NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
28 July 2018:14 Ziqada 1439: Vol:10, No:75
INDIA
NCW push to abolish confession: Bishops’ body
says move shocking for all those who stand for religious freedom
A day
after the National Commission for Women (NCW) said it has recommended that the Govt
abolish the practice of confessions in
churches as “they come in the way of security and safety of women”, a bishops’
body from Kerala said the NCW’s suggestion is shocking not only for Christians
but for all those who stand for religious freedom.The president of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of India, who is also the Bombay Archbishop, too, expressed
shock at NCW’s recommendation. This comes after NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma
said on Thursday that the commission has sought a probe by a central agency
into two sex scandals in churches in Kerala that surfaced last month. She also
said that the commission had recommended that the practice of confession be
abolished as it is being misused by the priests. Union Minister Alphons
Kannanthanam on Friday said the central Govt rejects the recommendation and insisted that
it would never interfere in religious beliefs of people.Kerala Catholic Bishops
Council president Archbishop Soosa Pakiam said in a press meet that the NCW’s
recommendation infringes upon the religious freedom envisaged in the
Constitution.Confession is an integral part of the Christian faith and the
priest who hears the confession is only a representative of God and it is the
God who absolves the sins of a person, he said. The NCW’s opinion shows
“ulterior political motive” and the “communal agenda” of the chairperson, he
added. Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Ramesh
Chennithala said the women’s commission should not have made such a
recommendation. “It is a matter of Christian faithful. The Commission should
not have abruptly come to such a report,” he said.Oswald Cardinal Garcias,
Archbishop of Bombay and president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India,
said, “I was shocked to read in the press about the demand from the National
Commission for Women for a ban on the Christian Sacrament of Confession. This
demand by the Commission betrays a total lack of understanding of the nature,
meaning, sanctity and importance of this Sacrament for our people; and also an
ignorance of the strict laws of Church to prevent any abuse.”indianexpress
Minority Commission rejects NCW's
recommendation to ban confessions in churches
New Delhi:National Commission for Minorities
(NCM) today strongly opposed National Commission for Women's (NCW)
recommendation for abolishing the practice of confessions in churches, saying
it was an integral part of Christianity and cannot be interfered with.The
assertion by NCM comes a day after the NCW chief Rekha Sharma recommended the
ban saying the practice can lead to blackmailing of women.Sharma made the
recommendation after allegations against four priests of the Malankara Orthodox
Syrian Church in Kerala of using a married woman's confession to sexually abuse
her came to light last month. "The minority commission outrightly rejects
the recommendation and is opposed to it," NCM chairperson Syed Ghayorul
Hasan Rizvi told PTI."The practice of confession is an integral part of
the religion of Christianity, so it cannot be banned. There can be no
interference with religious practice," he said.Yesterday, Union minister
Alphons Kannanthanam, a native of Kerala and a Christian, too dismissed NCW's
recommendation, saying Modi Govt would
never interfere with people's religious beliefs."It is not the official
stand of the Govt ," Kannanthanam, Union Minister of State for Tourism,
said in a Facebook post."It is the personal opinion of NCW chairperson
Rekha Sharma," he added. PTI
Unhappy with ISPs for not removing key words
for child porn, SC warns them: Act, or face fine; also expresses anguish over lynchings
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Friday
expressed anguish over lynchings and observed that “all kinds of things” are
appearing on social media, and that even as “people are getting lynched”, “no
one seems bothered”. The comments came from a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur
and U U Lalit while hearing a matter related to implementation of proposals for
dealing with online child pornography.The court had earlier directed internet
service providers (ISPs) to remove certain key words used in search for child
pornography, and was unhappy that its directive was not complied with.Advocate
Aparna Bhat, amicus curiae in the matter, told the court that while desktop
search of these words threw up some warnings, such advisories were missing when
searching on Android phones. Lashing out at the ISPs, the bench told their
counsel: “You people (ISPs) are hopelessly irresponsible. Do you or your client
have some responsibility to the citizens?…. You are trying to make a fool of
everybody in this country…this is getting completely out of control. We are at
your mercy.”Turning to the Additional Solicitor General, who was representing
the Govt , Justice Lokur said that the Govt too is not doing anything.indianexpress
“People getting lynched, nobody is bothered”:SC
In first meet, Govt panel on lynching discusses need to frame new
law
New Delhi :Framing of a new legislation to
prevent incidents of lynching was one of the suggestions made during the first
meeting of a committee headed by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday, it
is learnt. The committee, formed on Monday on the directions of the Supreme
Court, is likely to meet again on Saturday and take up cases of lynchings
reported from across the country.According to sources, in its first meeting,
the committee members were explained the apex court’s order, and suggestions
were invited from all stakeholders. One key component of the deliberations was
to make changes in CrPC, a source with knowledge of the developments said.Under
Section 223 (a) of CrPC there are legal provision to “prosecute persons accused
of the same offence committed in the course same transaction.” But legal
experts say the provision falls far short for prosecuting lynch
mobs.indianexpress
Out on bail, convict in Jharkhand beef
lynching case dies of electrocution
Ramgarh: Sikandar Ram, one of the 11 convicts
in the Ramgarh district beef lynching case, who was later granted bail by
Jharkhand High Court, was Friday electrocuted near his home in Ramgarh town,
police said. Ram was walking towards a market when he came into contact with a
live wire that had snapped from an electric pole and fell on the ground, Rajesh
Kumar, the Officer-in-Charge of Ramgarh Town police station, said. Ram was
killed on the spot.Ram’s body was recovered and sent for post-mortem
examination, a senior police officer said.Ram was one among the 11 convicted in
the lynching case. They were awarded life imprisonment by a fast track court in
Ramgarh in March.A group of people had lynched 40-year-old Alimuddin Ansari in Ramgarh
town on June 29,2017, because they suspected he was carrying beef in his car.
PTI
J&K Police detains hundreds on
'apprehensions' of cow slaughter
Jammu and Kashmir Police has detained hundreds
of people in the past one year on the 'apprehension' that they may have carried
out cow slaughter. This has prompted BJP to seek a ban on the 'rampant killing'
of the animal in Muslim-majority areas of the state.The police have registered
criminal cases against hundreds of people in the Hindu-majority areas of Jammu
for transporting bovine animals to Muslim-majority areas of Kashmir without the
permission of authorities. The cases have been filed for violating the orders
of DMs, according to which prior permission of the tehsildar is required even
for Muslim nomadic Gujjars to take flocks of animals for the purposes of
grazing to Kashmir.These orders specify that the permission is required so that
the sentiments of Hindus who “see the cow as a sacred animal” are not
violated.In Jammu and Kashmir, the police have carried out several raids in the
Udhampur area, which falls on the way to Kashmir, and in Rajouri district, from
where cattle are taken to the Valley. The police have detained many people for
transporting animals without prior permission.Over 230 cases have been
registered in the last one year for violation of the orders of the DM, Rajouri
for failing to procure the authorisation from the executive magistrate, said
Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, Yugal Kumar. The official said that the
requirement for permissions has been put in place, 'while keeping in view that
religious sentiments of people should not be hurt.'In Jammu, incidents of mob
violence have increased, and there have been several incidents of right-wing
groups intercepting cattle herders and attacking them. A number of incidents
have been reported in the last three years, after the BJP came to power in the
state.firstpost
PDP leader warns Modi Govt to stop lynching of Muslims in name of cows or
face another partition
New Delhi:Senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig
has said that the rising cases of mob lynching of Muslims in the name of cow
vigilantism must be stopped otherwise the country will have to face dire
consequences. According to news agency ANI, Baig who is an MP from Baramulla,
on Saturday said that the country may have to face another partition if mob
killings of Muslims are not checked.“The killings of Muslims in the name of
cows and buffaloes should be stopped otherwise the outcome will not be good.
There has already been a partition in 1947 (Gai aur bhains ke naam par
musalmano ka katal bandh karein warna naateje achhe nahi honge. 1947 mein ek
partition pehle hi ho chuka hai),” he said. PDP’s chief spokesperson’s remark
comes in the backdrop of rising cases of mob lynching. In almost all cases, the
victims were from the minority community. Recently, a Muslim man identified as
Akbar Khan was beaten to death by a mob in Alwar of Rajasthan merely on
suspicion that he was a cow smuggler.financialexpress
'Rising Muslim population needs to be curbed,
is reason for increase in lynchings':BJP MP Hari Om Pandey
New Delhi: A day after a BJP MP from UP said
Hindus should have at least 5 children to save Hindutva, another BJP leader has
said that it's of "grave concern" that the Muslim population is
increasing because that's the reason for growing incidents of terror crime and
lynching, reported Times Now. BJP MP from UP, Hari Om Pandey, further said in
an interview with the TV channel that at the rate the Muslim population is
growing we will see the creation of another Pakistan and that doesn't bode well
for India. He further said a bill must be brought in Parliament, applicable to
everyone,to control population. Pandey, said that at the rate the Muslim
population is growing we will see the creation of another Pakistan He further
said a bill must be brought in Parliament, applicable to everyone, to control
population The MP said that Muslims don't believe in birth control or any form
of planning "The main problem in
India is because terrorism, crimes, mob lynching are increasing and the reason
for this is the population of the country. There's a huge increase in the
country's population today compared with the time of independence and the
reason for that is one community, that of the Muslims," said Pandey. MP
from UP's Ambedkar Nagar constituency said that Muslims don't believe in birth
control or any form of planning, and Muslim religious leaders say it isn't
allowed in Islam. "They say 'Allah talaa however much our population
increases it isn't enough', and because of that terrors, crime lynchings are
all rising," said Pandey. Pandey also said one Pakistan in the
neighbourhood is enough - "they just had elections and already they are
being called 'Aatankistan'" - and unless a bill is passed in parliament to
curb population "we will produce another Pakistan".TOI
'Rising Muslim Population Behind Terrorism,
Rapes in India': BJP MP's Shocking Statement
36 cows found dead in Delhi’s gaushala
Delhi: In the country where cows hold more
importance than lives of common people, at least 36 cows reportedly died in
last 2 days. The deaths were reported from Delhi’s Chhawla area on Friday
morning. Soon after the matter was reported, a team of doctors and police
personnel rushed to the spot. As per early reports, police suspects that the
cows died because of an outbreak of some kind of infectious disease. Meanwhile,
doctors are investigating the gaushala to ascertain the cause of death of the
cows. Reports add that the police were alerted about the incident at around
12:30 pm.The cow shelter in Delhi’s Chhawla area acts as a house for over 1,400
cows. The following reports surface just a few weeks after it was reported that
14 cows belonging to Bal Gopal gaushala in Punjab’s Bhatinda had died. Media
reports suggested that the cows died after they had consumed urea along with
the fodder.NewsX
If I Were Home Minister, I Would Order Police
to Shoot Intellectuals: Karnataka BJP Leader
Senior BJP MLA and former union minister
Basanagouda Patil Yatnal courted controversy on Thursday with his remark that
that he would have ordered the police to shoot all intellectuals if he were the
home minister of the state. Addressing a "Kargil Vijay Diwas"
function in his Assembly constituency Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur),Yatnal
dubbed liberals and intellectuals "anti-nationals". Referring to
former chief minister Siddaramaiah's media advisor Dinesh Amin Mattu, he said
Mattu had made a statement that youngsters join the army to escape from poverty
and die. Blaming India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru for the Kashmir
problem, he also said that PM Narendra Modi would scrap Article 370, which
gives special status to Jammu & Kashmir state. He held the civil society
responsible for the unrest in country.Ruling JDS and Congress have demanded an
immediate action against Yatnal.Yatnal, a Lingayat, is considered close to
state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa. He was a BJP MLA between 1994 and 1999.
Between 1999 and 2009 he was a BJP MP from Bijapur.News18
Now Raj Thackeray objects to use of
loudspeakers during azaan
Pune: In a controversial statement, MNS chief
Raj Thackeray on Friday questioned the use of loudspeaker for azaan, the
Muslim's call for prayer, and asked them to pray at home without disturbing
others."Today, I want to ask all the Muslims that why do you need
loudspeakers for morning azaan. If you want to offer namaaz, then pray at home.
Why do you block roads?" Thackeray asked.He said people should understand
their responsibility so that there is no situation of a confrontation in
country or state should arise.Thackeray was addressing a gathering of party
workers here on the occasion of Guru Purnima on Friday.The row over
loudspeakers at religious places erupted last year when singer Sonu Nigam
lashed out at "forced religiousness" in India after being woken up by
the azaan from a mosque nearby his residence."God bless everyone. I'm not
a Muslim and I have to be woken up by the azaan in the morning. When will this
forced religiousness end in India," Nigam had then said.Reacting to which,
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said the Quran or Islam never said that
azaan has to be delivered through loudspeakers. "Quran or Islam never said
that azaan has to be delivered through loudspeakers.Azaan should be delivered
in such a way that others do not get disturbed," Patel had said.ABP News
Raped, starved, burnt: Horror tales from Bihar
shelter where 29 inmates were assaulted
Patna:Horrifying stories of torture and
exploitation are emerging from the shelter home in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur where 29
girls were raped by operators and visitors last year, according to the state
women commission. Members of the Bihar state women commission who met the
rescued inmates of Muzaffarpur short stay shelter home at Mokama Nazareth
Academy on Thursday said the girls were duped and drugged to keep them silent
and allow sexual exploitation.The girls were starved and beaten with shoes at
any hint of rebellion.Those who complained and protested were stripped, beaten
and burnt with cigarettes. A girl who dared to stand up to the oppressors,
despite repeated threats, was beaten to death and her body disposed of in a
rickshaw, the commission said.Altogether 31 girls rescued from the Muzaffarpur
shelter home are staying at the Nazareth Academy, Mokama where they are being
counselled by 2 experts from Bangalore and Delhi for the last few days.“Most of
the girls are in a better condition from the day I met them at a hospital in
Patna. But the memories of physical and mental abuse they have suffered may
take time to wipe out. At the shelter home they were denied food and clothes
and were beaten with shoes,” Dilmani Mishra, state women commission chairperson
said.hindustantimes
Cleric held for sexual abuse at Pune orphanage;
36 children rescued, trafficking suspected:News18
Pune: In one of the biggest rescue operations
carried out in the city, 36 children were freed from a Muslim orphanage in
Pune's Katraj area after 2 of them alleged persistent sexual exploitation by a
maulana. The accused cleric was arrested by the police and booked under relevant
sections of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences Act on Friday.2 boys, both 10-year-old, had recently escaped from the
orphanage and were found at the railway station by an NGO. On being questioned
as to why they chose to run away, the boys revealed that they were scared after
a cleric, who visited the orphanage, sexually abused one of the inmates on
several occasions in the name of education.The accused, 21-year-old Maulana
Rahim, was a teacher at the orphanage, which runs under the banner of Jamiatul
Khairiya Al-Islamia Educational and Charitable Trust.Rescued children, all aged
between 8 to 15, were forced to live in inhuman conditions with no toilets but
plastic water tanks, said the police after they raided the orphanage. Statements
of children were recorded by Child Welfare Committee (CWC).During
investigation, it was found that all the children hail from Bihar and some of
them are not even orphans, triggering suspicions of a child trafficking racket.
"We took the two boys to CWC where they revealed that they were being
sexually exploited by their teacher. We then approached the police and raided
the orphanage,"Yamini Adbe, Child rights activist told News18.News18
Minor Muslim girl beaten to death by young men
for not sharing number
Jaipur: A Muslim girl who was allegedly beaten
by some youth for not giving them the mobile number of her friend died in
Rajasthan’s Dausa district on Thursday. The girl’s mother has filed a case against
Ganpat, Nemi, Kishan, Ravi and others.The police have not arrested anyone so
far.It was alleged that 16-year-old Rukhsar who studied in class 10 was
returning home when some young men allegedly stopped her and asked to give
mobile number of her friend on Tuesday afternoon. When she refused, the young
men started beating her up and she fell. Her parents reached the spot on being
informed and took her to the hospital where the doctors declared her dead.Angry
people reached the hospital and demanded the arrest of the culprits. They
surrounded two youngsters accusing them of killing the girl but the police
safely escorted both of them to the police station. SP, Dausa district,
Chunaram Jat said no arrest has been made so far because an investigation was still
going on. asianage
Aadhaar to Web: Govt gets roadmap for new law
to protect citizen’s data
Saying that citizens must come at the top, the
Srikrishna Committee Friday submitted the draft of a data protection Bill
containing sweeping recommendations, including amendments to at least 50 laws
such as Aadhaar and RTI, setting up a regulator and imposing strict terms for
storage.The draft comes after a year of deliberations by the panel headed by
former Supreme Court judge, Justice BN Srikrishna, and at a time when a
Constitution Bench of the apex court has reserved its judgment on a clutch of
petitions challenging the validity of the Aadhaar unique ID system.The draft
sets the stage for a Data Protection Act, which Gov will begin working on while keeping committee’s
recommendations as a basis, Union Minister of Law & Justice and Electronics
& IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Pointing out that the report will go through
the process of inter-ministerial consultations as well as Cabinet and
parliamentary approval,Prasad said:“It is a monumental law and we would like to
have widest parliamentary consultation…We want Indian data protection law to
become a model globally,blending security, privacy, safety and innovation.” indianexpress
Rafale deal alleged to be crony capitalism
worth ‘Rs 1,30,000 crore’
Congress party has accused Modi Govt of deceiving India in the “mother of all
Defence deals”—referring to the Modi Govt’s decision to purchase 36 Rafale
fighter aircrafts in April, 2015—and termed it a ₹1,30,000 crore scam.Congress
President Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Dear Trolls, I apologise for my earlier tweet
in which I stated Mr 56’s friend’s JV, received 4 Billion US$’s of “offset”
contracts. I forgot to add the 16 Billion US$ RAFALE “lifecycle” contract. 20
BILLION US$, is the actual benefit. So Sorry!!”In a press release on the Rafale
deal issued on Friday by All India Congress Committee Communications in-charge
Randeep Singh Surjewala and MPs Amee Yajnik and Naseer Husain, Congress made the
following allegations: Public Sector Undertaking HAL denied biggest ever
‘Defence Offset Contract’Private company with zero experience in manufacturing
fighter aircrafts bags contract insteadA company with zero experience in
manufacturing fighter aircrafts, which did not own any land or building,
granted industrial license for defence production by then Commerce Minister
Nirmala SitharamanViolation of Defence Ministry’s own guidelines in awarding ₹30,000
crore ‘Defence Offset Contract’ to Reliance Defence Ltd. nationalheraldindia
Gujarat Court Sets Aside Adani's Criminal
Defamation Complaint Against The Wire
New Delhi: Ruling in favour of The Wire‘s
contention that no case of criminal defamation was made out against the website
and its journalists and writers as alleged by the Adani group in regard to an
article on how the Modi Govt had tweaked
the rules governing an SEZ where the company had invested and two other
articles, a court in Bhuj ordered that the case and accompanying summons be set
aside.The Wire‘s challenge to the summoning order, issued pursuant to the
criminal defamation complaint filed by Adani Power Ltd., was listed before
additional sessions judge N.R. Joshi on Friday.The complaint had been made by
Adani Power regarding the publishing of an article authored by Paranjoy Guha
Thakurta and three other journalists. The piece, originally published in the
Economic and Political Weekly, had been republished by The Wire. Guha Thakurta,
who was editor of EPW at the time, resigned after the journal’s trustees
insisted the article be taken down from its website following receipt of a
legal notice from the Adani group threatening unspecified consequences in the
event of non-compliance.The Wire had received a similar threat but refused to
take the article down.thewire
Cop in uniform kneels down with folded arms
before Yogi Adityanath to seek blessings
Gorakhpur:Photographs of a police officer in
uniform kneeling down at the feet of UP CM Yogi Adityanath, on the occasion of
Guru Purnima at the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, went viral on social
media.Adityanath is also ‘Peethadishwar’ and ‘Mahant’ (head priest) of the
Gorakhnath Math.The photographs of the police officer, Pravin Singh, kneeling
down at Adtiyanath’s feet with folded hands, went viral on the social media,
forcing him to clarify his stand.“I was deployed at the temple for security
duty and I went there after completing my work with full dedication, when most
of the disciples were seeking blessings. Out of my devotion and after removing
my belt, cap and other accessories and covering my head with a handkerchief, I
took blessings of Peethadishwar Mahant Yogi Adityanath,” Singh said.Singh is
posted as Circle Officer, Gorakhnath in Gorakhpur.PTI
Mehbooba urges PM Modi to accept Imran Khan’s
call for India-Pak talks
Srinagar: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday
urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond positively to Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s overtures on Kashmir at a time when the
former cricketer looks set to become the neighbouring country’s next premier.
“I want to tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi that a new Govt is forming in Pakistan. He (Imran Khan) has
offered India the hand of friendship. He has talked about dialogue and you
should respond positively to that,” Mufti said in her address on the 19th
raising day of the PDP in Srinagar.Mufti’s call came a day after separatist
leaders welcomed Khan’s speech suggesting a resolution to the Kashmir issue
through dialogue. PTI emerged as the
single-largest party in the recently held general election.PDP chief said the
upcoming elections should not stop Modi from trying to establish peace with Pakistan.
“Elections keep on coming. You may remember how Vajpayeeji had offered his hand
of friendship to Pakistan before the 2004 elections, and announced ceasefire on
the borders. That is the magnanimity of a leader. A big leader does not think
about elections, he thinks about the people,” she added.HT
After warning Centre against breaking PDP,
Mehbooba Mufti calls for inviting Hurriyat for talks
JAMMU: Days after she warned the Centre
against breaking her party PDP, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister
Mehbooba Mufti has now pressed for the inclusion of Hurriyat Conference leaders
in talks over Kashmir.Addressing a rally, Mehbooba Mufti said, PDP took
initiative for the ceasefire during Ramzan. I appeal to the Centre to show a
positive attitude towards Hurriyat and aim to bring them to the table to start
a dialogue.'' PDP took initiative for ceasefire during Ramzan.The PDP leader
had sometimes back warned the Centre of serious consequences if attempts were
made to break her party.''If Delhi, tries to dismiss the voting rights of
people like 1987, if it tries to create divisions and interfere like that then
I think just like a Salahuddin and a Yasin Malik were born in 1987...if it
tries to break PDP like that then outcomes will be dangerous,'' the PDP leader
had said.zeenews
Hurriyat warns of mass agitation as hearing on
Article 35A’s validity nears
Srinagar:Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
on Friday warned of massive agitation in Jammu and Kashmir if the special
rights accorded to the state by the Constitution of India were taken away.
Hurriyat chairman made the comments as the Supreme Court is set to hear on
August 6 a petition challenging the validity of Article 35A of the Constitution.
The Article empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define
“permanent residents” of the state and provides special rights and privileges
to those permanent residents. Addressing the Friday congregation in the city’s
Jamia Masjid, Farooq said that Kashmiri people have been fighting for their
rights since 1931 against various powers in the state. He said the people of
Kashmir are cautiously and carefully watching the events around the hearing on
the Article 35A.“People of Kashmiris from all spheres of life will never take
machinations against them lying low and will oppose them tooth and nail. The
people of Kashmir will hit the streets and start agitation on the mass scale,”
he said.Mirwaiz accused the BJP and RSS plan of changing the demographic nature
of Jammu and Kashmir by doing away with the state subject law and flooding it
with people from outside and warned that changing Kashmir’s status will never
be allowed.“The resulting consequences will entirely be the responsibility of
those who will force people to take drastic steps,” he said.The hearing comes
amidst the lack of an elected Govt in
the state which was put under governor’s rule after the BJP pulled out of the
coalition Govt with PDP.HT
Six get lifer in 1981 Biharsharif communal
riot
Biharsharif:A local court today awarded life
sentence to 6 accused involved in 1981 communal riot here claiming lives of
several people and leaving others injured.Fast track court judge of the
district court Ram Prasad Asthana awarded life sentence to Ishwari Singh,
Chhote Kahar, Cristo Patwa, Nandlal Yadav, Ajay Singh and Sunil Kahar alias
Sunayana after finding them guilty of murdering and indulging in other serious
offences.The court convicted them under sections 302, 307, 392 and other
sections of Indian Penal Code.The court sentenced another accused Lakshman Ram
to 10 years of imprisonment.The court slapped a penalty of Rs 10,000 against
each convict and in the event of default in payment of the penalty, the
convicts would have to serve two years of additional imprisonment.UNI
Maharashtra: Bus carrying university staff
plunges into gorge in Raigad, killing 33
Pune:As many as 33 persons were killed after a
bus fell into a gorge in Ambenali Ghat near Poladpur town in Raigad district
around Saturday noon. Only one of the 34 passengers traveling in the bus
survived as he jumped from the bus while it was sliding along the steep slope
of the gorge.The passengers in the bus, all employees of Dapoli Agriculture
University in Ratnagiri district, were on their way to Mahabaleshwar for a
two-day trip. The incident came to light after the lone survivor, Prakash Sawant
Desai, assistant superintendent with the University, who managed to jump out of
the bus, climbed up the slope, took the phone of a passerby and made calls to
police another staff member from university and the police.Desai has told the
local authorities that the driver of the bus lost control as a tyre of the bus
skidded at a muddy spot on the Ambenali Ghat road. The bus fell till 500 feet
down in the 800 feet deep gorge.indianexpress
15 Muslims put on saffron clothes, join Kanwar
Yatra from UP to Jharkhand: hindustantimes
Gorakhpur:A group of 70 kanwariyas, which
include 15 Muslims, from UP’s Kushahari village in Deoria district began their
journey for Baba Dham in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district. Kanwar Yatra is an
annual pilgrimage undertaken by Lord Shiva’s devotees, also known as
kanwariyas. The devotees from Kushahari village will reach Sultanganj in Bihar,
from where they would collect water of the Ganga river and walk around 104 km
to Baba Dham, to offer the water to the deity at Baidyanath Jyotirlinga
temple.Village head Nizam Ansari, who initiated the unique programme, and some
others of his faith wore saffron clothes and joined the yatra on their own expense.Flagging
off the yatra on Friday, Sanjiv Shukla, a leading social worker of the area
said, “This is the real example of Ganga-Jamuni culture of India. We should all
take lesson from it and give preference to love and peace over hatred.”Ansari
said, “I want all the people of my village to participate in functions related
to all religions... this will provide us more opportunities to come closer and
serve the society. I want blessings of people and development of my
village.”PTI
Photos of Sikh Kirpan factory falsely
circulated by Hindutva groups on social media as PFI stock of swords
Thiruvanantapuram: Last Thursday when a group
of BJP youth wing workers were protesting on the streets here demanding a ban
on Popular Front of India (PFI), another group of the saffron outfit was busy –
off the streets – in fabricating a false story to malign the Muslim
organization in order to strengthen their ban demand. They were circulating
images of a Punjab warehouse of Sikh kirpans or swords as the stock of swords
prepared by PFI to carry out attack on Hindus. Though a week later, they have
been exposed in a media investigation.A Facebook account that goes by the name
of Bhagwa Diwane posted a collage of photos of the Sikh sword factory with a
hateful and provocative comment in Hindi.Very soon the post went viral until
the falsehood was exposed. The post had made several false claims: “Police had
raided PFI arms factory, and a huge quantity of swords were seized in the
raids; these arms were to be sent to mosques, madrasas and Muslim areas; Muslim
community is preparing for a bloodbath of Hindus.”The team of India Today
contacted the Kerala police whose officer Anoop VR from the Hi-Tech Crime
Enquiry Cell rebutted the facebook post as false.“There has been no such raid
against the PFI where swords have been recovered,” the Kerala police officer
said.PFI’s general secretary Mohammad Basheer said the post was an attempt to
denigrate the organisation and PFI had brought the matter into notice of cyber
cell.caravandaily
WORLD
Egypt: Cairo court sentences 75 pro-Morsi Govt
protesters to death
An Egyptian court sentenced 75 people to death
for participating in a 2013 protest against the ousting of the country's
democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi. Senior members of the outlawed
Muslim Brotherhood organisation were among those ordered executed by the Cairo
Criminal Court on Saturday for their involvement with the sit-in demonstration
at Rabaa Square in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.The rulings will be referred to
Egypt's chief Islamic legal authority, the Grand Mufti, for a non-binding
opinion. Egyptian law requires any capital sentence to be referred to the Grand
Mufti before any execution can take place. The Mufti's decision is rarely
ignored by the courts. In 2014 the Mufti rejected a death sentence proposed for
the leader of the Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, who is part of the same case.
Badie has since been sentenced to life in prison.A final verdict is expected by
Sept.8.The case is part of a mass trial being conducted by the court involving
739 defendants alleged to have been involved in the 2013 sit-in, which was
violently broken up.Amnesty International says the dispersal of the sit-in
killed more than 800 protesters. Egypt's Govt said many demonstrators were armed and 43
police officers were killed.International human rights groups condemned the use
of force and criticised the ongoing trial, alleging it violates Egypt's
constitution.Husain Baoumi, an Egypt campaigner for Amnesty International, told
Al Jazeera the court's decision was "shocking" and "completely
unfair ... [as] not a single member of the security service has been held to
account"."The court is likely to hand this sentence down, its just a
technicality [for it] to go through the Grand Mufti," he added.aljazeera
Egypt sentences 75 Brotherhood members to
death
Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque with tear
gas, stun grenades
Israeli forces have reopened the gates of the
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem after closing them for
several hours, preventing all entry into one of Islam's holiest sites.Earlier
on Friday, Israeli soldiers stormed the compound, firing tear gas and stun
grenades at Muslim worshipers who had gathered for prayers."At least 50
policemen raided the Al-Qibali Mosque, attacking worshipers and arresting 20
others," Firas al-Dibs, a spokesman for al-Waqf, Jerusalem's Religious
Endowments Authority, said in a statement.According to the Jordan-run body, a
total of 15 Palestinians were injured, including three mosque guards, in the
melee.Al-Dibs said the Israeli authorities sealed Al-Aqsa Mosque with iron
chains and prevented Palestinian worshippers from entering it.The closure
consequently led to confrontations with worshipers, Palestinian news agency
Wafa reported.aljazeera
3 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire during
Gaza protests
3 Palestinian protesters, including two
teenagers, have died after being shot by the Israeli army during Friday's
protests along the Israel-Gaza border, Gaza's health ministry has said. Mohmen
al-Hams, 17, from Rafah, succumbed to his wounds Saturday morning, the ministry
said. Majdi al-Satri, 14, and Ghazi Abu Mustafa, 43 died on Friday.According to
the ministry, a total of 264 Palestinian demonstrators were injured during the
protests, 90 of whom were wounded by live fire. Of those wounded, 11 are in
serious condition, it said.The ministry statement said Hams was shot in the
chest during protests near the southern Gaza town of Rafah.It also said Mustafa
was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers east of the southern city of Khan
Yunis.middleeasteye
US backs Israeli decision to build 400 new
illegal settlement units
Trump administration has supported Israel’s
decision to build 400 new settlement units in the illegal Geva Binyamin
settlement, also known as Adam, in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reported on
Friday.An Israeli official was quoted by Maariv as saying that Washington had
been informed of the decision to build the new settlement units and has
“welcomed” the step. The announcement to build the new units was made by
Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman.middleeastmonitor
Imran’s PTI emerges largest party with 116
seats: official results
ISLAMABAD:Imran Khan’s Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf on saturday emerged as the single largest party in the general
elections, winning 116 National Assembly seats out of the contested 270
parliamentary constituencies, according to the election commission’s final
results.The final announcement of results of the parliamentary polls held on
July 25 has been marred by delays, causing anger among the leaders of losing
parties which levelled allegations of fraud.Jailed former prime minister Nawaz
Sharif’s PML-N with 64 and former president Asif Ali Zardari’s PPP with 43
seats are placed at number two and three respectively, Election Commission of
Pakistan (ECP) said.Muttahida Majlis-e-Aml Pakistan (MMAP) came fourth with 13
seats, it said.13 independent candidates have also won and would play important
roles as PTI needs their support to form the Govt at the Centre. Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi
Movement Pakistan (MQMP) managed to get just six seats. ECP has also released the total votes each
political party got in the election.PTI is on the top with 16,857,035 votes,
followed by the PML-N with 12,894,225 and PPP with 6,894,296 votes. The
independent candidates with 6,011,297 votes are the fourth largest group in
terms of votes cast, it said.Among the religious parties, MMAP got 2,530,452
votes, Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan 2,191,679 and Allah-o-Akhbar Tehreek 171,441
votes, ECP said.ECP also issued final voters’ turnout in election of both
national and provincial assemblies, showing 51.7% turnout for the National
Assembly(NA), 55% for Punjab provincial assembly, 47.6% for Sindh, 45.5% for
Khyber-Pakhtuakhwa and 45.2% for Balochistan provincial assembly. The
provincial results have been also announced and the PML-N has become the single
largest party with 129 seats in Punjab, PPP with 76 in Sindh, PTI with 66 in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Balochistan Awami Party with 15 in
Balochistan.Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a party of hardline Sunni Brailvi
sect followers, clinched two seats in Sindh assembly. PTI
Mahesh Kumar, first Hindu candidate who won a
general seat in Pak elections
Islamabad: PPP number in National Assembly has
not even come close to Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, however, a
party candidate has made history in the historic Pakistan general elections
2018. The man in focus is the first non-Muslim candidate to grab a general seat
in the Assembly. Mahesh Kumar Malani is the first Hindu candidate to secure a
seat in Pakistan’s National Assembly and the amendment in the Legal Framework
Order that was passed in 2002 has made it possible, he told local news daily
Dawn. Malani, who was up against 14 candidates from Grand Democratic Alliance
(GDA), Allah-o-Akbar, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan among other independent
candidates from NA-222 (Tharparkar-II) seat. He was also the first non-Muslim
lawmaker to win a general seat in the Sindh province, as reported by Dawn. He
was handling the Standing Committee on Food in Sindh Assembly. Times Now
Minority groups in China facing repression,
says Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom
Washington:The first-ever Ministerial to Advance
Religious Freedom, that held its meeting in Washington this week, has expressed
serious concerns over restrictions on religious freedom in China, particularly
on the minority groups such as Uighurs, Hui, Kazakh Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists,
Catholics, Protestants, Falun Gong. In a statement after its three-day
deliberations, the Ministerial in a statement said that these groups are facing
severe repression and discrimination in China.The Ministerial, held from July
24-26, was hosted by US Secretary of State, Michael R Pompeo. It saw
interaction between various stakeholders, including foreign ministers,
representatives from international organisations, religious leaders and members
of civil society who discussed the challenges and ways to fight religious persecution
and discrimination. The concluding session was also attended by US Vice
President Mike Pence. At the end of its 3-day discussions, Ministerial released
specific statements on China, Iran and Burma.ANI
Trump seeks to revive 'Arab NATO' to confront
Iran
WASHINGTON:Trump administration is quietly
pushing ahead with a bid to create a new security and political alliance with
six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, in part to counter Iran’s expansion in
the region, according to US and Arab officials. The White House wants to see
deeper cooperation between the countries on missile defense, military training,
counter-terrorism and other issues such as strengthening regional economic and
diplomatic ties, 4 sources said.The plan to forge what officials in the White
House and Middle East have called an “Arab NATO” of Sunni Muslim allies will
likely raise tensions between the US and Shi’ite Iran, two countries
increasingly at odds since President Donald Trump took office.Reuters
Saudi ‘undermining’ hajj of Qatari pilgrims
A spokeswoman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry
has accused Saudi Arabia of putting obstacles in the way of hajj trips for
Qatari pilgrims, Anadolu reported on Friday.“Saudi Arabia must deal seriously
with such obstacles facing Qatari citizens,” insisted Lolwa Al-Khater,
“including the hate speech of a number of Saudi journalists.”She said that
these obstacles pose a threat to Qatari citizens when they enter Saudi Arabia.
Qatar no longer has a diplomatic mission in the country to deal with hajj
issues.“Every Qatari feels offended due to the Saudi measures regarding hajj
because this is a duty and guaranteed right for every Muslim,” Al-Khater
explained.middleeastmonitor
Saudis demand release of top cleric, Safar
Al-Hawali
Saudi activists have launched a campaign to
demand the release of Islamic scholar Sheikh Safar Al-Hawali and members of his
family from Saudi prisons.Campaigners wrote on Facebook that the fate of Sheikh
Al-Hawali, his sons and brother remain unknown following their enforced
disappearance after being arrested and detained without charges and without
legal basis.Details of why the Sheikh was held by authorities will be revealed
by activists in the comping days, the statement continued.The campaign called
on human rights activists around the world and scholars to support the release
of the Sheikh and his sons.middleeastmonitor
US-backed Syrian Kurds agree to 'roadmap' with
Assad Govt
US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) says
it has agreed to work with Syrian Govt towards a "democratic, decentralised
Syria," as it moves towards cementing its autonomy in the war-ravaged
country.Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the SDF, issued
a short statement on Saturday saying it would form committees to develop
negotiations and "chart a roadmap to a democratic, decentralised
Syria".Founded in 2015, the Kurdish group controls between 25-30 percent
of Syria, and backs a federal country made up of autonomous cantons in various
regions.It has already set up cantonal administrations in areas it controls in
the north, including the Kurdish-majority areas of Hasakeh and Kobane, which
raise their own revenues and operate their own police and other services.Riad
Darar, the SDC's co-chair, said on Friday the talks in Damascus were aimed at
"working towards a settlement for northern Syria," as it was it was
time to "solve our problems ourselves".Syrian Govt has been open to negotiations with SDF over
autonomy since last year, with Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem saying
Damascus could sit with the Kurds and listen to their demands once ISIL was
defeated.aljazeera
UN chief welcomes law giving extra autonomy to
Muslims in Philippines
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed
a new law which grants extra autonomy to Muslim communities in the Philippines,
describing it as a “landmark achievement” for “lasting peace”.Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the new legislation, formally known as the
Organic Law for Bangsamoro in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, on
Thursday, raising hopes that years of separatist violence involving central Govt
troops and militants from the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front, can be brought to an end.“The secretary-general
congratulates negotiators for the Govt of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front, the Bicameral Conference Committee, the Bangsamoro Transition
Commission and civil society groups for their efforts,” the UN chief said in a
statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric. 5 million Muslims in
southern Philippines have gained autonomy after Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law.PTI
Lunar Eclipse Highlights: Blood moon dazzles
skywatchers, rises over world
Skywatchers around much of the world watched a
complete lunar eclipse that is the longest of this century. It was visible on
July 27 from different parts of India amid cloudy night. During this rare
phenomena, the Moon turned bright red and was visible in India as well. NASA
predicted the total lunar eclipse will last for close to one hour and 43
minutes, starting late at night on July 27 and continuing till the early hours
of July 28.In addition, the event was also be visible in parts of
South-America, parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia. All of Asia (including
India), and Eastern Africa. The entire eclipse included two partial lunar eclipse.The
first part of lunar eclipse started at around 11:44 PM IST on July 27. The Moon
turned red only at the highest point of the total lunar eclipse, which started
around 1 AM on the night of July 28. The phenomenon lasted till around 2:43 AM
IST on July 28. Unlike solar eclipse,
one does not need to cover their eyes with protective filters to view the Blood
Moon.indianexpress
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Stop spreading the Muslim overpopulation fake
news: TOI Editorials
Ex-lawyer drops another Trump ‘bombshell’, and
Japan firm makes mosques-on-wheels:SANKALITA DEY
After Alwar Lynching, Meo Muslims Forced to
Deal With Institutions That Neglected Them:Neha Mehrotra
Shobhapur Lynching: Children Wait For The
Fathers Who Will Never Return:Newsclick
Germany: Mesut Özil's case points to country’s
failure to address everyday racism:Rama Srinivasan
People converted to other religions for
reasons that were independent of the coercive powers of state:Harbans Mukhia
Mandawali starvation not an isolated incident,
many more can happen: ZAHEEB AJMAL
Guru Purnima Has Its Roots in Buddhism and
Jainism, Not Hinduism;Jawhar Sircar
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:58 PM)
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