NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
21 June 2018:06 Shawwal 1439: Vol:10, No:48
INDIA
Demonetisation: Bank with Amit Shah as
director collected highest amount of banned notes among DCCBs
Mumbai:A district cooperative bank, which has BJP
President Amit Shah as a director, netted the highest deposits among such banks
of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes that were abruptly demonetised on November 8,
2016, according to RTI replies received by a Mumbai activist.Ahmedabad District
Cooperative Bank (ADCB) secured deposits of Rs 745.59 crore of the spiked notes
— in just 5 days after PM Narendra Modi
made the demonetisation announcement. All district cooperative banks were
banned from accepting deposits of the banned currency notes from the public
after Nov.14, 2016, — 5 days after demonetisation — on fears that black money
would be laundered through this route. According to the bank’s website, Shah
continues to be a director with the bank and has been in that position for
several years. He was also the bank’s chairman in 2000. ADCB’s total deposits
on March 31, 2017, were Rs 5,050 crore and its net profit for 2016-17 was Rs
14.31 crore.Right behind ADCB, is Rajkot District Cooperative Bank, whose
chairman Jayeshbhai Vitthalbhai Radadiya is a cabinet minister in Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani’s govt.It got deposits of old
currencies worth Rs 693.19 crore. Interestingly, Rajkot is the hub of Gujarat
BJP politics — PM Modi was first elected
from there as a legislator in 2001.Incidentally, the figures of
Ahmedabad-Rajkot DCCBs are much higher than the apex Gujarat State Cooperative
Bank Ltd, which got deposits of a mere Rs 1.11 crore.“The amount of deposits
made in State Cooperative Banks (SCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks
(DCCBs) — revealed under RTI for first time since demonetisation — are
astounding,” Manoranjan S. Roy, RTI activist who made the effort to get
information, told IANS.RTI information was given by Chief General Manager and
Appellate Authority, S. Saravanavel, of National Bank for Agriculture &
Rural Development (NABARD).It has also come to light, through the RTI queries,
that only 7 public sector banks (PSBs), 32 SCBs, 370 DCCBs, and a little over
3-dozen post offices across India collected Rs 7.91 lakh crore — more than half
(52%) of total amount of old currencies of Rs 15.28 lakh crore deposited with RBI.IANS
Bank
with Amit Shah as director collected highest amount of banned notes among DCCBs
Panama Papers: Among new names, telecom czar’s
son, a business couple
New Delhi: 3 weeks before Panama Papers were
published in April 2016, internal email exchanges in Panamanian law firm
Mossack Fonseca revealed names of UBOs (ultimate beneficial owners) of some
previously registered companies, new records show.Among them is KBM Global
Limited, a company registered in British Virgin Islands (BVI) by Mossack
Fonseca in December 2008. Email exchanges between March 16 and March 17, 2016,
show that the BO (beneficial owner) of the company is Kavin Bharti Mittal,
founder and CEO of Hike Messenger and son of telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal.
His Amrita Shergill Marg, New Delhi address is mentioned in the email exchanges
where the name of the BO has been inserted. While KBM Global Limited figures in
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’s’database as a Mossack
Fonseca company listed in the Panama Papers, there is no “officer” named. The
only details available until April 2016 (when Panama Papers were published) is
that the Secretary or the intermediary of the company was Minerva Trust Company
Limited and its shareholder was Minerva Nominees Limited, holding 94 shares.A
second company, Anten Resources Incorporated, was shown as another shareholder
of KBM Global Limited.In the new records, there are 2 other sets of documents
linked to Mittal and KBM Global Limited. The first shows that on October 31,
2016 — 6 months after the Panama Papers — a notice was published by British
Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission with the information that the
registered agent of the company had been changed from Mossack Fonseca to
Harney’s Corporate Services Limited, both located in Tortola in the
BVI.indianexpress
69% youth feel communalism, jingoistic
politics major threats
Mumbai: A majority of Indians in the
working-age feel that the world has become more divided in the past 3 years,
with religious differences and nationalist politics being the biggest threats,
says a survey."Nearly 69% millennials
in the country say the world is more divided now than it was in 2015. More than
five in ten believe it will be more divided by 2030," a survey conducted
by remittances player Western Union said today.The millennials, or those born
between 1980 and the late 1990s, feel religious differences and nationalist
politics are the biggest threats to global citizenship and borderless
societies, followed by the fear of immigrants and racism, says the survey. Survey
comes at a time concerns over divisive politics and social polarisation which
are visible in instances like lynching and other hate crimes, hog national and
international headlines.The survey says worldwide, the millennials point out to
racism and a fear of immigrants as the biggest threats to globalization, but in
India, religious differences and nationalist politics trump other threats.To
achieve global citizenship and eradicate social discrimination, the millennials
seek a respect for diversity as the top most priority, followed by
adaptability, being socially responsible and cross-cultural awareness or the
ability to embrace new cultures.PTI
PM turns a blind eye as corruption-asana grips
yoga institute under AYUSH ministry? National herald
His real age is not known to anyone but he
changed his name at least 15 times. His biodata describes him as a person who loves music, dramatics and
science fiction. He has trained more than 80,000 people in yoga. According to
his own claim, he has delivered 1,000 lectures in 320 national, international
seminars on Yoga. He was also the master of ceremonies on the first
International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015, when PM Narendra Modi had quipped that Rajpath had
turned into Yogapath. He has taught yoga for 28 years now, but he began his
career as a part-time yoga instructor in Karnataka University, Dharwad, and has
ended up becoming the lifetime director of the premier institute of yoga in
India, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY). As many as 200
complaints have been sent against him to various ministers in the Modi Govt ,
yet nothing seems to have touched him.He is Ishwar V Basavaraddi, the director
of (MDNIY) which comes under Ministry of AYUSH.Established in 1998 with the
purpose of promoting yoga across the country, the institute has become
“Bhrashtachar ka adda” (hotbed of corruption) under Basavaraddi, alleged a
whistle-blower, who did not wish to be named. Whistle-blower, who worked as an
assistant professor of Yoga with MDNIY for over 5 years, said Basavaraddi not
only promoted corruption and favoritism in the institute, but also he bagged
the post of the director using corrupt means. Basavaraddi, who is considered to
be close to AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, had used fake degrees and educational
certificates at the time of his appointment, claimed the whistle-blower.A copy
of his degrees and RTI reply which substantiate the claims is in the possession
of National Herald. According to information obtained through an RTI query,
Basavaraddi’s service book is also missing from the records. “AYUSH minister
knows about all of this, but nothing has been done so far,”alleged whistle-blower,
adding that many complaints were sent directly to PM but to no effect. nationalheraldindia
JD(U) to keep distance from Yoga Day event
Patna: JD(U) distanced itself from
International Yoga Day celebrations in Bihar today.The state health dept,
headed by BJP functionary Mangal Pandey, has organized a mass yoga session in
association with art, culture and youth affairs department at Pataliputra
Sports Complex in Patna today. Governor Satya Pal Malik, deputy CM Sushil Kumar
Modi and a number of state and Union ministers, including Ravi Shankar Prasad
and Ram Kripal Yadav, will attend the event. But there is no official
announcement of JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar's participation in any
event being organized in the state on the occasion.JD(U) state chief Bashishth
Narayan Singh said yoga is also practised indoors and it should not be
associated with "someone's participation". "People have been
doing yoga in their homes as well. Yoga has been a part of India's culture and
PM Modi's appeal is also appreciable. However, yoga can be done anywhere,"
he said.TOI
Muslim Man ‘beaten to death’ in Jharkhand over
‘beef rumours’
Ramgarh: The death of a Muslim man under
mysterious circumstances at Rajrappa on Tuesday could rake up yet another
controversy over beef in Ramgarh.Touhid Ansari (45), a resident of Karma
village, allegedly met with an accident, after which meat, reported to be beef,
fell out of the dickey of his bike. A few hours later, he was found dead metres
away from the site.“Around 9am, a bike met with an accident. 3 hours later, we
received information that a body had been found,” officer in-charge of Rajrappa
police station Sachida Prasad Singh said.The body was identified by Touhid’s
family, who came across gruesome images of the body on social media and got in
touch with police.Touhid’s father Khalil lodged an FIR at the Rajrappa police
station on Tuesday night, saying that his son had died after he was
“mercilessly beaten up”. The family alleged the body bore severe bruises and
even acid burns. Touhid is survived by his wife, 2 daughters and a son. His
family said he used to do odd jobs for a living and suffered from facial
paralysis.Asked how the events played out, Singh said, “Our investigation
indicates that the two incidents are separate and unrelated.” However, in FIR,
Khalil mentioned the registration number of the bike Touhid was on and it was
the same as that of the bike the police had confiscated from the accident
spot.Singh added the bike belonged to one Mohd Hamid. Touhid’s family said the
bike’s ownership had been transferred to Touhid in an agreement. “The death of
my brother Touhid Ansari is one of conspiracy. If the bike was hit by a
vehicle, shouldn’t the police try and trace it? I think his murder was
pre-planned, that he was allowed to leave the site of the accident and then
killed. His body was dumped in broad daylight. Given the atmosphere now, we
think he might have been lynched,” his brother Naushad Alam Ansari said.TOI
Muslim Man Brutally Thrashed to Death Over
Beef Rumours, Meat Seized Sent For Examination
‘Will die to save cows’: Lynching exposes
fault lines in Hapur
“If police implicates our husbands in false
cases, we women will go and protect our cows. We can sacrifice our lives for
gau raksha,” says Santosh Sisodia, as the other women gathered in her courtyard
nod along in agreement.Santosh’s husband, Rakesh Sisodia, is one of the two men
who were arrested on charges of lynching 39-year-old Qasim and critically
injuring 65-year-old Samiuddin in Hapur, UP .Rakesh and Yudhisthir Singh were
arrested on the basis of an FIR filed at the Pilkhuwa police station by
Samiuddin’s brother, Yasin.The police claim that the incident is a case of
“road rage” and that Qasim and Samiuddin had a fight with unidentified
bike-borne men, following a minor bike accident.However, residents of the two
villages – the Thakur-dominated Bajhera Khurd and the neighbouring
Muslim-dominated Madapur – insist that the brawl broke out over
cattle.Samiuddin's niece, Arifa, alleged that the “Hindu men deliberately left
the cows stray into the field so they could accuse our men of planning to
slaughter them”. She said: “The Hindu men were saying our men were slaughtering
cows. But these are elderly men, how can they slaughter cows?”“There was no cow
involved,” Qasim’s younger brother, Mohammed Salim, insists.Salim said that
Qasim, a cattle trader from Saddikpura village, visited Bajhera Khurd for the
first time that day.He said Qasim left the house at around 11 am that morning
after he received a phone call. “He often used to go to nearby villages to sell
cattle, so none of us paid attention that day. A few hours later, the police
informed us that he has been rushed to a hospital after being brutally
assaulted by a mob in a nearby village”.This is a matter of "communal
enmity," Salim alleged.“Hindu men gathered and killed my brother because
he was a Muslim.There was no cow involved.They are bringing up the cow issue to
hide their crime. Even in the video, you can hear that they refused my brother
water because he was Muslim.”The Quint
‘Humiliated’ inter-faith couple get passports
after narrating their ordeal on Twitter
Lucknow:A Noida-based couple were issued
passports today, a day after they narrated on Twitter how they were subjected
to humiliation by an official at Regional Passport Office in Lucknow.The
passport official who allegedly shamed and humiliated the inter-faith couple
asking woman to adopt a Muslim surname and her husband to convert to Hinduism
while rejecting their passports, has been transferred from his post, after the
issue took social media by storm. A show cause notice was also issued against
the official identified as Vikas Mishra, said regional passport officer Peeyush
Verma, promising action against him.The issue came to light when Tanvi Seth
reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday through
Twitter, complaining that she has faced harassment at the passport office for
having a Muslim husband and was chided for not changing her surname after
marriage.While Ms. Seth had gone there for a new passport, her husband Anas
Siddiqui wanted to renew his.“I type this tweet with immense faith in justice
and in you and ironically with a lot of anger/ hurt and agony in my heart
because of the way I was treated at the Lucknow passport office at Ratan Square
by Vikas Mishra the reason because I married a Muslim and not changed my name
ever. He spoke to me very rudely and was loud enough for others to hear while
discussing my case,”Ms. Seth’s Twitter post read. Siddiqui said the passport
official asked him to change his name into a Hindu one and also take
“pheras.”“It is my personal choice to choose a name I want to after marriage.
This is our family matter and last thing I expected to hear at the passport
office was it is your duty to change your name after marriage,” Ms. Seth wrote
tagging Ms. Swaraj.The couple have been married for 12 years and they have a
6-year old daughter.According to Ms. Seth, the official not only rejected her
application but also put her husband’s application on hold. “He spoke very loudly.
I did not have that big a problem that my passport was being rejected, the way
he spoke to me, his hand gestures were very attacking,” she said. She also
claimed another official told her husband that her papers were complete.After
the matter escalated, the couple’s applications were processed and passports
were issued on Thursday.the hindu
Passport Officer Rejects Hindu-Muslim Couple's
Application, Asks Man to Convert to Hinduism
Lucknow Passport Officer Defends Treatment of
Hindu-Muslim Couple, Cites 'National Security'
Regional passport officer Vikas Mishra, who
was transferred to Gorakhpur for harassing an inter-faith couple, claimed on
Thursday that the questions asked were a part of his duty as difference in
documents could pose a “danger to national security”.The accused superintendent
said, “I asked the lady about why she has not endorsed her name in the
nikahnama, and asked her to use the she had mentioned in the Islamic marriage
certificate. Anyone can up with such documents and it can be a danger to our
national security. I am a secular person and do not hold any grudges against
anyone.” Expressing regret over the inconvenience faced by Lucknow couple, RPO
Peeyush Verma said that they should not have been subjugated to such
harassment.News18
Rohith Vemula’s mother blames PM Modi for his
death
Hyderabad: The mother of Rohith Vemula, a
research scholar at the University of Hyderabad who committed suicide two years
ago due to alleged caste-based discrimination, on Wednesday blamed PM Narendra
Modi for her son’s death and refuted allegations that she was offered money to
speak against him.“It is absolutely false that I was paid by IUML to speak
against Modi. What is the need for it? I would anyway speak against him as he
killed my son,” said Radhika Vemula. “This is how the Sangh forces try to
defame us. I am ready to support anyone who fights against BJP.”Her statement
came hours after BJP accused “opposition parties” of “using Vemula family for
political gains”. She clarified that IUML had promised to help them with funds
to build a house but it had nothing to do with her campaigning for the party in
Kerala. “My support was based on their ideology and their fight against the
BJP,” she said. IUML took a dig at BJP saying it was playing cheap politics and
trying to defame Muslim league.TOI
IUML not trying to convert my son: Radhika
Vemula
Tension prevails in Bihar's Kishanganj after
communal flare-ups; 10 taken into custody
Patna: After 2 incidents of violence between
groups of people belonging to different communities over the past two days,
tension prevailed in Bihar's Muslim-dominated Kishanganj district on Wednesday
and ten people were taken into custody. Kishanganj SP Kumar Ashish said
exchanges on the social media were being strictly monitored and that the
administration is taking all care to prevent the flare-ups from turning into a
major communal incident."Efforts were made by some anti-social elements to
disturb communal amity at two places, but the situation was swiftly brought
under control at both the places. Magistrates and policemen, including RAF
jawans, deployed at sensitive sites are keeping a vigil, and normalcy is
returning," said Ashish. A clash between two communities was reported in
Himmatnagar area under Kochadhaman police station on Monday evening. Police
said the clash first erupted over a song being played at a wedding party. As
many as 10 people, including 2 women, were injured in the clash. It is unclear
if this clash had a link to the incident on Tuesday morning. 10 injured people
being treated at a local hospital were taken into custody as they were named in
an FIR registered after the clash.New Indian Express
Communal violence rocks Vadodara again, cops
lob teargas shells to disperse rioters
Vadodara: Communal violence rocked the walled
city areas yet another time late on Tuesday night when mobs of two different
communities pelted stone at each other.Trouble first broke out in Panigate area
and soon it spread to Yakutpura and Fatehpura where the rioting mobs even
attacked the cops. One state reserve police (SRP) man received injuries while a
citizen too was attacked near Sarasiya Lake by some unidentified persons. No
arrests have been made yet.“Mobs of different communities first pelted stones
at each other in Panigate. The cops reached there and took the situation under
control but after some time trouble broke out in Yakutpura and Fatehpura too.
Our teams reached Yakutpura where they came under the attack from the mob,”
said DG Sosa, police inspector, City police station. A SRP jawan, Sanjay Rao,
who was on duty, suffered injuries after someone pelted a stone at him. The
police lobbed three teargas shells to disperse the mobs. Eight residents of
Yakutpura have been booked in connection with the incident. Also, a separate
complaint of attempt to murder has been registered at the City police station
against about 4 unidentified persons who attacked and injured Kapil More near
Sarasiya Lake when he was on his way to his home.When asked the reason behind
the communal clashes, Sosa said that it was a fallout of the communal riots
that happened near Nyay Mandir on June 16 during Eid. TOI
Top Opposition leaders attend Jamiat Eid Milan
in Delhi
An Eid Milan reception hosted by
Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind faction led by Maulana Arshad Madni on June 20 in Delhi,
turned out be an occasion of gathering of top Opposition leaders of North
Indian states. The reception at Hotel Ashok became more significant as leaders
from all the major political parties ensured their attendance. Every year,
leaders of political parties attend Jamiat’s annual Eid Milan reception, but
this year it was important for non-BJP political parties as this was the last
Eid Milan reception before the next general elections in 2019.Maulana Arshad
Madni said “Unity in diversity is the spirit of our country and we need to
uphold it in true spirit”. He urged everyone to safeguard the communal harmony
of this country. Ex-Vice President of India Hamid Ansari attended the reception
along with leaders and representatives from different walks of life. Also
present were ex-CM of UP Akhilesh Yadav, ex Deputy CM of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) General
Secretary Sitaram Yechury, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, Trinamool Congress
leader Dinesh Trivedi, JD(S) leader Danish Ali and AAP leader Sanjay
Singh.Several senior Congress leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel,
Ashok Gehlot, Deepender Hooda, Haroon Yusuf, Chaudhary Mateen, Hasan Ahmed,
Meem Afzal, Nadeem Javed, Mirza Javed, Tariq Siddiqui and others were present.The
President of Jamat-e-Islami Hind Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri, Asghar Imam
Mehdi of Jamiat Ahle Hadees, Tauqeer Raza of Barelvi, Acharya Pramod Krishan,
Swami Agnivesh, Sirajuddin Qureshi, President of Mushawarat Naved Hamid,
activist Shabnam Hashmi, senior journalist John Dayal and other senior
journalists and social activists attended the Eid Milan
reception.nationalheraldindia
Kejriwal, Akhilesh, Tejashwi Attend Jamiat’s
Eid Milan
Meet with IAS officers delayed, Kejriwal
attends Jamiat's ‘Eid Milan Reception’ day before leaving for Bengaluru
Jamiat enraged over offensive posts on
Prophet, threatens stir
Muzaffarnagar:Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has
threatened to launch statewide agitation if police and administration do not
take stringent action against people posting objectionable content on social
media about Prophet Muhammad. The outfit’s west UP secretary, Qari Zakir, has
met SSP and demanded that the accused in such cases must be booked under NSA.In
the last one week, three incidents of inflammatory social media content have
been reported in the communally sensitive district, creating tension and unrest
among communities. In 2 of these cases, police have arrested the accused.“There
is clear indication that some forces are hell-bent on disturbing communal
harmony in the region. If strong action is not taken against such forces, we
will launch a large scale agitation,” said Zakir. “These are preplanned
incidents. There are people who want to hurt the community’s sentiments and
police must not allow them to do so. We met SSP on Monday to demand imposition
of NSA on those who are posting such messages on social media. SSP has assured
us that strong action will be taken against such elements. If police do not
keep their word, we will first launch a statewide agitation and will then
extend it to the entire country,” Zakir said. TOI
UN rights report on Kashmir: 6 countries back
India, isolating Pak
http://www.uniindia.com/support-for-india-on-kashmir-at-un-pakistan-isolated/world/news/1266863.html
UN: 6 countries have joined India in rejecting
the report prepared by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR).They are:Bhutan, Afghanistan, Mauritius, Belarus, Cuba and Venezuela.
During th 'General debate on the overall update of the High Commissioner on the
situation of Human Rights worldwide and on the activities of his office' at the
Human Rights Council, the Kashmir report was discussed, these 6 nations
rejected the report authored by Zeid Raad Al Hussein.While Pakistan's permanent
representative to UN in Geneva, Farukh Amil, made an ardent appeal on behalf of
his own country to establish a commission of inquiry in J&K , he did not
have much to add when he spoke on behalf of OIC (Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation).OHCHR report on J&K also points to a grave situation in Indian
Administered Kashmir and needs appropriate follow up by this council,"
said the Pakistan envoy on behalf of OIC.In its first-ever human rights report
on Kashmir, UNHRC has called for international inquiry into multiple violations
in the undivided J&K .UNI
Pakistan welcomes UN rights report on Kashmir
dubbed by India as ‘motivated’
Pakistan has welcomed the recommendation by UN
High Commissioner on Human Rights to establish a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to
investigate alleged human rights violations in J&K . Foreign Office (FO) in
Islamabad said that Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at UN Office at Geneva
Ambassador Farukh Amil made the statement at UN Human Rights Council.He
stressed that excessive use of force, indiscriminate killing of civilians and
blindings by pellet guns in J&K must
be investigated, the FO said.Referring to the UN human rights report, he stated
that Pakistan had long sought the UN’s sustained focus on J&K and the latest report reaffirms Pakistan’s
well known position on J&K .“COI is consistent with Pakistan’s several
calls to this effect since 2016, even as India has continued to ignore
legitimate demands for a credible probe mechanism,” Amil said.He also endorsed
the UN’s call for a final political solution of the J&K dispute through meaningful dialogue in
accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.He said that the UN had
a key role to play in the resolution of the J&K dispute and within the ambit of peace and
security, the UN Security Council remains seized of its numerous resolutions on
the dispute.The latest UN report is a reminder of this internationally
recognised dispute and the urgency of its settlement, both to protect human
lives and promote peace, the FO said.PTI
US backs India, dismisses third-party role in
resolving Kashmir dispute
Dismissing the possibility of any third-party
playing a role in resolving the Kashmir
dispute, US on Wednesday reiterated that it is for India and Pakistan to
determine any discussion on the issue. US response assumes significance in the
wake of Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui’s suggesting trilateral
cooperation between India, China and Pakistan under the aegis of Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation. Responding to a question, a State Department
spokesperson made it clear that the US has not changed a policy on Kashmir.“We
believe the pace, scope and character of any discussion on Kashmir is for the
two sides to determine,” he added.India TV News
Looks like BJP doesn’t want a popular govt in J&K:
Wajahat Habibullah
New Delhi: 2 days after the BJP pulled out of
the alliance with PDP in J&K,ex-chairman of National Minorities Commission
and a one-time J&K IAS cadre officer Wajahat Habibullah said that it looked
like BJP did not want a popular Govt . “Democratic interests demand that
elections be held as soon as possible, but then it is quite possible that the
central Govt keeps on extending the
Governor’s rule. It looks like they don’t want a popular Govt ,” he told
News18. News18
Anti-terror operations in Kashmir under BJP
caused more civilian deaths than of militants: Ghulam Nabi Azad
A day after BJP snapped their alliance with
PDP in J&K and promised intensified
action against militancy in the state, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad
made an allegation saying that anti-terror operations in the Kashmir Valley
under the BJP Govt have resulted in more
civilian deaths than of militants.On Wednesday, CNN-News18 quoted Azad as
saying, "They take action against 4 terrorists and also kill 20 civilians.
Their action is more against civilians than terrorists. For instance, they
killed 13 civilians in Pulwama and just one terrorist," Azad said in an
interview. "No civilians were killed during UPA Govt."He also said
that 'Operation All-Out', which was a joint offensive launched by Indian
security forces in 2017 to flush out militants and terrorists from Kashmir, was
just another name for a "full-fledged" massacre.firstpost
BJP was greedy for power in J&K, but
decamped after spreading anarchy, says Shiv Sena
Attacking BJP over its exit from J&K Govt , Shiv Sena said the party had spread
anarchy in the state before opting out.In an editorial in its mouthpiece
‘Saamana’, Sena said BJP formed the Govt with PDP only for “greed” of power, and
compared its exit to British decamping from India in 1947.Sena slammed BJP for
pinning the blame of rising violence solely on PDP. “BJP opted out of power
after spreading anarchy in the Valley. The situation has never before
deteriorated to this extent, rivers of blood have never flown so extensively,
and never have so many soldiers lost their lives before,” Sena alleged.HT
Yasin detained, Mirwaiz placed under house
arrest
SRINAGAR: JKLF chief Yasin Malik was today
detained while moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was
placed under house arrest to prevent the separatists from leading protests,
police said.Malik was taken into custody from his Maisuma residence this
morning, a police official said.Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali
Shah Geelani continued to remain under house detention.PTI
With Snipers, Radars, NSG Commandos Reach
Kashmir For Anti-Terror Ops
New Delhi:
At Border Security Force camp at Humhaha near Srinagar, now seen
training are commandos of elite National Security Guard, a special forces unit
under the Home Ministry. Wearing their trademark black uniform, these special
commandos perform drills along with other security forces to build synergy.
About two dozen snipers from NSG's house intervention teams (HIT commandos)
have been training here since the last two weeks. In some time, the Home
Ministry hopes to have 100 NSG men positioned at the BSF station. "Since
they specialise in anti-hijack drills, they have been placed near the airport,"
a senior officer disclosed.NSG commandos, whose presence in Kashmir was cleared
last month by the Home Ministry, will soon be deployed in anti-terror
operations in the Valley.ndtv
Bukhari murder:Suspect held, no link with
killers found
Srinagar:J&K Police have detained a suspect in the
assassination of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari and his 2 personal security
officers. Police sources, said they have not been able to find any tangible
link between him and the attackers so far.Police sources said Abdul Majeed
Zargar, a resident of Saderkote Payeen in Bandipore, has been detained for
questioning. Sources said that on the day Bukhari was shot, Zargar was with
Zubair Qadri, another suspect who has been arrested, for the whole day.Police
sources, however, claimed that the suspect is a drug addict and doesn’t seem to
have any link with the assailants.indianexpress
India bans offshoots of al-Qaeda, IS under UAPA:PTI
Centre has banned new offshoots of the
al-Qaeda and the Islamic State under the anti-terror UAPA, according to an
official order.Both al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Islamic
State of Iraq and Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K), an Afghanistan-based affiliate of IS,
have been declared unlawful by Union Home Ministry as they were found to be
radicalising Indian youths for “global jihad” and encouraging terror acts on
Indian interests, it said.ISIS-K is also known as Islamic State in Khorasan
Province (ISKP)/ISIS Wilayat Khorasan,order said.
Campaign to provide clothes to Dalit Adivasi
children in Maharashtra during Ramadan a huge success
TCN last month published a story which showed
a unique attempt to bring a smile to the faces of Dalit and Adivasi children
during Ramadan. Since that day, the phone of Subhan Ali, the man behind the
mission, has not stopped ringing. Even though Ramadan is over, he is still
getting phone calls from people who are eager to donate. Ali says, “Our target
was to provide new clothes to 10,000 Dalit and Adivasi children but we never
thought it would be achievable. But after your news report, we have received so
much media coverage and support from people. We have already provided clothes
to about 3,000 people and we are confident we will meet our target.”Since the
beginning of Ramadan, the volunteers working with Subhan Ali have nearly
covered 20 districts till date. “This activity will be running next 10 to 15
days in parts of Maharashtra, with the highest activity visible around Pune. We
will achieve the target of ten thousand Inshallah,” Ali added.According to Ali,
taking care and providing timely assistance to marginalised section is
humanity. “Our religion Islam and beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us the
same,” he added.A. Latif Shaikh, a volunteer from Nasik, told TCN that they
visited an Adivasi village to distribute clothes among their children. “It was
really a memorable experience…Adivasi people were surprised and asked about our
generosity. We replied that Prophet (PBUH) taught us that Muslims should share
the happiness of Eid with downtrodden by gifting or feeding them,” he
said.TwoCircles
Togadia’s plan to launch new outfit irks RSS
At a time when Bajrang Dal and VHP are very
upset over being labeled as “militant religious organisations” in CIA world
fact-book, Sangh Parivar leadership is annoyed by ousted VHP chief Pravin
Togadia’s plans to launch a new "religious cum social" activist
organisation on June 24.Ever since he was unceremoniously ejected in April from
VHP of which he had been the international working president since 2011,
Togadia has been on the radar of RSS for his irritating, and often bizarre,
efforts to whip up support for his proposed parallel Hindutva movement from the
numerous fringe outfits and groups which form part of the Sangh
Parivar.Although neither BJP nor RSS leaders expect Togadia to make any
significant impact, they are getting exasperated by his capacity to create
confusion at the grassroots level particularly among groups of karyakartas in
small towns and rural areas who still regard him as a major Hindutva figure who
has been associated with the VHP for more than three
decades.nationalheraldindia
People will defeat BJP-RSS agenda to change
Constitution: Sharad Pawar
Mumbai:NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said the
agenda of BJP and its political mentor RSS is to “change the Indian
Constitution, but the people of the country will not allow it to happen”. Stressing
that the Indian Constitution will not be allowed to change, Pawar said, “NCP
has taken the lead in saving the Constitution and would oppose all those forces
who are trying to tamper with it.”Ex-PM, Indira Gandhi’s leadership and
upliftment of the poor gave India a global identity, yet her decision to impose
Emergency went against the public sentiments. The people of this country taught
her a lesson. Along with Congress Govt, Indira Gandhi lost the elections, Pawar
said.indianexpress
Mamata Banerjee says BJP has tampered EVMs in
the past and will do so in future
Kolkata:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee warned her party leaders and workers that the BJP has tampered with
EVMs in the past and can do so again in future. Cracking a whip against
indiscipline, the chief minister also stated that those who undermine the party
may leave.“If any of our party leaders think that he is bigger than the party,
he may leave, the door is open. I have been getting reports that a section of
leaders is busy in infighting and corruption. Some are paying no heed to party
orders. I will not tolerate this,” said Banerjee. Addressing the party’s
extended core committee meeting at the Netaji Indoor stadium in Kolkata,
Banerjee told MLAs, MPs, civic body chiefs, winning candidates of gram
panchayat, panchayat samiti and zilla parishad, to be prepared for the 2019 Lok
Sabha polls. In her speech, she said, “Beware. The BJP has tampered with EVMs
in the past and can do so again in the future…..In recent polls in Mahestolla,
30 machines (EVMs) mysteriously broke down. In future polls (Lok Sabha) they
will use such tactics to win.”indianexpress
Jashodaben snubs Anandiben over PM’s marriage
remark
Gandhinagar:In an apparent snub to MP Governor
Anandiben Patel over her remark that PM Narendra Modi was not married, Jashodaben, the
estranged wife of the PM , said that “she was shocked at Anandiben’s
statement.”“It’s shocking what she said about our marriage,” Ms. Jashodaben
said, adding that Modi himself had mentioned about his marriage in his election
affidavit in 2014.“He has declared in his affidavit that he is married and has
mentioned my name in the document as spouse,” she said while reacting to Ms.
Anandiben’s statement reported in media.thehindu
Likely to depute aircraft for Haj flights: Air
India suspends Chandigarh-Bangkok bookings from July 13 to Sept-end
Chandigarh:National carrier Air India has
temporarily suspended bookings for Chandigarh-Bangkok flights for travel dates
starting July 13 to September end as the airline is planning to depute the
aircraft for Haj flights. Officials said if the airline announces the
suspension of the flight, the passengers who have already booked their tickets
on the dates will be provided flights from New Delhi.As on Wednesday evening,
on the Air India website, booking for the Chandigarh-Bangkok-Chandigarh flight
was unavailable after July 13. No direct flight to Bangkok is available from
Chandigarh till September end. Sources in the Air India confirmed to Chandigarh
Newsline that the bookings have been temporarily suspended because the aircraft
used for Chandigarh-Bangkok sector may be shifted for Haj operations.A
Delhi-based Air India official told Chandigarh Newsline on Wednesday that the
headquarters are yet to take a final call on the temporary suspension of the
Chandigarh-Bangkok-Chandigarh flight for the period. Official, however, said
that bookings have been suspended.indianexpress
Dalit Women Rights Activists Present Report on
Atrocities at UNHRC
New
Delhi: Dalit Women Rights Activists today presented witness accounts of the
state of affairs of caste based violence faced by women and girls in India, to
UNHRC, in its 38th session in Geneva.The report aims to find recommendations
for policy and implementation, within the UN and beyond and ‘forge new
alliances and partnerships and agree on international level strategies to help
fight caste based violence and impunity in India’. A panel of experts hearing
the testimonies at Geneva, include Ms Rita lzsak-Ndiaye, member of UN CERD
Committee, who presented her first her first comprehensive report on caste
based discrimination as a global phenomenon to the UNHRC in 2016, Ms Dubravka
Simonovic,UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Ms. Vrinda
Grover, Senior Advocate Supreme Court of India.The report states how dalit
women are protesting against impunity in connection with a spate of rapes and
violence against Dalit women in Haryana, UP, Bihar, Orissa and Maharashtra, and
believe that the police is involved.‘Girls, their families and people from
their community have been camping out and protesting in New delhi for months -
demanding justice. They are afraid to return to their village in fear of
violent reprisals from the dominant castes.’ it states.thecitizen
Celebrated Urdu satirist Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi
dies
Karachi:Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi, celebrated Urdu
satirist and humourist of the Indian subcontinent, has died after a protracted
illness in Pakistan's port city of Karachi. He was 94. He was admitted to a
private hospital few days back after contracting pneumonia and later put on a
ventilator as his health deteriorated.Yousufi died yesterday. A large number of
people including top literary figures attended his funeral today. Born in
Jaipur in 1923 and educated at the AMU, Yousafi migrated to Pakistan in 1956
and became a career banker.PTI
WORLD
Trump reverses course on separation of migrant
families
US President Donald Trump has signed an
executive order that would keep families together after they get detained
crossing the border illegally.The order was drafted by Homeland Security
Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in an effort to end what has become a major crisis
for Trump administration. "We're going to have very strong borders but we
are going to keep families together," the president said, adding that he
doesn't like seeing children separated from their families. However, he also
said that the 'zero tolerance' policy on illegal immigration will continue.The
order marks a dramatic departure for an administration that has been insisting,
wrongly, that it has no choice but to separate families apprehended at the
border because of law and a court decision.aljazeera
UN: Syrian forces committed war crimes in E.
Ghouta
Forces loyal to Syria's Govt committed what
amounted to crimes against humanity, including deliberately starving civilians,
during the siege of Eastern Ghouta, UN investigators said on Wednesday.5-year
siege, on the outskirts of the capital, ended in April when Damascus regained
control of the rebel enclave."Following the end of the longest running siege
in modern history, the UN Commission of Inquiry [on Syria] has condemned this
method of warfare in Syria as barbaric," the UN investigators said in a
statement.The commission, tasked by UN Human Rights Council in March to
urgently investigate recent events in Eastern Ghouta, released a 23-page report
filled with horrific details of civilian suffering.The investigators slammed
the widespread use of sieges throughout Syria's 7-year conflict, which has
killed over 350,000 people."Hundreds of thousands of Syrian women, men and
children countrywide have suffered for too long the perverse and long-lasting
effects of this medieval form of warfare," the report said.aljazeera
Israeli law criminalising publishing video of
Israeli soldiers passes first reading
A draft Israeli law that criminalised filming
Israeli soldiers engaged in activities including confrontations with
Palestinians passed its first reading in the Knesset.“For many years already
the state of Israel has witnessed the troubling phenomenon of the documenting
IDF soldiers…by anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups”,bill’s explanation
stated. “Documentation (of soldiers) is biased and edited in a one-sided way
with one purpose: To undermine the morale of IDF troops and residents of
Israel”. Bill was passed in its first reading by a 45-42 vote. 3 readings are
required to pass into law.MEMO
Israeli army carries out punitive demolition
of Palestinian prisoner’s family home
Israeli occupation forces carried out a new
punitive house demolition overnight, destroying the family apartment of
Palestinian prisoner Alaa Kabha in Bartaa village near Jenin. Kabha is accused
by Israeli occupation authorities of having carried out a car-ramming attack at
an occupation army post near a West Bank settlement on 17 March, killing 2
Israeli soldiers.According to reports, some 20 Israeli army vehicles invaded
Bartaa, with the demolition carried out by soldiers from the army’s Menashe
Regional Brigade, officers from the Border Police and officials of Defense
Ministry’s Civil Admin.MEMO
Libya clashes at oil ports cut output by
nearly half
Libya's oil output has dropped by nearly half
following clashes between rival groups in the country's key oil export ports,
the head of National Oil Company said on Wednesday. "Production has seen a
reduction by 450,000 barrels per day, plus 70 million cubic feet of natural
gas, equivalent to $33m in sales based on market prices," Mustafa Sanalla
told AFP.The Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra terminals have been closed since last
Thursday when armed groups attacked oil facilities held by forces loyal to
renegade general Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya. Haftar's self-styled Libyan
National Army has since launched an offensive to push the militias out of the
area, with the violence causing "catastrophic damage", according to
the state oil company.aljazeera
UN: 5,200 families flee fighting in Hudaydah
UN announced on Tuesday that the ongoing
fighting and air strikes in the Yemeni city of Hudaydah since the beginning of
this month have led to 5,200 families fleeing their homes.“Our humanitarian
colleagues report that heavy fighting and air strikes are continuing in several
locations in Hudaydah City and districts south of city,” said Stéphane
Dujarric, Spokesman for UN Secretary-General. “An estimated 5,200 families have
fled the fighting since 1 June, moving to safer areas within their home
districts or neighbouring areas.”middleeastmonitor
‘UN rejected offer of supervisory role in
Hudaydah,’ claims Houthi leader
UN was offered a supervisory role to monitor
the port of Hudaydah but rejected the proposal, the leader of the Houthi rebels
claimed in a live broadcast on Al-Masirah TV yesterday. “We welcomed a
supervisory, technical and logistical role of the UN at Hudaydah,” said Abdul
Malik Al-Houthi, “but they are liars, they just made baseless
justifications.”The broadcast came after more than a week of fighting by the
Saudi-led coalition for the Houthi-controlled port. The coalition continues to
accuse the Houthis of using Hudaydah to smuggle weapons from Iran despite, its
warships monitoring the Bab El-Mandeb Strait. There has been no evidence to
suggest that the Houthis are receiving arms via the port.UN envoy Martin
Griffiths arrived in Houthi-held Sana’a last Saturday to meet with leaders of
the group and convey the conditions laid down by the UAE regarding the ongoing
fighting at Hudaydah. However, on Monday, sources close to the discussions in
the Yemeni capital told Anadolu that the talks had failed to achieve any
tangible breakthrough.middleeastmonitor
32 ‘armed extremists’ killed in Sinai:
Egyptian army
At least 32 militants have reportedly been
killed in a wide-ranging security operation carried out by the Egyptian army in
the northeastern Sinai Peninsula.“Operations in recent days have led to the elimination
of 32 armed extremists in two separate incidents in north and central Sinai,”
the army said in a statement without providing further details.Anadolu Agency
Afghan official says Taliban kill 8 police
Taliban killed 8 police in two separate attacks
in Afghanistan on Thursday, officials said. Arif Noori, a spokesman for the
governor of the southern Ghazni province, says 6 police were killed and 4 were
wounded in an attack on security posts early Thursday. He says at least 7
insurgents were killed in the hours-long gunbattle.In the northern Baghlan
province, the Taliban killed two police and wounded another 3, according to
police spokesman Zabiullah Shuja.AP
Qatar used a pro-Israel businessman to pay Zionist
Organization of America $100,000: Haaretz/JTA
A pro-Israel businessman doing public
relations work for Qatar donated $100,000 to the Zionist Organization of
America out of money Qatar paid him to engage in “community engagement.” Joseph
Allaham, an owner of kosher eateries, said his donations to ZOA, a conservative
pro-Israel group, came out of $1.45 million intended by Qatar to woo Jewish and
other leaders to its side in its dispute with Saudi Arabia, Mother Jones
reported. Allaham disclosed the payments in a filing last week to register as
an agent of a foreign Govt.Morton Klein, the ZOA president, told Jewish Insider
on Wednesday that he had been under the impression that the money came from
Allaham’s own pocket. Klein said that if he determined the funds came from
Qatar, he would return them.Klein, in the past a sharp critic of Qatar, visited
the country earlier this year at its invitation. He has said he used the visit
to express his concerns about the country’s support for Hamas, its closeness to
Iran and the hostility to Israel on Al Jazeera. He has insisted multiple times,
including to JTA, that he received no compensation for the visit beyond travel
expenses.Allaham in his filing said he also gave $100,000 to Our Soldiers
Speak, a group that organizes US speaking tours for Israeli military personnel,
as well as $50,000 to Mike Huckabee, who visited Qatar. Huckabee, the former
governor of Arkansas, is an evangelical preacher who is prominent in the
Christian pro-Israel community.haaretz/JTA
Iran's elite Guards warn against compromise
with US
An Iranian military chief cautioned that
reaching any understanding with Washington, as suggested in a letter signed by
a group of political activists, would spell the end of the Islamic
republic."Today everybody knows that striking an understanding with US
means the death of Islamic republic," said General Mohammad Ali Jafari,
commander of the elite Republican Guards, quoted by ISNA."While we are not
saying that it (letter) amounts to treason, we must say that it opens the way
to making concessions to the enemy," he said.A pro-reformist newspaper,
Etemad, on Sunday ran an article on a joint letter addressed to "senior
authorities" from around 100 Iranian activists calling for Tehran to make
"a gesture" towards direct negotiations with its longtime enemy.AFP
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Ending Alliance With PDP May Not Help BJP in
2019:Soroor Ahmed
Governors Rule: The Reasons Are Not Simple But
As Complicated as Kashmir Itself;Seema Mustafa
Article 370: Can Modi revoke it before 2019
and will it heal or hit Kashmir’s ties with rest of India?theprint
'Bangladeshis – Hindu or Muslim – Staying
Illegally in Assam Post-1971 Will Have to Go':Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty
The Yoga Sutra Is Incompatible With Modern
Postural Yoga, and Science:S.K. Arun Murthi
https://thewire.in/the-sciences/the-yoga-sutra-is-incompatible-with-modern-postural-yoga-and-science
Fear and Loathing in New India: Assam Lynching
and Its Aftermath:Sampurna Bordoloi and Pinak Pani Datta
Every time Governor’s Rule has been imposed in
J&K, situation has worsened, alienation has grown:Firdous Tak
Farmers were marketing props in the PM’s
self-promoting ‘interaction’: VIVIAN FERNANDES
Tamil Nadu on boil again over land acquisition
for Chennai-Salem Highway ASHLIN MATHEW
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