Evening NEWS
DIGEST
22 Feb.2018:05 Jamadiul-2 1439:Vol:9,
No:127
INDIA
Maulana Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF grew faster
than BJP: Army Chief
New Delhi :Underlining that the “population
dynamics” of the North-East region can no longer be changed, Army chief General
Bipin Rawat Wednesday referred to the “faster pace” of growth of Maulana
Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam.Speaking
at a seminar on ‘North East Region of India — Bridging Gaps and Securing
Borders’, organised by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies and Headquarters
Integrated Defence Staff of the Ministry of Defence, General Rawat said, “I
don’t think you can now change the population dynamics of this area. If it was
5 districts to 8 to 9… the inversion has taken place, whichever be the
government.”“There is a party called AIUDF, if you look at… they have grown in
a faster time-frame than BJP has grown over the years. When we talk of Jan
Sangh with two Members of Parliament and where they have reached, AIUDF is
moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam. Finally, what will be the state
of Assam, we will have to take a call,” he said.“I think we have to understand,
we got to appreciate to live with all the people we live in the region,
irrespective of their caste, creed, religion or sex. I think if we understand
that, we can live together happily but the best part is to amalgamate the kind
of people that are living there, than identifying the people trying to create
trouble for us,” he said.“We will have more trouble in segregating people,
identifying people. Yes, some people have to be identified who are creating
trouble for us, who are illegal immigrants. But as was brought out, the Muslim
population actually started coming into Assam from 1218 to 1226, that was the
first time that the Muslims actually entered Assam. We have to understand that
they are not late arrivers, they are the early arrivers, came concurrently with
the Ahoms. Both these people have claim to the state of Assam and, therefore,
to the North-East region.”“Migration from Bangladesh is due to two reasons. One
is they are running out of space. Large areas get flooded during the monsoon
and they have constricted area to stay. The other issue is planned immigration,
which is taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try
and ensure that this area is taken over. It is the proxy dimension of warfare,”
he said.“This proxy game is being played very well by our western neighbour,
supported also by our northern neighbour,” he said.indianexpress
Army chief says Pakistan, China playing proxy
war in India’s Northeast; political row erupts
New Delhi: The comments of Indian Army chief
General Bipin Rawat at a conference in Delhi on Wednesday has triggered a big
row. Speaking about India’s Northeast in a conference at DRDO Bhavan in Delhi,
General Rawat said that Pakistan, with the support of China, is playing a proxy
war in India’s Northeast and the influx of people in the region from Bangladesh
is “planned.” Army chief said that the “planned immigration” is taking place in
Northeast because of Pakistan. He also said
Islamabad will “always try and ensure that this area is taken over,
playing the proxy dimension of warfare,” according to PTI. While talking about
the influx of people from Bangladesh into the Northeast, Army chief said the
“proxy game” is being “very well” played by Pakistan, which is supported by China,
to keep India’s Northeast disturbed. Talking about the solution, the Army chief
called for “identifying the problem” and looking at it “holistically”. Rawat
said migration from Bangladesh was happening because of two reasons: First,
they are running out of space. Second, large areas get flooded during the
monsoon and they have constricted area to stay.financialexpress
Bangladesh influx part of Pakistan’s proxy war
with China aid: Army chief
Army chief says AIUDF has grown at faster pace
than BJP
Shocking that Army chief is indulging in
politics: Badruddin Ajmal
New
Delhi:Reacting to Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat’s comments on his party’s
growth, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said on Thursday that it was “shocking”
for an army chief to indulge in politics. The AIUDF leader also asserted that
his party’s growth was due to misconduct of the mainstream political parties.
AIUDF official account shared Ajmal’s post on Facebook which read, “General
Bipin Rawat has made a political statement, shocking! Why is it a concern for
the Army Chief that a political party, based on democratic and secular values,
is rising faster than BJP?” the post read. “Alternative parties like AIUDF, AAP
have grown because of the misgovernance of big parties. By making such statement,
isn’t the Chief of Army Staff indulging into politics which is against the
constitutional mandate given to him?”Rawat’s comments were met by strong
opposition by some, including AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who criticised
Rawat saying it was not his work to comment on the rise of a political party.
Owaisi also added that “democracy and Constitution” allow different political
parties to grow and “Army will always work under an Elected Civilian
leadership.”indianexpress
AIUDF head urges president to take note of
Army chief’s ‘political’ remarks on his party
Ajmal hits back at Army chief for ‘political
statement’
Congress urges army chief to stay out of
politics
BJP has not responded to Army Chief 's
statement so far, but the Congress requested Rawat to stay out of politics,
Times Now reported. "As the army chief, he should not be making political
statements. He should be working as a thorough professional,"Congress
leader M Veerappa Moily said. firstpost
Army chief shouldn't speak such political
comments: Congress leader Meem Afzal
Owaisi tells Army chief: Not your work to
comment on the rise of AIUDF
New Delhi;AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on
Thursday criticised General Bipin Rawat for talking about the rise of Maulana
Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF in Assam, saying the Army chief should not interfere
in political matters as it is not his work to comment on the rise of a
political party.In a tweet, Owaisi also reminded General Rawat that the Army
will always work under an elected civilian leadership in India. Meanwhile,
Aminul Islam, AIUDF MLA said that their party is working for the downtrodden
and that’s why AIUDF’s popularity is growing faster than BJP.“We are hopeful
that people of Assam irrespective of caste and creed, will accept AIUDF and our
party will come to power soon,” Islam told ANI.indianexpress
Bipin Rawat's statement on AIUDF's rise irks Ajmal,
AIMIM; Congress urges army chief to stay out of politics
Nothing political or religious in Gen Rawat's
AIDUF comment, Army says after chief triggers row
Soon after Army General Bipin Rawat started
getting criticised for making 'political' statements, the Indian Army sought to
downplay its chief's comments. There is nothing political or religious in the
talk."There is nothing political or religious in the talk.Army Chief just
mentioned amalgamation and development in the seminar on North-East organised
at DRDO Bhawan on 21 Feb 18," ANI quoted the Indian Army as saying today
morning.The event mentioned in Army's response was a seminar on 'North East
Region of India - Bridging Gaps and Securing Borders' that General Rawat
addressed.IndiaToday
'Nothing political or religious': Army
clarifies General's remarks on AIUDF's rise in Assam
Army has not submitted its version of events
to inquiry panel investigating JK's Shopian shooting: Report
Army has not submitted a report to the inquiry
panel that is investigating the deaths of 3 civilians at Ganowpora village in
J&K’s Shopian district on Jan.27, Rising Kashmir reported on
Thursday.Shopian Deputy Commissioner of Shopian Aijaz Assad, who is conducting
the magisterial inquiry into the incident, told the newspaper that he had
written to the sector headquarters of the Army concerned. However, they wrote
back asking him to seek the details from Army’s 10th Garhwal Rifles unit, which
was involved in the incident. Army unit, however, has not yet responded to his
letter.The main witnesses too have not yet appeared before him and the
administration is trying to persuade them to record their statements, Assad
said. “What would be the outcome of inquiry unless eyewitnesses give their
statements?” he asked. “They [witnesses] have said that they will decide on it.
We are waiting for them.”The official said that he had collected reports from
the areas near the village. “We have got some statements from the peripheral
areas of the incident site but not exactly from the place of incident, which is
required.”On Jan.27, the soldiers had objected to a black flag with Islamic
inscriptions perched across a lane in Ganowpara village. Their demand to remove
the flag, commonly associated with the Islamic State group, did not go down
well with the villagers, who took it as an infringement on their religious
beliefs. This triggered the clashes, with the protestors pelting the Army
convoy with stones. 3 men were killed after the Army opened fire.scroll
J&K Police charge protestors with sedition
for criticising BJP: The Tribune
Jammu and Kashmir Police have turned a Daily
Diary Report into a First Information Report and charged unidentified people with
sedition for criticising BJP, The Tribune reported on Wednesday.“We have
registered an FIR under Section 124/A of the RPC against unidentified persons
for shouting objectionable slogans during the cremation of Suresh Kumar
Choudhary,” Ramgarh Station House Officer Bansi Lal Sharma told the
newspaper.Choudhary died after being injured in shelling on January 19. His
cremation was held on February 5. Those who attended the cremation shouted
slogans against BJP, and accused the party of ignoring border residents.After
this, the police were reportedly pressurised to book victims of border shelling
for sedition, according to The Tribune. Unidentified policemen told the daily
that they were asked to specifically target former serviceman Choudhary’s family
who accused the BJP of using border residents as “cannon fodder to reap
political benefits”.scroll
Now, outburst against BJP invites sedition
charges
Fresh row during Trudeau’s visit: Convicted
Khalistani militant among dinner guests, invite later scrapped
New Delhi : In what is turning out to be a
massive public relations disaster for the visiting Prime Minister of Canada
Justin Trudeau, it has now emerged that a Canada-based Khalistani activist,
convicted in the attempted murder of a Punjab Minister in 1986 was invited to
two events organized for Trudeau, in Mumbai and in Delhi.As photographs of
Canadian PM’s wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and one of the Canadian ministers,
emerged which showed them with Jaspal Atwal, a known Khalistani activist, at a
reception in Mumbai, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday said
that they have rescinded the invitation to the reception in Delhi.Atwal was
convicted of attempted murder in 1987, after shooting Malkiat Singh Sidhu, who
at the time was visiting family on Vancouver Island. He is a former member of ISYF,a
pro-Khalistani outfit that was banned in Canada and designated a terrorist
organization in 2003. While Atwal was seen with Canadian official delegation,
questions about his presence in India remain unanswered — as to how he entered
India after having been convicted of trying to assassinate an Indian
politician.This latest incident stirred a fresh controversy on Trudeau’s
ongoing visit, which is being perceived to be cold-shouldered by the Indian
government. Trudeau’s Liberal party-ruled Canadian government has been
perceived to be kowtowing with the pro-Khalistan sections of the Sikh community
in Canada. New Delhi has been peeved with the Trudeau government’s
approach.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not accompanied Trudeau during the
Gujarat visit, whereas he had accompanied three visiting world leaders, Japan
PM Shinzo Abe, Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping
in the last three-and-half years. He has also not yet sent a welcome tweet for
the visiting Canadian PM’s visit, as has been customary in the past.While he
did not receive Trudeau at the airport, the Ministry of External Affairs has
maintained that such a departure from the protocol is done with a few
exceptions. In the last 3-and-half years, Modi has gone to the airport to
receive only about half-a-dozen times – Abe, Netanyahu, US President Barack
Obama, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and the UAE’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan. However, there have been more than 100 visits by leaders from
across the world.Trudeau’s ongoing visit, with his family, has been
photographed almost every step of the way, as they have travelled to Agra to
see the Taj Mahal, to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Amritsar and now in Delhi. However,
only junior ministers from Union govt have received him so far.While all this
has been seen as India’s indifferent approach to express its displeasure over
his party’s outreach towards pro-Khalistan elements in the Canadian Sikh
community – a sizeable vote bank, Trudeau – during his meeting with Punjab Chief
Minister Amarinder Singh is understood to have assured that Canada does not
support any separatist movement in India or elsewhere. Singh has been one of
the most vocal about the pro-Khalistan moorings of Trudeau’s govt.indianexpress
Invite to Khalistani militant to an event with
Justin Trudeau revoked after row
Canadian PM Trudeau visits Delhi’s Jama Masjid
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Delhi’s
Jama Masjid with his wife and three children on Thursday morning. Trudeau
arrived at around 9.45am and went around the complex accompanied by
authorities. He was present in the complex for about 20 minutes, during which
he posed for pictures with his family.Ever since the minister and his family arrived
in India, their colour coordinated outfits have been making news on social
media. But this time, during their trip to Jama Masjid, the Trudeaus decided to
keep it simple. The PM and his children dressed in formal cream-coloured
shirts. His wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, wore a bright-yellow maxi-dress
printed with orange flowers. She used a pale-yellow dupatta to cover her
head.Ahead of their visit, the streets leading to the Jama Masjid had been
cleared of traffic. The Trudeaus were ushered in through Gate number 3. Before
their arrival, the road leading to this gate had also been cleaned. Only
pedestrians were allowed.HT
Allahabad HC Dismisses Plea Seeking CBI Probe
Adityanath role in Gorakhpur Riots case
New Delhi: Allahabad High Court on Thursday
dismissed a petition demanding CBI investigation into UP chief minister Yogi
Adityanath’s alleged role in the 2007 riots in Gorakhpur, his then Lok Sabha
constituency.A division bench, headed by Justices Krishna Murari and AC Sharma,
delivered the verdict and declined to entertain the petition against the BJP
leader.This judicial victory for Yogi comes just days after the CM had got a
major reprieve from the Allahabad High Court, which dismissed a petition
seeking criminal charges against him in connection with the riots.Passing an
order on the revision petition filed by Rashid Khan, Justice BK Narayana
directed CJM Gorakhpur to decide the matter afresh. The verdict was earlier
reserved by the High Court on Dec.22, 2017.The petition, which stood dismissed,
was filed in 2008 by Mohammad Asad Hayat and Parvez. The Gorakhpur riots had
resulted in one person’s death and were blamed on Yogi’s alleged hate speech.
The then Gorakhpur MP was arrested and he remained in custody for 11 days.The petition
had demanded a probe against Yogi under sections 302, 307, 153A, 395 and 295 of
the IPC, which pertain to murder and rioting.The case was being investigated by
CB-CID of Uttar Pradesh Police and the hate speech recording tested positive
against a voice sample of Yogi in 2013. CB-CID, however, couldn't charge-sheet
the then MP since the Akhilesh Yadav-led government didn't sanction the
prosecution order.In the last affidavit, filed on February 17 last year, CB-CID
said it hadn't received permission from the UP government. An investigating
agency needs the government's approval to prosecute any person booked under
sections 153a and 295 of the IPC.The petitioners had raised apprehensions that
the CB-CID may not conduct an impartial inquiry. Passing an order on the
revision petition filed by Rashid Khan, Justice BK Narayana, however, directed
the CJM Gorakhpur to decide the matter afresh. The verdict was earlier reserved
by the High Court on December 22, 2017.news18
No Re-investigation Into CM Yogi Adityanath's
Alleged Role in 2007 Gorakhpur Riots Case: Allahabad HC
Sohrabuddin killing: Bombay HC says
prosecution case unclear, CBI not helping
Mumbai: Hearing petitions challenging the
discharge of some of the accused in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh alleged fake
encounter case of 2005, the Bombay High Court said on Wednesday that it was
still unclear about the prosecution’s case, pointing to lack of assistance on
the part of CBI.“What is the prosecution case about? No one has informed me
yet,” said Justice Revati Mohite Dere, adding that the CBI had argued only on
the limited points in the applications filed by it against the discharge of
Rajasthan police constable Dalpat Singh Rathod and Gujarat police officer N K
Amin.“It is the primary responsibility of a prosecuting agency to place all
evidence on record before the court. However, the CBI has argued only on the
role of the two officials whose discharge it has challenged,” said the
judge.The court has been hearing revision applications in these cases since
February 9. Of these, three applications have been filed by Sohrabuddin’s
brother Rubabuddin, challenging the discharge of former Gujarat DIG D G Vanzara
and IPS officers Dinesh MN and Rajkumar Pandiyan, along with two applications
filed by the CBI challenging the discharge of Rathod and Amin.While hearing
these applications last week, Justice Dere had said she was not getting the
assistance which she should be getting in the case. “I want a larger picture
placed before me, not just isolated statements,” she had said. She had also
questioned the protection being provided by the CBI to the witnesses in the
case.In the almost two weeks since the hearing began, she has been asking CBI
to place on record relevant documents related to the case.Asking the CBI to “at
least assist the court by giving all the 164 statements of witnesses”, the
judge said it was the duty of the “CBI to submit it before court.”“This is the
primary responsibility of the CBI. It is always for the prosecuting agency to
bring all information on record,” said Justice Dere on Wednesday, responding to
the lawyer of one of the accused, who said that Rubabuddin’s lawyer should have
provided relevant documents to the court.The court was hearing arguments
related to the discharge application of Rajkumar Pandiyan. Rubabuddin’s lawyer,
advocate Gautam Tiwari, pointed to statements to show that Pandiyan was accused
of “intimidating, threatening certain witnesses and getting them to give false
statements relating to Sohrabuddin and Prajapati”.Pandiyan is alleged to have
been a part of the Gujarat ATS team which drove from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad on
Nov. 20, 2005, and picked up Sohrabuddin.indianexpress
Sohrabuddin case: Bombay HC rebukes CBI for
not giving enough evidence against accused
Ishrat fake encounter case: CBI court rejects
SP Amin’s plea for inspecting probe records
Ahmedabad: The special CBI court rejected the
application of accused retired SP NK Amin seeking permission to inspect records
of previous investigations by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch and Gujarat High
Court-appointed SIT into the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.In his order, Special
Judge J K Pandya said “the case is at the stage of framing of charge, and at
this stage the accused can’t seek or view the investigation reports/statement
of witnesses, documentary evidence etc”. The order said that these documents
will be made accessible only after charges are framed.indianexpress
Can a court interfere when consenting adults
say they married, asks Supreme Court in Hadiya case
CJI Dipak Misra on Thursday asked whether the
court could interfere when two consenting adults say they married at will.
Misra made the statement while hearing the case of Hadiya, whose conversion
from Hinduism to Islam and marriage to a Muslim man set off a political and
legal maelstrom.“We cannot say this marriage is not in her best interest,” the
bench said, according to News18. “We cannot decide whether it is a right
choice. We cannot annul a marriage on the ground that the person she has
married is not the right person.”The SC questioned whether a High Court can
annul a marriage on the basis of a habeas corpus petition, Live Law
reported.Kerala HC’s order annulling Hadiya’s marriage to Jahan in May 2017 was
justified under Article 226, Advocate Shyam Divan, who appeared for Hadiya’s
father Ashokan said as there was material to prove that a “well-oiled
apparatus” was working to convert “vulnerable adults”. Divan also urged the SC
to hear what NIA has to say on its inquiry into the “huge trafficking case”,
Bar and Bench reported.Advocate Kapil Sibal, who is representing Hadiya’s
husband Shafin Jahan, dismissed the claim that Hadiya had said she wants to go
to Syria to rear sheep. It was Hadiya’s father Ashokan, upset with her for
converting to Islam and marrying Jahan, who told her that she would be
trafficked to terrorist countries, Sibal said.The court adjourned the case for
further hearing on March 8, ANI reported. Scroll
Hadiya case: SC again asks if Kerala court can
annul marriage between two consenting adults
Hadiya case: Courts cannot annul marriage
between two consenting adults, says Supreme Court
Uttar Pradesh in last 10 months: 921
encounters, 33 deaths and an NHRC notice to Yogi Adityanath govt
On Tuesday, history-sheeter Channu Sonkar
became, in Azamgarh, the 30th person killed by UP police in encounters in the
less than 10 months since March 20, 2017, when the current government took
over. The 30 were killed in 29 encounters while three policemen were killed in
separate encounters — out of 921 during that period.On November 22, the
National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the state government over
19 encounters in six months. Records accessed by The Indian Express show at
least 29 encounters so far in which wanted men were killed. In the
month-and-a-half since the notice, eight encounters — 3 in the new year — have
led to the death of eight wanted men and a constable. The government says it
has yet to receive the notice from the NHRC, which had given it six weeks to
reply. “We have so far not received any notice from NHRC in connection with the
deaths in police encounters,” principal secretary (home) Arvind Kumar said
Wednesday.indianexpress
Vipul Ambani was directly involved in the Rs
11,400-crore PNB scam, CBI tells court
CBI told a special court that Vipul Ambani,
the president (finance) of Firestar International, was aware of the fraudulent
Letters of Undertaking that were allegedly handed out by Punjab National Bank
officials on behalf of companies associated with billionaire jewellery designer
Nirav Modi.Firestar International is part of the jewellery empire of Modi, who
is also accused in the Rs 11,400-crore scam. The jeweller has been booked for
fraud and accused of cheating Punjab National Bank.The investigating agency
said that the applications for the Letters of Undertaking were made from
Ambani’s Mumbai office, hinting that he was “directly involved” in the scam,
reported Indian Express. CBI added that “there was deliberate act of omission
on his part by not protesting the issuance of fraudulent LoUs”.CBI raised these
points while seeking the custody of Ambani and five others – Kavita Mankikar,
the executive assistant to Nirav Modi; PNB General Manager (credit) Rajesh
Jindal, Firestar International executive Arjun Patil, Chief Finance Officer of
Nakshtra World Ltd Kapil Kandelwal and Nitin Shahi, the assistant finance
officer of Gitanjali Gems Ltd – who were arrested on Tuesday. The court sent
all six to police custody till March 5.In its remand application, the CBI said
Ambani “was fully aware of the fraudulent and illegal LoUs which were being
issued by Gokulnath Shetty, retired deputy manager of PNB, in conspiracy and
guidance of Nirav Modi and other employees”. Shetty was arrested on Feb.
17.While seeking Shahi’s custody, the CBI said he fabricated the applications
and thus actively participated in the conspiracy, reported PTI. Regarding
Khandelwal’s role, the agency said he was reporting to Modi’s uncle Mehul
Choksi who is also an accused in the scam. The agency said Khandelwal was privy
to all transactions. While seeking Jindal’s remand, the CBI said he had allowed
Shetty to continue issuing LoUs without following procedure and policy
guidelines of PNB and the Reserve Bank of India.Meanwhile, theED on Thursday
seized nine cars, including a Rolls Royce, two Mercedes Benz and a Porsche,
belonging to Nirav Modi and his companies, ANI reported. The agency also froze
his mutual funds and shares worth Rs 7.80 crore, while Rs 86.72 crore belonging
to Mehul Choski Group.scroll
BHU students object to play ‘glorifying’
Nathuram Godse, file complaint: indianexpress
Varanasi;A group of students from the Banaras
Hindu University (BHU) filed a police complaint objecting to a play on Nathuram
Godse, which was part of the cultural fest at the University, this week.In the
complaint, the students alleged that the performance based on the controversial
Marathi play I, Nathuram Godse Speaking, portrayed Mahatma Gandhi in “poor
light, held him responsible for Partition, and justified his
assassination”.“How did a programme, which hurts the country’s constitutional
values be allowed? This is indicative of a larger conspiracy. Sentenced to
death by the courts, terrorist Godse’s glorifying portrayal amounts to hurting
the unity and pride of India and this is nothing less than deshdroh. We demand
an inquiry into this.”In the complaint the students alleged that the play
glorified Nathuram Godse, who was sentenced to death for assassinating Gandhi,
and amounts to sedition.Sanjeev Mishra, Station House Officer, Lanka, said he
has “accepted” a complaint over the purported performance. The complaint was
lodged after a video clip of the play went viral on social media. “We are yet
to receive any videos of the programme. Once we receive them, we will enquire
into the incident. The complaints have also been forwarded to the BHU’s
proctorial board. We are investigating the matter, including some allegations
of the performance being based on banned literature,” Mishra said.Srinivas
Pandey, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Professor of Hindi, said, “I have to enquire
into the incident. I have not heard of it. That said, there is nothing wrong in
such portrayals. Everyone must be respected and loved, these are our
mahapurush. We must respect them.”indianexpress
Low funds, bad management, unhappy students
and faculty: Why problems of AMU Kishanganj have no end in sight
In December 2017, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin
Owaisi wrote a letter to Ministry of Human Resources, asking the Ministry to
release funds for Kishanganj, Murshidabad, and Malappuram centres. Owaisi’s
observations had merit: The Kishanganj centre has no allocated and specified
buildings and hostel rooms are being used to run classes. MHRD allocated a fund
of Rs 136.82 Crore for the Kishanganj centre in 2014 itself. Out of this
amount, Rs 104.23 Crore was marked for the development of capital assets in the
Kishanganj centre. Centre, however, only received the first instalment of the
same after allocation. No wonder, that the boundary wall of the campus
collapsed last year due to floods.But if the students, faculty and members of
the non-teaching staff are to be believed, the issue for the Kishanganj is far
greater than mere funding.In an open letter issued last week and addressed to
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Proctor and Dean of Students Welfare AMU, students and
other members of AMU Kishanganj have stated that the condition of the
institution “is deteriorating from bad to worse”.“The prime concern of this
letter is to bring out the arrogance and insanity that we are facing through
the hands of the guest lecturer Asadullah. The word ‘ruffian’ can be used to
provide enough light to the dictatorship that he portrays. Abusive languages in
academic departments, hostel, dining as well as outside the campus.Earlier, Dr
Jawed Ahmad, Guest Lecturer from Department of Education, a handicapped
teacher, was threatened. He was also abused in front of all students during the
examination of MBA 1st semester and we quote “Langde ki Maar ke doosri taang
bhi tod doonga” were the words used by Asadullah. He sends sexually graphic
contents and messages,” says the letter.TwoCircles
Stone pelting between two groups causes
communal tension in Mangaluru
Violence broke out on Tuesday evening after a
group belonging to the minority community in the Kasaba Bengre area got into an
argument with the BJP workers who were heading to Mangaluru after attending
party chief Amit Shahs fishermen convention in Malpe beach.Things escalated
when BJP supporters travelling in a bus started sloganeering while passing
through a Muslim dominated locality.The enraged men stopped the bus and an
argument ensued between both the groups. This led to stone pelting during which
four people including a few policemen were seriously injured.The first stone
pelting incident took place at around 10.30pm. The second began later in the
night at Thota Bengre.Window panes of a place of worship and a house were
damaged by bike borne miscreants.TR Suresh, Mangalore Police Commissioner said
that the police have managed to restore calm in the area and a case has been
registered in Panambur police station.indiatoday
India slips two ranks – 81 among 180 – in
Transparency International’s index on corruption in 2017
India has dropped two ranks in the Corruption
Perceptions Index 2017, which NGO Transparency International released on
Wednesday. From the 79th slot in 2016, India now stands at 81.Transparency
International ranks countries on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very
clean) based on their perceived levels of corruption in the public sector.
While India dropped two notches in the 2017 rankings, its score remained 40 –
Transparency International scored India 38 in 2015 and 36 in 2013.After ranking
180 countries and territories for the 2017 index, the NGO found that more than
two-thirds showed signs of high corruption, with a score of below 50. The
average score of 43 shows that India fared below average in the corruption
perceptions index.
Corruption perceptions index 2017 shows high
corruption burden in more than two-thirds of countries
Politicians not God, not above the law: Bombay
High Court on mangrove PIL
Mumbai:Observing that politicians were “not
God” and nor were they above the law, the Bombay High Court today directed the
Maharashtra police to book two local corporators for encroaching on mangroves.
A bench of Justices SC Dharamadhikari and Bharati Dangre directed the Mira raid
police station to book BJP’s Parshuram Mhatre and Shiv Sena’s Anita Patil, both
local corporators, within a week, for violations under the Environment
Protection Act.“Political leaders are not above the law. They are not God, or
someone who can claim a right to be in contravention of laws. Why is the
municipal corporation and the local police afraid of initiating action against
the offenders? You must be bold and must not fear anyone” the bench said.The
observations came while the bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation
filed by an activist, Bharat Mokal, through his lawyer DS Mhaiskar.According to
the plea, both Mhatre and Patil had cut mangroves and encroached on them while
constructing their residential bungalows and offices.PTI
First time in Nagaland: Religion becomes the
talking point during elections
Dimapur :Free and subsidised trips to
Jerusalem, appeals to not vote for those who want to ‘pierce the heart of Jesus
Christ’, alleged circulation of hate posters on religious lines, and speeches
laced with theological rhetoric. For the first time in Nagaland, a
predominantly Christian majority state, religion has emerged as major poll
plank for the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly elections. And the religious
pitch is getting shrill every passing day.The BJP’s Phek unit recently lodged
an FIR at Pfursero police station, under Phek district, against violation of
the election code of conduct. BJP Phek unit president alleged that “some
political party men have launched hate poster campaign” against the 17 A/C BJP
candidate Kevechutso Duolo. The party was referring to posters of Hindu
goddesses and Hindutva propaganda pasted on the gate of a local church and
other areas.RSS, considered the parent organisation of the BJP, has been
finding mention in the campaign speeches of non-BJP parties, barring BJP ally
NDPP. And references to the BJP as a communal party has become the highlight of
speeches, particularly in constituencies where the BJP has fielded its
candidates.indianexpress
WORLD
Nawaz Sharif cannot lead his political party,
rules Pakistan’s Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday
ruled that ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cannot rule the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz as he had been barred from holding any public office. It citied
articles 62 and 63 of the Pakistani Constitution, which state that a
disqualified individual cannot lead a party, Pakistan Today reported.The order
comes six months after the Supreme Court disqualified him as prime minister of
Pakistan after corruption charges surfaced against him and his family in the
Panama Papers case.“Election Commission is directed to remove the name of Nawaz
Sharif as president of PML-N from all official records,” Chief Justice Saqib
Nisar said, according to Reuters.The Supreme Court’s order overturns the
amendment the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz introduced in the law, which
allowed Sharif to continue heading the party despite being legally barred from
holding any public office. It also renders “null and void” all decisions Sharif
made as the party’s president since his disqualification, according to Pakistan
Today. scroll
Pakistan Supreme Court bans ex-PM Sharif as
party head
US calls UN must end 'barbaric' attacks in
Eastern Ghouta as 346 civilian deaths, 878 wounded , documented
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN,
called on the Security Council to pass a draft resolution calling for a 30-day
ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta, a besieged rebel enclave in Syria. "It’s time
to take immediate action in the hopes of saving the lives of the men, women,
and children who are under attack by the barbaric Assad regime," Haley
said in a statement on Wednesday. The US
diplomat called for the ceasefire to allow aid to be delivered to Ghouta. Top
UN officials also demanded an immediate cessation of aerial attacks on Syria's
devastated Eastern Ghouta with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling the
rebel-held enclave "hell on Earth".Syrian forces backed by Russian
warplanes continued to pound the Damascus suburb leaving at least 27 killed on
Wednesday, bringing the civilian death toll to more than 270 - including 60
children - over the past 3 days."My appeal to all those involved is for an
immediate suspension of all war activities in Eastern Ghouta," Guterres
told a UN Security Council meeting. "This is a human tragedy that is
unfolding in front of our eyes, and I don't think we can let things go on
happening in this horrendous way." UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad
al-Hussein called the air attacks and artillery fire a "monstrous campaign
of annihilation. "International humanitarian law was developed precisely
to stop this type of situation, where civilians are slaughtered in droves in
order to fulfill political or military objectives," he said in a
statement.UN has documented 346 civilian deaths with 878 wounded in Eastern
Ghouta since Feb.4, mostly from air attacks hitting residential areas, Zeid
said.The International Committee of the Red Cross called for restraint and
access to the wounded.aljazeera
Syria’s Ghouta residents ‘wait to die’ as more
bombs fall
World leaders abandoning human rights: Amnesty
World leaders are undermining human rights for
millions of people with regressive policies and hate-filled rhetoric, but their
actions have ignited global protest movements in response, a rights group said.
US President Donald Trump, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and China's President
Xi Jinping were among a number of politicians who rolled out regressive
policies in 2017, according to Amnesty International's annual human rights
report published on Thursday.The human rights body also mentioned the leaders
of Egypt, the Philippines and Venezuela."The spectres of hatred and fear
now loom large in world affairs, and we have few governments standing up for
human rights in these disturbing times," Salil Shetty, Amnesty's
secretary-general, said."Instead, leaders such as el-Sisi, Duterte,
Maduro, Putin, Trump and Xi are callously undermining the rights of
millions."Amnesty's The State of the World's Human Rights report cites
Trump's controversial travel ban prohibiting entrants to the US from 6
Muslim-majority countries, Venezuelan authorities' use of force against
demonstrators and unlawful killings in the Philippines' anti-drug war as
evidence of policies resulting in an international regression on human
rights.More than 20,000 people have been killed since June 2016 in Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign, according to an internal
report.Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN's human rights chief, has denounced
Venezuela's excessive use of force against anti-government protesters, stating
pro-government security forces and armed groups were responsible for dozens of
demonstrator deaths between April and July last year.aljazeera
Hate groups in US grow for third straight
year: SPLC
The number of hate groups operating in the
United States grew by four percent in 2017, according to the Southern Poverty
Law Center (SPLC), an Alabama-based monitoring group.The SPLC identified 954
hate groups in the US last year, an increase from the 917 it had documented in
2016, the group said in a report released on Wednesday.The number of hate
groups has risen 20 percent since 2014, the civil rights monitor noted in a
conference call with members of the press. According to SPLC, 2017 was the
third straight year to witness a rise in the number of hate groups. It was also
the first year since 2009 that hate groups were documented in all 50 states.aljazeera
Sikh man faces racial attack outside UK
Parliament, attacker shouted ‘Muslim go back’
Ludhiana :A prominent Sikh environmentalist
from India was allegedly attacked in UK with the attacker also attempting to
rip off his turban and shouting ‘Muslim, go back’. The incident took place outside the parliamentary
office of Slough MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi at Westminster, the high-security
area in central London of the UK where UK Parliament and other government
offices are located.Ravneet Singh, South Asia project manager of EcoSikh, who
hails from Ludhiana in Punjab, told The Indian Express over phone that he was
waiting outside MP’s office when a man came running towards him and began
shaking his turban with both hands. He also attacked him on his neck. Before
running away, he shouted, ‘Muslim, go back.’ EcoSikh is an organisation based
in the United States working on environmental related issues in many countries
including India.indianexpress
Senator: Rodrigo Duterte's drug war has killed
20,000
An opposition senator in the Philippines said
the death toll in the government's war on drugs has now surpassed 20,000 since President
Rodrigo Duterte came to office in 2016.
In a speech before the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Antonio Trillanes
said the Duterte administration's own report shows 3,967 "drug
personalities" have been killed after allegedly resisting arrest during
police operations between July 1, 2016 and November 27, 2017.Another 16,355
homicide cases - from July 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017 - have been classified
as "under investigation".aljazeera
Ahmadinejad calls for ‘free’ elections in Iran
in letter to Supreme Leader
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
whose 2009 re-election prompted mass unrest over alleged vote rigging, has
called for “free” presidential and parliamentary elections in an open letter to
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters reports.Khamenei backed
Ahmadinejad after his return to power kicked off protests in which dozens of
people were killed and hundreds arrested, rattling the ruling theocracy, before
security forces led by the elite Revolutionary Guards stamped out the unrest.
But a rift developed between the two in 2011 when Khamenei, who has the
ultimate say over all policy in the Islamic Republic, reversed Ahmadinejad’s
dismissal of the minister of intelligence and suggested he had overstepped his
authority.Ahmadinejad, a brash, populist hardliner while in office, could not
run in the 2013 election as he had served the maximum two consecutive terms. He
was succeeded by pragmatist Hassan Rouhani, who won election by landslide then
and again last year.While Rouhani has called for a liberalisation of the
economy and society and on the Revolutionary Guards not to interfere in
elections, he has stopped short of explicitly advocating checks on the Supreme
Leader’s powers – something Ahmadinejad addressed in the letter to Khamenei
published on his website.middleeastmonitor
Israel demolishes Arab village of Al-Araqeeb
for 125th time
Israeli occupation authorities yesterday
demolished the Arab village of Al-Araqeeb in the Negevfor the 125th time in
seven years, Quds Press reported.Activist Aziz Al-Tawari said: “The Israeli
occupation forces destroyed Al-Araqeeb Village for the 125th time since June 27
2010, under the pretext of being built on a state land.”“All houses in the
village, which is not recognised by Israeli occupation authorities, were
destroyed.”“ Israeli occupation is trying to eradicate the identity of the
village by faking history,” referring to the Israel’s claims that the village
was built after 1948 when the state was formed.“We have original documents
prove that the village was built before the creation of the occupation state,”
Al-Tawari said, reiterating that there are documents from the Othman rulers and
the government of the British Mandate.middleeastmonitor
Bahrain bans members of dissolved parties from
running in elections
Bahrain has amended its law to prevent members
and leaders of dissolved political parties from running in parliamentary
elections, Al-Watan News reported yesterday.“The parliament has to prevent
everyone who intends to harm or obstruct the constitutional or parliamentary
work by leaving his post or as a result of being ousted over the aforementioned
reasons from running for elections,” parliamentarians agreed. MPs, who
supported this amendment, claimed that this keeps up with the democratic
process and protects the flow of political work, stressing that it was not
aimed against anyone or any certain side.middleeastmonitor
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Allegations by SC judges raise serious doubts
about the independence of the judiciary: Anjali Bhardwaj , Prashant Bhushan
Analysis Final Days of Benjamin Netanyahu's
Rule:Aluf Benn
Did Canada’s obstruction of meet between
radical Sikh groups and Ram Madhav in 2016 sour ties with India? HT
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