NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
19 May 2018:03 Ramazan 1439: Vol:10, No:24
INDIA
Karnataka POLITICS
LIVE: Yeddyurappa resigns as CM, says he
couldn’t get numbers; no floor test required
In a dramatic turn of events, BJP leader BS
Yeddyurappa announced his resignation after he failed the to secure the magic
number –112– required to form the govt.In his emotional address to the House,
Yeddyurappa said he had many dreams of developing Karnataka. “If only people
would have given us 113 seats instead of 104, we would have made this state a
paradise.”Attacking Congress and JDS over their ‘unholy alliance’, the outgoing
CM said, “Those who were swearing on the names of each other’s fathers and
calling each other names before polls, have now come together to form this
unholy alliance.” According reports, Governor
Vajubhai Vala is now expected to ask JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy to form the govt
with the help of the Congress.Meanwhile,the swearing-in of 210 MLAs was
completed before the Assembly adjourned for a small recess. House reopened at
3.30pm. BJP leader Soma Sekhara Reddy, Congress leaders Anand Singh, Prathap
Gouda who were not present in the morning, were sworn in after the House
reconvened.The drama intensified after the Congress released audio clips
accusing BJP of trying to lure its MLAs before the crucial trust vote in the
House. In one of the audio clips released by the Congress Chief Minister
Yeddyurappa is purportedly heard offering ministry to Congress leader BC Patil.
Minutes later, the party released another clip allegedly featuring BJP MLA
Sreeramulu and BC Patil.Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court rejected
Congress’ petition challenging the appointment of K G Bopaiah as the pro tem
speaker ahead of Karnataka floor test. The bench, however, allowed the floor
test to be telecast live. “Live broadcast of floor test would be the best way
to ensure transparency of proceedings,” the judges said. Alleging that Bopaiah
had helped Yeddyurappa to survive the floor test in 2010, the Congress has
moved the apex court challenging his appointment. "Karnataka has won.
BJP's unconstitutional efforts to rule have failed. Their illegal means of
manufacturing a majority stands exposed. Congress & JD(S) have fought &
upheld democracy. Karnataka will now get a stable Govt that will focus on
Development," Congress' Karnataka handle said in a tweet. Rahul Gandhi is
also expected to address the media briefly.indian express / SCROLL.IN
Karnataka Floor Test Live: Yeddyurappa Resigns
After Long Speech, Walks Out
Floor test to be telecast live for transparency at 4pm today, says SC,
but rejects Cong’s plea, Bopaiah to continue as
pro tem speaker
Where will the numbers come from, wonders SC
"Missing" Congress Lawmaker Reaches
Karnataka Assembly, Pushes BJP Men
Kumaraswamy alleges BJP hijacked 2 of his MLAs
‘Ministerial
berth with 100 times growth,’ Congress releases audio clip, claims BJP poaching
its MLAs
Yeddyurappa’s alleged call to Cong MLA: ‘Come
back, we will make you minister’
Karnataka fallout: RJD’s Tejashwi meets Bihar
governor, stakes claim to form govt
Patna:Leaders of Bihar’s principal opposition
party RJD and the Congress on Friday met governor Satyapal Malik to stake a
claim to form the Govt in the state as
they upped the ante against BJP for allegedly ignoring constitutional norms in
Karnataka.“There is one Constitution in India and one rule. What applies in
Karnataka should also apply in Bihar,” Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad
Yadav said.Yadav led the march to Raj Bhawan of MLAs of RJD, Congress and
CPI(M-L) Liberation in the afternoon and said RJD was the single largest party
and should be invited to form the govt by the governor as it happened in
Karnataka.Yadav said the RJD, Congress and CPI-ML with 111 MLAs would easily
pass the floor test if invited to form the Govt by the governor.HT
Karnataka prompts Congress, RJD ‘Me too’
campaign, stake claim to form govt in Goa, Bihar
OTHERS
Palestine finds support in Delhi; Protests against
recent Israeli attacks
New
Delhi: “We must lend our support to the most severely affected population in
the world.Palestinians have been cornered in Gaza and West Bank. They can't get
food or medical supplies and are living under the oppression of the Israelis.”
said Dr. S.Q.R. Illyas, President of the WPI at a joint protest held today
against the recent killings of Palestinian people at the Gaza border.Around 50
protesters gathered at 4.00pm and began chanting slogans against the
Israel-India trade, Israeli military, and extending their support to the people
of Palestine, claiming that Jerusalem is their capital. The protest was
initially to be held in front of the Embassy of Israel in Delhi but the
protesters were allowed to walk for a mere fifty metres in front of the Indian
Christian Cemetery. Organisations like United Against Hate (UAH), Naujawan
Bharat Sabha (NBS), Welfare Party of India, and Boycott, Disinvestment,
Sanctions movement (BDS) also took part in the protest.The protest also saw the
involvement of student unions from all over the country, including that of
Jamia Millia Islamia, AMU, JNU, and Delhi University signifying the support of
the youth to the cause.Shedding light on the recent relations of Israel and
India, Khalid Saifi of United Against Hate organization stated, “There are like
minded forces on both sides now and hence you have a thriving relationship.” He
went on to say, “We are law abiding citizens with a significant voice and our
voice will reach its destination.”“Mahatma Gandhi said that Palestine belongs
to Palestinians just like Britain belongs to the British. What Israel is doing
in Palestine needs to be condemned by India and not doing so is giving support
to them.” said Dr. Illyas highlighting the drastic change that took place
between the two countries relations.thecitizen
100 mass organisations to hold protest in
state capitals against Modi Govt on May 23
New Delhi;Over 100 mass organisations will
hold marches in all state capitals on May 23 to protest against the
“anti-people” policies being pursued by the central Govt .Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar
Andolan (JEJAA), an umbrella organisation consisting of trade unions, peasant
organisations, agricultural workers, state and central Govt employees, bank and insurance workers, college
and university teachers, students, women, Dalits, Adivasis, and
environmentalists, would observe ‘Protest Day’ on May 23.“The protest day would
be the launch of a series of struggles with the aim of making Govt accountable for the devastating impact of its
policies and betraying the people especially workers, peasants, women, and
youths by its false promises. The campaign would put forward the
slogan...either Govt changes its policies or people would change Govt,”said
Hannan Mollah, a member of JEJAA coordination committee.Leaders of JEJAA also
accused BJP-RSS of unleashing terror by spreading caste and communal hatred and
violence.Riots, encounter killings, murders and rape against women and children
have become routine with RSS-BJP leaders in the forefront shamelessly
protecting the perpetuators of such crime, organisation leaders said.After successful
farmers march in Maharashtra organised by All Indian Kisan Sabha, which is also
part of JEJAA, leaders feel that only a conglomeration of various “progressive”
outfits can mobilise people to take on BJP govt.PTI
Ramzan ceasefire a chance for stable,
progressive J&K: Modi
Srinagar:PM Narendra Modi has described Ramzan
ceasefire “a chance for youth to have a stable and progressive J&K” and “an
awakening call to those who exploit Islam”. “Ramzan ceasefire is not mere a
ceasefire but an awakening call to those who exploit Islam. Many countries,
which had chose a certain path, are looking for return routes now. Those youths
influenced by foreign forces and attack their own motherland should join the mainstream
and take an active participation in J&K’s progress and contribute to its
pride,” said Modi in his speech in Srinagar, after inaugurating a slew of
development projects. He said Centre will provide all support be make J&K a
crown of the country, while terming his visit during Ramzan “a
privilege”.thehindu
Internet suspended, schools closed for Modi's
J&K visit
Modi to launch JK hydropower plant as Pak
seethes
Srinagar: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates today a
hydroelectric power plant in J&K, prompting protest from neighbour Pakistan
that says the project on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water
supplies.330-megawatt Kishanganga hydropower station, work on which started in
2009, is one of the projects that India has fast-tracked in the volatile State
under Modi amid frosty ties between the nuclear-armed countries.Pakistan has
opposed some of these projects, saying they violate a World Bank-mediated
treaty on the sharing of the Indus river and its tributaries upon which 80% of
its irrigated agriculture depends. “Pakistan is seriously concerned about the
inauguration [of Kishanganga plant],” its Foreign Ministry said in a statement
on Friday. “Pakistan believes that the inauguration of the project without the
resolution of the dispute is tantamount to violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.”Kishanganga
project was delayed for several years as Pakistan dragged India to the
International Court of Arbitration, which ruled in India's favour in 2013.India
has said the hydropower projects under way in J&K are “run-of-the-river”
schemes that use the river’s flow and elevation to generate electricity rather
than large reservoirs, and do not contravene the treaty. Reuters
PM Modi arrives in J&K on day-long visit
Listen to our ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Mirwaiz tells PM
Modi day before his visit
Srinagar:Mirwaiz Umar Farooq invoked PM Narendra Modi’s monthly radio address on
Friday and asked him to allow Kashmiris to carry out a peaceful protest march
during his visit on Saturday and listen to “our Mann Ki Baat”.Mirwaiz wanted cessation
of security operations, which the Centre announced for the holy month of
Ramzan, to be made a permanent feature and be followed by demilitarisation
before the final resolution of Kashmir issue.“Mr Modi, all have been listening
to your ‘Mann ki baat’ for years now. As you come here tomorrow, allow us
Kashmiris to peacefully gather at Lal Chowk so that you hear our ‘Mann ki
baat’! It’s just three words — Resolve Kashmir Dispute. @narendramodi,” he said
in a tweet. The protest march was called by separatist leaders, including Syed
Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik, to register their demand for “freedom for
which we have been sacrificing our lives for the past 70 years”.Authorities
have been confining separatists to their homes or lodging them in jails
whenever they call such protest rallies.Modi is scheduled to visit Kashmir on
Saturday and inaugurate projects in the state.Mirwaiz said that if the Govt is sincere, they should make the ‘Ramzan
ceasefire’ permanent.“…Goodwill gestures or CBMs (confidence building measures)
cannot be meant for a month alone, but have to be long term and meaningful. If
the Govt of India really means business,
it must look at real CBMs like demilitarisation and repealing the draconian
AFSPA, PSA, and DAA,” he said.HT
MP: Muslim Man beaten to death in Satna for
alleged cattle slaughter
Bhopal: A man was allegedly beaten to death,
while another has been critically injured by villagers in Amgar village of
Badera Police Station in Satna district for allegedly killing cattle on Friday.
Riaz, 45, was killed in the incident while Shakeel, 33, has been critically
injured. The police have picked up 4 to 5 suspects in the case and an
investigation is underway.Late on Thursday, 2 people returning to the village
found a group with the cattle.According to initial reports, when villagers
reached the spot 4 accomplices of Riaz and Shakeel fled, following which they
were severely beaten up. By the time police reached the spot, in the wee hours
of Friday, Riaz was already dead and Shakeel, a driver, was in a critical
state.Police found a slaughtered bull and meat of two other bulls packed in
sacks from the spot. Satna SP Rajesh Hingankar said that villagers attacked the
duo.He said that four to 5 suspects have been taken into custody and they are
being questioned. indianexpress
Ramzan prayers stopped in village near
Gurugram as old row flares up
Gurugram: 30 kms from Gurugram, on the way to
Pataudi, is Bhora Kalan, a village with a population of around 30,000 people.A
state highway bisects the village’s main market. By the time you have travelled
a kilometre into the bylanes on either side, the busy roads are replaced by
narrow alleys, lined with old houses flaunting arches, wooden carved doors and
murals. The bylanes converge at an old post office, right next to a mazar,
which witnessed tense scenes on Friday.Just after 4-5 Muslim men had gathered
at the mazar to prepare for the first Friday prayers of Ramzan, around 50 local
Hindu youths gathered there and threatened the faithful not to offer prayers at
the mazar. The crowd kept swelling, and eventually, the prayer assembly was
disrupted.“Initially, there were around 50 men. But soon, it swelled to at
least 200. It was around 12 noon. Things were beginning to heat up when cops arrived
to intervene, around 12.30pm. But we could not offer our prayers, and this was
the first jumma namaz of Ramzan,” said a vegetable seller of the village,
requesting anonymity.The atmosphere of festivity had turned into one of
apprehension by then. This, however, was not the first time Muslims of the
village had been stopped from offering prayers. Bhora Kalan has a history of
such muscle flexing, according to villagers. In 2013, some villagers had asked
their Muslim neighbours not to invite any maulvi or imam from outside the
village for Friday or Ramzan prayers. As a result, Friday prayers stopped in
the village for a year, before restarting in 2014.“In the past, they didn’t
directly ask us not to pray, but told us we can’t ask a maulavi from another village
over, which means we couldn’t offer Friday or Ramzan namaz,” said a 30-year-old
who works at a cement plant in Gurugram. He added the matter was later resolved
and they have been offering prayers without interference for last two years.But
last Friday, when the whole of Gurugram offered Friday prayers amid an
atmosphere of fear, tension began brewing again in Bhora Kalan.Hindus again
warned Muslims not to invite maulvis.TOI
Meerut: Hindu outfits object Muslims offering
namaz at a tomb triggers clash
Meerut:Security was tightened at Meerut’s
Shastri Nagar area after a clash involving two communities on Wednesday night.
The incident happened after BJP-led Hindu groups objected to Muslims offering
namaz at a tomb. According to BJP, the function, held close to the gole mandir
in Sector-3, was a first and they did not want a “new tradition” to begin. A
Muslim group, however, denied this and said they had often offered namaz
there.Soon after the moon was sighted on Wednesday, marking the beginning of
the holy month of Ramzan, many people gathered at the tomb to offer prayers.
However, certain Hindu outfits’ members arrived and objected to this. The
arguments soon spiralled out of control leading to a clash. People from both
sides pelted stones at each other.The police were informed of the incident and
managed to control the ruckus. Two persons were injured in the clash. “No
arrests were made in this connection and leaders of both communities have given
in writing that they will not begin a new tradition at the tomb which means
that the status quo will remain. We have deployed police force in strength as a
precautionary measure,” SSP (Meerut) Rajesh Kumar Pandey said.When contacted,
BJP Shastri Nagar traders’ cell general secretary Jatin Chandana said that it
was for the first time that “hundreds” had gathered at the tomb, which is
located in an area with few Muslims, to offer namaz. “We are not opposed to
prayers by any community. But we will not allow any new thing to begin in our
area,” he said.Meanwhile, chief of Yuva Sewa Samiti Badar Ali said that members
from his community used to visit Shastri Nagar tomb and offered prayers inside
the tomb.indian express
Gurgaon Model of Preventing Namaz Spreads to
Yogi-Land:newsclick
In Meerut, power utility ropes in maulvis to
wean people from illegal connections
“You will get uninterrupted power supply
throughout the holy month of Ramzan and all faults will immediately be
repaired, provided you pay your electricity bills in time and also refrain from
the illegal connections at least during holy days of Ramzan.”This is an
announcement that vehicles of the Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL)
will blare from loudspeakers in Division-3, a Muslim-dominated area in Meerut
from Saturday.Along with this, the company has also sought maulvis’ help to
ensure timely payment of dues and weaning people away from taking illegal
connections. In return, the company says it will put on hold its drive against
illegal connections. The public utility, the highest earner for the ailing UP
Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL), has been suffering losses to the tune of 40 % under the zone.“We have convinced the maulvis
to appeal to worshippers after Ramzan prayers to refrain from going for illegal
connections at least during the the holy days. We have decided to put on hold
our ongoing campaign against katia connections during these days. We will also
make announcements from our vehicles and also distribute pamphlets to dissuade
people from opting for an illegal power line,” said Sanjay Sharna, Executive
Engineer, Division-3, which covers Gola Kuan, Nicha Sadiqnagar and Jakir
Colony.PVVNL expects their request to Muslim clerics to take shape soon. “I had
gone for namaz at the mosque in Hapur Road last evening but the cleric did not
say anything about electricity bills but yes, I have heard that they have been
told to do so after the prayers during Ramzan,” said Julfikar Nasim, a resident
of Hashimpura on Hapur Road.indianexpress
Stop cultural events at Nauchandi fair during
Ramzan: Meerut’s Mayor Verma
Meerut: As the month of Ramzan began on
Thursday, Meerut Mayor Sunita Verma in a letter to municipal commissioner Manoj
Chauhan sought cancellation of cultural events at Nauchandi fair saying that it
will affect prayers and other rituals at a nearby mosque situated in Muslim
community. Verma said, “I have written a letter to the Meerut municipal
commissioner seeking to cancel all the cultural events at the Nauchandi fair
because the venue is situated in close proximity to a mosque here. Since Ramzan
started from Thursday, and the Muslim community will come here to offer namaz,
the programmes at the fair will disturb them in prayers. People from the Muslim
community had approached me in this regard, and I have written a letter to the
municipal commissioner to maintain peace here.”Qazi Zainus Sajidin, Meerut
qazi, said, “This is a welcome move. In fact, this will help in averting any
tension that might occur between the two communities, and will make the Ramzan
prayers pass peacefully here.TOI
Closure of abattoir angers Junagadh Muslims
Rajkot: The huge Muslim community living in
Junagadh is seeing red after the municipal corporation sealed the only abattoir
in the city following orders of Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB).
Interestingly, this abattoir was already sealed by GPCB way back in 2010 as JMC
was found flouting pollution norms. However, after receiving representations
from the locals during the Ramzan month, the collector had intervened and gave
permission for temporary operations. The abattoir was never sealed then.There
are nearly 60,000 Muslims living in Junagadh city and those living in near-by
villages purchase raw material from this abattoir. Besides Muslims, other
non-vegetarian food consumers and hoteliers are also dependent on this abattoir
for their daily supply.The closure order that comes in the holy month of Ramzan
has angered the butchers who blocked the city roads on Thursday for few hours
to protest the decision..M K Nandani, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “We
have requested the GPCB to revoke the closure order and assured them to
following all the conditions and norms. GPCB wants us to install ETP which will
take three to four month. We have make the provision to allocate the funds for
this facility.”TOI
JNU academic council ratifies course on
‘Islamic terrorism
JNU has been mired in controversy after the
University Council recently announced that they will soon introduce a course on
Islamic Terrorism under a Centre for National Security Studies (CNSS). This
decision by the University authorities faced severe criticism from the faculty
members alleging that such a move will spread communalism in the campus.
Speaking to media, Sudhir K Suthar, an office-bearer of JNU Teachers
Association reportedly said,“Many JNU Academic Council members opposed the
proposal to impart courses on ‘Islamic Terrorism’.They felt that it was
communal in nature”.Suthar further stated that a dozen of members opposed the
topic ‘Islamic Terrorism’ so as to not club any religion with terrorism, and
suggested to call the phenomenon ‘religious terrorism’. According to sources, a
proposal to set up the CNSS was given approval, with ‘Islamic terrorism’ set to
be taught there. While the AC agenda mentions it as one of the “key areas” of
study, there is no clarity so far as to whether it would be offered as an
independent course. Some AC members, including the JNU Students’ Union
office-bearers, said it had been passed as a course. But Professor Ajay Dubey,
who chaired the committee to work out modalities of setting up CNSS, said no
course on the subject had been proposed. He did not answer any further
questions. Venting anger over the issue, a senior professor in anonymity said,
“This is a brazen attempt to promulgate Islamophobia and should be protested
vehemently. The term should be ‘religious extremism’ rather than Islamic
terrorism”.The report further suggests that it was also proposed that the
center would also be an academic and research institute with autonomy over the
agenda of its research and course curricula. It will have only MPhil and Ph.D
students during its first 5 years after which the master’s programmes may be
started.newsx
AMU violence: Magisterial inquiry report
delayed
The magisterial inquiry report of the May 2
violence at AMU, which was to be submitted on Friday, has been delayed and is
now likely to be presented in a week’s time.Confirming this, DM CB Singh said
due to the transfer of ADM Bachhu Singh, who was entrusted with the inquiry,
the report had been delayed. He said he has directed the new ADM, Uday Singh,
to submit the report within a week.According to a senior official, the inquiry
will be looking into the circumstances as to how Hindu right wing activists
managed to reach the gates of AMU the second time and why no action was taken
by the police to stop them. He said the inquiry would also assess as to why no
FIR was registered against the activists then.TOI
AMU students threaten fresh stir if demands
not met
With the onset of Ramzan, the agitating
students of AMU withdrew their 3-day hunger strike and 15-day dharna. But
leaders of AMUSU threatened to launch a fresh agitation, if their demand for a
judicial inquiry into the violence on the campus over a portrait of Mohammed
Ali Jinnah is not fulfilled.“This should not be viewed as an end to our
agitation but as preparation for a possible second stage of our struggle which
would be launched, if needed, at an all-India level in case authorities fail to
fulfill their commitment,” said AMUSU president Mashkoor Ahmad Usmani. “We
would have our delegations meeting home minister and President of India besides
others concerned and would press for our demand,” he added.The agitation by
students ended on Wednesday night after Nafeesa Begum, the mother of missing
JNU student Najeeb, persuaded the AMU students to end their indefinite hunger
strike.AMU VC Professor Tariq Mansoor too expressed solidarity with the
agitating students after visiting them.HT
End to students' protest a Ramzan gift: AMU VC
Human rights panel sends notice to Rajasthan Govt
over alleged police brutality against Dalits
NHRC has issued a notice to Rajasthan Govt over
alleged police brutality against Dalits during protests held against a Supreme
Court order that diluted the SC and ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Multiple
Dalit organisations had called for nationwide shutdown on April 2. Commission took
cognisance of a media report, which alleged that several Dalits were falsely
implicated in criminal cases during the bandh and jailed, with no provision for
bail even after six weeks. The commission issued a notice to the Rajasthan
chief secretary asking for a report in six weeks. It also directed the state’s
director general of police to submit a report on the actions taken against the
alleged police brutality.scroll.in
Kathua case: Delhi HC sends notices to Google,
Facebook and Twitter for revealing girl’s identity
Delhi High Court on Friday said that social
media platforms had done a “great disservice to the nation” by uploading
content that revealed the identity of the 8-year-old girl who was allegedly
raped and then murdered in Kathua district of J&K in Jan.The court issued
notices to search engine giant Google, social media networks Facebook and Twitter
and video-sharing website YouTube, after their local subsidiaries said they
were not the concerned entity to reply to the notice, PTI reported. “You have
done a great disservice to the nation,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita
Mittal and Justice Hari Shankar said. “India has been branded. It is an
injustice to the nation and to the victim’s family.”scroll.in
Assam D voter issue: SC accepts Jamiat
Ulama-i-Hind plea
New Delhi: An important petition in connection
with Assam D voter issue was presented in Supreme Court before a bench of
Justice A K Goel and Justice Indu Malhotra. Advocate Fazal Ayyubi and senior
advocate Kapil Sibal followed up the case on behalf of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.
Later the bench accepted the petition for hearing and forwarded it to a bench
comprising of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice FR Nariman. ‘D voter’ is a
category of voters in Assam where ‘D’ stands for ‘doubtful’. The citizenship
rights, entitlements and privileges of a D voter are withheld until they prove
their citizenship. Many who have certificates have also been put into D voter
list. The number of such people is nearly 1.5 lakh.siasat
SC collegium says needs further deliberations
on judges’ elevation
The Supreme Court collegium has said that an
unanimous view existed on further deliberation and broad-based consideration of
names of High Court Chief Justices before it sent to the Centre its reiteration
on the elevation of Uttarakhand Chief Justice K.M. Joseph as an apex court
Judge.A resolution adopted at May 16 meeting of the SC collegium said:“...in
the meeting of the collegium, an unanimous view was expressed that there should
be further deliberation and broad-based consideration of the names of the Chief
Justices as well as Judges of the High Courts, which are at present not
represented in the SC.“In view of the above, the meeting stands deferred to be
held at the earliest.” Resolution was uploaded on the SC site on
Friday.IANS
Ex-diplomat Madhuri Gupta convicted of spying
for ISI
New Delhi: Former diplomat Madhuri Gupta was
on Friday convicted by a Delhi court for passing secret information to
Pakistan’s ISI during her posting in Islamabad in 2010, eight years after she
was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell. A bench of Additional Sessions
Judge Sidharth Sharma held Gupta (61) guilty under various provisions of the
Official Secrets Act (OSA), including spying and wrongful communication of
classified information.The court, however, acquitted Gupta of stringent
provisions of OSA, which entails a maximum punishment of up to 14 years, as the
prosecution could not prove it.indianexpress
Sohrabuddin, Prajapati ‘Fake encounter’ cases:
Warrant against four accused for not appearing before court
Mumbai:The special court hearing the case of
alleged fake encounters of Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram Prajapati on Friday issued
a warrant against four accused after their advocates remained absent for the
hearing even as two witnesses were present for deposition. The court issued the
warrants against Gujarat policeman Mukesh Parmar, Rajasthan policemen Himanshu
Singh Rawat and Shyam Singh Charan, and another accused Rajendra Jirawala.
Special Judge SJ Sharma passed an order directing the Superintendent of CBI in
Mumbai to execute the warrant and bring the accused before the court on June 4,
the next hearing in the case.indianexpress
Varanasi tragedy: Flyover was being
constructed without design approval
Under-construction flyover in Varanasi was
being constructed without any approval of the flyover drawing or design by
concerned departments, or any enquiry into the standard norms fixed for beams.
Moreover, there was no record maintained about how much concrete, cement or
sand are being used in the construction of the beams. Besides, the interim
report of the initial investigation into the Varanasi tragedy reveals that the
heavy beam was being fixed in the column without first tying it to the cross
beam and even the officials who inspected the site had not issued any report on
these details.The investigation report into the collapse of the
under-construction flyover in PM’s parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, states
that it caved in due to 2 heavy beams and has found UP State Bridge Corporation Managing Director
Rajan Mittal and five other officials responsible for it.Rajan Mittal has been
shunted out of the department.nationalheraldindia
19 killed as cement-laden truck overturns in
Gujarat
Ahmedabad: 19 people were killed and seven
others injured when a truck turned turtle in Gujarat’s Bavalyali village on the
Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar road on Saturday morning.The truck, which was loaded with
cement sacks, met with the accident around 2.30 am. The driver fled from the
scene soon after the incident.“The deceased include 12 women and 3 children.
They were all from the same family,” said an officer with the Bhavnagar police.
The injured were taken to the Bhavnagar civil hospital for treatment, he added.
HT
Dumper crushes siblings going to school, girl
dies in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh
New Delhi: A 12-year-old girl was crushed to
death by a speeding dumper while she and her 14-year-old brother were waiting
on a divider to cross a road in Shaheen Bagh, near Okhla, on Friday morning.The
brother is critical. The dumper carrying building material tried to overtake a
truck when the driver lost control on the narrow road and crushed Ishrat and
her brother, Irshad, against the grille of the divider.They were dragged for a
few metres after which the driver stopped the vehicle and tried to flee. He was
caught by locals and thrashed before being arrested. He told police he was in a
hurry to cross the Delhi border to avoid being penalised for violating entry
rules.The incident took place around 6.45am when Ishrat, a Class 6 student, and
her brother, Irshad, were on their way to a Govt school in Noor Nagar near Jamia Nagar. TOI
WORLD
UN votes to send war crimes investigators to
Gaza
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/votes-send-war-crimes-investigators-gaza-180518142752946.html
UN ' top human rights body has voted to send a
team of international war crimes investigators to probe the deadly shootings of
Gaza protesters by Israeli forces.A resolution calling on UN Human Rights
Council to"urgently dispatch an independent, international commission of
inquiry" was backed on Friday by 29 members.2 members - the US and
Australia - voted against and 14 abstained.Investigators must"investigate
all alleged violations and abuses ... in the context of the military assaults
on large-scale civilian protests that began on 30 March", Approved resolution
said. The commission of inquiry will be asked to produce a final report next
March.aljazeera
UN rights chief: Israel's Gaza response
'wholly disproportionate'
UN human rights chief has slammed Israel's
deadly reaction to protests along the Gaza border as "wholly
disproportionate" and backed calls for an international
investigation.Addressing a special session of UN Human Rights Council on
Friday, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said there was "little evidence" Israel
made an effort to minimise casualties during mass border protests by
Palestinians on Monday.He said Israeli forces had killed 106 Palestinians,
including 15 children, since March 30. More than 12,000 were injured, at least
3,500 by live ammunition.aljazeera
Muslim countries leaders call for
international protection force for Palestinians
Istanbul:Muslim leaders called on Friday for
an international force to be deployed to protect Palestinians after dozens of
protesters were shot dead by Israeli forces on the Gaza border this week.At a
special summit in Turkey convened by President Tayyip Erdogan, they also
pledged to take "appropriate political (and) economic measures"
against countries that followed the US in moving their Israel embassies to
contested Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.Erdogan, who is campaigning for re-election
next month, used the summit to verbally attack Israel, comparing the actions of
its forces to Nazi Germany's treatment of Jews in World War Two, when millions
were killed in concentration camps.He also castigated the US, saying its
decision to move its embassy had emboldened Israel to put down the protests at
the border with Gaza with excessive force. Most countries say the status of
Jerusalem - a sacred city to Jews, Muslims and Christians - should be
determined in a final peace settlement between Israel and Palestinians and that
moving their embassies now would prejudge any such deal.The final declaration
of the meeting of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation described
the killing of 60 Palestinians, protesting the embassy move on Monday, as
"savage crimes committed by the Israeli forces with the backing of the US
administration".It said the violence should be put on the agenda of the
UNSC and General Assembly, and called on UN to investigate the
killings.Jordan's King Abdullah said the US decision 5 months ago to recognise
Jerusalem as Israel's capital had "weakened the pillars of peace ... and
deepened the despair that leads to violence."Iran's President Hassan
Rouhani called on Muslim countries "to totally cut their relations with
the Zionist regime (Israel) and also to revise their trade and economic ties
with America".UN must send "an international peace force to the
people of Palestine, who are losing their young children to Israeli terror
every day," Erdogan said, comparing the proposed deployment to
peacekeeping forces sent to Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s.Reuters
Erdogan calls on Muslim countries to unite and
confront Israel
Israel FM: We will not cut our diplomatic ties
with Turkey
Israeli Foreign Ministry said it had decided
not to sever its diplomatic ties with Ankara following recent tension in the
relationship resulting from Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip last Monday,
which took the life of tens of Palestinian and injured thousands.Israeli Radio
quoted Tzipi Hotovely, Deputy Foreign Minister as saying “After having several
consultations, including those with PM Benjamin Netanyahu, we decided not to
sever ties with Turkey.”“Turkey is a huge country in the region, our airlines
pass through its airspace, we share business relations together and Turkey has
a large Jewish community there which needs an Israeli backup,” she said. In the
same interview she attacked, Tayyip Erdogan, describing him as “a tyrant with
hands stained with blood.”MEMO
US embassy move to Jerusalem a ‘mistake’: UK
envoy
UK’s ambassador to Ankara has described the
US’ decision to move its embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as “a mistake”. Dominick
Chilcott said: “As you may know, rather like the Turkish Govt, British Govt’s
view is we are not moving our embassy to Jerusalem. And we think it was a
mistake for the Americans to have taken that step.” Chilcott commented on
President Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to UK.MEMO
Tens of thousands enter al-Aqsa for Ramadan's 1st
Friday
O.Jerusalem - Over 100,000 Palestinians, many
of them from the occupied West Bank, have made their way to the al-Aqsa Mosque
compound in Jerusalem for first Friday of Ramadan. Palestinians from the
occupied territories, who otherwise cannot access Jerusalem, are typically
allowed to enter the city under strict conditions during the Fridays of holy
month.On most days, Qalandiya checkpoint, main gateway in the West Bank to
Jerusalem and beyond, resembles a land border, complete with terminals,
turnstiles and security detectors.This time, Palestinian men over 40 and women
of all ages were allowed to pass, with most streaming past concrete barriers
without being stopped,as Israeli soldiers stood close by.aljazeera
Egypt to open Rafah crossing with Gaza for
Ramadan
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has
ordered the opening of Rafah border crossing with Gaza Strip for the entire
holy month of Ramadan, days after mass protests along the Gaza-Israel border in
which more than 60 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces.Sisi made the
announcement on Twitter, marking the longest duration since 2013 that the only
crossing connecting Gaza to Egypt would be accessible for. aljazeera
Qatar may save Trump’s son-in-law Jared
Kushner from bankruptcy
Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has
been desperately seeking for someone to bail his family out from a poor real
estate investment which threatens to wipe out their fortune. Their rescue,
according to New York Times, is coming in the shape of deal with none other
than a company linked to Qatar.The company controlled by White House adviser
Kushner is said to be close to receiving a bailout by a company with financial
ties to Govt of Qatar, according to executives briefed on the deal. The paper’s
report revealed that Charles Kushner, Jared’s father and head of Kushner
Companies, is in advanced talks with Brookfield Asset Management over a
partnership to take control of the 41-story tower in Midtown Manhattan.The
father and son team believed that they had bought a real estate trophy but
since purchasing the building 11 years ago for a record-setting $1.8 billion,
they have struggled to regenerate enough rent to cover the enormous mortgage on
their investment. The building today is said to only generate about half its
annual mortgage payment, and 30 % of the
41-story tower is vacant.Desperate to plug the hole which threatened to send
them towards possible bankruptcy, the Kushner family went searching the globe
for a partner for the building, including meeting as recently as last year with
a billionaire from Qatar, Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani, the country’s former PM .middleeastmonitor
Taliban pledge not to target Afghan army,
police:Aljazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/taliban-pledge-target-afghan-army-police-180518095456444.html
The Taliban says it will not target the Afghan
police and military in the country any more due to the high number of
casualties suffered by the security forces in the ongoing conflict.The armed
group declared in a rare statement on Friday "a general amnesty to all
military formations, national army, national police, Arbakis (local police) and
all employees of the regime to safeguard their lives and wealth".While
stating that the main target of its recently launched spring offensive in the
country are Americans and their allies, the armed group said security officials
often come under fire because they are "protecting the foreign invaders
and the corrupt regime which they have installed"."These security
forces, however, are our own countrymen who have joined the ranks of America due
to misguidance or other reasons,"statement said."In case you do leave
the enemy ranks ... mujahideen of Islamic Emirate shall use every means at
their disposal to try and ease your life."
Muslims forced to eat pork, drink alcohol as
punishment in China's Islamic 're-education' camps,claim ex inmates
Former inmates have told of the horror after being detained in China's
indoctrination camps for Muslims, where they were physically and mentally
tortured.Around 900,000 to one million Muslims are estimated to have been
detained in such re-education camps in China's western province of Xinjiang as
Beijing tries to clamp down on potential separatist movements. Omir Bekali and
Kayrat Samarkand, both former detainees, have told the Washington Post that
these former prisoners have been forced to eat pork and drink acohol, forbidden
in Islam, as punishment.Hour upon hour, day upon day, Bekali and other
detainees in these new indoctrination camps had to disavow their Islamic
beliefs, criticise themselves and their loved ones and give thanks to the
ruling Communist Party. When Bekali, a Kazakh Muslim, refused to follow orders
each day, he was forced to stand at a wall for five hours at a time. A week
later, he was sent to solitary confinement, where he was deprived of food for
24 hours. After 20 days in the heavily guarded camp, he wanted to kill
himself.dailymail/AP
Cuba plane crash leaves more than 100 dead
More than 100 people have died after a Boeing
737 airliner crashed near Cuba's main airport in Havana, country's worst air
disaster in decades. 3 women were pulled alive from the wreckage, but are said
to be in a critical condition.The plane, which was nearly 40 years old, was
carrying 104 passengers and 6 crew members.All 6 crew members on board were
Mexican and the majority of the passengers were Cuban, with 5 foreigners
reported to be among them.bbc
10 killed in Texas school shooting, gunman
arrested
A student opened fire at a high school in the
US state of Texas on Friday, killing at least 10 people, mostly students, in
the latest such incident in the country.The incident took place at Santa Fe
High School in the city of the same name, located about 50 kilometres southeast
of Houston. An unidentified law enforcement officer was shot, but sources said
he was “clipped” and was not seriously injured.At least 10 people — nine
students and a teacher — were killed in the gunfire, CNN quoted a law
enforcement official as saying.PTI
Protest in Baghdad against Iranian general’s
visit
Hundreds of Iraqis have protested in central
Baghdad against the visit of Iran’s Major General Qasem Soleimani to their
country. With their chants of “Iran, out, out” they expressed the popular
desire for Iran to stop interfering in Iraq’s domestic affairs. The
demonstrators demanded that Soleimani — who commands the Iranian Revolutionary
Guards Corps — should liberate the occupied city of Jerusalem instead of
destabilising the security of Iraq and Syria.Soleimani arrived in Iraq on
Saturday, when the country held its first legislative elections in years. He is
holding talks with Iraqi politicians in Baghdad to promote the formation of a
new Iraqi Govt with Iran’s approval. “Soleimani is discussing with rival
politicians to pave the way for agreement on the formation of a ruling Shia
coalition,” said one source who mediates between Shia cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr
and other senior politicians.middleeastmonitor
Critic of Iran, Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr’s
bloc wins Iraq elections
An alliance headed by former Shia militia
chief Moqtada al-Sadr has won the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the poll
panel said.Final results released by the Electoral Commission gave Sadr’s
Saeroun bloc 54 seats, while current PM Haider al-Abadi was in third place with
42.Sadr cannot become PM himself as he
did not stand as a candidate, BBC reported. However, he was expected to play a
major role in forming the new govt. Sadr has reinvented himself as an
anti-corruption champion after making his name as a militia chief fighting US
forces after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He is also a fierce critic of Iran.Some
5,000 American troops remain in Iraq supporting local forces, which were
fighting the IS.Saeroun (Marching Towards Reform) list is an alliance between
Sadr’s Istiqama party and 6 mostly secular groups, including the Iraqi
communist party.It pushed the pro-Iranian Fatah alliance into second place with
47 seats. Fatah combines the political wings of militias in the Shia-led
paramilitary Hashd al-Shaabi force and is led by former Transport Minister Hadi
al-Amiri.IANS
EU moves to block US sanctions on Iran
European Commission will launch the process of
activating a law that bans European companies and courts from complying with US
sanctions against Iran after Washington pulled out of the landmark 2015 nuclear
deal.Jean Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, said on
Thursday the commission has a "duty to protect European companies"
from American sanctions."We now need to act, and this is why we are
launching the process to activate the 'blocking statute' from 1996. We will do
that tomorrow [Friday] morning at 10:30," he told a news conference in the
Bulgarian capital, Sofia, after a meeting of EU leaders. aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Ramadan Ceasefire In Kashmir Meaningless If
Media War Continues: Saeed Naqvi
After Gujarat Seat, Vajubhai Vala Has Now
Sacrificed the Constitution for Modi :Jaiveer Shergill
Ayodhya;To Offer Namaz Is An Essential
Practice, But To Offer It At Mosque May Not Be, Argues Ram Lalla’s Lawyer K Parasaran
Mockery of Justice: Kasganj Riots Accused Made
Govt Witness:Newsclick
Jinnah In My Room:Nirupama Subramanian
Appointment of Yeddyurappa Rests on False
Assumption About Governor's Powers:P.D.T. Achary
Why Attorney-General Venugopal’s words in
court remind us of the dark days of Emergency:Maneesh Chhibber
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 4:49 PM)
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