.باسمہٖ تعالیٰ
Evening NEWS
DIGEST
28 March 2018:09 Rajjab 1439:Vol:9, No:153
INDIA
Cambridge Analytica reveals more: SCL held
campaign to counter jihadism in Kerala, other states
New Delhi:A day after confirming that Congress
was a client of Cambridge Analytica, whistleblower Christopher Wylie today
revealed more details about the data analytics firm’s role in Indian elections.
According to Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica’s parent firm, Strategic
Communication Laboratories (SCL) has a database of seven lakh villages in 600
districts of India which is constantly updated. The data firm, Wylie claimed,
has been conducting caste census and campaigning for political parties in India
since 2003.Sharing details of SCL projects in India, Wylie tweeted:“I’ve been
getting a lot of requests from Indian journalists, so here are some of SCL’s
past projects in India. To the most frequently asked question – yes SCL/CA
works in India and has offices there. This is what modern colonialism looks
like.”According to Wylie, SCL, besides doing electoral research, has conducted
campaign to counter jihad in several states. In 2007, SCL was asked to
undertake research communication campaign to support a transnational programme
for countering the Non-Desired Behaviour of recruitment into and support of
violence in Jihadism in Kerala, West Bengal Jharkhand and UP, revealed
Wylie.SCL carried out caste-based census for a national party in UP before 2012
polls, besides conducting a booth level political survey before the 2007 UP polls.
He further said that the SCL managed the national campaign of a political party
for 2009 Lok Sabha polls and provided electoral research and strategies to JDU
for 2010 Bihar polls.Earlier on Tuesday, Wylie escalated the row over alleged
harvesting of Facebook profiles to influence elections by saying that he
believed the Congress party was a client of Cambridge Analytica, and he was
aware that firm,with many employees and offices, had worked extensively in
India.In his testimony to a British Parliament’s Committee, Wylie, on being
asked about Cambridge Analytica’s work in India, said: “I believe their client
was Congress. But I know that they have done all kinds of projects.I don’t
remember a national project, but I know regionally. I mean India is so big that
you know that one state can be, you know, as big as Britain. But they do have
offices there, they do have staff there. I believe I have some documentation on
India, which I can also provide to the committee if that’s something of
interest.” Indianexpress
Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower says he
believes Congress was client in India
Opposition starts impeachment motion against
CJI
New Delhi:Several Opposition leaders
intensified their efforts to arrive at a common position to give a notice for a
motion for the removal of the CJI Dipak Misra, leaders of several political
parties said on Tuesday. A Rajya Sabha MP said that he and a number of others
had signed a petition in this regard.At the same time, however, there also
appeared to be differences within the Opposition ranks -- including within the
Congress -- on how to proceed on the motion. The Opposition does not have the
numbers to remove CJI even if all other requirements of a complex
constitutional process are met. The proposal had been initially mooted after
four Supreme Court judges spoke out against the CJI’s use of his position as
the master of the roster in Jan.Majeed Memon, a NCP MP, said: “Several
Opposition MPs, including me, have signed the petition to remove the Chief
Justice.”On Tuesday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee met Prashant Bhushan,
senior advocate and leader of the Swaraj Abhiyan party, who has taken a strong
public position against CJI. The two, a TMC leader confirmed, focused
exclusively on the possible motion to remove Misra, with Bhushan making a
strong case for it to Banerjee. Bhushan was not available for comments.A draft
explanatory note -- with 5 specific charges against the CJI -- was doing the
rounds on Tuesday evening among opposition MPs in Delhi. HT could not
independently confirm the origin or veracity of the note. A top Opposition
leader, who is a key figure in pushing the motion, but spoke on condition of
anonymity, said, “I can tell you that we are seriously considering the move. We
have discussed this with Congress as well as a set of regional parties
including the TDP. By Friday, you will have a sense of whether we will go ahead
with the motion.” If it happens, this will be the first time any motion to
remove a sitting Chief Justice would be moved in Parliament.hindustantimes
Moves to remove CJI: How can judge be removed
Opposition Formally Start Process Of Moving
Impeachment Motion Against CJI Dipak Misra
Assam citizenship registration: SC refuses to
extend May 31 deadline for updation of NRC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to
extend the May 31 deadline for the ongoing process of publication of the final
National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam in the wake of panchayat elections
in the state, saying the polls should not become an impediment.The top court,
however, spared the Additional Deputy Commissioner rank officer currently
engaged in NRC updation work for the local bodies elections scheduled next
month.“We have already said that the deadline for updation of NRC is May 31 and
the next 30 days for cross-checking of data till June 30. It can’t go beyond
that and complete final draft should be ready by then. You deploy your surplus
employees or request neighbhouring states, but no employee engaged in NRC work
can be spared or disturbed,” a bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman
said.The bench’s remark came after the state Govt said the panchayat elections were due next
month and urged that the employees engaged in NRC work be allowed to be
deployed for the polls. NRC is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in
Assam.The bench said it had no intention to interfere with the panchayat polls
in the state and it should be held as per schedule. But the polls shall not
become impediment in the work of NRC, it added.Additional Solicitor General
Tushar Mehta, representing Assam, told the court that as per the Panchayat
Constitution Rules of state, deputy commissioner is responsible for the
elections but he was currently engaged in NRC work.“When we asked the deputy
commissioner to work for polls, the state coordinator of NRC Prateek Hajela
said it will be contempt of court as no officer can be engaged in any other
work,” he said.To this, the bench said if there was a statutory requirement,
then the additional deputy commissioners of each district can be spared for the
local bodies’ election, but no other official can be allowed to do any other
job, except NRC updation.The bench asked all state Govt s, railways, banks,
CBSE, UIDAI and Ministry of External Affairs to assist the NRC officials in
verification of the records in the stipulated period.During the hearing, the
bench also pulled up Registrar General of India(RGI) for “putting spanners” in
the work of updation of NRC.The bench posted the matter for further hearing on
May 8. On Feb.20, the SC had made it clear that the ongoing process of
publication of the final NRC in Assam has to be completed by May 31 this year
and work on it should continue without “any interference from any quarter”.PTI
SC dismisses plea to reinvestigate
assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea
to re-investigate Mahatma Gandhi’s killing 80 years ago. Mumbai-based engineer
Pankaj Kumudchandra Phadnis had claimed the investigation and trial in the
Independent India’s biggest assassination was a cover-up.Gandhi was gunned down
by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu radical, on Jan. 30, 1948 in New Delhi when he was
on his way to addressing an evening prayer meeting.Phadnis, who is a trustee of
the Mumbai wing of Abhinav Bharat, a right-wing Hindu organisation, said in his
petition there was suspicion that a second assassin was involved in the
killing.hindustantimes
Centre looks at bringing madrasa teachers to
mainstream
New Delhi: Centre has started a training
programme to bring madrasa teachers of the country to the mainstream, Union
minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.He was speaking at an event to mark the
culmination of a residential training programme for 40 madrasa teachers here.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs in collaboration
with Jamia Millia Islamia."For the first time, such a campaign has been
launched to link madrasa teachers with the mainstream education system. Such
training programmes will strengthen PM Narendra Modis message to have Quran in one
hand and computer in the other hand," a statement quoted Naqvi as
saying.Certificates were distributed to the teachers after completion of their
training, which began on March 22. These teachers will teach mainstream
subjects like Science, Maths, Computer, Hindi, English and others, it
said.Naqvi added that over 50 & of these teachers included women."The
objective of this programme is to instill teaching and communication skills to
the participants. Other lectures were on the latest teaching and assessment
techniques," he said. The minority affairs minister said in the last six
months, thousands of educational institutions of minority communities including
madrasas have been included in the mainstream education system by connecting
them with the 3T-teacher, tiffin, toilet.The training programme was attended by
madrasa teachers from UP , Rajasthan, Haryana and others.PTI
Naqvi launches training programme to link
Madrasa teachers with mainstream education system
Madrasa teachers to be counted in mainstream
edu.cation system
UP Board Madrasa exam scheme draws flak from
teachers; clashing dates to be screened
Lucknow:Just a week since UP Board of Madrasa
Education (UPBME) announced examinations for madrasa students across the state,
its examination scheme drew flak from madrasas mini ITI teachers, students and
their association. A number of these teachers led by the Madrasa Mini ITI
Welfare Association, met with UPBME registrar on Tuesday, complaining that the
scheme has clashing dates that would lead to problems for students and far
flung examination centers.The state has 140 mini ITI madrasas in the state to
develop technical skills in madrasas students along with spiritual education under
madrasas vocational training scheme. There are about 2,500 students in these
mini ITI madrasas. The association submitting its memorandum to registrar Rahul
Gupta, on Tuesday at Jawahar Bhawan, also said that a number of centers
identified as examination centers across the state, are over 50 kilometers away
from the mini ITI madrasas, when by order, the Board had promised a within
eight kilometer radius of a madrasa and its examination center."The dates
in the scheme for Aalim, Fazil and Kamil which are equivalent to graduation and
post graduation degrees are clashing with that of mini ITI examinations. How
will our students appear for both at the same time?" questioned, Akhilesh
Kumar Bajpai,general secretary of the association.TOI
Karnataka poll date leak: EC probe panel
excludes Amit Malviya’s name, to question Congress worker, TV channel
New Delhi:Terms of reference for the committee
constituted by the Election Commission of India to probe into the Karnataka
poll date leak excludes any mention of BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya’s name
but instead states that the panel is required to probe the media outlet
responsible for flashing the news and Congress social media in-charge for
Karnataka Srivatsa.The poll watchdog set up the panel on Tuesday to investigate
into the poll date leak prior to the official EC announcement.ECI’s office
order dated March 27 states that a six-member committee under Senior Deputy
Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha will have to submit a report on the same
within seven days. 5 terms of reference of the probe committee has been listed
as enquiring from the media as well as Srivatsa on the source of their
information on the poll date before its official announcement. It also requires
the panel to enquire from a Kannada channel allegedly owned by a BJP MP on how
it announced the dates beforehand. Besides these, the panel also has to look
into any official lapse and recommend steps to prevent similar incidents in
future.Congress lashed out against the omission with its spokesperson Randeep
Singh Surjewala tweeting, “Yesterday, Union Min, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi went to
@ECI_India with BJP IT Head’s explanation. Surprising that @ECI_India
exonerates BJP IT Head, who initiated ‘Date Leak’ & constitutes an inquiry
thereafter.”indianexpress
Mamata in Delhi LIVE: CM meets Arun Shourie,
Shatrughan Sinha, Yashwant Sinha
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who is camping in Delhi and
trying to mobilise like-minded parties to form an anti-BJP federal front, has a
host of meetings lined up for Wednesday. On a three-day trip to the national
capital, TMC supremo met BJP’s Shatrughan Sinha and Yashwant Sinha and former
Union minister Arun Shourie. All the three leaders have been vocal critics of
the NDA regime. The all-important meeting with her Delhi counterpart Arvind
Kejriwal is scheduled to take place at 6 pm. “Banerjee is interested in having
a conversation with Arvind (Kejriwal) about a number of issues, including his
participation in a possible federal front… She is also interested in asking
about his politics of apology and also the recent HC judgment on the EC
disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs,” a source said.Banerjee, who met NCP chief
Sharad Pawar, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav and DMK’s Kanimozhi among others on Tuesday,
has also expressed her willingness to have a tete-a-tete with SP chief Akhilesh
Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati if the leaders invite her for a meeting to
Lucknow. Not one to hold back in attacking the saffron party, Banerjee on
Tuesday said, “There’s no party in the country that’s more communal than the
BJP.” She also castigated the ruling party over other issues like not taking up
the no-confidence motion and on the Karnataka poll date leak
fiasco.indianexpress
Akhilesh says SP-BSP alliance intact, will
benefit from Mayawati’s ‘age, experience’
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and ex-UP
CM Akhilesh Yadav has said he would seek
“benefit of age and experience” from BSP chief Mayawati and would be generous
when the occasion arises.The newfound friendship between the two archrivals
seems to have hit a rough patch after BSP’s Bhim Rao Ambedkar last week lost
the Rajya Sabha poll to BJP despite the backing of SP and the Congress.“I will
take the benefit of age and experience and show a large heart when the time
comes,” Yadav said on Tuesday during a discussion on the state budget in Vidhan
Parishad.His didn’t name Mayawati but the remarks were seen as a response to
the BSP leader’s statement that the 44-year-old lacked political experience.
“Had Akhilesh Yadav been mature enough, he would have focused on the victory of
BSP candidate more than his own candidate,” she said after Rajya Sabha loss. HT
After cold shoulder by JD(S), Owaisi's AMIM
decides to go alone in Karnataka
Hyderabad: After failing to get any response
from Janata Dal (Secular) for over a month, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM on Tuesday
said it will contest the Karnataka assembly elections alone and without any
alliance with other parties."AIMIM is not looking at electoral tie-up in
Karnataka and will contest the state elections alone”, the party sources said
adding that the number of seats it will contest is yet to be finalized.AIMIM
was earlier trying to form an alliance with Deve Gawda led Janata Dal (S) and
Mayawati’s BSP. However, the party did not get any response from either of the
two, sources said.ummid.com
Unfortunate that outgoing Rajya Sabha MPs
couldn’t debate on issues like triple talaq: Modi
New Delhi:The continued disruptions in the
Rajya Sabha was mentioned in PM Narendra
Modi’s speech for retiring members on Wednesday. Modi said the outgoing Rajya
Sabha members wouldn’t be able to participate in debates when the House decides
on important bills such as the one which seeks to criminalise the practice of
instant triple talaq.In his brief speech, Modi said “unfortunately”, the
retiring members will not be part of Parliament when the decision on instant
triple talaq is taken.“Triple Talaq bill is going to play an important role in
the country’s history. It would have been better if you would had contributed
in such an important decision.”HT
Parliament: Both Houses adjourned till Monday
AIMPLB to move court to defend personal laws:
Jilani
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)
plans to move an intervening application in the Supreme Court to defend the
practice of polygamy and temporary marriage contracts, which the board says are
part of Islamic law.“I have not seen the apex court’s order as yet. AIMPLB is
already a party in the triple ‘talaq’ case. But if the SC has issued the notice
on a fresh application then we will move intervening application soon,” said
Board’s secretary and lawyer Zafaryab Jilani. “It is strange that live-in
relationships are perfectly legal, but objections are being raised on polygamy,
which is an integral part of the Muslim Personal Law,” says Maulana Khalid
Rashid Farangi Mahli, another AIMPLB member.The cleric said the Indian
Constitution guarantees minority communities to follow their own personal laws,
but even then their validity was being challenged. “There is great concern and
anxiety among the Muslims in the manner in which facts are being twisted and
people are misrepresenting ‘shariat’ laws in the court,” he said.
Polygamy, halala inseparable from Islam:
Farangi Mahli
Bhusawal: Muslim women take out rally against
Talaq bill
Bhusawal:Hundreds of women from Muslim
community today took out a rally in Bhusawal in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district
to protest a Central bill that criminalises the practice of talaq-e-biddat or
instant divorce.Representatives of the women handed over a memorandum to
Sub-Divisional Magistrate stating that they don't want Govt's interference in
the Shariya or Muslim law. They claimed Govt introduced the bill in a hurried manner
without discussing it with community representatives.PTI
After Modi Govt Snub, Jamia VC Says University
Will Defend Its Minority Character
New Delhi: In an open snub of Modi Govt ’s
attempts to change the minority character of several leading institutions of
higher education, V-C of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Prof Talat Ahmad, today
said the university would defend its minority character. He made his views
known barely a week after Centre had filed a revised affidavit in the Delhi
high court this month opposing the order of the NCMEI that declared JMI as a
religious minority institution.Prof Ahmad also came down heavily on
“self-styled leaders”, who, he said, had accused the university administration
of mishandling the issue pending before the Delhi high court.“I am pained that
after relentlessly working for the good of the university for the last four
years, some self-styled leaders (of the community) are casting aspersions on
our intentions with regard to the minority status of the university. This is
not only unfounded but also malafide and is not in the larger interest of the
university,” he said at an event organised to mark the first installation
ceremony of the newly-elected governing council members of the Alumni
Association of Jamia (AAJMI).Asserting that “the minority character will be
defended when the matter is taken up for hearing”, Prof Ahmad also charged that
the university and other respondents in the matter were not served any advance
notice by the court after the Centre submitted a revised affidavit challenging
the minority status of the university.thewire
‘Slanderous campaign by vested elements to
malign Jamia Millia administration's image’
After Muzaffarnagar riots, now bid to withdraw
Saharanpur cases against BJP MP, ex-MLA
Meerut: Days after the Yogi Govt initiated the process to withdraw 131 cases
related to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, Saharanpur BJP leadership has begun
its efforts to get the cases against them withdrawn.The cases in question
relate to the violence in the district’s Sadak Doodhli village followed by an
attack on SSP’s office in April 2017. Senior BJP leaders, including Saharanpur
MP Raghav Lakhanpal and former MLA Rajeev Gumber, were booked for inciting
crowds. Gumber said that he recently met deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and gave him a letter
which has now been forwarded to the law ministry for examination.“Those were
all political cases and need to go now. Fake charges were slapped in a case
which was politically motivated. And this was primarily because the
administration was still working under the influence of the previous Govt as
the BJP regime was too new and was establishing itself. I met deputy CM Keshav
Maurya and I have been apprised of the fact that he has passed on that letter
to the law ministry,”Gumber said.Clashes had broken out between the 2
communities at Sadak Doodhli village over a procession on Ambedkar Jayanti on
April 20 last year. A number of shops were targeted while a few vehicles were
also burnt as violence escalated.Lakhanpal had allegedly led the march and
instigated the crowd to force its way into the village despite fact that no
permission was sought for the procession. According to FIR, those in the
procession allegedly led by the MP and other leaders later reached then SSP
Love Kumar's official residence and vandalized it.An FIR was filed against 24
youths from both communities as well as Lakhanpal and Gumber. Besides, 300
unidentified rioters were booked.The incident later triggered other clashes in
the district, including one in Shabbirpur village between Thakur and Dalits and
clashes in Saharanpur city between policemen and Dalits,in which Bhim Army
chief Chandrashekhar was booked.TOI
Hashimpura massacre case: 31 yrs after, a
diary naming cops is new evidence
Over 30 years after Hashimpura massacre, UP Govt
Tuesday, for the first time, filed as evidence a missing general diary that
recorded the names of PAC personnel who were allegedly involved in the killing
of at least 40 Muslims. The general diary, submitted through a witness Ranbir
Singh Bishnoi (78) who deposed Tuesday, allegedly contains names of PAC
personnel who were named as accused and acquitted by a trial court in
2015.Bishnoi appeared before a sessions court at Tis Hazari and filed the
original evidence of the general diary (GD) that details names of the PAC
members posted at the police line, Meerut in 1987. His deposition came after a
Delhi High Court order, following a plea by NHRC, directed the prosecution to
lead additional evidence with respect to “GD register extracts which are at
pages 5,741 to 5,746 of the trial court record”.On Tuesday, Bishnoi deposed
before Additional Sessions Judge Navita Kumari Bagha, and said: “At the time of
filing chargesheet, I had examined all the documents and filed them along with
the charge sheet. Photocopies of GD dated May 22, 1987, running into six pages
of C Post Police Line, Meerut were filed along with the charge sheet. The
originals of the same are now submitted before the court and exhibited.”“It is
incorrect to suggest that the documents are not original documents. According
to GD No.6, on May 22, 1987, at 7:50 am, police force was sent to Outpost
Pilokhadi, PS Lisadi Gate, Meerut, UP. PC (platoon commander) Surender Pal
Singh… went to outpost Pilokhadi. At that time they were having 17 rifles, 850
rounds, one revolver with 30 rounds and they had gone there in the truck
bearing registration No. URU-1493 and the driver of said truck was Ct
(constable) Mokham Singh,” said Bishnoi while reading out the original
documents during the cross-examination in court.In court on Tuesday, Bishnoi
read out a list of 17 names. Platoon Commander Surender Pal Singh, Head
Constables Niranjan Lal, Kamal Singh, Sarwan Kumar, Kush Kumar, SC Sharma,
constables Om Prakash, Shami Ullah, Jai Pal, Mahesh Prasad, Ram Dhayan, Leela Dhar,
Hambir Singh, Kunwar Pal, Budha Singh, Basant Ballabh and Naik Rambir
Singh.indianexpress
Maharashtra CM gives clean chit to Bhima
Koregaon violence accused Sambhaji Bhide, receives criticism
Giving
almost a clean chit to Bhima Koregaon violence accused Sambhaji Bhide,
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis today informed the Maharashtra Legislative
assembly that there was no evidence of any direct involvement of Bhide in the
riots.CM was replying on the discussion of law and order issue of the
state."A woman from the Bhima Koregaon area had alleged that she saw Bhide
in the vicinity before the riots. We immediately took cognizance of the
allegations and started investigations. But till date there has been no proof
to show Sambhaji Bhide's direct involvement", Fadnavis informed.He said
that the woman who had mentioned in her complaint that she saw Bhide pelting
stone has cleared the air."She said she did not see Bhide.She had given
the statement based on hearsay," Fadnavis said.Yesterday, Prakash Ambedkar
had led huge protests demanding arrest of the founder of Shiv Pratishthan
Hindusthan. Ambedkar met CM and had said that he will furnish fresh proofs
against Bhide."He cited a Facebook post of an alleged supporter of Bhide
Guruji. So we have assured that we will investigate the new
proof",Fadnavis said. NCP has hit out against CM over clean
chit.indiatoday
Junaid Khan murder: HC grants bail to one of 6
accused
New Delhi: Punjab and Haryana High Court
granted bail to Rameshwar Dass, who is one of the accused in the Junaid Khan
murder case. The Supreme Court recently stayed the trial court proceedings in
the case.The SC had on March 20 issued notices to the Haryana Govt and the CBI on a plea by the father of
15-year-old Junaid, who was allegedly lynched by a mob on board a train in June
last year. The plea had sought a probe by the central agency into the incident,
termed by the family as a “hate crime” because of allegations that the accused
mocked the victim’s skull cap.The court had also stayed trial proceedings in
the case pending before a Faridabad court.Father, Jalalludin, had challenged
the HC order, which rejected his plea for a CBI probe.indianexpress
Police cite ‘riot-like situation’ in FIR on
JNU protest march
New Delhi:4 days after a march by about 1,000
JNU students and teachers ran into lathicharge and water cannons, Delhi Police
have registered an FIR against the protesters, alleging “gathering in an
unlawful assembly” and “creating a riot-like situation” by “breaking through
barricades” and “assaulting police officers”.In the wake of the protest,
several students and teachers had alleged that they were assaulted by
police.FIR names 31 police officers, a majority of them constables, who were
allegedly injured during the protest. The list also includes the names of
several women officers. Also in the FIR are the names of 16 JNU students, who
were picked up by police during the violence and taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre
for a medical examination. However, FIR claims: “Students refused to undergo a
medical examination. Their professor also counter-signed on the document saying
that the students did not want to undergo a medical examination,” FIR read. FIR
states that ACPs and SHOs of South district had anticipated a crowd of
2,500-3,000 protesting students. indianexpress
Cop touched my breast and pushed me: Journo
covering JNU march
New Delhi:A journalist who has accused a Delhi
Police inspector of molesting her has said in her complaint that he groped her
breast even after being told that she was with the media. A case was registered
yesterday and a probe is on, the police said.Inspector Vidhyadhar Singh, who
was SHO, Delhi Cantonment, and was accused of molesting the journalist during a
students’ march, has been sent to the district lines, the police said. The
complainant said she was standing in a service lane near the site of a protest
organised by students of JNU along with a fellow journalist when the police
started hitting the demonstrators with batons. She alleged that she and the
other journalist were pushed by Singh.PTI
Maulana Azad statue pulled down in Bengal: indianexpress
Kankinara: While deaths of two persons in
clashes triggered by Ram Navami processions organised by BJP and Sangh Parivar
outfits in the state have been reported, another man was killed and a statue of
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad pulled down during an armed rally led by TMC leaders in
North 24 Parganas district.Incident occurred in Bhatpara municipality area,
about 40 km from Kolkata. According to sources, local TMC leaders, including
MLA Arjun Singh and Bhatpara Municipality Chairman-in-Council Md Maqsood Alam,
participated in the rally, which began around 4 pm. People were carrying swords
and trishuls, said residents of the area. But Alam claimed that their
procession was “hijacked by people with wrong intentions”,who “were raising
pro-BJP slogans”.
Hindutva goons hoist saffron flag on mosque in
Samastipur: Janta Ka Reporter
It seems Bihar under CM Nitish Kumar has truly
descended into utter lawlessness with Jungle Raj returning to haunt the state.
After the communal violence of Bhagalpur and Aurangabad, the state witnessed
another spate of communal violence targeting the Muslim community in Samastipur
on Tuesday.Hundreds of Hindutva militants attacked a local mosque in Rosada
area of Samastipur before hoisting a saffron flag, said local residents. In the
photos and video, now gone viral, local residents have also claimed that the
right-wing goons even burnt part of the premises, used to impart religious
educations. Many chapters of Quran were seen burnt with the pages from the
Muslim Holy book strewn on the floor.The incident took place on Tuesday during
the idol immersion procession. Local SP, Deepak Ranjan was quoted as saying,
“On Tuesday morning, people from a certain community gathered here to disturb
the law and order. The police force arrived here as soon as we were informed
about the incident.”
Bihar:122 held communal clashes, JD(U)
cautions ally BJP
Patna/Aurangabad: As many as 122 people were
arrested till Tuesday for communal clashes in Bihar's Aurangabad town even as
there was tension in Rosera police station area in Samastipur district after a
mob allegedly pelted stones at a mosque. In a related development, JD(U)
general secretary KC Tyagi sought to send a message to BJP by cautioning NDA
allies not to indulge in an action that could give the opposition an
opportunity to to raise an accusing finger against the ruling
alliance.Aurangabad DM Ranjan Mahiwal said in a major crackdown against
anti-social elements, 122 people were arrested and jailed. He emphasized no
fresh violence has taken place since Monday night. "The situation is well
under control now," he said, adding that internet services have been
snapped in the district since Monday to prevent rumour-mongering. Over 500
people have been accused in 3 FIRs lodged in connection with the violence,
Mahiwal said. TOI
Nitish announces scholarships for madrassa
students
Patna: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has announced scholarships for
students of Govt -affiliated madrassas.He also pledged to appoint Urdu teachers
in all high schools.“Students of govt-affiliated madrassas will be provided
scholarships,” Nitish Kumar said at a function here to mark Urdu Day.He said
the Govt would strengthen madrassa
infrastructure in the state.He also expressed regrets for not learning Urdu
during his student days.“It is my desire that all should learn and study Urdu.
Both Hindi and Urdu are Hindustani languages. Govt will work for the promotion
of Urdu.“It is wrong to associate Urdu with a particular community,” he added.IANS
Hyderabad: Case registered against BJP MLA for
hurting religious sentiments
Hyderabad : A case has been registered against
BJP MLA Raja Singh in Rein Bazar Police Station for hurting religious
sentiments of Muslims.Circle Inspector, Rein Bazar police station, in a
statement said, “We have received a complaint from Iqbal Mbt, party worker on
March 26, stating Raja Singh in a video has delivered a speech which is
provocative and hurting the sentiments of the Muslim religion, he also promoted
enormity between 2 religions.He also said, “After taking legal opinion
regarding the complaint, we registered a case.ANI
India, US pledge to 'share' information on
terror groups, individuals
New Delhi:India and US on Tuesday pledged to
enhance information sharing on "most dangerous terrorist groups and
individuals" and also discussed international efforts to counter threats
by foreign terror groups. At the meeting of the India-US Counter Terrorism
Joint Working Group in Delhi, both sides committed to strengthening information
sharing on some of the world’s most dangerous terrorist groups and individuals
and exchanged views on efforts to counter the financing and operations of
regional and global terrorist organizations. "2 sides discussed
international efforts to counter threats posed by foreign terrorist
fighters," a statement from the MEA said here.At the deliberations, Indian
side was led by Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary Mahaveer Singhvi
and US was represented by State Dept’s Principal Deputy Coordinator for
Counterterrorism, Alina L. Romanowski. Working Group reviewed threats posed by
terrorist groups worldwide and in their respective regions including cross
border terrorism in the South Asian region, the MEA statement said.UNI
Social media more dangerous than IS in
Kashmir, security agencies tell home secretary: theprint
New Delhi: Security agencies in J&K have
told the centre that social media is the main source used for “radicalisation”
of youth and that the terror outfit, Islamic State, does not have much
significance in the troubled state.The information was shared with union home
secretary Rajiv Gauba who began a 2-day visit to the state Monday. A delegation
led by the home secretary met officers from Army, CRPF, BSF and J&K Police and reviewed the security situation in
the state.“Delegation was told that social media has been used to radicalise
youth. However, the Islamic State has no significance in Kashmir although IS
flags were waved occasionally,” a source privy to the meeting told ThePrint. “A
close watch is being kept on such activities.”This meeting comes after the home
ministry expressed concern over rising cases of youth joining militancy in the
Valley.Gauba is believed to have asked the security agencies to prepare for the
summer, which is the tourist season and the time for Amarnath Yatra. The
delegation led by Gauba also sought updates on counter-insurgency operations
and infiltration on the border, mainly in north Kashmir. Gauba has asked top administrative officials
to stick to the deadline of development projects. The high-level meeting took
note of the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandit migrants as well as victims of
the border shelling. theprint
Kashmir terror funding case: State minister,
ex-MP, MLAs, police officers in touch with separatist leaders, NIA call records
show
Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Gani Lone and
other mainstream political leaders, including senior Congress leader and former
MP Tariq Hameed Karra, were in touch with separatist leaders before they were
arrested by NIA in July in the Kashmir terror funding probe.As per call detail
records (CDRs) of the separatist leaders, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Watali, one
of the prime accused, was in touch with some PDP leaders as well as MLA Langate
Er Rashid. Besides Watali, others who are in judicial custody include Altaf
Ahmed Shah, son-in-law of former Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Ayaz
Akbar, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Nayeem Khan of JKLF and Farooq
Ahmed Dar aka Bitta Karate.Rashid, who called Watali at least 240 times, has
been among the most frequent callers. PDP youth leader and J&K State Sports Council secretary Waheed ur
Rehman Parra called Watali at least 69 times, NIA records revealed. Rashid was
earlier questioned by the NIA during its probe into funding from Pakistan to
separatist leaders and “stone-pelters” and also expressed his willingness to
join the separatists.Others who had been talking to separatist leaders include
senior Congress leader Karra, former revenue minister and MLA Khansaheb, Hakeem
Yaseen, CPM Kulgam MLA MY Tarigami, former minister and DNP chairman Ghulam
Hassan Mir.Yaseen said that he may have been in touch with some separatist
leaders.“What is wrong with that? We have been seeking dialogue with
separatists and I even visited Pakistan in 2005 and met top leaders. Talking to
separatists has been part of our larger effort to seek the resolution to the
Kashmir problem,” he said.Karra, however, said talking to the separatist
leaders “doesn’t mean that I own their ideology”. “Kashmir is a close-knit
society. Some separatist leaders have kin in mainstream political parties.
There is no harm in talking to them. Even my father was relative of Mirwaiz
Moulvi Farooq.”Mir said separatists were also the residents of J&K and “we are not bifurcated”. “I may have
talked to the separatists,” he said. Lone, as per CDR, have been calling from
his number. CDRs of the mainstream leaders are part of the NIA investigation
into the alleged involvement of separatist leaders in the 2016 agitation after
the killing of Burhan Wani. As per CDRs, some officials of the IB as well as
top police officers were also in touch with the separatist leaders before they
were arrested. Mobile records revealed that some top Pakistani politicians
frequently called the separatist leaders.
Firstpost
Islam not for unjustified violence, forced
conversions: new Hurriyat chief Sehrai
Srinagar:Newly-appointed Tehreek-e-Hurriyat
(TeH) chairman Ashraf Sehrai, in his first ever public speech on Tuesday, said
Islam was “a movement of justice for all, including Hindus and Sikhs,” and
warned against “unjustified violence or forced conversions”.“Islam is a
bestowed movement for social justice to all, including Hindus and Muslims. Its
followers require to promote the good and fight the evil and the oppressor. It
does not believe in forced conversions or use of violence, like beheading, to
settle disagreements,” said Sehrai in his first ever public speech made on the
death anniversary of lawyer Jalil Andrabi in Srinagar’s court complex. Sehrai,
74, took over from Syed Ali Geelani as chairman of TeH, which is an influential
constituent of All Parties Hurriyat Conference headed by Geelani.Describing
Kashmir “an issue of right to self determination”, Sehrai said people of
Kashmir “was struggling against India’s broken promises and its ploys to usurp
the State”. “Our sacrifices is our asset and will safeguard it till the goal is
achieved,” he added.He said Kashmir requires a unification (among the
separatists) against the present regime in New Delhi on the lines of Hurriyat
of 1993.In an oblique reference to the militant outfits questioning Hurriyat’s
role, Sehrai said: “Any disagreement with the Hurriyat leadership is positive.
But any bloodshed in the name of differences is unacceptable. No one should
divide people in the name of sects, Shias or Sunnis etc.Hurriyat is open to
accountability. Those who have issues should directly come to the leadership,”
he added.JKLF chief Yasin Malik said the current BJP’s regime at the Centre
“may thrust a mini war on J&K to win
votes in case their support base shrinks”.thehindu
Barmer woman converts to Islam to marry
Kashmiri man, J&K HC provides security cover
Jaipur:A Hindu woman from Rajasthan’s Barmer
converted to Islam in December last year and married a Kashmiri man, keeping
her family in the dark, police said.In March this year, the woman went missing
from her house, and when her family registered a missing person’s report,
police found out that she was in J&K ’s Kupwara district.Barmer police
received an order from the J&K HC on
March 22 to provide security to the couple so that no harm is caused to them.
The HC passed the order on Feb.20, but it reached Barmer on March 22.According
to the documents received with the HC order, Barmer’s Ritu Khandelwal, 18,
converted to Islam on her own will and became Zeenab. Police also received a
copy of the marriage registration certificate in which Gulzar Ahmad Khan is
mentioned as her husband.HT
Missing 12-yr-old boy found begging outside mosque
in Mumbai, cops puzzled
Missing for 20 days, a 12-year-old boy was
found begging outside a mosque in Mumbai by Crime Branch unit 4 of Mumbai
Police.Cops are, however, probing whether the boy was kidnapped or he ran away
from home to escape from writing exams and avoid parental pressure. The parents
of the boy are relieved that he's back home as the cops try to solve the
puzzle. When cops retrieved 12-year-old boy from outside the mosque, they also
found another 10-year-old boy named Ashish begging along with him.12-year-old
Anwar (name changed) went missing from Mumbai's Wadala area and was found 20
days later outside a mosque located in Navi Mumbai, Vashi area.According to
crime branch officials, on March 6, Anwar went missing after he went out to
play. His parents filed a complaint at Wadala TT police station. Cops revealed
Anwar told them that a person took him to CST station in south Mumbai and he
does not have any memory of how he reached the mosque in Vashi. Anwar also said
that he does not remember the man who took him as well.However, the police also
revealed that Anwar told them that he was facing parental pressure for his
exams and he wasn't prepared well.Cops are, therefore, puzzled whether Anwar
was actually kidnapped or he went on his own.10-year-old Ashish, who was found
with Anwar, told police that he had left his home a few months back. Ashish's
father died and mother did odd jobs to earn a daily wage. However, that earning
was not enough for Ashish and therefore, he left home. He tried to do some odd
job and earn but could not find anything to do and therefore started begging
outside Noor Masjid.indiatoday
Resolving Rohingya crisis in mutual interest:
Bangladesh tells India
Mumbai:Resolving the Rohingya crisis will be
in interest of both India and Bangladesh, as the presence of thousands of
“unemployed” refugees in the region can be as much a threat to India as to his
country, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali said here on Tuesday.“We
would like to see India play a major role in resolving the refugee crisis,” he
said, during a media interaction.“It is our problem today. It might be your
problem tomorrow. Because if we keep another thousand Rohingya refugees unemployed
in our region, then it will be a threat for you as well,” Ali said.Rohingya
refugee influx into Bangladesh is not a matter of whether something is legal or
illegal, he said, adding, “A group of people were driven out of their country
and they had to take shelter in our country for their lives.”Bangladesh PM Sheikh
Hasina has shown “maximum magnanimity” by letting the Rohingyas come in, he
said.“But she had mentioned quite clearly that this will be a temporary shelter
and the solution to the Rohingya issue must be found in Myanmar itself as this
is where they have been living for a couple of centuries,” Ali said. PTI
HC notice on PIL seeking protection of
Rohingyas
Hyderabad: A division bench of the High Court has
directed the Central and Telangana Govt s to file their counter affidavits
within three weeks on a PIL which seeks protection to Rohingya Muslim refugees
from Myanmar, particularly to those living in and around Hyderabad. The bench
of acting chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice K Vijaya Lakshmi was
dealing with a PIL filed by ‘Migrants Rights Council’, represented by its
president P Narayana Swami, seeking direction to the secretary to ministry of
home affairs, secretary to foreign affairs and Telangana state chief secretary.
Petitioner’s counsel P Shashi Kiran told HC that the families of Rohingya
Muslims, who have come from Myanmar, had
been suffering due to lack of basic amenities and were living in deplorable
conditions,particularly in Hyderabad.newindianexpress
Stepping back from Maldives, India tells China
New Delhi;India has told China it will not
intervene in the Maldives and expects it to reciprocate this measure of
“strategic trust” by not crossing certain “lines of legitimacy” even as the two
countries size each other up in the aftermath of the Doklam crisis last year
when they faced off on the plateau.“The days when India believed that South
Asia was its primary sphere of influence and that it could prevent other
powers, such as China, from expanding its own clout are long gone,” a senior Govt
official said. Indian Express.
Hamid Ansari pitches for empowerment of
Muslims through focussed affirmative action
New Delhi: Muslims suffer from identity-based
discrimination and sporadic violence, former vice president Hamid Ansari said
today and pitched for their empowerment through focussed affirmative action and
providing them development opportunities by embracing their problems
politically, socially and economically.Ansari said Indian Muslims constituted
14.2% of population. (They) are afflicted, like many others...by deprivation
and underdevelopment. In addition, they (Muslims) specially suffer from
identity-based discrimination and sporadic violence.There is also perceptual
deficit, he said after launching a book, Working with Muslims-Beyond Burqa and
Triple Talaq', authored by Farah Naqvi.Referring to a 2006 report, Ansari said
many Muslims suffered from "multiple development deficit" and pitched
for their empowerment through focussed affirmative action".He said this
would enable them to avail benefits like other citizens and take them to a
point where govt's Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' slogan becomes meaningful.Speaking
about the book, he said at times when both developmental sector work and
under-served minority communities were looked upon with certain ambiguity, the
book sheds new life on the work being done for the Muslim community.He said
many of NGOs, mentioned in the book, operated in spaces left vacant by the
state and remained isolated despite dream of a New India by 2022 being promised
by Govt.HE said major segment of the Muslim community were poor, powerless and
have no access to amenities and opportunities, and stressed for Govtto address
such issues.PTI
Aadhaar privacy case: SC expresses concerns
regarding data misuse by private firms
The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed its concerns
over misuse of Aadhaar data by private firms. The SC felt that UIDAI may not be
sufficient to deal with the problem as there is no data protection law in the
country and in a situation like this data collected under Aadhaar might be
porne to danger. A 5-judge Constitution bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra asked
Ajay Bhushan Pandey, the CEO of UIDAI, about the safeguards employed to
restrain private entities from parting with sensitive information of citizens
for commercial gains while conducting the authentication of Aadhaar.dnaindia
Govt extends deadline for linking Aadhaar with
welfare schemes to June 30
New Delhi:A day after Supreme Court refused to
further extend the deadline for linking of Aadhaar with govt schemes and benefits,
the govt on Wednesday extended the same from March 31 to June 30.On Dec.15 last
year, the SC had extended till March 31 the deadline for mandatory linking of
Aadhaar with various services and welfare schemes.Recently, the SC had ordered
an indefinite extension to the March 31 deadline for mandatory linking of the
biometric identifier with bank accounts and mobile phones.indianexpress
CBSE’s decision forces 28 lakh students to
retake Class X and XII exams
A decision by the CBSE will force around 28
lakh students to retake their Class 12th Economics and class 10 Mathematics
exams papers after reports of alleged paper leak.In its reconduct of exams, CBSE
said, “Board has taken cognizance of certain happenings in the conduct of
certain examinations as are being reported. With the view to uphold the
sanctity of the Board Examination and in the interest of the fairness to the
students, the Board has decided to reconduct the examinations in the following
subjects.”jantakareporter
Mutt support for Lingayat minority status
leaves BJP red-faced
BJP suffered a major political embarrassment
in Karnataka when the head priest of the influential Murugha Mutt supported Congress
Govt's decision to give minority status to Lingayats. The timing couldn't have
come at a worse time for BJP as its president Amit Shah was on a two-day tour
of Karnataka trying to drum up support ahead of the May 12 assembly
polls." Govt of Karnataka has rightly recommended to the central backward
commission in this regard,"head priest Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru said
in a memorandum.The memo was submitted personally to Shah, who was visiting
various seers, on Tuesday. Chitradurga-based mutt is an influential Hindu
seminary."At the outset, it appears that there is a controversy between Lingayath
and Veershaiva faith followers.It is a temporary outbreak of emotions of small
groups in the followers of both faiths. It will not last long," it stated.
Indiatoday
Justice Jawad Rahim appointed acting
chairperson of NGT
Paving the way for appointment of judicial
experts on various benches of National Green Tribunal (NGT), including western
zone bench in Pune that has not been operational since Feb1, the Supreme Court
on Tuesday appointed Justice Jawad Rahim as the acting chairperson of the
Tribunal.indian express
PFI ‘spent’ Rs 1 crore on Hadiya case in SC: daily
pioneer
kochi:Kerala State committee of PFI, had spent
nearly Rs 1 crore on the sensational case pertaining to the marriage of Hadiya,
25-year-old Hindu woman Akhila who converted to Islam in 2015, with Muslim
youth Shaffin Jahan in the SC. According to the organization, it had spent a
total of Rs 99,52,324 for fighting the case for Shaffin, who had approached the
SC challenging a Kerala High Court order of May 24, 2017 annulling Hadiya’s
marriage with him.
Pune Muslim Bank chairman siphoned off Rs 2 cr
staff bonus, allege agitating directors; PA Inamdar denies
Fresh protests erupted against the Pune Muslim
Co-operative Bank and its chairman PA Inamdar at the bank’s headquarters in
Bhavani peth on Monday after 2 of its directors, Imtiaz Shikilkar and SM Iqbal,
along with their supporters comprising a section of bank members, demanded the
resignation of Inamdar. Protestors allege that Inamdar allegedly siphoned off
Rs 2 crore staff bonus given in terms ofad-hoc allowance and
incentives.Inamdar, however, said that the two bank directors were blackmailing
him and pressurising him to go soft on defaulters close to them while seeking
favouritism regarding loans to their close acquaintances. They reportedly also
wanted him to give donations to their institutions.Both Shikilkar and Iqbal
denied the allegations and demanded proof of the monetary allegations levelled
against them by Inamdar. Shikilkar and Iqbal claimed that Inamdar allegedly
demanded 50 & of the ad-hoc and incentive amount of the bank staffers,
aggregating between Rs 2 and Rs 2.5 crore which was illegal. Inamdar termed the
allegations to be concocted and baseless. “Allegations are being made to
pressurise me further in relenting to their illegal demands of going slow on
defaulters and donations. The incentive scheme was started by Imtiaz Shikilkar
in his tenure. There is a political angle and they want money. The incentive
money is the right of the employee and it cannot be denied. The staff get it as
a boost for their loan recovery performance. I have officially given Rs10 lakh
each to both of them for their educational institute.Yet, both are pressurising
me to favour their candidates for loan or those facing loan recovery action. In
social work, you do not get a ‘thank you’ and face challenges as a social
worker,” Inamdarsaid.Meanwhile, Iqbal said, “Fight is against the death of
democracy in the bank and rules being thrown to the wind by Inamdar. He is
facing CBI investigation and the chairman continues to cause hindrances in the
investigation.”HT
WORLD
N. Korea, China highlight strong ties after
Kim’s secret Beijing trip
Beijing:North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and
his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping sought to portray strong ties between the
long-time allies despite a recent chill as both countries on Wednesday
confirmed Kim’s secret trip to Beijing this week. The visit highlights Beijing
and Pyongyang’s efforts to better position themselves by showing they support
each other ahead of Kim’s planned meetings with South Korean President Moon
Jae-in and President Donald Trump in the coming weeks. Kim made the unofficial
visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday at
Xi’s invitation, China’s official Xinhua Agency said, in what was in his
first trip to a foreign country since he took power in 2011. Xi held talks with
Kim at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and he and his wife Peng Liyuan
hosted a banquet for Kim and his wife Ri
Sol Ju, Xinhua said. They also watched an art performance together. Official
reports from both countries depicted in effusive terms warm ties between the
two leaders in an effort to downplay recent tensions in relations over Kim’s
development of nuclear weapons and long range missiles. Xi hailed Kim’s visit as embodying the
importance with which the North Korean leader regarded ties with China.“We
speak highly of this visit,” Xi told Kim, according to Xinhua. Kim has also
said that North Korea is willing to hold a summit with the US, according to
Xinhua.AP
Palestinian forces arrest dozens of Hamas
supporters in W.Bank
Dozens of Hamas supporters and activists have
been detained in the West Bank over the past 2 weeks following an attack on the
Palestinian Authority (PA) PM's convoy in Gaza on March 13. Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas accused Hamas of being behind the attack on Rami
Hamdallah's motorcade, calling it an "assassination attempt".Hamas
denied the allegations and said it was launching an investigation to uncover
who was behind the blast.Almost two weeks after the attack, two suspects were
killed in an operation carried out by Hamas security forces. They were
identified as Anas Abu Khousa and Abdul Hadi al-Ashab, unaffiliated with any
Palestinian political faction.Attack and the subsequent recriminations marked a
serious deterioration in relations between Hamas and the PA.So far, at least 55
Palestinians have been arrested as part of a crackdown by the PA on Hamas
supporters.Hasan Khreisheh, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council in
the West Bank, said that the arrest campaign by PA security forces is
"incomprehensible and unjustified"."These arrests must be
stopped in favour for a Palestinian united front to take a stance against the
bigger issues at hand, such as US President Donald Trump's decision to move his
country's embassy to Jerusalem," Khreisheh said. "If PA is serious
about confronting these real issues, then they should stop the arrests,"
he continued. "In light of what the Palestinian cause is going through,
political detention deepens unreasonable disputes."Abdelsattar Qassam, a
Palestinian analyst and professor of political science at the an-Najah
University in Nablus, accused PA of practicing tyranny.aljazeera
Recognise Gaza as a de-facto independent state:Ex
Israeli major general
A former head of Israel’s National Security
Council has urged the Govt to recognise and treat the Gaza Strip as a de-facto
independent state.Writing in Yediot Ahronoth, former Major-General Giora Eiland
argued that Israel needs to take the “initiative, on the basis that “the
situation [in Gaza] is unstable and could deteriorate very soon”.According to
Eiland, Gaza “has been a de-facto independent state” since 2007, with “a
defined area; an efficient central Govt ; an independent foreign policy; and an
army of its own”.Moreover, he continued, “Israel has no political, economic or
territorial interests concerning Gaza, but only a security interest to maintain
calm” – but “Mahmoud Abbas isn’t interested in strip’s reconstruction”.MEMO
Israeli deputy minister: annex West Bank but
don’t give Palestinians right to vote
Israel’s deputy defense minister, MK Rabbi Eli
Ben-Dahan, has claimed that Israel could annex the entirety of the occupied
West Bank, without giving its Palestinian residents the right to vote.Ben-Dahan
made the remarks in an interview with the pro-settler news outlet Arutz Sheva,
and in particular, addressed the issue of demographics between the River Jordan
and the Mediterranean Sea.“The clear and absolute thing is that we are here in
the Land of Israel and we are not afraid of any attempts to frighten us”, he
said. “They want to scare us, that maybe soon we will not be a majority and
therefore we have to abandon Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]. This is a grave
mistake”.Ben-Dahan added that the “main issue” is that “we are in Judea and
Samaria because this is our land, and we are here so that we will never leave
it”.middleeastmonitor
Jewish group calls for Muslims to evacuate
Al-Aqsa on Friday
An extremist Israeli Jewish group called for
Muslims to evacuate Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday in order to let them carry out the
Passover sacrifice, Arab48.com has reported.The group posted notices at the
gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque. “A call to the Muslim Jerusalemites,” the notice said.
“Peace be upon you. We are the representatives of the Jewish people asking you
to leave the Temple Mount on 30 March 2018 at 6 am.” They explained that “The
evacuation is aimed to let the Jews carry out the Jewish religious duty which
is Passover sacrifice at the Temple Mount.”Extremist group slaughtered goats near
the southern wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a practice-run for the Passover
sacrifice. That was the first time that such an activity had taken place so
near to Al-Aqsa.middleeastmonitor
Israeli court acquits settlers who killed
Palestinian farmer
The family of Palestinian farmer Mahmoud
Owdeh, who was shot dead by Jewish settlers, have denounced the decision of an
Israeli court to acquit his killers, Quds Press reported. Owdeh was killed when
an Israeli settler opened fire directly at him in the village of Qasra in the
occupied West Bank city of Nablus a couple of months ago.Although the settlers
pleaded self-defence, the dead man’s son, Ahed, said that there was no evidence
for such claims. He added that the court did not submit any of the documents
related to the investigations into the incident to the family, or even the
autopsy report.The family is planning to file an appeal against the ruling
after they get the documents from the Israeli military court.middleeastmonitor
Calls to protect children in Yemen have failed:UNICEF
UNICEF’s Regional Director of Media said on
Tuesday that her organisation’s calls for a peaceful reconciliation between the
warring parties in Yemen in order to protect children have failed,
Arabic.rt.com has reported.“Since the start of the conflict in Yemen, we have
been calling for a peaceful reconciliation in order to protect children and to
lessen their suffering,” said Juliette Touma. “As of today, the continuous
calls of UNICEF have not been answered. We call tirelessly for an end to this
war on children in Yemen or which adults are responsible.MEMO
Abiy Ahmed elected as head of Ethiopia's
ruling coalition
Ethiopia's ruling coalition has elected Abiy
Ahmed as its new chairman, according to state media. The announcement on
Tuesday by state broadcaster FANA means that Ahmed, who hails from the Oromo
ethnic group, is now expected to succeed Hailemariam Desalegn as Ethiopia's PM .The
chairman of the ruling EPRDF coalition has historically also taken on PM duties. EPRDF and its allies control all 547
seats in Ethiopia's parliament, which must confirm the new PM .aljazeera
Saudi and Russia consider 10 to 20 year oil
alliance
Saudi Arabia and Russia are working on a
long-term deal to extend their alliance on oil curbs that began in January
2017, after a crash in crude prices."We are working to shift from a
year-to-year agreement to a 10-20 year agreement," Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman told Reuters news agency. "We have an agreement on the
big picture but not yet on the details."Saudi Arabia has led the OPEC and
allies outside the cartel to join forces to stabilise oil prices.aljazeera
Suu Kyi loyalist Win Myint elected as new
Myanmar Prez
Myanmar’s parliament has elected Win Myint,a
loyalist of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the new President, while the latter retained
her executive authority over the Govt .The vote comes as Ms. Suu Kyi’s civilian
Govt has struggled to implement peace
and national reconciliation, with the powerful military still embroiled in
combat with ethnic rebels and under heavy international criticism for its
brutal counter-insurgency campaign against the Muslim Rohingya minority.The
military ruled the country for a half-century, during which it was accused of
widespread abuses before partially handing power to a civilian Govt in 2016. It is still in charge of security
matters and still faces accusations of rights abuses.AP
Abadi: Iraq to prevent Kurdish fighter attacks
on Turkey
Iraqi armed forces will prevent Kurdish
fighters based in northern Iraq from staging cross-border attacks against
Turkey, Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi
said.Abadi's office said the PM relayed
this message to his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim in a phone call on
Tuesday. Ankara had threatened on
Sunday to intervene directly if the Iraqi operation against the fighters based
in the border region of Sinjar failed.aljazeera
Tunisia: Assembly votes to abolish human
rights commission
Tunisian MPs voted not to renew the human
rights commission's mandate that is set to expire in May, a move being legally
challenged because not enough legislators were present in the assembly. Members
of Tunisia's parliament voted on Monday in favour of terminating the Truth and
Dignity Commission's duties with 68 voting for, two abstaining, and zero
against.Prior to the vote, there was heated debate between those opposing the
human rights body and others who say it could still shed light on abuses
committed since the country gained independence in 1955. The vote was
ultimately boycotted by the Muslim democrat Ennahdha Party along with Ettayar
(Democratic Current) and leftist Popular Front whose representatives walked out
of Assembly in protest.aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Abul Kalam Azad’s commitment to religion, the
nation, lights the path for Muslims, secular Hindus:Syeda Hameed
Is the cost of being a Muslim liberal too high
to be paid by ordinary Muslims?Omair Anas, Indian Express
Minorities in a Dilemma on Whether to Support
Congress in the Absence of a Third Front:Mohd Naushad Khan, news18.com
Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai Revisited: Not ‘Riots’
But ‘Calculated Attacks’:SHOMA A CHATTERJI
Religious scholars in Gaza call for full
participation in ‘Great March of Return’
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:22 PM)
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