NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
09 July 2018:24 Shawwal 1439: Vol:10, No:61
INDIA
2012 Delhi gangrape: SC upholds death sentence
for 3 convicts, dismisses review petition
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has upheld the
death sentence of three of the four convicts in the Dec 16 2012 Delhi gangrape
and murder of a 23-year-old woman saying there was no error in the judgment.3
had filed a review petition after the top court upheld the death sentences on
May 5, 2017.A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices R
Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan delivered its judgment on the pleas of Mukesh (29),
Pawan Gupta (22) and Vinay Sharma (23).The four death row convict, Akshay Kumar
Singh (31), did not file a review petition against the apex court’s order on
May 5, 2017.“Review applications cannot be entertained.. convict cannot be
allowed to re-agitate the grounds of appeal. There has to be an apparent error
on record to show it resulted in miscarriage of justice,” the bench said in its
judgement.“The death row convicts failed to point out ‘error’ in the
judgement,” the court said. “Convicts were heard elaborately during appeals and
no grounds have been made out for review of its verdict.”The top court in its
2017 verdict had upheld the capital punishment awarded to them by the trial
court and confirmed by the Delhi high court in the case of gangrape and murder
of a 23-year-old paramedic student on Dec. 16, 2012 that had left the country
shocked and outraged.One of the accused in the case, Ram Singh, had allegedly
committed suicide in the capital’s Tihar jail.A juvenile, who was among the
accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board. He was released from a
reformation home after serving a 3-year term.HT
SC bars ‘outsiders’ from praying in Taj Mahal
Mosque, upholds Agra authority order
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed a
plea challenging the Agra authority's order which barred non-residents of the
city from offering Friday prayers at a mosque in the Taj Mahal complex.A bench
of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said the Taj Mahal was one of the seven
wonders of the world and people can offer their prayers at other mosques also.The
petition had challenged the Jan.24, 2018 order passed by ADM (City) Agra which
said that those who are not residents of Agra, would not be allowed to enter
the mosque situated at the Taj Mahal for offering customary prayers on Fridays
on grounds of security.Petitioner Syed Ibrahim Hussain Zaidi, president of Taj
Mahal Masjid Management Committee, Agra, told the bench that several tourists
visit Agra throughout the year and the order of ADM (City), Agra restraining
them from offering their prayers at the mosque inside the Taj Mahal was illegal
and arbitrary."Why for such prayers they should go to the Taj Mahal,"
the bench said, adding "There are other mosques also. They can offer their
prayers there." news18
SC junks plea against Agra authority order
barring outsiders at mosque in Taj Mahal
SC refuses to delay tomorrow's Section 377
hearing, rejects Centre's plea for more time to file response
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has admonished
the Centre for its delay in filing a response to petitions against Section 377
of IPC, and said it wouldn't grant it more time. Section 377 of IPC
criminalises homosexuality. The Centre had requested the SC for more time to
file its response to the petitions. The Constitution Bench of the top court
will tomorrow hear petitions against Section 377 of the IPC.The SC said the
matter had been pending for a while and the Centre should have filed its
response by now."We will go ahead with the scheduled hearing. We will not
adjourn it. You (Centre) file whatever you want during the hearing", said
a bench of CJI Dipak Kisra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud.TOI
No place for Sharia court, this isn't Islamic
Republic of India, says BJP spokesperson Lekhi; Muslim Law Board says SC
allowed it, observing it's not a parallel court
New Delhi: BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi disapproved
the idea of establishing a Shariat court in all districts across the country as
proposed by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). Lekhi said that there
is no place for such court in India, as it is not an 'Islamic Republic of
India.' "You can discuss religious matters but court binds this nation.
There is no place for Shariat Court, be it at district or village or city level.
This is not the Islamic Republic of India," Lekhi said.Union Minister PP
Chaudhary said, if a Shariat Court is formed, verdict passed by such court
would be against the Indian Constitution and so is not enforceable."As far
as the opening of a court is concerned, it can only be in accordance with law
and body opening it, should be competent under the law. Any verdict given by
such court is against Constitution and so is not enforceable," Chaudhary
said. Even the Congress party spurned the proposal and termed the idea against
the Indian Constitution. Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said the special
provision of a particular religion is always taken care by the Supreme Court
and High Court and hence any other court is not needed."I do not subscribe
to the idea. It is completely against the India Constitution.We have a
well-established constitution, whenever there is a specific provision of a
particular religion that is also being taken care by the Supreme Court and the
High Court. I do not think there is a need to establish a Shariat court in all
the districts," Rajeev Shukla said.JDU's national secretary general KC
Tyagi also disapproved the need to establish such courts.Talking to ANI on
AIMPLB’s plans to open Shariat courts in all districts of the country, Zafaryab
Jilani, a member of the board said, “Muslim Personal Law Board started it in
India in 1993. This is nothing new. The central Govt has no relation with it. SC had also allowed
it to continue while observing that it's not a parallel court.” "We don't call it Shariat court. It's
Darul Qaza, where Qazi solves matrimonial disputes or suggests ways for
separations if issues aren't solved. This will only help people, especially
women, to seek justice. We discuss this in all our meetings, and will once
again take it up in our next meeting on July 15," he
said.newindianexpress/ANI
Now, Sharia courts across India? Congress
leader backs AIMPLB plan, Swamy says – ‘Arrest them’
AIMPLB, Shia Waqf Board lock horns over
Shariat court
Amartya Sen hits out at Modi govt, says India
has taken a quantum jump in wrong direction since 2014
New Delhi:Nobel laureate and renowned
economist Amartya Sen has criticised BJP-led central Govt, stating that the
country has taken a “quantum jump in the wrong direction” since 2014. “Things
have gone pretty badly wrong… It has taken a quantum jump in the wrong direction
since 2014. We are getting backwards in the fastest-growing economy,”Sen said. The
economist was speaking during the launch of Bharat Aur Uske Virodhabhas’, Hindi
edition of his book ‘An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradiction’ that he
co-authored with development economist Jean Dreze.With the economy on a
downslide, Sen said, the country is now second worst in the subcontinent
region. Of the six countries in the region–India was the second best after Sri
Lanka 20 years ago. “Now, it is the second worst. Pakistan has managed to
shield us from being the worst.” He further said the Govt has also deflected from issues of inequalities
and the caste system. He pointed out that there were a whole group of people,
those who clean lavatories or sewage with their hands whose demands and needs
have been neglected.Highlighting the recent report of a Dalit youth who was
whipped for asking a salary hike from the manager of a petrol pump in MP, he
said they (dalit) are going around without any kind of certainty about their
next meal, healthcare or education.Taking a dig at the BJP-led Govt , the
economist added that during freedom struggle it was difficult to see that a
political battle could be won by playing up the Hindu identity, but that has
changed now. “But, that has happened. Which is why, at this time, the whole
issue of Opposition unity is so important,” 84-year-old economist said. “It is
not a battle of one entity against the other (or) Modi against Rahul Gandhi, it
is an issue of what India is,” Sen addedCommenting on PM Narendra Modi’s ambitious healthcare
scheme–Ayushmann Bharat, development economist and activist Jean Dreze termed
the soon-to-be launched scheme a “hoax” as it was actually not big as it was
being claimed to be. “The budget (for the scheme) for this year is 2,000 crore.
Even if it is spent, it’s less than 20 rupees per person,” he
said.indianexpress
India’s call on US sanctions against Iran oil
will be in national interest: Union Minister Pradhan
New Delhi:Union Minister for Petroleum and
Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has said India sees the US sanctions on Iran as
a ‘challenge’ given its close ties with both countries, but will take a
‘considered and comprehensive’ view, based on ‘national interest’, and find a
way to secure its energy needs: His comments come a week before a US
expert-level delegation arrives in India, on July 16 and 17, to discuss
sanctions with Petroleum Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs experts and
share each other’s perspective on its impact on global oil markets.India, led
by private players, purchased around 10% of its crude oil from Iran in 2016-17,
but the figure has risen to 18% this year with 33 million tons of crude being
imported.In an interview, Pradhan underlined the importance of ties with both
countries. “We have a special strategic relationship with US. We have a
historic, cultural and civilisational relationship with Iran. Iran is also a
factor in India-Afghanistan relationship because of its geographic proximity.
Our economic interests are tied to both. Govt will take a comprehensive
view.”When asked how it will deal with the fallout of the sanctions, the
minister said, “Let us wait and watch. The Govt has a considered view. National interest is
paramount and we will align our decision on that.”HT
90% of BJP candidates will lose in upcoming polls:BJP
MP
Faridabad: BJP has neither "intent"
nor the "right policies" and 90% of the candidates who contest as its
nominees in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls will lose, Raj Kumar
Saini, the BJP's MP from Haryana's Kurukshetra claimed today.aini, who has
repeatedly criticised BJP in recent times, was addressing a 'Loktantra Bachao'
(Save Democracy) rally in the Tigaon village in Kurukshetra district.BJP does
not have the right policies nor does it have the right intent and 90 % of those who contest on the party's ticket in
the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls will lose, he said.Saini also
attacked the Indian National Lok Dal claiming a party whose leaders faced
serious corruption charges was dreaming of coming to power in the state.PTI
389 people died in communal riots in last 4 yrs
There have been “no big communal riots” in
India over the past four years, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister for
Minority Affairs, said recently. Naqvi’s claim is not true, according to
Indiaspend’s analysis of Govt data.3 “major communal incidents” were reported
in (Baduria-Basirhat district North 24 Parganas, West Bengal) 2017, (Hazinagar,
West Bengal) 2016 and (Saharanpur, UP ) 2014, according to the home ministry’s
annual reports, with no “major communal incidents” reported in 2015.A “major”
communal incident is one that results in more than 5 deaths or leaves over 10
people injured. An incident that results in one death or 10 injured is termed
as “important or significant”.As many as 2,920 “communal incidents” were
reported in India over 4 years ended 2017, in which 389 people were killed and
8,890 injured, according to the home ministry’s reply to the Lok Sabha on
Feb.6, 2018 and Feb.7, 2017. UP —
India’s most populous state — reported the highest number of incidents (645) over
the last 4 years, followed by 9th— most populous, Karnataka (379), and the 2nd-most
populous, Maharashtra (316). UP also reported the highest number of deaths in
these communal incidents (121) between 2014 and 2017, followed by Rajasthan (36)
and Karnataka (35).IndiaSpend
Kathua rape-murder a conspiracy of terror
groups: lawyer of accused
Jammu: Ankur Sharma, lawyer for the main
accused in the Kathua gangrape-murder of a minor girl, on Sunday urged Governor
NN Vohra to immediately order a CBI inquiry into the case. The rape-murder
case, he said, “appears to be a big conspiracy of terrorist organisations’’.
Describing the previous Mehbooba Govt as
“Wahabi, Salafi, Islami and Jihadi”, he also asked the Governor to withdraw
minutes of the Tribal Affairs Department meeting chaired by then CM on Feb.14
as these gave “clear directions to the state Govt to provide immunity to land
encroachers and bovine smugglers and slaughterers superseding law of the
land’’.“Rape-murder case and Feb14 minutes of the meeting were inter-related
with a clear agenda on how to convert the Hindu majority into a minority in
Jammu to enable Mehbooba Mufti and mainstream political parties of Kashmir
fulfill separatists and terrorists’ agenda of 100% Islamisation of J&K,’’
he added.He said, “With full responsibility and on the basis of information and
evidence gathered, I say that the rape and murder is in fact a terror
killing.”indianexpress
Even Lord Ram cannot stop rapes, crimes
against women: BJP MLA in UP
Varanasi: A BJP MLA in UP has stoked controversy by saying on Sunday
that even Lord Ram would not have been able to stop the rising incidents of
rape and crimes against women.“I can say this with conviction that even Lord
Ram will not be able to prevent such instances. This is natural pollution,
which has not left anybody untouched,”said Surendra Singh, who represents
Bairia seat, on being asked about the recent molestation incident, a video of
which went viral on social media.As a solution, Surendra Singh suggested, “It
is people’s responsibility to treat others as their family, as their sisters.
We can only control it through values, not constitution.”HT
We believe in Yogi Adityanath's assurance on
Ram Temple in Ayodhya: VHP
Gorakhpur:Vice-President of VHP Champatrai
today expressed "full faith" in UP CM Yogi Adityanath's assurance
that the Ram Temple will be built soon in Ayodhya but urged people to have
patience."VHP is determined on the issue of Ram Temple.We know Lord Rama
was born in Ayodhya and it is also true that there was a temple where he is
virajmaan now.We cannot let Ayodhya turn into a Muslim university or an Islamic
centre," he told reporters in Gorakhpur, the home turf of
Adityanath."The way in which CM has made us believe that soon Ram Temple
will be constructed in Ayodhya, I have full faith in him that it will happen.
We need to have patience," he said.PTI
2013 Parbhani Masjid blast: Imam to appeal
against acquittals of accused
Mumbai: Imam of Mohammedya Masjid in Parbhani
has approached the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay HC seeking permission to file
a criminal appeal against the acquittal of 4 accused in the 2003 Parbhani
masjid blast case. Earlier, he had filed a review petition in the court which
he withdrew and is in the process of filing an appeal to challenge acquittal of
all the accused because the scope of review petition is small.“Yes, an appeal
is being filed in the high court to challenge the acquittal of all the accused
in the Parbhani masjid blast case,” said Hafiz Nadeem, the head of the legal
department of Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra, which provides legal help to Hafiz
Abdul Qadeer, the imam of Mohammadya masjid and also the original complainant
in the blast case.According to a lawyer, the review petition was filed in a
hope that the state will file the appeal against the acquittal of the accused
but even after one-and-half years the Govt didn’t file the appeal challenging the trial
court judgment. So, the Imam, the original complainant, is now filing the
appeal. “A petition is already filed in the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high
court seeking leave to file the appeal against the acquittal,” said the lawyer.
The contention of the petitioner is that the trial court failed to consider
material evidence against the accused.It may be recalled that on August 18,
2016 a Sessions court in Parbhani had acquitted Maroti Keshwarao Wagh, Yogesh
Ravindra Deshpande, Sanjay alias Bharauo Vittal Chowdhari and Rakesh Dhawade.
ASIAN AGE
AMU seeks legal opinion on UPSCST Commission
notice
Agra: AMU has sought a legal opinion to assess
if they are answerable to the State Commission or not, after the UP SC/ST
Commission, which has served them a notice for not implementing Dalit
reservation in the university. The institute has been asked by the commission
to reply by August 8. AMU spokesperson Shafey Kidwai said, "We are
consulting our legal team whether central universities come into the purview of
the commission or not." A decision to respond to the notice will only be
taken after examining the legal opinion.UP SC/ST Commission chairperson
Brijlal, however, had clarified earlier that summons will be issued to the
university if they fail to respond to the notice within the stipulated
timeframe.In a 6 page notice, the Commission had disapproved of AMU's stand of
not providing quota to Dalit students.According to reports, Union Minister for
Human Resource Development Prakash Javaedkar has also justified the queries of
the SC/ST Commission. He said that the Commission is a legal statuary body and
had raised valid questions.TOI
Next J&K CM must be a Hindu or Sikh: Swamy
New Delhi: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has
demanded that the next CM of J&K should be a Hindu.BJP leader indicated
that the “tradition” of having only Muslim CM s in the state was “imposed” by
India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, and it was time to do away with that
tradition. “If PDP has a Hindu or a Sikh member, we can make that member the
CM,” Swamy was quoted as telling news agency ANI. “The tradition imposed by
Nehru that there would only be a Muslim CM in J&K will not be
tolerated.”After days of backroom negotiations, hopes of a new Govt forming in J&K
have somewhat brightened, reports suggest. The only sticking point now is over CM's
post, it is believed. According to a report in Indian Express, the talks are
being held between the BJP, rebel PDP MLAs and the Sajad Lone-led People's
Conference Times Now Sources told IE
that BJP was willing to accommodate other demands, but was clear that the CM
post should go to it. The names of BJP’s Jammu leader Jitendra Singh and Lone
are doing the rounds as potential CM candidates.timesnownews
IPS officer's brother joins militant ranks in
Kashmir
Srinagar:On militant commander Burhan Wani's
anniversary on Sunday, militant group Hizbul Mujahideen released pictures of
new recruits that include brother of an IPS officer.Shamsul Haq Mengnoo, 25, a
resident of south Kashmir’s Shopian, was pursuing his BUMS from a Govt college
at Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar and went missing from May. Shamsul’s
elder brother Inamul Haq is 2012 IPS batch officer who is posted in north
East.“Yes, Shamsul has joined Hizbul,” a police officer said.The picture of
Shamsul holding a gun shows his date of joining militant ranks on May 25,
2018. His code name shown in the picture
is Burhan Sani. Over the past two years, it has been a trend of the new age
militants they announce their joining by releasing pictures with guns on social
media. Shamsul is the fourth
highly-educated youth to join militant ranks this year. Hizb has reportedly also released pictures of
over a dozen other new recruited militants on Burhan's anniversary. Over 50 youth already have joined militant
ranks so far this year.Meanwhile, normal life was affected across Kashmir
Valley on death anniversary of militant commander Burhan Wani. His killing in 2016 had triggered a 6 month
long unrest that led to the killing of nearly 80 people. Authorities had imposed curfew in Tral- the
native town of Wani and restrictions were imposed in many part of Srinagar to
ensure peaceful day.tribuneindia
Militant, civilian killed in separate
incidents in Kashmir
Srinagar:Initial reports suggest suspected
militants on Sunday night around 11 p.m. barged into the house of PDP worker
Abdul Majeed Dar in Shahgund area of Bandipora. “The militants intended to
kidnap the PDP worker. However, his wife Shakeela resisted it. In the scuffle,
the woman was stabbed. She succumbed to her injuries in a Srinagar hospital
later,” said a police official.Contrary to the police statement, Dar said the
armed men “were looking for gold and cash”.“These men asked for the keys of the
locker in the house. They took away cash worth Rs. 3 lakh and the gold of my
daughter,” Mr. Dar said. The police said it has registered a case and started
an investigation. Meanwhile, an unidentified militant was killed early this
morning in an overnight encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of J&K
, police said.thehindu
Congress’ Alpesh Thakor says MLAs have power
to do ‘Janata Raids’, police slam vigilantism
Gandhinagar: Gujarat Police have questioned
the act of Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, youth leader Hardik Patel and
Independent legislator Jignesh Mevani in conducting a ‘raid’ on the house of a
woman at Adivada village in Gandhinagar, and claiming to have recovered two
pouches of countrymade liquor from her, calling it irresponsible
vigilantism.Based on the complaint of 55-year-old Kanchanba Makwana, a widow and
mother of four, who accused the three youth leaders and the 15-20 supporters
they came with of planting the liquor, police have registered an FIR against
them. On July 5, Hardik, Thakor, Mevani and the others had conducted what they
called ‘Janata Raid’ at Makwana’s residence, claiming they were acting on
“information” that contrymade liquor was sold there. The trio later released a
video of the ‘raid’, and showed two pouches saying these were “recovered during
the raid”. Defending their actions,Thakor said, “Under the provisions of the
Representation of People Act, elected members of a Legislative Assembly are
called Gazetted Officers who are empowered to conduct Janata Raid.” However, he
couldn’t recall the “exact section” which said this.indianexpress
Jharkhand: 16 preachers held for ‘conversion
bid’
Jharkhand Police have arrested 16 preachers,
including 7 women,for allegedly trying to convert local residents to
Christianity and making objectionable comments against tribal places of worship
in Dumka. All 16 were booked under the Freedom of Religion Act, which came into
force last year. Dumka SP Kishore Kaushal said: “An FIR was registered on basis
of a gram pradhan’s complaint in the matter. Following initial investigation,16
people have been arrested, who are allegedly preachers. Further probe is
on.”According to complaint registered at Shikaripara police station by Ramesh
Murmu, pradhan of Phool Pahari village, the 16 preachers had arrived in a bus
from West Bengal on Thursday evening. Murmu alleged that they put up
loudspeakers in the village and began inviting people to gather and that they
spoke about Christianity and asked people to join it.Police said at least 10 of
the arrested had come from West Bengal’s Birbhum district. “Others were from
different places in Dumka and Godda. West Bengal’s Birbhum is adjacent to
Shikaripara border and the bus had come from there,” said police.Indian Express
Lynch mobs acted with impunity knowing victims
lived on margins
A migrant worker, three mentally challenged
men, a patient undergoing treatment for depression, 2 members of a denotified
tribe, a “colourfully dressed” visitor outside a dargah, 5 nomads. Of the 20
people lynched in the last 3 months across the country by murderous mobs
fuelled by rumours of child-lifters, 13 were “soft targets” from the margins of
society, who are the “most vulnerable to such attacks”, an investigation by
Indian Express has revealed.Police records accessed by Indian Express of 27
lynchings from 9 states over 1 year also show that in all these cases, there
was no previous enmity involved.All the victims were strangers trapped in areas
inflamed by rumours, mainly over social media, of child kidnappers on the
prowl.Unfortunately, all victims happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong
time, says Bipin Bihari, Additional DGP, Maharashtra.ADGP says,“The fact that
most the victims were from the marginalised sections suggests that there probably
was no fear among the mob of the consequences. In all the cases reported in
Maharashtra, the victims were strangers, especially tribals or nomads who
failed to convince the mob or present their side of the story
convincingly.”indianexpress
Dhule lynching: Another man seen in video
assaulting victims nabbed; total arrests now 26
Mumbai: Dhule Police on Sunday arrested 1 more
person who is believed to have led the mob in the July 1 lynching case in which
five nomads were killed on the suspicion of being child lifters in Rainpada
hamlet, around 350 kilometres from Mumbai. Dashrath Timbalke (35), a resident
of Rainpada, was arrested from the neighbouring district by a team of the local
crime branch.“Timbalke is seen in the video wearing a white shirt and
assaulting the victims with an iron rod. Based on reliable information, a crime
branch team nabbed Timbalke and brought him to Dhule,” said Dhule
Superintendent of Police M Ramkumar.The police so far has found 40 clips of the
incident that were shot by bystanders on their mobile phones. Of the 26
arrested, while eight are from Rainpada where the incident took place, the rest
of the accused are from the neighbouring hamlets located at a distance of two
to 20 kms. Indian express
Lynching incidents part of conspiracy hatched
by ruling govt for political gains: CPI (M)
New Delhi :Accusing the BJP of patronising the
people behind mob lynching, CPI(M) said the incidents in Tripura are part of a
bigger conspiracy hatched by the ruling party to create fear for political
gains. CPI(M), main opposition party in Tripura, said the lynching incidents
began after BJP came to power in the state.“Objectively, if we consider the
incidents of mob lynching in Tripura, we can feel that it is part of a greater
conspiracy. It seems that they are trying to create a situation of frenzy in
that state, which BJP can use sometimes against the communists or the
minorities. Basically, they are trying to spread madness around nationalism by
keeping an eye on 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar told
PTI.PTI
Uttarakhand govt school students to chant
‘Bhojan Mantra’ before mid-day meals
Dehradun: Uttarakhand school education dept.is
all set to instruct its 12 lakh students across the 18,000-odd schools to chant
the Bhojan Mantra (a mantra for food) before having the mid-day meals. The
Sanskrit mantra will also be painted on the walls of the kitchens in all
schools. In July first week, during a review meeting of the school education
dept. Uttarakhand School Education Minister Arvind Pandey and the officials in
the meeting suggested that the daily chanting of the Bhojan Mantra be
incorporated in the school curriculum.R. K. Kunwar, Director, School Education,
said, “In the review meeting, the school education minister and several
officials of the school education department suggested that the Bhojan Mantra
be chanted before children eat the mid-day meals. We are planning to send out
instructions for it to the concerned offices. However, chanting the mantra or
painting it on the kitchen walls won’t be compulsory. It will be left to the
discretion of the school authorities and the students.”
Civil Service Seniors Demand Removal of Jayant
Sinha, and Apology from BJP to the People of India
New
Delhi: The open endorsement of the accused in the Ramgarh lynching by Union
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha has invited strong
condemnation from retired senior civil servants who have demanded he resign or
be removed for contempt of the rule of law and the Constitution of India. In a
strongly worded statement a group of retired bureacurats who have held
responsible positions in Govt have also
asked the party he represents, that is the Bharatiya Janata Party to apologise
for his action to the people of India.Sinha had welcomed with sweets and
garlands the eight accused in the lynching of Alimuddin a year ago by a cow
mob.thecitizen
Ex-IPS officers, journalists condemn police
threats to rights activist Rajeev Yadav
Lucknow:Ex-IPS officers, Journalists and Human
Rights activists have strongly condemned the threats allegedly by a cop to
eminent rights activist and Rihai Manch leader Rajeev Yadav. Addressing a press
conference here on Saturday, they demanded UP Police chief to take immediate action against
the cop and ensure security to Yadav.Those who addressed the media at the
Lucknow Press Club included S.R. Darapuri, retired IG of Police, UP ; Syed
Wasim Ahmad, retired DIG, UP ; Senior Journalist Sharad Pradhan; Eminent Rights
activist Arundhati Dhruv; Rihai Manch president Advocate Mohammad Shoaib and
general secretary Rajeev Yadav. Rajeev Yadav has been strongly speaking against
police encounters in the state. Recently, he had led a fact-finding team to
Barabanki, Bahraich and Azamgarh where several Muslims have been in jail under
National Security Act for the past 6 months.caravandaily
Assam FT Notices Generate Tensions on Eve of
Final Citizens List: Ailing Gopal Das Commits Suicide
Jaymati Das in her mid 50s has got tired of
proving her and her sons’ citizenship. She has made any number of visits to the
court to prove that she and her two sons are genuine Indian citizens.Her
husband Gopal Das had also received a similar notice. Sick and ailing, Das
could not take the pressure and committed suicide.“This is what we were
destined to see. After all the humiliation, I lost my husband. Now, do you
think I deserve to be alive here?” a sobbing Jaymati said sitting on the steps
leading to her tiny residence at Nichilamari village in Assam’s Udalguri
district. This is near the India-Bhutan border.To check alleged illegal
settlers in Assam, the Border dept.of Assam police, sends names of “doubtful”
persons to the respective branches of the Foreigners Tribunal or FT which were
set up to deal with the illegal settlers issue. The Citizen
Gurugram has Hindu-Muslim problem far bigger
than namaz row:HT
Gurugram:On 10 June, a Hindu priest and his
followers met at a budget bar in Gurugram to declare war on Muslims. The
alcohol had been replaced by a vegetarian buffet, the doors and windows thrown
open to light up the dark interior, the tables and chairs rearranged to host a
press conference, but the smell of cheap whiskey remained thick in the
air.Ignoring the inappropriate setting, Narsinghanand Saraswati stared hard at
the collected members of the press and made his urgent announcement: “We are
about to launch a revolution on the land of Gurgaon.” Just out of arrest for
trying to set himself on fire in front of Haryana’s CM’s residence to protest
public namaz in Gurugram, Sawaswati said he was going to organise a maha havan
in the city to “destroy the enemies of Hindus.” The head of All India Saints
Council, Saraswati, who has built an army of 15,000 young Hindus to fight ISIS,
was asked by journalists if he is counting on the support of the BJP in his
“revolution”.He fulminated in response. “No political party can save us. Advani
ji is too old, retired. Modi ji hasn’t done anything for Hindus in 4 years to
inspire any faith. I don’t know whether Yogi ji is with us or not anymore.” He
said all he needed are young Hindus burning with anger, “Our motto should be:
Gita in one hand and Gun in another.”Sitting on his left, young and muscular
Amit Hindu twirled his goatee. A wrestler trained in his village’s RSS akhada,
the 23-year-old, who insists that he be known by his chosen last name, said he
had only goal in life: “to live for Hindus and to die for Hindus.” This is what
he used to do all day with a bunch of unemployed friends, each affiliated with
a local Hindu organisation, in an empty ground near his village, Kanhai, in Gurugram’s
Sector 53. “We used to treat the space as our office. We discussed problems,
like the smuggling of cows, and came up with plan of action,” he said. This
land was their turf for every day of the week except Friday when Muslims
gathered there to offer the afternoon’s namaz. It made them very angry.On April
20, eight or 10 young men from 2 villages, Kanhai and Wazirabad, rode their
motorbikes to the public ground just as the Muslims were about to start their
prayers and asked them to pack up, leave, and never return. On April 27, Sector
53’s police arrested 6 friends of Amit for outraging religions feelings,
disturbing religious worship and criminal intimidation. They were let out on
bail 3 days later.By June 10, two of them had been arrested and released again.“They
had a fight with someone and busted his head,” Arvind Dahiya, the officer in
charge of the police station, said. The young men keep making trouble, he
added. “If it’s not Muslims, it will be someone else. Most of them are in and
out of jail.”A member of the newly formed Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, an
umbrella organisation for Gurugram’s vast network of Hindu-interest groups,
Bohra said the rising number of Muslim migrants in the villages left the native
Hindus with no other option but to fight for survival.In his own village,he
later mentioned, Muslims made up less than 2% of the population.“This city is
sitting over barrels of gunpowder,” said Rajeev Mittal, a leading light of the
Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti.“Sparks have been flying across the two sides.
The matter has been under control because of the tolerance of Hindus, but
things can blow up any day,” he said. “Our own Muslims we can live with, but
the majority of Muslims arriving in Gurugram are from Bangladesh.All of them
undocumented. Most of them Rohingyas,” he said, checking his phone for alerts
from WhatsApp groups buzzing with Hindu solidarity. The Gurugram police deny
the presence of undocumented migrants from Bangladesh in the city. Official
denials do not rattle Rajeev Mittal, however. “These people aren’t worthy of
living in civilized society by nature or by behavior. Do you know that
Rohingyas burn people alive and eat their flesh?”A native of Nadia district in
West Bengal, Akbar Ali can live on fish curry. It’s what he has been cooking
every day for a living since he left his village 10 years ago. 2 months ago, he
left his cooking job in Mumbai to join his uncle’s restaurant in Sector 49’s
Bengali Market in Gurgaon. The market caters to the needs of blue-collar migrants
from West Bengal who provide their services to white-collar residents of South
City, one of Gurugram’s many private townships, as maids, cooks, drivers,
security guards and construction workers. Dozens of people from Nadia live in
Ali’s tenement; hundreds from other districts live around Bengali Market; and
thousands from his state live in the backyards of shopping malls, gated
colonies, and private townships across Gurugram’s newly developed sectors.HT
In one Haryana village, a dispute about shelter
in a cemetery reveals fragility of Hindu-Muslim ties
The Muslim burial ground in Haryana’s Patla
village is in a frightful state. It has a boundary wall on just two sides. In
April, with a grant from the discretionary fund of Sonipat’s MP– Ramesh Kaushik
of BJP– local administration had attempted to complete the boundary wall and
build a shelter inside the graveyard in April. This led to intense tension
between Hindus and Muslims in this corner of Sonipat, which borders the Rajiv Gandhi
Education City that promises “world class” education. By the middle of June,
parts of the shelter’s walls had been constructed but the lintel beams were yet
to be put in place. Hindu villagers are convinced that Patla’s Muslim families
were building a mosque in the graveyard that would have evolved into a madrassa
or Islamic seminary. Late on the evening of June 19, they gathered in large
numbers, rallying support from neighbouring villages like Sewli and Jakholi,
and brought down the structure’s walls.Dozens of Muslim families who had come
from Bihar to work in the developing Rai block of Sonipat left the day after
the demolition. Begh Raj, a former bus driver in his 50s, who lives next door
to the graveyard, was direct and unapologetic about what he thought of the
matter. “Topi-wale ko hamne bhaga diya,” he said. We have driven away the ones
with the skull-caps. Raj owns a few buffaloes that are tied to stakes planted
in the graveyard.“If they try to build the mosque, we will kill them, you can
write it down,” he added. Fewer than 10 Muslim families count themselves as
original residents of Patla. They own homes in the village, but not farmland.
scroll.in
Muslims
did not move SC against ‘Mata ki Chowki’
On July 7, several claims on social media
alleged that members of the Muslim community filed a petition in the Supreme
Court against holding ‘Mata ki Chowki’, a Hindu ritual, in public spaces.Among
those who tweeted this misinformation was lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao who
followed it with a question – “Should Hindus allow Namaz and Muharram on
roads?”Umrao deleted his tweet the next day. Alt News has archived its cached
version that can be accessed here. In less than 24 hours when the tweet was
live, more than 1,000 people ‘liked’ it and over 700 retweeted it. A quick read
through the comments section shows that a few hours are enough to spread hate.
The word quickly spread on both Facebook and Twitter, with many sharing Patel’s
tweet. However, the petition was neither filed by ‘Muslims’ nor was it against
the ritual. It was in fact in favour of the ritual and was filed by an
organisation, Jyoti Jagran Manch, that was denied permission by NGT to hold
‘Mata ki Chowki’ and ‘jagran’ (overnight prayer meeting)at a park in South-West
Delhi. While the petition referred only to the aforementioned Hindu rituals,
the SC’s hearing would pertain to the larger question of whether any religious
function should be permitted at public spaces.thequint
WORLD
Netanyahu forms alliances to block European
support for Palestine
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is working to
get closer to countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In so doing the Israeli PM
is seeking to form a pro-Israel alternative
to the European Union, which includes countries that traditionally supported
Israel but criticized its settlement policy in Palestinian occupied
territories.Netanyahu officially launched his plan a year ago, last July, when
he was speaking at a meeting in Budapest, which included PMs of Hungary, Czech
Republic, Poland and Slovakia. At the time, it was not clear whether it was
intended or deliberate that the microphone remained open in the presence of
journalists before cutting it off, according to a report published by Haaretz
on Sunday.Netanyahu told the leaders of the four countries meeting in Budapest
that, “In order to provide Israel with technology, the European Union is the
only international organization that requires political considerations. We have
special relations with China apart from the interference of any political
issue. Indian PM, Narendura, told me that the interests of India are top
priority to him. Also, Russia and Africa do not set any political conditions,
only the EU does. This is irrational and contradicts the European
interests”.middleeastmonitor
Israel denies Swedish peace activist entry to
Palestine
After spending over 11 months walking through
high-altitude plateaus, windswept forests and muddy migrant trails, a Swedish
activist's attempt to reach occupied Palestine has come to an abrupt end after
Israeli authorities turned him away from the border.Benjamin Ladraa, 25, began
his journey on August 5, 2017 to raise awareness of Israel's 70-year occupation
of Palestine.But early on Friday, Israeli officials denied him entry at the
Allenby crossing which links Jordan to the occupied West Bank.Ladraa was just
hundreds of metres from his destination after walking more than 4,800km from
the Swedish city of Gothenburg and across mainland Europe."I spent 11
months making this journey to raise awareness of the occupation, and despite
being interrogated and denied entry I would do it all again," he said.aljazeera
Ex-commander: Israel will gain nothing from
new attack on Gaza
Israel will gain nothing from a new military
attack on the Gaza Strip, ex-Israeli Commander Shlomo Turgeman said. Shlomo who
led the offensive against Gaza in 2014 said: “Israeli Govt has to improve the economic situation in Gaza
in order to decrease the level of security danger posed to Israel.”“At the same
time,Govt should stop Hamas from reinforcing its power.”Turgeman warned that
the occupation of Gaza would mean taking responsibility for the lives of 2
million Palestinians. He stressed that Israel would not accept this “even if
Gaza was served on a golden plate” as this would be a greater financial burden
and an economic disaster for Israel.MEMO
Syria truce deal 'breached' as western Deraa
clashes intensify
Syrian
army and a rebel group in the southern province of Deraa have accused each
other of breaching a ceasefire deal agreed two days ago.Opposition activists
said on Sunday that Syrian Govt air
raids targeted a group of rebel fighters in Um al-Mayadin village, just 5km
north of the Jordanian border, killing at least four people.The ceasefire deal
- brokered by Russia, a Syrian Govt ally, on Friday - saw rebels agree to hand
over heavy weapons in exchange for security guarantees and safe passage to
other areas.Rebels in Um al-Mayadin refused to give up their arms, a source in
Deraa province said. They accused Moscow of not abiding by the agreement. It
was not clear which part of the deal they referred to.Under the agreement,
Russian military police were to be deployed in the Deraa areas previously held
by rebels.It was also agreed that Syrian Govt forces were to withdraw from 4 villages in
eastern Deraa:Kahil, al-Sahwa, al-Jiza and al-Misaifra. As of Sunday, the
Syrian forces had not pulled out of the villages.aljazeera
Erdogan set to be sworn in as Turkey's 1st
executive Prez
Tayyip Erdogan is set to be sworn in as
president of Turkey after his election victory last month which allowed him to
keep his post with increased powers.The inauguration ceremony on Monday will be
attended by dozens of foreign leaders and dignitaries, including Russian PM Dmitry
Medvedev, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad Al Thani.The event in the capital, Ankara, will conclude the transition
from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency, in line with the
constitutional changes approved in a referendum last year.Under new system,
64-year-old Erdogan will lead the state's executive branch and have the right
to appoint and remove vice-presidents, a newly introduced position, as well as
ministers, high-level officials and senior judges - without parliamentary
approval.The president will also have the power to dissolve parliament, issue
executive decrees and impose a state of emergency. Prime ministry will not
exist in the new system.Later today, Erdogan, who secured another 5-year term
by winning 52.5% of the votes in the election, will announce his new
cabinet.aljazeera
Turkey train crash: Toll jumps to 24 in
Tekirdag derailment
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/10-killed-train-derails-northwest-turkey-180708175832123.html
24 people were killed when a train derailed in
northwest Turkey this weekend, Deputy PM Recep Akdag said on Monday, a sharp jump from
the previous toll of 10.Anadolu agency quoted Akdag as saying search operations
this morning had now been completed at the wreck of the train, which derailed
on Sunday evening in Tekirdag region while heading towards Istanbul.At least 73
people were wounded in the crash, state media quoted the health ministry
undersecretary as saying.aljazeera
Ethiopia,Eritrea agree to normalise ties,
reopen embassies
Ethiopia and Eritrea have agreed to restore
relations following a landmark meeting between the 2 countries' leaders in
Asmara, aimed at ending decades of diplomatic and armed strife.The announcement
on Sunday capped weeks of whirlwind change, driven by new Ethiopian PM Abiy
Ahmed, who was welcomed for face-to-face talks in the Eritrean capital by
President Isaias Afwerki."We agreed that the airlines will start
operating, the ports will be accessible, people can move between the 2
countries and the embassies will be opened," Abiy said at an official
dinner."We will demolish the wall and, with love, build a bridge between 2
countries,"Abiy continued.
Myanmar charges Reuters reporters under
Official Secrets Act: aljazeera
A court in Myanmar has charged two jailed
Reuters news agency journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving
the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of
preliminary hearings.Yangon district judge Ye Lwin on Monday charged reporters
Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching the colonial-era Official
Secret Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.The two
journalists were detained in December for possessing material relating to
security operations in conflict-hit Rakhine state. Myanmar has faced global
condemnation and accusations of extrajudicial killings, ethnic cleansing and
genocide as some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state in Myanmar to
Bangladesh following a military crackdown "on insurgents".
'We want peace': A Rohingya family's 40 years
of suffering
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Fact Check: 21 Ways the Fake News Factory Is
Trying to Get Hindus to Fear, Hate Muslims:Arjun Sidharth
State Instruments Have Mutilated the Babri
Masjid's Corpse. Will the SC Break the Pattern?Satya Prasoon
Stringent J&K anti-defection law may thwart
BJP’s plan to give state a Hindu CM:Maneesh Chhibber
Su-raj (good governance) and Ms Swaraj:P
Chidambaram
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq
(Released at: 5:11 PM)
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