturday for threatening senior Samajwadi Party
leader Azam Khan and his older son Abdullah Azam (MLA from Swar constituency of
Rampur) on phone, senior officials said.“The FIR was registered in Ganj police
station following a complaint from Abdullah Azam regarding the incident,” said
superintendent of police, Rampur Vipin Tada. According to the police complaint
submitted by Abdullah Azam, he received over four calls from two unknown
numbers on Wednesday. “The caller used derogatory language and threatened to kill
me and my father Azam Khan,” reads the complaint. The first call came at around
1 am on Wednesday. The next call from a different number was made at 7 am. Both
the phone numbers are mentioned in the complaint.HT
OBC intellectuals and activists demand inclusion
of caste category in 2021 Census
New Delhi:A group of academicians and
activists from OBCs has demanded the inclusion of castes category in the next
national general census in 2021.The group, consisting of retired bureaucrat PS
Krishna and social activist Chandan Yadav, met at the Gandhi Peace Foundation
in Delhi on Friday to discuss the status of the OBC caste census.The members
demanded adding a column on caste in the census as had been the practice till
1931. Yadav said the recent Jat and Patidars’ agitations seeking reservation
had forced the BJP Govt to announce a
commission, headed by Justice G Rohini, for sub-categorization of OBCs in August
2017. “But the panel does not have any OBC member in it,” he said.HT
Rajnath Singh inaugurates 6th Hunar Haat,
platform for artisans from minority communities
New Delhi;Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on
Sunday inaugurated the sixth edition of “Hunar Haat” — a platform made
available by the Govt to the artisans
from the minority communities — and pitched for promoting their talent
nationally as well as internationally. “There is a need to recognise and
publicise the skills of these master artisans. A portal should be developed for
the Hunar Haat, so that this platform is publicised at the national and
international level,” a statement quoted him as saying at the event.Union
Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was also present at the event,
which is being held along the Baba Khadak Singh Marg here by his ministry.
Themed on “development with dignity”, the event was inaugurated yesterday. It
will go on till February 18. Singh said the handmade products were not only a
result of hand skills, but also of application of the heart and mind. “Every
region of our country is full of people who have such talent,” the home
minister said. He also paid a visit to the stalls put up by the artisans,
craftsmen and culinary experts, who have come from across the country to take
part in the event.PTI
WORLD
UN calls for immediate de-escalation in Syria
The UN chief has called "for an immediate
and unconditional de-escalation of violence" after Israel launched
intensive air raids on what it called Iranian bases in Syria, raising tensions
in the region."[A]ll concerned in Syria and the region have a responsibility
and must abide by international law and relevant Security Council
resolutions," Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Saturday."The
secretary-general is following closely the alarming military escalation
throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders," the UN
chief's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.The Israeli army on Saturday launched
"large-scale" attacks inside Syria after intercepting what it said
was an Iranian drone that entered occupied Golan Heights and the subsequent downing
of an Israeli fighter jet by Syrian air defence forces.The White House
expressed its support for Israel after the hostilities."Israel is a
staunch ally of the United States, and we support its right to defend itself
from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria," the
White House statement released late on Saturday read.aljazeera
Israel Carries Out "Large-Scale
Attack" In Syria After Israeli Jet Crashes Under Anti-Aircraft Fire
Israel carried out extensive airstrikes inside
Syria on Saturday, targeting what the Israeli military said were air defense
batteries and army bases as well as Iranian positions, in a day of dramatic
cross-border confrontations as the threat of a wider regional conflict
looms.The Israeli military said it launched the "large scale attack"
after one of its F-16 fighter jets crashed under Syrian antiaircraft fire.
Eight Israeli jets had been responding to an incursion by an Iranian drone
launched from Syrian territory by bombing a Syrian air base, Israel
said.Seeking to contain Iran and its proxies, Israel has regularly carried out
airstrikes inside Syria, though not on this scale.If a direct hit on the
Israeli aircraft is confirmed, it would be the first time an Israeli jet has
been brought down by enemy fire since 1982. The strikes that followed were
Israel's most significant bombardment inside Syria since the beginning of the
nearly seven-year civil war - hitting 12 military sites in the country - eight
Syrian and four that Israel said were Iranian.Washington Post
Israel warns over Iran's presence in Syria
after air strikes
Jerusalem:Israel issued stark warnings today
over Iran's presence in neighbouring Syria after a confrontation threatened to
open a new and unpredictable period in the country's seven-year civil war.Israel
carried out major air raids in Syria yesterday, including against what it
described as Iranian targets in the country -- the first time it had publicly
acknowledged doing so since the war began.The raids came after an Israeli F16
fighter jet was shot down by Syrian air defences. The pilots survived, but it
was Israel's first loss of a warplane in battle since 1982."We inflicted
on Saturday a heavy blow to Iranian and Syrian forces," PM Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of
today's cabinet meeting."We made clear to everyone that our rules of
engagement will not change in any way.AFP
Assad quietly aids YPG against Turkey
US-backed YPG in northern Syria says it has
reached agreements with the Russian and Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad
to allow reinforcements to be sent to Afrin, to sustain their war against
Turkey. YPG is regarded by Turkey as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade armed conflict in Turkey and is
regarded as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union.Kino Gabriel,
spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said to
Reuters news agency that YPG has reached an understanding with the Assad
regime."There are different ways to get reinforcements to Afrin, but the
fundamental route is via regime forces. There are understandings between the
two forces ... for the sake of delivering reinforcements to Afrin."Aljazeera
Fresh regime attacks kill 6 in Syria’s Eastern
Ghouta
EASTERN GHOUTA:Six civilians have been killed
in fresh regime airstrikes in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, according
to a local civil defense official on Sunday.The attacks targeted several towns
in the suburb, the official said on condition of anonymity due to security
concerns.Two children and a woman were among the victims, the sources
said.Anadolu Agency
71 killed as Russian passenger plane crashes
near Moscow
Moscow:A Russian passenger plane carrying 71
people crashed outside Moscow on Sunday after taking off from the capital's
Domodedovo airport, Russian media reported. The Antonov An-148 plane operated
by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and
crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow. Russian news
agencies reported 65 passengers and 6 crew were on board.News agencies said
witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky.
A source from Russia's emergency services told Interfax that the 71 people on
board "had no chance" of survival. AFP
Human rights icon Asma Jahangir passes away in
Lahore
ISLAMABAD: Renowned lawyer and human rights
activist Asma Jahangir passed away in Lahore on Sunday due to a cardiac
arrest.Jahangir, 66, was a human rights lawyer based in Pakistan and was
Pakistan’s first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar
Association of Pakistan. Family sources have confirmed that her last rites will
be performed in Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore at 2pm on February 13, as they await
the return of Jahangir’s daughter.tribune
Mahinda Rajapaksa heading for landslide
victory in Sri Lanka local poll
Former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s
SLPP is heading towards a landslide victory at the local Govt election garnering, 45 per cent of the
majority votes, media reports said. Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition yesterday
faced its first polls test with over 15 million eligible voters participating
in the election to appoint 340 of the island’s 341 local councils, according to
officials. According to the results, the Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) has
garnered 703,117 votes along with 909 seats whereas the United National Party
(UNP) has secured 469,986 votes with 459 seats, the Daily Mirror reported. The
SLPP is heading towards a landslide victory at the local Govt election garnering, 45 per cent of the
majority votes, it said. By morning, out of the 81 councils election results
declared, Rajapaksa’s SLPP had won 51 councils in an unexpected good show.Both
President Maithripala Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party
(UNP) are trounced. The UNP had bagged only 10 councils out of the 81 and was
in level terms with the north-based Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA)
who had also bagged 10 councils. The voter turn out in the poll was expected to
cross 65 per cent, election officials said. Rajapaksa’s good show indicates
that he may return to the big arena after being sidelined with his January 2015
loss to Sirisena in the presidential election. The two time president has been
voted back with overwhelming support of the Sinhala Buddhist majority who view
them as their hero for ending the 30 year separatist war of the LTTE. In a
statement, he thanked the voters and appealed for calm in celebrating the
victory.PTI
Saudi scholar: Women need not wear abaya robes
A senior religious scholar in Saudi Arabia has
said women should not have to wear the loose-fitting abaya robe to cover up
their bodies in public.Sheikh Abdullah al-Mutlaq, a member of the Council of
Senior Scholars - the highest religious body in the country - made the remark
in an interview with a local broadcaster on Friday."More than 90 percent
of pious Muslim women in the Muslim world do not wear abayas. So we should not
force people to wear abayas," he said.The call was received with mixed
reaction on social media.Translation: "Sheikh Abdullah al-Mutlaq must
appear on television to fully clarify his remark and take back this peculiar
fatwa (religious decree)."aljazeera
Egypt hits Sinai targets, killing 16 and
arresting dozens
Egypt’s military has destroyed dozens of
targets, killed 16 militants and detained over 30 suspects as part of its
latest operation against Islamic militants in the restive northern Sinai
Peninsula, the army said on Sunday.Army spokesman Col. Tamer el-Rifai said that
airstrikes hit vehicles, weapons caches, communications centres and illegal
opium fields in the sweep, which began on Friday and comes as a response to a
pickup in extremist violence in Egypt.“The air force targeted and destroyed 66
targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks,” for
shelter during raids by security forces, he said in a statement.AP
Myanmar Says Soldiers, Police Facing Action
Over Village Killings
Action will be taken against 10 members of
Myanmar's security forces in connection with the killing of captured Rohingya
Muslims in Rakhine state, a government spokesman said on Sunday, adding it was
not related to a Reuters report on the incident.Reuters on Friday published a
report laying out events that led up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men in the
northern Rakhine village of Inn Din who were buried in a mass grave after being
hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.A Myanmar
government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said that "action according to the
law" would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police
force and six villagers as part of an army investigation that was initiated
before the Reuters report was published.The arrests were "not because of
Reuters news. The investigation was being conducted even before Reuters
news," Zaw Htay said, adding that he was unable to specify what action
would be taken against the 16 people.Reuters
Senior Hamas delegation leaves Gaza for Cairo
A senior leadership delegation from Hamas left
the Gaza Strip on Friday to go to Cairo, spokesman Fawzi Barhoum has revealed
in a press release. The group was headed by former Palestinian PM Ismail Haniyeh, who was accompanied by other
members of the movement’s political bureau, Khalil Al-Hayya, Rawhi Mushtaha and
Fathi Hammad.Barhoum explained that the Hamas delegation is going to meet
Egyptian officials and hold discussions related to the situation in Gaza and
the Palestinian cause in general. “This visit comes as part of previous
arrangements within the framework of consultations with Egypt,” he pointed out.
“The talks are aimed at easing the life of Gaza’s residents and tackling the
crises in the besieged enclave, which is on the brink of collapse.”He added
that the visit is a follow-up to the implementation of the internal
reconciliation based on the deals reached in 2011 and 2017, which were brokered
by the Govt in Cairo. Also on the
agenda, said Barhoum, will be talks to protect the Palestinian cause in the
face of more illegal Israeli settlements and the US move on Jerusalem.According
to Quds Press, this is the second visit for Haniyeh to Cairo since he was
elected as the head of Hamas in May last year.middleeastmonitor
Iran celebrating 39 years since Islamic
Revolution
Iranians are celebrating their 39th Revolution
Day, marking the return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini from exile.The shah of
Iran was removed from power and the Islamic Republic of Iran was born.But many
Iranians talk about the Islamic Revolution as though it never ended.aljazeera
UK: Muslim schoolboy triggered terror alert
with water pistol, family allege Islamophobia
London: A 7-year-old Muslim schoolboy of
Pakistani-origin triggered a terror alert after he spoke about a new water
pistol at his school in northern England.His father, Mohammed Gulfraz, has
accused Wycliffe CE Primary School in Shipley of targeting his son because he
is “not white” and from a “Muslim family” when they sent West Yorkshire Police
officers to their home last year.“When the police showed up, my son was scared
they would take him away,” he told The Sunday Times.PTI
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
BJP Is Playing With Fire, It’s Decency of
Ordinary Indians That’s Saved Us So Far:MANOJ JOSHI
Across the aisle: For healthcare, Budget gifts
a jumla:P Chidambaram
A contempt petition pending for over 20 years
may cast a shadow on Supreme Court’s Ayodhya hearing:Ajaz Ashraf
Far from insulting the Karnis and their remote
‘ancestor’ Padmavati, Bhansali insults Muslims and extols the Rajputs:Meghnad
Desai
How Darul Umoor is turning madrassa graduates
into change agents of society:IANS
‘Aami’ is the safe and sanitised story of the
trailblazing Kamala Das:Archana Nathan
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:25 PM)
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