NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
29 May 2018:13 Ramazan 1439: Vol:10, No:32
INDIA
Amid massive protest across Assam against
Citizenship Bill, Congress asks Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland People’s Front to
form Govt, offers support
Guwahati: Opposition Congress in Assam has
made an offer to Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) to
initiate a process for the formation of a non-BJP Govt, committing that the
grand old party will extend outside support to it.AGP and BPF are constituents
in the state’s BJP-led 3-party ruling coalition. What made the Congress to come
up with the offer is AGP’s straining of ties with BJP over the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, 2016, which Modi Govt wants to pass to grant citizenship to
non-Muslim immigrants of Bangladesh besides Pakistan and Afghanistan. Congress
wants the formation of an AGP-led Govt with BPF and minority-based AIUDF as its
constituents. Congress says if the 3 of them come together, it will extend
outside support to the formation. 4 parties together have 64 MLAs as against
BJP’s 61 in 126-member Assam House.There is also an Independent MLA.“If an
alternative Govt is formed, the Congress will not participate in it. However,
the party will extend outside support to it for democracy to prevail,” Assam
Congress chief Ripun Bora said. Congress MLA Abdul Khalek, who had first come
up with the idea, claimed the party was in talks with some AGP leaders. He said
the non-BJP formation would see the light of the day only if there was a
positive response from AGP.The development comes amidst rising anger in the
state against BJP over Citizenship Bill. Assamese groups and organisations fear
that if the Bill is passed it will destroy the locals’ ethnic identity among
others.newindianexpress
Assam: Ruling BJP’s ally AGP, 28 groups on
fast demanding to withdraw Citizenship (Amendment) Bill
Guwahati:Altogether 28 organisations, led by
All Assam Students Union (AASU), came together for a day-long hunger strike in
Guwahati today against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bills, 2016, which seeks to
give Indian citizenship rights to persecuted religious minorities of select
neighbouring countries. Ruling coalition partner of BJP-led state govt, Asom
Gana Parishad (AGP), also joined the protestors with AGP president and cabinet
minister Atul Bora himself participating in the agitation programme.Supporters
of 28 organisations as well as other groups and individuals joined the 11-hour
hunger strike that began at 0600 hours at Assam Engineering Institute field at
Chandmari in the city. Leading personalities from film, cultural and journalist
fraternity, along with intellectuals and writers, participated in the hunger
strike.AGP head Atul Bora, who is the Agriculture minister in the state
Cabinet, and former two-time CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta of AGP also came to the
agitation site to lend their support to the cause. UNI
Massive protest across Assam against
Citizenship Bill
NGT seeks centre reply on petition against use
of loudspeaker in mosques
New Delhi: On plea seeking ban on use of
loudspeakers in mosques for allegedly causing noise pollution, National Green
Tribunal (NGT) sought response of the Centre and others on Monday. A bench
headed by acting NGT Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim issued notices to the
Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), police and
others while seeking their replies before June 26. The tribunal was hearing a
plea filed by NGO Akhand Bharat Morcha alleging that illegal use of
loudspeakers at mosques adversely affected the health of residents living in
their vicinity. The plea, filed through advocate Rahul Raj Malik, had alleged
that the activities of some mosques were in violation of Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules,
2000, adding that authorities have not taken any action despite several
complaints. It has claimed that these places of worship were located in silent
zones housing schools and hospitals and noise from their loudspeakers surpassed
the laid down decibel levels.The petition referred to NGT’s Sept. 2017 order
which directed the Delhi Govt and DPCC to ensure that religious places in East
Delhi strictly adhere to the guidelines of noise pollution.The tribunal had
asked the DPCC to take appropriate action against the places of worship in case
any violation was found by authorities.PTI
Petition seeks ban on speakers in mosques
Massive EVM failure affects by polls: EVMs in
90% booths of Muslim, Dalit areas selectively targeted, alleges Kairana SP MLC,
calls it ‘scientific rigging’
As Kairana Lok Sabha Constituency went to
bypolls on Monday, the malfunctioning of the EVMs and VVPAT emerged to be the
biggest story from the polling ground. The extent of EVMs malfunctioning grew
severe as the day progressed.Over 200 EVMs and VVPATs from the polling booths
of all the 5 assembly segments of Lok Sabha were reportedly malfunctioning,
which led to Samajwadi Party and RLD to raise allegations of “scientific
rigging” in the byelection. Interestingly, even BJP leadership raised the issue
of EVM malfunctioning and urged the EC to conduct repolls at some booths. RLD's
candidate in Kairana Tabassum Hasan, who got the support of Opposition parties,
wrote to the CEC complaining about malfunctioning EVM and VVPATs in her
constituency. Many of the local Muslim leaders complained that after EVMs
stopped functioning, many of the voters in Muslim area of Kairana returned home
from the booths because they were fasting and they could not stand in the long
queues in the terrible heat. This was deliberate, they alleged.“Muslims are
fasting, so they preferred to turn up in the morning hours and waited for their
turn in the queue. In areas like Kairana town, for instance, which has strong
Muslim population or in Garhipukhta in Thana Bhawan, which is known to be a
Muslim stronghold. Both the areas saw many huge lines outside the polling
booths as the EVMs stopped working,” said Mahmood Hasan from Kairana, a local
active member of civil society. “But people who are fasting cannot wait for
long in this terrible heat. So, they had no option but to leave. I have a
strong feeling that it was a deliberate strategy in Muslim areas for stopping
people from giving their votes,” he added. Hasan made it a point to mention
that while the voters faced difficulties, they were left clueless. Local SP MLC
Udaiveer Singh said that it was “scientific rigging”. “It is scientific rigging
because EVMs in 90% polling booths of Muslim and Dalit areas were selectively
targetted. When we tried to approach the local officers, their phones were
switched off. No engineers were available. The administrative officers are
behaving very rudely and irresponsibly. It seems that the local officers have
been told to ensure victory at any cost,” he said.newsclick
EVM malfunctioning mars bypolls in UP,
Maharashtra; Opposition lodges protest
Voting for the Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll on
Monday witnessed a voter turnout of 54.17%, according to the Election
Commission. And 61%votes were cast in Noorpur Assembly bypoll. The elections
were marred by complaints of EVM malfunctioning, with EC having to replace
faulty machines at a few places. EC assured that a re-poll will be ordered in a
few booths if necessary.Bypolls for Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra’s Palghar
and Bhandara-Gondia seats were marred by large-scale malfunctioning of the
electronic voting machines and VVPAT.In Palghar, 46% polling was recorded while
in Bhandara-Gondia it was 31% .indianexpress
VVPAT glitches pose a new headache for poll
panel
Opposition
alleges EVMs tampered with everywhere, faulty machines not replaced in Dalit,
Muslim areas
China Foreign Ministry: CPEC will not affect
China’s stand on Kashmir issue
China has refrained from making any direct
comment on Pakistan’s latest move on exercising administrative authority on
Gilgit-Baltistan, but said the CPEC, which traverses through the disputed
region, will not affect its stand that the Kashmir issue should be resolved
between India and Pakistan. Pakistan’s Cabinet on May 21 approved
Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018 which was also endorsed by the region’s assembly.
The order is being seen as Pakistan’s efforts towards incorporating the
disputed region as its fifth province.The move sparked anger in the region and
drew strong reaction from New Delhi which said the entire state of Jammu and
Kashmir, which also includes the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’ areas, is an
integral part of India.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told
a media briefing that “Kashmir issue is a historical baggage between India and
Pakistan and therefore shall be resolved between 2 sides through dialogue and
consultation”. Asked to comment on Pakistan govt’s Gilgit-Baltistan Order, Hua
reiterated Beijing’s stand that the USD 50 billion CPEC, which goes through
Gilgit and Baltistan, will not affect its stand that the Kashmir issue should
be resolved between India and Pakistan.“We have stressed many times that CPEC
is an initiative for economic cooperation.This is a cooperation framework which
serves the purpose of economic development and the people’s livelihood. This
initiative does not affect our position on Kashmir issue,” she said.Pakistan
has bifurcated occupied Kashmir into two administrative parts – Gilgit-Baltistan
and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Gilgit-Baltistan was treated as a separate
geographical entity by Pakistan till now.It is believed that China’s concerns
about the unsettled status of Gilgit-Baltistan prompted Pak to change the
region’s status.PTI
J&K govt asks Army, revenue authorities to
inspect demarcation of land
Jammu:J&K Govt has asked the revenue and
the Army authorities to carry out a joint inspection for demarcation of land
under Army occupation in Poonch district. District Development Commissioner,
Poonch, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, took a decision in this regard at a meeting
convened to settle defence land issues in the district, a govt statement
said.It said that the meeting was convened in view of grievances raised by
various quarters regarding non-payment or delayed payment of rent and arrears
for proprietary land acquired by the defence estates for the establishment of
army camps in the district besides the compensation on account of land acquired
by General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) to be expedited. Development
Commissioner has ordered a joint inspection by the revenue and the Army
authorities for demarcation of land under ‘Bobby Camp’ to iron out years-old
dispute between land owners and Defence Estates Dept, statement said. According
to official figures, over 21,400 hectares of land are under unauthorised
occupation of the Army and other security forces in the state.PTI
Pak Army orders court of inquiry into former
ISI chief’s book co-authored with ex-RAW head
Pakistan Army on Monday ordered a formal court
of inquiry into the revelations made by ex- ISI chief Lieutenant General
(retired) Asad Durrani in his book Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of
Peace, reported Express Tribune. Durrani co-authored the book with former
Research and Analysis Wing chief Amarjit Singh Dulat and Indian journalist
Aditya Sinha.The book is a series of discussions between the two former spy
agency chiefs and Sinha on a range of topics, including the Kashmir matter.A
press release issued by the Pakistan military’s media wing ISPR said that a
“competent authority” has been approached to place Durrani’s name under Exit
Control List, prohibiting him from leaving the country.scroll
Ex-RAW chief defends Pakistan’s former ISI
head Durrani over ‘Spy Chronicles’
New Delhi:Ex-RAW chief AS Dulat defended ex chief
of Pakistan’s ISI Lieutenant General (retired) Asad Durrani, saying, “There are
no new things in the book.” “His views are well-known. There are no new things
in the book (‘Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace’). This is
very unfortunate that such things are being done to Asad Durrani,” Ex-Raw Chief
Dulat said on his co-author and ex-ISI Chief Asad Durrani who has been placed
on the Exit Control List (ECL) by Pakistan.“Things written in book are his (Durrani’s)
memories. Even former Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan said that
26/11 Mumbai attacks destroyed Pakistan’s credibility in Kashmir. If a former
foreign secretary can get away with it, why not ISI chief?” Dulat added.ANI
For talks, Centre should first accept Kashmir
as a dispute: Geelani
Srinagar:While mainstream political parties
have cautiously welcomed Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s talks offer to
separatists, separatist leaders have said that the Central Govt should accept Kashmir as a “dispute” for any
serious dialogue. “We are not against dialogue, but if New Delhi is serious, it
should first accept Kashmir as a dispute,” Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah
Geelani said.“Dialogue will not serve any purpose until the ground reality is
accepted.”Geelani said he got to know about the offer through the media. “If
there is no seriousness in the dialogue, it is no fun,” he said.Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq and Yasin Malik did not comment. Mainstream political parties welcomed
Singh’s talks offer.indianexpress
India abides only by UN sanctions, not those
US has imposed on Iran: Sushma Swaraj
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has
said India only abides by sanctions imposed by the UN and not by other countries,
in a reference to US sanctions on Iran, News18 reported.“We don’t make our
foreign policy under pressure from other countries,” she told reporters at a
press conference, when asked whether US sanctions against Iran and Venezuela
would affect India, AFP reported. “We believe in UN sanctions but not in
country-specific sanctions.”Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif,
who is currently in New Delhi on a one-day visit, met Swaraj for
delegation-level talks. “We [India and Iran] have had very good relations in
the past and we expect to continue these relations,” he told ANI ahead of his
meeting with Swaraj.scroll.in
Swaraj Bristles at Charge of 'Outsourcing
Policy to PMO', Talks Iran, Pakistan
A week in govt, Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy has a deputy and no cabinet
Almost
a week since Karnataka got a new Govt , it has only two ministers including CM HD Kumaraswamy.JDS leader and his deputy from
the Congress, G Parameshwara, remain the only members of the cabinet since the
grand swearing in ceremony on Wednesday that segued into the opposition's
anti-BJP unity show.In a sign of trouble from the word "go" - as
predicted by BJP - the coalition partners are unable to agree on an important
ministry, finance, sources have said. Congress is to get 22 of the 34
ministries in the state and JDS 12 as part of the deal between the two parties
when they formed an alliance after a hung verdict.But differences over
ministries seem to have slowed the whole process down. ndtv
At top Karnataka media group, Hindutva
advertiser promised ‘editorial support’
https://thewire.in/media/at-top-karnataka-media-group-hindutva-advertiser-promised-editorial-support
New Delhi:2nd part of Cobrapost’s
investigation, ‘Operation 136’, released on YouTube on Friday, highlights the
manner in which line between advertising, advertorials (euphemistically called
‘brand promotion’) and paid news has been blurred with the management side of
many national and regional media organisations promising clients with deep
pockets assurances of favourable news coverage too.At some media houses,
Cobrapost’s undercover reporter – who posed as a representative of an unnamed
‘sangathan’, or organisation, and sought to buy time and space to promote what
he said was a Hindutva agenda – encountered executives who openly boasted about
their political preferences, affiliations and influence. In surreptitiously
recorded video conversations with the influential Bengaluru-based news channel
Suvarna and its sister publication Kannada Prabha, a senior management
representative boasts of their owner, Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s affiliations to
the ruling party, describing him as “a Hindutva guy”. Chandrasekhar is a BJP MP
in the Rajya Sabha.thewire
Media professionals body demands right to
question govt
https://thewire.in/media/media-foundation-demands-protection-of-press-freedom-right-to-question-Govt
New Delhi: Foundation for Media Professionals
(FMP) has issued a set of demands to protect the freedom of the press in the
country and its right to question the Govt of the day. At the top of its demands included
a press meet that PM Narendra Modi
should call “without further delay, to uphold, if nothing else, the media’s
right to question any holder of that high office”.“Narendra Modi is perhaps the
first PM of India to have not held a
single press conference, four years at a stretch. This could not, however, have
been unrelated to a series of events that raise fresh concerns about media
freedom,” it said.thewire
National parties under RTI Act: ECI clarifies
New Delhi: Election Commission has said
national parties are public authorities under the RTI Act as declared by the
Central Information Commission, a day after the poll panel’s appeal order on an
RTI application saying “political parties are out of the purview of RTI Act”
was reported. ECI clarified that it goes by CIC order of 3rd June, 2013 that
declared national parties as public authorities for the purposes of RTI Act.PTI
Amit Shah, Cabinet ministers meet RSS
leadership to discuss Govt policies
BJP leaders, including party chief Amit Shah,
and 6 cabinet ministers met the leadership of RSS in New Delhi on Monday to
discuss Govt programmes and policies,
PTI reported.RSS Joint General Secretary Krishna Gopal chaired meeting that was
also attended by BJP Vice-chief Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, General Secretary Ram
Madhav and Secretary Ram Lal. Union ministers Rajyavardhan Rathore, JP Nadda,
Maneka Gandhi, Mahesh Sharma, Prakash Javadekar and Thawarchand Gehlot
represented Govt.Leaders from RSS’ different depts such as the social work
wing, the education wing, and the body dealing with ideological issues held
meetings with the top BJP leaders and Govt ministers. They reportedly provided them
feedback about how Govt’s schemes can be better implemented and made
suggestions about drafting new policies. These meetings may continue for the
next two days, and are likely to shape the ruling party’s plans ahead of a
series of state elections this year and 2019 General polls, HT reported last
week.scroll.in
Haryana Rohingya camp fire: heatwave adds to
woes
Gurugram: A day after a fire broke out at a
Rohingya camp in Haryana’s Nuh district, rendering around 50 families homeless,
some NGOs, locals and the district administration came forward for their relief
and rehabilitation.The affected families, however, said that the efforts were
not enough and the children and the elderly were suffering because of heatwave
conditions. “Soon after the fire, SDM visited the camp on Sunday evening and a
tent was erected for the affected families. However, it was after several calls
to the district officials that a water tank was brought to the camp on Monday.
There were no buckets and utensils to store the water. It was emptied in a huge
underground water tank in the village. A few locals and non-Govt organisations brought food for the families around
noon,” said Ali Johar, who has been co-ordinating with the administration and
the NGOs for the relief work.Johar said that a few children and elderly in the
camp were taken ill due to heatwave conditions and the district administration
and NGOs were requested to expedite the rehabilitation work.“A few NGOs had
offered to provide bamboos and tarpaulin to make jhuggis for the families but
we requested them to use tin sheets as they last long and are fireproof. Local
MLA Zakir Hussain also visited the camp and offered to provide monetary help
for it,” Johar added.thehindu
Lal Masjid of delhi almost saved by timely
intervention of Delhi Minorities Commission
New Delhi: This is among dozens of old, some
centuries-old, mosques facing usurp by land sharks in India’s national capital
– who happen to be individuals sometimes and sometimes they are Govt agencies and departments. However, the Lal
Masid was fortunate to have been almost saved by timely intervention of Delhi
Minorities Commission. The Govt agency,
in this case CRPF, had reportedly not honored the stay order of a court against
the occupation of the mosque and destruction of its adjacent graveyard on the
plea of waqf activist Adv. Shahid Ali last year.Minorities Commission had
issued a notice to the CRPF to explain as to “how and why it occupied the land
of Lal Masjid in CGO Complex area near Lodhi Road.” The commission had issued a
notice after media reports that the CRPF had occupied a large part of the land
on 26th Feb.2018 and caused damage to the mosque and adjacent graves, and the
personal visit by commission’s chairman Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan.Responding to
commission’s notice, CRPF said that it has been allotted the land by a
competent authority and had occupied it only with the permission of the Delhi
High Court. “CRPF said that per HC order it has not touched the Lal Masjid or
the adjacent graves,” said the commission in a communication.Dr. Khan inspected
the site personally on 28th Feb. and again on 21st May.“He found during the
first visit that both power and water supplies were cut off and the ablution
area (wuzukhana) was broken. Now on the second visit, he found that power and
water supplies have been restored and ablution area was repaired,” said
commission.However, Dr. Khan was told by the caretaker of the mosque that some
things more need to be done to completely restore the mosque.The caretaker of
the mosque told Dr. Khan that CRPF has connected the mosque’s water pipe to its
supply line which is erratic as CRPF jawans restore supply or cut it off at
will. Lal Masjid’s electric supply has been connected to that of a hut on the
site.In the light of the chairman’s inspection visit and CRPF replies,
commission has issued the directives to CRPF:Allow the mosque to connect to its
original electric supply line. Allow uninterrupted water supply to the mosque
from your source or allow the caretaker to reconnect to the previous Jal Board
pipeline connection. No changes should be made in the status quo.Caravan News
More space in Classes VI to X NCERT books for
ancient Indian knowledge systems, tradition
New Delhi: Ancient Indian knowledge, tradition
and practices now find more space in the new NCERT textbooks that hit the
shelves in March, shows a content analysis of 25 textbooks by the Indian
Express.Books meant for students of Classes 6 to 10 carry new or additional
information on ancient Indian philosophy, ayurveda, yoga, teachings of
Upanishads and smritis and scientific achievements of ancient India in areas
such as astronomy and metallurgy.These changes are part of the textbook review
—first since 2007 — undertaken last year by the NCERT, an autonomous
organisation that advises the HRD Ministry on school education.They assume
significance against the backdrop of the growing demand from BJP and the RSS to
give more space to the country’s ancient past in school textbooks.Speaking at a
lecture series organised by IGNOU and the Sangh-backed Bhartiya Shikshan Mandal
in August last year, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had mentioned that NCERT
will work on giving students a better understanding of Bharat and its “glorious
past”.Indian Express compared old and new versions of 25 textbooks across 5
subjects – History, Geography, Political Science, Science and English. The
comparison revealed new and additional content on the country’s ancient past
not only in history textbooks, but also in science and geography.Indian Express
UP Sanskrit University to provide scholarships
worth Rs 1 crore to students of J&K
UP based
Sanskrit University has announced that it will fund scholarships worth Rs 1
crore to the students of J&K . According to reports, the University has
claimed that it has a variety of fresh courses assuring placements for the
students. As per reports in a leading daily, the executive director of the
University, PC Chabra told the media that the Sanskrit university has taken a
decision of giving opportunities to the students of the J&K state to enroll for higher education at its
Mathura campus.NewsX
Auto driver's daughter Aafreen scores 98.31%
in Gujarat class 10 board exams
Aafreen Shaikh, daughter of an autorickshaw
driver in Ahmedabad, has come out with flying colours in GSEB SSC exams.
Scoring a 98.31%, MBBS aspirant wants to fulfill her parent's wish."My
parents wants to see me as a doctor and I will work hard to fulfill their
dreams," says Afreen.Regular studies, hard work, parent's support and a
goal to pursue MBBS in future, are some of the reasons she credits her success
to.Her father, Shaik Mohammad Hamza reveled in his daughter's success and said
that he always wanted that she serves the country by becoming an able
doctor."I have always encouraged her to study. I always wanted to make her
a doctor and now I expect her to serve the nation," Hamza told ANI.ndtv
Gujarat HC extends relief from arrest to
activist Teesta Setalvad till June 13
Gujarat High Court has extended the protection
from arrest to activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand till June
13, in a Rs 1.4 crore fund embezzlement case. Earlier in the day,Justice AY
Kogje,in whose court the matter was listed, recused himself from hearing it
saying “not before me.”PTI
Kathua rape case: Delhi HC directs to remove
news disclosing victim's identity
New Delhi:Delhi High Court today directed to
remove the news items which disclosed the identity of Kathua rape victim.The
court has further listed the matter for July 16.On May 18, HC issued notice to
Google, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites after their Indian
subsidiaries informed the court that they are not concerned entity to reply to
court's notice on disclosing the identity of Kathua victim.ANI
Aurangabad: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind distributes financial
relief to riot-hit persons
Aurangabad,Maharashtra:Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has
distributed financial relief of more than Rs 13 lakh to the people who lost
their properties in the recent riot here.In a programme organised at Shahganj,
the organisation distributed cheques of various amounts to the affected
people.After the riot, the workers of the organisation had conducted a survey
to collect relief for riot-hit persons. Local head of Jamaat, Maulana Ilyas
Khan Falahi, was present along with his office-bearers.UNI
Mumbra: Jamaat-e-Islami’s ‘Ramzan Parichay’
campaign gives people chance to know more about Ramzan
Thane: Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, an organisation
in Mumbra is all set to let people know about the sacred month of Ramzan and
its importance. Also to make the masjid familiar for non-Muslim people so that
they learn the beauty of the religion.Jamaat organised ‘Ramzan Parichay’
campaign in Mumbra to give a proper introduction of the religion to non-Muslims in various ways. On May 27, there was ‘Ramzan
Parichay’ campaign in Mumbra. Jamaat was behind this initiative to give an
introduction of the religion to the
non-Muslim community in various ways. The organisation had invited people to be
a part of its initiative.“Ramazan is a sacred month and the importance of
fasting will be taught in during this campaign. All information about practices
such as iftari, roja, zakat and fitra will be given taught. People have lot of miscon ceptions
about our religion and the practices. We are here to let people know the
importance of the practices. Also they will know about the masjid and the
prayers offered here. The meaning of it also will be introduced,” informed
Parvez Khan, Media Coordinator, Jamaat. The people will get a chance to
participate in the Iftar party when the community people will break the roja. Scholars
from community will lecture about all these practices and the importance of
religion.freepressjournal
Hindu Temple in Malappuram Hosts Iftar Party
for Muslims
Malappuram: A Hindu temple in Kerala organised
an iftar party for the Muslim community as part of the annual ‘prathishta’
(idol installation) ceremony in the temple thus giving a boost to communal
harmony. Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy Vishnu temple near Vettichira in Malappuram
district hosted an iftar party for the Muslims who were observing fast in the holy
month of Ramzan last week. The iftar was attended by more than 400 people from
both the communities.The event held on May 24 is the second edition of such
iftar party being arranged by the temple committee.“We used to distribute food
for the residents every year during the ‘prathishta’, since the Ramzan falls
during this time we decided to host iftar so that we can accommodate all people
irrespective of their faiths,” says KP Baiju, the treasurer for the temple
committee. “Iftar was noted with the presence of not just Muslims, but even
Hindus living in the locality participated in the event,” says Baiju, who was
at the forefront of organising iftar. Since the iftar party was hosted by
temple, only vegetarian food was being distributed.news18
Months after son’s murder by his Muslim
lover’s family, Delhi man plans iftar for love
New Delhi:The father of a young Delhi man
killed over his relationship with a Muslim woman is organising an iftar this
Ramzan to ensure love, not hatred, marks his son’s legacy. Ankit Saxena, a
23-year-old photographer, was stabbed to death by the family members of his
long-term girlfriend in Feb.this year, a cold-blooded murder fundamentalists
hijacked to push their agenda of polarisation.But Yashpal Saxena has continued
to reject the attempts to politicise his son’s death, and wants Ankit to be an
inspiration for those in inter-faith relationships. With this in mind, on 3
June,Saxena will organise an iftar in his locality, west Delhi’s Raghubir
Nagar.The event, Yashpal said, was a “starting point” for the trust he has
established in Ankit’s name to help couples who want to marry outside their
faith. Even though the trust has not yet been registered — it will be in “just
a few more days”, Yashpal says —iftar can be considered its first event, he
added.theprint
Sikh man’s video waking up Muslim neighbours
for Sehri goes viral in J&K
A video clip has gone viral in which an unidentified
elderly Sikh man seems to have taken the responsibility of waking up his Muslim
neighbours in J&K’s Pulwama district for Sehri -- pre-dawn Ramzan
meal.21-second video clip, showing man beating the drum to wake up his
neighbours, is being widely shared on various social media platforms in Srinagar.“Allah
Rasool de pyaaro,jannat de talabgaro, utho roza rakho (Beloved of Allah and his
messenger, the seekers of paradise, wake up to start your fast),”unidentified
Sikh man shouts. Many of netizens lauded Sikh man, saying he embodied communal
harmony that has existed in Kashmir for centuries.PTI
Tamil Nadu permanently shuts down Sterlite
plant
https://www.newsx.com/national/tamil-nadu-Govt
-permanently-shuts-down-sterlite-plant-in-thoothukudi
Tamil Nadu Govt has ordered the closure of Sterlite plant
following the death of 13 people in police firing during the anti-Sterlite
protests in Thoothukudi. The protests against the Sterlite plant was happening
over 100 days in Tuticorin as the agitators were protesting against the
expansion of the plant as it was polluting the environment. The decision has
come after a cabinet meeting by the Tamil Nadu Govt .In the last couple of
days, the protests over Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi has been at the
centre-stage of nation’s attention after around 13 lives were lost and more
than 100 people were injured in the clashes, police firing while it was dealing
with angry agitators who were marching towards the plant.newsx
Monsoon rain may decline by 45% in long term,
shows climate model made by Indian scientists
Bengaluru: An advanced climate model,
developed by a group of Indian researchers from around the world, predicts an
overall decline of 45% in the monsoon
rainfall in the long term, with severe repercussions.In a paper published
earlier this year in ‘Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences’ (PNAS), a
leading scientific journal in the US, the team of scientists showed patterns of
how low pressure systems that cause summer storms are formed.theprint
40 Dead In Thunderstorms In UP , Bihar,Jharkhand
40 people have died as thunderstorm and
lightening struck different parts of UP, Bihar and Jharkhand on Monday.19 of
those deaths have been reported from Bihar. In neighbouring Jharkhand, 12
people were killed and 28 were injured due to lightning. 9 people were killed in thunderstorm and
lightning in Unnao, Kanpur and Rae Bareli in UP. Ndtv
WORLD
Libya: Muslim Brotherhood Demands Haftar’s
Exclusion from Paris Summit
Muslim Brotherhood in Libya sought to exclude
Libyan National Army commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar from the
international conference in Paris aimed at resolving the North African country’s
crisis.The meeting, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, will
include the most prominent Libyan officials to prepare for presidential and
parliamentary elections. Newly elected head of the High Council of State Khalid
al-Mishri said on Saturday that the Paris meeting should only include the
political parties that signed the Skheirat agreement in Morocco in 2015.Mishri
is a prominent member of the political wing of the Mudlim Brotherhood. High
Council of State offers recommendations to the parliament as stipulated in the
Skheirat deal.“Haftar was not part of the agreement and he does not recognize
it. The dialogue should just be limited to High Council of State, parliament
and National Accord Govt, headed by PM Fayez al-Sarraj, he added.He confirmed that he
received an invitation from Macron to attend Tuesday’s conference.He also
informed French authorities that elections would be a success if a referendum
over the constitution was held.Haftar meanwhile chose to ignore Mishri’s
statements. Paris meeting will be sponsored by the UN. It will be attended by
Sarraj, Saleh, Haftar and Mishri in order to “open a new period of stability
and cooperation which is awaited by Libyan people," a statement from
French presidency said. The conference will be attended by some 19 countries
and 4 international organizations, including countries that have influence on
the ground such as Egypt, Italy, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE. UN special envoy to
Libya Ghassan Salameh will also attend.Asharq Al-Awsat
Libyan HCS’s Muslim Brotherhood member Mishri
to attend Paris conference
Jordan’s Islamic Action Front urges gov't to
step down
Amman: Islamic Action Front (IAF), political
arm of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood group, has called on Govt of PM Hani al-Mulki to step down. The call comes
amid mounting political tension after the Govt last week approved a revised version of
proposed income tax legislation.“With regret, we have noted Govt's insistence
on passing an income tax bill in response to recommendations issued by the
International Monetary Fund,” IAF said in a Monday statement.It went on to
assert than IMF representatives were “directly negotiating with relevant
committees in Jordan’s parliament in clear violation of [Jordan’s] national
sovereignty”.IAF also called for the departure of al-Mulki’s “failed Govt ”, which,
it said, had “exhausted the country and the people with its actions”.On
Wednesday, several Jordanian trade unions plan to go on strike to protest the
income tax bill, which will be debated in parliament later this week.Anadolu
Agency
Brotherhood official: Egypt is arresting
opponents in search of its lapsed legitimacy
Muslim Brotherhood stressed that “campaign of
arrests carried out by the Egyptian security authorities against a number of
opposition activists and the resumption of talk about the Brotherhood scarecrow
and terrorism are part of the current regime’s search for a lapsed and
terminated legitimacy.”Deputy leader of Muslim Brotherhood, Ibrahim Munir, said
in an interview with Quds Press that “Egyptian regime, after failing to pin the
crime of terrorism on the Brotherhood, resumed the campaign of arrests against
its opponents at home.”Munir pointed out that “opposition political activist
Hazem Abdel-Azim, who was arrested by the State Security Prosecution on Sunday,
is not affiliated with the Brotherhood but is one of the opponents who the
regime bans from freedom of expression.”On Sunday, security services ordered
the imprisonment of political activist Abdel-Azim for 15 days pending a probe.
He was charged with joining a group founded contrarily to the provisions of the
law and issuing fake news about the country’s political and economic situation.
Brotherhood’s deputy leader said that “the campaign of arrests led by the
authorities in Egypt against its opponents reflects the regime’s confusion and
its failure to establish its legitimacy at home and abroad.”MEMO
Sheikh Hasina's directly involved in hundreds
of secret detentions as part of crackdown on opposition?
London: Bangladesh’s PM signed off on secret
detentions by the country’s intelligence services as part of a widening
crackdown on the opposition, a close associate has claimed. Sheikh Hasina is
said to have given the country’s military intelligence agency Directorate
General of Forces Intelligence, known as DGFI, “clearance” to illegally pick up
two men linked with the opposition who were secretly detained for months.The
whereabouts of one of the men remains unknown, 20 months after he was
detained.Bangladesh has faced severe criticism from human rights organisations
over its record of enforced disappearances. Under the current administration,
there have been hundreds of secret detentions by law enforcement authorities,
many involving the political opposition, with dozens of victims turning up dead
or never returning.Early last year, UNWorking Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances, and other UN experts, called on “Bangladesh to act now to halt
an increasing number of enforced disappearances in the country”.Interviews with
the associate, a close political colleague of Sheikh Hasina, are however the
first time that evidence has pointed towards PM ’s direct involvement in secret
detentions.The associate spoke on condition that his identity would not be
disclosed, fearing repercussions.The political associate of the PM said that the disappearances of both Mir Ahmed
Bin Quasem, a British-trained barrister who was picked up from his flat in
Dhaka in front of his wife and children, and Hummam Quader Chowdhury, who was
taken from his car as his mother watched, were “authorised by PM ” in Aug.2016
after DFGI approached Sheikh Hasina with a “concocted” story about a conspiracy
between them against the Govt . Bin Quasem, also known as Arman, is the son of
a Jamaat-e-Islami leader who was subsequently executed in 1971 war crimes case.
Chowdhury’s father was a prominent leader of BNP and was also executed in the
war crimes case.Whilst Chowdhury was released onto the streets of Dhaka in
April 2017 after disappearing for seven months, Bin Quasem remains
missing.Chowdhury and his family have refused to speak about his
ordeal.Speaking specifically about Chowdhury, associate said that “Without her
clearance, they wouldn’t pick him up” and that “of course” Hasina knew that
“[Chowdhury] was continuing to being detained.”“This whole thing happened in
such a way that officially Govt, you cannot pinpoint the Govt, PM or anybody,” PM’s
political associate added.Michael Polak,UK lawyer acting for Mir Quasem said,
“This is evidence that the PM had a
direct hand in Arman’s fate and should she wished she could release him
tomorrow.” Tahera Tasneem, Quasem’s sister said, “Our entire family is
shattered in grief and sorrow. We want him back as soon as possible.”Analysts
said that the associate’s claims about PM’s involvement are not
unexpected.thewire
Iran denies alleged meeting in Jordan with
Israeli intelligence
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has denied reports of
a “secret meeting” allegedly held in Amman recently between Iranian officials
and Israeli Mossad officers, reports Anadolu.Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic
News Agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi as saying “no
talks were held” between Iranian officials and Israeli intelligence agents in
the Jordanian capital.On Sunday, London-based Arabic-language news outlet Elaph
— which is owned by a Saudi businessman — quoted a “participant” at the alleged
meeting as saying that Iran’s envoy to Jordan, along with several Iranian
security officials, had met with Israeli intelligence agents in Amman.MEMO
Russia: Only Syrian forces should be stationed
on Israel border
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has
said that only Syrian forces should be present in areas alongside the country's
border with Israel and Jordan, as rebels in southern Syria prepare for a
possible offensive by Govt troops. In
recent days, Syrian Govt aircraft have dropped leaflets on rebel-held areas in
Deraa, warning of an imminent push and urging the fighters to lay down their
arms.Southern province, which is mostly controlled by opposition groups, is
close to the volatile Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, which has emerged
as a flashpoint in a wider standoff between Israel and Iran.aljazeera
11 Syrian opposition groups form new front in
Idlib
11 opposition groups fighting against the
Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria formed a new alliance in northwestern Idlib
province.The sources from the groups said they merged under the name of
"National Front for Liberation."“The aim of the new formation is to
unite the components of the Free Syrian Army in Idlib province on Syria under
one roof,” the new formation said on social media.The formation includes
following groups: Sham Legion, Jaysh al-Nasr, Free Idlib Army, 1st Costal
Division, 2nd Costal Division,1st Division, 2nd Army,Army of Elites, Shuhada
al-Islam Darayya, Al-Hurriyat Brigade,and 23rd Division.Anadolu
Saudi preacher Musa transferred to mental hospital
Saudi preacher Musa Al-Qarni, professor of
Islamic jurisprudence and ex director of Islamic University of Science and
Technology, had a stroke in prison and has been moved to a psychiatric hospital
as a result of negligence in prison, online activists have said.Twitter account
M3takl, which focuses on plight of Saudi prisoners, wrote: “Urgent news. It is
confirmed that prisoner Al-Qarni is suffering from a stroke that caused him to
lose control of his mind because of health negligence in prison.”“Al-Qarni
unjustifiably attacked the prisoner who shared a cell with him several times.
He was then transferred to solitary confinement and after more strange
behaviour, it was revealed that he had suffered a stroke and he has been moved
to a mental hospital. Isn’t this a big crime?”activists added.Al-Qarni’s
treatment, they continued, is similar to that of Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Wahibi 2
years ago, adding that “violations continue in and outside prisons”.MEMO
Croatia rejects extradition of suspect in
Hamas engineer killing
Croatia's top court on Monday blocked the
extradition of a Bosnian man to Tunisia over the alleged murder of an aerospace
engineer, who Palestinian group Hamas said was one of its members.Mohammed
al-Zawari, 49, was killed in a hail of bullets at the wheel of his car outside
his house in the city of Sfax, 270km southeast of Tunis, in Dec.2016. "The
Supreme Court accepted the appeal of the suspect ... and rejected the request
for extradition from the Republic of Tunisia," the court said. The final
decision will be made by the justice minister. Leaders from both Hamas and the
Lebanese Hezbollah group accused the Israeli spy agency Mossad of assassinating
al-Zawari.aljazeera
Officials: Afghan forces mistakenly kill 9,
mostly civilians
Kabul:Officials say Afghan forces killed nine
people, mostly civilians, by mistake during a raid on a house in eastern
Nangarhar province.Provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat says on Tuesday that
eight other civilians were wounded in the raid late last night in Chaparhar
district.Hayat said a local police commander was among the dead.He said gunfire
had been coming from the house that was raided, but the casualties were
identified as mostly civilians once the operation ended.AP
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
EC needs to do more than just blame the heat
wave for malfunctioning EVMs, VVPATs:Tejinder Singh Bedi
Exclusive: Will K’Taka Hasten Move to Hold
Simultaneous Elections?Chaitanya Kalbagup
Savarkar: He admired Hitler and other
lesser-known facts about him:Adrija Roychowdhury
Cobrapost sting: Media subservience to power,
its contempt for the citizen:Pratap Bhanu Mehta
How many EVM malfunctions will it take for
Opposition to reject them? Rohit Prakash
Non-Muslim women take on Ramadan hijab
challenge:Saba Aziz, aljazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/muslim-women-ramadan-hijab-challenge-180528051159806.html
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