Evening NEWS
DIGEST
22 March 2018:03 Rajjab 1439:Vol:9, No:148
INDIA
Yogi Adityanath govt to withdraw 131 cases
linked to 2013 Muzaffarnagar, Shamli riots; Opposition criticises move
In what is likely to emerge as another
controversial move that could further the communal divide, BJP government of
Yogi Adityanath in UP has reportedly started the process of withdrawing 131
cases linked to the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.While BJP
has maintained it is withdrawing only the false cases linked to the Sept.2013
riots, in which at least 62 people had died and thousands lost their homes,
Opposition parties have termed it an attempt to offer 'amnesty' to
rioters.Congress leader Kapil Sibal to Twitter to vent out his frustration over
the move, saying that the decision gives the message that the "state will
protect murderers and not victims of violence".A report in the the Indian
Express claimed to have examined documents, which show that a large portion of
the 131 cases which are being withdrawn "include charges under IPC
sections related to 'heinous' crimes with a minimum punishment of seven years
in jail".Of them, 13 involve murder under Section 302, 11 involve an
attempt to murder under Section 307, 85 involve mischief by fire or explosive
substances under Section 436, 55 have charges of dacoity under Section 395 and
two of kidnapping Under Section 364 of IPC.Besides, the report also claimed
that there are "16 cases under Section 153A on charges of promoting enmity
on religious grounds, and two under Section 295A for deliberate and malicious
acts intended to insult a religion or religious beliefs".firstpost
Yogi government initiates process on
withdrawal of 131 riots cases
Discussion on Israel-Palestine will be about
one-state solution in future: UAE minister
New Delhi:If the two-state solution on Israel
and Palestine is no longer attainable in the coming years, the discussion will
move to "one-state solution" in future with more focus on democratic
rights, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said.He was delivering
a lecture on Strategic Relations between India and UAE and the Crisis in the
Middle East organised by the Observer Research Foundation here
yesterday."The next 3-4 years...if the two-state solution will no longer
be attainable, (then) the discussion will be about one-state solution and about
democratic rights."I know that discussion is currently taking place but
that is marginalised. If we wait for few more years, that (discussion) will be
in the centre stage," he said.Gargash said the Israeli occupation also gave
an opportunity for Iran and Turkey to "whip up emotions".He also
expressed apprehension on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) i.e.,
the nuclear deal between Iran on one side and China, the US, the UK, France,
Germany and the European Union, on the other hand.The UAE minister said Irans
ballistic missile programme was a "major concern" in West Asia,
adding that Tehran was trying to become a hegemon in the region.He also hit out
at Qatar, accusing the Gulf nation of being a source of radical Islam.PTI
Mushawarat condemns centre’s retraction of
Jamia Minority status
New Delhi: All India Muslim
Majlis-e-Mushawarat, the apex body of Indian Muslims & Confederation of 18
prominent Muslim Organisations, has condemned the attempts being made to
compromise the minority status of Jamia Millia Islamia after the Centre filed
an affidavit in the Delhi High Court opposing the order of the National
Commission for Minority Educational Institutions that had declared Jamia Millia
Islamia a religious minority institution.“Such attempts not only totally negate
but also exposed the hollowness of the avowed slogan of the Government led by
PM Narendra Modi that there should be ‘sab ka saath sab ka vikas’,” said Navaid
Hamid, President, AIMMM.“What is more surprising, as is evident from the order
dated 13.3.2018, that NO COUNSEL advocate appeared for and on behalf of the
Jamia Millia Islamia to espouse the cause of its minority status resulting an
adverse order being so passed. Such negligence, whether motivated or
coincidental, is seriously culpable that an issue of paramount importance
relating to a Muslim minority institution was dealt with so casually,” he
added.AIMMM has demanded an immediate explanation as to how the failure
occurred on the part of the Jamia Millia Islamia officials including its Vice
Chancellor and the registrar in failing to appear and pursue the matter.“It is
a known fact that the vice chancellor of the Jamia is to retire within a period
of one year, and he may be exploiting such opportunities to please the ruling
party in power to secure future plump postings at the expense of the future of
the Muslim community,” AIMMM said. Apprehending that the cause of Jamia Millia
Islamia may be unceremoniously compromised by vested elements, AIMMM has
decided to intervene in the matter for the larger good of the education of
Muslims and also for safeguarding the minority character of Jamia.TCN
Help 18 lakh Karnataka Muslims missing from
voters list!
With Karnataka state elections around the
corner, all eyes are focussed on whether Congress will retain power or if BJP
will take over the reins in another state before the 2019 elections. However,
amidst all the focus on parties and political campaigns, one issue that has got
mostly side-lined is the issue of missing voters: people who are eligible to
vote but find their names missing from the electoral list. This is where the
Center for Research and Debates in Development Policy (CRDDP, New Delhi) is
trying to step in by ensuring that over Muslims whose names are missing from
the voter list are able to enrol as soon as possible.CRDDP has developed an
Android App and a website, which provides details of the exact home in a
specified assembly-constituency with the missing voter’s ID.Speaking with
TwoCircles.net, Syed Khalid, COO, CRDDP, says, “We have completed data analysis
for three assembly constituencies namely, Shivaji Nagar (Bengaluru), Hubli East
and Kolar and found about 18,800 Muslim households in Shivaji Nagar
constituency.” Khalid said that CRDDP has estimated that about 13-18 lakh
Muslims have their names missing from the list in the state.Talking about the
methodology behind the project, Khalid explained, “CRDDP in Shivaji Nagar
constituency identified a total 18,453 Muslim households. Census 2011 data
(Household series–HH-01) suggests that only 4.3% of households have a household
size of one voter. But our data extracts from Election Commission Electoral
Rolls found that 8,795 households have only one registered voter, which was
almost 43% of all registered Muslim voters. So, Khalid says, about four months
ago, CRDDP started working on it full time. “With the help of volunteers and a
bare minimum support staff, we are trying to ensure that we reach all
households which have more than one voter and get them registered. This is their
fundamental right,” Khalid adds.Khalid says that one of the major
misconceptions is that once the electoral roll is out, one cannot register as a
voter. “The truth is that till the last date of nomination, voters can register
themselves. Ideally, what we are doing should have been done by the government,
but regardless, we are trying to help everyone avail their fundamental right,”
he adds.The way the system works is that each volunteer will be given access to
Android App where s/he can take responsibility for servicing 10-20 households
in their region. Volunteers during their visits update the contact numbers of
the new applicants for the voter ID through App. CRDDP support team is
available on call for real-time support and clarifications. Interested volunteers,
please register. This service from CRDDP is free to the registered volunteers.
“As on March 18, the app had been downloaded over 7,000 times while there are
currently 5,000 people helping CRDDP identify people whose names are missing
from the list,”Khalid says.TCN
Tipu Sultan a 'symbol of communal harmony': Congress
President Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka
New Delhi:Congress President Rahul Gandhi on
Wednesday said that Tipu Sultan is a symbol of communal harmony. Visiting the
Sringeri Sharadamba Peeth, Gandhi said that he was impressed when informed that
Tipu had helped the mutt during its hour of crisis. Dressed in a traditional
attire of dhoti and shalya, Rahul Gandhi had asked the mutt authorities about
Tipu Sultan's connection with establishment. Karnataka Pradesh Congress
Committee spokesperson K Diwakar informed Gandhi that Tipu Sultan had written a
letter to the then seer of the mutt and that donations were made by the ruler
during a crisis. “I told him about a letter Tipu had written to the then seer
of the mutt and the donations the ruler had made. Rahul was impressed by this
historical event and lauded Karnataka for being an example of the communal
harmony,” Diwakar was quoted as saying by TOI. timesnownews
Govt created Cambridge Analytica-Cong link to
divert attention from 39 Indians'death issue: Rahul
New Delhi;A day after BJP accused the Congress
of having links with the now disgraced data analytics firm, Cambridge
Analytica, Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of
'inventing' a story to divert the media's attention from the issue of how it
handled the death of 39 Indians abducted by the ISIS four years ago.Taking to
Twitter, Mr Gandhi said, “Problem: 39 Indians dead; Govt on the mat, caught
lying. Solution: Invent story on Congress & Data Theft. Result: Media
networks bite bait; 39 Indians vanish from radar. Problem solved.”On Wednesday,
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's press conference in the Parliament House
triggered a war of words between the Congress and the BJP. Thehindu
Another Day Of No Work In Lok Sabha; Trust
Vote Notice Not Taken Up
The proceedings of Lok Sabha became a casualty
of noisy protests by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Telangana
Rashtra Samithi members yet again today as the House was adjourned for the day
without transacting any business.The two notices of a no-confidence motion
against the council of ministers were not taken up for the fourth day as Speaker
Sumitra Mahajan said she could not proceed forward unless the House was in
order.The Question Hour was washed out in the morning due to protests by AIADMK
and TRS members over Cauvery and quota issues respectively. As soon as the
House met again, the ministers laid the listed papers even as the protests
resumed.PTI
39 Indians in Mosul shot dead over a year ago:
Iraqi official
39 Indian workers who were killed after being
kidnapped in 2014 by the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq’s Mosul were shot dead,
most of them in the head, forensic tests have confirmed.Iraq’s Department of
Forensic Medicine under its Ministry of Health conducted the tests (and the DNA
tests) on the bodies that had been exhumed by Martyrs Foundation from a mound
in Badush, near Mosul. Dr Zaid Ali Abbas, head of the department, said over the
phone from Baghdad that “most of the bodies had gunshot wounds on the
head”.“When the remains came to us, they were just skeletons, only bones. They
had no muscle or tissue. Forensically, I can confirm that they definitely died
over a year ago,’’ Abbas said.HT
World can learn from ‘frenemies’ India, China:
Akbaruddin
Washington;India and China are “frenemies”
which are working with each other despite disagreements and the world can learn
from their relationship, India’s top diplomat at UN has said.“In Hollywood
there is a term, which has become quite popular. And that, I think, is called
frenemies. That’s what we have with China. We engaged with them, we compete
with them. In some areas we work with them together and in some areas we agree
to disagree and move on,” India’s Permanent Representative to UN,Syed
Akbaruddin, said. Responding to a question after delivering a Lecture at
Georgetown University, Indian diplomat said India has engaged with China on its
development initiatives like Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) but
opposed it on its Belt and Road initiative. “Belt and Road Initiative, to me,
is not a normal multilateral or plurilateral approach…We are not party to
that,” he said at the event organised by the Georgetown India Initiative.PTI
Diplomat harassment row: Pakistan envoy Sohail
Mahmood set to return to India
Pakistan envoy Sohail Mahmood is set to return
to India — over a week after he was recalled to Islamabad amid escalating
tensions between the two countries over alleged incidents of harassment of
Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi. Mahmood is expected to host the ‘Pakistan
National Day’ function at the High Commission in Delhi tomorrow.At the time
when Mahmood was summoned back, the Pakistani media had quoted officials of the
foreign ministry as saying, “Indian secret agencies must stop harassing
Pakistani diplomatic staff and their families” and that Mahmood “will not
return to India anytime soon”.indianexpress
Kupwara encounter: All 5 militants killed were
foreigners, search on for missing jawan, say police
New Delhi:All the 5 militants, who were killed
in the 48-hour long encounter in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, were
foreigners and part of a group that had recently infiltrated the LoC, police
said on Thursday.“5 militants who were killed are all foreigners. The evidence
we have recovered from the scene suggest that they were from Laskar-e-Taiba,” IGP
SP Pani said.Five security personnel were killed and four others were injured
in the encounter which broke out in Halmatpora area, at least 8 kms from the
LoC, on Tuesday. A search operation is underway to trace an Army Jawan who
reportedly went missing on Wednesday.A joint team of the Kupwara police along
with companies of the Army, Territorial Army (TA) and CRPF were engaged in the
two-day operation. In the encounter, two policemen Deepak Thusoo and SPO Mohd
Yousuf, 3 Army personnel Sepoy Ashraf Rather of 160 TA, Zoravar Singh of 160 TA
and Naik Ranjeet Khalkho of 5, Bihar, lost their lives, a police spokesman
said.indianexpress
2 years after pellets left her blinded,
Kashmir teenager Insha Mushtaq back in school
Srinagar: Insha Mushtaq, a teenage girl who
was left blind after being shot at with pellets during the 2016 unrest in Jammu
and Kashmir, on Wednesday resumed her education and took admission to
Srinagar’s Delhi Public School. 17-year-old passed her Class X examination in
January this year. She had written her exams in November 2017 at Mohammadiya
Institution, a privately-run school in Shopian, her hometown.“I got hit by
pellets in 2016…(and could not) continue my education for two years. Today I
got admission to Class XI and I am going to school…I am very happy,” an excited
Insha said, as she boarded the school bus wearing the school uniform. “I am so
happy that I am getting chance again to be in school among students,” she said
while thanking all those who prayed for her recovery.Director of Centre for
Peace and Justice, Nadir Ali, said while many people had come forward to help
Insha, their aim was to rehabilitate her. Insha’s father, Mushtaq Ahmad, told
The Indian Express that an NGO, Centre for Peace and Justice, had helped his
daughter to get admission to the school.“When, in the morning, my daughter put
her (school) uniform again, all of us in the family couldn’t control our
emotions,” he said, adding that Insha along with her mother (Afrooza) will be
staying at Rajbagh in Srinagar to pursue her studies.“My daughter always wanted
to pursue higher education but when doctors told her she could not see, we had
lost all hope,” Ahmad said.indianexpress
J&K BJP contradicts Centre, claims IS
presence in Valley
Jammu:Condemning the killing of 39 Indians by
Islamic State in Iraq, J&K unit of BJP said the emergence of the terror
group in Kashmir needs to be curbed with iron hand.BJP's state spokesperson
Anil Gupta said the disclosure that a youth from Telangana who was recently
killed in an encounter had come to Kashmir as an ISIS fighter should act as an
eye-opener for those who refuse to acknowledge the presence of ISIS in
Kashmir.On Feb.27, shortly after it was revealed that MD Toufeeq was an IS
operative, the Centre sought to downplay the issue of the presence of the dreaded
terror group in J&K, saying it had no existence in the Valley."There
is no physical infrastructure or manpower of IS in the Valley. It does not
exist in the Valley,"a Home Ministry spokesperson had said while reacting
to a statement of the terror group claiming responsibility for the killing of a
policeman in the Valley.Gupta said that terror groups Al-Qaeda and ISIS have
agreed to bury their differences and unite with "Universal Jihad" as
their common goal."Kashmir has been selected as launch pad for
'Ghazwa-e-Hind', a prophesied battle in which Muslim armies would invade Indian
subcontinent and would be victorious and will establish Islamic law in the
subcontinent," he said.PTI
Petition before Supreme Court: ‘Devoted
Christian’ seeks exemption from Aadhaar
New Delhi:Claiming that Aadhaar impinges on
his religious beliefs and was against the tenets of the Bible, a Christian man
on Tuesday has sought exemption from applying for the 12-digit biometric ID
from the Supreme Court.In his petition, before a five-judge Constitution bench
hearing the Constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act, petitioner John Abraham
said: “It is clear that it is impossible for a person to go about their
everyday lives without having an Aadhaar (number). Further, it is a biometric
ID, with finger print and iris scan data…This is similar to the warning issued
in the Book of Revelation. Various interpretations of the book note that the
‘beast’ is symbolic of modern day political power. The Book, at Chapter 14,
warns that anyone who receives such a number will face dire consequences.”The
petitioner, however, maintained that he was not speaking for all
Christians.Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde told the
bench that his client and his family were “devoted Christians” and were seeking
exemption from Aadhaar enrolment “on the ground of their being ‘conscientious
objectors’ to the same.”In response, the bench asked if “a person (could)
refuse to opt for the Income Tax saying that his conscience does not allow
it?”CJI pointed that Article 25 of Constitution that elaborates on the freedom
of conscience “stands independent of individual conscience.” Indianexpress
Aadhaar Card Should Not Be Mandatory For
Withdrawing Pension:Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the
mandatory use of Aadhaar card for drawing pension by retired government
employees, reported IANS. Aadhaar is a 12-digit personal identification number
issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)- as mentioned on
the official website of UIDAI- uidai.gov.in. Supreme Court said that pension is
not a subsidy but an entitlement of a person for years of service he/she has
rendered to the government in discharge of official duties, IANS further
reported. A five judge constitution bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice
Sikri, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Ashok
Bhushan is hearing the batch of petitions challenging the constitutional
validity of Aadhaar Act on the touchstone of the fundamental right to
privacy.Pension is an entitlement and not a benefit under social schemes. How
is it included under section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016? Many pensioners live
with children settled abroad. Can such category of pensioners be told that
would not be granted pension unless they have aadhaar card?, Justice AK Sikri
asked. ndtv
Aadhaar: Political liberties cannot be
foregone for economic and social justice, states the Bench
Despite SC ruling, Aadhaar still necessary for
filing I-T returns
All CCTV cameras switched off during
Jayalalithaa hospitalization:Apollo chairman Prathap Reddy
Chennai: All CCTV cameras in Apollo Hospitals
were turned off during the 75-day hospitalisation of former Tamil Nadu CM J
Jayalalithaa before her death on Dec. 5, 2016 as she was the only patient
occupying 24-bed intensive care unit, hospital chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy said
on Thursday.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a press conference of the
Apollo International Colorectal Symposium 2018 here, Reddy said that the
hospital had submitted all relevant documents to the Justice A Arumughaswamy
Commission of inquiry probing Jayalalithaa's death. Jayalalithaa was admitted
to the hospital on September 22, 2016. She suffered a cardiac arrest on
December 4 and was declared dead the following day.timesofindia
SC/ST Act: Will seek review of Supreme Court
decision, says original complainant
Mumbai:Bhaskar Gaikwad, who still works as a
store-keeper in the department of technical education and is currently posted
at the Pune Engineering College, on Tuesday said that the fight was not over
while referring to a Supreme Court’s judgment protecting public servants and
private employees from arbitrary arrests under the SC/ST (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act.“A review of the Supreme Court’s decision will have to be
sought…Karaylach laagel (I will have to do it). The rights of the poor have to
be protected,” he said. His lawyer, Balasaheb Deshmukh, confirmed they would
soon file a review petition in the apex court.indianexpress
SC/ST Act: BJP’s Dalit MPs want government to
file review petition against SC order
New Delhi:Upset over the Supreme Court’s
decision to dilute stringent provisions under the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the ruling BJP’s Dalit MPs are
learnt to have met Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar
Chand Gehlot on Wednesday and asked him to take up the matter with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.According to sources, the MPs, including a minister,
asked the government to file a review plea in court.Alleging an increase in
atrocities against Dalits under BJP-led government, the Congress also demanded
a review plea or an amendment in the Act. “There is serious concern over
yesterday’s decision of the Supreme Court… There is a feeling of insecurity
among SCs, STs and other oppressed classes. We feel there should be a review of
this decision, in national interest,” said senior Congress leader Anand
Sharma.“People are falsely implicated in murder or dacoity cases too. Why is
the demand to save people from being falsely implicated always only in cases of
Atrocities Act. Why is there an attempt to further silence the already
oppressed,” said Congress MP P L Punia, former chairperson of the National
Commission for Scheduled Castes.indianexpress
After many reconverted in ‘ghar wapasi’,
Christians allege boycott
Nowshera: Since the death of a woman who was
allegedly forcibly converted to Christianity triggered violence here in
January, nearly 45 Christian families of this village and neighbouring ones in
Rajouri district of Jammu have converted to Hinduism — in a process that local
BJP MLA Ravinder Raina calls “ghar wapasi”.4 Christian families in Sehyal that
refused to convert, and are now being guarded by a police post and 17
personnel, have alleged social boycott — with their shops being targeted and
their children reportedly unable to give exams or to report to work, for fear
of being attacked.Denying there is any boycott, Raina blames those “converting
poor people through force and deceit”. “I had arranged a meeting and now all
the villagers are living together amicably. Ab sab theek hai… Sab log ghar
wapas aa gaye hain (Everything is okay now… All those who converted have
returned ‘home’),” he says.Additional Superintendent of Police, Nowshera,
Master Popsy too denies any member of the minority community at Sehyal is
facing any ostracisation. “We have deployed police force to ensure law and
order,” he adds.However, Priya, 18, and her elder brother Kala Ram say they are
scared to leave home. The government higher secondary school where Priya
studies is located at Bajabain, 8 km away. “How I can travel such a long
distance daily to attend classes, especially when almost all the people in the
area are hostile to us?” Priya says. “I did not even collect my roll number
slip from school to appear in the Class 12 exams.”indianexpress
CBI FIR against Kanishk Gold for Rs 824-crore
‘fraud’
In yet another bank fraud, a Chennai-based
jeweller Kanishk Gold Pvt Ltd (KGPL) has now been accused of defrauding a
consortium of 14 banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) to the tune of Rs
824.15 crore in the form of loans that have now been declared as non-performing
asset (NPA).CBI on Wednesday lodged a case against the jeweller and searched
the official and residential premises of the promoters of Kanishk Gold Pvt Ltd
on a complaint filed by the SBI.In its complaint, the SBI accused Kanishk Gold
Pvt Ltd and its directors of diverting the funds detrimental to the rights and
interests of the bank. It requested the probe agency to register a case against
Kanishk Gold Pvt Ltd, its promoter-director Bhoopesh Kumar Jain and
others.indianexpress
Clean chit to Lalu’s son Tej Pratap in
journalist murder case, SC closes proceedings
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Thursday closed
proceedings against Tej Pratap, son of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, in the
murder case of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan. The SC
disposed of the petition filed by Ranjan’s wife Asha Ranjan after
considering CBI statement that it did not find any material against the former
Bihar health minister in connection with the case.The apex court had asked the
CBI to investigate allegations relating to media reports featuring photographs
and videos that showed Pratap along with 2 absconding accused, Mohd Kaif and
Javed, who are presently in judicial custody in the murder case.indianexpress
AMU to host Muslim clerics’ meet for
introducing science as madrassa subject
AGRA: In order to prepare madrassa students
for higher studies in technical and medical education by including science as a
subject in their curriculum, Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU's) bridge course
organisers have planned a conference, ‘Science Education: Its Significance in
Deeni Madrassa’, for over 200 clerics.The aim of the conference is to convince
the clerics about the importance of imparting modern education, including
science, in madrassas.Talking to TOI, director of bridge course in AMU, Rashid
Shaz said, “Students can only opt for medical and other technical subject for
higher education if their foundation is strong and the madrassas are not equipped
for it, as of now. Science is still not taught in madrassas of Deoband, Nadwa
and other big seminaries.”TOI
Defunct Wakf Tribunal: SC Asks Uttarakhand
Chief Secretary to Explain 'Inaction'
Supreme Court has expressed its strong displeasure
at the defunct Wakf Tribunal in Uttarakhand, and sought an explanation from the
state chief secretary.A bench led by Justice Kurian Joseph was dismayed by the
fact that the Tribunal has been rendered defunct due to non-appointment of its
third member for more than four years.Issuing a notice to the Uttarakhand
government, the bench sought to know the reason for the inordinate delay in
appointing the third member.According to the Court, the entire administration
of justice was suffering in the state because matters relating to Wakf
properties were being taken by litigants directly to the High Court due to the
defunct Tribunal."We find that the Wakf Tribunal is not functioning in the
state because the state has not appointed the third member to the Tribunal.
Therefore, all the matters have been taken straight to the HC. We are informed
that this appointment is awaited since the last four years," noted Court
in its order.The bench reproached the "inaction" on the part of the
authorities concerned in appointing member in Tribunal, and made Chief
Secretary directly answerable.news18
Delhi Waqf tribunal re-constituted to look
into disputes: HC told
New Delhi :A tribunal to prosecute all
disputes in respect of waqf property and waqf issues has been reconstituted,
the AAP government told the Delhi High Court .The submission was made before a
bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar, which was
hearing a plea seeking setting up of a tribunal to hear waqf matters.The
petition filed by advocate Shahid Ali has also sought a direction to enforce
eviction orders which have already been passed and awaiting enforcement for
several years regarding 990 waqf properties illegally encroached upon in the
national capital.Delhi government's additional standing counsel Naushad Ahmed
Khan said that acting on the plea, a notification for re-constitution of a
three-member Delhi Waqf Tribunal was issued on March 12."Lt Governor of
the National Capital Territory of Delhi is pleased to re constitute the Delhi
Waqf Tribunal for Delhi for the determination of any dispute, question or other
matter relating to a Waqf or Waqf property, eviction of a tenant or
determination or rights and obligations of the lessor and the lessee of such
property under the said Act," the government notification said.The bench,
however, asked the government's counsel to file by August 21 its response
explaining why no action was taken despite the eviction orders.PTI
AAP govt presents Rs53,000 crore budget, major
thrust on health, environment
New Delhi:Laying emphasis on environment,
health and education sectors, the AAP government on Thursday presented a
Rs53,000 crore budget for 2018-19 fiscal, while making a slew of announcements,
including a major thrust on “green” initiatives for pollution reduction and
launching ‘health insurance for all scheme.The government also announced
installation of CCTV cameras in schools, providing self-defence training for
girl students, allocating Rs100 crore for free Wi-Fi, which was a major
pre-poll promise by AAP and installation of 1.2 lakh CCTV cameras in the city
by June next year.It also promised implementation of doorstep delivery of
government services by 15 June, and Rs1,500 crore for infrastructure
development in unauthorised colonies.PTI
WORLD
Evacuation deal for fighters in Eastern Ghouta
town reached
Thousands of Syrian fighters and their
relatives will be evacuated from Harasta, a besieged town in Eastern Ghouta, to
an opposition-held province in northern Syria, state media and a rebel group
have said.Russian-brokered deal was reached on Wednesday after a meeting
between a Syrian government delegation and representatives of residents and
fighters in rebel-held Harasta."Evacuation for families who want to leave
will begin tomorrow at 7am (05:00 GMT)," Munther Fares, spokesperson for
the Ahrar al-Sham group, which holds Harasta, said in a statement on
Wednesday."Gunmen and civilians who choose to leave will have Russian
guarantees."Addounia TV, a state-run outlet, said that 1,500 gunmen and
6,000 family members would be evacuated on Thursday in two groups to
Idlib.Harasta is home to 20,000 people."Families who want to stay [in
Harasta] will be given guarantees by the Syrian government and the Russians
that no harm will come to them, and that the city will not be subjected to
displacement or demographic change," Fares said.He added that civilians
inside and outside Harasta would form a committee to follow up the affairs of
those remaining in the city and prisoners.A member of the Harasta Council
confirmed the news to Al Jazeera, saying the evacuation includes gunmen and
civilians, including people needing medical assistance.The evacuation deal
marks the first time opposition fightrs have been able to leave rebel-held
Eastern Ghouta, which has been subjected to an aerial offensive carried out by
Syrian government forces and Russian fighter jets for more than a
month.However, Tayyim al-Siyoufi, a Harasta-based activist, told Al Jazeera
that although the agreement has been reached, it remains to be seen whether it
will be upheld in time for the scheduled evacuation."Anything can
happen," he said. "We are in a worse position than other towns in
Ghouta ... we'll see if the deal goes through or not."With Harasta
occupying just two square kilometres, al-Siyoufi said civilians are feeling the
brunt of the air attacks more intensely."Every day there are 20 warplanes
hovering above us that fire around 200 shellings," he said.Syrian army has
now recaptured 80 percent of Eastern Ghouta, which lies on the outskirts of the
capital, Damascus, and was once its breadbasket.According to White Helmets, a
voluntary group operating in parts of rebel-controlled Syria, at least 1,252
documented civilians have been killed in the offensive. aljazeera
Syria’s rebels and families to leave besieged
town in evacuation deal
Air strikes in Syria's Ghouta kill 19
civilians: Observatory
Beirut: Air strikes on rebel-held areas of
Eastern Ghouta killed at least 19 civilians Thursday, as the Syrian regime
pressed an offensive on the Damascus suburb, a monitor said.Air raids in the
area of Zamalka alone killed 16 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights. The Britain-based monitor says the Syrian regime and its ally
Russia are responsible for raids on the enclave, although Moscow has denied
conducting air strikes in Ghouta.AFP
Richard Dawkins to give away copies of his
atheist book in Islamic countries
Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist
and author. He's a well known atheist and very vocal in his criticism of
religion. As a former professor at Oxford, he's spoken in various places on
various occasions, even outside his classroom and many of his written works
elaborate on his beliefs.Dawkins feels there has been a “stirring towards
atheism” in some Islamic countries and was “greatly encouraged” to learn that
the unofficial Arabic PDF of his book The God Delusion had been downloaded 13
million times! He's set up a more systematic programme to translate his works
into languages spoken in Islamic countries. Recently his foundation, Richard
Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, merged with the Center for Inquiry
in Washington DC and they will be of translating his work officially. The languages
chosen are Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, and Indonesian. The e-books will be free to
download in PDF form.“We are choosing languages, not counties,” said Dawkins.
“The PDFs may, of course, be downloaded by anybody in any country, but we
imagine most Urdu downloads will be in Pakistan, most Indonesian downloads in
Indonesia and Malaysia, and most Farsi downloads in Iran.TOI
Facebook boosting security features ahead of
elections in India: Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg has said Facebook is enhancing
its security features to ensure the integrity of upcoming key elections in
countries like India on its platform, as the social media giant faced flak over
a major data breach scandal by a British firm linked to Donald Trump’s
presidential campaign.Zuckerberg, in an interview with The New York Times,
referred to the artificial intelligence (AI) tools deployed by Facebook to
detect fake accounts trying to manipulate news and influence the elections.Such
a tool was deployed for the first time in the French elections in 2017.“The new
AI tools we built after the 2016 elections found, I think, more than 30,000
fake accounts that we believe were linked to Russian sources who were trying to
do the same kind of tactics they did in the US in the 2016 election. We were
able to disable them and prevent that from happening on a large scale in
France,” he said.“Last year in 2017 with the special election in Alabama, we
deployed some new AI tools to identify fake accounts and false news, and we
found a significant number of Macedonian accounts that were trying to spread
false news, and were able to eliminate those,” Zuckerberg said.This is for the
first time that Zuckerberg has publicly talked about Facebook being allegedly
used for influencing polls.hindustantimes
UAE adviser lobbied Trump to oust Tillerson:
NYT
George Nader, a political adviser to the UAE,
worked for over a year to transform one of the largest donors to Donald Trump's
presidential campaign, into a tool of influence for Saudi Arabia and the UAE,
according to the New York Times. The newspaper revealed in a report published
on Wednesday that George Nader, a Lebanese-American, offered Eliott Broidy, a
top Republican fundraiser, more than $1bn worth in contracts and helped deliver
deals worth more than $200m with UAE. According to the documents obtained by
NYT, Nader and Broidy were pushing the White House to fire Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson, who had several confrontations with US President Trump over
critical foreign policy issues, namely Iran and the Gulf crisis. Tillerson was
laid off last week. aljazeera
Saudi crown prince boasted Kushner was 'in his
pocket'
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman boasted US President Donald Trump's senior advisor and son-in-law Jared
Kushner was "in his pocket", according to a report in the
Intercept.Citing three sources close to the Saudi and Emirati royal families,
the news outlet said Kushner provided the heir to the Saudi throne details
about Saudi princes who were not loyal to him.According to a separate source,
Mohammed Bin Salman is said to have told the Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Zayed that Kushner was "in his pocket". Kushner's lawyers have
rejected the report as "false and ridiculous", adding that the
allegations did not "merit response".Dozens of Saudi princes,
businessmen, and other senior officials were placed under arrest at the Ritz
Carlton in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in November, ostensibly over accusations
of corruption.aljazeera
Arab coalition 'robbing Yemen of sovereignty'
A former Yemeni minister of state has said
that the Saudi-led coalition has deviated from its objectives, adding that the
sovereign Yemeni decision has been taken away from the people.Salah al-Sayadi's
statement followed his resignation on Wednesday and came just days after he
said that Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was under house arrest in the
Saudi capital, Riyadh."All Yemenis are calling for demonstrations and
rallies for the return of President Hadi to Yemen," he said. Aljazeera
Hamas security forces killed in operation to
arrest PM attacker
Two Hamas security forces have been killed
during an operation to arrest the main suspect in the bombing attack of
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah's convoy last week.Al Jazeera has
learned that the suspect, Anas Abu Khousa, was arrested during Thursday's
operation.Khousa was injured during the raid and is reportedly in critical condition.Several
security guards of Hamdallah were wounded during the March 13 attack, which
took place while the prime minister was visiting Gaza.The blast happened
shortly after Hamdallah's convoy passed through the Israeli-controlled Erez
checkpoint, known to Palestinians as Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza.President of
the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has accused Hamas of orchestrating
the explosion. aljazeera
Israel to lift planning conditions to allow US
embassy to open on Nakba Day
Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said he
was seeking an exemption from planning regulations to ensure the US embassy in
Jerusalem can be opened in time for Israel’s Independence Day, Nakba Day.The
minister said he asked the National Planning Committee for the exemption and
that the body would hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the
measure. Kahlon took to Twitter to reassure America about the move. “President
@realDonaldTrump , I’m happy to inform you that we are moving forward with the
preparations, making sure that no bureaucracy slows down the process of moving
the US embassy to Jerusalem.”middleeastmonitor
Criticising army ‘heresy,’ says Secretary
General of Egypt Sufi forces
Secretary General of the Egyptian Sufi forces
Abdullah Al-Nasser Hilmi Amin has said that criticising the Egyptian army is a
“crime” and “heresy” and voting for the president is a “necessity,” Egyptian
media reported yesterday.In remarks delivered to the media Amin accused the
different Islamic groups of “distorting the image of Islam”.Taking part in the
elections is a “necessity for the sake of protecting the Egyptian state,
preventing chaos and stopping bloodshed,” he added.
Israel’s chief rabbi calls Afro-Americans
‘monkeys’
Israel’s chief Rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, has
stoked controversy by describing Afro-Americans as “monkeys” during one of his
weekly religious lessons.The remark, which will prompt further discussion about
entrenched racism within the country, was reported by Israeli newspaper Ynet
News.Yosef, whose status as chief rabbi is constitutionally recognised, is no
stranger to inflammatory remarks having previously issued a “religious edict”
encouraging the killing of any Palestinian armed with a knife.While Yosef’s
incitement of violence against Palestinians may have been overlooked his
description of Afro-Americans as “monkeys” has drawn wide
attention.middleeastmonitor
China sells tracking system to Pakistan, could
speed up multi-warhead missile programme
New Delhi:China has sold Pakistan a powerful
optical tracking and measurement system that could speed up the development of
multi-warhead missiles by Islamabad, according to a media report on
Thursday.Chinese authorities declassified information about the deal through a
statement on the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) website. The statement,
evidence that Beijing is supporting Islamabad’s rapidly developing missile
programme, said China is the first country to export such sensitive equipment
to Pakistan.India and the US have long accused China of supporting Islamabad’s
missile and nuclear development programme but credible evidence of such
cooperation can rarely be found in the public domain, making the CAS statement
a rarity.Zheng Mengwei, a researcher with the CAS Institute of Optics and
Electronics in Chengdu, Sichuan province, confirmed to the South China Morning
Post that Pakistan had bought a “highly sophisticated, large-scale optical
tracking and measurement system” from China.hindustantimes
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Liberally blinkered:Think about it: Liberals
and RSS both want Muslims to shed their Muslimness:Apoorvanand
Citizenship rights, not burka:Why the Harsh
Mander-Ramachandra Guha debate must continue — and expand:Suhas Palshikar
Budget Let Down Further Strains Army-Govt
Relations: COAS Supportive, Vice Chief Disappointed:ALI AHMED
Is Article 25 under threat? Indian Law
Commission issues fresh appeals for Uniform Civil Code
Policy dive: Should India have a Uniform Civil
Code?
Data on SC/ST Atrocities Act Points to Weak
Implementation, Not 'Misuse':Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
As Opposition Makes Its Stand with 'No-Trust'
Move, Modi's Silence Speaks Volumes:Sunil Gatade
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 5:59 PM)
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