NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
04 Sept. 2018: 23 Zilhajj 1439: Vol: 10, No:99
INDIA
AMU opposes idea to drop word ‘Muslim’ from
its name, calls suggestion ‘preposterous’
New Delhi:Hitting back at the government panel
that suggested the word “Muslim” be dropped from its name, AMU, in its formal
response to UGC,has called the proposition “preposterous” for ignoring the
institution’s long history and unique character.Criticising the committee for
going beyond its mandate, AMU Registrar Javaid Akhter wrote to the govt, “Name
of the university gives us an idea about its history, purpose and character and
preserving the same is our bounden Constitutional duty.”“Committee incorrectly
draws the conclusion that by renaming AMU as Aligarh University would instil
secular values. One must recall that in India the concept of secularism arises
more from the discourse of justice and equality than from an anti-religious
position mostly practiced in the West,”he said in response to 15 suggestions
contained in the audit ordered by the government.As reported by the paper on
Oct.9, 2017, the above recommendation was mentioned in an audit of AMU by one
of 5 committees set up by UGC on April 25 last year, at the behest of HRD
Ministry, to probe complaints of irregularities against 10 Central
universities. Although the panel’s audit mandate was limited to infrastructure
and academic, research and financial operations in the 10 varsities, the report
on AMU suggested that the institution should either be called just ‘Aligarh
University’ or be named after its founder, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. According to
committee, the presence of the word “Muslim” impinges on the secular character
of the university, which is funded by union govt.Reacting to report, HRD
Minister Prakash Javadekar had told reporters on Oct.9, 2017, that the
government would not accept the suggestion to rename AMU.The committee had also
recommended that the selection process of AMU’s V-C should be tweaked to align
it with the appointment procedure followed by other central universities.
Currently, AMU has a greater say in appointment process. The university
defended its process saying “it is in line with top class world universities
who have all the freedom and autonomy to choose their own V-Cs best suited to
them”.“The selection process advised by the panel and followed by other Central
universities is neither perfect nor infallible. No one even knows what
objective criteria are followed by the search committee in shortlisting the
candidates,” AMU’s response states. In response to the committee’s criticism
that AMU promotes a culture of “inbreeding” in which a majority of faculty
appointments are of its former students, the university cited statistics that
388 teachers have experience of working outside AMU and 237 of its teachers
have worked abroad including reputed institutions like Harvard University,
University of California, University of Michigan and Washington
University.indian express
CJI Misra set to deliver 10 key judgments with
20 working days left before retirement; R. Gogoi sets to be top judge
New Delhi:With just 20 working days left in
the term of CJI Dipak Misra, verdicts in at least 10 important cases, including
a key case related to the politically-sensitive Babri Masjid case are expected
over the next few weeks.Perhaps the most keenly-awaited ruling by a bench led
by CJI Misra is the one on NDA government’s ambitious push to Aadhaar, the
biometric-based national identification platform. Petitions filed by social
activists have challenged the constitutional validity of Aadhaar and its
enabling 2016 law. A constitution bench had on May 10 reserved the verdict
after a marathon 38-day hearing, spanning four months.A constitution bench is
also expected to deliver its verdict on petitions demanding decriminalization
of section 377 Indian Penal Code that criminalizes homosexuality. The verdict
was reserved on July 17. A 3-judge bench headed by Justice Misra will also give
an answer to the pertinent question on whether a mosque is integral to Islam. Meanwhile,
Justice Ranjan Gogoi, the most senior Supreme Court judge set to be the
country’s next chief justice, will be the first from the north-east where he
had started legal practice as a lawyer 40 years ago. On Tuesday, Chief Justice
Dipak Misra recommended to the government that the top court’s senior-most
judge who had openly criticised his decisions just seven months ago, should
succeed him. HT/HT
SC to hear plea seeking to limit physical
access to EVMs only to authorised persons
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to
hear after two weeks a plea seeking direction to the authorities to ensure that
physical access to EVM is limited only to authorised engineers after obtaining
security clearances.The petition, filed by a journalist and
Uttarakhand-resident Ashish Goyal, sought to publish the list of such
authorised engineers and be made available to the contesting political parties
as well as be uploaded on the web site of Election Commission of India (ECI).A
bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, which for the time being did not
issue the notice, asked the petitioner (Goyal) to serve the copy on the counsel
for the poll panel.The bench later posted the matter for further hearing after
two weeks.The petition said the upkeep and maintenance of EVMs during elections
is by the authorised engineers of Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) and
Bharat Electronics Limited, the 2 govt firms that are also made parties in the
matter.TOI
Activists’ arrest case: PIL in HC seeks action
against policemen who briefed media
Mumbai:A PIL was filed in Bombay High Court
Tuesday, seeking action against senior IPS officer Parambir Singh and other
police officials who briefed the media on their case against some prominent
activists arrested over their alleged Maoist links.Singh, state ADG, along with
Pune police had addressed the media in Mumbai on the case on Aug.31.During the
press conference, Singh had read out letters purportedly exchanged between the
activists. Activist Sanjay Bhalerao, who claims to be a witness to the Bhima
Koregaon violence, filed a criminal PIL in the HC seeking action against Singh
and the other policemen. The petition sought the high court to initiate action against
Singh and the other police officers who held the press conference and disclosed
“crucial and vital information” pertaining to the case.It also urged the court
to direct the state government to take action against the police officers under
Article 311 of the Constitution under which a civil servant can be dismissed
for misconduct.The petitioner alleged that the probe carried out by the Pune
police was politically motivated and with malafide intentions.The apex court
ordered that the five be kept under house arrest till Sept. 6.PTI
Hindu outfit responsible for Bhima-Koregaon
riot:Pune Deputy Mayor
Mumbai:Siddharth Dhende, Deputy mayor of Pune
Municipal Corporation, rubbished the govt and police claims of a Naxal
connection behind Bhima-Koregaon caste riots. Dhende claimed leaders of Hindu
outfits,Manohar Bhide and Milind Ekbote are the conspirators of Bhima-Koregaon
riots.He claimed water tankers filled with kerosene were prepared before the
night of riot and it was a not a spontaneous reaction but a pre-planned
conspiracy.Dhende, a leader of RPI – Athawale group, had visited Bhima-
Koregaon, Vadhu-Budruk, Sanasgaon and riot affected villages after meeting
Vishwas Nangare-Patil, Special IG of Kolhapur range. Patil had formed
coordination committee to assist police and had been told to submit the report.
“We met people of the affected villages, spoke to them and tried to connect the
missing dots between Elgar Parishad and riots.We, members of coordination
committee, found there was no connection between speeches delivered at Elgar
Parishad and the riots on Jan. 1,” claimed Dhende. Locals said to the committee
members that there was an environment created pointing to a conspiracy by Bhide
and Ekbote. According to another committee member, a board that was placed near
the tomb of Govind Ganapat Gaikwad, a member of Mahar community who had
performed the final rites of the slain Maratha king Sambhaji, was pulled down
by Hindutva activists at Ekbote’s instigation 3 years ago as a precursor to the
events of Dec.29 last year. freepressjournal
Mumbai right-wing terror plot: suspects
planned to hurl bomb and escape via highway
The only reason right-wing activists didn't
bomb Sunburn 2016 in Pune was because EDM (electronic dance music) festival was
cancelled at the last minute. Arrested accused Sharad Kalaskar told ATS that
they had made full preparations, including assembling crude bombs, and had
every intention of hurling them into the crowd, before making their escape on a
motorcycle. As per sources in ATS, Kalaskar was supposed to execute the plan
along with Sudhanva Gondhalkar, 39, another arrested accused from Pune. During
interrogation, Kalaskar told the agency that they had made crude bombs, which
they planned to throw at revellers at Sunburn, to cause panic and damage. He
added that they had planned to go to the venue on motorcycles, and escape via
the highway. He also said they were against the western music festival as it
was against Hindu culture.mid-day
Mumbai Right-Wing Terror: Accused Vaibhav Raut
Had A Secret Room To Stash Arms
ATS, which is currently investigating the
Nalasopara arms haul, stumbled upon a secret room inside the house of arrested accused
Vaibhav Raut, soon after his arrest. According to a police officer, when ATS
raided Raut's home in Nalasopara again on August 11 — a day after he was held —
they found and seized one laptop, 2 CPUs, 4 airguns, 20 boxes of airgun
bullets, 2 notebooks, one diary, one mobile phone, 3 SIM cards and 2 other
papers.The cops also seized an Innova that was parked in Raut's premises. Cops
said they were completely unaware of this secret room on the day Raut was held.
mid-day
Hyderabad twin bomb blasts: 2 of 5 accused
convicted, 2 others acquitted,
sentencing on Monday
New Delhi: 11 years after 42 people were
killed in twin blasts that rocked Hyderabad, a special NIA court convicted 2
and acquitted 2 others in the case on Tuesday. The quantum of punishment will
be announced on Monday. The 2 convicted are Aneeq Shafeeq Sayeed and Ismail
Chaudhary.2 blasts had occurred at Gokul Chat eatery in Koti and the laser show
auditorium at Lumbini Park around 7.45 pm on Aug.25, 2007. Earlier, the
judgment was to be delivered on Aug.27, however, Second Additional Metropolitan
Sessions Judge T Srinivas Rao postponed it to Sept.4. Those arrested included
Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari, Aneeq Shafique Sayeed, Farooq Sharfuddin
Tarkash, Mohammed Sadiq Israr Ahmed Shaik and Tarik Anjum — were produced
before the court on August 27 through video conferencing from Cherlapalli
Central Prison.The accused were arrested by the Maharashtra ATS in Oct. 2008.
Counter Intelligence wing of Telangana Police filed 3 chargesheets against
Mohammed Sadiq, Ansar Ahmed Badshah Shaik, Akber Ismail and Anique Shafeeq Syed
and others — some of whom are still absconding. indianexpress
IS case: NIA court frames charges against six
New Delhi: A court in Kerala has framed
charges against 6 youths, for allegedly trying to carry out terror activities
in parts of southern India, according to an official statement issued on
Tuesday. A case was registered suo-motu by NIA on Oct.1, 2016 based on
information regarding activities of some youths, who had the intention of
furthering the objectives of the proscribed terrorist group in Kerala and Tamil
Nadu, NIA said in a statement.TOI
Malegaon blasts: SC refuses to entertain Lt
Col Purohit’s plea for SIT probe
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to
admit a plea by Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit seeking an SIT probe into his
alleged abduction, illegal detention and brutal torture in the 2008 Malegaon
blast case. The bench, comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Naveen Sinha and KM
Joseph, said admission of the plea may interfere with the ongoing trial in the
case. The SC, however, has allowed Purohit to raise his contentions in the
trial court. The direction came after the SC agreed with senior advocate Harish
Salve, appearing for Purohit, that “some forum had to look into it”.Purohit,
who is named a key conspirator in the case, is currently out on
bail.indianexpress
HC refuses to stay framing of charges in Malegaon
case
Bombay High Court has declined to stay a lower
court order for framing of charges in a case against Lt. Col. Shrikant P
Purohit and 13 other accused in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast.Purohit
had challenged the decision of the lower court in the high court, seeking a
stay on the framing of charges on September 5, the critical pre-trial process
in the case.IANS
5 held for plot to target Hindu leaders: TN
police says they active in defending radical Islam, posts on social media
against critics of Islam, Prophet
Coimbatore police has said they had arrested 5
youths under UAPA for an alleged conspiracy to kill leaders of 2 Hindu fringe
groups in TamilNadu.Relatives and acquaintances of one of those arrested,
however, said he had gone from Chennai to Coimbatore to look for footpath space
to sell clothes ahead of the festive season. According to police, they received
information that Ashiq (25)from Coimbatore, and his friends, who were arriving
from Chennai, were plotting to target Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Arjun Sampath
and Sakthi Sena leader Anbu Mari.Besides Ashiq, Ismail (25) from Dindivanam,
Salavuddin (25) from Otteri,Jafar Sadiq Ali(29) from Vyasarpadi near Chennai
and Shamsuddin(20) from Pallavaram in Chennai were picked up. The police
statement said all of them were “active in defending radical Islam and posted
on social media against those who criticise Islam and Prophet”. The police said
some of the accused were members of the Indian National League (INL). INL
founder Tada J Abdul Rahim said Salavuddin and Ali were active in his movement
till 5 months ago. Rahim said the youths were picked up when they had gathered
in Coimbatore to look for footpath space to sell clothes. “Taking them into
custody, linking them in a murder conspiracy and foisting charges such as UAPA
is a conspiracy against Muslim youth, they should be immediately released,” he
said.Rahim, whose outfit has arranged lawyers for the accused, said Salavuddin
went to towns and sold old clothes during festive seasons while Ali worked as a
helper in interior decoration works. “It
may be a fact that these youths were very vocal and outspoken in defending
Islam on social media when hate mongers put up posts against Islam and Islamic
groups. Their tone and tenor in resisting hatred online might have been equally
problematic and needed correction as they sound angry in this age. But foisting
such serious cases to trap them forever is cruel,” Rahim said.indian express
Mob in Delhi chases, thrashes 16-year-old boy
to death on suspicion of thievery
New Delhi: In yet another case of mob justice,
a 16-year-old boy was beaten to death allegedly over suspicion of being a
thief. The incident took place in northwest Delhi's Mukundpur area in the early
hours of Tuesday. While police have arrested three men in connection with the
death, three others are still on the run, suggest reports.DCP Northwest Aslam
Khan told PTI that the boy entered a house with the intention of stealing
valuables and was caught in the act by the owner of the house who along with others,
thrashed the boy to death.The boy's kin recovered his body from near their
residence and reported the matter to the police. The boy was reportedly found
with his hands and legs tied. The boy's uncle told police that he had arrived
in the city about 15 days back and apart from studying at a local madrassa, he
was also working at an electrical goods repair shop.Those accused have been
identified as Nand Kishore, Raj Kishore, Triveni, Deshraj, Sohan Lal and Sant
Lal. times now
Allahabad retired cop Abdul Samad beaten to
death, CCTV footage goes viral
Lucknow:A 70-year-old retired sub-inspector
(SI) embroiled in a property dispute was beaten to death by three assailants in
broad daylight in the Shivkuti police station area of Allahabad on Monday. CCTV
footage of the assault showed the retired cop, Abdul Samad Khan, trying to
shield himself as the 3 deliver fatal blows using sticks. He eventually stops
resisting and is left bleeding on the street. The footage went viral on social
media as no passerby comes forward to help him. Khan was later taken to a
nearby private hospital where he died during treatment.According to the police
officials, an FIR has been registered against the three assailants and 7 others
for murder. One of the accused has been arrested.“According to the
investigation so far, these people had some property dispute related to a house
and had argued before. The incident was of Monday when Khan was going on his
bicycle and was attacked by Mohammad Yusuf, his brother Mohammad Sebu and
relative Ibne,” said SP (city) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava. Meanwhile, an FIR was
registered in the evening against one Junaid, his sons Yusuf and Sebu, his
relative Ibne and six others for allegedly killing Khan. According to the
police officials, Yusuf has been arrested while they are looking for the other
two accused who are absconding.indianexpress
'They said I was Indian, now i am not': people
removed from NRC draft caught in flux
Guwahati: Fields spread across rural and
semi-rural pockets of Goroimari and Pub Malaibari in the two Kamrup districts
of Assam, nestled within the fertile plains of Brahmaputra Valley, are
glistening with the green velvety sheen of winter paddy – but an ominous air
looms over them. In the last seven months, many who tend to these fields have
been caught between the uncertainty of first being labelled as ‘Indians’, and
then that label being taken away.The uncertainty, brought upon by their
exclusion from the final draft of the NRC published on July 30, refuses to
dissipate. Though Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated a few days ago in these
Muslim-majority areas, residents said the confusion over the exclusion of some
names from the final draft NRC, even though they were in the first draft,
somewhat dampened the annual celebrations.The villagers were referring to over
1,15,000 names that were included in the first draft of the NRC, published on
Dec.31, 2017, but were left out of the final draft. The Supreme Court on July 2
approved a proposal submitted by NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela, which
said that these 1.15 lakh people ‘have not been found admissible for inclusion’
in the final draft during the verification process. A breakdown of this 1.15
lakh figure, given by the NRC state office, said that 65,694 names were removed
because of a mismatch in the family tree, and 48,456 because they were married
women who submitted only panchayat certificates to prove their link to their
parental families.Among those 1.15 lakh people is Sydur Rahman, 44, from
Bhalukabari in the Goroimari Circle, around 60 km from Guwahati. Rahman didn’t
find his name in the final draft, along with five other members of his family.
Though his wife’s name was not in the first draft, he and three other family
members’ names were. Now, seven months later, his entire six-member family has
been left out of the final draft.These 1.15 lakh people were to fill a form to
seek the ‘Reason for exclusion of names in final draft NRC’.The form was to be
given out from August 7, which changed to August 10. Finally, the forms were
given out from Aug 20.thewire
VHP to launch campaign against 'ills of love
jihad' in WB schools, colleges; TMC says "won't allow"
Kolkata:VHP Tuesday said it would launch a
campaign this month in various schools and colleges of West Bengal against the
"ills of love jihad', inviting a strong rebuke from the ruling TMC, which
asserted that "we will never allow the nefarious designs" of the
Sangh Parivar to succeed.The VHP, along with its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal,
and women's wing, the Durga Vahini, would organise awareness campaign against
"love jihad" and also use social media as a tool to reach out to the
youth, VHP media head Sourish Mukherjee said.'Love jihad' is a term coined by
some Hindu groups to refer to the alleged efforts by Muslim men to target women
from other religious communities for conversion through love
affairs.outlookindia
Governor’s office intervened to end J&K
kidnap drama
New Delhi: J&K Governor’s office took
strong exception to the detention of the father of Hizbul Mujahideen
‘commander’ Riyaz Naikoo by the local police, which led to a spate of
abductions of relatives of policemen in the Kashmir Valley last week.It was on
the intervention of senior officials in Governor Satya Pal Malik’s office that
Naikoo’s father Asadullah was released and the impasse over the abduction of 11
relatives of policemen in south Kashmir on August 31 was brought to an end, a
top source told The Hindu.A senior government official said that 32 J&K
policemen had been killed this year, and most were targeted killings.He said
there should be no “over-reaction” to these kinds of threats as it would
trigger more panic, and the government did not want a repeat of the 1990s when
Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee their homes.thehindu
Targeting policemen hits home: 1 of 5 cops was
recruited from south Kashmir
Srinagar: The recent killing of policemen and
the abduction of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel last week strike at the
heart of the government-citizenry interface in the state. This alarming trend
is particularly accentuated in south Kashmir, which has sent one in every five
police personnel recruited by the J&K Police in the last 3 years.Official
records show that the J&K Police recruited 9,381 policemen from 22
districts in the state, of which 1,647 were from the four districts of south
Kashmir — Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam. In addition, close to 2,000 Special
Police Officers (SPOs) have been recruited from these districts in just the
last 2 years. J&K Police is the second largest government recruiter in the
state, next only to the Education Department, and comprises 31,000 SPOs in
addition to the regular forces of over 90,000 men.While south Kashmir has been
the new battlefield of militants, it is also home to over 20,000 police
families. Since the emergence of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani as the
new face of militancy in 2015, more than 300 youths have joined militant
ranks.The number of policemen recruited from these 4 districts has also surged
5-fold. indianexpress
‘Tit for tat’: A raft of abductions in Kashmir
shows the Valley is caught in a cycle of retaliation
Shujaat Bukhari murder case: Kashmir Editors
Guild expresses regret over police not filing chargesheet
Srinagar: Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) has
expressed regret over the police not filing a chargesheet in the murder case of
senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari who was shot dead by suspected militants in
June."KEG regrets that the police have not been able to file a chargesheet
in the broad daylight murder of the senior journalist so far. This was despite
the fact that the police claimed to have solved the case," a spokesman of
the guild said in a statement.Referring to the reports of media persons in the
Valley allegedly being asked by security agencies to disclose their sources,
KEG said a journalist cannot be forced to reveal his source of information and
"it is considered illegal across the democracies of the world".PTI
J&K: MBA graduate joins Hizbul Mujahideen;
Army ready to help if he shuns violence
Jammu:A 29-year-old MBA graduate in Jammu and
Kashmir has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen, prompting the Army to assure all
possible help if he shuns the path of violence, a senior officer said.The
picture of Haroon Abbas Wani with an AK-47 rifle has gone viral on social media
recently, indicating his joining the group on Saturday. Wani is a resident of
Ghat area of Doda district and a master of business administration degree
holder from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra.His family has made a
passionate appeal for his return. "The biggest jihad is to serve elderly
parents. There is no need for jihad as we are happy," his aunt said in a
video message, adding that his decision had left them ashamed. "Your
mother and father has fallen sick and they need you very badly. Please
return."His uncle, Farooq Ahmad Wani, said he was very good at studies and
gave no inkling of his joining the terror group ever. He was working in a
private company in Jammu and "we are unable to understand who lured him
into this path".PTI
Separatists call for boycott of panchayat
polls in J&K
Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) —
alliance of separatist leadership in Kashmir — comprising Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik Monday called for a boycott of the
panchayat and municipal polls scheduled in J&K from Oct.1.Underscoring that
the government of India wanted to “thrust and enforce panchayat and municipal
elections upon us through additional deployment of lakhs of forces under the
pretext of lapse of developmental fund”,JRL said it wanted to convey to the
government “the loud and clear message by the people of Kashmir that they
boycott any kind of participation in elections and instead only demand right to
self-determination”. Calling for election boycott, JRL said that the “enforced
elections are nothing but another assault on people to harass them and cause
them further inconvenience and agony”. They said that any participation in
these elections is propagated as a people’s verdict in favour of India and
hence they are used “as a means to dilute J&K disputed status and undo the
holding of a referendum…”indianexpress
AFSPA: Army chief Bipin Rawat asks why
officers, soldiers filed plea in SC
New Delhi :Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is
learnt to have questioned the need for serving officers and soldiers to
approach the Supreme Court in their personal capacity against the alleged
dilution of AFSPA.“Army was fighting these cases, the government is aware of
these cases, and AFSPA is a very strong law which provides protection to the soldiers.
Now, if these guys (petitioners) lose the case, what will happen,” sources
quoted Rawat as saying during a three-hour-long interaction with Colonel-rank
officers and their wives Sunday. Nearly 700 Army officers and soldiers have
approached the Supreme Court against the so-called dilution of AFSPA, which
shielded them from prosecution without the central govt’s nod. Rawat is learnt
to have pointed out that most of the signatories had never participated in
counter-insurgency operations.indianexpress
Student Lois Sofia, jailed for shouting
‘fascist BJP govt down’ on flight with TN party chief, granted bail
New Delhi:A Thoothukudi court Tuesday granted
bail to Lois Sofia, a 28-year-old studying in Canada, a day after her arrest at
Tuticorin airport for shouting “fascist BJP government down, down” on board a
flight in the presence of Tamil Nadu BJP cheif Tamilisai Soundararajan. Sofia,
who was travelling with her parents, was taken into custody after Soundararajan
filed a complaint with the airport police.The arrest had led to intense outrage
against the police and AIADMK government. Reacting to the arrest, DMK chief MK Stalin accused the Tamil Nadu government
of stifling the right to free speech.Targeting AIADMK-led government in the
state, Stalin also said that if it was going to imprison people voicing
dissent, then he would repeat Sofia’s slogan. “Tamil Nadu govt’s
anti-democratic actions, against the right to free speech, are highly
condemnable. She must be released immediately. How many people will be
imprisoned if you arrest everyone who says that? I will also say it. ‘BJP’s
fascist government down, down’,” Stalin tweeted.indianexpress
Withdraw your blasphemy law Mr Amarinder
Singh, protect India's Constitution:Retired Civil Servants
New Delhi:A group of retired civil servants
have written letters to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Punjab CM Amarinder
Singh expressing alarm over “your (Punjab govt's) plans to amend IPC to make
acts of sacrilege against religious books a major offence, punishable with life
imprisonment. Our objections, echoing similar disagreements widely expressed in
the press, are on several grounds. We hope your cabinet will reconsider this
decision, which we consider is not wise or thought through, and will withdraw
the amendment bill. "Constitutional Conduct, as the civil servants' group
calls itself, has written of the vitiated secular environment and urged Congress
leadership to ensure that the secular spirit of India is preserved and
strengthened. “You will agree that we have already paid a heavy price for our
past sins of pandering to extremist sentiments of various religions for short
term political ends. You will also appreciate that Congress party itself has a
chequered history of occasionally fishing in communal waters, making it
vulnerable to the charge of hypocrisy. In a situation where the need to uphold
our secular values has become more critical than ever before, we believe it is
incumbent on you as leader of that party to stand by those values and shun the
temptation to score short term political points,”letter states.thecitizen
Refrain from using word Dalit, stick to
Scheduled Caste: I&B Ministry tells media
New Delhi:Ministry of I&B has told the
media to “refrain from using the nomenclature Dalit” and, instead, use only the
Constitutional term, ‘Scheduled Caste’.Dalit rights groups have opposed the
I&B ministry’s order, asserting that the term holds political significance
and a sense of identity.In March, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
issued similar orders to all state governments, stating that only the term
‘Scheduled Caste’ should be used in all official communication, adding that the
term ‘Dalit’ does not find mention in the Constitution or any statute.In its
order issued on Aug.7, I&B ministry cited a June order by the Bombay High
Court, directing Union government “to consider the question of issuing such
direction to the media and take suitable decision upon it within next 6 weeks”.
The petitioner had said that following the social justice ministry’s circular,
the media too should be asked to stop using the word ‘Dalit’.indianexpress
US Chokes Iran Oil Flows To Buyers Who Vowed
Resistance, Including India
The world's top oil buyers are discovering
that U.S. sanctions on Iran will squeeze their trade flows whether they agree
with America or not.It was only about three months ago that foreign minister
Sushma Swaraj said that the country won't adhere to unilateral restrictions and
will continue buying Iranian crude. China also made similar comments and was
said to have rejected an American request to cut imports. Japan and South Korea
have held talks with the U.S. aimed at securing exemptions. Yet for all the
pushback and negotiations, an emerging pattern shows U.S. sanctions are
succeeding in throttling Iran's sales to its customers even before the measures
take effect in early November. While America initially wanted a complete halt
in purchases, traders are now concerned that even a revised aim for only cuts
would take out enough supply to create a market deficit -- which other
producers may struggle to fill.Bloomberg
Can’t have an airline completely owned by
Qataris: Aviation Ministry
New Delhi:The central government has indicated
that it could turn down Qatar Airways’ plan to launch an airline in India in
its current investment format, with RN Choubey, Secretary, Ministry of Civil
Aviation saying that as per the current rules it was not possible to have an
airline entirely owned by Qataris.“Current policy of the government is that the
substantial ownership and effective control should remain with Indian nationals
and they will have to comply. You cannot have substantial ownership of more
than 50 per cent because then you are violating the policy,” Choubey said, on
the sidelines of the International Aviation Summit organised by International Air
Transport Association (IATA) here on Tuesday.He also pointed out that so far no
formal proposal had been made by Qatar Airways.Also on the sidelines of the
event, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al-Baker is learnt to have
told reporters that the airlines that the rules of allowing a foreign entity to
own 100 per cent domestic carrier were not clear. “What we are given to
understand is that an airline cannot own 100 per cent. A foreigner can but not
an airline. I don’t know what is the difference between a foreigner and an
airline. If Qatar Investment Authority own 51 and I own 49 that is not allowed.
Again, this is very ambiguous. The rule is not very clear,” Al Baker said.In
reply to reporters seeking response on Al Baker’s comments, Choubey said: “If
he thinks that he should have an airline that is entirely owned by Qataris,
presently it is not possible. If he thinks that he can run an airline that is
49 per cent foreign owned 51 per cent Indian owned, that is possible. They will
have to find an Indian partner and it is possible.”The Qatar Airways chief
executive also told reporters that the airline didn’t have any problem in
forming a partnership, but needs to find the right partner.indian express
In Rafale season, govt rejects Russia’s
request for Adanis as AK-rifle deal partner
New Delhi :Already under Opposition fire over
the Rafale fighter deal with France, the government has turned down a Russian
request to make the Adani Group its partner for the joint manufacture of Rs
3,000-crore worth of AK-103 assault rifles for the Indian Army.In April, the
two governments had agreed that the Russian firm, Kalashnikov Concern, will
only partner government-owned Indian Ordnance Factories.Sources said the
Defence Ministry last month rejected the Russian proposal on grounds that the
foreign vendor did not have the option to select the Indian company in joint
manufacturing partner, including transfer of technology, in inter-government
agreements.“We have conveyed to the Russians that if they insist on Adani as
their partner, they should come through the tender route,” sources said.To
further its Make in India programme, the government had been keen on promoting
the private sector in defence manufacturing, but the political controversy
around discharge of offsets in the Rafale deal by Anil Ambani’s Reliance
Defence has led to greater caution on the part of the government.indianexpress
Delegation of Jharkhand farmers visit Israel to
learn farming techniques
Ranchi:Drip irrigation, plastic mulching,
multiple crops and good income – Gandura Oraon had everything going for him.
What he did not have was a passport. But when he did have one and travelled for
the first time outside India, Oraon has returned overwhelmed by the scale and
technological perfection to which farming has been taken in a country smaller
than Jharkhand.Oraon was part of the first-ever batch of 26 farmers (one each
from all the 24 districts and three from Ranchi) from Jharkhand to have gone to
Israel for a four-day visit, beginning August 26, to learn the best practices
in drip irrigation and other technologies that make farming a profitable
business done with virtual pin-point accuracy.indianexpress
2+2 dialogue: US wants India to join group to
check IS funding
New Delhi;Ahead of the first ‘2+2’ dialogue
between India and the US, Washington is learnt to have suggested that New Delhi
should be a part of Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG), a broad international group
formed to “degrade” and “defeat” ISIS. With US, Italy, and Saudi Arabia as
co-chair, the group was established in January 2015, and has 49 member states,
including Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Georgia,
Germany, Iraq and China as observers.US homeland security officials and their
Indian counterparts have worked on a draft plan related to six areas, including
anti-terror cooperation in intelligence sharing, terror financing and cyber
security, that will be shared during the September 6 dialogue, said officials.
CIFG, global coalition to prevent Islamic State’s use of the international
financial system, has been holding discussions with member states and
intergovernmental bodies like Financial Action Task Force(FATF) since 2015. North
Block officials maintained that the group has no physical infrastructure in
India and has managed to influence a very small section of youth. “Our
intelligence and investigating agencies have managed to counter financing of
these small modules. We have been sharing our findings with various foreign
agencies and have participated in various FATF deliberations on terror
financing. Islamic State and all its manifestations have been banned in India
under UAPA,” a senior home ministry official added.indianexpress
Top BJP ministers to skip World Hindu Congress
in US amid calls for boycott by Indian diaspora
Chicago:The Alliance for Justice and
Accountability (AJA), an umbrella organization of progressive groups across the
US that is spearheading the call for a boycott of the World Hindu Congress
(WHC), has welcomed the withdrawal of top Indian ministers of BJP from the
event. WHC is being organized from 7-9 September by the VHP of America, the
American branch of India-based VHP, as well as other Hindu American groups such
as the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), that are tied to extremist Hindutva
organizations in India.Top ministers of the Narendra Modi-led government
belonging to BJP are unlikely to attend the World Hindu Congress being held in
Chicago. They are believed to have cancelled their programme under pressure
from the opposition of their participation in the Hindu Conclave from local
organizations in the US.While the official explanation given is that the
ministers were needed for a “National Executive” meeting of the party, it is
clear the BJP was aware of the WHC’s dates well before their party meeting was
planned. The BJP is the ruling party in India, and although it openly espouses
the same Hindutva ideology as the radical organizations represented at the WHC,
it is keen on downplaying this existential link at international fora, said AJA
in a statement. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has already cancelled his trip,
some others are also unlikely to attend it. However, organisers claim that at
least 2 BJP Chief Ministers, Yogi Adityanath and Devendra Fadnavis have
confirmed their participation, it is reported.caravandaily
RSS-backed trade union says Modi govt policies
led to exploitation of labourers
RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)
will launch a nationwide agitation on September 6 against the Modi government's
reforms that it says have led to "extreme exploitation and
harassment" of the labour sector and led to increasing unemployment in the
country.CK Saji Narayanan, chief of one of the largest trade unions in the
country, said that they would stage protests in all the districts demanding
among other things, scrapping of "fixed-term employment", which he
said was “destroying” the labour sector.“Because of these so-called reforms,
contract labour has now become the default model of employment in India. Today
67% of the organised sector workers belong to this category. The trend of
contract labour system has increased with the elimination of permanent posts in
private and public entities as well as government departments,” Narayanan
said.IANS
Tulsiram Prajapati ‘fake’ encounter case:
Udaipur SP threatened to kill me, says nephew Kundan
Mumbai:In the Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake
encounter case, his nephew told the court on Monday that the then Udaipur
Superintendent of Police had threatened that he would also be killed by the
police along with his uncle. Kundan Prajapati, Tulsiram’s maternal nephew,
while deposing as a prosecution witness, also told the court that he, along
with his friend, was assaulted by Rajasthan policemen. He added that both of
them were sent to Udaipur jail in an alleged false drug possession case.At the
relevant time, Dinesh MN, who was also named as an accused in the case but was
discharged last year, was the Udaipur SP.Kundan recalled that his uncle,
Tulsiram, was lodged in Udaipur central jail. indian express
BSP Panchayat member Dilshad shot dead in Delhi's
Batla House
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bsp-panchayat-member-dilshad-shot-dead-in-delhis-batla-house-1910737
New Delhi: A 35-year-old BSP panchayat member
from Uttar Pradesh was shot dead allegedly by two unidentified men in southeast
Delhi's Batla House on Monday, police said.The deceased was identified as
Dilshad, who was living in Jogha Bai Extension in Jamia Nagar, they said.Police
were informed about the incident at 6.05 pm, following which Dilshad was rushed
to Holy Family Hospital where he died during the course of treatment, said
Chinmoy Biswal, DCP (southeast). Local enquiry has revealed that two persons,
who were wearing helmets and were on foot, fired 4 rounds at him, he
said.Police said a case had been registered and investigation was underway. He
was involved in real estate business in Okhla and was also connected to the
Bahujan Samaj Party in Meerut, police said.It is suspected that the murder was
a fallout of personal enmity, they said. NDTV
1 Dead, 19 Injured In Majerhat Bridge Collapse
in Kolkata, Traffic, Trains Hit
KOLKATA: Majerhat bridge has collapsed in West
Bengal's capital Kolkata. Many are feared to have been trapped under the
Majerhat bridge. A large crowd gathered at the spot near to where the bridge
collapsed. Commuters travelling on cars and bikes are feared to have been
trapped. Rescue operations are said to be underway. A segment of the bridge
suddenly collapsed, according to early reports. 1 dead, 19 injured in bridge
collapse according to reports.NDTV
Communal harmony: Hindus raise
‘Nara-e-Takbeer’ slogan near a Masjid in Delhi
New Delhi: In a display of communal harmony,
during the janamashtami procession Hindus raised ‘Nara-e-Takbeer’ slogan when
the procession reached Bada Hindu Rao masjid. The locals of the area were
pleasantly surprised.So far we had been receiving the reports of provocative
slogans raised during religious processions, but this time Hindus showed
communal harmony and revived the cosmopolitan culture of India thus
discouraging the communal elements. This time also elaborate security
arrangements were made in the area fearing communal tension as the procession
had to pass that way, but when the procession reached Ahle Sunnat Masjid of
Bada Hindu Rao, all those present there were surprised to hear Nara-e-Takbeer
slogan raised by Hindus.At first, it was thought that the slogans were raised
by Muslims, but going after the procession, it was found that elderly and youth
donning saffron attire with Tilak on their forehead were raising slogan.Social
worker Sayeed Khan said we were pleased to see the message of brotherhood by
the participants of the procession. We welcomed the procession at Azad market;
people of both communities hugged each other and distributed sweets.siasat
WORLD
Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for prominent
Sunni scholar Salman al-Odah
A Saudi prosecutor demanded the death penalty
for prominent Sunni scholar Salman al-Odah on Tuesday, his son and Saudi rights
groups confirmed.Odah, 61, is an internationally renowned Sunni Muslim scholar
and cleric known for his progressive views on controversial social issues.He
was referred to a secret trial in mid-August in Riyadh after nearly a year in
detention without charges. Saudi official media announced on Tuesday that “a
person affiliated with a terrorist organisation” was sentenced to death, but
did not name Odah.Saudi rights activists told Middle East Eye that leaked news
from a Riyadh court confirmed that the person is Salman al-Odah, who is
affiliated to the International Union of Muslim Scholars, which the kingdom has
labelled as a “terrorist organisation”. Charges were not declared at the
beginning of the trial. Instead, on Tuesday, the state prosecutor brought 37
charges against Odah, including “leading a terrorist group” and “inciting public
opinion against the ruler”. In response to the news, thousands of Saudis took
part in a viral hashtag on social media “Salman al-Odah is not a terrorist” and
demanded his release.“The death penalty against Odah would be a bad omen for
what is yet to come,” Yehia Assiri, activist and director of the London-based
AL-Qist human rights organisation, told MEE.Odah, Assiri said, was not a
typical political opponent. He did not publicly criticise Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman or the Saudi government, but it is his reformist views which
threaten the state, Assiri said.“By declaring such sentences, the Saudi
authorities seek to silence everyone, or to force people into non-peaceful
means of opposition,” he said.Odah was detained on 10 Sept.2017, along with 20
other people, as part of a crackdown that saw many moderate Islamic clerics
detained after Mohammed bin Salman became the kingdom's crown prince and heir
to the throne last June.Odah, who has more than 14 million Twitter followers,
was arrested after tweeting a prayer for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia
and its Gulf neighbour Qatar: "May God harmonise between their hearts for
the good of their people," he said before his detention.middleeasteye
PTI's Arif Alvi elected new Pakistan president
Dr Arif Alvi, one of the founding members of
Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was elected as the
new President of Pakistan on Tuesday, according to media reports. Alvi defeated
PPP candidate Aitzaz Ahsan and the Pakistan Muslim League-N nominee Maulana
Fazl ur Rehman in a 3-way contest to become the 13th president. Of the 430
votes cast in the National Assembly and Senate, Alvi received 212 votes, Rehman
bagged 131 and Ahsan garnered 81; 6 votes were rejected, DawnNews reported,
citing unofficial results.Alvi secured 45 of the 60 votes cast by the
Balochistan's newly elected lawmakers, it said.In the PPP-dominated Sindh
Assembly, Ahsan got 100 votes, while Alvi bagged 56. Just a solitary vote was
cast in the favour of Rehman.In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Alvi received 78
of the total 109 votes, while Rehman and Ahsan got 26 and five votes
respectively.In Pakistan, the President is considered as a symbol of the
federation and head of the state and exercises all powers on the
recommendations of the prime minister. Outgoing President Mamnoon Hussain's
tenure ends on Sept.8.A dentist by profession, 69-year-old Alvi is one of the
founding members of PTI. PTI
Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of Afghan armed
group, dies
The founder of the Haqqani Network, one of
Afghanistan's most effective and feared armed groups, has died after a long
illness, their affiliates the Afghan Taliban announced on Tuesday.The Taliban
statement said Jalaluddin Haqqani had been ill and bed-ridden for several
years."If his excellency Haqqani Sahib has departed us physically, his
ideology and methodology continue to endure," it said.Haqqani, who founded
the network in the 1970s, relinquished operational leadership of the group some
years ago to his son Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is now deputy leader of the Afghan
Taliban. "Jalaluddin Haqqani ... has been ill for quite a long period of
time ... so I don't see a lot of impact in terms of reduction in
violence," Mushtaq Rahim, a political analyst based in Kabul, said.
"He has already relinquished the leadership to his son ... so [I] don't
expect much happening in terms of tactics, in terms of intensity of
engagement," he added.Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish
said the death was not expected to mean any major change for Haqqani Network. "Operationally,
his death will not have an impact on the group," he said, adding that
Haqqani's role in recent years was ideological rather than practical.Haqqani
rose to prominence as a guerrilla leader in the US-backed campaign against
Soviet forces occupying Afghanistan but later allied himself with the Taliban,
fighting American troops after the Taliban were removed in 2001.aljazeera
Trump warns Syria not to 'recklessly attack'
Idlib province
US President Donald Trump has warned the
Syrian government against launching an attack on rebel-held Idlib province amid
concerns that the planned offensive will create a new humanitarian
crisis."President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack
Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian
mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy," Trump said in a
tweet on Monday.The warning came as Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif met with the Syrian president in a surprise visit to Damascus ahead of an
expected government offensive on Idlib.The northern province is the last major
rebel stronghold fighting al-Assad, who is backed by both Russian and Iranian
forces.Moscow and Tehran have insisted on fighting what they say are terrorist
groups, with Zarif saying that areas under rebel control must be "cleaned
out" and brought back under government authority.aljazeera
Civilians in Syria's Idlib fear imminent
regime assault
Civilians living in Syria's northwestern Idlib
province, fearing a possible assault by the Assad regime and its allies, are
looking to Turkey to ensure the region’s safety. Idlib residents are urging
Turkey to increase the number of observation points in the area with a view to
protecting civilians from an attack they believe is imminent. Idlib resident
Abdurrahman -- who declined to give his last name due to security concerns --
said a major attack by the regime would likely prompt a fresh outflux of
refugees. Ahmad Allush, another civilian resident of Idlib, said a major assault
by the regime and its allies would prompt a number of refugees to flee to
Turkey. Anadolu Agency
Assad sought peace with Israel in 2010: Kerry
memoir
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad sent out peace
feelers to Israel -- via the US -- in 2010, according to a new book by
Obama-era Secretary of State John Kerry, Israeli daily Haaretz reported
Tuesday. In his new memoir, “Every Day is Extra”, Kerry writes about his
experiences dealing with international issues and U.S. policymaking during his
career in politics and diplomacy.In regards to Syria, Kerry -- who served as a
senator before his diplomatic appointment -- recalls a meeting he had with
Assad while he was chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.According to Kerry, when he “pressed” Assad regarding the latter’s
continued support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah, the Syrian leader said: “Everything
is to be negotiated.”Kerry goes on to say how Assad had voiced readiness to
change Syria’s policy on Hezbollah in the event that sought-for talks with
Israel bore any fruit. Anadolu Agency
US website: Palestinian Intelligence
delegation visits Washington to hold talks with CIA
US website AXIOS has quoted Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas as saying that a Palestinian intelligence and security
delegation led by Maj. Gen. Majid Faraj, Head of the Palestinian General
Intelligence Service (PGIS), has visited Washington to hold talks with CIA
officials.According to the website, during his meeting with some Israeli
Knesset members in his office in Ramallah, on Sunday, said that he hopes to
maintain security coordination and exchange of intelligence information with
the US. This is despite his decision to sever all forms of relations with the
White House against the backdrop of US President Trump’s decision last year to
transfer his country’s embassy in Israel to the city of Jerusalem.CNN has
quoted on its Arabic version website the Executive Director of the Israeli
non-governmental organisation Peace Now, Shaqued Morag, and Knesset member of
Meretz Party, Moshe “Mossi” Raz, as saying that President Abbas talked during
the meeting about the US proposal on “the possibility of forming a
Palestinian-Jordanian confederation.”MEMO
Gaza students fear losing scholarships over
exit permit
A group of Palestinian students from Gaza has
issued a desperate plea for help as they face the prospect of losing their
scholarships in Europe due to a long waiting list for leaving the besieged
enclave.14 students successfully obtained European visas to study at various
universities in Hungary, but have not been able to receive exit permits to
leave Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing. If the permits are not issued by
the end of the week, they face the likelihood of joining the 56 percent of
graduates who are currently unemployed in Gaza.aljazeera
Man who stabbed tourists in Amsterdam names
Wilders, cites 'insults' to Islam:Reuters
Amsterdam:A man who stabbed two American
tourists at Amsterdam’s central station last week named Dutch, anti-Islam
lawmaker Geert Wilders during police questioning and said he was motivated by
perceived insults to Islam in the Netherlands, prosecutors said.The man,
identified by Dutch media as Jawed S, is a 19-year-old Afghan with residency in
Germany, who traveled to Amsterdam to carry out an attack because of what he
said were repeated insults to God, the Koran and Islam’s Prophet Mohammed,
prosecutors said in a statement. Reuters
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Time To Punish Modi For Demonetisation Fiasco
- By Yashwant Sinha, ndtv
Line of Control as International Border is the
only solution to Kashmir problem: Ex RAW chief AS Dulat, Times now
There is a concerted effort to pressurise
J&K police. Security forces must not fall into trap of a tit-for-tat fight:D.S.
Hooda, indian express
Dalits must be addressed with genuine
sensitivity, not hypocritical benevolence:Tarun Vijay, indian express
The word Dalit is not ‘unconstitutional’. It
is empowering:SHIVAM VIJ, the print
Major Gogoi’s Hotel Escapade Exposes
Vulnerabilities of Women in Kashmir:Farooq Shah, the wire
If You Raise Questions, You Are Anti-Govt,
Anti-National: Adivasi-Rights Activist Stan Swamy On Bhima-Koregaon Crackdown,
caravan magazine
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:56 PM)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment