Evening NEWS
DIGEST
24 March 2018:05 Rajjab 1439:Vol:9, No:149
INDIA
JNU's long march ends in chaos as police lathi
charges protesting students, assaults journalists
New Delhi: The black clouds above JNU are
still swirling as the tussle with the administration on one side and students
and the academic community on the other side continues unabated.But on Friday,
things took an ugly turn when the ‘long march’, taken out to protest the recent
mandatory attendance rule, removal of various deans and chairpersons and sexual
harassment charges against Prof Atul Johri, which saw over 1,000 students and
teachers walking from the campus to Parliament Street was met with a police
charge and water cannons near INA market.Upon being stopped, there was
reportedly a brief scuffle as the police reportedly began to manhandle several
protestors as well as journalists. “Professor Bikramaditya Choudhary, a few
students and myself were talking to the officers at the barricade when they
suddenly turned on the water cannon. Before I could understand what was
happening, there was a lathicharge and students were getting hit,” JNU
community medicine teacher Vikas Bajpai told the Telegraph.The Telegraph
reported in detail how a journalist alleged that a police officer had groped
her in the pandemonium.That wasn’t the only horror story to emerge. Praveen
Singh, a journalist for Firstpost, was reportedly thrashed by the police,
forcing him to protect his arm in a make-shift sling during his attempts to
escape the confusion of a peaceful protest gone wrong.“HT photographer Anushree
Fadnavis alleged an officer snatched her camera while she was trying to click a
student being kicked. She had not got it back till 9.30pm,” reported The
Telegraph. According to the Indian Express, roughly 20 students were detained
at Defence Colony police station. They were eventually let go after a medical
examination at AIIMS.thewire
Journalists protest outside Delhi Police HQ
asking action against assault
New Delhi :A group of journalists belonging to
various media organisations today staged a protest outside the Delhi Police
Headquarters here, demanding strict action against the police personnel accused
of assaulting and molesting media persons.2 journalists yesterday filed
separate complaints - one for molestation and another for assault during a
protest march organised by JNU students and teachers.The police lathicharged
and used water canons to disperse the crowd near Sanjay Jheel in Lakshmi Bai
Nagar.In a joint statement issued by Press Club of India, Indian Women's Press
Corps, Press Association and Federation of Press Clubs in India, immediate
action against the officers was demanded. The protesters also demanded the
Commissioner of Police to hear their grievances.One of the protesting
journalists who didn't wanted to be named said, "What happened yesterday
was not only shocking but scary. It shows the lack of discipline of police
forces that enforces law and order in the city... It is especially worse for
women reporters.PTI
Journalists harassed in JNU protest: Delhi
Police tenders apology to media persons
Delhi Police on Saturday tendered their
“deepest apologies” for the alleged harassment of two media personnel yesterday
when police resorted to baton charge on protesting students of JNU, IANS
reported. “Yesterday’s incident was a very unfortunate one. Our
deepest apologies to the media. Our intention wasn’t to obstruct the media from
doing its job,” said DCP and Delhi Police spokesperson Madhur Verma. Indianexpress
Students Beaten As Cops Stop the March at INA,
24 Detained, The Citizen Reporter Manhandled
Media Associations Demand Strict Action
Against Police Personnel For Molesting Jornalists
NCW orders probe into police lathicharge at
JNU protest march
National Commission for Women has ordered a
probe into alleged manhandling of JNU students and a female journalist during a
protest march in New Delhi.“We have ordered a probe and sent a team today to
meet the police officials and we will further pursue the matter on Monday,”NCW
Acting Chairperson Rekha Sharma said.
Ayodhya title suit: Muslim parties challenge
1994 SC order that mosque is not integral to Islam; say no mosque in India is
safe,can be demolished like Babri
New Delhi:Almost 24 years after the Supreme
Court said a mosque has no “unique or special status” and is not an essential
part of the practice of Islam and namaz, Muslim parties involved in Ramjanmabhoomi
title dispute wants the apex court to first re-consider its stand before going
ahead with the hearing in the Babri Masjid case. In 1994, the SC observed that
“Muslims can offer prayer anywhere, even in open”.Senior advocate Rajeev
Dhavan, on behalf of the Muslim parties, challenged the rationale of 1994
ruling before a 3-judge Special Bench led by CJI Dipak Misra on Friday. “Who
will decide that this place of worship is more significant than another? All
are equal. All places are of equal signficance,”Dhavan argued.He challenged the
right of Govt to have acquired the disputed site under the 1993 law. He
submitted that it was impossible believe that Babri Masjid, built in 1528 and a
subject of grants by Mughal emperors and even the British, had no significance
at all to Islam.Dhavan said the court cannot ask Muslims to pray in the open
after deciding that mosques are not an essential part of Islam. A mosque does
not cease to be a place of worship merely because it has been demolished, he
submitted.“It is, for all time to come, the property of Allah. A mosque is a
mosque forever. Demolition cannot rob it of its religious significance... Ever
since Islam became a faith, they have been building mosques,” Dhavan
argued.Govt justified the acquisition as a step to promote harmony. But the
Muslim parties suspected 1993 law as a veiled attempt to “perpetuate the
consequences of the demolition of the mosque”. “I went through Quran and Hadith…They
say a mosque is a mosque forever… You cannot say mosque has no unique place…
It’s unique to that community… You can destroy a mosque, but you cannot rob it
of its religious significance…,”said Dhavan indian express reposted. “No mosque
in this country is safe and can be demolished like Babri Masjid if the view
that mosques are not an integral part of Islam and Muslims can pray anywhere is
upheld, he added as indiatoday reposted. He further said, “if we are proud of
the Indian secularism we must build Babri Masjid on the same place, because the
masjid was demolished on 6th Dec.1992 with a planned conspiracy.”The court will
hear the matter next on April 6. Thehindu/Indian express/ indiatoday/siasat
No mosque in India is safe: Advocate tells SC
in Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case
Babri case: Mosque can be destroyed, not its
significance, says petitioner
Is Masjid integral to Islam?Query may delay
Babri case
Babri Masjid must be built on same place if we
are proud of secularism: advocate Rajiv Dhawan
Solution to Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case
lies with SC: Ajmer Dargah head
Jaipur:The spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah in
Rajasthan, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, said the solution to sensitive issues like
Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case lies with the Supreme Court.He also appealed
to leaders of all religions to wait for the apex court's judgment in the case
and respect its verdict."Religious fanaticism cannot provide solutions.
Efforts to settle the matter outside the court were also unsuccessful and,
hence, the court's decision should be respected in the interest of the
country," he said.He is the Deewan of the dargah.PTI
Govt has no power to withdraw cases, it's
court's call: Experts on Muzaffarnagar riots
Meerut: In the backdrop of reports that UP
Govt is considering to withdraw 131
cases pertaining to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, senior lawyers said that
doing so would not just be undermining authority of an independent judiciary,
it would be difficult for the Govt to
actually do so. Out of these, 13 cases are of murder and 11 attempt to murder
while 85 are mischief by fire or explosive with intent to destroy house.Senior Allahabad
high court lawyer Sayyad Farhan Naqvi told TOI, “Let’s be very clear that the
Govt has no authority to withdraw a case
which is sub judice. However, section 321 of CrPC empowers public prosecutor
appointed by the Govt in a particular
case to petition the court to quash a case on reasonable grounds. But, again,
it is the prerogative of the court to accept or discard that demand.”Manish
Gandhi, a criminal lawyer in Delhi high court, said, “I do not think even
section 321 of CrPC will come to the rescue of UP Govt in this matter. More than 50 people died in
the riots and heinous crimes are involved.”Supreme Court lawyer Vrinda Grover
said, “What is implicit in the grant of power envisaged in section 321 of CrPC
is that it should be in the interest of administration of justice. This is the
guiding principle. Now, in this particular case of Muzaffarnagar riots, the
state’s decision of withdrawing the cases is not in the interest of
administration of justice because the state is duty-bound to protect the right
to life with dignity... the court will have the final say in upholding the
interest of administration of justice."Chandraveer Singh, a
Muzaffarnagar-based lawyer who handled various riots cases, said, “Once
chargesheet has been filed in a case, the trial begins in the court. The
Govt then has no authority to undermine
the power of judiciary.”In a very strong observation in a similar situation
during the Akhilesh Yadav regime when the latter tried to seek withdrawal of a
case in 2015, a 3-judge bench of the Allahabad high court had said, “State
Govt is not at all free to exercise its
authority under Section 321 CrPC in whimsical or arbitrary manner or for
extraneous considerations apart from just and valid reasons. Even if Govt
directs the public prosecutor to withdraw the prosecution and an application is
filed to that effect, the court must consider all relevant circumstances and
find out whether the withdrawal of prosecution would advance the cause of
justice... Every crime is an offence against society and if the accused
committed an offence, society demands that he should be punished.”During and
after the 2013 riots, a total of 542 cases were lodged in Muzaffarnagar and
Shamli districts. Of the 147 cases, the Govt
has recommended revoking of 3 cases, in which BJP leaders Sanjeev
Balyan, Suresh Rana, Sadhvi Parchi and others are accused.
Move to withdraw Muzaffarnagar riot cases: My
father-in-law is dead; someone must have killed him, says victim’s kin: Indian express
Across Muzaffarnagar, from Lank to
Mohammadpur-Raisingh and Kharad to Pallada, families of victims in 13
Muzaffarnagar riot murder cases that UP ovt
is moving to withdraw say justice is all they have left and wondered how
cases could be withdrawn.“We are very angry that Govt is thinking of
withdrawing the case. We only want to ask Govt
how we are at fault. My father-in-law is dead. Somebody must have
murdered him,”says Mehmuna, whose father-in-law of Mommhamad Sagir, was killed
in Kharad. This is among the 131 cases on the withdrawal list.As part of its
ongoing probe from local police stations, the paper Friday had tracked down
family members in 6 of the 13 murder cases on the list.S
CPI condemns UP Govt move to withdraw cases against riot-accused
CPI has condemned UP govt’s proposal to
withdraw cases against riot-accused persons in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli
districts of the state.In a statement issued on Friday, Central Secretariat of
CPI said the move by Adityanath-led BJP Govt
to withdraw 131 cases related to the 2013 communal riots in
Muzaffarnagar and Shamli “involve 13 found to be allegedly involved in murder,
and 11 persons, in attempt to murder”. TOI
In new NCERT book, Gujarat anti-Muslim riots
now called Gujarat riots
New Delhi:2002 Gujarat riots which were called
“anti-Muslim riots” in NCERT political science textbook for Class XII are now
called just the “Gujarat riots” in the revised version of the book that hit
shelves this week. Changes have been incorporated in the last chapter of the
textbook titled ‘Recent Developments in Indian Politics’ to tweak the
nomenclature of the riots. So, the heading of the passage on the riots (on page
187) has been changed from ‘Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat’ to just ‘Gujarat
riots’. However, in the same paragraph, 1984 riots are described as anti-Sikh.
In the previous version of the textbook, the first sentence of the above
passage had read, “In Feb-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took
place in Gujarat”. The reprinted book no longer carries the words “against
Muslims” in that sentence. The rest of the passage is the same as in the old
version of the textbook. It lays out the chronology of events — the attack on
the train full of karsevaks set on fire that was followed by violence against
Muslims — and refers to NHRC’s criticism of the Gujarat Govt for failing to control the violence.Paragraph
also mentions: “A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full
of Karsevaks was set on fire. 57 people died in that fire. Suspecting the hand
of the Muslims in setting fire to the bogey, large-scale violence against
Muslims began in many parts of Gujarat from the next day. This violence
continued for almost a whole month. Nearly 1,100 persons, mostly Muslims, were
killed in this violence.” The changes are part of the textbook review —first
since 2007 — undertaken last year by NCERT, an autonomous organisation that
advises HRD Ministry on school education.These changes were first suggested by CBSE
in June last year, when RK Chaturvedi was its chairman.The first edition of
Class XII political science textbook ‘Politics in India Since Independence’ was
printed in 2007. The textbook was drafted by the textbook development committee
of which Hari Vasudevan, UGC Emeritus Professor at dept of history in Calcutta
University, was the chairperson and political scientists Suhas Palshikar and
Yogendra Yadav. Yadav is now a full-time politician.This is first comprehensive
review of NCERT textbooks after National Curriculum Framework was drafted in
2005. A curriculum revision is also overdue but will only happen once the new
education policy is unveiled by Union govt.indianexpress
Jamiat opposes Centre’s affidavit on minority
status of Jamia Millia
New Delhi:Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has opposed
Centre's affidavit concerning minority status to Jamia Millia Islamia and has
termed it contradictory to fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. Leader
of Jamiat Maulana Mahmood Madani asserted that historically and by its natural
character, its a minority institution that cannot be changed merely on the
basis that it receives Govt fund.In a press statement issued, Maulana Madani
has argued that Shaikh-Ul-Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan had laid the foundation of
Jamia with his own hands and during initial period Dr. Zakir Hussain and his
colleagues worked hard to strengthen its foundation. With this strong ground,
JMI has been continuing to retain its minority character till now.indiatoday
Aurangabad: Thousands of Muslim women hold
protest against Triple Talaq Bill
Aurangabad;Thousands of Muslim women held a
rally here on Friday protesting against the Centre's Triple Talaq Bill.As per
the order issued by Muslim Personal Law Board, the morcha was taken out from
AamKhas Maidan to Divisional Commissioner Office in a disciplined
manner.Organising Committee Convenor said the Act was against the provision of
right of freedom of expression and religion enshrined in the Indian
Constitution and accused the central Govt
of polarising Muslim community.UNI
India among 20 nations to pledge $100 million
to Palestine Refugee Agency
UN: India is among 20 nations that have
pledged a total of about $100 million to the UN relief agency charged with the
well-being of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres voiced gratitude for generous pledges of approximately $100
million made at Extraordinary Ministerial Conference in Rome on March 15 titled
‘Preserving Dignity and Sharing Responsibility — Mobilizing Collective Action
for UNRWA’. Almost 20 donors pledged additional contributions, including Qatar,
Norway, Turkey, Canada, India and Switzerland. Giving details of the pledges
made by the nations, Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters
yesterday that Emir of Qatar pledged $50 million in new contributions, while
Norway pledged $13.6 million, Turkey $10 million and a doubling of their food aid,
Canada $7.7 million, India $5 million and Switzerland $4.2 million.He said
ministerial conference was an “exceptional demonstration” of high-level support
for UNRWA’s mandate and a recognition for the continued necessity of its work
in support of over five million Palestine refugees.Dujarric added that the
pledges made in Rome represent an important first step, yet a lot of work
remains to fully close the critical shortfall.“The Secretary-General encourages
all Member States and the private sector to provide support to UNRWA in order
to close the still critical funding shortfall. He reiterates that the services
provided by UNRWA to Palestine refugees are essential and contribute to bring
stability to the region,” the spokesman said.PTI
Saudi ok for Air India's Tel Aviv service
shows new image of India: Prabhu
New Delhi: Saudi Arabia's permission for
overflight of Air India's new service between New Delhi and Tel Aviv has shown
"a new image of India", Commerce and Industries and Civil Aviation
Minister Suresh Prabhu said. While addressing CII northern region annual conference
on 'New India: Translating Aspirations into Reality', Prabhu said: "There
is the need to ensure that India makes progress and realises its true
potential. I will give an example of this, Today...Saudi Arabia has allowed
(flight operations) from Delhi to Tel Aviv over the airspace of Saudi
Arabia. "It has never happened that
Saudi Arabia's airspace could have been used for landing into Israel. What this
shows is the new image of India." IANS
Rajya Sabha elections: BJP emerges as the
single-largest party, but NDA is still short of a majority
BJP became the single-largest party in the
Rajya Sabha, winning 18 of the 58 seats contested. BJP-led NDA won 27 of 58
seats, of which 33 candidates were elected unopposed, but it still fell short
of a majority, the Indian Express reported.BJP won 9 of the 10 seats in UP and one each in Karnataka, Jharkhand and
Chhattisgarh. In UP, the party ensured the defeat of BSP’s candidate Bhimrao
Ambedkar, with BSP leader Anil Kumar Singh voting for Anil Agarwal, a
BJP-backed independent candidate. Samajwadi Party’s MLA Nitin Agarwal is also
believed to have voted for Agarwal. SP, which won a seat, and BSP later filed a
complaint with the Election Commission, demanding that Nitin Agarwal and Singh
be disqualified for not showing their ballot papers to the polling agents
before casting their vote, but the complaint was later rejected. Ruling parties
in Telangana and West Bengal also did well. TRS’s B Prakash, B Lingaiah Yadav
and J Santosh Kumar won, TMC bagged 4 seats in West Bengal. Congress’ Abhishek
Manu Singhvi won the fifth seat in West Bengal with TMC’s help.In Karnataka,
where Assembly elections will be held in the next couple of months, the
Congress won three of 4 seats up for grabs, and the BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar
also got elected. He polled the highest votes, with 50 legislators supporting
his candidature, Mint reported.In Jharkhand, the Congress retained the seat it
held earlier while the BJP gained one at the expense of the Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha. Congress fashioned a dramatic victory, winning despite having only
seven votes. Congress’ candidate, Dheeraj Sahu, defeated BJP’s Pradeep
Sonthalia by a fraction of a value of votes, after the Election Commission took
into consideration the second preference votes of three BJP MLAs, NDTV
reported.In Kerala, Veerendra Kumar of the Sharad Yadav-led faction of the JDU
won the one seat that was contested. The seat had fallen vacant after Kumar
resigned from Upper House in Dec.after JD(U), headed by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar,
joined NDA.scroll.in
All 6 candidates of RS from Bihar including of
RJD declared elected unopposed
BSP suspends MLA Anil Singh for cross-voting;
BJP’s victory result of malpractices, says Mayawati
New Delhi:After loss in Friday’s Rajya Sabha
elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday suspended its MLA Anil Singh for
cross-voting in favour of BJP “to serve his business interest”. BSP’s candidate
Bhimrao Ambedkar lost to BJP’s Anil Kumar Agarwal owing to the
cross-voting.Reacting to the loss of the BSP candidate, party chief Mayawati
said BJP’s victory was a result of malpractices and the voting was influenced
by creating an environment of fear. She further claimed that BJP was attempting
to break SP-BSP alliance but will not succeed in doing so.“BJP did not deter
from indulging in malpractices. They exerted all their force to ensure that the
BSP candidate does not win at any cost. The entire system was deployed to
ensure that the newly formed ties between BSP and SP loosen,” ANI quoted the
BSP chief as saying.indianexpress
BSP MLA votes for BJP in Rajya Sabha polls
Upset with BJP, GJM pulls out of NDA alliance
New Delhi; Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on
Saturday pulled out of NDA alliance accusing the BJP of betraying the trust of
Gorkhas. GJM organising chief LM Lama said that the party has no relation with
BJP-led NDA. GJM was upset with the recent statement of Bengal BJP president
Dilip Ghosh that his party only had an electoral alliance with GJM.“The claim
made by the BJP, leader of NDA, that GJM is a friend and a constituent of the
NDA and the slogan of PM Modi that the dream of the Gorkhas is my dream have
all been exposed by the statement of the Bengal BJP president Sh. Dilip Ghosh
who stated that BJP only had an electoral alliance with GJM and that there was
no agreement for a common political resolution. This statement makes it amply
clear that BJP is neither sympathetic nor sincere towards the Gorkhas,” said
Lama.indianexpress
Fodder scam: Lalu gets 14-year jail term in
Dumka treasury case; RJD, BJP cross swords
New Delhi: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on
Saturday was sentenced to “14 years of imprisonment” in the fourth fodder scam
case that pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.5 crore from the Dumka
treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996.A fine
of Rs 60 lakh has also been imposed. Special CBI Judge Shivpal Singh pronounced
the sentence through video-conferencing. RJD supremo is currently admitted to
RIMS hospital due to health concerns.CBI counsel said that Lalu has been
awarded 7 years imprisonment under IPC sections and seven years under sections
related to PC Act. Lalu was on March 19 convicted by the special CBI court in
Ranchi in connection with case. Another exCM, Jagannath Mishra, was, however,
acquitted. Of the 31 accused, the court convicted 19 and acquitted 12.Reacting
to the verdict, Lalu’s son Tejashwi Yadav said there is a threat to his
father’s life. “He is a victim of a political conspiracy of BJP and JD (U).RJD
calls has also called for an emergency meeting of its senior
leaders.indianexpress
Veerashaiva group in Karnataka seeks religious
minority status for entire sect, not just Lingayats
Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has
criticised Karnataka Govt’s decision to accord “religious minority” status to
the Lingayat community, including the Veerashaiva-Lingayats, and demanded that
the entire sect be called Veerashaiva-Lingayats, The Hindu reported.“Sub-clause
that only those Veerashaiva-Lingayats who adhere to Basavanna’s philosophy must
be dropped,”said Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Mahasabha’s president.Basavanna was
a 12th-century Lingayat philosopher, poet and social reformer. Shivashankarappa,who
is also a Congress MLA, asked the Centre to consider the Mahasabha’s 2013
petition seeking a separate code for the community’s enumeration in the census,
instead of Siddaramaiah Govt’s recommendation, HT reported.BS Yeddyurappa, the
president of the BJP’s state unit, welcomed the Mahasabha’s decision. scroll.in
Southern states unite against Centre on fund
allocation disparity
The dynamics of north versus south debate in
India is taking new dimensions as the southern states come together against the
Centre on the distribution of tax funds among states. The new developments
suggest that the friction between the BJP-led NDA Govt at the Centre and the
south Indian states is getting worse. Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac has
called for a meeting of finance ministers of southern states on April 10 to
discuss the "skewed" Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance
Commission (FC).The major bone of contention for southern states is that 15th
FC has used 2011 Census data as its ToR instead of 1971 Census data, which had
been used until the 14th FC, for making recommendations. The new ToR may leave
southern states with a smaller portion of funds due to its shrinking
population.Issac said that the southern states are being "penalised"
for the successful implementation of family planning policies from 1971,which
had led to decrease in population. He raised the concern that "the quantum
of devolution of funds to the states will be affected if 2011 census is taken as
the basis point".theweek
SC/ST Act: Supreme Court verdict may have
adverse impact on party, says BJP MP Udit Raj
New Delhi: BJP MP Udit Raj on Friday cautioned
that the Supreme Court’s verdict, diluting punitive provisions of SC & ST
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, would have an “adverse” impact on the party if
the Govt did not file a review
petition.The parliamentarian from north-west Delhi has sought an appointment
with PM Narendra Modi over the issue.“The govt must file a review plea in the
apex court against the order. If it does not, it will definitely impact us
(BJP) adversely. When the Govt takes
credit for positive developments, it will also get discredited for something
that goes wrong,” Raj said.Raj, who is a former IRS officer and heads All India
Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, said he will raise the issue during a
meeting of top BJP leaders, including the PM
and BJP president Amit Shah.indianexpress
SC verdict on SC/ST Act: RPI(A) to file review
petition, says Athawale
New Delhi:Minister of State for Social Justice
Ramdas Athawale on Friday said his RPI(A) – a BJP ally – will file a review
petition in the Supreme Court on its own to challenge the judgment of a 2-judge
bench on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)
Act, even as the Law Ministry was considering its stand on the issue.Dalit
leader from Maharashtra, however, dismissed the charges levied by Congress MPs
accusing the Modi-led govt of the weak defense of the case in course of the
court hearing. “PM Modi has done much more for Dalit welfare than Congress.
Rahul Gandhi does not have to take to the streets on this matter, PM Modi is on
it. Rahul Gandhi can continue protesting at the foot of the Gandhi statue in
the Parliament,” he said.indianexpress
AAP MLAs disqualification: BJP hails HC order,
Congress backs EC: Business Standard
New Delhi:The Congress on Friday said it would
fight the office-of-profit case involving 20 AAP MLAs in Election Commission of
India (ECI) again, after the Delhi High Court set aside their disqualification
and asked the poll panel to hear the matter afresh. The party also said that
the AAP MLAs should resign on "moral ground" and seek re-election, as
had been done by ex Congress chief Sonia Gandhi who resigned from the Lok Sabha
following a similar controversy."We will fight it out in the EC again as
these 20 MLAs have enjoyed perks. HC has not disputed or denied this.HC has
just asked ECI to look at it again in the light of natural justice!"
Congress's Delhi unit head Ajay Maken tweeted. He claimed that AAP Govt itself
had admitted before the EC that a huge amount was spent on office,furniture,
transportation and perks for these MLAs who worked as parliamentary secretaries.HC
termed EC's recommendation on disqualification as "vitiated", and
noted that there was violation of natural justice and no oral hearing was given
to the MLAs before disqualifying them as legislators of the Delhi Assembly.
"We respect today's judgement of the high court, but we would like to
raise some important questions," Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said."Both
the BJP and the AAP are now in the same boat. The rules of natural justice have
been upheld, but just like AAP has made an absolute mockery of the laws, BJP is
flouting every rule in Manipur," she alleged.Ee Chief Election
Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti said that ECI gave enough opportunities to AAP
MLAs to respond to its notice in their disqualification matter.BJP described
the HC order as a "proof of the independence of the
judiciary"."The decision of the HC directing the EC to hear again the
petition of 20 MLAs involved in the matter of office of profit is a unique
proof of the independence of judiciary and freedom in Indian
democracy,"Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said.
Maharashtra Police Challenges Court Order on
Fake Naxal Surrender, Illegal Confinement: thewire
Mumbai: A month after a magistrate’s court had
busted the Gadchiroli district police’s attempt to stage a fake “Naxal
surrender” and rescued a man kept in illegal confinement for over two months,
the police have now moved the sessions court challenging the order. Dasharath
Gawade, a 27-year-old man belonging to a tribal Gond community from Lawari
village in Gadchiroli, was picked up after a “Naxal surrender” on December 15,
2017. He was kept in a confinement for 65 days and finally freed after the
magistrate ordered his immediate release and concluded he was being kept
illegally. However, in an appeal filed before a Gadchiroli sessions court, the
superintendent of police and district collector of Gadchiroli have claimed that
Gawade’s involvement in the arms movement was for a long period, and that he
played a part in two attacks on the police and one murder case. Claiming that
magistrate N.C. Borphalkar of the JMFC court in Gadchiroli completely ignored the
police’s version and evidence gathered during the investigation, the police has
sought for Gawade’s immediate arrest. The appeal is expected to come up for
hearing next week. The Wire
PIL to be filed against UP fake encounters
A ‘public tribunal’ in the national capital
resolved to file a PIL in the Supreme Court against fake encounter killings in
UP . It also demanded that a court-monitored SIT be constituted to inquire into
the deaths.Relatives of several victims were present at the tribunal held in
the Constitution Club and claimed that several people killed for being dreaded
criminals were actually innocent and had no cases against them. State Govt,
they alleged, had turned a deaf ear to their complaints and had taken no action
against policemen involved.Independent journalist Neha Dixit, who last month
released her investigation into 14 such fake encounters in Western UP, told
National Herald, “the reaction to my report published by The Wire has been
predictable; families are being threatened, their neighbours are being
threatened and some police officers even threatened me of dire consequences for
reporting one side of a the story.”“What has not happened is that no one has
filed a petition in this regard in any court. Someone needs to come forward and
at least file a petition for an investigation in the case,” she
added.nationalheraldindia
NAMO App transferring user data to US
company:nationalheraldindia
PM
Narendra Modi’s fascination for Apps and Big Data has received two
successive jolts in the last two days. First reports surfaced that 1.3 million
NCC cadets in the country have been asked to download the NaMo App, developed
ostensibly by BJP which prominently displays it on its website and is a
partisan and political tool, on their smartphones or smartphones of their
parents ahead of an interaction with the PM .On Saturday a French cyber
security researcher tweeting under the pseudonym or moniker of Ellioot Alderson
accused the NaMo Android App to violate even Google’s terms of conditions and
European law by transferring user data to a third party, a US based
companyAlderson also said that within a minute of his tweet on the NaMo app,
the “app team” created a new Twitter profile to discuss the issue with him. He
posted the chat transcript as proof.
Kozhikode: Muslim bodies back prof, demand
case be dropped
Kozhikode: Muslim organisations jointly
demanded on Friday to withdraw cases against Farook Training College assistant
professor Jauhar Munavar, registered by the Koduvally police. Police on
Thursday had registered a case against Jauhar Munavar for alleged sexist remarks against girl students who
‘reveal their body like a slice of red watermelon’. IUML, Samastha Kerala,
Jamaat Ulama, Nadvathul Mujahiddeen, Jamaat Islami, Jamiat Ul Ulama, Wisdom
Global Islamic Mission and Dakshina Kerala Jamiat Ul Ulama, in a combined
statement said that a section of people with vested interests was attempting to
show Farook College in poor light. “He was speaking at a spiritual venue about
the dressing pattern of the Muslim girls and a portion of his speech was taken
out to spread allegations against him. The police registering case against him
is also not fair,” they stated.Popular Front took out a march to the police
station in protest against the case. However, Jauhar is not yet arrested,
though he was charged with non-bailable sections. Police said that the
petitioner did not present evidence against teacher.deccan Chronicle.
Kerala IS case:Yasmin found guilty, sentenced
to 7 yrs
The special NIA court in its verdict in the
first case registered in Kerala related to Islamic State pronounced Yasmin
Mohammed Zahid of Bihar guilty and sentenced her to seven years in
prison.Yasmin is accused of recruiting 15 people from Kasargod district in
Kerala and helping them migrate to Afghanistan to join the terror outfit.
Kerala Police had initially registered missing persons cases in this regard,
and NIA later joined the investigation after the involvement of IS was
suspected. Yasmin had attempted to join the IS with her son and was about to
leave for Kabul when she was arrested by Kerala Police at Delhi Airport on July
30, 2016.theweek
How Ashraf Wani, a pellet victim, is trying to
help more than 1,000 fellow pellet victims get treatment
Srinagar: No matter how hard you try to live a
normal life in Kashmir, the truth is that in this conflict-ridden Valley, a
moment can completely change the course of your life; often for the worst. Take
the example of 28-year-old Mohammed Ashraf Wani, a resident of Rahmoo village
in Pulwama district of North Kashmir.Before August 24, 2016, it would have been
nigh impossible to find him at home during the day as he was dividing his time
between studying and working at Airtel. When not studying for his graduation,
Ashraf worked with the telecom major as a field officer, recovering outstanding
bills from customers. But after the encounter of Burhan Wani, the region was
united in protests, and Ashraf was no different.“That day people were
protesting at Prichoo, Pulwama and I was also a part of it. We were peacefully
registering our protest and I had even asked a police offer to let us do
peaceful protest but he didn’t allow it. Soon, the arguments lead to stone
pelting between protesters and security forces,” recalls Ashraf.Ashraf tried to
move to a corner in order to look for a safe corner. But one of the officers
from a CRPF vehicle started firing at the protesters, leading to the death of
two people and six people injured. Ashraf was one of the injured that day, and
like thousands of others in Kashmir, his life has never been the same
again.TwoCircles
Son of New Hurriyat Chief Joins Hizbul: thecitizen
Srinagar:
In a significant development that will have far-reaching consequences, son of a
senior separatist leader, Ashraf Sehrai, who recently climbed the ladder to
replace Syed Ali Geelani as chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, has reportedly
joined militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.Junaid Ashraf, son of Sehrai is
reported missing from last 3 days according to a complaint lodged by his father
at a police station in capital Srinagar. Police sources confirmed that a
missing case has been filed into the “mysterious” disappearance.A photo of
Junaid, who has reportedly done MBA from the University of Kashmir, brandishing
an AK-47 rifle, has gone viral on social media, purportedly claiming that he
has joined Hizb taking the alias of Aamir Bhai. However was no independent
confirmation about the authenticity of the picture.Known for keeping a low
profile, Sehrai, a close aide of Geelani who untill his elevation in Hurriyat
acted as its general secretary, refused to speak about the issue,“Whatever I
have to say, I have stated in my police complaint. We don’t know his
whereabouts,” he said.A senior police officer said there are rumors of Junaid
having joined militancy but he will not confirm them.
Number of poor families up by 18,932 in 2
years in Gujarat, reveals state govt data; indianexpress
Gandhinagar:The number of poor families in
Gujarat has increased by nearly 19,000 over the last two years, revealed Rural
Development Minister Bachubhai Khabad in the state Assembly during Question
Hour on Friday. According to the data shared by Khabad, in Gujarat, more than
31.46 lakh families live below poverty line (BPL) and that number has increased
by 18,932 in the last two years. Banaskantha district has the highest number of
BPL families — 2,36,492.Several Congress MLAs from across the state had sought
details about the number of BPL families in various districts of Gujarat.
NIA can’t take up probe into Kalburgi murder:Centre
New Delhi: Centre told the Supreme Court
Friday that NIA could not take up the probe into the murder of Kannada scholar
MM Kalburgi as it did not fall in the category of scheduled offences that could
be pursued by the agency.Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand conveyed this
to a bench, comprising CJI Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and D Y
Chandrachud, which was hearing a plea by the scholar’s wife Uma Devi Kalburgi,
seeking an SIT probe into the murder.The bench directed that the matter be
listed in the first week of July and asked the CBI and the state Govts of
Maharashtra and Karnataka to file their responses in the meantime. Kalburgi,
77, was shot dead in broad daylight at his residence at Kalyan Nagar in
Dharwad, Karnataka, on August 30, 2015.indianexpress
MP: 2-month social media ban in Sagar
Bhopal: The Sagar district administration has
invoked Section 144 CrPC to ban the posting, messaging and forwarding of
communal messages on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.The decision was taken by
collector Alok Kumar Singh after tension in the city following an alleged
social media post on March 20. The prohibitory order will be in force till May
20.TOI
WORLD
Over 5000 leave E. Ghouta as evacuation
continues
Eastern Ghouta:A second convoy of vehicles
carrying civilians and opposition fighters from the Damascus suburb of Eastern
Ghouta arrived in Hama province in west-central Syria on Saturday. 45-bus
convoy left the besieged area late Friday carrying more than 3,290 people.
Patients with urgent health conditions are expected to be transferred to the
opposition-held Idlib and western parts of Aleppo province. On Friday, a first convoy of 30 buses reached
Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo province carrying more than 1,900
people, including women and children. So far, 5,198 people have been evacuated
from Eastern Ghouta, out of a total of 8,000 people -- including opposition
fighters and their families – who are slated for evacuation from the
regime-besieged region, as a part of a Russia-brokered agreement between
Syria’s Assad regime and armed opposition groups. Anadolu Agency
Hekmatyar calls for providing 'safe zones' to
Taliban
Kabul:Former Afghan Mujaheddin leader
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar on Saturday called on the govt to provide "safe
zones"' to the Taliban in a bid to encourage them to join peace
process.Addressing a news conference at his party HQRS in Kabul, Hekmatyar said
he has shared a comprehensive peace strategy draft with the government, which
includes establishing ‘safe zones’ for Taliban in different parts of the
country.“These proposals are also under consideration in the White House and
Pentagon”, Hekmatyar said, adding the Afghan govt is also deliberating upon his
proposals.A number of local politicians are criticizing Hekmatyar for what they
called floating the idea of “handing over” a number of provinces to the
Taliban. Today, Hekmatyar rejected proposing such a thing. Meanwhile, the
Taliban have reportedly rejected the idea of “safe zones”. According to the
local Azadi Radio, Zabihullah Mujahed, Taliban spokesman, has termed the idea
as an act of practically “dividing Afghanistan.”Anadolu Agency
Turkey plans to unite 57 nations to form Army
of Islam
Istanbul: Turkey has decided to form a huge
Army of Islam by uniting 57 Muslim countries. A Turkish newspaper in its report
has revealed that the 5 million strong army will be named ‘Army of Islam’. 57
members of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have been asked to form such a
huge army that could siege Israel and attack it. According to the report, the
population of OIC member countries is 167,45,26,931 while the active military
of those countries is more than 52 lakh their defence budget is 174 billion 70
Cr dollars. As against that the total population of Israel is 80 lakh 49
thousand 314. And its active military is just 160000 while the defence budget
is 15 billion 60 Cr dollars.Keeping in view the statistics, if OIC member
countries agree to form the ‘Army of Islam’ it would be much more powerful than
Israeli military which has occupied Jerusalem.siasat
UAE-backed forces accused of arbitrary
arrests, torture in Yemen
A Yemeni militia backed by the UAE has been
accused of kidnapping several young "northerners" in the southern
port city of Aden, with relatives alleging they have been wrongly detained,
tortured and denied access to a fair trial.In a series of videos and documents
sent to Al Jazeera, the relatives said they had not heard from or seen their
loved ones after they were picked up by the UAE-created Security Belt - a force
set up in 2016 to police southern areas in the war-ravaged country.The sister
of Ahmed Abdullah Salam al-Meshwali, who was 19 when he went missing, said all
she knew was that her brother was being held at Bir Ahmed, a military camp
controlled by the Security Belt in Aden."My brother was in the second year
of his studies at the University of Aden. One day, he came to visit us in Taiz.
Upon returning, he was arrested.aljazeera
Hamas has ‘proof’ implicating PM’s would-be
assassins
Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run Interior Ministry says
it has “clear evidence” implicating the perpetrators of a failed assassination
attempt on Palestinian PM Rami
al-Hamdallah.“We have documented evidence — including video and audio — that
will soon be produced in this regard,” leading Hamas member Ismail Radwan
said.He went on to condemn accusations by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
that Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, stood behind the
attempt on al-Hamdallah’s life.On March 13, during a visit by al-Hamdallah to
the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, his convoy struck a roadside bomb in Gaza’s Beit
Hanoun district.On Thursday, Gaza’s Interior Ministry announced that the “prime
suspect” in the assassination attempt had been killed in a gunfight with
Hamas-run security forces in the central Gaza Strip.middleeastmonitor
Egyptian city Alexandria’s security chief
survives 'assassination attempt'
An explosion in the Egyptian city of
Alexandria has killed at least 2 people, including a policeman, in what
officials called an assassination attempt against the coastal city's security
chief.The blast occurred near the Tolip Hotel on Saturday afternoon in Rushdi,
a neighbourhood in Egypt's second city, close to the motorcade of Major General
Mostafa al-Nemr, head of security in Alexandria, an Egyptian security source said.The
suspected car bomb, which also wounded at least four people, targeted the
motorcade, the source said.State news agency MENA quoted al-Nemr as saying that
2 people, a policeman and a driver, were killed in the blast.aljazeera
Jewish candidate for Islamist Ennahdha party,
breaks barriers in Tunisia
Tunis: Simon Slama and his family are the only
Jews left in the Tunisian city of Monastir, once home to a thriving Jewish
community. But instead of joining the exodus, he is running for office as a
candidate of Tunisia’s Islamist party.Slama’s candidacy with the Ennahdha party
in the municipal elections to be held in May, is causing a sensation in this
overwhelmingly Muslim country, and some controversy.Critics see it as a
calculated tactic by Ennahdha to regain power and to restore its reputation
among Western allies like the US. Others however see it as an example of Tunisia’s
long-standing traditions of tolerance.A sewing machine salesman and repairman,
56-year-old Slama says he just wants to serve his country and the city where he
was born, suffering from economic difficulties and social tensions.“I chose
Ennahdha because I found that because of the crisis the country is going
through, everyone is turning toward this party,” he told AP in his workshop.“I
see no difference between the Islamic and Judaic religions. We are all one
family and we are all Tunisian citizens and we should go hand in hand to build
the Tunisia of tomorrow,” he said.Slama returned to Monastir, on Mediterranean
coast about 170 km south of the capital, Tunis, after studying in French city
of Strasbourg even as other Jewish families left because “we love the city and
it has the spirit of my ancestors.” Tunisia is home to an estimated 1,500 Jews
nationwide. Monastir “used to have 520 Jewish families. Today mine is the only
one left,” Slama said.Tunisia is holding its first municipal elections since the
2011 revolution that overthrew a long-time autocrat and unleashed uprisings
across the Arab world.While Nida Tounes and Ennahdha are currently in a
Govt coalition together, they are the
main rivals in the municipal vote, which will determine the political contours
of the country for years to come.AP
Qatar puts 28 people, entities on new
terrorism list
Qatar has said it had placed 28 people and
entities on a terrorism list, including several Qatari nationals already
blacklisted by rival Arab states who accuse Doha of supporting militants.
Adding to suspects identified in Oct., Doha's new list, published on the
official website of its National Counter Terrorism Committee, included some
individuals first named by its rivals, but stopped short of mentioning more
mainstream Islamists whose regional influence they oppose.The move appeared to
bring Qatar's blacklist more in line with that of the Arab states, but the
motivation for its publication remained unclear. A Qatari Govt spokesman did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. 4 Arab countries, which have called themselves "Anti-Terror
Quartet", maintain a list of 72 people and organisations they say have
links to Doha. Reuters
Hardline Buddhist group accused in anti-Muslim
riots in Sri Lanka to float political party
A hardline Sinhala-Buddhist group in Sri
Lanka, which was allegedly involved in attacks on Muslims during the recent
communal riots in the country, has decided to float a political party.Mahason
Balakaya or Devil Mahasona’s Force, which had allegedly published videos of
hate speech against Muslims, said it has forwarded papers to the authorities
for the party’s registration.“Sinhalese have got no political party while every
race has one. We have decided to form a new political party with Mahason
Balakaya and several other Sinhala organisations,” a spokesman for the group
said in the north central town of Anuradhapura. Mahason Balakaya was accused in
arson attacks on Muslims, their religious sites and properties during the
communal violence between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims in
the island’s central hills Kandy and Ampara districts.PTI
BNP-Jamaat backed lawyers sweep SC bar polls
in Bangladesh
Lawyers backed by BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-
Islami have swept the Supreme Court Bar Association elections yet again in
Bangladesh.The lawyer’s panel got 10 out of the 14 posts, including those of
the president and the general secretary.BNP Vice-Chairman Zainul Abedin will
serve as the president for the straight second term while Joint Secretary
General AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon has been elected the association’s secretary for
the 6th time.Candidates of the panel backed by the ruling Awami
League won the rest four, including the posts of an assistant secretary and 4
members.UNI
War and disasters leaving more children at the
mercy of traffickers – Nobel laureate
Children are more vulnerable now than ever due
to conflicts and natural disasters with millions without homes or families,
leaving them easy prey for human traffickers, Indian Nobel laureate Kailash
Satyarthi warned on Friday.Ahead of a second summit of global leaders and Nobel
laureates on children’s rights in Jordan on Monday, Satyarthi said orphaned
child refugees have become a “common sight” in the Middle East – a region
hammered by a seven-year war in Syria. UNICEF has reported a five-fold increase
in the number of refugee and migrant children traveling alone since 2010, with
300,000 unaccompanied children on the move in the combined years of 2015 and
2016.“This has led to a significant increase in trafficking,” he said.MEMO
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Journey of Muzaffarnagar Residents to 2nd
Class Citizenship:Harsh Mander, Akram
Akhtar Choudhary
Hindu priests burn hundreds of mango trees in
prayer ritual to curb ‘pollution’:Swati Gupta
Facebook Is Killing Democracy With Its Personality
Profiling Data:Timothy Summers
In JNU, Another Example of Sacrificing
Education to a Management-Driven Culture:Monobina Gupta
Why this liberal Muslim refuses to be
patronised by the liberal Hindu:Irena Akbar
Why the Centre must go for revision of
judgment on SC/ST law:Udit Raj
Election Commission’s action to disqualify AAP
MLAs was patently malafide:Atishi Marlena
‘Modi Govt’s Opposition to Jamia’s Minority
Status is Nothing But Majority Appeasement’:Alim Jafri
Is BJP planning an Ayodhya 2.0 in Varanasi? Abhishek
Srivastava
IS flags seen at militant's funeral in J&K
but clerics, politicians deny group is gaining ground in Valley
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