NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
18 July 2018:04 Ziqada 1439: Vol:10, No:68
INDIA
Parliament monsoon session Day 1 LIVE: No
trust motion accepted in Lok Sabha, discussion on Friday
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today
accepted the no-confidence motion raised by TDP against the Modi govt over
special status to AP. Admitting the notice, Mahajan said the discussion will
take place on Friday. Speaker named all opposition members who had moved
similar no-confidence motion notices and said TDP’s Kesineni Srinivas would
move his motion as his name had come up in lottery. TDP leaders also staged a
protest in Rajya Sabha, after which the House was adjourned for a brief
period.TMC leader requested Sumitra Mahajan to postpone the discussion on
no-confidence motion on Monday as most of the party leaders will be away in
West Bengal. "At least 35 leaders will be missing from discussion," party
leader said. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge also requested Mahajan to
postpone the discussion to Wednesday.
Adding that since Friday is the last day of the week, some MPs would be
unavailable for the voting event due to other commitments, Kharge requested
Speaker to shift the date. Reacting to the development,Ananth Kumar,
Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, "No-confidence motion is an important
discussion. All members should give this prominence rather than other party
activities."According to PRS Legislative Research, a total of 68 Bills are
pending in Parliament. Of these, 25 Bills are listed for consideration and
passage, and three for withdrawal during the session. 18 new Bills are listed
for introduction, consideration, and passage. Worries remain if the impasse
seen in the Budget session will carry over to this session. Parliament’s budget
session was the least productive budget session in 18 years.CPI(M)demanded the
enactment of a comprehensive law in the current Monsoon session of Parliament
against lynching to meet the Supreme Court direction. Condemning the
"brutal" attack on Swami Agnivesh in Pakur, Jharkhand, yesterday, Left
party expressed its apprehensions that though the guilty had been
"identified" as BJP Yuva Morcha supporters, as per norms, BJP state
government was expected to treat them with great leniency. The party demanded
proper and adequate medical attention be provided to Agnivesh and the culprits
be punished immediately. It alleged that the very fact that the culprits, even
when identified, go unpunished, spoke volumes of the "patronisation
provided by the RSS/BJP".indianexpress
Ruckus in RS as Shashi Tharoor blames
right-wing activists for mob violence
Sabarimala temple row: Woman’s right to pray
is equal to that of a man, observes SC judge
New Delhi:Hearing the contentious issue
relating to the ban on entry of women between 10 and 50 years of age in
Kerala’s historic Sabarimala temple, the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed
that a woman’s right to pray is equal to that of a man and it should not be
dependent on law.“Your (intervener) right to pray being a woman, is equal to
that of a man and it is not dependent on a law to enable you to do that,”
observed Justice DY Chandrachud.CJI while hearing the matter observed, “On what
basis you (temple authorities) deny the entry. It is against the Constitutional
mandate. Once you open it for public, anybody can go.”The SC began hearing the
case on Tuesday and asked the counsel for petitioners Indian Young Lawyers’
Association and others to limit their arguments on the questions of reference
made by a 3-judge bench of apex court last year. The top court had last year
asked a constitutional bench to examine the legality of the ban on entry of
women in the age group of 10-50 at the temple.indian express
India seeks leniency in US sanctions on Iran,
cities oil imports, Chabahar port venture
New Delhi:India has made a strong pitch to the
US for leniency in complying with sanctions on Iran, citing their likely impact
on its oil imports and investment in the Chabahar port.US signalled that it
would consider sanction waivers for countries that would need more time to
slash oil purchases from Iran, in an apparent attempt to avoid disrupting
international oil markets, 2 persons familiar with the development said.A US
delegation led by Marshall Billingslea, US assistant secretary for Terrorist
Financing in the Department of the Treasury met officials of the ministries of
external affairs, home and finance on Monday to discuss various issues related
to the sanctions on Iran as well as the United Nations proscribing terrorist
individuals and entities, one of the persons cited above said on condition of
anonymity. US delegation held the discussions in New Delhi a day after Iran’s
deputy foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, one of the main negotiators of
the Iran nuclear deal that the US has walked out of, was in New Delhi for
consultations with foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale.“New Delhi has been apprised
of the US thinking on the sanctions on Iran. Indian side conveyed to the US
delegation certain facts on the ground. Iran is an important partner of India’s
oil imports along with Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Any immediate disruption in oil
supply can have implications for India both in terms of crude availability and
the international crude price fluctuating. At the same time the US is also an
important partner for India with which India worked on similar issues in the
past,” said the second person, requesting anonymity.HT
UN Human Rights Chief hits back on claims of
bias on Kashmir report
New Delhi:Over a month after UN human rights
commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein released a report which was greeted by
claims of personal “prejudice” from New Delhi, his office has denied any
collusion with Pakistani activists. It also said that the Kashmir report had
been sourced from Indian official reports.On June 14, UN’s high commissioner
for human rights released a report which mainly focused on the “human rights
situation” in India’s Jammu and Kashmir from July 2016 to April 2018 based on
“allegations of widespread and serious human rights violations were received,
notably excessive use of force by Indian security forces that led to numerous
civilian casualties”.The outgoing human rights chief had called for an
international commission of inquiry into the allegations, but it wasn’t taken
up during the last session which ended on July 6. Last week, UN secretary
general Antonio Guterres had backed the human rights commissioner.When the
report had been released, the Indian government’s response had implied that
Zeid was biased against New Delhi on the Kashmir issue. India disparaged the
report as recently as July 9 in a debate at the Security Council, where
Pakistan referred the matter. India’s deputy permanent representative to UN described
the report as “reflecting the clear bias of an official who was acting without
any mandate whatsoever and relied on unverified sources of information; a
document that was not even found fit to be considered by the membership of the
forum where it was submitted”. Referring to the official response from New
Delhi, the UN human rights commissioner’s spokesperson said that they were
“deeply disappointed by the reaction of the Indian authorities, who dismissed
the report as ‘fallacious, tendentious and motivated’ without examining it and
responding to the very serious concerns about the human rights situation in
Indian-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir as laid out in
the report”.Since the release of the report, there has also been a steady
stream of articles in the Indian media which cast doubt about the credibility
of the Kashmir human rights report. “’Nefarious conspiracy”, “Pakistan-authored
report”, “fallacious”, “mala fide” – these are some of the accusations levelled
by numerous Indian media outlets against the UN Human Rights Office for our
publication last month of the first-ever UN human rights report on Kashmir,”
said the high commissioner’s spokesperson Rupert Colville.He said that the
human rights chief’s office was “disturbed by the sustained attempts to
distract and divert the focus away from the human rights violations on both
sides of the Line of Control”.“UN Human Rights Office has a global mandate and
works independently, with a well-established methodology, in its public
reporting. Ultimately, our goal in drafting this report was to assist the
States and others to identify and address human rights challenges and to give a
voice to all Kashmiris who have been rendered voiceless amid the deep political
polarisation,” he added. Colville asserted that it was “not about politics”,
but “about human rights of millions of people in Kashmir”.thewire
Counsel for Kathua rape-murder accused made
J&K's additional advocate general
Jammu:Jammu and Kashmir administration has
appointed a counsel representing the main accused in the Kathua rape and murder
case as additional advocate general.Figuring at serial number 7 in the list of
additional advocates general, deputy advocates general and government
advocates, issued for Jammu wing of the state High Court by Law Department,
Aseem Sawhney is one of the lawyers representing some of the accused in the
case, which is being heard in Pathankot, Punjab.On Tuesday, Sawhney said,
“Since July 2, I have not appeared in the case.” He said he was only a “chamber
counsel’’ in the matter, and his father A K Sawhney is the main counsel.Of the
10 prosecution witnesses, he said, he had got “only two examined”. The other
eight, Sawhney said, were examined by his father.Asked whether he will now
withdraw his vakalatnama in the case involving rape and murder of an
eight-year-old, Sawhney said there is no need for it, except that “I shall not
appear in the case’’. There should be no clash of interest, he said.Sawhney
said he has not been informed of the department to which he is
allocated.indianexpress
Defence counsel in Kathua case appointed AAG;
PDP, NC criticise decision
Kathua rape: Cop ‘washed’ dress, ‘concocted’
evidence
A J&K policeman has accused his senior of
not depositing clothes of the eight-year-old victim in the Kathua rape and
murder case to the malkhana, or warehouse, of police station so as to tamper
with the evidence. Head constable Surinder Pal, during his examination in the
trial court on Monday, further alleged that sub inspector Anand Dutta also
intimidated him to record backdated entries when he submitted “concocted”
evidence the following day. Dutta is a co-accused in the case over abduction,
rape and murder of the nomad Bakarwal girl in Rasana village in Jan. Pal has
deposed that Dutta had come to the Hiranagar police station on January 18 with
three pieces of evidence — a hair band, dupatta (long scarf), and shoes of the
deceased. As per procedure, every case property after being sealed by the
investigative agency is to be deposited in the malkhana of the concerned police
station. But Dutta did not deposit the evidence he had brought. On January 19,
Dutta again came to the station with three pieces — ash, astone and a lock
& key, Pal said. Jammu & Kashmir Crime Branch, which is investigating
the case, has alleged that Dutta had concocted these three pieces of evidence
to confuse the investigation and disprove theory that the girl was kept in a
‘devasthan’ (temple). Dutta had claimed to his seniors that the girl was
instead kept in a cow shed close to the devasthan. Besides these, Dutta also
made 4 packets of evidence labelled ‘A’,‘B’,‘C’ and ‘D’.Packet A contained
blood stained clay recovered from the place where the girl’s dead body was
found.Packet B contained clay sample, and packet C contained swabs recovered
from the body. Packet D was supposed to contain the clothes of the deceased,
containing blood stains and smeared with clay. Pal has alleged that Dutta
directed him to make backdated entries in record to show that all the pieces of
evidence, including the 4 packets, were deposited in the malkhana on Jan.17 and
18. Indian express
Peace TV, Pak's GeoTV,28 other channels banned
in J&K
Jammu and Kashmir has directed cable
television operators to stop airing 30 television channels, including
controversial preacher Zakir Naik's Peace TV, among several others that
originate from Pakistan.Sources said the decision was taken by Governor N.N.
Vohra after the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting took up the
issue with the state govt.In a letter written to all District Magistrates, the
state Home Department on Tuesday directed them to act against transmission of
"these channels as they have the potential to encourage violence and
disturb the law and order situation".Among others, the channels ordered to
be taken off the cable television platform are GEO TV, Peace TV, ARY TV, QTV
and ABB TAKK TV.Tanvir Ahmed, a cable operator in the old city area, said:
"With this order in place, we will have to off-load our staff. This could
finally close our business."IANS
Kashmir Terror Funding: NIA not ready to share
details of protected witnesses
After 6 accused were arrested by NIA in
Kashmir Terror Funding for over 6 years, there has been no respite for the
accused, as NIA Special Court kept the next hearing on Sept.6. According to a
senior NIA official, lawyer of the accused had demanded details, including
statements of witnesses. India Today has learnt that NIA showed its inability
to share details of 23 witnesses, who they claimed were protected under Section
17 of NIA Act, 2008.The act provides protection of witnesses essentially
stating that if Special Court is satisfied that the life of such witness is in
danger, it may take some measures to keeping the identity and address of such
witness secret.indiatoday
Kashmir: PhD scholar defends joining
militancy, says they feel dignity in fighting Indian forces: newindianexpress
Srinagar: Hizbul Mujahideen commander Manan
Wani, a PhD scholar who joined the militancy early this year, has defended his
joining the militant ranks and said "the militants don't fight to die but
to win and don't feel dignity in death but feel dignity in fighting Indian
forces".Manan in the statement, which was released by Hizb media cell,
said decade's long bloody conflict has turned Kashmir into one of most
politically mature nations of the world."India is slowly but steadily
failing in justifying its "colonial rule" to people of Kashmir. But,
we as a nation and community have to evolve and update ourselves of the new
military, mental and diplomatic tactics of India as a colonial state," he
said.According to Manan, who belongs to a well-off family from Kupwara and
joined Hizb in January this year, the modern era of resistance started after
the 2008 agitation. "Since then methods of resistance have drastically and
positively changed. The tactics of suppression also evolved".
Shobhapur lynching: Jharkhand court sentences
12 for attacking cops
Jamshedpur:A fast-track court in Jharkhand’s
Saraikela has sentenced 12 people to four years’ rigorous imprisonment for
obstructing and attacking a police team trying to save four men they allegedly
lynched in the district in May 2017.Additional district and sessions judge
Ashish Saxena sentenced Krishna Sahu, Bhagirath Jyotishi, Kunda Jyotishi,
Falguni Jyotishi, Tarun Jyotishi, Arun Jyotishi, Krishna Jyotishi, Kanhu
Jyotishi, Chaturbhuj Sahu, Sitaram Sahu, Bara Kanhu Jyotishi and Laltu Lohar on
Monday.He slapped a Rs 2,000 fine each on the convicts held guilty of
“obstructing and assaulting government officials on duty, attacking with deadly
weapons, trespassing into other’s house, disturbing law and order, breaking
public peace’’etc. in Saraikela .Laxmi Kant Behra, Agasti Sahu and Pankaj Kumar
Nag were acquitted for the want of evidence. The state govt had handed over the
case to the fast-track court for speedy trial given the nature of the crime.The
convicts were part of a mob that first lynched Haleem and Nayeem in Saraikela’s
Shobhapur before killing Sajjad and Siraj Khan in Padnamsai, around 20 km away,in
Sariakela-Kharsawan district over rumours of child lifters in the area on May
18, 2017. It attacked the house of a man identified as Murtaza Ansari where the
four had taken refuge, as well as the police party that had rushed to save
them.HT
Horrific video of Bidar lynching emerges: Azam
was dragged with rope before brutal killing: Caravan News
Hyderabad: 5 days after the lynching of software
engineer Mohammad Azam in Bidar district of Karnataka, some gory details of the
incident have emerged, including a video which shows Azam, then fully alive,
being dragged with rope and members of the blood mob hitting, punching and
kicking him. 22-year-old Azam, a UK-educated Accenture employee, was lynched by
a mob while his three friends, including a Qatari national, survived the brutal
assault following rumors on Whatsapp about child lifters. 4 had gone to Bidar,
125 kms from Hyderabad, for a picnic. Azam is survived by one-and-half-year-old
son and young wife.In the video shared b NDTV, some policemen are seen pleading
with the mob with folded hands. As many as 28 people, including Manoj Kumar Biradar,
admin of Whatsapp group “Murki mother” have been arrested. Azam along with 3
other friends had left home in Hyderabad on Friday promising to return in a few
hours. He was accompanied by Qatari national Salham Eid Al Qubaisi, Noor
Mohammad and another friend Mohammad Salman. Al Qubaisi was on a visit to
Hyderabad to meet his maternal relatives. Without informing the family, the
group left for Bidar where they were joined by another local friend
Firoz.According to a detailed report in Gulf News, which is based on the
account of 4 survivors and the statement of the police, the mob attack and
lynching were preceded by the playful Al Qubaisi playing marbles with local
kids in a village. Later the group left for a picnic spot in the vicinity and
on the way he threw chocolates he brought from Qatar towards the kids from the
moving car. His innocent love for children was misunderstood by someone,
deliberately or otherwise, and in no time a rumor spread on Whatsapp where the
group was branded as child kidnappers. But the group was oblivious of the
spread of rumor about them.
Mob lynchings: Victims’ kin welcome apex court
order
New Delhi:Families of the victims of mob
lynchings welcomed the Supreme Court order calling for the framing of a law to
prevent such crimes, while saying that the mindset of society needed to change.
“My brother’s children are minors. They need all kinds of support. We do
welcome the SC order. It will definitely help in punishing people who are part
of such groups that target people hiding behind the garb of religion,” said
Mohammed Salim, younger brother of Mohammed Qasim who was lynched on June 18 by
an irate mob that accused him of attempting cow slaughter near Pilkhuwa in Hapur,
UP. According to the family, Muslim community is still apprehensive regarding
its safety in the area.newindianexpress
Swami Agnivesh is ‘fraud’ and a ‘foreign
agent’:Jharkhand minister
New Delhi:A day after Swami Agnivesh was
assaulted by a mob in Jharkhand’s Pakur district, state’s Urban Development
Minister CP Singh made a scathing remark on the social activist on Wednesday,
branding him as “fraud” and a “foreign agent”.“As far as I know, Swami Agnivesh
is a person who survives on foreign donations. The saffron dress that he wears
is to deceive the simple Indians. He is a fraud and not a Swami. He had himself
planned this attack to gain popularity,” he told ANI.The minister made the
remarks outside Jharkhand assembly today while talking to reporters. The
opposition parties staged a noisy protest in Jharkhand assembly over the assault
on Agnivesh forcing adjournment of the house till lunch break. Pandemonium
prevailed in the house despite Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilkanth Singh
Munda saying that Chief Minister Raghubar Das had set up a probe committee
immediately after receiving the information. “Such things should not happen in
a democracy,” Munda added. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also took a jibe at the
BJP over the assault on the 79-year-old activist and posted a “pop quiz” on
Twitter, asking, “I use hatred and fear to maintain the hierarchy of power, who
am I”, reports PTI.Gandhi also tagged a video of the assault shown by a news
channel. “I bow to the most powerful in the line. A person’s strength &
power are all that are important to me. I use hatred & fear to maintain the
hierarchy of power.indianexpress
Police book BJP leader after mob beats up
mentally challenged woman in Jalpaiguri
Siliguri: Police in north Bengal’s Jalpaiguri
town on Tuesday registered a case suo-motu against a BJP leader who allegedly
led a mob which tied a mentally challenged woman to a pillar and thrashed her
after accusing her of being a child lifter on Monday.Police registered the case
after Taramani Roy, vice president of BJP Mahila Morcha, Jalpaiguri district
committee was seen in a video where the mob was thrashing Sunita Bakshi (35) in
Dhupguri area of Jalpaiguri.The incident is the latest in a series of assaults
and lynching across the country where people have attacked strangers at the
slightest suspicion of them being child lifters.“A case has been initiated
against Taramani Roy said Amitabha Maiti, SP
of Jalpaiguri district.Police said that Roy was on the run. Hindustantimes
Congress calls for return to ballot paper,
sees link between BJP, lynchings
New Delhi:Congress has demanded restoration of
the old system of conducting elections through ballot papers to replace EVMs.
Addressing the media, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said
leaders of 12 opposition parties, who met on Monday, were in agreement that
EVMs should be removed and the older system should be brought back so that all
parties have “faith in the election system”.He said machines that are too “sensitive”
to heat or cold cannot be trusted.Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun
Kharge alleged that there is a “huge nexus” between the ruling party and the
people involved in incidents of lynching. BJP leaders, he said, are
“garlanding” people accused of such acts, and even visiting them in jails.He
cited the case of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, who had
met 8 men convicted of killing Alimuddin Ansari, a meat trader, in
Jharkhand.Kharge said BJP shows interest in women’s issues only when it leads
to votes. He pointed out that even a recent survey by international news agency
Thomson Reuters had shown that the image of vis-a-vis women’s safety has taken
a beating globally. On the dilution of reservation in institutions of
excellence, the Congress leaders pointed out that BJP governments are only
allowing single vacancies for each post, so that reservation policies would not
be followed.indianexpress
Shashi Tharoor's "Hindu Taliban"
Jibe Riles BJP Amid "Hindu Pakistan" Row
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi
Tharoor, deep in controversy over his "Hindu Pakistan" remark, today
fought back, asking if there was a "Taliban emerging within Hinduism
now". Ex-diplomat was expressing his outrage after BJP and right wing
groups said he should be deported to Pakistan for his remark that India would
become a "Hindu Pakistan" if BJP returned to power in the 2019 Lok
Sabha polls."They are telling me to go to Pakistan. Who has given them the
right to decide that because I am not a Hindu like them, that's why I can't
stay in this country? So is there a Taliban emerging within Hinduism now? We
must ask our Hindu brothers and sisters if people can be allowed to speak with
reference to our religion in this manner," he said at a public
meeting."As individuals, as politicians, as thinking people we are saying,
BJP's talks, BJP's talks about Hindu Rashtra, is very dangerous. It can destroy
our country," he added.ndtv
Chandan Mitra quits BJP, expected to join TMC
on Saturday
BJP’s former Rajya Sabha member Chandan Mitra
is expected to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday.“We are in touch
with Mr Mitra and he is expected to join us, if everything goes alright,” a TMC
official told The Hindu. Mitra, however, told The Hindu on Wednesday that he
would not comment till “next Monday” (July 23).Earlier the week, Mitra said
that he had had a meeting with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.“I met her [Mamata
Banerjee] for advertisement in my paper in Kolkata. But we did not discuss
about my joining [TMC],” he told The Hindu on Monday.Mitra, owner of
Delhi-based English daily The Pioneer, is a 2-term Rajya Sabha member of the
BJP. He was always known for his proximity to Ms. Banerjee. He is also a member
of the BJP’s National Executive, headed by PM Narendra Modi.In an interview to
ANI, Mitra confirmed that he has quit the BJP. “I have given the resignation. I
have not decided when or where I will join, I am not going to disclose it,”ANI
quoted him as saying.Mitra’s name still figures in BJP’s list of National
Executive members.the hindu
Owaisi Dares PM Modi to Reveal Muslims
Recruited for Central Police Forces in Last 4 Years
Hyderabad: Accusing the Centre of neglecting
Muslims, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has dared PM Narendra Modi to reveal the
number of members from this community recruited in the central armed police
forces in the last 4 years.Owaisi's challenge drew a sharp response from the
Union Home ministry which said religion is not a "criteria" for
recruitment in the central paramilitary forces.Union Minority Affairs minister
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also slammed Owaisi for his remarks on lack of
representation of Muslims in the paramilitary forces, saying counting the
number of soldiers on the basis of religion was the result of a "distorted
secular mindset".Owaisi said despite the prime minister's 15-Point
Programme expressly stating that all efforts would be made to increase the
share of the minorities in central government jobs, little was done about it.
BJP-led NDA govt came to power in May 2014."CRPF, CISF, ITPB, they all
come under central govt. You (BJP) have been in office for the last four years.
PM loudly claims he would like to give Quran in one hand and computer in the
other. So, what have you done (for Muslims) in the last four years?"In the
last 4 years, under central sector,whether banks, whether railways, centra
paramilitary forces....How many recruitments of minorities have taken
place?" Owaisi said.PTI
No room for any religion in paramilitary
forces recruitment process: Home ministry
Home ministry has said for recruitment in
central paramilitary forces religion is not a criteria.The ministry’s assertion
came after AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi accused the Centre of neglecting
Muslims and demanded that PM Narendra Modi tell how many of them got government
jobs, including in central paramilitary forces.“Religion is not a criteria for
recruitment in paramilitary forces. There is no room for any religion in the
recruitment process,” a home ministry spokesperson said.PTI
Cricketer Harbhajan calls for Indians to stop
Hindu-Muslim fight and learn from World Cup finalists Croatia
New Delhi :As France and Croatia readied to
face off in arguably the biggest game on the planet, cricketer Harbhajan Singh
had a strong message to share for his fellow Indians. Croatia who played and
lost the World Cup final 4-2 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, became an
example to follow world over. A tiny nation with population of just over 40
lakhs (as per 2016), Croatia were looking to become the second smallest country
to win the World Cup but couldn’t replicate their giant killing in the crucial
game. Despite that, they gave everyone reason to dream and learn from as they
went further in the competition with heavyweights falling by the
wayside.Harbhajan, before kickoff on Sunday, had tweeted that a small country
of about 50 lakh has reached the World Cup final while we in India, with a
population of 135 crore, continue to play the Hindu-Muslim game. He followed up
the comment with the hashtag “#sochbadlodeshbadlega” (change your thinking and
the country will change too).indianexpress
Govt drops plan to control funding of
universities after criticism from states under proposed HECI
New Delhi:HRD ministry has walked back a
provision in a draft law that put it in charge of grants given to institutions
of higher education after this was criticised by states and also other
stakeholders. Instead, it will create an independent body of experts that does
this. A number of states and experts had also alleged that the provision of an
“Advisory Council” — which was to be chaired by the HRD minister — will lead to
politicisation and that provision too has been modified in the amended draft
Act.On June 28, the ministry announced its decision to replace University
Grants Commission with the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) by
repealing UGC Act, 1956 and passing the HECI Act. According to the draft of the
new law that was published seeking feedback from stakeholders, the new
commission was to exclusively focus on academic matters with monetary grants
coming under the purview of the ministry.The move faced immediate criticism.A
senior HRD ministry official said that the ministry received over 6,000
suggestions and comments as feedback, and that on the basis of those remarks,
amended the proposed law. The last date for sending suggestions is till July
20, but major changes have been incorporated in the revised draft, a copy of
which has been accessed by HT.The government is likely to put up the amended
law for cabinet approval and table it in Parliament during the monsoon session
that begins on Wednesday. A number of states, teachers union and other
stakeholders had alleged that putting HRD ministry directly in charge of grants
would result in interference by it. “The proposal to give this power to HRD
ministry has been dropped and this power will be given to an independent body.
This would be a body of experts and will operate in a transparent manner by
being completely online,” added the HRD ministry official who spoke on
condition of anonymity.HT
‘Completely paralysed’ despite Constitution
Bench verdict, Delhi govt tells Supreme Court
New Delhi:Despite a 5-judge Constitution Bench
ruling that the Lieutenant Governor in Delhi has no independent power to take
decisions, the Delhi government Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that its
functioning remains “completely paralysed” and its hands tied on matters
regarding transfer and posting of officers.The matter was heard by a Bench of
Justices A K Sikri and Navin Sinha. The court said it will hear the matter on
July 26 since it is not a regular bench. “Functioning of the government is
completely paralysed. We cannot post officers, we cannot transfer officers
despite the recent constitution bench verdict which has explained every aspect.
These issues need to be adjudicated at the earliest,” said senior advocate P
Chidambaram, appearing for the Delhi govt.Senior advocate Indira Jaising, who
also appeared for the Delhi government, said officers are not willing to file
an affidavit on this matter and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had therefore
filed the affidavit.“I just wanted to clarify the situation,” Jaising
said.indianexpress
No coercive steps against Kanhaiya till
Friday, HC to JNU
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/news/no-coercive-steps-against-kanhaiya-till-friday-hc-tells-jnu
Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed JNU not
to take any coercive steps against the former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar
till Friday.Former JNU Students Union leader was fined by a university panel in
connection with a 2016 incident when anti-India slogans were allegedly raised
at an event.Justice Rekha Palli's order came while hearing Kumar's plea
challenging the university's order which has imposed a fine against him.As the
bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul was on leave, Justice Palli deferred the
matter till Friday.Kumar's plea, filed through advocates Tarannum Cheema and Harsh
Bora, has sought quashing of the order passed by JNU through its Chief Proctor
on July 4.IANS
Marriage doesn’t mean wife always ready for
sex: Delhi HC on marital rape
New Delhi;Marriage does not mean that a woman
is always consenting for physical relations with her husband, the Delhi High
Court on Tuesday observed and also held that physical force is not necessary
for constituting the offence of rape.A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita
Mittal and C Hari Shankar said that in a relationship like marriage, both man
and woman have a right to say ‘no’ to physical relations.The court’s
observation came while hearing pleas seeking to make marital rape an offence
and others opposing it.“Marriage does not mean that the woman is all time
ready, willing and consenting (for establishing physical relations). The man
will have to prove that she was a consenting party,” the bench observed.It did
not agree with the submission of NGO Men Welfare Trust, which is opposing the
plea to make marital rape an offence, that in spousal sexual violence, the use
of force or threat of force are important elements to constitute the
offence.“It is incorrect to say that (physical) force is necessary for rape. It
is not necessary to look for injuries in a rape. Today, the definition of rape
is completely different,” the court said.PTI
By walking on path of Sufism, terrorism can be
ended: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
New Delhi:Sufism spreads the fragrance of
peace and by walking on its path, terrorism can be ended, Minority Affairs
Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.Speaking on the sidelines of an
event, Union minister also countered AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s remarks on
lack of representation of Muslims in the paramilitary forces, saying counting
the number of soldiers on the basis of religion was the result of a “distorted
secular mindset”.Owaisi, while speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, accused the
Centre of neglecting Muslims and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi
tell how many of them got government jobs, including in central paramilitary
forces.PTI
If Rome Colosseum can be adopted by pvt
company why not Taj Mahal: Tourism Minister
New Delhi:Tourism Minister K J Alphons Tuesday
wondered what was the problem in entrusting a private company with the task of
restoring the Taj Mahal under the government’s Adopt-a-Heritage scheme if Italy
can turn to a footwear firm to restore the 2000-year-old Colosseum in Rome.
Talking about the Adopt-a-Heritage scheme of the tourism ministry at an event
in New Delhi, he said it had run into controversy when the Red Fort was
entrusted to the Dalmia Bharat Group, a cement company for maintenance, but the
deal was proceeding as per plan.The Taj Mahal is now on the list of monuments
under the Adopt-a-Heritage scheme.“A large number of monuments are on the list
under the scheme and Taj is also on the list. If thecan be adopted and managed
by a footwear company why not the Taj?” he said when asked about the status of
the Mughal monument under the scheme.PTI
Meerut: Clash over bidi turns communal, 7 SP
men booked
MEERUT: A petty dispute over payment for a
pack of bidis on Sunday night resulted in a clash involving Samajwadi Party
workers and Bajrang Dal activists in Shamli. Police force of all three thanas
of Shamli had to be rushed to the spot to control the situation. Police nabbed
12 individuals from both sides but on Monday, seven SP men, including local SP
leader Rashid Ahmad, were booked. A heavy police force has been deployed in the
area. After Rashid Ahmad was arrested, newly elected MP from Kairana
constituency, Tabassum Hasan, approached Shamli SP, requesting an impartial
inquiry into the matter. “I have asked the police administration to conduct an
impartial inquiry into the matter and that no one must be harassed,” she said.
According to police, a local Bajrang Dal leader’s father runs a small shop in
Barkhandi locality of Shamli. A group of three Muslim youth bought a pack of
bidis but refused to pay for it.This led to an altercation and both groups
called their respective supporters. It soon snowballed into a clash between
Bajrang Dal members and a group led by local SP leader Rashid Ahmad with both
sides indulging in stone-pelting and firing.TOI
WORLD
Syria: Buses arrive to evacuate two
rebel-besieged Shia towns
Dozens of buses on Wednesday entered two
government loyalist towns under siege from rebels in the northwest province of
Idlib, as part of a deal to evacuate residents to government-controlled areas,
according to state news agency, SANA.Some 6,000 people will leave, emptying out
the mostly Shia towns of al-Foua and Kefraya, a commander in the regional
alliance that backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Reuters."What
are we going to do with our land and property? Oh my hometown," a
42-year-old who wished to remain anonymous told AFP news agency."I pray
this will go well."Rebels from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham - a group formerly
linked to al-Qaeda - and Iran-backed forces agreed the deal to evacuate people
in return for the release of more than 1,500 civilian and rebels in state
prisons, sources said on Tuesday.A deal for the evacuation of residents from
the two Shia towns was first reached in April 2017 but had only partially
materialised with only a group of people evacuated to government-held
areas.aljazeera
Israel turns away Syrians seeking help as air
strikes kill civilians
Israeli forces on the Golan Heights frontier
turned away scores of Syrians seeking help or refuge from a Syrian government
offensive on Tuesday, as more than a dozen civilians were killed in air strikes
nearby.A Syrian government offensive to take control of southern Daraa province
has forced tens of thousands of civilians to seek shelter along the frontier
with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, with Israel refusing to give them
asylum."Go back before something bad happens. If you want us to be able to
help you, go back," an army officer on the Israeli side of the frontier
fence told the crowd in Arabic through a megaphone."Get a move on."
The Syrians got within 200 metres of the security fence, before the military
convinced them to turn back.The crowd, which included women and children,
walked back slowly towards their encampment. Some stopped midway and waved
white cloths in the direction of the Israelis. Middleeasteye
Netanyahu: Israel convinced Trump to exit Iran
nuke deal
Israel is convinced US President Donald Trump
will exit the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told
Likud party members, according to a recording leaked by Israeli television
broadcaster Kan.In a video clip believed to be filmed two weeks ago, Netanyahu
can be seen boasting to party members and activists that Israel alone
campaigned against the rest of the international community for the deal to be
nixed.“We convinced the US president [to exit the deal] and I had to stand up
against the whole world and come out against this agreement,” Netanyahu says in
the video. “And we didn’t give up.”Netanyahu then proceeds to talk about the
Iranian regime, when someone in the audience calls out “It will disappear with
the help of God.”middleeastmonitor
Ex-Israel PM says Netanyahu endangering
Zionist project
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/ex-israel-pm-says-netanyahu-endangering-zionist-project/1207313
JERUSALEM:Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Barak has opened fire on incumbent Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, describing him
as a threat to the establishment of a Zionist state in Israel. In a lecture
held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Barak described the current Israeli government as
“dark, nationalist government”, according to the Israeli Yediot Ahronot
newspaper on Wednesday.“The single inevitable result of this purpose is
Israel’s decay into a nation with a Muslim majority [with] constant internal
violence and strife, and one that is not Jewish, Zionist, or democratic,” he
said.Barak argued Netanyahu’s refusal of accepting 2-state solution would
thwart the possibility of separating from the Palestinians.Anadolu
Hamas accepts Egyptian vision for Palestinian
reconciliation
Hamas accepted Egypt’s vision for the
Palestinian reconciliation, Tuesday, which includes formation of national unity
government within five weeks, Anadolu reports.Informed sources told Anadolu
that Egypt is waiting for Palestinian Authority (PA) President, Mahmoud Abbas,
to respond. According to the Egyptian vision the PA will lift sanctions on the
Gaza Strip.PA will also pay for Gazan ministries to take over management
responsibilities and cancel the taxes imposed on the fuel supplies for the
electricity plant.According to the informed source, the Palestinian factions
will have five weeks to form a national unity government. This would absorb all
the civil employees recruited by Hamas during its control of Gaza. Fatah and
the PA have accused Hamas of undermining its work in Gaza, but Hamas has denied
these accusations.MEMO
Egypt gives Hamas ultimatum to stop flying
kites into Israel
Dozens of international Jewish groups back
BDS, slam false ‘antisemitism’ claims
Dozens of Jewish groups worldwide issued “an
unprecedented joint statement on Tuesday backing the Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) movement and saying that criticism of Israel’s actions does not
equate to antisemitism”, reported The New Arab.The initiative was led by
US-based Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the signatories include 36 Jewish
groups from 15 countries, including Britain, South Africa, Germany and
Brazil.“As social justice organizations from around the world, we write this
letter with growing alarm regarding the targeting of organizations that support
Palestinian rights in general and the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) movement, in particular”, the statement begins.“These attacks
too often take the form of cynical and false accusations of antisemitism that
dangerously conflate anti-Jewish racism with opposition to Israel’s policies
and system of occupation and apartheid”.middleeastmonitor
US Episcopal Church adopts boycott of Israel
US Episcopal Church has announced it has
adopted a series of human rights resolutions which will set a screening
mechanism for Israeli companies.According to the resolution, the companies will
be screened for human rights violations and activities.The number of Episcopal
Church followers in the US is estimated at 2 million.The vote on the
resolutions which took place on Friday at the church’s headquarters in Austin,
Texas and is considered a new victory for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
(BDS) movement.The movement is supported by a number of American churches, most
recently the Presbyterian Church in June, preceded by the United Church of
Christ and the Churches of Christ.middleeastmonitor
Israeli forces 'deliberately killed'
Palestinian 20-yr paramedic Razan
An investigation conducted by Israeli human
rights organisation B'Tselem has concluded that Israeli security forces
deliberately shot and killed Palestinian paramedics Razan al-Najjar,
contradicting the Israeli army's claims that it was an accident.On June 1, the
20-year-old al-Najjar was shot in the chest with the single bullet, exiting
through her back, while she was trying to help wounded demonstrators in Gaza
near the perimeter fence with Israel.B'Tselem's investigation found that a member
of the Israeli security forces aimed and shot directly at her as al-Najjar
stood some 25 metres away from the fence, "despite the fact that she posed
no danger to him or anyone else and was wearing a medical
uniform.""Contrary to the many versions offered by the [Israeli]
military, the facts of the case lead to only one conclusion," Amit Gilutz,
spokesperson for B'Tselem said.aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Only Person Who Heard Rahul Gandhi's 'Muslim
Party' Remark Was a Reporter Who Wasn't Present:Mahtab Alam
Congress and Muslims: Uniting communities in a
plural society:Ram Puniyani
I am a Muslim Indian and I am not the
problem:Mohd Asim
War on Terror Pit Islam Against Rest of the
World. It’s Time to Battle This Narrative, Writes Lt Gen DS Hooda
Lynch mobs are an Indian problem, not
WhatsApp:Mihir Sharma , Bloomberg
The union of judiciary with executive is the
greatest danger to democracy:Kapil Sibal
Jayant Sinha, ‘hard work’ again getting the
better of Harvard?Zafar Agha
Swami Agnivesh: First they came for Muslims.
Now, they’re going after Hindu Arya Samajis:JYOTI MALHOTRA
Going by BJP's attack on Rahul Gandhi for
Muslim remark, we're in for divisive, vicious 2019 poll campaign:Ajaz Ashraf
Ex-Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra quits BJP, may
join Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:43 PM)
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