NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
20 June 2018:05 Shawwal 1439: Vol:10, No:47
INDIA
Governor's rule imposed in J&K after
President's approval
President Ram Nath Kovind who is currently
overseas on an official trip has formally approved the imposition of Governor's
rule in the state of J&K . Kovind, who is currently in Suriname gave the
nod after Governor NN Vohra forwarded his report to him. The step comes after
BJP pulled out of its alliance with PDP in the state, leaving CM Mehbooba Mufti with no option but to resign
given her party’s lack of numerical strength. NC —third biggest party in the
Assembly — and Congress both said they would not partner with any party to form
Govt in the state. BJP had said, while bowing out, that it favours Governor’s
rule. A Raj Bhavan spokesman said that after concluding consultations with all
the major political parties in J&K, Governor Vohra forwarded his report for
imposition of Governor’s rule under Section 92 of the Constitution of J&K .
The move was a merely, as unlike other governors, Vohra has to inform the
President and not seek his approval, given J&K’s special status. This would
be the eighth time that Governor’s rule would be imposed in the state since
1977.DNA
Centre to scale up ops against Kashmir
militants as Governor’s rule imposed after BJP, PDP split
BJP timed exit so J&K doesn't go to polls
before LS polls
The timing of BJP's decision to pull the
trigger on its alliance with PDP was determined by a desire to ensure that the
J&K assembly election was not scheduled before Lok Sabha polls due in early
2019.With J&K having a provision for governor's rule for 6 months, BJP
leadership is keen to let this period run as close to the end of 2018 as
possible. The calculation was that if the 6 months ended in December, it would
be too close to the Lok Sabha elections to be scheduled ahead of the national
polls. The electoral process for the Lok Sabha would begin to unroll from March
onwards.Sources conceded that governor's rule - which is specific to J&K -
could be followed by President's rule and this would also delay the assembly
election. But the conversion of governor's rule to President's rule would need
ratification by Parliament in two months or, in a month if it is in
session.6months of governor's rule in J&K will expire by Dec.19 or 20, depending on when
it is imposed. By then, the winter session of Parliament is likely to have
ended. So, even if it were to be followed by President's rule, the latter would
have to be ratified only in the budget session. However, had BJP pulled the
plug earlier, governor's rule would have expired while the winter session was
on. With a one-month deadline to approve President's rule when Parliament is in
session, it would have required ratification in the winter session itself. Govt
can be expected to schedule the winter session accordingly.TOI
J&K Constitution provides for Governor's
rule unlike other states
New Delhi: In all states of India, the state Govt
's failure results in President's rule. The process is slightly more nuanced in
J&K where not the President's but
Governor's rule is imposed. Under the provision of Section 92 of J&K Constitution, Governor's rule is imposed for 6
months, but only after the consent of the President of India.The Constitution
of India grants special status to J&K among Indian states, and it is the only state
in India to have a separate Constitution and regulations specific to it. Economictimes
Governor Vohra, whose term ends in 5 days, may
stay till Amarnath Yatra
After the collapse of the Mehbooba-led
coalition Govt, J&K is back under
Governor NN Vohra, who is due to retire on June 25. This is the fourth time in
his 10 years that he is back to calling the shots in the state.Asked whether
the centre was looking to appoint a new governor after Mr Vohra's term ends,
BJP leader Kavinder Gupta, who was deputy CM in the collapsed J&K Govt , said: "It is a routine matter,
after the Amarnath Yatra maybe a decision will be taken."His reply
indicated that the centre was unlikely to let go of Mr Vohra, 82, until the
Amarnath pilgrimage is over in August at least.NDTV
Omar calls for immediate dissolution of Assembly,
fresh polls
NC leader Omar Abdullah has called for the
immediate dissolution of J&K Legislative Assembly and holding of fresh
elections in the State.“J&K state assembly should be dissolved immediately
& fresh elections should take place as soon as appropriate. The former DCM
has admitted that BJP can’t be trusted not to horsetrade for Govt formation,”Omar
tweeted.PTI
Pakistan to milk PDP-BJP collapse, UN report:TOI
New Delhi: As J&K plunged into political
uncertainty with BJP-PDP alliance, breaking down there is apprehension that
Pakistan could use the situation for its own designs.Modi Govt is likely to
maintain its no-talks, tough stand against Pakistan, while unleashing a more
muscular policy against terrorism inside J&K. Given that summer months are
generally high-infiltration periods, Govt expects a spike in attempts across
the LoC, with the 2003 ceasefire coming under strain, weeks after Indian and
Pakistani DGMOs promised to uphold it.SK Lambah, a former PM's special envoy,
said he didn't foresee any significant impact on India-Pakistan relations as
Pakistan elections are scheduled for 3rd week of July and
politicians are busy. Ex-Indian high commissioner to Pakistan TCA Raghavan
agreed."Pakistan is in election mode, so I don't see any immediate impact.
However, there will be a spike in rhetoric. Unfortunately, this coincides with
the damaging UN report, which will be diplomatic fodder for Pakistan," he
said.However, the global situation has changed with the Kashmir 'issue' having
traction in fewer countries. If the Modi Govt pitches its approach as going
after terrorists, it would meet little opposition.TOI
India slams UN’s J&K report, says it
legitimises terrorism
India has called upon UN to reject efforts by
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to legitimise terrorism and call for
India's dismemberment through the recent report on Kashmir in defiance of very
definition of terror outlined by the global body. "It should be a matter
of deep concern for the Council that this report undermines UN-led consensus on
terrorism and in fact, legitimises terrorism by referring to the UN designated
terrorist entities as “armed groups” and calling terrorists “leaders”. Surely, Council
cannot be oblivious of this attempt to legitimise terrorism, which remains the
pernicious violator of all fundamental rights,"Rajiv K. Chander, Permanent
Representative of India in UN (Geneva) emphasised in a statement. This was
India's first reaction at UN following last week's report on Kashmir human
rights situation. "We are dismayed at the High Commissioner’s reference to
a fallacious and motivated report that has already been rejected by India. This
selective compilation of largely unverified information, aimed at promoting a
false narrative, distorts the truth," Chander noted. "...the entire
state of J&K is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in forcible and
illegal occupation of a part of the Indian state. We condemn all references in
this report which seek dismemberment of India," Chander said in reference
to report on "self determination" in Kashmir. Experts familiar with
the issue said that suggestion in the report on "self-determination"
in Kashmir is akin to suggesting dismemberment of a UN member by an UN
official.economictimes
64% rise in terror incidents in J&K over 2
yrs, as BJP-PDP alliance splinters: IndiaSpend
Mumbai:There was a 64% rise in terror
incidents in J&K over 3 years to
2017, providing some perspective to the BJP decision to call off its 3-year
alliance with PDP.Over 800 terror incidents have been reported in J&K over 3
years ending 2017–up from 208 in 2015 to 342 in 2017–according to an IndiaSpend
analysis of Govt data.As many as 744
people died in these 3 years: 471 terrorists, 201 security forces and 72
civilians, data show.It was amidst this scenario eight months ago that home
minister Rajnath Singh said the situation in the conflict ridden state was
“improving”. “I don’t want to claim that everything is completely fine but
things are improving, this I can say with firm belief,” Singh said on Sept.11,
2017.The state saw the most terror incidents in 2017 since 2010, which saw 488
incidents. J&K witnessed the fewest terror incidents (170) over the last 28
years in 2013. Since then, incidents have more than doubled over the last 4
years to 2017.PDP and BJP formed a coalition Govt in J&K in March 2015.
Since then armed encounters between militants and security forces have
increased by 53% over the preceding 3 years, IndiaSpend reported on May 18,
2018. In 247 encounters recorded from 2015 to 2017,439 militants (including 156
Kashmiris) and 200 Govt forces (including 109 army personnel) were killed.indiaspend
China distances itself from India-Pak-China
Trilateral Cooperation Idea
Beijing: China, today, distanced itself from
its envoy’s comments on the idea of trilateral cooperation between India, China
and Pakistan under the aegis of the SCO, but underlined the importance of
strengthening of dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad to improve mutual
trust. Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on June 18 endorsed the idea of
trilateral cooperation between India, China and Pakistan under the aegis of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), saying it could “in the future” help
resolve bilateral issues between New Delhi and Islamabad and help maintain
peace.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, when asked about Luo’s
comments, said both India and Pakistan are China’s friends and neighbours.“We
are willing to conduct relations with all our neighbours including Pakistan and
India to strengthen our cooperation for better development and stability in
this region.“We also hope India, Pakistan can strengthen their dialogue to
improve mutual trust in their bilateral relations. This is in the interest of
the regional countries,” he said.Asked whether China is distancing from Luo’s
remarks, Geng said “what I said represents the official position of the Chinese
side”.He also declined to answer a question on the Chinese Embassy erasing
envoy’s comments from the transcript posted on the website.thewire/PTI
52 Indian asylum seekers among detainees under
Trump's zero-tolerance policy
Washington:Over 50 individuals from India,
some of them possibly separated from their children, are reportedly
incarcerated at a federal prison in Oregon under Trump administration’s tough
''zero-tolerance'' policy against illegal immigration, an Asia-Pacific activist
organization said. Over the last month, 123 immigrants seeking asylum have been
detained and transferred to Oregon’s Sheridan federal prison in Yamhill County,
Asia-Pacific American Network of Oregan said, revealing that the majority of
the 123 people in the Sheridan prison are South Asian, who speak primarily
Hindi and Punjabi, and a few identified as Chinese. These detainees are
isolated, have limited access to interpretation, and are at-risk of abuse in
their current prison housing arrangement, the organization warned.The
organization indicated that the detention involved separating children from
parents but did not say how many were affected.''2,000 kids have been separated
from their families, some for 2 months. This is the definition of cruel and
unusual,'' said Susheela Jayapal, Commissioner-Elect for Multnomah County,
referring to the national crisis. ''This policy of family separation needs to
end now; and in the meantime, all detainees deserve legal representation and
fair treatment, starting with transparency about their children’s whereabouts
and humane detention conditions.''TOI
HC refuses to grant relief to Zakir Naik
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday
refused to grant relief to Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is facing charges
of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities, observing
that he did not show any interest or desire to help the probe agencies.A
division bench of justices R.M. Savant and Revati Mohite Dere was hearing a
petition filed by Naik seeking a direction to NIA and the ED to submit reports
on the probe carried out by them against Naik.In the petition, Naik also sought
direction to Ministry of External Affairs to cancel the revocation of his
passport.The court said it cannot pass any order pertaining to revocation of
passport and asked Naik to file a separate petition for the same.“Regarding the
other reliefs sought in the petition...we do not see how this court can
consider them when the petitioner has not even presented himself before the
probe agencies. The petitioner is ensconced in Malaysia and is seeking a
direction to the agencies to submit probe reports,” the court said in its order.
“These are serious offences in which a person faces maximum punishment up to
life imprisonment. The petitioner has been declared a proclaimed offender and
extradition proceedings have been initiated with the authorities in Malaysia.
Under such circumstances, this court cannot grant any relief to the
petitioner,” Justice Savant said.The court added that Naik should have ideally
come back to India and presented himself before the investigating agencies.
“Such long distance thing will not work. In the absentia of the petitioner, how
can we entertain such pleas,” it said.PTI
Yoga shouldn't be used as a political tool:
Muslim bodies
Lucknow:Yoga should not be used as a political
tool or linked to a particular community, top Muslim bodies said today on the
eve of International Day for Yoga.The organisations also said that Yoga should
be seen as form of exercise and not through the prism of religion."Islam
lays special emphasis on physical fitness and considers things related to
fitness as good. Yoga as an exercise is good, but it should not be made
compulsory which may not be acceptable to people of other religions."The
most important thing is that Yoga should not be used as a political tool. But,
sadly this practice is going on," All India Muslim Personal Law Board
spokesman Sajjad Nomani said. He also said that people of every religion and
section of society should be encouraged to celebrate Yoga Day tomorrow."It
is unfair to force upon someone any particular exercise. There should be no
dispute vis-a-vis Yoga. People of every religion and section of the society
should be encouraged to celebrate International Yoga Day."It is important
that Yoga should be perceived as a rahmat (mercy) and not a 'zahmat'
(worry),"he said.All India Shia Personal Law Board was of the view that Yoga should not be linked
to a community.PTI/outlookindia
Maharashtra police forced us to sign letters
implicating missing children as Maoists, say villagers: The Wire
Mumbai: “Each time the police visit our
village or summon us to the police station, we feel hopeful. It has been 2
months that our children went missing. At least now they should tell us what
actually happened to them,” a parent from Gattepalli who lost a child around
the time the police killed 40 ‘Naxalites’ near his village told The Wire over a
telephone conversation on June 18.Nearly two months ago, 8 children had left
their homes in Gattepalli of Etapalli tehsil in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli
district to attend a wedding in nearby Kasansur village. The next morning, on
April 22, at the banks of Indravati river right outside Kasansur, the
Gadchiroli police’s C-60 commandos opened fire at “over 50 guerrillas” who had
allegedly taken shelter there overnight. Thirty-four of them were killed at the
spot. A day later, another 6 were killed
at the nearby Rajaram-Khandla forest.Media reports and photographs released by
the police from the encounter spot confirmed that at least two of those killed
at the river bank were children from among the group that has been missing.
Curiously, the police handed over the body of only one. The villagers say no
communication has come from the police about the rest.Even as the mystery of
the missing children persists, the villagers claim the police has resorted to
intimidation and threats and have coerced parents into signing a clutch of
pre-written documents implicating their children in Maoist activities. “The
police are using us to justify our children’s killings,” one of the parents
said.
All arrested 'Hindu terrorists' have had RSS
link: Digvijaya
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is at
it again. Accused RSS of promoting terrorism in the county, ex MP CM said that
all Hindu terrorists caught in the past have had association with the Sangh.
"All Hindu terrorists who have ever been caught have association with RSS
in some way or the other. Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, was
also part of RSS," Dijvijaya said. "So, this ideology is spreading
hatred, hatred breeds violence, and from violence is bred terrorism," he
said. Reinforcing his stand on "Sangh terror," he said, "bomb
blasts were executed by people influenced by Sangh ideology, be it Malegaon
blast, Mecca Masjid blast, blast in Samjhauta express or Dargah Sharif."
Accusing RSS of propagating violence, Singh said, "The outfit which
propagates violence and hatred, further propagates terrorism." Defending
Singh's charges, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said that his
statements needs to be seen in the right context. "Ideologically Digvijay
Singh has very strong views. He has opposed minority extremism and said that
every kind of extremism is bad. We must contextualise what he said rather than
generalise it and think he is saying it against one community or
organisation," Khurshid said.economictimes
Real masterminds behind rationalists’ killings
are Hindutva groups, they should be exposed:Pansare’s daughter
Pune:SIT
is busy questioning Parshuram Waghmare, arrested in connection with the
murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. Megha Pansare — daughter of slain senior
CPI leader and rationalist Govind Pansare — tells Indian Express that SIT
should focus its energy on nabbing alleged assailants, Sarang Akolkar and Vinay
Pawar." She said, "Pawar and Akolkar’s names cropped up in 2009
Madgaon blast. Since then, both of them are absconding. In fact, Pawar has been
acquitted in the case, based on a small technical issue." Megha further
said, "Besides arrests of Pawar and Akolkar, we have been demanding that
the masterminds in these cases should be exposed. The real masterminds are the
Hindutva organisations. They have formed a group of 60 people from Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Goa and other parts of the country to target activists and
intellectuals who do not agree with their radical views."indianexpress
Lankesh murder: Shooter kept in house rented
by man linked to Sanatan Sanstha, says probe
Bengaluru:Investigations into the shooting of
the journalist Gauri Lankesh, 55, outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5,
2017, has thrown up more indications of links to Hindutva group Sanatan Sanstha
and its affiliate, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), following the arrest of six
suspects in recent days.A Karnataka Police SIT, which is probing the case, has
found that the alleged shooter, Parshuram Waghmare, 26, was called to Bengaluru
in July 2017 and housed in a remote home on the outskirts of Bengaluru by a key
planner of the murder, Amol Kale, 37, a Pune resident, and former HJS
convenor.indianexpress
Kafeel Khan replies to Rahul Gandhi’s letter,
calls for CBI probe into attack on brother, BRD tragedy
Lucknow:Days after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi
wrote to suspended BRD Medical College paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan expressing
solidarity and the need to investigate the alleged “complicity” of Govt officials in the attack on his brother, Khan
wrote back on Tuesday. Khan has sought a CBI investigation not only into the
incident of attack on his brother, but also in the BRD Medical College tragedy
in which 60 children in a span of five days in April last year.Kafeel’s younger
brother Kashif Jameel was shot at thrice by unidentified men on June 10 in
Gorakhpur. No arrests have been made in the case so far.“Life has become very
tough for me and my family post BRD hospital tragedy. It has been more than a
year since the incident. I was made a scapegoat for the reasons best known to
the people who did that. Our victimisation is quite evident since I came out of
prison. Despite several requests to the administration, they have not revoked
my suspension,” Khan wrote in his letter that was handed over to state
president Raj Babbar by Kafeel’s brother on Tuesday during Rahul’s birthday
celebrations in Lucknow.“After 9 months of emotional and physical turmoil when
I was trying to make a fresh start, they tried to kill my brother and what
followed has been horrible… insensitive attitude of UP Police.” wrote
Kafeel.indianexpress
JNU denies course on 'Islamic Terrorism' in
reply to Delhi minorities commission notice
New Delhi: In its reply to a notice by the
Delhi Minorities Commission, the JNU administration has said no course on
"Islamic terrorism" was proposed in the academic council meeting of
the university, DMC chairman Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan said today. JNU registrar
Pramod Kumar has said "there was no course on 'Islamic terror' proposed in
the academic council," Khan said.Taking cognizance of media reports, the panel
last month issued a notice to JNU asking for reasons to start the proposed
course.The registrar provided DMC with a copy of a concept paper on the
proposed 'Centre for National Security Studies' and said JNU has no knowledge
if a course on "Islamic terrorism" is taught in any Indian or foreign
university, Khan said. Registrar has provided DMC with a copy of the minutes of
145th Academic Council meet on May 18, where the concept paper was placed for
discussion."Contrary to the assurance given by the registrar of JNU, the
concept paper does include 'Islamic terrorism' as part of 'key areas' of the proposed
centre which will first do research about these areas before starting teaching
them," DMC chairman said.The panel has written back to JNU saying the
proposed Centre is a good initiative and the country needs it but the
introduction of "Islamic terrorism" as a subject of research and
teaching at the Centre is "flawed" and will "deteriorate"
the communal atmosphere on the campus and beyond and will create wrong notions
about Muslims, he said.JNU has been advised by the Commission to adopt "Religious
terrorism" instead of "Islamic terrorism" as a subject of study
and teaching at the proposed Centre so as to cover all forms of terrorism using
religion to spread terror, Khan said. Such larger focus will cover the subject
properly, offer a better understanding of this kind of extremism and will help
us avoid spreading communalism within and without the campus, he added.PTI
Indian Muslim is the best Muslim in the world,
says Home Minister Rajnath at Eid Milan program
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh
has hailed the contribution of Muslims in the Indian society, saying that
“Indian Muslims are the best Muslim in the world.” He added that it was only in
India that “all 72 sects” of Islam reside, stating that “there was no Islamic
country in the world where all Islamic sects live.” The Home Minister made the
statement at an Eid Milan program in New Delhi. Singh attended the event in the
national capital along with RSS leader Indresh Kumar. During his speech, Singh
reportedly said, “I believe Indian Muslim is Muslim by choice; they would have
gone during partition if they would have wanted to.” He further said, “Those
who try to be leaders of Islam get ‘rozedaars’ killed, this is injustice.”Times
Now
UP: Hapur lynching linked to cows, claim
victim’s kin; police deny, say road rage
Hapur :A day after a cattle-trader was beaten
to death and a 65-year-old severely injured by a mob, families of the victims
alleged that the attack was due to a “cow-related matter” while police insisted
that it was the fallout of a road rage incident. Qasim(45) was beaten to death
by a mob at a sugarcane field in Hapur’s Pilakhuwa and 65-year-old Samiuddin
was injured in the incident. Police have arrested 2 men — Yudhishtir Singh and
Rakesh Sisodia — on the charge of murder. According to the FIR filed at the
Pilakhuwa police station, the incident was the result of a scuffle between
unidentified bike-borne men and the two victims. But the family of Samiuddin
and the two men arrested insisted that it was related to “cattle”.Hapur SP,
Sankalp Sharma said that FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint by
Samiuddin’s brother Yasin. “This is all the complainant has told the police. We
have not recovered any motorcycle from the spot. As far as the allegations
about attempted cow slaughter or cattle smuggling is concerned, we are
investigating the matter,” he said.Qasim, according to his family, had received
a phone call hours before the incident at around 11 am Monday. “He was at home
yesterday and he left immediately stating that he will be back by 4 pm. He took
around Rs 60,000-70,000. We had asked him to not leave in a hurry and to return
quickly. He used to go to neighbouring villages to procure and sell cattle and
we thought that it must be regarding his business,” said Qasim’s
daughter-in-law Arshi.A few hours later, 2 men had hurried to Qasim’s house to
inform the family that he had been rushed to the hospital after he was
mercilessly assaulted around five km away. A video has also surfaced that shows
Qasim lying in a field, his clothes torn and bruises across his body.In the
video, Qasim pleads for some water as a group of young men stand in the
background. A voice asks people to calm down since they have already beaten the
man and requests the mob to give Qasim some water. Soon after, another person
is heard saying that cows were tied in the fields for slaughtering.“They did
not give him water because he was a Muslim,” says Mohammad Salim, Qasim’s
younger brother as he stares at the phone screen on which the minute-long video
plays.The incident took place between 12 pm and 1 pm on Monday in the sugarcane
fields that divide 2 villages in Pilakhuwa — Muslim dominated Madapur and
Thakur-dominated Baghera Khurd. “It happened due to a cattle issue. My brother
lives in Madapur village and has no association with Qasim. He was crossing the
area and he could have been trying to intervene when he was attacked. He has
injuries all over his body including fractures in his leg. He was beaten up
with sticks,” Yasin said.“He has been shifted from the ICU to the general ward
today but he is not in a position to talk. He has just said one thing the
matter is related to cows.” Indian Express
Man lynched on cow slaughter rumour day after
Eid in Pilkhuwa near Dadri
Airtel responds to allegations of
discrimination, denies changing representative due to religion
New Delhi:Two days after the company came
under fire for discrimination, Airtel Wednesday put out a statement saying
events reported have been “untrue and factually incorrect”. The company
maintained that its representatives were following a “dutiful course” in their
regular work shift and were taught a “harsh lesson” that their religious
identities matter.On Monday, a customer tweeted to Airtel with a complaint, to
which its representative, Shoaib, responded. The customer, however, wrote back
to the company saying “you’re a Muslim and I have no faith in your working
ethics because Kuran may have different version for customer service, thus
requesting you to assign a Hindu representative for my request.” She
subsequently got a response from a Gaganjot at Airtel. Several users on social
media pulled up the company for condoning racial intolerance. Many questioned
why the company did not respond immediately, questioning the complainant’s
request for a Hindu representative. Some people even said they would change
their service provider due to the incident.Airtel said its representatives were
merely doing their job and trying to solve the service issue but were wrongly
targeted for “acceptance of discrimination” and “bowing down to bigotry”. indianexpress
Assaulted
church priest by Bajrang Dal creates communal dispute in Meerut: daily pioneer
Communal tension flared up in Hapur and Meerut
districts after a mob lynched a youth belonging to minority community in Hapur
while in Meerut, activists of Bajrang Dal reportedly assaulted a church priest
accusing of involving in changed the religion of some locals. In the Meerut
case, the Centre has also summoned a detailed report from the state Govt . In
Meerut, some Bajrang Dal activists nabbed a priest of St Thomas Church and an
employee and brutally assaulted them on Tuesday morning. They alleged that the
priest had lured some local residents of Khatuli area and gave them money to
change their religion. They later handed over the priest to the local police
and lodged a case against them. Talking serious note of the allegations of the
Bajrang Dal, the Central Govt sought a detailed report in the matter from the
State Govt. DGP OP Singh, later asked SSP Meerut to immediately dispatch a
factual report in matter. Heavy police force has been also deployed in the area
to avert any further clash.
Meerut priest arrested for trying to convert
17 Hindus into Christianity by offering jobs, money
Cow vigilantes attack 2 Muslim youth in
Bhainsa
Bhainsa: Miscreants attacked 2 Muslim youth
Amjad Khan and Ishaq Quraishi near Omer Farooq, Bhainsa on Sunday night. The
miscreants stopped them on Pardi Road near Mahagaun and vandalised the vehicle.
The incident occurred when the youth were shifting a bull and buffalo’s calf in
a pickup vehicle to Bhainsa. A group of 20 to 25 people followed the vehicle
and stopped it on the way. Though the Muslim youth tried to convince them that
the animals were not cows a bull and a buffalo’s calf, the cow vigilantes didn’t
pay heed to them and assaulted them leaving them seriously injured. They also
vandalised the vehicle.Meanwhile, an ambulance passed by; mistaking it with
police vehicle the miscreants left the youth and fled. Both were shifted to the
area hospital Bhainsa by the locals. Amjad Khan who has sustained serious
injuries has been shifted to Nizamabad for treatment.Siasat
Karnataka Muslim cleric sparks controversy
with remarks about cow sacrifice; What he said?
Bengaluru:A Muslim cleric has kicked up a
controversy in Karnataka with remarks made in the presence of a minister that
cows will be sacrificed during Bakrid festival in the state where cow slaughter
is banned. The cleric made the purported remarks in the presence of Health and
Family Welfare Minister Shivanand Patil during his sermons on occasion of
Ramzan prayer at Vijayapura in north Karnataka 2 days ago. Tanveer Hashmi is
the head of Hashim Pir Dargah at Vijayapura, a popular Muslim shrine. The video
of his purported remarks has gone viral. The minister chose to remain quiet
after Hashmi made the controversial remarks. “Let me bring to your notice, in 2
months time there will be Bakrid. In the name of cow, this satan (devil) will
do a mischief. I am telling you (the minister) this beforehand so as to ensure
that with the cow another sacrifice does not happen,” Hashmi said in his speech
in Urdu.The cleric’s remarks came days after a purported video of former Union
minister and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal asking corporators to work only
for Hindus, who voted for him, and not for Muslims went viral on social media.
“I had called all corporators and have told them that they should work for
Hindus who have voted for me in Bijapur and not Muslims,” Yatnal is purportedly
heard saying in the video.PTI
Karnataka Muslim cleric says Minister ‘in the
name of cow slaughter wants to stop sacrifice on Eid’
Chief Economic Adviser Subramanian Quits, to
Return to US for Personal Reasons
New Delhi: Chief economic adviser Arvind
Subramanian is headed back to the US, cutting short the extended tenure he
received last September, on account of “pressing family commitments”.While
Subramanian’s exit had long been rumoured in Delhi’s policy circles, senior BJP
leader Arun Jaitley on Wednesday confirmed the development.“Few days ago Chief
Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian met
me over video conferencing. He informed me that he would like to go back to the
United States on account of pressing family commitments. His reasons were
personal but extremely important for him. He left me with no option but to
agree with him,” the finance minister, who is currently recovering from a
kidney operation, noted in a Facebook post. “Arvind had joined us as Chief
Economic Advisor on 16th Oct., 2014 for a period of three years. On the expiry
of the three year I had requested him to continue for some more time. Even at
that stage he told me that he was torn between family commitment and his
current job which he considered the best and most fulfilling he has ever done,”
Jaitley added.thewire
After flop show, Modi govt decides against privatising Air India
Govt has decided not to go ahead with Air India
stake sale in an election year and will provide required funds for its
operations, a senior official said on June 19. Decision comes less than 3 weeks
after the proposed 76% strategic stake sale in debt-laden national carrier
failed to attract any bidder.Air India will very soon get funds from the Govt for its day to day operations and will even
place orders for a couple of aircraft, the Govt official said.The decision was taken at the
high-level meeting convened by Union Minister Arun Jaitley on June 18. The
meeting was attended by Piyush Goyal, who has been temporarily given the charge
of finance ministry, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, Transport Minister
Nitin Gadkari and other senior officials of finance and civil aviation
ministries.PTI
Swami given cabinet rank wants cow ministry
for "Golden" MP
Bhopal: A top MP official has appealed to CM
Shivraj Singh Chouhan to create a cow ministry saying it would be in the best
interests of the state. Akhileshwaranand Giri, the chairman of the Cow
Protection Board who was elevated to the rank of a cabinet minister last week,
said that CM would inspire future generations if cows in the state were taken
care of in the same manner that "Chouhan looked after cattle at his
home". A cow ministry would help create a "golden Madhya
Pradesh" and would set a precedent for other states, he said. Justifying
his demand, Swami Giri said that if Rajasthan could have a 'Directorate of
Gauseva' and if CM Chouhan himself could
create a 'Happiness Department' in the state, then the creation of a cow
ministry was also in the interests of the people.Swami said gaushalas or cow
shelters across the state could act as nodal points for day-to-day functioning
of the ministry.NDTV
Mahagathbandhan not quite so ‘maha’ as cracks
appear between Congress and regional parties:theprint
New Delhi: The much-touted mahagathbandhan or
a grand alliance of all opposition parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is
unlikely to take shape.Congress is not inclined to a pre-poll alliance in
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi and some other states even as regional parties
are joining hands in solidarity to keep the grand old party from dictating
terms.Last week, four CM s and prospective members of the grand alliance —
Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, HD Kumaraswamy and Pinarayi Vijayan — came
out in support of Delhi CM Arvind
Kejriwal in his feud with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, a move that betrayed
the widening fault-lines in the mahagathbandhan-in-the-making.Congress had
criticised Kejriwal for holding a sit-in at the Raj Niwas and called it “an
excuse not to work”.Though a section of the Congress favours a tie up with
Kejriwal, party president Rahul Gandhi is learnt to be opposed to any alliance
with the AAP, which he holds responsible for the ouster of UPA in 2014.
Congress is also not interested in any alliance with Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party
and TRS of KC Chandrasekhar Rao, its principal political adversaries in Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana.
Gujarat:
Man arrested for sharing ‘provocative’ video on his YouTube page ‘Dharm
Yodha’
Vadodara:Crime branch has arrested a man for
uploading a ‘communally provocative’ video on his YouTube page on Saturday
night, after communal tension prevailed in the old city area during Eid
festivities and a procession to mark Maharana Pratap Jayanti.According to the
police, the accused, Mayur Kadam (30), has confessed to his crime and said that
he wanted to make people aware through the video. The video, which was uploaded
on Kadam’s YouTube page ‘Dharm Yodha’ and garnered more than 2,500 likes within
a day, had communally provocative text imposed on the visuals of the Maharana
Pratap rally.Vadodara Cyber cell took the video down within a day. indian
expres indian express
UP BJP
MLA makes Hindu-Muslim divide in power theft
Lucknow: “Why no action has been taken against
Muslims for power theft,” these were the words spoken by UP BJP MLA Sanjay Gupta during a telephonic
conversation with an electricity official.In a call recorded by Govt engineer Avinash Singh, BJP MLA from the
Kaushambi district, Sanjay Gupta, was heard threatening him and demanding an
account of how many Muslims he had taken action against."Give me data from
April 1, how many Muslims you have acted against. Getting yourself transferred
will not save you - wherever you are in UP , I will have an investigation done.
Go to a Muslim locality, see how electricity theft happens," Sanjay Gupta
was heard shouting at the engineer who was trying to put his point forward.
"To hell with you and your department. I will speak to Lucknow. Only
Hindus are being harassed. You are harassing businessmen and Hindus on
purpose," fuming BJP MLA Sanjay Gupta was heard saying. deccanchronicle
Rohith Vemula’s mother denies accusing Muslim
League of exploiting her
New Delhi: A day after a news report said
research scholar Rohith Vemula’s mother had accused the IUML of not fulfilling
its promise of building a house for the family, Radhika Vemula termed the
article “fake”.According to the report, Radhika claimed that the IUML promised
her Rs 20 lakh to build a house soon after her son committed suicide, but only
used her for political gains. She added that she was taken to several public
gatherings and while her presence helped IUML, she never received what she was
promised. She alleged that on one occasion, the party gave her two cheques of
Rs 2.5 lakh each but one of them bounced.CK Subair, general secretary of the
Youth Wing of Kerala unit of Muslim League, had said the cheque bounce was a
mistake.On Tuesday, Radhika said the article was spreading misinformation. “No
cheque bounced, it was rejected due to an error. I have no problem with them
[IUML]. They have given me an advance of Rs 5 lakh for land and promised me Rs
10 lakh more after Ramzan. I will campaign for anyone who is against the BJP.
The article is spreading wrong things,” she said.Rohith’s brother also took to
Facebook to defend his mother and the IUML. “…This is to clarify that someone
hacked my account and trying to defame my mom, Radhika Vemula, by saying that
she accepted some amount from IUML party, Kerala to talk against Modi. That's bull shit and not true. IUML
party promised to help us to build a house as we are poor. And they stand on their
word.”News18
Bihar :5 minors face sedition charge for
dancing to ‘anti-India song’
Rohtas:A day after Nasriganj police in Rohtas
district of Bihar held 8 people, including 5 minors, for sedition, children
charged with dancing to a song that spoke about “mujahids” who “threatened”
India’s unity, their parents on Tuesday said that the DJ was playing songs from
his mobile phone, and the controversial song played “inadvertently” in
continuation and the boys danced without realising the lyrics.The parent of one
minor wondered whether any of the boys even know the meaning of mujahid. “They
must have danced to the beat — the song barely played for 3 or 4 minutes,” he
said.The case was lodged on Sunday after a video of the controversial song was
circulated on social media, and police HQRS reportedly directed Rohtas police
to take action. According to the FIR, a person named Chandan Thathera shot the
video and later handed it to a local Bajrang Dal leader named Manoj Bajrangi,
who gave the video clip to the police.The incident took place last Friday when,
around 8 pm, about 150 people aged between 10 and 22 years took out a “chand
julus (moon procession)” a day before Eid after hiring a Dj, named Ashish
Kumar, a local resident.Rohtas SP Satyaveer Singh said the case names 8 people
—- the event’s organiser, Raja Khan (20 years old), DJ player Ashish kumar
(20), his driver Mukesh Kumar, and five youths aged between 14 and 17 years —-
apart from 20 unidentified people.Mohammed Shyamul Haque, Nasriganj Akhada Committee
president and deputy secretary in the local peace committee, said, indian
express
Inter-faith marriage: Couple ask Delhi HC for
protection
New Delhi :A 23-year-old Muslim man and a
26-year-old woman who converted to Islam to marry him Monday knocked on the
doors of the Delhi High Court, seeking police protection since they “fear for
their lives” ever since they got married in Feb.The couple, who were present in
court, also alleged that the woman’s family has been threatening them. Sensing
the urgency, a vacation bench of Justice A K Chawla said, “It is something very
serious and authorities should have provided them shelter.”It issued notice to
Delhi Police Commissioner’s office and SHO concerned asking them to disclose
the compliance of the Supreme Court’s direction to ensure the safety of couples
of inter-religious marriages.“Failing which (the SC’s direction), ACP concerned
shall remain present in person before the court on June 20,” the court said.
The man said, “my wife converted to Islam as per her own choice.” Couple alleged
they are being harassed in the name of probe.indianexpress
Congress grapples with discontent in
Karnataka; Muslim MLAs squabble:PTI
Differences among top Muslim lawmakers in the
Congress have come to the fore with trading of charges against each other, even
as the party is grappling with discontent of several MLAs who have been denied
ministerial berths.Rubbishing allegations by senior Congress MLA Tanveer Sait
that he tried to defeat him during the recent assembly elections, Minister for
Food and Civil Supplies Zameer Ahmed Khan challenged him for a show of strength
in Sait’s constituency in Mysuru.He also responded to another senior leader
Roshan Baig’s reported opposition to him being made a minister, saying he has
been chosen by the high command for his capability, and he was “not Congress
president Rahul Gandhi’s relative to get the post just like that.” “If I had
tried to defeat him (Sait), he should have complained to the high command
immediately. Why is he raising (it) now almost one month after election. PTI
Haryana Govt’s new diktat for officials: Stand
up and greet MPs, MLAs
Haryana Govt has issued a circular asking all its officials
that they are required to stand up while meeting MPs and MLAs. The circular was
issued by Chief Secretary of Haryana Govt Depinder Singh Dhesi. The circular has sparked
a controversy; many social media users are calling it an arbitrary order. It is
a follow-up of the Central Govt . On February 7, the Department of Personnel
and Training of the Centre had asked the states to implement certain standards
to be followed by babus. The memorandum also requested Chief Secretaries of the
states that they should circulate the information to all officers and
periodically review the implementation.NewsX
UP govt gives Y Category security to Waseem
Rizvi
http://www.uniindia.com/~/up-govt-gives-y-category-security-to-waseem-rizvi/States/news/1265523.html
Lucknow:UP Govt has decided to give Y-category security to
controversial UP Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi. According to
official sources here, the state home department has given the facility after
assessing the security threat of Rizvi. However, the security has been given on
temporary basis till the next meeting of the state security board. Recently,
two people were arrested from Bulandshahr ,who were planning to kill Rizvi.UNI
Modi govt can no longer blame Congress for its
own failure: Niti Aayog vice chairman
Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar has said
that Centre’s Modi Govt could no longer
keep blaming the Congress for leaving behind a legacy of “governance failure”,
“policy paralysis” and “economy in shambles” and the Central Govt will have to
take ownership of not only its accomplishments but also its failures from now
on.Kumar told IANS, “Now the economy has come out of those inheritance issues.No
more should they be used as an excuse for anything. Whatever happens now is the
Govt ’s own (doing) completely. “After all the Govt has done so much despite all of it (legacy issues).It
took huge structural reforms like demonetisation, GST, Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code, Benami Act, RERA and recapitalisation of banks to overcome
those legacy issues. I think we have finally overcome those and henceforth, Govt
should be judged on its own merit.”jantakareporter
After 9 days, Kejriwal ends L-G office sit-in,
officers back at work
New Delhi:Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday called off his
nine-day sit-in at the office of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to protest
against an alleged strike by Delhi IAS officers. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said
the sit-in had been called off after bureaucrats started attending meetings at
the Secretariat. Kejriwal and 3 Cabinet colleagues had been on a sit-in protest
in Baijal’s office since June 11, demanding that the Lt Governor intervene in
ending the alleged strike by IAS officers, and grant approval for the doorstep
ration delivery scheme. Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain had also
started a hunger strike and were hospitalised. Both were discharged Tuesday. According
to Sisodia, IAS officers attended several meetings Tuesday, following which
Kejriwal left the waiting room at the Lt Governor’s office.indianexpress
Govt plans to boost density of schools in SC/ST,
Muslim localities
New Delhi:Union Govt has urged all states to
put in place measures and training programmes to combat discrimination faced by
students from Muslim and scheduled caste/scheduled tribe (SC/ST) communities in
schools, recommending measures that include creating new reporting mechanisms,
bringing diversity in school management committees and launching sensitisation
programmes.The recommendation is part of the Govt ’s integrated education
policy called the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, which has also identified a need to
open more schools in Muslim neighbourhoods across the country.“There is undue
harshness in reprimanding SC children... They are excluded in public functions;
made to do menial jobs and sometimes denied the use of school facilities...”
says a document released under the policy, highlighting some of the several
ways in which the “system” leaves out students from disadvantaged
communities.HT
WORLD
US quits UNHRC, alleging 'bias against Israel'
US withdrew from UN Human Rights Council accusing
it of "chronic bias against
Israel," a move that activists warned would make advancing human rights
globally even more difficult.US ambassador to UN Nikki Haley slammed Russia,
China, Cuba and Egypt for thwarting US efforts to alter the council. She also
criticised countries which she said shared US values and encouraged Washington
to remain but "were unwilling to seriously challenge the status
quo".US is half-way through a three-year term on the main UN rights
body.The Trump administration had long threatened to quit if the 47-member
Geneva-based body was not overhauled. Standing with US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo, Haley said the "disproportionate focus and unending hostility
toward Israel is clear proof that the council is motivated by political bias,
not by human rights".Washington's withdrawal is the latest US rejection of
multilateral engagement after it pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.It also comes as the United States faces intense
criticism for detaining children separated from their immigrant parents at the
US-Mexico border. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein on
Monday called on Washington to halt its "unconscionable"
policy.Rights groups have criticised the Trump administration for not making
human rights a priority in its foreign policy. Critics say this sends a message
that the administration turns a blind eye to human rights abuses in some parts
of the world.Diplomats have said the US withdrawal from the body could bolster
countries such as Cuba, Russia, Egypt and Pakistan, which resist what they see
as UN interference in sovereign issues.Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu applauded US decision,
accusing the UN Human Rights Council of "obsessively" focusing on
Israel.middleeasteye
UK vows to vote against Palestine at UNHRC
UK has joined the US in condemning an alleged
anti-Israel bias at the UN, pledging to vote against issues on Palestine
brought by the Human Rights Council.Foreign Minister Boris Johnson yesterday
urged the council to reform its treatment of Israel, objecting to the permanent
Agenda Item 7 which deals with Israeli abuses in the Palestinian
territories.“We share the view that the dedicated Agenda Item 7 focused solely
on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is disproportionate and
damaging to the cause of peace, and unless things change we shall vote next
year against all resolutions introduced under Item 7,” Johnson
said.middleeastmonitor
Israel says its former Minister Gonen Segev
spied for Iran
Jerusalem:
Israel has charged a former cabinet minister with spying for Iran, the
Shin Bet internal security service says. Gonen Segev, a medical doctor who
served as Energy Minister in 1990s, was allegedly recruited by Iranian
intelligence while living in Nigeria.He was detained during a visit to
Equatorial Guinea in May and extradited following a request by Israeli police,
a BBC report said. 62-year-old was jailed for 5 years in 2005 for smuggling
drugs and forging a diplomatic passport. He also had his medical licence
revoked, but he was allowed to work as a physician in Nigeria when he moved
there after his release from prison in 2007. A statement issued by Shin Bet on
Monday said Segev was detained immediately upon his arrival in Israel last month.Segev's
lawyers stressed that the full indictment painted a "different picture
than Shin Bet statement", Israeli media reported.IANS
Israeli jets carry out strikes in Gaza
Israeli jets have attacked 25 targets linked
to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after the group launched rockets and mortar shells
at Israeli territory, the military said.3 Palestinians were lightly injured
during the attacks in the early hours of Wednesday, residents said. The
exchange was one of the most intense recent barrages of rocket fire and air
strikes.No casualties were reported in Israel.aljazeera
Palestinian activists slam draft law
prohibiting filming of Israeli forces
For years, Israeli Govt has targeted
Palestinians and their supporters through a series of highly controversial
laws. But the latest bill discussed by Israeli lawmakers has local and
international activists and journalists alike fearing for the future. The
proposal, which was put forward late last month with the support of right-wing
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, seeks a ban on filming or
photographing Israeli soldiers while on duty.The bill calls for a maximum
5-year prison term for anyone photographing, recording or distributing Israeli
army activity on social media with “the aim of hurting the soldiers’ spirit,”
and up to 10 years for anyone convicted of “seeking to harm national security”.Israeli
paper Haaretz reported on Sunday that despite concerns from Israeli Attorney
General Avichai Mandelblit that the bill was “problematic from a constitutional
standpoint,”it was still approved by Ministerial Committee for Legislation.middleeasteye
Israeli media links Netanyahu visit to Amman
with US peace plan
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu secretly met with Jordanian
King, Abdullah II, on Monday in Amman, Israeli media have revealed.Israeli
media linked this secret visit to the visit of the senior US diplomatic convoy,
which included Jared Kushner, the top aide of the US President Donald Trump,
and Jason Greenblatt, the US envoy to the Middle East.Israeli TV Channel 10
revealed that the head of Mossad Yossi Kohen attended the Netanyahu-Abdullah
meeting, while the Israeli ambassador in Amman did not attend.middleeastmonitor
Israeli activists call on Hamas to help
restore calm to southern Israel
Activists within Israel’s Other Voice Movement
have sent a letter to the head of Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, as
well as the movement’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Al-Sinwar, asking them to restore
calm to southern Israel. “We, your neighbours, hope to live based on mutual
respect and peace,” they told the Hamas officials.The message was sent to
Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip who were asked to deliver it to Hamas.
It was also passed to left-wing Israeli activist Gershon Beskin, who is close
to Fatah and Hamas leaders and helped to mediate the release of Gilad Shalit in
2011. Israeli soldier was captured by Hamas in 2006 while on active duty on border
between Gaza and Israel.MEMO
Church leaders angry with Israeli land
expropriation bill
Leaders of 3 main churches in Jerusalem sent a
message on Monday to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu asking him to scrap the draft
bill that proposes to allow his Govt to expropriate church land in the Holy
City, news agencies have reported. The heads of the Armenian, Greek Orthodox
and Catholic Churches accused the Israeli occupation of failing to commit to a
deal reached earlier this year that stipulated the formation of a committee to
solve the crisis surrounding this issue.The letter was sent after Rachel Azaria
MK re-submitted the bill with very few changes from its original draft.
However, the Israeli Govt pledged to
scrap it when the crisis, which led to closure of the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, deepened.middleeastmonitor
No breakthrough in Turkey-Iran-Russia talks on
Syria constitution: Aljazeera
Geneva: A tripartite meeting between Russia,
Turkey and Iran to discuss the formation of an all-inclusive committee tasked
with drafting a new Syrian constitution had ended without a major breakthrough,
and a plan to reconvene in a few weeks time. The officials of the 3 nations
acting as guarantors of a ceasefire in the war-torn country met on Tuesday in
the Swiss city of Geneva under the auspices of UN.In a brief statement issued
after meeting, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said "some common ground
was beginning to emerge" around the formation of committee.
"Constructive exchanges and substantive discussions took place on issues
relevant to the establishment and functioning of a constitutional
committee."
Saudi to press ahead with canal cutting Qatar
from land: Report
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-press-ahead-canal-cutting-qatar-land-report-896209717
Saudi Arabia has moved forward with its plan
to build a canal between it and Qatar, which would effectively detach the
latter from Arabian Peninsula, Gulf Arab media reported Tuesday. Saudi Arabia,
along with UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, has placed Qatar under a yearlong blockade
in protest at policies allegedly pursued by Doha.Riyadh has set a deadline for
bids to dig the 60-km "Salwa Canal" for 25 June, with 5 international
companies already throwing their hats into the ring, according to Gulf
News.Saudi Arabia will announce the winner 90 days after the deadline passes,
Saudi daily Makkah reported, and the victorious company is then expected to
complete the project in a year.The project is estimated to cost $530,000. The
canal will stretch from Salwa to Khor al-Adeed, and is to be 200 metres wide
and 15-20 metres deep.middleeasteye
Egypt court to retry Muslim Brotherhood
leaders
Cairo Criminal Court is to retry the Supreme
Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Badie along with 11 other Brotherhood
leaders, Al-Mesryoon reported yesterday.Khairat Al-Shater, Saad Al-Katatni and
Mohamed El-Beltaji are amongst those also being tried in the case.The suspects
are accused of supplying unknown people with guns, weapons and other equipment
to plan and carry out attacks on people near Muslim Brotherhood office with aim
of killing them. International human rights groups have repeated condemned
Egypt’s continued detention of opposition groups and activists.MEMO
Egypt's new defence minister 'arrested Morsi
during coup': Former official
Egypt’s new defence minister is the man who
personally arrested the country’s former president Mohamed Morsi during the
2013 coup that brought Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to power, said a former Morsi
official.Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Zaki, 62-year-old ex-paratrooper commander, was
appointed by Egyptian President Sisi last week in a Govt reshuffle that saw 11 other newcomers promoted
to cabinet.Zaki replaced Sedki Sobhi, who had held the post under Sisi since
2014 and was a former head of Egyptian armed forces.Analysts and ex officials
said the appointments suggested that Sisi, who was re-elected in March in an
election in which he effectively ran unchallenged, was moving to consolidate
his authority by rewarding those who had backed him so far. Official described
Zaki as a “close friend” of Sisi. Pair are near contemporaries in the Egyptian
army, graduating from military academy just one year apart in the late 1970s.
Prior to 2011, he served as commander of Egyptian army’s paratrooper units.MiddleEastEye
At least 30 Afghan security forces killed in
Taliban attacks: officials
Herat:At least 30 Afghan security forces were
killed by Taliban fighters on Wednesday in multiple attacks in western
Afghanistan, days after the group ended its ceasefire.“More than half of the
fatalities came from the ambush and roadside bomb blasts that hit a
reinforcement convoy,” Badghis provincial governor Abdul Qhafoor Malikzai was
quoted as saying by AFP. Qhafoor added that other soldiers and police were
killed when militants stormed their bases overnight.The Taliban have rejected
the Afghan Govt 's calls for extending Eid ceasefire, dashing hopes for peace
talks to end the deadly conflict.As per AFP, Taliban claimed responsibility for
the attacks in a WhatsApp message to journalists. Confirming the death toll to
AFP, provincial council chief Abdul Aziz Bek said, “During the ceasefire the
Taliban had sent informants to collect information about the bases and plan the
attack.”indianexpress
FLASH:
VIEWS & NEWS
J&K: BJP will milk withdrawal from
alliance with PDP in 2019 elections:Bhasha Singh
After 3 Years, BJP Leaves PDP High and Dry,
Betrays Ladakhis on UT Status:Athar Parvaiz
https://thewire.in/Govt /after-three-years-bjp-leaves-pdp-high-and-dry-betrays-ladakhis-on-ut-status
With Chhattisgarh officer’s transfer to
Kashmir, Modi govt signals return to muscular policy:Maneesh Chhibber
Airtel gives in to customer's bigotry against
Muslim executive: Service provider's response does not make much sense:Sharanya
Gopinathan
Decoding BJP-Shia Political Alignment in UP :
Eram Agha
From Data Privacy Law to Bombay Blasts, Meet
Ex-Judge Srikrishna Who Has Been a Favourite of Govts for 26 Yrs
Allahabad University Student Leader Richa
Arrested: “Police Not Students Set A Bus on Fire”
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