NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
03 July 2018:18 Shawwal 1439: Vol:10, No:57
INDIA
States are responsible for curbing cow
vigilantism, lynchings, mob violence:Supreme Court
Lynchings and mob violence cannot happen by
the remotest chance. It is the obligation of the States to see that such crimes
are prevented, CJI Dipak Misra observed today.A Bench led by CJI Misra was
hearing a contempt petition filed by activist Tehseen Poonawalla that despite a
Supreme Court order to the States to prevent lynchings and violence by cow
vigilantes, crimes continue with impugnity.“Whether there is a law or not
[against lynchings]... nobody should be allowed to take law into their hands,” CJI
said.“Despite your order to the States to appoint nodal officers to prevent
such incidents, recently there was a lynching and death just 60 km away from
Delhi,” senior advocate Indira Jaising submitted.“Each State shall be held
responsible. Law and order is the State’s responsibility,”CJI observed
orally.Ms. Jaising said incidents of lynchings went “beyond the description of
law and order... these crimes have a pattern and a motive. For instance, all
these instances happen on highways. This court had asked States to patrol the
highways.”“Let us not confine ourselves to any pattern or motive... All these
incidents are instances of mob violence,”CJI responded.He asked Central Govt to
frame a scheme under Article 256 to give directions to the States to
prevent/control the instances and maintain law and order.Additional Solicitor
General (ASG)PS Narasimha, however, disagreed, saying such a scheme was
unnecessary.“Concern here is maintaining law and order. The question is whether
the State Govt s can implement your directions,” he said.Ms. Jaising said the
Union had issued advisories but not backed it up with action.“Union feels
responsible... we don’t need to be advised by you,” Narasimha reacted to
Jaising.“There is a difference between ‘feeling’ and ‘action,’” Ms.Jaising
replied.She said lynchings were “targetted violence” against particular
religion, caste, and thus, in violation of the constitutional guarantees under
Article 15 of the Constitution.Article 15 protects one from discrimination on
the basis of religion, caste, sex, gender, etc. She said the compensation to be
determined for victims of lynchings should be fixed with an eye on the fact
that they were targetted for their religion and caste.But CJI objected to the
suggestion, saying “anyone can be a victim” of such mob violence, irrespective
of their religion or caste or sex.CJI said the criteria for determining
compensation would not be their religion or caste but the nature of injury —
simple or grievous — or death. But Jaising said she was referring to a
“specific form of vigilantism. Targetted violence against vulnerable categories
seen here is different from general violence,” she submitted. However, CJI
intervened to say that the term “victim” included anyone living in a constant
state of fear. “Victims should be protected,” he underlined, reserving the
petition for orders.the hindu
SC puts onus of checking cow vigilantism, mob
violence on states; reserves order on issue
Cow vigilantism unacceptable, onus on states
to prevent lynchings: Supreme Court
SC Declines Urgent Hearing On Swamy's Plea To
Perform Puja At Babri masjid site
The Supreme Court has declined urgent listing
of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking enforcement of his fundamental
right to worship at the disputed land in Ayodhya and asked him to mention it
again "later on".A bench comprising CJI Dipak Misra and Justices AM
Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud considered Swamy's submission for urgent listing
and hearing of his petition relating to the dispute.Swamy said the term
"later on" was very subjective and added that he would mention his
plea for hearing after 15 days again.The SC had refused urgent listing of
Swamy's plea for enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at Ram temple
earlier as well. The special bench of the SC is considering 14 appeals filed
against the HC judgement delivered in 4 civil suits.outlookindia
India has ‘Plan D’ for Iran oil after Donald
Trump adds sanction pressure: Indian Oil Corp chairman
One of Iran’s biggest oil buyers said it has
enough alternative sources of crude to replace any supplies cut off by US
sanctions on Persian Gulf state — even if shipments stop completely. Indian Oil
Corp. Chairman Sanjiv Singh says Saudi Arabia alone can cover most of the
world’s supply shortfall in case Iran’s oil exports dry up. Also, a narrowing
spread between Brent crude and Dubai oil gives Indian Oil even more options,
the head of the state-run refiner known as IOC, one of Iran’s largest
customers, said in an interview.“We have a very wide crude basket.There’s
nothing we can’t procure, there’s nothing we can’t process,” Singh said. “So,
even if Iran supplies get disrupted, the supplies to the Indian market will
still continue. That’s assured.”Some customers in Asia are already considering
acquiescing to President Donald Trump’s demand to end trade with Iran by early
Nov.when sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear program come into effect.
Several refiners in the largest oil market are looking at alternative supplies
from Saudi to Iraq after the White House said it won’t offer extensions or
waivers to US allies.IOC plans to buy 7 million tons of crude from Iran in the
year ending March 31 versus 4 million tons in the previous fiscal year, AK
Sharma, director of finance at the refiner, said in May. India imported 771,000
barrels of crude oil a day from Iran in May, a 35 % increase from the previous
month, tanker tracking and shipping data compiled by Bloomberg show.“We buy
high sulfur crude from Iran. Today if you look at the price difference between
Brent and Dubai, the difference is hardly anything,” he said. “So, the option
is wide open and there’s no need that we replace high sulfur with high sulfur.”Global
oil benchmark Brent traded at a premium of $3.68 a barrel to Dubai crude on
Monday, down from an almost 4-year high of $4.61 a barrel in April, according
to data from broker PVM Oil Associates. That allows IOC the option to look at
sourcing crude from regions other than the Middle East.“We have Plan B, Plan C,
Plan D. We are fully prepared,” IOC’s Singh said, without giving
details.India’s Govt has so far been
sending mixed signals about its stance on Iranian imports. India insists it
will make sure its energy security is not compromised and a call on Iran oil
imports will be guided by its own interests. India continued with purchases
from Iran during the last round of sanctions.Bloomberg / indianexpress
Law Commission tries again to get parties to
discuss simultaneous polls
Law Commission of India has invited all the
national and recognised state political parties to hold consultations on July
7-8 on the practicality of conducting simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state
legislatures.The panel has prepared a draft paper on 'Simultaneous Elections—Constitutional
and Legal Perspectives' and has sought opinions of "all stakeholders"
including political parties, constitutional experts, bureaucrats, academia etc
on the paper before finalising its report and sending it to the Govt .However,
it has not elicited a response from any political party, including national
parties—Congress, CPIM, TMC, BSP, CPI, and NCP —all of who are in Opposition
right now.These parties have generally dismissed the suggestion, hugely
favoured by PM Narendra Modi, as an
alleged ploy by him to divert attention from other, more important, issues.IANS
Fake news of march by Muslims demanding
release of Mandsaur rape accused goes viral
The brutal rape of an eight-year-old girl in
Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, in June is being given a brazenly communal spin on
social media.Thousands of users are sharing a message, according to which
members of the Muslim community rallied on the streets of Mandsaur demanding
that the perpetrator of the crime be released because the Quran sanctions rape
of non-Muslim women. The message has spread like wildfire on Facebook and
Twitter. The message has been accompanied by a link to an article on a website -- www.indiaflare.com. The title of the
article is 'क़ुरान में दूसरे धर्म की लड़कियों से बलात्कार जायज़, इरफ़ान खान को रिहा करो' (Rape of non-Muslim girls valid according to Quran,
release Irfan Khan-translation) and is probably the source of this message
which is circulating widely.In the article, there is a photograph which shows
Muslim men marching on a street holding placards that say, 'इरफ़ान को रिहा करो' (Release Irfan). The article, published on July 1, has
been shared over 16,000 times till now. The article is a compendium of
falsehood. There are a number of claims and allegations which are outrightly
untrue.The photograph, which shows Muslim men marching in support of the
accused is photoshopped. Alt News did a Google reverse image search and found
that while the march did indeed take place in Mandsaur, it was in support of
the victim and against the accused. The original photograph is posted below.The
article goes on to claim that no Muslim has descended the streets to ask for
capital punishment for the accused, but have rallied in his favour, citing the
Quran. It goes on to warn readers to not believe reports to the contrary which
they may encounter on social media as they are untrue.Alt News/ibtimes.co.in
Mandsaur Rape: How Local Muslims ‘Disarmed’
Hindutva Groups
Kathua rape case: Accused
claiming to be juvenile above 20-yrs, reveals medical report
New Delhi:In a fresh
development in the Kathua rape and murder case, medical reports of one of the 8
accused who pleaded to be treated as juvenile revealed that he is more than 20
years of age. The report was submitted before the district and sessions court
in Pathankot by J&K Police’s crime
branch. Special public prosecutor JK Chopra, who submitted the report of
Parvesh Kumar, alias Mannu, in the court, said, “Report has been submitted and
final arguments on it will be concluded tomorrow, after which the judge will
pronounce his verdict.”Chopra added, “According to medical opinion, his age is
stated to be 20 plus.”The medical test on the accused was carried out on June
22 and 23 after District and Sessions Judge Tajwinder Singh directed the crime
branch to conduct a bone ossification test to ascertain the age of Mannu. The
court ordered the test after the defense counsel urged it to treat Mannu as a
minor, citing his matriculation certificate.indianexpress
Kathua rape case: SC
allows witnesses to move HC with grievances
New Delhi: The Supreme
Court has allowed 3 witnesses in the Kathua gangrape and murder case, who
claimed they were tortured by SIT probing the case, to approach J&K High
Court with their grievances. The trio, who studied with the accused in college,
sought an independent enquiry into the “torture and sufferings meted out to
them”.Appearing for J&K Govt, senior advocate Gopal Subramanium and
advocate Shoeb Alam told a bench of CJI Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar
and DY Chandrachud that the three witnesses have already been re-examined and
“treated as witnesses” and the police had never thought of “implicating them as
accused persons”. The state also disputed that the witnesses had been
tortured.The court ordered, “we think it appropriate to grant liberty to the
petitioners to move the concerned High Court for redressal of the grievances by
taking recourse to appropriate remedy”. The students had alleged that they were
harassed and coerced by police and summoned to re-record their statements.indianexpress
All parties have lost
legitimacy, we are farther from recommencing political process in J&K than
in yrs before: Arun Shourie
Pointing towards the most
disturbing developments in J&K, Arun Shourie in an interview to the Indian
Express, said,"First, most of those who are wielding the gun today are not
infiltrators from Pakistan but young men of our own. Second, a dangerous cycle
has taken hold. Security forces receive intelligence that some terrorists are
holed up at a particular place, or in a particular building. When they reach
the place and start operations to apprehend or kill the terrorists, civilians
gather. They isolate and obstruct vehicles. Some of them pelt stones. With so
many civilians in the area, some are bound to get killed in the engagement and
cross-firing that follow. The funeral processions of and prayers for those who
have got killed become emotional events: two or three in the crowd are so
charged that they announce then and there that they are joining the militants.
This can become a self-feeding spiral. Third, all political parties and Hurriyat
too have lost legitimacy and, therefore, as one of our foremost national
security experts told me, we are farther from recommencing the political
process than we have been for years."He told the paper, "there is no
doubt that some of the elections in the state were rigged – and this is a fact
that has caused immense resentment among the people; in fact, the possible
rigging of a particular election led a middling Jamaat-e-Islami preacher,
Mohammed Yusuf Shah, to cross over to Pakistan where he morphed into a
Pakistani asset, Syed Salahuddin. To ensure free and fair elections, do we need
more or less supervision by Election Commission? Do we need – and not just
Kashmiris but people all over the country – a strong and independent national
Election Commission or one in the clutches of whoever dominates a state?" Indian
express
Cracks in PDP as ex
minister claims Mehbooba let her family hijack party
Srinagar :Days after it
lost power in J&K, cracks are beginning to appear in PDP with an ex-minister
speaking out against Mehbooba Mufti’s leadership, and claiming that several
MLAs and PDP stalwarts too were unhappy with the state of affairs in party.Shia
leader Imran Raza Ansari, who was a PDP minister in alliance Govt with BJP that collapsed last month, said:“ Party
has been hijacked by vested interests. She (Mehbooba) chose her cronies over
elected members to run the party and the Govt.’’Party leadership, he said,
“seems to be in a state of shock and paralysis and they do not know what to do…
People close to Mehbooba Mufti have not allowed her to function. She has
allowed herself to be swayed by 4 or 5 people around her, against her better
judgment”.His remarks came a day after his uncle Abid Hussain Ansari, also a
PDP legislator and a Shia leader representing Zadibal in Srinagar, slammed
Mehbooba for running the party like a “family fiefdom” and for appointing her
brother Tassaduq Mufti as a minister.indianexpress
Dhule lynching: Day
after, rage and protests amid fear in town of victims
Mangalwedha :A day after
five people were lynched in Maharashtra’s Dhule district, four of them from
Mangalwedha, more than 500 people gathered at the town’s circle office in
Solapur district on Monday, angry, protesting, and demanding justice and
compensation for the victims’ families. As local politicians held discussions
with leaders of Dawari Gosavi, a nomadic tribe as per the state list and the
community to which all five victims belonged, community elders said they have
traditionally gone outside seeking alms. After the lynching incident, most men
are returning, worried about their safety, and putting their families’ future
at stake, they said.In a corner outside the circle office stood Chandrakant
Bharat Malve, 11, his eyes red from crying for hours, still trying to come to
terms with his father’s death.indianexpress
Maharashtra’s deadly
rumour map: 9 deaths, 14 cases, 3 clusters
Mumbai:While police in
Dhule scramble for clues to track the source of the rumours that led to the
lynching of 5 persons on Sunday, data compiled from across Maharashtra point to
an intriguing geographical pattern.It shows that the spate of violence in the
state,sparked by rumours on WhatsApp of child-lifting, is concentrated in three
clusters, large chunks of which border Gujarat,MP,Karnataka, Telangana and
Chhattisgarh. Compiled by Maharashtra Police, data also shows that 14 cases of
“strangers” being attacked were registered over the last 25 days in 12
districts in the north, west and northeast of the state, leading to 60
arrests.Police have identified these clusters as Aurangabad Rural and City, Nandurbar,
Dhule, Jalgaon and Nashik; Beed,Parbhani, Nanded and Latur;and, Gondia and
Chandrapur. Mapping these cases, senior officers also said that the rumours
that led to nine deaths in districts including Dhule,Aurangabad, Aurangabad
Rural and Gondia fall into four broad categories.Analysing district-wise
trends, police data shows that on June 8, a mob attacked a group of 8 men in
Chandgaon village in Aurangabad’s Vaijapur taluka. Police said the residents
mistakenly believed that the men had entered the village to commit crimes. 2
men were killed and one seriously injured in that incident.Days later in
Aurangabad, one man was killed after being thrashed by a mob following rumours
on WhatsApp of a man in disguise roaming the area to kidnap children. In
Gondia, a group of 15-20 people beat a man to death believing that he had come
to the area to kidnap children and harvest their kidneys, officers said.Beed
district recorded 3 such incidents, police said. One man was attacked by a mob
after being accused of kidnapping children, a mentally challenged man was
chased away after villagers pelted him with stones. In the third instance, police
booked a man for spreading unverified rumours on WhatsApp.indianexpress
Muslim youth saves 5 Hindus
from getting lynched in Maharashtra
MUMBAI: Hours after 5
people were brutally lynched by a mob in Dhule district on Sunday, a group of
five others, including two women and an infant, had a close shave from another
lynching mob in Nasik district – thanks to the brave act of a local Muslim
youth who risked his own life to save the 5 people.Reports say this group too
had earlier in the day planned to go to Dhule to find daily-wage work but after
one of the women found out her daughter was unwell, they planned to return home
on a train from Manmad, 35km from Malegaon. They arrived in Malegaon to seek
alms and were told by a local that they could get some money near the mosque in
the Roshanabad area, says a report in TOI.However, a report in News18.com says
the incident took place in Manmad. They were originally from Parbhani
district.According to TOI, around 9.30pm, when they were seeking alms, they
spoke in Marathi to a 13-year-old boy who was reportedly returning home from
Arabic classes. The boy couldn’t understand what they were saying as he didn’t
know Marathi and rushed home to tell his parents the group was allegedly
dragging him.This sparked rumours of ‘bachcha chor,’ which spread rapidly via
social media, and a mob soon gathered at the spot near the civic-run Ali Akbar
Hospital and set upon the villagers.The group was just about to be attacked by
the mob but was saved by a local youth identified as Wasim, a fruit-seller, and
some others who promptly pushed all 5 into a house and a small mill stocking
textile raw material. Fruit-seller Shaikh Wasim Shaikh Karim intervened saying
he had seen the group in the town earlier, but that did not pacify the mob.
However, Shaikh Wasim along with his uncle Rasheed Rationwala, on finding an
opportunity, quickly hid the couple and a child in Rationwala’s house nearby
and the other two villagers in the mill room. They kept the surging mob back
until a huge police contingent reached the spot and rescued the group close to
midnight.caravandaily
Now, group of 5 saved
from being lynched in Malegaon
Lynching of Muzaffarnagar
man in Tripura leaves entire village scared in UP
Muzaffarnagar:Sambhalhera
village, home to about 5 thousand people, most of whom are Muslims, has been
mourning for 3 days now.Zahid, the father of 3 children and popular as a friend
in the neighbourhood, was allegedly lynched by a mob in Tripura over rumours of
child-theft. Zahid was buried on Sunday in his village. Thousands of people
attended his funeral procession.This tragic mob lynching, in which Zahid was
killed, took place on June 28 in Sidhai Mohanpur village, situated just 25 km
from Agartala, even as the villagers of Sambhalhera consider it a murder by
goons of the Govt . On June 28, Zahid had gone to Sidhai Mohanpur from Agartala
in the morning on a business visit.He had hired a small vehicle, which was full
of all these goods and clothes. He was accompanied by driver Sopan Miyan. After
the rumour about child theft spread in the Sidhai Mohanpur village, hundreds of
people gheraoed him, suspecting him to be the child thief and beat him up
brutally. Later on, the police tried to save him from the mob and he was locked
in a police station. But according to people, 5 police personnel were
insufficient to control the mob. Mob snatched him from the police and bashed
him up again, this time hitting him seriously on the head.Zahid had been living
in a rented accommodation in Agaratala for last 12 years and local people knew
him well.According to the post-mortem report, the cause of Zahid’s death was
the wound inflicted on his head. According to Agartala SP Ajit Pratap Singh, rumour
about the child theft was absolutely false.Zahid is quite popular in his
village because he was always willing to help his friends and acquaintances out
in difficult times.His elder brother Javed says,“He wanted his photos to appear
in all the big national dailies. Unfortunately, it’s happening after his death.
He was helpful to the poor and now his own kids have become dependent on
others.”3 people have been killed in Tripura in last few days on the rumour of
child theft. Outside Zahid’s home, more than a dozen people are overwhelmed
with the grief over Zahid’s death, their future and their work.Aziz Ahmad says,
“About 300 young men of this village are earning their living by peddling small
things outside their homes. After Zahid’s death, more than 80% boys have come
back home. All these young men are Muslims. If people are assaulted like this,
then they will prefer to be locked inside their homes and go hungry than to go
out and earn a living.”nationalheraldindia
Tripura On Fire: At Least
4 Lynched, Many Injured On Rumours of Child Lifting
1 in 4 girls fears being
abducted, assaulted or raped in public places: Survey
New Delhi: 1 in 4
adolescent girls in the country fear being abducted, physically assaulted or
raped while venturing into public spaces, a new report has revealed. The report
is the result of a survey that analysed the safety perception of girls in
public spaces.The fear is greater among girls in urban areas. About 20% of the
girls in urban areas feared they would be physically assaulted, while 11% feared
rape when stepping out in public spaces. In rural areas, 17% feared physical assault, while 9% feared rape when they leave home.The anxiety
over physical harm, however, is far higher in young women if their fears of
being abducted are factored in.“If one considers the fact that nearly 30% of
the girls interviewed in urban areas and 21% in rural areas fear being abducted while out
of home, and the fact that abduction cases in most instances result in sexual
abuse or worse, the fear of physical harm was actually quite high in the minds
of adolescent girls,” reads the report.And if they do face harassment, 27% of
the girls in urban areas and 20% in
rural areas refrain from telling even family members about it for fear of
restrictions on movement and being reprimanded.Survey, Wings 2018: World of
India’s Girls, has been published by Save Children in India, an NGO. theprint
‘Ram Rajya’, where no
discrimination exists, is ideal form of governance, says Yogi Adityanath
Lucknow:UP CM Yogi
Adityanath has said the ideal form of governance is ‘Ram Rajya’ where no
discrimination against the poor, deprived or any other section exists.“Why have
we accepted Ram Rajya as the best example of governance…because there is no
discrimination of any kind under it…when there is no discrimination against the
poor, deprived and all sections of society honestly get what is rightfully
theirs. This is the reason we have accepted Ram Rajya as the ideal form of
governance,” he said.He said, “People used to instigate Muslims in the name of
Modiji. We have also heard the reality from the Muslims of Gujarat that they
feel most secure in Gujarat. I feel this is the first and biggest example of
good governance.”indianexpress
Modi directs security
agencies, state govts to step up countermeasures against extremism, growing
radicalisation: firstpost
New Delhi: With growing
concerns over indoctrination through social media, end-to-end encrypted apps
and audio-video clips on the dark web,Govt is laying the groundwork with the help of
states to mount a grand offensive against multifaceted radicalisation threats,
in a bid to neutralise potential sources advocating violent extremism.Top
sources in the Govt said the move to
involve various agencies as well as state Govt s to counter violent extremist
ideologies and to promote a message of peace came after PM Narendra Modi expressed concerns over
'sermons' being spread through multimedia platforms and suggested that security
agencies map the areas to identify the locations as well as mediums involved in
spreading indoctrination materials.Modi in a meeting told the top security
brass to use advance technology to detect the origin of the content so that it
can be suitably addressed. Countering violent extremism has not been an easy
task for many countries and it requires careful planning at various levels,
while engaging and empowering the community facing such threats.Modi is learnt
to have also suggested that the officials take initiative for training people
and production of inspirational films for the purpose of de-radicalisation.A
senior intelligence officer claimed police forces in several states have
successfully pre-empted plans of radicalised youths indoctrinated through
materials available on websites and prevented terror actions. He, however,
cautioned that the fight against such elements would need to continue in view
of the prevailing circumstances.
After SC allows NRC
deadline extension, Assam says final draft will be out ‘100% by 30 July’
New Delhi: Authorities in
Assam said they won’t seek any further extensions from the Supreme Court to
publish the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) and added that the list
will be “100 % ” out by the month-end. This came after the Supreme Court Monday
extended its June 30 deadline for publishing the complete draft by a
month.While the final draft was due to be out on 30 June, the Assam coordinator
for NRC had moved the Supreme Court last week seeking an extension on grounds
that the flood situation in the state did not allow the NRC work to be
completed.“The final draft will 100% be out on 30 July. Things are well in
control. There is no problem from the process point of view. It will not get
delayed any further,” NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela told
ThePrint.theprint
Married to Muslim, woman
barred from contesting panchayat polls on Scheduled Tribe seat
Nagpur:Nagpur bench of
the Bombay high court dismissed the nomination of a Gond Scheduled Tribe (ST)
woman for contesting the panchayat elections from a reserved seat, citing her
marriage with a Muslim man. The onus of proving that she isn’t following
Islamic rituals but continues to be a Gond ST lies on the woman, the HC
observed.Shaheda Tabassum’s nomination — for contesting Panchayat Samiti
resident’s election as an ST candidate from Kurkheda sub-division in Gadchiroli
— was rejected after her rival Manoj Sidam moved the HC, demanding the
dismissal of her candidature.Tabassum had filed the nomination in her paternal
name, Sharda Deorao Uike, as the seat was reserved for an ST candidate. She was
originally an ST and embraced Islam after marriage, which makes her a non-ST
and thus ineligible to contest the election, the petitioner pointed out.“In the
facts of the case and considering the proposition laid down in the SC judgment,
it’s held that the woman is not eligible to contest the election as an ST
candidate,” a division bench comprising justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Zaka
Haq said. TOI
MP Govt takes sharp U-turn on proposed liquor ban
After Bihar introduced
Prohibition in 2016, banning the sale of liquor, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had mulled introducing
Prohibition in the state, with an eye on elections.Chouhan subsequently shut 58
liquor shops located within 5 km of the bank of river Narmada during his
‘Narmada Sewa Yatra’, and also promised a blanket ban on the sale of liquor in
the state before the assembly elections, slated for late in 2018. At the time,
Chouhan had announced that shutting of the liquor shops near the banks of the
Narmada was the ‘first phase' of statewide liquor ban.However, Chouhan’s plans
were foiled when Jayant Malaiya, MP Finance Minister said in the state assembly
during the monsoon session that banning sale of liquor would hurt the govt’s
coffers and will also hurt the sentiments of the tribal population of the
state.Malaiya also claimed that "WHO concluded that completed prohibition
on liquor would be irrational in the present context", while replying to a
question by Congress MLA Jitu Patwari. Patwari had asked if any proposal for
statewide liquor ban was under consideration. Malaiya replied in the negative,
saying, “Currently, there is no proposal is under consideration.”Malaiya
further argued that post-Independence, prohibition was imposed in 10
states—Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Gujarat, AP, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala,
Tamil Nadu and Bihar. However, Mizoram, AP, Haryana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
later lifted the ban. Later, Malaiya quoted an American Author, Sam Harris to
convince the house, “Evidence affirms the sound economic theory which predicts
that prohibition of mutually beneficial exchange is doomed to
failure.”nationalheraldindia
Congress alleges Rs1,767
crore land scam by Maha CM
Mumbai Congress has
leveled a sensational allegation against Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis,
accusing him of handing over a prime plot of land in Navi Mumbai to a builder
for a pittance.Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam and party's national
spokesperson Ranjeet Singh Surjewala said that the state Govt has transferred
24 acres of land worth around Rs.1,767 crore, to Paradise Builders, for a
measly Rs.3.60 crore only.IANS
Ex-Bihar minister Monazir
Hassan, senior RJD leader’s daughter join JD(U), praise CM Nitish
Patna: Former Bihar minister Monazir Hassan
and senior RJD leader Ilyas Hussain’s daughter Dr Ashma Parveen on Monday
joined the state’s ruling JD(U) and said they would work to strengthen the
hands of CM Nitish Kumar.For Hassan, 61,
formerly a four-time MLA from Munger and JD(U) MP from Begusarai (2009-2014),
it was homecoming. He had quit JD(U) on July 2, 2014 and joined BJP, singing
paeans for PM Narendra Modi. At that
time, his departure was a big jolt to Nitish Kumar as Hassan was one of JD(U)’s
prominent Muslim faces.“The kind of leadership practised by Nitish Kumar is the
need of the hour. I returned to my home in order to be a part of the
extraordinary campaign he is spearheading for sociopolitical change,” said
Hassan as he took the primary membership of JD(U) in presence of the party’s
state unit president Vashistha Narayan Singh. Over 20 supporters of Hassan also
joined JD(U).newindianexpress
PMO Keen on Regulating
Oxytocin, a Hormone Misused on Cattle for excessively milk
New Delhi: The principal
secretary to PM has asked India’s drug controller to set up a “vigilance
mechanism to check smuggling of oxytocin in any form,” sources in the Govt have told The Wire.Until now, talks concerning
the regulation of oxytocin took place at the levels of Union health ministry
and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).That it was raised at
PMO indicates that the matter is now a policy priority.Oxytocin is an important
and controversial hormone, for both humans and cattle. It is misused on cattle
to increase milk production. This in turn has adverse effects on the health of
cattle as well as humans who consume the milk. However, oxytocin can also be
lifesaving in humans, as it can prevent excessive bleeding during pregnancy,
which is a leading cause for maternal mortality worldwide, including in India,
where lakhs of births do not happen in institutional settings. It is often
colloquially called the ‘love hormone’.thewire
After UK, Australia
passes a parliamentary resolution against discrimination of Dalits
In a big boost towards
raising global awareness on Dalit oppression,Australian Parliament last week
passed a resolution on Discrimination based on Work and Descent (DWD), an UN
initiative banning caste discrimination.Moved by Australian Senators Claire
Moore from the Labor Party and Lee Rhiannon from the Australian Greens, both
left of centre political parties, on June 27, the resolution states 260 million
people across the globe face discrimination based on descent and work.“While
some countries are taking progressive steps towards elimination caste
system,like India and Nepal, they lack structural mechanisms to ensure legal
and legislative rights, especially against violence and discrimination for
Dalits,” states the resolution.Australian resolution also urges the Govt to consider intervention in inclusion and
non-discrimination in humanitarian aid, inclusive recruitment practice and
management practice in all business partners, strengthen policy and human
rights dialogues for elimination of DWD in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka, among others. It further calls for support projects combating
DWD as serious human right violations.Senator Lee Rhiannon told National Herald
that it was an important move as 260 million people across the globe are facing
discrimination based on descent and work. “We all should be concerned about it.
We all have to work to end all kind of discrimination. This resolution talks
about 210 million Dalits in South Asia, especially in India and Nepal,” said
Rhiannon.Asia Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF), an outfit that has been advocating for
Dalit rights, is being credited majorly for lobbying Australian lawmakers to
introduce the resolution.nationalheraldindia
Ex-Principal of BRD Medical College Dr Rajiv
Misra Granted Bail
Former principal of Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical
College Dr Rajiv Misra granted bail by the Supreme Court.thequint
Muslims break part of
Mosque which blocked road development for upcoming Kumbh
Allahabad: Muslim mosque
care-takers in the region themselves demolished the extended part of the mosque
for a development project for the forthcoming Kumbh Mela.In the wake of the preparations
for the Kumbh, which has lakhs of devotees every year; several roads are being
expanded and various development projects are taking place. But, several
religious places were becoming hurdles, as they had some extended parts which
needed to be demolished.Allahabad Development Authority held meetings with
locals and successfully convinced them, following which the care-takers of the
religious place themselves, demolished extended portions paving way for the
development projects for Kumbh.abplive
UP Muslim businessman to
donate land, cash for 51 temples
Lucknow: A Muslim
businessman in Lucknow has announced that he would donate land and money needed
for construction of 51 temples at different locations in UP and Bihar.The
businessman is Rashid Naseem, director of Shine group of companies, and he said
that his announcement is aimed at preserving secular beliefs in society and
preserving communal harmony.“Being a Muslim does not stop me from working
towards betterment of other religions. I think this is a step towards communal
harmony and an attempt to convey the message of brotherhood and peace to the
society. It is simply an example of Ganga-Jamuni’ culture of the region”, he said.
Naseem said that the first temple built by him is nearing completion on the
Allahabad-Varanasi highway and will be inaugurated in the Hindu month of
“Saawan”.“We plan to complete the construction of 21 temples by the end of this
year. And will complete our target of 51 temples by the end of 2019”, he said. Realtor
who considers PM Narendra Modi as his inspiration, claims that he travels
approximately 50,000 km every month to check on his different business
ventures.asianage
SC dismisses PIL seeking SIT probe in PNB
fraud, says ‘unwarranted assertions’ made against PM
New Delhi:Dismissing a PIL seeking a
court-monitored probe into various financial scams, including the PNB fraud
case, the Supreme Court Tuesday observed that “unwarranted and vexatious
assertions” have been made against the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister
in the petition.A bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra expressed strong displeasure
over the allegations made in the petition against the Prime Minister and the
Finance Minister. “In view of the unwarranted, uncalled for and vexatious
assertions made in the petition, we are not inclined to entertain this
petition. The petition is dismissed,” the bench, which also comprised Justices
A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.indianexpress
WORLD
Israel seeks 1,000 new settlement units in
East Jerusalem
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180703-israel-seeks-1000-new-settlement-units-in-east-jerusalem/
Israel’s Planning and Building Committee has
submitted 6 settlement plans to be implemented in occupied Jerusalem, Israeli
media sources revealed today.The plans include the construction of 1,000
housing units with the aim of extending Pisgat Zeev settlement east of occupied
Jerusalem.The sources pointed out that the project is the largest of its kind
to be implemented in occupied Jerusalem over the past 2 years. There are
700,000 Israeli settlers living in West Bank settlements.middleeastmonitor
UN decries Israeli plans to demolish Bedouin
community
Geneva: UN on Tuesday voiced concerns over a
Palestinian Bedouin community at risk of being demolished by Israel within
days."We are deeply concerned at reports that the Palestinian Bedouin
community of Khan al Ahmar-Abu al Helu is set to be demolished by the Israeli
authorities in the coming days," Liz Throssell, UN human rights office
spokeswoman, told a press conference at the UN in Geneva on Tuesday.Noting that
the community is home to 181 people -- more than half of them children --
Throssell said: "We call on the Israeli authorities not to proceed with
the demolition of Khan al Ahmar-Abu al Helu, to respect the rights of residents
to remain on their land and have their status regularized."For more than a
decade, residents of Khan al Ahmar, located near where large Israeli
settlements have been established, have resisted efforts to move them to make
way for settlement expansion.According to the UN, the planning regime adopted
by Israel in this area is “discriminatory” and violates international
law.Anadolu agency
Most Israelis think Trump peace plan will
fail: Survey
Jerusalem:A new public opinion poll in Israel
suggests that most Israelis believe a backchannel US Middle East peace plan --
dubbed the “Deal of the Century” -- will fail. The same poll found that most
Israelis believe that US President Donald Trump is working in Israel’s best interest.
The survey, conducted by Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University, found
that 74%of Israelis believe Trump’s peace plan -- details of which remain vague
-- will fail to gain any traction. Slightly more – 77%-- believe Trump is
working in Israel’s best interest, according to the poll. Meanwhile, 74% of
Israelis surveyed believe Israel’s interests are “moderately important” or
“very important” to US president, while 94.5%of Israel’s Arab citizens believe
the same. Anadolu agency
Hamas invited for reconciliation talks in
Cairo
Gaza City:Palestinian resistance group Hamas
has been invited by Egypt for talks on inter-Palestinian reconciliation and
tension along border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, according to a Hamas
source on Tuesday.The invitation was extended to Hamas political chief Ismail
Haniyeh during a phone call with Egyptian intelligence official responsible for
the Palestinian issue, the source told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity
because he was unauthorized to speak to media.The source expected that Hamas
will send a high-level delegation to Cairo for the talks.The discussions are
expected to focus on the stalled reconciliation talks between Hamas and rival
Fatah group and tension along Gaza-Israel border, the source said.On Monday,
Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad, who is also the an executive committee member of
the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said Egypt has invited
Palestinian factions for reconciliation talks in Cairo.Anadolu
Israel enacts law to freeze Palestinian funds
equal to prisoners’ stipends
Israel enacted a law on Monday to financially
penalize the Palestinian Authority for paying stipends to Palestinians jailed
by Israel, their families, and the families of those killed by Israeli forces.
120-seat parliament voted 87-15 in favour of the legislation that orders
holding back part of the roughly $130 million in tax revenues that Israel
collects on behalf of Palestinians each month under interim peace agreements. Western-backed
PA headed by President Mahmoud Abbas has limited self-rule in the occupied West
Bank where Israel retains overall security control. Palestinians seek a state
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu has repeatedly demanded that the Palestinians, who view prisoners as
national heroes, stop paying stipends to them and their families.Israeli Defence
Minister Avigdor Lieberman wrote on Twitter after the vote: “We promised to
halt the stipend free-for-all for terrorists and we have made good on our
promise. It’s over. Every shekel that Abu Mazen (Abbas) will pay to terrorists
and murderers will be automatically deducted from PA’s budget.”MEMO
Israel freezes funds for Palestinian
prisoners' families
Lebanon, Israel exchange messages through US
Israel and Lebanon are holding indirect talks
using the US as a messenger, Israeli media has reported.During a meeting in
Washington a few days ago, US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford
conveyed a messaged from Lebanon to his Israeli counterpart, Lt. General Gadi
Eisenkot.This came after a similar meeting took place between the American
official and the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Joseph Aoun,
days earlier, the Jerusalem Post reported.The paper said it is believed that
the officials discussed US and Israeli concerns about Hezbollah’s influence in
Lebanon. According to the paper, since 2006 the United States has provided the
Lebanese Forces with military equipments worth about $1.7 billion since 2006
while arms exports from Washington to Beirut continue, noting that Acting
Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Tina Kaidanow had
confirmed that Washington takes all necessary measures to make sure that such
weapons do not reach the hands of Hezbollah.Israel’s Walla news site said Lebanese
army chief of staff received in Washington a message from the Israeli Govt warning of possible provocations by Hezbollah
after the war in Syria ends and militia fighters return to their homeland.MEMO
Libya’s Haftar had lengthy meeting with
Israeli intelligence officer
Sources close to Libya’s strongman, General
Khalifa Haftar said that he had an extended meeting with an Israeli
intelligence officer earlier this month in the Jordanian capital, Amman, to
“deepen security coordination between him and Israel”.The source, who preferred
not to be named told al- Araby al- Jadeed newspaper Monday that “Haftar has
asked that Israeli security forces intensify their presence in southern Libya
to cut off French and Italian desire to control the region”.The source added
that Haftar promised the Israeli officer that he will provide safe centers for
Israel especially in Sabha, which is in the middle of the Libyan desert.Western
media sources have previously revealed that Israel has provided intelligence
and possibly military support to Haftar over the past years.According to the
source, Haftar contacts the Israelis through various channels, including the
Israeli-Canadian security advisor, Ari Ben Manachi and the Likud party member,
Oren Hazan of Libyan origins.MEMO
Imam of Grand Mosque in Mecca Sheikh Sudais heckled
for supporting Saudi's war on Yemen, Qatar blockade
A video of a man heckling the imam of Mecca's
Grand Mosque, Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, went viral on social media last week, as
the imam was questioned over his views on Yemen and Qatar.During a talk he gave
at a mosque in Switzerland, the Saudi imam was bombarded with questions from an
audience member, who asked him: “How can you lecture us about peace while you
boycott and starve your brothers in Yemen and Qatar?”The audience member starts
by saying “may God be with you,” before adding: “I have a question.” Sudais,
who had been giving a talk on security, can be seen trying to leave without
responding to the heckler, while listeners gather around the questioner.
Algerian man also had questions for Sudais on his alleged support for coups in
Algeria, Egypt and Turkey, calling him a “preacher of falsehood”. Social media
users were quick to support the heckler as the video rapidly spread amongst
users. The heckler questioned Sudais on these comments, asking: “How can
America and Saudi Arabia lead the nations of the world towards peace and stand
over people in peace?”middleeasteye
Nigeria: Imam saves over 250 Christians from
armed cattle herders
Plateau State: Showing an example in this era
of violence and hatred, an Imam in Plateau State in Nigeria's central region
last Saturday risked his own life to save more than 250 Christians from the
armed Muslim cattle herders. Around 262 men, women and children were fleeing
from a neighbouring village - a mainly Christian community when they came under
attack from about 300 well-armed men - suspected cattle herders, who were
mostly Muslims.They started shooting sporadically and burning down their homes.
Some of those who managed to escape ran towards mainly Muslim neighbourhood
nearby where the imam lived, arriving over the next hour. The cleric
immediately came to their aid, hiding in total 262 men, women and children in
his home and mosque, BBC reported Sunday."I first took the women to my
personal house to hide them. Then I took the men to mosque,"Imam told BBC
Pidgin.ummid.com
Malaysia 1MDB scandal: Ex-PM Najib Razak
arrested
Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak has been arrested in Kuala Lumpur,
state media reported, as part of probe into alleged theft and money-laundering
at the 1MDB state investment fund.Najib's family lawyer told Channel News Asia
on Tuesday that the ex-leader would be charged for his role in the 1MDB scandal
the next day. Earlier on Tuesday, Malaysia's anti-corruption agency questioned
Riza Aziz, the stepson of Najib and a Hollywood film producer.Alleged
corruption at the 1MDB fund helped bring on the unexpected defeat of Najib's
coalition in the May 9 polls. The new Govt reopened investigations that were stifled
while Najib was in office.Riza was solemn as he arrived at anti-graft office
and didn't speak to reporters.aljazeera
Google allowing 3rd-party developers to scan
your Gmail: WSJ report
Despite assuring users to "remain
confident that Google will keep privacy and security paramount",search
giant is still reportedly allowing third-party app developers scan through
Gmail accounts, Wall Street Journalclaimed.Google "continues to let
hundreds of outside software developers scan the inboxes of millions of Gmail
users who signed up for email-based services offering shopping price
comparisons, automated travel-itinerary planners or other tools," report said.
Facebook says Saavn, Airtel among companies
that got special access to user data
Music streaming app Saavn and telecom firm
Airtel are among the dozens of companies that received either a special,
one-time exemption from Facebook after it cut off access to user data in 2015
or signed data sharing agreements with the social networking giant as part of
an “integration partnership”.This information comes from new written
submissions made by the Silicon Valley-based technology firm to US Congress. These
hitherto unreported deals with app developers and software makers represent
what analysts and media reports are calling the “most granular explanation of
exemptions” that Facebook gave companies with regard to accessing user data. The
company disclosed the existence of 2 groups of deals, each with separate
permissions and restrictions.Saavn is part of a group of 61 companies that were
given a temporary exemption to a block on apps accessing details about users’
friends.thewire
US aims to reduce Iran's oil revenue to zero
US State Dept.has spelled out a campaign of
"maximum economic and diplomatic pressure" to drive Iran towards
negotiating a "better" deal to replace Iran nuclear deal. State Dept.Director
of Policy Planning Brian Hook told reporters on Monday that Iran is not a
"normal" country and must meet 12 demands in order to be relieved of
US sanctions.aljazeera
Iran, world powers to meet on nuclear deal in
Vienna on Friday: Tehran
The foreign ministers of Iran and 5 world
powers still party to the 2015 nuclear deal will meet in Vienna on Friday for
talks on the troubled accord, state media in Tehran said.The top diplomats of
Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia will join Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Austrian capital, Iran’s official IRNA reported,
for their first talks together on the deal since US President Donald Trump
announced 2 months ago he was abandoning the pact.AFP
Anti-Govt protesters injured in Iran's Khuzestan
Iranian state media says a number of people
have been wounded during two days of clashes between police and protesters
across the southeastern region of Khuzestan.Eleven people were hurt after
unknown gunmen fired shots during a demonstration in the city of
Abadan.Protesters have been demanding a clean drinking water supply in their
region and other basic necessities.aljazeera
Iran diplomat among 6 arrested over suspected
plot against opposition meeting
An Iranian diplomat has been arrested along
with two people suspected of plotting a bomb attack on a meeting of an exiled
Iranian opposition group in France attended by Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy
Giuliani, Belgian authorities said on Monday.3 other arrests were made in
France.Several former European and Arab ministers also attended the meeting of
the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) – an umbrella
bloc of opposition groups in exile that seek an end to Shi’ite Muslim clerical
rule in Iran.Iran’s foreign minister called the news a sinister “false-flag
ploy” and said Tehran was ready to work with all concerned parties to get to
the bottom of it.2 suspects in Belgium were intercepted by Belgian police on
Saturday, with 500 grams of TATP, a home-made explosive produced from easily
available chemicals, as well as a detonation device found in their car, a joint
statement by the Belgian prosecutor and the intelligence services said.Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani is due to visit Austria on Wednesday. Belgian
statement gave no further details about diplomat, other than saying they were
suspected of having been in contact with Belgian pair arrested.MEMO
Ex-Egypt mufti Ali Gomaa: June 30 coup against
Morsi Govt is like the Prophet’s conquest of Makkah
Egypt’s former grand mufti, Ali Gomaa, has
stoked controversy once again by likened the June 30 coup, which prematurely
ended the term of the country’s first democratically elected President Mohamed
Morsi to the victory granted to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in Makkah.In an
interview reported by CNN Arabic, Gomaa said that the revolution is one of the
days of Allah, a day when God honoured the believers and made them victorious.
It is like “the opening of Makkah and the day of the birth of the Prophet
Muhammrd where God removed the despair of the nation from the devils,” he
added.This isn’t the first time Gomma has used his position to excuse the
brutality of the Egyptian regime using religious slogans. Previously he
encouraged Egyptian soldiers to kill protestors saying:“Shoot them in the
heart…Blessed are those who kill them, and those who are killed by them...We
must cleanse our Egypt from these riffraff…They shame us…They stink. This is
how God has created them. They are hypocrites and seceders…Stand your ground.
God is with you, and the Prophet Muhammed is with you, and the believers are
with you…Numerous visions have attested that the Prophet is with you. May God
destroy them, may God destroy them, may God destroy them. Amen!”MEMO
UN warns of largest population displacement in
S.Syria
Geneva:UN has urged Jordan to keep its border
open following the largest population displacement in southern Syria since the
start of the war."We call on the Jordanian government to keep its border
open and for other countries in the region to step up and receive the fleeing
civilians," Liz Throssell, UN human rights office spokeswoman, told a
press conference at the UN in Geneva.Thousands of refugees have been stranded,
without adequate shelter, at the border with Jordan, Throssell warned." The
situation in Daraa appears to be worsening, with escalating attacks that are
heavily impacting civilians. We urge all parties to the conflict to protect
civilians in southwestern Syria, and to protect those attempting to flee,"
Throssell said. "We have seen a dramatic increase in displacements over
the weekend, and estimates have reached 270-330,000 people," Bettina
Luescher, UN World Food Program spokeswoman, separately said in Geneva on
Tuesday.Anadolu Agency
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
How BJP’s IT Cell Turned into Frankenstein’s
Monster:Vikram Zutshi
‘No Bullet Can Kill An Idea’: Kashmir Scribes
Hold Series of Protests After Bukhari’s Assassination
'Egyptian society being crushed' five years
after military coup:by Zena Tahhan
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 4:57 PM)
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