NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
01 OCT. 2018: 20 Muhram 1440:
Vol: 11, No:16
INDIA
Bhima Koregaon case:Delhi HC ends activist Navlakha’s house arrest, says
detention ‘untenable’
New Delhi :The Delhi High Court on Monday ended the house arrest of
Gautam Navlakha, one of five rights activists under house arrest in the Bhima
Koregaon case, saying his detention had exceeded 24 hours which is “untenable”.
The development comes days after the Supreme Court, while extending the house
arrest of Navlakha and others by 4 weeks, said the accused could seek legal
recourse in an appropriate court.A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Justice
Vinod Goel held that the case diary relating to Navlakha’s arrest was in
‘Marathi’ and that it was nobody’s case that the trial court judge was well
conversant in ‘Marathi’.The bench also criticised the trial court for not
looking into the material for grant of transit remand, saying Navlakha’s case
was dealt in a cosmetic manner.It also held that Navlakha was never made aware
of the ground of his arrest, nor given any prior notice about the same. The
court did not accede to the request made by the Maharashtra police counsel for
extension of the house arrest by another two days. Pune police had arrested
Navlakha from Delhi last month following searches in several cities. A transit
remand was also secured from Saket district court in South Delhi to take him to
Pune. The high court Monday also set aside Navlakha’s transit remand.Apart from
Navlakha, four other activists- Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira,
Sudha Bharadwaj were also arrested from different parts of the country on Aug.28. The following day, on Aug. 29, the activists
were put under house arrest backing an apex court order on the plea by
historian Romila Thapar, economists Prabhat Patnaik and Devaki Jain, sociology
professor Satish Deshpande and human rights lawyer Maja Daruwala against the
police action.The high court further questioned the Maharashtra government over
the arrest of Navlakha and said it will examine the legality of the state
police’s action to arrest him and the transit remand order to take him to a
Pune court. Maharashtra Police wanted to take Navlakha to Pune in connection
with an FIR lodged there following an event — ‘Elgaar Parishad’ (conclave) —
held on Dec.31 last year that had triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village.indianexpress
Rioting Cases Against Maharashtra Right-Wing Leader Sambhaji Bhide
Dropped, Reveals RTI
Mumbai: Maharashtra government has withdrawn at least 6 riot cases
against right-wing leader and the main suspect in Koregaon-Bhima violence
Sambhaji Bhide, the response to an RTI has revealed. Hundreds of workers of the
Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, headed by Mr Bhide, have been cleared in rioting
cases. Rioting charges have also been dropped in dozens of cases involving BJP
and Shiv Sena leaders and supporters. The police, however, have clarified that
no charges against 85-year-old Sambhaji Bhide and others have been removed in
Koregaon-Bhima violence case."The investigation is in progress," Pune
SP Sandeep Patil told ANI.3 of the 6 cases dropped against the former RSS
member were related to violence following the release of Hindi film Jodhaa
Akbar.In the protests led by the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, hundreds of activists
tore down posters of the film and shouted slogans outside a multiplex in
Sangli, about 375 km from Mumbai. The protesters went on a rampage throwing
stones at cops and damaging buses and vehicles, including a police
van.Maharashtra's Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the withdrawls were
done in accordance with the government resolution (GR) issued by the previous
Congress-NCP govt. "GR says that cases of protests and movements initiated
for public can be withdrawn," he said.The information revealed by the RTI
added that at least eight circulars were issued by the Maharashtra government
since June last year asking for withdrawal of cases against Bhide, leaders of BJP
and Shiv Sena and thousands of party workers.ndtv
No cases withdrawn against Sambhaji Bhide, other right wing leaders:
Deepak Kesarkar
Mumbai :Responding to allegations it has withdrawn cases against
right-wing leader and the main suspect in Koregaon-Bhima violence Sambhaji
Bhide, Maharashtra government has denied taking any such step.Minister for Home
(State)Deepak Kesarkar clarified the cases against the former RSS member are related to the agitation
following the release of the Hindi film Jodhaa Akbar and have nothing to do
with the Koregaon-Bhima violence of 2018.“The cases (as is being claimed)
withdrawn were disposed in Jan. 2017. The violence at Koregaon Bhima took place
the same month in 2018. Please tell me how are the two connected (the violence
and the cases)? We have not withdrawn a single case in connection with the
Koregaon Bhima violence,” Kesarkar told The Hindu.thehindu
Collect biometrics of Rohingyas, will take action through diplomatic
channels: Rajnath to states
New Delhi :Outlining the Centre’s policy to resolve the Rohingya
issue, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said states have been asked to
collect biometrics of the illegal migrants, following which action would be
taken through diplomatic channels with Myanmar. Chairing 23rd Eastern Zonal
Council meeting at the West Bengal Secretariat, Nabanna, Singh also assured the
state governments that the Centre would provide adequate Central forces if
required. “States have been told to identify them (Rohingyas). They have to
take their biometrics also. After that, they will send a report to the Centre.
Then the Central government will initiate action through diplomatic channels
with Myanmar and then we will get it resolved,” he said.Singh’s remarks come
after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to ensure that no illegal migrants
are issued unique identity cards. The MHA has also asked the states to share
with the UIDAI the particulars of those illegal migrants who have wrongfully
obtained Aadhaar cards for appropriate legal action.The meeting was attended by
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar
Das and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. Odisha was represented
in the meeting by Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera. There are more than
40,000 Rohingya illegally staying in India out of which the maximum is reported
to be in Jammu and Kashmir.indianexpress
UIDAI asks telecom firms to submit Aadhaar de-linking plan in 15 days
New Delhi:Following the Supreme Court’s judgment setting aside the
mandatory linking of Aadhaar to bank accounts and mobile numbers, UIDAI Monday
asked the telecom operators to submit a plan for discontinuation of Aadhaar-based
authentication system for mobile SIMs by Oct. 15, PTI reported.The
communication, seen by PTI, says: “…all TSPs are called upon to immediately
take actions in order to comply with the judgement dated 26.09.2018. In this
regard, TSPs are hereby directed to submit by 15th Oct., 2018 an action
plan/exit plan to the authority for closure of use of Aadhaar based
authentication systems…”In a landmark judgment on Sept.26, the SC had struck
down certain provisions within the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and
Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 with a 4:1 majority.Striking
down the part of Section 57 which allowed corporates to use Aadhaar-based
authentication, the court had said, “This part of the provision which enables
body corporate and individuals also to seek authentication, that too on the
basis of a contract between the individual and such body corporate or person,
would impinge upon the right to privacy of such individuals.This part of the
Section, thus, is declared unconstitutional.”On the recent move, UIDAI CEO Ajay
Bhushan Pandey told PTI, “In order to ensure smooth discontinuation, there are
certain requirements which are there under the Aadhaar regulations. The
companies are in the best position to know what exactly is needed and they can
submit their plan by Oct.15. If any additional requirements are to be made from
the UIDAI side, we will tell them after receipt of their plan.”indianexpress
Apple executive killing: Wife claims pressure, minister Brijesh Pathak
agrees
Lucknow :The wife of Apple executive Vivek Tiwari, who died early
Saturday morning after being shot by a police constable in Lucknow, has filed a
second FIR in the case.The new FIR claims that police officials who reached the
spot did not allow Tiwari’s associate Sana Khan, who was with him at the time
of the shooting, from receiving or making calls. It also accuses policemen of
forcing Khan to sign on a blank paper.Speaking to PTI, Uttar Pradesh Justice
Minister Brijesh Pathak backed some of the claims, accusing police of “hushing
up” the killing. “The lone eyewitness was kept in police custody for nearly 17
hours and her signature was taken on a plain piece of paper. The FIR was not
registered the way it should had been. There is no consistency between the
statement of Sana (who was accompanying the victim) and the FIR. And efforts
were made to hush up the case,” he said.The new FIR on Sunday was lodged by
Tiwari’s wife Kalpana. The first one had been filed by Khan and named
Constables Prashant Chaudhary, who is accused of shooting Tiwari, and Sandeep
Kumar, who was with him. Kalpana has said in the FIR that the details of what
had happened had been revealed to her by Khan.indianexpress
UP cops tried to malign my dead husband’s character: Vivek Tiwari’s
wife Kalpana
Lucknow: If all hell broke loose early on Saturday morning for Vivek
Tiwari’s wife Kalpana, the night was tumultuous for the young widow, who was
fighting not just an outer battle with the system demanding justice for her
husband, but an inner battle too, with thousands of unanswered questions
running in her mind.Taking unending questions from social workers, politicians
and media persons, Kalpana spoke on various concerns. Kalpana accused UP Police
of trying to malign her dead husband's character, she said, “The police had
tried to malign my dead husband’s character and that of a nice and innocent
girl, whom I know. They had no right to do so, but it is my fundamental right
to seek justice and ask questions to the government on what has been thrown at
us.” With a calm exterior, and a demeanour that appeared more like the lull
before a storm, Kalpana, said, “I want lifelong protection for my
mother-in-law, my 2 daughters and myself from Prashant Chowdhary—who killed my
husband—and his wife, who is sympathizing with a murderer. They can come back
at us anytime for speaking up against this injustice. I am scared for my
daughter’s safety. That cop is telling everyone that police can do anything!” timesofindia
Aligarh ‘encounter’ killings: we’re poor, won’t get justice, say
families
New Delhi:On the day when entire national media, besides the social
media, was genuinely crying for justice for the family of Apple executive Vivek
Tiwari who was killed in cold-blood by the Uttar Pradesh Police in the state
capital Lucknow, two poor Muslim families from Aligarh, also in the state, were
trying to make their voice heard at the Press Club in Delhi. They also wanted
justice because they said their sons Naushad and Mustakeem were also killed in
cold-blood, not in an encounter as the police claimed. The two were picked by
the police from their home full four days before the ‘encounter,’ they said. On
the same day of the killing (20th Sept.),they had addressed a press conference
in Aligarh, but the ‘national’ – most of them have become ‘nationalist’ also –
just buried their voice.“Since we are poor, we won’t we get justice? We have
come here for justice. We have come here on our own will. Nobody has kidnapped
us. Now justice is in your hand. Will Modi deliver justice? Is there no justice
for us?” asked angry Shabana, mother of 22-year-old Mustakeem who along with
his brother-in-law Naushad, 17, were killed in a controversial police encounter
in Aligarh on 20th Sept.After huge media uproar over the killing of Apple executive
Vivek Tiwari, the Yogi Adityanath government has offered a government job to
one member of the family, Rs 25 lakh in compensation and a house. The
government has also promised a CBI probe into the Friday night killing of
Tiwari in Lucknow.While narrating her ordeal to the media here on Saturday,
Shabana broke down.A fact-finding team from United Against Hate (UAH) group
comprising of senior journalists and rights activists visited Atraulli village
in Aligarh on 27th September. They met the families of the two deceased persons
and also the police.At the Press Club, the team told media that there are many
contradictions in the police version in all four FIRs lodged by police and four
different motorcycles with four different numbers allegedly used by Naushad has
been mentioned. They said that Atrauli
police did not provide any concrete information about the case and has been
repeatedly asking the families to not meet media.AMU Students’ Union president
Maskoor Ahmad Usmani and former president Faizul Hasan who also featured the
press meet in Delhi told that Aligarh police has lodged a baseless FIR against
both of them including an ‘unknown’ person charging abduction of the family
members of Mustakeem and Naushad after returning from their home on 27th Sept.
They had gone to meet the victim families.The fact-finding team also informed
that both Shabana and Shaheen have filed a petition in the local court denying
the allegations of the police that AMU student leaders abducted
them.caravandaily
Jammu and Kashmir cop accused of stealing 8 guns seen with Hizbul
militants in photo
Srinagar:A special police officer (SPO) in J&K who ran off with
firearms from a PDP lawmaker’s house in Srinagar appears to have joined
militant group Hizbul Mujahideen. According to a photograph being circulated on
social media, Adil Bashir is seen in the company of four Hizbul militants
holding two weapons.Adil Bashir had told guards at the PDP lawmaker Aijaz Ahmad
Mir’s official residence in the city’s high-security area that he had come to
clean the house as the legislator was supposed to return later on Saturday
evening.By evening, however, the SPO disappeared with seven AK-47 rifles and
lawmaker Ajaz Mir’s licensed pistol.Dilbagh Singh, the Jammu and Kashmir police
chief, said the police had some leads about people who might have helped him
and “are working on those leads”.In the last few years, there have been several
incidents of policemen and SPOs deserting the force along with weapons to join
militant groups have been reported. This is the first time that a policeman has
deserted the force with such a large number of weapons.The incident comes
against a backdrop of militant threats to special police officers in the state
to quit the force. Some of them did give in to the threats and posted videos
announcing their intention to resign.HT
Centre takes control of indebted lender IL&FS in surprise move
Govt will immediately seize control of a shadow lender whose defaults
have caused widespread upheaval at mutual funds, a rebuke that’s only happened
to one other firm.Officials were granted approval to oust Infrastructure Leasing
& Financial Services Ltd.’s board and a new six-member board will meet
before Oct. 8, the National Company Law Tribunal said on Monday. India’s
richest banker Uday Kotak and ICICI Bank Chairman GC Chaturvedi will be part of
the proposed board, which will elect a chairperson themselves. The nation’s
corporate affairs ministry has sought to take control of a company on just two
prior occasions, and only followed through once, with Satyam Computer Services
Ltd. in 2009.The dramatic move, which unfolded within the span of a hectic day
in Mumbai, underscores the government’s concern about IL&FS’s defaults
spreading to other lenders in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
Considered systemically important, the group has total debt of $12.6 billion, 61%
in the form of loans from financial institutions. The ripple effects of its
defaults have already seen mutual funds post mark-to-market losses, a slump in
corporate bond issuance and a brief but sharp sell-off in equities.Bloomberg
Rafale deal is father of Bofors: Shiv Sena MP Raut
Mumbai :Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has described the Rafale deal as the
“father of the Bofors scandal” and said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s
importance has increased in the country’s politics for speaking out on the
issue while other political parties maintain a silence. “Those who had accused
Sonia Gandhi’s relatives of getting benefits of Rs 65 crore are in power today.
They are accused of pocketing Rs 700 crore in the Rafale jet deal,” Raut wrote
in the party’s mouthpiece, Saamana. Taking a jibe at BJP, Raut said whether
former French president Francois Hollande should also be called a Rahul Gandhi
supporter or an “anti-national” for his recent claims on Rafale deal.“The
question is not that Anil Ambani was given a contract for the Rafale jets. UPA
govt had finalised Rs 527 crore for the Rafale jets and this was revised by the
Modi govt to Rs 1,570 crore. It means around Rs 1,000 crore were gained by
middlemen,”MP added.indianexpress
Supreme Court issues guidelines to prevent vandalism in guise of
public protests
The Supreme Court on Monday issued additional guidelines to deter acts
of vandalism and hooliganism carried out in the guise of public protests.In the
ruling, the apex court refused to give a date for a hearing to a mentioning by
lawyer RP Luthra, seeking action against the lawyers who had allegedly tweeted
against SC judges. The SC said it will hear the case later.As per reports, the
following ruling was given while the apex court was listening to a petition
filed by Kodungallur Film Society. The petition had sought framing of
guidelines in this regard.The following petition was filed during the release
of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmaavat. During this time, massive
protests were witnessed across the country. Several violent protests were
carried out by Rajputs organisations as they alleged that their community was
shown in a bad light in the movie. Padmaavat starred Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer
Singh and Deepika Padukone in lead roles.NewsX
Uzbekistan President calls for dialogue between Kabul and Taliban
New Delhi:A month after a Taliban delegation held talks with
Uzbekistan, visiting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Monday sought political
dialogue between Kabul and the fighters to end the conflict in
Afghanistan.President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that his country had suffered a
great deal in the past because of the lingering conflict in Afghan areas and
urged for peace.“Because of the conflict in Afghanistan we have suffered a
great deal in the past. There is no military solution to the problem and the
government of Afghanistan should hold political dialogue to end the conflict,”
said President Mirziyoyev. The Uzbek leader, who is visiting India soon after
the last week’s visit by his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani, is one of the
tallest regional leaders to speak on dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban
fighters who are challenging Mr. Ghani’s government in large parts of
Afghanistan.A Taliban delegation visited Uzbekistan in August for a 4-day visit
at the peak of the fighting in the Ghazni city in Southeastern Afghanistan.
Mirziyoyev’s push for dialogue between the government and the fighters in
Afghanistan is the latest in his initiatives. In March, he sought an end to the
conflict through the formula of “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” political
solution.He said that India and Uzbekistan agree on key regional security issues
and highlighted the agreement to conduct joint military exercise. Mirziyoyev
and PM Narendra Modi presided over a ceremony where seventeen agreements were
signed and exchanged at the Hyderabad House on Monday.thehindu
Indian airspace violation: PoK 'PM' claims helicopter was within
Pakistani limits
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK’s) “Prime Minister” Raja Farooq
Haider has claimed that the white chopper he was travelling in was “very close”
to the LoC but within Pakistan’s airspace, and that there was no need to inform
the Indian authorities about the flight as it was not a military helicopter.The
Indian Army said on Sunday that a Pakistani chopper violated the Indian airspace
along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir but turned back after it
was “engaged by air sentries”.Indian officials claimed that the white
helicopter crossed into the Indian airspace in Gulpur sector and hovered over
there for sometime before turning back.Three forward posts fired small arms
after noticing the airspace violation, the sources said.Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK) leader Mr. Haider said he was travelling with two Ministers and
his personal staff officer in a civilian white-coloured aircraft on Sunday when
it was attacked near Abbaspur village. Haider said the incident took place at
around 12:10 p.m.PTI
J&K: Army fires at chopper on LoC; PoK says its PM Raja Farooq,
Ministers on board
Separatist leaders write to UN secretary-general on Kashmir issue
ahead of his India visit
Srinagar: Kashmiri separatist leaders said on Monday that they have
written a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ahead of his India
visit, drawing his attention to the urgency of the need to resolve the Kashmir
issue.Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist amalgam, said in the
letter, "As you embark on your trip to India, we in the State of J&K take
this opportunity to draw your attention towards the urgency of the need to
resolve the dispute over it."JRL, comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, said they felt that India's
refusal to hold dialogue was doing "unimaginable harm not only to Kashmir,
but to the entire South Asian region" at a time during which
interconnectedness culturally, economically and politically is the driving
force in international relations. "We would like to urge you to advocate
that New Delhi engage with us in Kashmir and with Pakistan, with whom India's
relations are also deteriorating by the day," they said. The separatists
also raised the alleged human rights violations by the security forces.The UN
secretary-general will be on a three-day visit to India from on Monday.PTI
J&K civic polls: No candidate or no contest in 60% of seats
Srinagar:In almost 60% of the seats going for municipal polls in the
Valley in the first 2 phases, either no candidate has filed nomination or
nominees have been elected unopposed. In 4 municipal bodies, no candidate has
come forward in more than half the seats, while in at least 12 of the 24
municipal bodies, no voting would be needed.A total of 315 seats will go to
polls in the first 2 phases, on Oct 8 and Oct 10, of which 185 have seen either
no candidate or no contest. These seats do not include the more volatile
regions of the Valley, including Shopian, Tral, Pulwama and Awantipora in South
Kashmir and Hajin and Sopore in North Kashmir — going to polls in the third and
fourth phases — which may see even more muted response. The figures for 307
seats were released by Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra 4 days after the
last date of filing of nominations ended for the first phase. Asked what would
happen to the 62 seats where no candidate had filed nomination, Kabra said
“such seats would see by-elections”.On 123 seats being won uncontested, he
said, “It is the people’s choice.”indianexpress
Huge difference in EVM purchase figures given by ministry and EC; RTI
replies show
Figures given by the Union Law Ministry and the Election Commission of
India (ECI) on purchase of EVMs from public sector manufacturers have thrown up
glaring differences, according to replies received under RTI law. The
discrepancies are now part of a PIL before the Bombay High Court.According to
an RTI reply given by the Law Ministry on Nov.1, 2017, to Mumbai-based activist
Manoranjan Roy, 13,95,306 balloting units (BUs) and 9,30,716 control units
(CUs) of EVMs were purchased, totalling to 23,26,022 pieces.Just a month later,
on Dec.11, 2017, ECI's RTI reply said that it had received a total of 38,82,386
pieces from the two public sector undertakings which manufacture EVMs. Bharat
Electricals Ltd (BEL), Bengaluru,supplied 10,05,662 BUs and 9,28,049 CUs,
totalling 19,33,711 pieces, while Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL),
Hyderabad, supplied 10,14,644 BUs and 9,34,031 CUs—a total of 19,48,675
pieces.This total from the two companies—38,82,386 pieces—is higher by
15,56,364 pieces from the figure of 23,26,022 pieces cited by the Union Law
Ministry, barely a month earlier.Again, on March 3, 2017, ECI issued LoIs to
the 2 companies for supplying a total of 4,10,000 BUs and 3,14,000 CUs,
totalling 7,24,000 pieces, for year 2017-2018. Accordingly, BEL supplied 2,05,000
BUs and 1,57,000 CUs (total:3,62,000 piece), while ECIL supplied 2,17,653 BUs
and 35,858 CUs (total: 2,71,653).Compared to the LoIs issued, the final figure
supplied fell short by 90,347 pieces, the exact status of which is not clear,
said Roy.Surprisingly, despite having a large number of new EVMs in stock, the
ECI said on Sept.25 that it will henceforth deploy only voter verifiable paper
audit trail machines, or VVPATs, for all future parliamentary and assembly
elections in the country.nationalheraldindia
Delhi : 1.4 lakh voters name missing from voters list in Okhla :
Volunteers of Change
New Delhi: The names of 1.4 lakh voters are missing from voter list in
Jamia Nagar says Abdur Rashid Agwan the
convener of Volunteers of Change (VoC) an NGO working actively for the development of
this Muslim dominated pocket of South
Delhi.Apart from that approximately the names of one lakh new voters are yet to
be registered in the voting list who have grown eligible to utilize their right
to vote in Okhla. It was reported that names of lots of people have been removed
from voter lists. To ensure maximum participation of voters, people need to
issue voter identity cards and for this, they need right direction and correct
guidance, he added.But the community organizations complain that political
parties, who need their votes, have not come out to aware and encourage people
to apply for voter identity card. “Neither they raise local issues of political
nature nor they come forward for helping voters in their registration” said
Abdul Rashid Agwan. “All India Muslim Majlis Mashawirat (Delhi) in
collaboration with VoC organized 3
camps which guided hundreds of people to
get their names registered in the voters list, but it is not enough for the
large population of this constituency. In more than 30 colonies of Okhla, we
need at least 100 Guidance camps” says Agwan.muslimmirror
Hyderabad mosque opens doors to people of different religion to spread
harmony
Hyderabad:Masjid-E-Rehmat-Alam mosque in Hyderabad opened its door for
people of different religions to spread communal harmony, peace, and
brotherhood. Keeping in mind how various religions coexist in India, a group of
20 volunteers came up with this idea for the public at large to meet, share,
and experience the value and culture of Indian Muslims. It also aims at
bringing awareness to the public on how the mosque functions and how prayers
are offered. Speaking about the event named "Visit My Mosque" which
drew as many as 1200 people last year across various religions, the chief
organiser, Mohammad Ahmed Khan, told ANI:"It has been a complete teamwork
to bring people here. This is the third time we have done such an event. We
call our Hindu brothers to visit the mosque and tell them how we offer namaz
and a mosque functions, so that, there is no misunderstanding between the
people. It's an attempt to promote peace and harmony. I am pleased with the
feedback we have got so far from the visitors."A visitor, Lekha, said:"I
have found this experience to be extremely revealing, mainly because, for us,
it's a very closed society. I have never been inside a mosque. I have been
outside of a mosque several times. I didn't even know that women are also
allowed inside a mosque. So, for me, it's a very nice experience. I have also
loved the way they explained to us the entire thing."Another visitor, Navneeta,
also lauded the organisers for the initiative, which, she said, helps expand
one's knowledge about the subject. ANI
Controversy in Bihar's political circles after Nitish's cabinet
colleague refuses to wear skull cap at a conference of Muslims
Patna: A major controversy erupted in Bihar’s political circles on
Sunday after one of the senior-most leaders of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s party
JD(U) refused to wear a skull cap at a conference of the Muslim community at
Katihar district headquarters, about 300 km west of Patna.The state’s ruling JD(U),
as per its schedule, organised a Talimi Bedari Conference at Katihar on Sunday.
Bihar's energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav - who is considered the third
senior-most minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet after deputy CM Sushil Modi -
was chief guest at the programme.When one of the organisers offered a skull cap
to Yadav, he accepted it but instead of putting on his head, passed the cap to
his assistant who was standing behind the minister.Yadav’s gesture reportedly
caused anger among the devout Muslims present in the meeting. Some of them even
lodged their protest over Yadav’s refusal to wear skull cap in front of local
media persons.TOI
MP: Computer baba resigns as Minister of State, accuses BJP government
of being ‘anti-religion’
Bhopal :Six months after he was accorded the status of minister of
state, Computer Baba resigned on Monday accusing BJP govt of being
“anti-religion”.The self-styled godman accused the govt of doing little to stop
illegal mining in the Narmada river. He said he had brought the rampant illegal
mining in the river to the notice of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan but
he did not pay heed to his words.Born as Namdev Tyagi, 53-year-old was among
five religious functionaries who were accorded Minister of Status in April this
year. He said he was unhappy with the government because despite holding the
status, he was unable to do anything for saints and seers.A day after the CM
announced the establishment of a cow ministry, he alleged the cow protection
board did not do anything for cow and there was no need for a separate
ministry.indianexpress
Rape charges filed against self-styled Maharaj
Delhi Police on Monday filed a chargesheet in the alleged rape case
against self-styled godman Daati Maharaj, ANI reported. The charges have been
filed nearly three months after an FIR was registered against the godman on
June 11. The charges were filed under IPC sections 376, 377 at Saket court in
Delhi. The self-proclaimed soothsayer is accused of raping a 25-year-old woman,
who is his former disciple. In her complaint with Fatehpur Beri police station
in south Delhi on June 7, the woman had said she was a disciple of Daati
Maharaj for a decade, but after she was raped by him and two of his disciples,
she was forced to return to her native place in Rajasthan.She also alleged that
a female disciple of the godman used to force her into his room and if she
refused, would tell her that other disciples slept with him as well, the police
said.indianexpress
WORLD
Egypt court orders retrial of Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Badie, other
senior figures
A Cairo court has ordered a retrial of the Muslim Brotherhood's leader
Mohamed Badie and other senior figures from the group from October 7, judicial
sources and state news agency MENA reported.Badie, the Brotherhood's spiritual
leader, has already been sentenced to death and prison terms in other trials
since Egypt's military removed President Mohamed Morsi, also a member of the
Brotherhood, in July 2013.According to MENA, the retrial relates to a case in
which Badie and 14 others were handed life sentences for incitement to commit
murder and attempted murder of anti-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators near group's
HQRS in June 2013.Four others were sentenced to death in the Feb. 2015 ruling. New
charges include premeditated murder, attempted murder, beating to death and
possession of unlicensed weapons, MENA reported.It is not clear why the charges
were modified but according to Egyptian law, charges can be altered if new
evidence arises.The retrial, ordered by the Cairo Criminal Court, affects only
those in custody and not those defendants who were tried in absentia.Earlier
this month, an Egyptian court upheld death sentences against 75 people in one
of the largest mass trials since 2011.aljazeera
Indonesia Asks For Help, Over 1,000 Graves Dug After Earthquake,
Tsunami
Palu: Indonesian volunteers dug mass graves for more than 1,000 bodies
on Monday after a quake and tsunami devastated swathes of Sulawesi,as
authorities -- struggling to deal with the sheer scale of disaster -- appealed
for international help.Indonesia is no stranger to natural calamities and
Jakarta wanted to show that it was able to deal with a catastrophe that has
killed at least 832 people so far according to official toll.But four days on
some remote areas have yet to be contacted, medicines are running out and
rescuers are struggling with a shortage of heavy equipment to reach desperate
victims calling out from the ruins of collapsed buildings.In response,
President Joko Widodo opened the door to the dozens of international aid
agencies and NGOs lined up to provide live-saving assistance."Last night,
President @jokowi authorized us to accept international help for urgent
disaster-response & relief," senior govt official Tom Lembong wrote on
Twitter, asking rescuers to contact him directly via his account and
email.Officials fear the toll will rise steeply in the coming days and are
preparing for the worst.At Poboya -- in the hills above the devastated seaside
city of Palu -- volunteers dug a 100 metre-long grave to bury the dead, with
instructions to prepare for 1,300 victims to be laid to rest.AFP
Indonesia plans mass burials for tsunami victims
Iran fires missiles into Syria over parade attack
Iran's Revolutionary Guard has said it launched ballistic missiles
into eastern Syria, targeting fighters it blamed for a recent attack on a
military parade in southwestern Iran."Our iron fist is prepared to deliver
a decisive and crushing response to any wickedness and mischief of the
enemies," Guards said in a statement on Monday. The attack took place at
2am local time and targeted the bases of "takfiri terrorists" backed
by America and regional powers in eastern Syria, the statement said. The
powerful military force said at least six missiles were fired into Syria. It
added that seven drones were also used to bomb rebel targets during the attack,
which killed a number of fighters and destroyed supplies and infrastructure
used by the group.Syrian state media did not immediately acknowledge the
missile strike - second such attack on Syria in more than a year.aljazeera
3 yrs of Russian air strikes on Syria kill 18,000 people: Monitor
More than 18,000 people, almost half of them civilians, have died in
Russian air strikes on Syria since Moscow began its game-changing intervention
three years ago, a monitor said on Sunday.An ally of Syria's govt, Russia began
carrying out bombing raids in the country on 30 September 2015 - more than four
years into the conflict, AFP said.Since then, they have killed 18,096 people,
according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "That number includes
7,988 civilians or nearly half of the total," said Observatory chief Rami
Abdel Rahman. Another 5,233 Islamic State group militants were also killed in
Russian strikes, with the rest of the dead including other rebels and
militants, the monitor said.Russia's defence commission published drastically
different figures on Sunday,saying its "accurate" strikes had killed
85,000 "terrorists".middleeasteye
Strike empties streets: Palestinians unite against Israel’s
nation-state law
Jerusalem;In a rare show of unity since 1948, Palestinians across the
occupied territories staged a large-scale strike on Monday denouncing Israel’s
nation-state law, but also expressed widespread grievances against the ‘deal of
the century’ and the imminent demolition of Khan al-Amar.From factories to
small village shops, schools to offices, Palestinians in Israel, East
Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza from a variety of political factions emptied
workplaces, stopped shopping and brought busy streets to a standstill.“The
general strike of the Palestinian people in all locations is proof of the
failure of the attempt to divide us,” Jamal Zahalka, head of the Balad National
Democratic Party, told Middle East Eye.“We declare that we are all united in
our refusal to finalise our Palestinian case through the nation-state law or
through the ‘deal of the century’. Both are two faces of the same
coin.”middleeasteye
Palestinians urge UN to list Israel as violator of children’s rights
Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) today sent a letter to UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging him to list Israel as a state that
“violates children’s rights” in its annual report on children and armed
conflict, reported Xinhua.The letter, sent in the name of PLO Secretary-General
Saeb Erekat, came two days after Israeli occupation forces shot dead two
Palestinian children during protests in the occupied Gaza Strip.Since 30 March,
dozens of Palestinian children have been shot by Israeli snipers with live
ammunition while posing no threat to Israeli soldiers and in many cases, far
from the perimeter fence.“From reports you received from UN agencies working in
occupied Palestine and through our bilateral channels, it becomes evident that
Israel, as an occupying power, continues its grave violations of its
obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention and other treaties, including UN
Convention on Right of the Child,” the letter states.middleeastmonitor
Amnesty: Imminent demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar ‘heartless’ and a ‘war
crime’
With Israeli authorities’ demolition of
Palestinian village Khan Al-Ahmar imminent, after an Oct. 1 deadline ran out, Amnesty
International has declared that destruction of the community in the occupied
West Bank would constitute a “war crime”.“Today’s planned demolition by Israeli
forces of a West Bank village and the forcible transfer of its residents to
make way for illegal Jewish settlements is a war crime”, Monday’s statement
began,with some 180 residents facing expulsion by the Israeli army.The planned
expulsion has been endorsed twice by Israel’s Supreme Court, “following
desperate appeal by residents”, including a demolition order for “the village’s
school”.The village is slated for destruction on the basis that it “was built
without relevant building permits”, however, as Amnesty noted, “these are
impossible for Palestinians to obtain in Israeli-controlled areas of the West
Bank known as Area C”.MEMO
Irish national broadcaster won’t sanction staff who boycott Eurovision
in Israel
Ireland’s national broadcaster “will not be sanctioning any staff
members who refuse to travel to Israel for the Eurovision Song Contest in
2019”, according to reports by TheJournal.ie.The development comes after RTÉ’s
Director General Dee Forbes met with representatives of the Ireland-Palestine
Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), who has called for a boycott of next year’s content
in line with the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)
campaign.IPSC has called on Ireland to shun the event “due to Israel’s oppression
of the Palestinian people”. The report noted that more than 11,000 people have
signed a petition urging RTÉ not to send an Irish representative to Tel Aviv
next year.“Campaigners for the boycott include Irish and international public
figures, musicians and artists, including Roger Waters, Brian Eno, Wolf Alice,
Christy Moore, Mary Black, Charlie McGettigan, Mike Murphy, Carrie Crowley,
Paul Brady and Doireann Ní Bhriain”.middleeastmonitor
Israeli paper reveals secret meetings held between Netanyahu and Arab
leaders
Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed secret meetings held between Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arab leaders and officials in New York, on the
sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.Israeli writer Yossi Melman described
a slip of the tongue by the Minister of Communications, Ayoob Kara, when he
said during a ceremony on Friday in New York that Netanyahu secretly met with
Arab leaders (he did not name) who have expressed their admiration and
appreciation of him. Melman said that Netanyahu did not only meet Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi but instead met other Arab leaders who praised
his “leadership skills”.Israeli website i24News quoted Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah el-Sisi as saying to Netanyahu during their meeting on Friday in New
York that he “believes in and relies on him.”Both sides have met on the
sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York. According
to Israeli website, Netanyahu asked el-Sisi to pressure the Palestinian leader
Mahmoud Abbas regarding the Gaza Strip.He pointed out: “The meeting between
Netanyahu and el-Sisi was held in a friendly atmosphere during which the two
leaders exchanged views on matters of common interest.” MEMO
Saudi writer reveals establishment of movement against House of Saud
Saudi writer Marzoq Mashan Al-Otaibi revealed that “tens of thousands”
of oppositionists of what he called “the new regime of House of Saud” intend to
establish of an anti-regime bloc under the name “National Mobilisation
Movement.”Al-Otaibi, who says he worked as a journalist for the 2 Saudi papers Makkah
and Al-Sharq, published this in a statement under his name on Sept. 28 and
posted it on his Twitter page.“We intend to start preparing a National
Mobilisation Movement, with the aim of contributing to efforts to establish a
wise ruling regime in the Arabian Peninsula, which preserves the country and
the people’s interests,” the statement said.Al-Otaibi added: “Tens of thousands
of our brothers and sisters called for the (Saudi) regime to reform, develop
the country and to grant the people their rights.”According to the statement,
these have called for “the consolidation of equality, fairness, justice, the
independence of the judiciary and the rule of law,” and they have warned of
“corruption and depletion of the country’s resources.”middleeastmonitor
Trump complains US is 'subsidising' Saudi's military
US President Donald Trump has complained that the United States is
"subsidizing" military of Washington's Middle East ally Saudi Arabia,
echoing similar jibes at European members of the NATO alliance.Speaking at a
West Virginia rally for local candidates of his Republican Party, he also
criticised Japan and South Korea over the same issue."When you have
wealthy countries like Saudi Arabia, like Japan, like South Korea, why are we
subsidising their military?" asked Trump, who pushes an aggressive
"America first" policy on trade."They'll pay us. The problem is
nobody ever asks."Trump added that he had spoken to Saudi Arabia's King Salman
on Saturday to make the same point, the AFP reported.Saudi Arabia and Japan are
major buyers of US-made weaponry, and the United States provides intelligence
and aerial refueling support to a Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in
Yemen. Japan and South Korea host tens of thousands of US troops.middleeasteye
Ex-Maldives leader Gayoom freed on bail
Former Maldives president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been released on
bail a week after his estranged half-brother Abdulla Yameen was defeated in a
presidential election.Gayoom, country's longest-serving leader, and his
legislator son Faris Maumoon were released on Sunday by the High Court in
capital Male after they filed fresh appeals against their controversial convictions.Gayoom,
80, was arrested in Feb.along with the country's chief justice and another
Supreme Court judge for attempting to topple Yameen, who declared a 45-day
state of emergency to block his impeachment. The High Court released Gayoom on
a bail of $3,900 and he was also ordered not to travel abroad without its
permission.Gayoom was serving a 19-month jail term for obstruction of justice
and was also under trial on a "terrorism" charge."aljazeera
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Why the Supreme Court's Judgment on Mosques is
Fatally Flawed;Rajeev Dhavan
Reservation verdict: Creamy layer order means no promotions for SC/ST
employees even at lower levels:R Christodas Gandhi
Mohan Bhagwat Believes in Keeping Modi Under Check, Says New
Biography:IANS
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:30 PM)
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