NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
14 Aug 2018:02 Zilhajja 1439: Vol: 10, No:88
INDIA
Simultaneous polls not possible without legal
framework, says Chief Election Commissioner amid BJP push
New Delhi: Virtually ruling out holding
simultaneous polls in the near future, Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat
Tuesday said the parallel polls are not possible without a legal framework and
insisted that any extension or curtailment of the term of assemblies will
require a constitutional amendment.“If the term of some state assemblies needs
to be curtailed or extended, then a constitutional amendment will be required…
Logistics arrangements with regard to 100 percent availability of VVPATs (paper
trail machines) will be a constraint,” Rawat told reporters to a question on
whether simultaneous elections can be held anytime soon.“On the issue of ‘one
nation one poll’, the Election Commission had given inputs and suggestions in
2015 itself… Other requirements of additional police force, polling personnel
would also be needed,” he said.Rawat’s remarks came a day after BJP made a
strong pitch for simultaneous polls, with party chief Amit Shah arguing that
one election would check expenditure and ensure that the nation is not in
“election mode” throughout the year. In his eight-page letter to Law Commission
chairman Justice B S Chouhan, Shah said holding simultaneous polls is not only
a concept but a principle that has been successfully tried in the past and can
be implemented.CEC said the poll panel would continue to deliver its
responsibility of conducting elections whenever term of the state assemblies
come to an end.indianexpress
Congress is winning Rajasthan, MP,
Chhattisgarh, says survey
Good news has been predicted for the Congress
party on the electoral battlefront in the coming elections in three big state
assemblies of Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh.The opinion poll by Ananda Bazaar
Patrika television channel has predicted the Congress winning all the three
assembly elections. If this translates into actual performance, it could be big
bonanza time for the Congress and a big set back for the ruling BJP, just ahead
of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019In what is the first opinion poll in the
electoral season, TV channel ABP News along with polling agency CVoter has
predicted a complete and comprehensive victory for the Congress party in the
coming elections in Rajasthan. The polls says out of the 200 seats in Rajasthan
assembly, Congress is slated to win 130 with a predicted vote share of 40% as
opposed to its current tally of 25 seats.The BJP’s predicted vote share is
39%—just one percentage point short of the Congress—but its seat tally is
predicted to drop sharply from the existing 160 seats to just 57. Others
including smaller parties and independents are slated to get 13 seats, up one
from the last time’s 12 seats, with a vote share of 21%.In Chattisgarh,
Congress is predicted to get a comfortable majority in the state assembly,
winning 54 seats in a house of 90 with a vote percentage of 40%. In 2013,
Congress had notched up 39 seats, falling short by just 7. The BJP, which is in
power with 49 seats, is predicted to come down to 33 seats with a vote
percentage of 39%.In Madhya Pradesh also ABP News-CVoter survey predicts a
wafer-thin majority for the Congress, predicting that in a house of 230,
Congress will cross the half way mark of 115. It has shown Congress winning 117
seats with a vote percentage of 42%, though in 2013 Congress had only 57 seats.
nationalheraldindia
‘What have you done about it,’ SC asks Centre
on child sexual abuse in shelter homes
New Delhi :Expressing concern over sexual
abuse of children living in shelter homes across the country, the Supreme Court
Tuesday asked the Centre what action was being taken in the cases of 1,575
minor victims.Referring to the data placed before it by the Centre, a bench
headed by Madan B Lokur observed that 1,575 children, including 286 boys, have
been sexually or physically abused in the shelter homes in different parts of
the country.Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre,
told the bench that also comprised Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta,
that the government has informed the states about the abuse of 1,575 children
last year itself.“1,575 boys and girls are victims of sexual and physical
abuse. What have you done about it? Which are the shelter homes where they are
kept? What action the states have taken on this,” the apex court asked the
ASG.The ASG, in her reply, said that she would get instruction on this issue
and get back to the court.indianexpress
Umar Khalid attacked: Today’s incident proves
importance of today’s programme, says Prashant Bhushan at event
New Delhi:Activists at the event which Umar
Khalid had come to attend Monday lashed out at the central government for
promoting a “culture of violence”, and said the attack was a result of the
“propaganda” and “campaign” launched against him and JNU. Senior advocate
Prashant Bhushan, who spoke at the event titled ‘Khauf se Aazadi’, said,
“Today’s incident has proved the importance of today’s programme. The attack
took place to instill fear in us, to make sure that in this age of fascism, no
one should dare to raise their voice… The PM himself has become the leader of
social media lynch mob. It’s therefore important that more such programmes are
held, and that we do not get scared.”Delhi University professor Apoorvanand
said the current regime was protecting attackers: “These people feel their
protectors are sitting in the government, and they do not need to fear
anything. They’re not wrong. We have seen how lynching convicts were garlanded
by a union minister. PM himself has supported this culture of violence.”RJD
leader Manoj Jha also posed a question to the current regime, asking “why
attacks like these were becoming a regular pattern in the last four
years”.Fatima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, said the
attack “shows the state of Delhi’s security if such an incident can take place
two days before Independence Day in such a VIP area”.Others at the event were
JD(U) leader Ali Anwar; former IG police S I Darapuri; lynching victim Junaid
Khan’s mother Fatima; and Yashpal Saxena, father of Ankit Saxena, who was
killed, allegedly by the family of his girlfriend, in Khyala.indianexpress
Umar Khalid accuses ruling party
spokespersons, TV channels of spreading canards against him
JNU student Umar Khalid today said that
“having seen the assassinations of one activist after the other in the last few
years” in the country, he knew that “someday a gun may be turned” against him
too.In a statement released the day after he was shot at outside the
Constitution Club in New Delhi by an unidentified man, he said “2 days before
15th August, the question also is what does 'freedom' even mean if the citizens
of this country have to be ready to die for their 'crime' of just being vocal
against injustice?”.What was most paradoxical was that he had gone to attend an
event named “Freedom from Fear” when the attack happened, he said.“The fact
that two days before Independence Day, in one of the most high security zones
of the national capital, an armed assailant could dare to attack me in broad
daylight only goes onto show the brazen impunity that some people feel they
enjoy under the present regime,” he said.In a tweet targeted at Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, he said he had a suggestion for Prime Minister’s Independence
Day speech: “Can you guarantee that there will be no attack on those who
criticise your government and its many failures?” Khalid said the real culprit
for the attack on him was not the unidentified gunman but those who, from their
seats of power, have been breeding an atmosphere of hatred, bloodlust and fear.
thehindu
JNU student Umar Khalid attacked: Lone PCR van
near Constitution Club, area was buzzing at time of attack
2 months ago Umar Khalid wrote to police: Danger to my
life, am on hit list; was supposed to meet Spl Cell today
Nearly 2 months before Monday’s incident —
where a gun-toting man allegedly tried to shoot him — JNU student Umar Khalid
had written to the Delhi Police saying there was a “danger to his life”, and
asked them to provide him with security.At the time, Khalid had said there was
a threat to his life from gangster Ravi Pujari.In his letter to SHO of the
Vasant Kunj police station on June 8 this year, Khalid had said: “I wish to
bring to your notice that a person identifying himself as Ravi Pujari has been
making threatening calls to Vadgam MLA (Gujarat) Jignesh Mevani for the last 3
days, threatening to kill him. Today, he made another call to him and also sent
a message threatening to kill him as well as myself. The screenshot of the
message along with the number of the sender is attached herewith. It reads,
‘Yeh jo provocative speeches dena bandh kar varna thok dunga. Umar Khalid bhi
meri hit list mein he. Ye mere tarf se warning. Mafia don Ravi Pujari’.”A
senior officer who did not wish to be named acknowledged the receipt of the
letter and added: “We received a complaint on June 13 and, since then, we tried
to approach him eight times. But three times, he was not present at JNU; once
he was out of station; twice his phone was switched off; once a security guard
at JNU told police personnel he was not staying there; and during our last
conversation, Khalid said he would meet us on Aug.14, at Lodhi Colony office of
Special Cell.”On Monday, Khalid wrote an application for security yet again:“I
want to state that there is a continuous threat to my life and limb. This has
increased after today’s attempt on my life. I urge you to please take cognizance
of this and provide me police security.” “At the time when I had filed my
earlier letter, police had told me that they would assess the security threat
and get back. But they did not act promptly. I only received a call on July 20,
a few days before my PhD submission deadline, asking me to come to some place
and meet some police person. I said I was busy and would get back after
submission. I received a call yesterday too, and I was supposed to meet them on
Aug.14,” he said.Khalid’s father SQR Ilyas alleged, “It’s shocking that the
incident could take place in such a high security area. For 15 minutes after
the incident, no police personnel was there. I believe this was not a
spontaneous attack. It was planned; he (the attacker) knew Umar would be there
to attend the programme. It’s just that the assailant seemed to be untrained,
which is why he got scared and fled.”indianexpress
‘Shut your mouth or we’ll do it’: Activist
Shehla Rashid alleges threat by gangster Ravi Poojary
Student activist Shehla Rashid Shora on Monday
filed a case in Srinagar against mafia don Ravi Poojary for allegedly
threatening her.The case came on the day JNU student leader Umar Khalid was
allegedly shot at in Delhi.“FIR filed by J&K Police against Ravi Poojary on
my complaint,” Shora said on Twitter.She said Poojary had warned her, Khalid
and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani to shut up.“Meanwhile, got this death threat
from right-wing Hindutvawadi fundamentalist Ravi Poojary. He warns Khalid,
Jignesh Mevani and me to shut up! Threat by SMS #DigitalIndia,” she said.In a
message to Shora – the screenshot of which the student activist put up on
Twitter - Poojary said, “Just shut your mouth or we will shut your mouth
forever. Tell Umar Khalid and Jignesh Mewani also. Mafia don Ravi Poojary”.HT
Now Dr. Kafeel Khan Gets Death Threat
New Delhi: After the shocking incident of
murder attempt on JNU scholar Umar Khalid in the heart of the National Capital
on Monday, a series of death threats to well-known personalities has been
started.Within 24 hours after the attack on Umar, the death threat to Dr.
Kafeel Khan of Gorakhpur is second one. Before Dr. Khan, JNU scholar and former
JNU Students Union vice president Shehla Rashid had also got a death threat
through SMS on Monday.On the midnight of Monday, Dr. Khan got an SMS — “Ab teri
baari hai, Bachega nahi Ab tu” (Now you are the next target, you will not be
spared).On the death threat, Dr. Khan reacted on Twitter: “So after my brother,
after Umar, it’s me?? …. Darunga nahi larunga that’s Dr Kafeel Khan’s words, M
not scared, Allah rahem kare, I dare u, I swear M not going to bend I speak my
heart.”Caravan News
Ban on Sanatan Sanstha difficult to
enforce:Maharashtra ATS
Mumbai : While the 2015 request of the
Maharashtra government to ban Sanathan Sanstha is still pending with the Union
home ministry, state ATS has informed both the central and state governments
that the right wing outfit is not registered as a single entity but as separate
units in every district and city, sources said.A senior official from the state
home department said, “They have around 20 registered organisations. The units
at various districts or cities are registered independently. In one of the
communique, Maharashtra ATS had said that while in 1990, Jayant Athawale
founded the Sanatan Bharatiya Sanskruti Sanstha, the organisation changed its
name and claims to be floated in 1999. Also, its various ashrams in Goa are
registered in different names.”indianexpress
Hindutva activists arresting: ‘Mumbai terror
suspect’s community rallies in support
On Sunday evening, in Nallasopara in north
Mumbai, around 500 people gathered outside the home of Hindutva activist
Vaibhav Raut to demonstrate their support for him. Raut, a member of a cow
protection group, had been arrested on Thursday by ATS of Maharashtra Police.
The police claimed that they had recovered eight crude bombs from his home and
office. But the crowd, which included Nallasopara residents as well as Raut’s
relatives from other parts of Mumbai, expressed firm belief in Raut’s
innocence.“Vaibhav Raut is our person, he is someone who protects cows,” said
his cousin Jitesh Raut who lives in the same building as Raut does. “How can a
person like that make bombs?”In Nallasopara, which is also Raut’s ancestral
village, disbelief ran high, with a particular mistrust in the procedures of
search and investigation followed by ATS. “[Vaibhav Raut] is a Hindutvawadi and
a rashtrawadi,” Diptesh Patil, a childhood friend of Raut and co-founder of the
Hindu Govansh Raksha Samiti said as he briefly choked up with tears. “How can
he be a terrorist? […] I ask you to support us for the Bhandaris, for Hindutva
and for the nation. We will show everyone what the Bhandari community really
is.”Patil made a particularly strong call for their “samaj” or community to
support Raut, telling them to tell those who hesitated to join that it might
happen in their homes next. scroll.in
Hindu right-wing arrests: Maharashtra ATS
probes UP, Assam links
Mumbai: 4 days after busting a terror plot
involving some Hindu right-wing activists in Palghar, the Maharashtra ATS has
found a mini arms making unit and is now probing their links in Uttar Pradesh
and Assam, official sources said on Monday. On Friday, ATS created a sensation
by claiming to have unearthed a terror plot targeting Mumbai, Pune, Satara and
Solapur ahead of Independence Day celebrations and the upcoming Bakri Eid
festival.In the ATS swoop, 3 right-wing activists were arrested. Over a dozen
other associates or suspects have been interrogated to ascertain their
connections in other parts of the state or outside and certain email exchanges
between the accused with references to Uttar Pradesh and Assam shall be
probed.IANS
Those opposing developmental projects have
terror links: Modi
Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said
there are proof of links between terror outfits and those who oppose
developmental projects in states. In an interview to Tamil paper Daily Thanthi,
Modi said in the recent times it has been observed that some people hinder the
implementation of developmental projects in states."There are proof of
such people having links with terror outfits. It is not only me who is saying
this, even my predecessor Manmohan Singh had rightly said that some foreign
NGOs are instigating protests against the nuclear power project in
Kudankulam," Modi said in an e-mail interview to the newsdaily.He was
responding to a question about Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan saying that
there are movements of terror organisations in Tamil Nadu and their activities
are of serious concern.Continuing further, he had said that these terror
outfits create fear among innocent people about projects that are for the
welfare of people.Asked about BJP President Amit Shah's statement that Tamil
Nadu is one of the most corrupt states in India, Modi said it is the right of
the people of that state to estimate the performance of their govts.IANS
Shiv Sena dismisses PM's interviews as
'propaganda'
Mumbai: In its first reaction to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's published interview, BJP ally Shiv Sena on Monday
described it as "akin to sheer propaganda"."The reporters sent
questions to PMO, which sent written replies. Many have treated it as an an
interview. In other words, it is propaganda," Sena said in 'Saamana' and
'Dopahar Ka Saamana,' the party's mouthpieces.
"It happens in China, Russia and Communist countries, a case of one-sided
dialogue," it added. The Sena pointed out how, in a direct interview, many
questions could have been asked and any "fake statement" would have
been detected by the interviewer. "That much freedom must be allowed to
journalists.IANS
Left out in NRC, Fomer Army Soldiers Write to
President: “Is This What We Deserve?”
GUWAHATI: 4 defense personnel including those
who were a part of the Kargil war, wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind for
failing to get their names in the final draft of NRC which was published on
July 30. The retired defense personnel said that they were hurt at being
dropped from the list. The final draft left out 40 lakh people. Following that,
many Indian citizens couldn’t find their names which led to criticism of the
NRC authorities for the loopholes.“It’s very unfortunate. This is not a joke. I
think the authorities have not done their work properly. Why genuine Indian
people have been left out? We want to know the reason. And on top of that, we
were left out. Is this what we deserved after serving the nation for 30 years?
With a deep heart, we have written to the President,” 50 year-old Azmal Haque,
who retired as a junior commissioned officer in 2016, told The Citizen.He said
that it was a humble submission and voice forth some serious grievances and
apprehensions that have cropped up in their mind after viewing the
draft.Besides, Samsul Haque (57) and Sadullah Ahmed (49) both served in the
Indian Air Force (IAF) during the Kargil war, were also kept out of the list.
Apart from that retired honanary captain Sana Ullah, former sergeant Sadullah Ahmed
and sepoy Enamul Haque who is currently with the Army have faced the same
fate.thecitizen
Assam: 11 Muslim men held for Goalpara clash
Goalpara: Goalpara district police on Monday
arrested at least 11 people in connection with a clash between two groups at
Baladmari Sar under Mornoi police station in lower Assam on Saturday. The
arrested have been identified as Salam Ali, Sayed Ali, Mofidul Islam, Abu
Bakkar Siddik, Atower Rahman, Abdul Kalam, Johirul Islam, Rofikul Islam,
Alauddin, Saiful Islam and Ajibar Rahman. They were produced before the court
on Monday and sent to judicial custody for 60 to 90 days. The clash, which
allegedly started over the theft of a mobile phone, led to the death of a
person and injured 28, police sources said.telegraphindia
Kasganj on Alert Over August 15 'Tiranga
Yatra' Plans, Over 150 Cops to Keep Vigil
Lucknow: Kasganj district president of newly
formed Rashtriya Bajrang Dal was arrested on Tuesday after he posted a video
threatening to take out a 'Tiranga Yatra' through minority-dominated areas on
Independence Day, forcing district administration to deploy forces.Nearly 150
officers have been deputed as precautionary measure along with three companies
of PAC and 2 companies of RAF."Nobody will be allowed to disturb peace and
harmony in any way on Independence Day. People are requested to celebrate the
day in good spirit. Section 144 has been imposed in the area. 3 companies of
PAC and 2 companies of RAF have been deployed in Kasganj to keep a check on any
unwanted situation," Commissioner Aligarh (Zone) Ajaydeep Singh said, adding
that the administration has denied permission for Tiranga Yatra or any other
new programme in Kasganj.According to intelligence reports, several right-wing
outfits are planning to take out yatras in Kasganj without seeking
permission.Among them is Pravin Togadia's outfit Rashtriya Hindu Parishad and
its youth wing Rashtriya Bajrang Dal.A similar ‘Tiranga Yatra’ on Republic Day
this year led by ABVP and VHP in Kasganj had triggered communal clashes leading
to the death of 22-year-old Chandan Gupta.News18
Uttar Pradesh: Hindutva group member booked
over remark on Tiranga Yatras
Lucknow :Agra police on Monday booked Govind
Parashar, an office bearer of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, after he released a
video statement announcing he would take out ‘Tiranga Yatras’ in
Muslim-dominated areas on August 15 without permission, threatening district
administrations of “serious consquences” if they tried to stop them.On Republic
Day this year, a man was killed and another was injured in large-scale violence
that erupted after a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ was taken out in Kasganj district.Parashar
has been booked under IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity) and 298 (uttering,
words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any
person), Circle Officer, Hariparwat, Abhishek Kumar said.RBD is the youth wing
of the ‘Antar-Rashtriya Hindu Parishad’, an organisation founded by former
Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia earlier this year. Parashar — who
claims to be the ‘vibhag adhyaksha’ of RBD, and in-charge of Agra, Aligarh,
Mathura and Hathras districts — said he recorded the video at the outfit’s
office in Agra Monday.In the video, which has been shared on social media, he
is seen saying, “All Tiranga Yatras this year will be taken out from Muslim
areas. I want to tell the administration to deploy adequate force to ensure
peace during Tiranga Yatra. We will not seek permission.”indianexpress
Kashmir: ‘Non-locals roughed up’ while
attempting to hoist tricolour at Lal Chowk, says police
Srinagar :A group of people, who tried
hoisting the national flag at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, were ‘rescued’ by the
police on Tuesday after they were allegedly roughed up by locals. “A group of
six to seven persons tried to hoist the flag at Lal Chowk. This created a
ruckus in the area and the police team rescued three of them,” said
Superintendent of Police (East) Dawood Ayoub.The incident occurred around 1 pm
near Srinagar’s clock tower. The group, as per the police, consisted of
non-locals. According to witnesses, the group assembled at the clock tower and
were stopped by locals who objected to the hoisting of the flag. As an argument
ensued, the non-locals were roughed up before the police intervened and took
them away.indianexpress
Hizbul-Mujahideen warns Kashmir schools to
keep kids away from Independence Day celebrations
New Delhi:Kashmir's largest indigenous
militant group Hizbul-Mujahideen has issued a warning letter to school
authorities and parents against sending children to schools to celebrate
Independence Day.The letter states that the heads of schools and colleges who
force "our brothers and sisters to participate must know that they have to
answer before the people who have offered everything for this pious
cause".The terse warning states that all schools and colleges must
cooperate with the group failing which, the group will take action as per their
own rules.Further the letter warns the parents of children. Hizb has stated
that "parents should not send their wards to Independence Day celebrations
of India".indiatoday
I feel like a baby again, says Justice K.M.
Joseph on being the juniormost SC judge
NEW DELHI:In his first public appearance as a
Supreme Court judge, Justice K.M. Joseph on Tuesday said he was aware of his
“limitations,” refrained from giving any promises, but promised to remain true
to his oath of office.“At the age of 60 plus, I feel like a baby again,” he
said about being the 25th and the ‘juniormost’ judge now in the court.Justice
Joseph, in a short speech at a felicitation function organised for the new
judges of the court by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), said he expected
to be called the last to deliver his speech after Justices Indu Malhotra,
Indira Banerjee and Vineet Saran.He said the SCBA office-bearers were gracious
enough to inform him that he would have to speak first at the function.“I am
far too conscious of my own limitations to be elevated to the highest court. It
is indeed a great honour,” he said.“It will be too presumptious on my part to
even venture to make any promises. All that I can hope and pray for is to be
true to the oath of office which I have taken and which will go a long way in
dispensing justice,” he said.thehindu
Uttarakhand HC declares itself legal guardian
of cows; bans cow slaughter
Uttarakhand High Court on Monday invoked the
doctrine of ‘parens patriae’ to become the legal guardian of cows and other
stray cattle, thereby giving a slew of “mandatory directions” towards cow
protection. “Court by invoking the ‘parens patriae’ doctrine issues mandatory
directions…in the welfare of the cows and other stray cattle,” the Division
Bench of Acting Chief Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari
stated in an order banning slaughter and export “for purpose of slaughter” of
“any cow, bull, bullock, heifer or calf”, and selling of beef and beef products
across Uttarakhand.‘Parens patriae’, which translates from Latin into “parent
of his or her country” is the power that could be invoked by a state regarded
as a sovereign to provide protection to those who are unable to take care of
themselves.The court directed all Circle Officers in the state to “to patrol
the rural areas once in 24 hours to ensure that no cow is slaughtered”.
Further, the court directed that owners of cattle be prosecuted if the cattle
are “found on the streets, roads and public places”.For smooth traffic flow,
the chief engineers of national highways and state highways, the village
panchayats, and the municipal bodies, have been directed to ensure that “no
stray cattle come onto the roads”. To ensure the safety of stray cattle while
being removed from the roads, the court order directed that “utmost compassion”
must be shown by state functionaries towards cattle and “no unnecessary pain
and suffering is inflicted” on them.The Division Bench was hearing a PIL filed
in the year 2017 by one Alim from from the Sohalpur Gada village in Roorkee
tehsil of Haridwar district, where he had sought the court’s intervention to
stop the illegal cow slaughter in his village. However, the High Court enlarged
the scope of the PIL to give directions for cow protection across the
state.indianexpress
.Chinese troops intruded 500 metres into
Ladakh’s Demchok area in July, say reports
Chinese security forces intruded about 500
metres into Demchok area in southeastern Ladakh in July, The Times of India
reported on Monday, quoting unidentified defence ministry officials. The
Chinese soldiers reportedly posed as graziers and pitched five tents before
leaving the Cherdung Nullah grazing grounds, which is located on the
southeastern part of the Tso Moriri Lake.The Indian security forces were
involved in a stand-off with the Chinese for two weeks, and after a meeting
between senior officials of the two sides, the Chinese “mostly withdrew”, an
unidentified Defence Ministry official told The Print. China’s Peoples
Liberation Army removed three of its tents but two tents with “some Chinese
troops in civvies” still remain.scroll.in
SC admits plea by 355 Army personnel
challenging probe into operations where AFSPA is in force
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has admitted a
petition filed by 355 Army personnel against the dilution of the Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act in disturbed areas. The petitioners have also challenged
the registration of an FIR against them for operations where AFSPA is in force.
Representing the petitioners, Advocate Aishwarya Bhati said “military
operations in border areas will suffer” if a probe is conducted. The petition
will be heard on Monday.AFSPA has been contested as it gives discretionary
powers to the armed forces over a civilian population.indianexpress
SC Sends Notice to Centre, Assam on PIL
Accusing Forces of Fake Encounter
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought
responses from the Centre and Assam government on a PIL accusing the armed
forces and state police of allegedly indulging in fake encounters in the
state.A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A.M. Khanvilkar
and D.Y. Chandrachud also sent notices to the CRPF, the National Human Rights
Commission, general officer commanding of 4 Corps and chairperson of
Operational Group, the Unified Command, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), CRPF
Chirang district commandant Rajesh Pandey and Rajnish Rai.Some of the senior
officials of the central forces are named in the petition filed by former
bureaucrat E.A.S. Sarma. PIL is based on a report filed by CRPF inspector
general Rajnish Rai in April 2017 alleging “cold blooded fake encounter killing
of two suspected members of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland
(Songbijit) faction” on March 30 last year in Assam’s Simalguri village.Senior
advocate Colin Gonsalves appeared for Sarma and cited newspaper reports
claiming that Rai had met some of the witnesses to the alleged fake
encounter.PTI
HC seeks Centre’s stand on plea for removal of
Jamia professor
NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court on Monday sought
the stand of the Centre and Jamia Millia Islamia on a plea seeking setting
aside of reinstatement of a professor who was removed from the university over
allegation of plagiarism.A Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice C.
Hari Shankar issued notices to the Centre and the university seeking their
reply to a petition which sought contempt action against various officials of
Jamia for allegedly fabricating a court order to facilitate the professor’s reinstatement.The
plea, filed by a former student of the university, has alleged that the
professor had copied from a book, Media, Markets and Democracy, in his book
titled Democracy and Media.The petition said the university had in May 2011
removed the professor, who had challenged the decision in the High Court, where
a single judge had in Sept.2011 and a Division Bench had in April 2012 affirmed
the step taken by the university.In 2015, the university amended a provision of
the Jamia Millia Islamia Act that dealt with removal of academic staff to allow
review of such a decision, the plea said.The petition added that subsequent to
the amendment, the professor moved a representation seeking a relook into his
removal.Jamia upheld its earlier decision and the professor challenged it in
the High Court, which dismissed his plea in Aug.2016. He filed an appeal before
a Division Bench against the dismissal of his plea, claimed the petition by
Hamidur Rehman.Professor Deepak Kem also filed a review plea against the 2012
decision of the High Court, the petition said, alleging that this was not
disclosed in court.thehindu
UP Govt issues directions for madrasas to
celebrate
Lucknow:Uttar Pradesh government on Monday
issued instructions to all statefunded Islamic religious schools Madrasas to
celebrate the 72nd Independence Day on August 15 in a grand manner. The state
govt has, however, withdrawn the mandatory conditions of the videography of the
event as issued in 2017. Minority Affairs Minister Chowdhary Lakshmi Naryan said
that flag hoisting in all Madrasas will be held at 0800 hrs and later tributes
will be paid to freedom fighters and heroes of the Indian freedom movement. The
Minister said along with the flag hoisting plantation of saplings in madrasa
premises, a cultural programme will also be held. UNI
Muslim kanwariya threatens to convert if those
who attacked him at mosque are not punished
Meerut: 2 days after a Muslim farmer in
Baghpat was allegedly attacked and thrown out of a mosque on Friday night for
going on the Kanwar Yatra and bringing a kanwar of Ganga water to a local
temple, the man has threatened to convert to Hinduism if his community did not
stop persecuting him and if proper action was not taken against his tormentors.
n Monday, Babu Khan,40, was able to offer prayers at the mosque at his village,
Ranchhad. However, he alleged that three persons, detained by police for the
earlier attack on him had been let go, and they threatened him again after he
came out of the mosque. “Mustaqeem Ahmad, Mohd Yazuddin and Gullu, who had
attacked me earlier, threatened me again on Monday as I left the mosque. They
said now that they were released from police custody, there was nothing I could
do to them. They said they would now see what needed to be done about me.”
Police on the other hand said the issue was more personal than religious.
However, Khan is not satisfied with the development. “Police cannot be with me
all the time and these men are rogues. For a couple of days after the incident
I had even sent my family including my wife and four children to another
village. They came back only on Sunday night but today I was again threatened.
If this situation continues, I will convert to Hinduism. At least I will get
respect there,” he said. TOI
Gujarat: Religious leaders to help identify
murdered four-year-old girl
Surat: These 5 mosques in Pandesara are not
just religious centres, but a humanitarian channel. Muezzins in these mosques
some time after their call for prayers, remind people on loudspeakers that they
need to help police identify the four-year-old girl whose body was recovered
from near Vadod village on August 7. Maulvis of these mosques are more than
happy to show photos of the girl to those coming to offer namaz, hoping that
someone from among them may recognize her and help establish the deceased’s
identity. Pandesara police had tried to ascertain the identity of the girl by
going door-to-door but the attempt failed to produce any results, compelling
them to try something different. A few cases of late have remained undetected
mainly because the identities of the deceased were not known. “We have been
making the announcements about the girl from loudspeakers after the azan twice
in a day. We also show photos of the girl who come to offer prayers at the
masjid. We are trying to help police to identify the girl at the earliest,”
said Maulana Abdul Kazi of Masjide Rehman. Many other mosques in the area were
also approached by police and they too are making announcements regularly
asking residents to help cops establish the identity of the girl. TOI
Rampur: Muslim youth dies in police custody,
family demands probe
Rampur: family of Mohammad Islam Qureshi (30),
who died after being taken to the police lockup on Monday evening, has demanded
a magisterial inquiry into the matter. Qureshi had surrendered before the court
of the additional CJM in connection with a case registered against him under
the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act earlier in the day. The court ordered that
he be sent to jail. On learning about Islam Qureshi’s death, his father, Aslam
Qureshi, suffered a massive cardiac arrest. He was referred to a Meerut
hospital. Islam's cousin Wasi Qureshi
said, “Qureshi did not have any medical history and he was a young man. We want
to know under what circumstances he died. We want that a post-morterm should be
carried out to ascertain cause of death.” TOI
New al Qaeda affiliate ‘ideologically
inclined’ to carry out attacks in India, claims UN report:PTI
Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS),
the terror group’s newest affiliate, is “ideologically inclined” to carry out
attacks inside India but its capability is believed to be low and is relatively
isolated owing to increased security measures in the region, according to a UN
report.22nd report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team was
submitted to the UN Security Council Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.The report
said that AQIS is “relatively isolated owing to increased security measures
within the wider region, but the group continues to seek security gaps for
opportunistic attacks.”The group is “ideologically inclined to carry out
attacks inside India but its capability is believed to be low,” it said, adding
that according to Member States, the strength of AQIS in Afghanistan is
estimated at several hundred people, located in Laghman, Paktika, Kandahar,
Ghazni and Zabul provinces.
Rupee crashes to all-time low of 70.08 against
US dollar
New Delhi :The rupee hit the 70-per dollar
mark for the first time, tumbling to a record low, as a Turkey-led rout in
emerging-market currencies intensified losses. Rupee slipped as much as 0.2
percent to 70.08 per dollar in Mumbai and is down almost 9 % this year in
Asia’s worst performance.The rupee has been among the hardest hit in Asia from
the recent Turkey-led sell-off in emerging assets, thanks to a wide
current-account deficit that’s already strained by higher oil prices. A weaker
rupee could complicate the Reserve Bank of India’s job of keeping inflation in
check. indianexpress
PM Modi’s Theory On Using Gutter Gas For
Preparing Tea Is Making People Lose Their Minds: indiatimes
It is difficult to say if we have even
remotely witnessed Achche Din since BJP came to power in 2014 and Narendra Modi
became the prime minister. But one thing that we are sure of is that comedy is
soaring high in the country, courtesy our politicians, especially the Pradhan
Sevak.A Twitter user posted a video of PM Modi speaking on the possible uses of
toxic gas emitted from sewage. However, science and logic on the production of
biogas failed Modi. “Kisi chotte se nagar mein, naale ke paas, koi chai ka
thela lekar ke khada rehtha tha aur chai banakar ke bechta tha. PM Modi is
possibly talking about converting sewage into biofuel and using it for powering
stoves. What’s leaving people in splits is Modi’s explanation of how a
tea-seller, (obviously, he has a soft-corner for him for all the right reasons)
who had his shop near a sewer, used toxic gases by just turning over a utensil,
drilling a hole in it and attaching it to the pipeline. And voila! indiatimes
WORLD
Turkey currency crisis: Erdogan vows to
boycott US electronics
Turkey's president fired a new salvo in the
growing war of words with the US on Tuesday, saying Ankara will boycott all
American-made electronic products.Showing no signs of backing down in the
standoff, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would stop procuring US-made
iPhones and buy Korean Samsung or Turkish-made Vestel products instead."If
they have the iPhone, there is Samsung elsewhere. We have Vestel." It was
unclear how Erdogan intended to enforce the boycott.Over the last few days,
Turkey has seen a significant devaluation of its currency the lira, which has
lost more than 45 percent of its value this year.The lira pulled back on
Tuesday from a record low hit a day earlier, helped by the central bank's new
liquidity measures and news of a planned conference call in which the finance
minister will seek to reassure investors.But analysts have raised concerns of a
wider contagion rippling through global markets. On Tuesday, the Indian rupee
hit a record low as a result of the economic issues in Turkey. Analysts say the
financial crisis has been a long time coming and reflects Turkey's refusal to
raise interest rates to curb double-digit inflation and cool an overheated
economy. Disputes with NATO ally the US have also contributed to the lira's
plunge."Unfortunately I think Erdogan is the extreme example of a
policy-maker who is totally deluded," Aly-Khan Satchu, CEO Rich
Management, told Al Jazeera."It's a losing battle. He is going to have to
raise interest rates to bring the situation under control," he added.Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the events are a sign the dollar is
becoming obsolete as the global trade currency.Alazeera
Pakistan’s Khan expresses solidarity with
Turkey
Pakistan’s Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran
Khan on Tuesday expressed support for Turkey amid its financial difficulties.“On
behalf of the people of Pakistan & myself, I want to let President Erdogan
& the people of Turkey know we are praying for their success in dealing
with the severe economic challenges confronting them, as they have always
succeeded against adversities in their glorious history,” Khan wrote on
Twitter.His remarks came several days after U.S. President Donald Trump ramped
up his attack on Turkey by increasing U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and
steel imports to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively.On Monday, in a
statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry also opposed the “unilateral sanctions
imposed by the U.S. on Turkey over the detention of an American pastor under
terrorism charges.Anadolu Agency
Muslim Brotherhood calls for early polls in Egypt
CAIRO:Egypt’s embattled Muslim Brotherhood
group has called for fresh presidential election as a way-out of the country’s
lingering political crisis. This came in a statement issued by the group on the
5th anniversary of a deadly dispersal by security forces of two major protest
camps in support of former president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawaya
Square and Giza’s Nahda Square in 2013.While Egyptian authorities say 632
people, including 8 policemen were killed in the dispersal, rights groups put
the death toll at over 1,000 victims. The Muslim Brotherhood said its 10-item
initiative aims to “cruise the country out of the dark tunnel”. “The best
way-out of this dark tunnel is the return of President Morsi to power to chair
a coalition government agreed upon by national powers for a specific and sufficient
period of time to prepare the country for fair election supervised by an
independent judicial entity…without exclusion of any party,” the group said. It
went on to call for national dialogue as a way of bolstering unity inside
Egypt.There was no comment from the Egyptian authorities on the Brotherhood’s
call. Egypt has been roiled by turmoil since the military deposed Morsi, the
country’s first freely elected president, in a military coup in 2013. Since
Morsi’s overthrow, Egyptian authorities have launched a relentless crackdown on
dissents, killing hundreds and sending thousands behind bars for
violence-related charges. Last month, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi,
a former army chief who led the 2013 coup, announced his rejection of reconciliation
with the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that “he was fighting terrorism
tirelessly”.
Egypt: 5 years since 'Rabaa massacre'
Five years ago, Egypt witnessed one of the
deadliest days for demonstrations in its modern history when security forces
killed hundreds of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. The dramatic
dispersal of the sit-in at Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square on August 14, 2013,
saw soldiers and police shoot dead more than 800 protesters in a matter of
hours.The bloody crackdown came weeks after Morsi was overthrown by the
military following mass demonstrations against his one-year rule. Egypt's
security forces maintain some of the demonstrators were armed and there were
"terrorists" among their numbers.Despite a wealth of evidence
implicating the Egyptian army and police in killing the protesters, no one has
ever been brought to trial and the Egyptian government has yet to transparently
investigate the massacre.aljazeera
Netanyahu met Sisi in secret visit to Egypt:
Israeli media reports
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid
a rare, secret visit to Egypt in May for talks with President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Israeli television reported on
Monday.There was no immediate confirmation of the visit from official sources,
but the private Channel 10 station said the leaders met on 22 May.The reported
visit followed a day of large-scale protests on 14 May in the besieged Gaza
Strip against the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.Israeli forces
violently repressed the demonstrations, killing at least 65 Palestinians.Egypt
has previously mediated between Netanyahu's government and the Hamas movement,
the de facto ruling party in Gaza since 2007.According to American sources
quoted by Channel 10, Netanyahu and Sisi discussed the possibility of a
long-term truce in Gaza, where Israel has waged 3 wars against Hamas since
2008.A Hamas victory in 2006 legislative elections led to an armed conflict
with Fatah, the leading party of the Palestinian Authority (PA), following
which the PA was effectively booted out of power in the Gaza Strip. Since 2007,
Gaza has also been submitted to a crushing siege imposed by Israel and upheld
by Egypt.middleeasteye
Military Court delays trial of 304 Muslim
Brotherhood members
CAIRO: Military Court delayed on Monday the
prosecution of 304 defendants over the attempted assassination of Assistant
Attorney Genera; Zacaria abd al-Aziz. The defendants belong to the “Hasm”
movement considered the armed group of the Muslim Brotherhood, held at the
Institute of Police Secretaries in Batrah. The list of those indicted include
Mohammed Ali Bishr, a member of the Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau, and other
leaders of the group. The inquisition of the Supreme State Security related the
movement of the "Hasm" commission of 17 terrorist incidents targeting
army officers, police, clerics, and prosecutors. Egypt Today
UK Labour leader slams Netanyahu's 'false'
claims
LONDON :Israel’s nation-state law
discriminates against the country’s Palestinian minority, British Labour Party
leader Jeremy Corbyn said Monday.Corbyn made the remarks on Twitter in reply to
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who joined the criticism against
Corbyn over his alleged participation in a wreath-laying ceremony in Tunisia
four years ago to honor the perpetrators of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.“The
nation-state law sponsored by @Netanyahu's government discriminates against
Israel's Palestinian minority. I stand with the tens of thousands of Arab and
Jewish citizens of Israel demonstrating for equal rights at the weekend in Tel
Aviv,” Corbyn said.British tabloid the Daily Mail published photos of Corbyn at
the ceremony holding a wreath while standing near the graves of members of the
Black September group. The event took place in 2014, before he was elected
Labour leader.Anadolu agency
New UN rights chief faces tough decision on
Israeli settlements
NEW YORK, United States – The UN’s new human
rights chief Michelle Bachelet faces a tough decision when she starts work next
month: whether to release a controversial list of some 200 businesses that
operate in Israeli settlements and risk alienating an already-recalcitrant
Trump administration.Upon becoming UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 1
September, Bachelet, a former Chilean president, must choose whether to publish
the names of companies doing trade linked to unlawful Israeli settlements in
the West Bank.Palestinian activists say a UN-certified list would help them
target offenders in their global boycott and divestment effort. Businesses
understood to be operating in Israel’s settlements, which are widely viewed as
illegal, include Caterpillar, Airbnb and Motorola.Earlier this year, the UN
delayed publication of the list, sparking fears that it would ultimately be
buried amid pressure from Israel and its powerful ally, the United States,
which pulled out of the UN’s 47-nation Human Rights Council in
June.middleeasteye
Fatah threatens to withdraw from Oslo
Agreement
The Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee
has threatened to withdraw the movement from the Oslo Agreement and its
resulting obligations. “We are very close to announcing our withdrawal from all
the obligations resulting from Oslo,” Jibril Rajoub told a TV interviewer.The
Oslo Agreement was signed between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO)
and Israel in 1993 as a transitional phase towards peace between Palestinians
and Israelis. Its economic terms were signed in 1994.Under the agreement, the PLO
recognised Israel in 1993, but the latter has still not recognised the right of
the Palestinians to establish an independent state. In January this year, the
Palestinian Central Council asked the Executive Committee of the PLO to
“suspend recognition of Israel” in response to the US decision to recognise
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Council also decided to “stop security
coordination with Israel and stop economic relations with it.”middleeastmonitor
Taliban overrun military base in Afghanistan
KABUL:Following deadly siege by the Taliban
for days, an Afghan military base in northern Faryab province has fallen to the
Taliban, officials and local media confirmed on Tuesday.Sibghatullah Sailab,
deputy chairman for the provincial assembly, told Anadolu Agency the Afghan
National Army base in Ghormach district was under the siege of the Taliban for
the past two days, and the besieged soldiers finally surrendered late on Monday
when no additional forces came for their rescue.The local Tolo News channel
reported that 43 security personnel have been killed and wounded and 17 others
were taken hostage by the militant group amid fierce battles that were ongoing
for the last two days.The particular base is located in a remote part of the
province, and was receiving supplies via air for months.Meanwhile, the Taliban
spokesman Qari Yosuf Ahmadi has tweeted that the military base in Chilgazi area
of the district was taken over by the militant group.Elsewhere, Afghan Ministry
of Defence claimed to have finally pushed the advancing Taliban out of Ghazni
city after four days of deadly clashes.Ghafor Ahmad, the spokesman for the
ministry, told the local Azadi Radio that 324 Taliban rebels, 70 policemen, 30
soldiers and 40 civilians got killed in these offensives.Anadolu Agency
Prominent Sheikh tortured to death in Saudi jail
Prominent Islamic Scholar Sheikh Suleiman
Dweesh has died under torture in a Saudi Arabian jail, AlKhaleejonline.com
reported on Tuesday. According to a twitter account which documents and reports
news of political detainees in the Kingdom, the Sheikh was arrested on 22
April, 2016.The fact that the full details of the treatment to which Sheikh
Dweesh was exposed suggests that it was extremely inhumane. He was arrested
less than a day after posting critical comments about Crown Prince Mohammad Bin
Salman on social media.Ever since he was appointed as Crown Prince, Bin Salman
has had thousands of political and religious opposition figures arrested. They
include hundreds of Sharia scholars, intellectuals and prominent Sheikhs and
university professors. Middleeastmonitor
Thousands of Daesh fighters remain in Syria,
Iraq: UN
WASHINGTON:Despite their defeat, an estimated
20,000-30,000 Daesh fighters are still in Syria and Iraq, according to a UN
report published Monday.The report on Daesh and Al-Qaeda, which was presented
to the Security Council, said a smaller number of Daesh fighters had made their
way to Afghanistan, where there are now 3,500-4,500 fighters. There are also
3,000-4,000 militants in Libya.The report further noted that although Daesh was
militarily defeated in 2017, it was able to regroup early this year. Within
Syria and Iraq, it has been able to revert its structure to that of a
"covert network".While the Daesh threat may have been eliminated on
the surface, the UN said there are still "sleeper cells" throughout
Iraq, where it is able to launch attacks without controlling any
territory.Meanwhile in Somalia, Yemen and South Asia, Al-Qaeda has been showing
resiliency compared to Daesh. In Yemen, there are 6,000-7,000 Al-Qaeda fighters
compared to 250-500 Daesh fighters.
Ethiopia: Paramilitaries 'kill at least 40' in
Oromia region
At least 40 people were killed by paramilitary
forces in eastern Ethiopia over the weekend, a senior regional official said,
in the latest spate of violence driven by ethnic divisions. On Monday, Oromia
regional administration's spokesman Negeri Lencho said heavily armed members of
a paramilitary force from the Somali region had carried out cross-border
attacks in Oromia's East Hararghe district."We still do not know why Liyu
forces raided the areas on Saturday and Sunday," he said, referring to the
paramilitary soldiers. "But we know that all the victims were ethnic
Oromos.At least 40 were killed in attacks."Unrest first broke out along
the border of the country's Somali and Oromia provinces in September,
displacing nearly a million people, though the violence had subsided by
April.aljazeera
FLASH
VIEWS & NEWS
‘Hindutva Is Better Described as a Movement of
the Oppressive Minority’: Jean Dreze
How Tricolour & Lion Emblem Really Came to
Be:Laila Tyabji
‘No doubt that there are membership elements
of RSS who have engaged in lynching’: Walter Andersen's interview
Ruling Awami League must see that students’
protests reflected deep discontents:Ali Riaz, Distinguished Professor at
Illinois State University, USA
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:26 PM)
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