Evening NEWS
DIGEST
10 April 2018:22 Rajjab 1439:Vol:9, No:161
INDIA
Centre dilutes cattle trade laws, modifies key
clauses
BJP-led Central Govt changed the rules in
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals by removing the term ‘slaughter’ from it. The
new rules now deal with prevention of cruelty to animals in the market. The
previous rules issued by the Govt just
stated a ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter. When the Centre issued the
notification on May 23, 2017, banning the sale of cattle for slaughter, it
stirred massive political storm and protests from both traders and consumers. According
to reports, the ministry of environment, forest, and climate change removed the
word slaughter from draft rules and concised the existing rules to almost half.
In the new notification called Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Animal
Market Rules, only one line has been retained from the 2017’s notification i.e.
‘no unfit animal or young animal shall be sold in an animal market’.In another
big step taken in amending the rules, the central Govt scrapped the clause which asked for a
certification that the ‘animal brought to the market for sale is not for
slaughter’. The new rules heavily stress on the prohibited practices like
branding, castration and nose cutting of animals. At least four other clauses
on how animals should be kept, like adequate space and other rules on penning
and caging, in a market have been removed.After the new rules were notified by
the Govt , lawyer N Jayasimha, who helped in framing the previous rules, said,
“Checks introduced in 2017 rules on animal cruelty have been watered down. Ministry
had to address the clauses that had been stayed by the Supreme Court. But they
have completely watered down the entire set of rules. There is no mention of
inter-state trade of cattle. One of the main reasons for framing 2017 rules was
the SC order to prevent illegal trade of cattle and cruel sacrifice of animals
in Gadhimai festival. But the new rules seem weak and far from achieving this
objective.”newsx
Govt dilutes rules on cattle sale in animal market
Bharat Bandh LIVE : Several injured in Bihar
clashes, internet suspended in UP’s Saharanpur
Over a dozen people were injured in the
violent clashes between supporters of the Bharat bandh and a pro-reservation
group comprising OBCs and Dalits on Tuesday. The bandh have been called against
caste-based reservation in education and jobs. This comes a week after Dalit
groups across the country held a nationwide protest against the alleged
dilution of SC/ST Act by the Supreme Court, which witnessed massive violence in
different parts of the country leading to the death of nine people.The Union
Home Ministry on Monday issued a nationwide advisory to ensure that adequate
security measures are put in place to prevent any violence during the bandh.
The bandh call has not been endorsed by any major outfit. Little-known groups,
such as Sarv Samaj from Rajasthan, have also issued statements calling for the
bandh. According to security sources, calls for an anti-quota bandh started
circulating on social media after Dalit protests last week.Separate security
alerts have also been issued in a number of states, particularly in Madhya
Pradesh, UP and Rajasthan, from where the deaths were reported on April 2. The
latest bandh call does not seem to have gained much traction among states in
south, west and north-east India, officials said. A clash has been reported
from Ferozepur in Punjab where Dalit shopkeepers were allegedly forced to shut
their shops by 'general category' people. As a result, three people have been
injured and at least four motorcycles have been damaged. "One person got
injury due to sharp edged weapon while two others have blunt injuries. It is
yet to be ascertained whether it was a clash between two communities, though
clash happened over difference of opinion over closing shops," Amarjeet Singh, SP(HQRS) said. Commercial
oulets remained shut in parts of Punjab including Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, Sangrur
and Bathinda. PTI reported that several protests were observed in the state
across multiple locations. A total of 127 people have been arrested in Bihar
connection to the Tuesday's protests that were called to oppose the caste based
reservations in education and employment, reports ANI. Protests reportedly
turned violent as protesters pelted stone on police authorities. Indian exoress
Bharat Bandh: Over dozen injured in violent
clashes, 127 people arrested in Bihar
Dalit village in UP plans conversion to Islam after
‘police atrocities’ on Ambedkar Jayant
Meerut:Dalits living in Shobhapur village of
Meerut protested against “police atrocities”, alleging that the local police
had filed false cases under serious charges of IPC after their protests on
Bharat bandh on April 2. Villagers on Monday threatened to convert to Islam on
Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14 if the “police atrocities” continue.Many of them
have been booked on charges of attacking and torching a police post and attempt
to murder of a policeman during the violence which ensued that day.An
atmosphere of fear pervaded the village after a Dalit leader Gopi Pariya was
identified and gunned down by members of the Gujjar community on April 3. While
the local police denied an exodus of Dalits, members of the community said many
had left Shobhapur and were scared of returning in the wake of the police
action.At a meeting on Monday, Dalits from Shobhapur held declared they were
“being illegally framed and harassed by the police for raising their voice against
injustice”.“No one from the administration is listening to us and our problems.
False cases have been slapped against our youths who are scared of returning
the village. It seems that we no longer are Hindus or even citizens with equal
rights. We are being treated as outcasts so what is the point of being a Hindu
anymore,” said a villager, at the meeting, requesting anonymity as he feared
police action.“Over four dozen Dalits attended the meeting. We have decided
that we will renounce Hinduism on birth anniversary of Baba sahab Ambedkar,
April 14. Many more Dalits will join us in coming days,” he added.“Most houses
are locked. The lanes remain abandoned. Market in Dalit area of the village
remains shut and so are schools. People have left the village because they are
scared and silent because they fear police action,” he claimed. However, SP Man
Singh Chauhan said police was not aware of such plans for mass conversion. 2
people were killed, many others injured and several public properties were
torched in the violence which occurred during Bharat bandh.thehindu
Week after murder of Dalit man on upper
castes' list of troublemakers, village threatens conversion
Ambedkar statue vandalised in UP gets saffron
makeover, then repainted
Badaun: BR Ambedkar, the iconic leader who
drafted India's constitution, wore saffron and was covered with marigold
garlands in images of a statue shared on social media. The statue, standing at
a village in UP's Badaun, has now been repainted blue.The statue at Badaun's
Dugraiyya village was rebuilt after it was vandalised on Saturday.Ambedkar is
usually depicted in a black or blue coat in statues across the country. The
statue didn't stay saffron for long. Workers said to be from Mayawati's BSP
went to the spot and repainted it blue. Though the statue had nothing to do
with the state Govt , several buildings in state capital Lucknow have been
painted saffron since Yogi Adityanath came to power in UP last year.ndtv
Advise PM for ordinance on SC/ST protection,
Mevani to Athavale
Gandhinagar: Gujarat MLA and Dalit activist
Jignesh Mevani has asked Union Minister Ramdas Athavale to advise PM Narendra Modi for an ordinance vis-a-vis SC/ST
Act to ensure protection of the Dalits’ rights.“Our stand is absolutely clear —
we don’t believe in RSS ideology or any violence. We totally believe in the
Constitution. Instead of advising me, Athavale ji should advise (PM) Narendra
Modi to assure the Dalits across the country that their rights will be
protected and that the Centre will bring in an ordinance on the issue before
April 14, the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, should the apex court reject
the review petition on the issue,” Mevani said.Athavale had earlier advised
Mevani to shun support to the Maoists groups which, he said, were anti-Dalits.IANS
Dalit Christians still trapped in caste;
Subjected to untouchability, denial of priesthood,opportunities:report
Chennai:Discrimination against Dalits and
practice of caste is rampant within the Church, said a report released by Tamil
Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) on Monday. Report was prepared
based on a public hearing by an 8-member committee on the alleged atrocities,
including untouchability, committed against Dalit Christians in Sivaganga
diocese. Public hearing held on March 16 at RS Mangalam in Ramanathapuram
district, was organised by Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front along
with Dalit Christian People Federation (DCPF), Young Tamilnadu Movement
(YTM),Caste Eradication Front (CEF), Tamilnadu Devendirar Council, and
Devendirar Welfare Society.The hearing had three sessions, each focussing on a
specific topic such as denial of priesthood to Dalit Christians, discrimination
against Dalit Christians in the church and practised by the diocesan
administration.The report was released by retired Madras High Court judge
Justice D. Hariparanthaman and ex-V-C of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University
V.Vasanthi Devi, who were part of the team that conducted the public hearing.
The report alleged that the practice of caste can be found in the formation of parishes,
denial of the share for the Dalit Christians in the administration of the
parish, construction of separate chapels in the same village for Dalits and
other caste Christians, discrimination in the facilities provided based on
caste considerations, denial of employment opportunities and priesthood for
Pallar Dalit Christians.The report cited the case of Brother Michael Raja, who
happens to be the only person among Pallar Dalit Christians, who had completed
his 13 long years of Theological Course and passed the final examination, but
was sent out “on an erroneous decision” of the Rector of the seminary which was
approved by the Bishop of Sivaganga Diocese.The report said that Dalit
Christians are subjected to various types of caste discrimination and untouchability
and the diocese administration acts in a discriminatory manner in forming the
new parishes by confining more Dalit Christians in less parishes and making
more parishes for caste Christians with less members.The report also provided
recommendations on how to remove practices of untouchability and caste
discrimination.thehindu
Publish caste census: Jitan Ram Manjhi to
Centre
PATNA: Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) head
Jitan Ram Manjhi and leader of opposition in state assembly Tejashwi Prasad
Yadav on Sunday flayed the NDA Govt at Centre for its alleged anti-SC/ST
policies. Manjhi said, “Centre should publish the caste census so that
reservation is based on population size rather than blanket of 49% reservation.
A special session of the Parliament should be called to abolish the bar on less
than 50% reservation. It will benefit dalits and other weaker sections of
society.”Ex CM added that the “dilution” of SC and ST(Prevention of Atrocities)
Act, 1989 will make the Act toothless in preventing atrocities against dalits.
Manjhi also demanded separate voter list for SC constituencies, so that voters
from upper castes don’t dominate in the polling.Tejashwi said BJP-led NDA Govt
might abolish reservations as it is anti-dalit. “BJP plays its politics based
on 6 agendas – Hindu, Muslim, Mandir (temple), Masjid, Pakistan and Kashmir. It
is for everyone to see that BJP says nothing apart from this 6- point agenda,”
Tejashwi said.TOI
RSS man who set himself on fire over Dalit
violence dies
Jaipur: A RSS member who set himself on fire
over Dalit protests that erupted on April 2 died on Monday, an official of the
organisation said.RSS Nagar Karyavahak Raghuveer Prasad Gupta tried to immolate
himself on Sunday morning after his daily shakha meeting. RSS Pracharak Ranjeet
Singh said that he had written suicide letters to the Sangh claiming that the
protests were part of a conspiracy to split society. He claimed in the letter
that the decision to kill himself was his own and that it should not be blamed
on his family.tribuneindia
Medical Association comes out in defence of Dr
Kafeel arrested in Gorakhpur tragedy case, calls it conspiracy
Dr Kafeel Khan, who has been in the jail for
the past 7 months in the Gorakhpur hospital tragedy case, is a victim of
conspiracy, said Indian Medical Association.Police have charged Khan, a former
doctor at Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghubar Das Medical College Hospital, with attempt
to murder over the death of 30 children in August but dropped the corruption
charges for lack of evidence.He was the in-charge of the paediatric wing at the
hospital when the children died, allegedly due to shortage of oxygen after a private
company cut supply over a payment dispute, bringing severe ignominy to UP Govt.
Govt, however, blamed the deaths on Japanese encephalitis and acute
encephalitis syndrome. Khan was hailed as a hero for rushing to arrange over
250 oxygen cylinders in a short span of time where the Govt machinery had failed.IMA has alleged that case
against Dr Khan is a conspiracy by certain officials in Gorakhpur and Lucknow,
reported Navbharat Times.IMA Secretary, Dr RP Shukla said the situation of lack
of oxygen arose due to administrative slack, unaccountability and corruption.
For this officials from Gorakhpur to Lucknow are to be blamed and not doctors.
Whereas, state had all the amenities to prevent the situation from happening,
but it couldn’t, on the contrary they arrested the doctor who with limited
amenities tried to prevent the situation.IMA doctors said that on the one hand
the state does not consider lack of oxygen as the cause of death of 30 children
at BRD and on the other hand it has slapped serious cases on doctors of the
hospital.Dr Shukla said that doctors were not even allowed on bail and neither
was any thorough investigation done in the case after the incident. He demanded
a high-level probe in the matter.outlookindia
When cops turned life into living hell for Dr
Kafeel’s family
Gorakhpur: “They terrorised us for days on
end, a large number of policemen would break into our house in the late hours
of the night, make us all get up and sit around, would threaten to take us into
custody, my one year old baby would be howling, they would roam through our
house, I cannot even begin to tell you what we have gone through,” said
Shabista, the young courageous wife of Dr Kafeel Khan, who has now broken her
silence to speak out for justice and her husband who has been in jail for seven
months without bail.Speaking to The Citizen, Shabista said that her husband had
lost at least eight kilos of weight since the arrest, is a cardiac patient, has
high blood pressure but has been housed with 130 hard criminals. She said his
old mother, who was moved to address a press conference in Gorakhpur recently,
and the family has been undergoing severe hardship and harassment. “They have
made us untouchables” she said.Not a single rule was followed with male police
men entering Khans house in Gorakhpur at will. Harassment continued for days.
They lost count. They were threatened, with the cops not even listening to mothers
pleas to leave as their little girl would howl in terror. Instead they would
move around the house at will.thecitizen
Kathua gang rape: Lawyers tried to block
filing of chargesheet in Asifa case
Scenes of hooliganism played out on the
premises of a court in Kathua on Monday as lawyers prevented Crime Branch of J&K
Police from producing a charge sheet
against seven accused involved in rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl
from another community.Accompanied by the accused, the Crime Branch team faced
stiff resistance from the members of Kathua Bar Association who chanted “Jai
Shri Ram” and “go back Crime Branch” slogans. The charge sheet could be filed
before the Chief Judicial Magistrate finally at around 9:30 pm, after an
additional contingent of security forces was deployed on the court premises,
following the intervention of the J&K law minister.Police on Tuesday
registered a FIR against lawyers of Kathua Bar Association over Monday’s
protest.The body of eight-year-old Asifa, a nomad Muslim girl, was recovered
from Rasana forest in Kathua district on January 17, a week after she went
missing while grazing her family’s ponies. Girl was held captive, sedated and
raped for several days at a local temple before she was murdered, according to
the J&K Police Crime Branch investigation based on DNA test, forensic
evidence and post-mortem report.“All the members of the Bar have strongly
agitated against the presentation of challan (charge sheet) by the crime branch
in the Rasana case… agitation of the bar proved successful and the crime branch
was compelled to go back and the challan could not be presented in the court of
chief judicial magistrate Kathua,” president of Kathua Bar Association, Kirty
Bhushan Mahajan, said in a statement on Monday evening.Mahajan said the Bar is
already on strike against the investigation of the case by crime branch and
strongly favours a CBI inquiry into the incident. “All Bar members strongly
condemned the conduct of the crime branch in dealing the issue. State Govt has failed to deal the issue or understand the
sentiments of the people. The agitation of the bar shall continue and the bar
has unanimously decided to keep the work under suspension till April
12.”"7 accused are 60-year-old Sanji Ram, Special Police Officers Deepak
Khajuria and Surender Verma, Sub-Inspector Anand Dutta, Head Constable Tilak
Raj, civilian Parvesh Kumar and Sanji's minor son Vishala," police said.
The accused have been charged under Sections 302, 376, 201 and 120-B of the
state’s Ranbir Penal Code. Crime Branch said it was in the process of filing a
separate chargesheet against a “juvenile”, who is allegedly among the main
accused in the crime. 4 policemen in the case are accused of destroying
evidence. Another accused who confessed to crime was initially believed to be
15 years old, but was declared a 19-year-old by a medical board set up by the
court.Meanwhile, the rancorous protest by lawyers has evoked scathing criticism
from Omar Abdullah, besides other activists and civil society
members.nationalheraldindia
Kathua rape: Police lodge FIR against lawyers
who tried to stop officials from filing chargesheet
Kathua Rape-Murder Case: J&K Police File
FIR Against Lawyers For Not Letting Crime Branch File Charge Sheet
J&K Police have filed FIR against lawyers
for obstructing the Crime Branch from filing charge sheet in case of rape and
murder of eight-year-old Asifa. The lawyers had blocked court when Crime Branch
officials had visited the Court to file charge sheet against accused in the
case on Monday. outlookindia
Kathua rape-murder case: Parties condemn
protest by lawyers, NC demands shifting of trial
Kashmir violence being stoked by ‘talk of
revenge’, says Yashwant Sinha-led Concerned Citizens’ Group
New Delhi:Expressing deep anguish over the
recent escalation of violence in Kashmir, a citizen’s group on Tuesday stated
that the violence in the Valley is showing no signs of abating and is, in fact,
being stoked by “talk of revenge” and “unrestrained public statements” from
various actors.Concerned Citizens Group, including former Union minister
Yashwant Sinha and former National Commission for Minorities chairperson
Wajahat Habibullah, said the solution to the present crisis lies in political
dialogue.“We note with deep anguish the recent escalation in violence in
Kashmir. This has led to avoidable loss of civilian lives as well as that of
security force personnel. What is worse is that the violence shows no signs of
abating. In fact, it is being stoked further by unrestrained public statements
by various actors and the talk of revenge,” the group said.Despite being aware
of the futility of picking up arms, the group said, an increasing number of
desperate youngsters are joining the ranks of militants. “At this critical
juncture, when an entire generation of young Kashmiris finds itself at a
cross-roads, we would like to urge everyone concerned to step back from the
conflict,” they said.indianexpress
Jamia Millia students express solidarity with
students in Kashmir over security force brutality
New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia students have
staged a protest inside the campus to extend their solidarity with students in
Kashmir against whom the security forces had used force and lethal weapons
during the protests against the recent killing of militants and civilians in
Kashmir.The protest was organised on Monday, outside the central canteen lawn
under the theme “Memoirs of Resistance: A spoken word event” and students
reiterated that Kashmiris should be allowed to exercise their legitimate “right
to self-determination”, ratified by UNSC resolutions. Students from different
faculties participated in the event.“Memoirs of resistance is a continuation of
protests held a couple of times before in the campus. The protest is different
in a sense that it showcases the artwork of Kashmiri artists pertaining to
resistance and students recite resistance poetry in the form of spoken word,”
said an organiser of the event.TCN
Police launch probe after reports claim Assam youth has joined
Hizb in Kashmir
Assam Police have begun an investigation after
media reports claimed a man from the state has joined the militant outfit Hizbul
Mujahideen in J&K.The inquiry was initiated after photographs of
Qamer-Uz-Zaman, who has been missing since July, went viral on social media,
according to IANS. Zaman is from Central Assam’s Hojai district, the police
said, adding that his family identified him from the photographs. The images
show him brandishing an assault rifle, and mention his code name as Dr
Hurairah.scroll.in
SC expedites case against Dainik Jagran for
terror defamation of Wasif Haider
A bench of the apex court headed by Justice
Chalameshwar has expedited the trial of Wasif Haider’s defamation case against
the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran. Wasif Haider, a wrongfully prosecuted citizen
who was declared innocent of all charges against him, had filed a case against
the editor as well as the publisher of Jagran for running a vilification
campaign in the years after his acquittal.Dainik Jagran, a newspaper of the
Jagran group, had repeatedly called Wasif Haider ‘Aatanki Wasif’ and ran false
stories against him over a period of one year. The stories included headlining
his role in the Benaras blast as well as linking him with other terror
activities- none of which were based on either facts or police investigation.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan argued the case in front of the bench, and said that
this issue is not just limited to one innocent but is visible as a repeated
pattern in several cases. Hence the court should consider it in a holistic
manner. Advocate Govind, part of Prashant Bhushan’s team said that “we were
interested in the issue because of the question whether a newspaper or media
house can brand a particular persons as a terrorist just because he was once
accused in the case.The law is fairly clear in sec 499 and 500. Both elements
of good faith and public good are missing from the case as the newspapers
actions are clearly malicious”.TCN
Don’t allow Muslims into your houses:
Rajasthan BJP MLA
Alwar: BJP MLA from Alwar city Banwari Lal
Singhal, known for his communal rants, has courted fresh controversy by urging
Hindu families not to allow Muslims to enter their homes. MLA stated that
Muslims were habitually involved in all kinds of crimes. He boasted that he
neither allowed Muslims to enter his residence or office nor sought their votes.“Meo
Muslims do not vote for BJP. I also do not go after them for votes. Seeking
votes from them would mean that I have to help them in getting away with crime
that they habitually commit. This is the main reason that I have always
maintained a safe distance from them,” said Singhal.Singhal’s anti-Muslim
statements have come unprovoked and were made at his own community meeting at
Alwar on Sunday. When asked by TOI to clarify his statements, MLA repeated his
rant more fiercely on Monday.He claimed that Meo Muslims, who are predominant
in Alwar and Bharatpur districts, receive a special package for carrying out
‘love jihad’ (Muslim boys enticing and marrying Hindu girls)."Love Jihad
has become a tradition for Meo Muslims here. They create fake IDs on Facebook
and lure Hindu girls to love relationships. They marry Hindu girls and make
their life hell. On the contrary, Muslim girls despite being illiterate or less
educated do not love or marry Hindu boys,” said Singhal.He continued his
anti-Muslim rant by saying that Meo Muslims were butchers.timesofindia
BJP has some strange plans of building Mosque
in Ayodhya: Togadia
New Delhi: VHP's international working
president Pravin Togadia has alleged that BJP may start a "diluted
agitation" for Ram temple merely to grab the majority vote by painting
other parties "anti-Hindu."Togadia made the allegation while also
accusing the party of making a volte face on its 1989 Palampur resolution to
enact a law to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya after securing the majority
in Parliament.Stating that the party instead has decided to wait for the apex
court's ruling on the Ayodhya dispute now, he dared the BJP in a news
conference, "Now there is a full majority in Parliament. Pass the law on
Ram temple without any delay and stop fooling the majority."Hitting out at
both PM Narendra Modi and BJP, Togadia said neither any development took place,
nor the Ram Temple was built in last four years by the Govt , which, he said,
has failed on all fronts.He also alleged that the ruling BJP may have
"some strange plans of building a mosque in Ayodhya" in place of Ram
temple."Millions of Hindus now fear that despite having full majority, the
BJP Govt in the last 4 years has not
made even an inch of progress on making the law to build Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
It indicates some strange plans of building a mosque in Ayodhya instead,"
Togadia said.Referring to BJP national executive's Palampur resolution, Togadia
said, "This promise was by an organisation named BJP, not by an
individual. An organization is greater than an individual, as they say."He
wondered if the party has ignored the sacrifices of thousands of Hindus.news18
Bihar riots: fact-finding team alleges
violence was staged by BJP and Bajrang Dal
A fact-finding team of comprising of activists
and journalists mainly belonging to human rights group United Against Hate
(UAH) released its fact-finding report on recent Bihar riots on Monday in the
lawns of Press Club of India, New Delhi. The team, which comprised of Nadeem
Khan, Prashant Tandon, Hasnul Banna, Tarique Anwar, Sagrika Kissu, Mahtab Alam,
Farrah Shakeb, visited Siwan, Gaya, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Samastipur, Munger,
Nawada, Nalanda, Haiderganj and Rosera areas of Bihar after the engineered
communal violence around Ram Navami this year.As the press statement notes, the
team spoke extensively to the people of these riot-affected places belonging to
both the communities. “We spoke to eye-witnesses and state officials in order
to understand how the violence unfolded,” said the statement.UAH team has
alleged that after speaking to people and visiting riot-affected places, it was
very clear that this violence was not spontaneous but pre-planned and very
carefully orchestrated by the BJP and Bajrang Dal hooligans.“There was a
similar pattern of violence that was orchestrated in every place that we
visited. In many places, preempting the violence, peace meetings were held that
had set terms and conditions to the rallies next day to avoid violence. Even
the police gave conditional permission to all the Rama Navami rallies and set
their definite routes,” claimed the fact-finding team.TwoCircles
Right to convert and choose a partner to marry
is fundamental right: SC in Hadiya judgment
The Supreme Court on Monday made a compelling
case for an individual's right to choose their religion and marry a partner of
their choice, saying neither society nor state has any right or a role in this
determination.The SC bench led by CJI Dipak Misra released a reasoned 61-page
judgment that marked their observations in the contentious Hadiya case. Last
month, on Women's Day, the top court set aside a May 2017 Kerala High Court
judgment that had annulled 24-year-old Hadiya's marriage to Shafin Jahan.March
8 order was significant since the essential argument against the marriage had
taken a political overtone and was adjudged as a case of "love
jihad.""Freedom of faith is essential to his/her autonomy; Choosing a
faith is the substratum of individuality and sans it, the right of choice
becomes a shadow," CJI Misra wrote in an opinion.However, in a separate
but concurring opinion, Justice Chandrachud wrote,"Matters of belief and
faith, including whether to believe, are at the core of constitutional liberty.
The Constitution exists for believers as well as for agnostics".DNA
‘Right To Change Of Faith Is Part Of
Fundamental Right Of Choice’: Read Reasons For SC’s Decision In Hadiya Case
Unnao: Accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar’s
brother arrested in connection with death of rape victim’s father
Lucknow ;A day after the father of a rape
victim from Unnao died in judicial custody, the UP crime branch arrested Atul Singh Sengar, the
brother of BJP Bangarmau MLA Kuldeep Sengar, for allegedly beating him up.The
man’s daughter, a 17-year-old, had alleged she was raped by the BJP MLA.“On the
direction of DGP UP, Atul Singh Sengar, brother of BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh
Sengar, has been arrested early this morning by Lucknow crime branch team led
by SP crime Dinesh Singh from district Unnao,” the police said in a statement.
A SIT has been set up to probe the alleged rape case.Four supporters of the MLAs
– Vineet, Bauwa, Shailu and Sonu – were arrested in connection with the case on
Monday.A video clip of the victim’s father, which went viral on social media
Monday, had led police to suspend the Station House Officer and five policemen
of Makhi police station.indianexpress
Unnao death:NHRC notice to UP govt, police
chief
Unnao rape case: UP Police says post-mortem of
victim's father points to colon perforation; SIT formed
UP Govt
to withdraw rape case against ex-Union
minister Chinmayananda
The Adityanath Govt in UP has decided to withdraw a rape and kidnapping
case against former Union minister Chinmayananda. Additional DM Darvesh Dixit
told PTI that the process to withdraw the case has been initiated.The case
dates to November 2011 when a woman had alleged that Chinmayananda had raped
her at an ashram in Haridwar, TOI reported. She had also alleged that the
former minister had threatened to kill her if she approached the police.scroll
Cauvery row: 350 arrested, 4,000 cops deployed
as protesters demand IPL match boycott in Chennai
New Delhi ;Over 350 people were arrested and
security has been heightened up near M A Chidambaram stadium, as pro-Tamil
activists took to streets on Tuesday to protest against the CSK vs KKR match to
be held in Chennai today. The protesters are calling for a boycott of the event
over the Centre’s inaction in setting up a Cauvery Management Board. Over 4,000
police personnel including commandos and members of the RAF have been deployed
to stop the agitators from entering the stadium.The protesters, raising slogans
against the state and central Govt , temporarily took over the main Anna Salai
road near the stadium. Police also resorted to lathicharge to control the
activists marching against the match. Veteran director Bhartiraja and Seeman
also joined the protest. Meanwhile, IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla met Union Home
Secretary Rajeev Gauba over the security regarding matches in Chennai. Gauba
assured him that appropriate arrangements have been made.indianexpress
Justice Chelameswar: More transparency needed
while selecting judges
Emphasising that there needs to be more
transparency and records of meetings maintained in the case of the appointment
of judges to the Supreme Court, Justice J Chelameswar said on Monday, that an
assessment of the performance of a judge is hardly done and “most go by
impressions”. “If there is a little more transparency and each of the bodies
involved in the process placed their observations on record, then it would
eliminate most of such problems,”pointed out Justice Chelameswar.“Collegium has
recently decided to have an interaction with those considered for the Supreme
Court. It may not be the ultimate step, but it is one more step towards
transparency,” said the judge. The Collegium system, created in 1993, is a body
of senior Supreme Court judges headed by Chief Justice to identify and appoint
judges.nationalheraldindia
Watchdogs (court, media) should bark, if not
heard, no option but to bite: Justice Kurian Joseph
New Delhi:After Justice J Chelameswar’s statement
that he would not accept any post-retirement job offer from any Govt , another
of his colleagues, Justice Kurian Joseph, said on Monday that he is not willing
to accept any post which might be bestowed by any Govt after his retirement.Justice Joseph, one of
the four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court who addressed a press
conference in January to make public their letter of November 2017 to CJI Dipak
Misra regarding serious issues about rostering of cases in the apex court, was
interacting withstudents of the Kerala Media Academy who are on a study tour in
the national capital.In response to a question by a student, Justice Joseph
said that he “will not take up any Govt assignment after retirement”.In his
interaction with students, Justice Joseph also spoke on the two “watchdogs” of
democracy, the judiciary and the media. He said that “both the watchdogs have
to be vigilant, barking for saving democracy, barking for when owner’s property
is in danger.”indianexpress
‘We are being 'befooled' by executive:
Supreme Court on diversion of funds
NEW DELHI: "We are being befooled by the
executive", was how a "frustrated" Supreme Court said on Tuesday
while ruing the fact that around Rs one lakh crore worth of funds meant to
protect the environment and benefit the people, was being diverted for other
purposes.Severely criticising the Govt , the apex court observed that it had
"trusted" the executive, but the authorities do not work. And when
the court says something, it is said that there is "judicial overreach and
activism".PTI
BJP spent over ₹600 crore on elections,
propaganda in FY 2016-17: report
The annual income of BJP surged by 80% ₹571
crore in 2015-16 to ₹1,034 crore in financial year 2016-17, a new report by
election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has found.More than ₹606
crore, or nearly 59%, of the total expenditure incurred by the BJP was spent on
election-related activities and propaganda, the analysis of election data by
ADR has shown.According to the report, BJP reported a total expenditure of ₹710.05
crore in 2016-17; almost 96% of BJP’s income, or ₹997.12 crore, came through
voluntary donations and grants.nationalheraldindia
Naroda Gam: Defence says call records
destroyed as part of conspiracy
Ahmedabad:Arguing for arraignment of former
IPS officer Rahul Sharma in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots case, defence lawyer
Chetan Shah today said call records of top officials in the case went missing
as part of a conspiracy against the accused.Shah told special SIT judge M K
Dave that the CD went missing because it contained call details of some of the
top officials in the case and could have served as vital evidence in support of
those accused in the case. He said the CD was destroyed as part of a conspiracy
hatched against the accused by the then UPA Govt , adding that the duplicate CD
did not have call details of top officials. The matter will be heard further on
April 11.Shah was earlier asked by the court to prove how Sharma destroyed CD,
in order for the latter to be made an accused for destruction of evidence,
after Shah moved an application alleging that Sharma had misplaced the original
CD.He had told the court that the CD containing important call details of state
functionaries during the riots was misplaced and instead a duplicate CD was
submitted on Oct.30, 2004 before the Nanavati Commission probing the
riots.Replying to the notice issued by the court on Shah's plea, Sharma had
earlier said that it was "erroneous", an attempt to "delay the
trials" and "deserves to be dismissed." PTI
18 workers killed, 20 injured as truck
overturns near Satara
PUNE: At least 18 construction labourers,
including women and children, were killed and 20 others injured when a tempo
carrying them crashed into a concrete barrier and overturned at the dangerous
'S’ shaped road near Khandala tunnel, about 70km from here in neighbouring
Satara district on Pune-Bengaluru National Highway around 5.30 am on
Tuesday.All the victims hail from Tikoti in Bijapur district of Karnataka and
were on way to the Shirwal industrial estate near Pune for working at a
construction site.TOI
Hindu nation sans Christians, Muslims is not
RSS’ intention says Dattatreya Hosbale
Ujjain: RSS vice-president Dattatreya Hosbale
has said the intentions of the RSS have been grossly misconstrued in the
process of working towards the Hindu ideology. Speaking at a lecture series
organized at Madhav Seva Nyas, in memory of Dr Hedgewar, he stated assumptions
that RSS wanted to create a Hindu nation in which there was no place for Hindus
and Muslims was a huge misconception.“RSS is not merely an organization but
rather a philosophy and life style. We have never decried a place in our
country for other religions. Every national organization should work to bring
glory to the nation in every possible way. A country is not known by the
development of human beings, large buildings and physical amenities but by the
nature of people living in it” he added.freepressjournal
Kairana families won’t return: ‘Situation
unchanged despite official claims’
Lucknow;Businessmen Shiv Kumar Singhal, 45,
and Rajender Kumar Garg, 43, were provided security after they began receiving
extortion calls for Rs 10 lakh from Muqueem Kala Gang in western UP ’s Kairana
in 2014. The security cover remained for eight months before it was
withdrawn.The worst fears of their families came true when four men on two
motorcycles shot Garg and Singhal dead at their shop two months later in August
2014 .Officials said nine men, including Muqueem, have been charged with the
murders and claimed the situation in Kairana has improved drastically with a
crackdown on criminals.Police in Kairana have killed six alleged criminals and
injured 32 others in 42 operations since the BJP Govt came to power in 2017. The six include four
Muqueem Kala gang members: Naushad, Sarvar, Sabir and Akbar. Two other members
of the gang, Waseem and Shamil, were killed in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.
Muqueem is lodged in a jail in Haryana’s Yamuna Nagar.indianexpress
WORLD
Trump vows 'major decision'; Putin warns
against 'provocation'
A war of words has broken out between Moscow
and Washington over a suspected chemical attack in a Syrian rebel-held town, as
calls grow for an international response to the incident amid an urgent United
Nations Security Council meeting.Rescue teams and medics have said a "poisonous
chlorine gas attack" in Douma on Saturday killed dozens of people,
including many children and women. The Syrian Govt of President Bashar al-Assad and its ally
Russia have called the allegations "fabrications". As the fallout
continued on Monday, US President Donald Trump pledged to soon announce
"major decisions" over the attack, while his Russian counterpart,
Vladimir Putin, warned against "provocation".In a statement, the
Kremlin said Putin had held a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, during which the two "leaders exchanged opinions on the situation
in Syria, including the accusations against Damascus by a number of Western
countries of using chemical weapons. Earlier, Trump and French President
Emmanuel Macron had vowed a "strong, joint response", while Jim
Mattis, the US defence secretary, said nothing was off the table in terms of
military action.aljazeera
US requests UNSC vote on Syria: Diplomats
WASHINGTON: US has requested the UN Security
Council vote at 3 pm on Tuesday on a proposal for a new inquiry on the use of
chemical weapons in Syria after reports of a gas attack on a rebel-held town,
diplomats said.Diplomats said that the resolution would likely be vetoed by
Syrian ally Russia. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by
Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States to pass.Reuters
27 dead in Idlib after suspected air strike
near market square
A suspected Russian airstrike in the
north-western Syrian city of Idlib has left 27 people dead and over 150
injured, according to the Syrian Civil Defence unit, the White Helmets.A
residential block in the neighbourhood of Wadi Naseem suffered severe damage
due to the impact of the strike last night, with most of the building
collapsing, trapping residents in the rubble.Volunteers with the White Helmets
worked throughout the night to rescue injured from the debris; many of the
victims were children.Activists have been unable to identify the source of the
bombing so far, speculating as to whether it was the result of an airstrike or
a car bomb. Many have attributed the attack to Syrian regime-ally Russia, which
launches regular attacks on opposition-held province.middleeastmonitor
4 Iranians ‘killed in Israeli airstrike’ on
Syrian airbase
At least 4 Iranian military advisers were
killed in an Israeli airstrike on Syria’s T4 airbase, east of Homs, on Monday
morning, it has been reported.According to the Fars news agency, the three
advisers were killed in the attack which Syria and Russia have said was carried
out by the Israeli air force. The victims were identified as Medi Lotfi
Niyasar, Seyed Ammar Moussavi, Akbar Zawwar Jannati and Mehdi Dehqan
Yazdeli.Ministry of Defence in Moscow confirmed that no Russian advisers were
among those killed.middleeastmonitor
Saudi-led air strike kills 15 in Yemen
Air strikes killed some 15 people in Yemen’s
south-western city Taiz yesterday, Associated Press reported.A civilian house
in the Dimnat Khadir district was stuck by a missile according to tribal
officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The area has been subject to
fierce fighting between Saudi-led coalition forces and the Houthi armed
group.In northern Yemen, up to four Saudi Arabian soldiers were killed at the
southern border with Saada governorate, a known Houthi stronghold.Yemeni
journalist Hussain Al Bukhaiti tweeted that a Saudi-led coalition airstrike
killed some nine civilians in a market in Saada yesterday.middleeastmonitor
Israel detained 501 Palestinian men, 95
children, 13 women in March
Israeli forces arrested 609 Palestinians,
including 95 children and 13 women in March, a report issued by rights groups
revealed yesterday.The report, which was issued by a group of Govt al and non-Govt
al Palestinian rights groups, documented the violations of the Israeli
occupation against Palestinian prisoners and their families during
March.According to the report, there were 6,500 Palestinian prisoners inside
Israeli jails in February, including 54 women, eight girls and 350
boys.middleeastmonitor
Palestine’s Islamic Jihad denies leader was in
coma in Lebanon
Palestinian resistance movement Islamic Jihad
has denied reports that its Secretary-General Ramadan Shallah was in a
coma.Media reports earlier said that Shallah, 60, was comatose after a series
of operations in Lebanon, where he is based.In a statement today, Islamic Jihad
said Shallah had recently undergone heart surgery.“His condition is stable and
is subject to medical follow-up,” the group said.Citing a source close to the
movement, Quds Press reported that Shallah had fallen into a coma after he
underwent heart surgery in Beirut.middleeastmonitor
Tunisia bans Israel delegations from sports
contest
Tunisians authorities have denied an Israeli
delegation entry to the taekwondo junior championships, Israeli media sources
said.Israel’s representatives were initially told they would be able to compete
as long as they did so without any symbol of their country, the Hebrew language
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.CEO of the Israeli Taekwondo Federation
Michel Madar, who is a council member of the World Taekwondo Federation,
arrived in Tunisia on his French passport to attend the organisation’s general
assembly.middleeastmonitor
ICC prosecutor seeks to open Rohingya
deportation probe
The chief prosecutor for the International
Criminal Court (ICC) has asked it to rule on whether it has jurisdiction over
the deportations of Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh.A ruling
affirming jurisdiction could pave the way for Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to
investigate the deportation of many thousands of Rohingya, a possible crime
against humanity.In a filing published on Monday, Bensouda contended that
"consistent and credible reports ... indicate that since August 2017 more
than 670,000 Rohingya, lawfully present in Myanmar, have been intentionally
deported across the international border into Bangladesh."Asking judges to
rule whether the ICC has jurisdiction, she said: "This is not an abstract
question but a concrete one, affecting whether the Court may exercise
jurisdiction ... to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute."The main
reason for doubt over jurisdiction is that, while Bangladesh is a member of the
court, Myanmar is not.aljazeera
Jordan refuses extradition of Saddam Hussein’s
family to Iraq
Jordan has once again refused to extradite the
daughter of former president of Iraq Raghad Hussein or any other members of the
late leader’s family, an Iraqi official has said.The senior member of PM Haider Al-Abadi’s office told Al-Arabi
Al-Jadeed that the PM has not requested Raghad’s extradition but rather there
were “officials in the Ministry of the Interior and the Commission of
Accountability and Justice and the Popular Mobilisation Forces” who had raised
the issue.“The daughter of former president Saddam Hussein has not proved her
involvement in the Speicher massacre or any violence in Iraq after 2003, but
there are those who named her specifically for electoral and sectarian reasons,”
he explained.MEMO
Iran scrambles to halt rial's slide amid
threat of US sanctions
Iran will enforce a 42,000-rial exchange rate
for the US dollar as of Tuesday, in a move expected to end a currency crisis
that has angered Iranians.The Iranian rial hit an all-time low against the
dollar on Monday, when the majority of exchange offices in Tehran turned off
their indicators amid fluctuating rates.Each dollar was reportedly trading for
more than 60,000 rials on Monday, posting a whopping 16 % rise against the Iranian
currency compared to Sunday morning."The country's exchange rate will be
42,000 rials," First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said in a broadcast
speech, after an emergency cabinet meeting held on Monday evening.This will
mark the end of a dual exchange rate system, including a preferential rate set
by Central Bank of Iran and a free market rate.aljazeera
Qatar's emir, US defence secretary praise
'strategic relations'
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
has praised the bilateral relations between Qatar and the United States and
pointed out the importance of coordination between the two countries,
especially in the field of combating terrorism. Speaking at a meeting with US
Defence Secretary James Mattis, Emir hailed the strength of relations between
the two countries."We are very proud of this expanding relation,"
Sheikh Tamim said, speaking at the Pentagon, the US Department of Defense
headquarters in Virginia.aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Our threatened humanity:Harsh Mander
‘Inside story’ of how one of the most horrific
rape-murders of J&K was planned & executed:AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA
UP’s Organised Crime Control Bill gives Yogi
Adityanath govt a tool for state terror and police excess:Saurav Datta
One of India’s murkiest jailbreaks &
killing of 8 Muslim men remains wrapped in mystery:ANANYA BHARDWAJ
Travesty of Arnab Goswami’s school of
‘journalism’:30 tweets on Congress, just 2 on alleged custodial death of father
of UP’s rape victim
Institutes will become bastions of patriarchy,
casteism, ruthless discipline and commodity after Autonomy: Prabhat Patnaik
Growing up in a Muslim 'Ghetto': An Insider's
Look and an Outsider's Perspective:Sheikh Saaliq
My Rape, Your Rape… Terror in UP, J&K :MONA
AHUJA
Video: Israel Interrogators Abuse and Threaten
Palestinian Teen Ahed Tamimi
At Rs 1,034 Crore, BJP Richest National Party
in FY17: ADR Report
Floundering on all fronts, polarisation BJP’S only
hope:AIJAZ ZAKA SYED
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:36 PM)
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