NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
11 OCT. 2018: 29 Muhram 1440:
Vol: 11, No:23
INDIA
Rafale aircraft deal: To get contract, deal with Reliance was a
condition, says Dassault official
French newsportal Mediapart has reported that a top official of
Dassault Aviation explained to his staff in May 2017 that firm’s joint venture
with Anil Ambani’s Reliance group for discharging offsets in the 36-Rafale deal
was a “condition”, “imperative and obligatory” to win the deal for 36 Rafale
aircraft from India.Mediapart said it had obtained an internal document which
shows that Deputy CEO of Dassault Aviation Loïk Segalen said on May 11, 2017
during a presentation of the joint venture Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd
(DRAL) from Nagpur: “It was imperative and obligatory for Dassault Aviation, to
accept this condition, in order to obtain the export contract for Rafale from
India”.Dassault has maintained that “in accordance with the policy of Make in
India, Dassault Aviation has decided to make a partnership with India’s
Reliance Group” and that “it is Dassault Aviation’s choice, as CEO Eric
Trappier had explained in an interview”.Segalen’s remarks echo what Francois
Hollande, the French President when the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft was signed
between India and France, had told Mediapart. “It was the Indian government
that proposed this service group (Reliance), and Dassault who negotiated with
Ambani. We didn’t have a choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us,”
Hollande was quoted as having said.Ambani’s Reliance Defence became part of the
offset programme of the Rs 59,000-crore Rafale deal through DRAL in which it holds
a 51% stake. Dassault Aviation holds 49% stake in DRAL. In Oct.2017, Dassault
CEO Eric Trappier had announced an investment of 100 million euros in the DRAL
factory planned at Nagpur, which was scheduled to start production in 2018.This
was after Trappier and Ambani laid the foundation stone for the Nagpur factory
in the presence of then French Defence Minister Florence Parly; Roads and
Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari; Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and
Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler.indian express
Chose Reliance ‘freely’ for Rafale deal, French firm later clarifies amid
Sitharaman France visit
The decision to partner with Reliance Defence on Rafale aircraft deal
was taken ‘freely,’ Dassault Aviation said in a press release today. he
clarification came a day after reports in the French media suggested that the
company was made to choose Reliance Defence in a “trade-off” to get the Rafale
aircraft deal from India.“Dassault Aviation has freely chosen to make a
partnership with India’s Reliance Group. This joint venture, Dassault Reliance
Aerospace Ltd (DRAL), was created on Feb.10, 2017.Other partnerships have been
signed with other companies such as BTSL, DEFSYS, Kinetic, Mahindra, Maini,
SAMTEL.Other negotiations are ongoing with a hundred-odd other potential
partners,” Dassault Aviation said.The clarification from Dassault Aviation
forms the backdrop of a visit to France by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
today. thehindu
Papers Show Reliance Joint Venture 'Mandatory'
For Rafale Deal: Report
Internal Dassault Document Says Reliance JV
was a 'Trade-off' for Bagging Rafale Deal: French Report
Defence Minister Sitharaman likely to visit
Dassault plant in France
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold
the first defence minister level dialogue with her French counterpart Florence
Parly today and is expected to visit Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet
manufacturing facility outside Paris on Friday during her 3-day visit to
France. She may also meet President Emmanuel Macron, although there is no
confirmation on this.Government officials familiar with the matter said on
condition of anonymity that Sitharaman’s visit to the Rafale facility comes
from her desire to have a firsthand experience of its flying capabilities and
to discuss with the plane’s maker Dassault Aviation, the delivery status of the
36 fighters ordered in fly away condition by India from France in a government
to government deal. The first fighter is expected to land in India in
Sept.2019.HT
PM Modi behaving like ‘chowkidaar’ of Anil
Ambani: Rahul Gandhi on fresh Rafale report
New Delhi:Accusing Narendra Modi of
corruption, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Thursday alleged that the Prime
Minister influenced the Rafale deal to save “debt-ridden” Reliance group
chairman Anil Ambani’s business. PM Modi, Gandhi said, is behaving like the
“chowkidaar (watchman)” of industrialist Anil Ambani.“To save his (Ambani’s)
business, he (Modi) took Rs 30,000 crore from IAF and put it in Ambani’s
pocket,” Rahul alleged.Citing a French media report that said a top official of
Dassault Aviation told his staff that the firm’s joint venture with Ambani’s
Reliance group for discharging offsets was a “condition”, “imperative and
obligatory” to win the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft from India, Gandhi said:
“Earlier,ex French President revealed that Indian PM had told them that
Reliance should get a deal. Now a senior official of Rafale has said the same.
It is a clear-cut case of corruption.”indianexpress
Kerala HC dismisses Hindu Mahasabha’s plea for
Muslim women’s entry to mosques
Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed a
petition filed by Akhila Bharat Hindu Mahasabha seeking directive to the Centre
for issuing an order enabling Muslim woman to enter mosques for offering
prayers.A division bench of Chief Justice Rishikesh Roy and AKJ Nambiar
observed that the petitioner failed to establish that there’s denial of women’s
entry to Kerala mosques.Petitioner submitted that in the context of a recent
Supreme Court order allowing entry of women of all age groups into the
Sabarimala temple, the need of the hour is the entry of Muslim women devotees
in mosques for prayers along with men.He submitted that women were discriminated
against by not allowing them to enter and pray in mosques in the main prayer
hall.The petition was filed by Swamy Dethathreya
Sai Swaroop Nath, who is the state president of Akhila Bharatha Hindu Maha
Sabha, Kerala unit.This was to be viewed in the context that Muslim women were
allowed entry in Mecca, his petition said.He also said imposition of a dress
code like purdah for Muslim women would enable anti-social elements to misuse
it and commit crimes.
After Sabarimala Verdict Women's Group to Move
Supreme Court to Seek Entry Into Sunni Mosques
New Delhi: Days after Supreme Court lifted the
ban on entry of menstruating women in the Sabarimala temple, a Kerala-based
Muslim women’s outfit is now all set to approach the top court to gain entry in
Sunni mosques. Social Activist VP Zuhra, President of Kozhikode-based
progressive Muslim women’s forum NISA, has decided to petition the Supreme
Court, praying that Sunni mosques across the country must allow entry to women.
Zuhra said that the prime reason for her decision to move court is the
"apparent gender discrimination" at mosques. She added that the move
will help the cause of “equality”.NISA chief said that Advocate Venkita
Subramoniam will be filing the Muslim women’s plea in the top court this week
itself or by next week.She said at present, women are allowed to offer prayers
at mosques under Jamaat-e-Islami and Mujahid denominations, while they are
barred from mosques under the predominant Sunni faction.News18 /PTI
Kerala-based women's forum to move SC seeking
right to offer prayers, entry in mosques
'Stop Spreading Misinformation': AIMPLB Member
on Row Over Entry of Women in Mosques
Lucknow: A day after a Kerala-based Muslim
women's outfit decided to move the top court for getting entry into Sunni
mosques, AIMPLB member Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali today hit out at the body,
clarifying that woman are allowed in mosques. He said that some people were
trying to spread misinformation, which is not good. "Islam allows both men
and women to offer namaz in mosques. Some people are spreading misinformation
that women are prohibited from offering namaz in mosques, which is not good.
Spreading such misinformation about the basics of any religion, be it Islam or
Hinduism is wrong. It has become a fashion nowadays to raise irrelevant
questions on basics of any religion and then drag it to court, this should be
stopped," he said while speaking to News18.News18
100 Dalit families stopped from installing
idol in temple, threaten to convert to Islam
Meerut:At least 100 Dalit families from
Meerut’s Mussourie village threatened to convert to Islam after some “goons”
allegedly stopped them from installing a Kali idol in a local Shiva temple on
Wednesday, the first day of Navratra. The villagers reached the district
magistrate’s residence to protest and alleged that the goons had threatened to
thrash them if they tried to install the idol. The villagers alleged that the four families
that had stopped their entry into the temple used its premises to park their
cars and tractors. Vijay Kumar, one of the protestors, said, “During the kanwar
yatra, we had hosted a bhandara at Shiva temple and had floated the proposal of
installing a Kali Maa idol there. Everybody, including the families that are
stopping us now, had agreed to the idea and it was decided that the idol would
be set up on the first day of Navratra. However, when we went ahead with our
plan on Wednesday, the four families stopped us, claiming to be members of the
temple committee, even though they don’t have any documents to prove it.” The
villagers alleged that the four families, who also happen to be Dalits, had
captured the temple premises and apart from parking their vehicles there, used
it to drink liquor. “If we are not allowed to set up the idol in the temple, we
will convert to Islam. This holds for at least 100 families of the village, who
were not let into the temple. If the district administration does not
intervene, we will convert to Islam,” said Kuldeep Kumar, another villager. TOI
Hindu Groups Force Gurgaon Meat Traders to
Close Shop During Navaratri
New Delhi: Barely 5 months after a number of
right-wing Hindu groups had disrupted the offering of namaz in several parts of
Gurgaon –and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, instead of taking strong measures,
had justified their actions as legitimate protests – communal activism has
resurfaced in the city.On Wednesday, members of 22 Hindu groups went around the
city and forced meat shops to shut down on account of Navaratri celebrations.
While doing so, they not only terrorised several members of the minority
community but were also seen slapping some meat traders who objected to their
strong-arm tactics.The forcible shutting down of meat businesses by these
groups was a stark reminder of the manner in which they had similarly, in April
and May, repeatedly disrupted the offering of namaz in various parts of the
city.Emboldened by state patronage to their actions, activists belonging to 22
different Hindu organisation went around the city on Wednesday running their
writ and demanding that all the meat shops remain closed during Navaratri,
which began yesterday and would continue till Oct.18.Coming together under the
banner of Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, Gurugram, activists said they had
decided to go about ensuring that all meat shops remain shut during the period
since the district administration had not acted on their demand of enforcing
this ban.The demand for the meat ban had been made by the local unit of Shiv
Sena. Its district president, Gautam Saini, went on the record to state that
after the administration did not act, the organisation formed four teams of 125
members to enforce the decision.“If any shop opens during the festival, we
would close it. If anything happens, we will take care of it,” he declared.Samiti
members said they had also approached the meat traders over the last weekend
and urged them to keep their businesses closed over the festival
period.However, since this demand made no sense to the traders – as their
livelihood depends on meat sale – none of the shops had ceded to it.But as word
about the organised protests during the day spread, most of the meat shop
owners downed their shutters. Seeing the huge groups of protesters, they were
clearly perturbed by the turn of events. As one of the meat traders, Mohammad
Yusuf, a resident of Sector 55, said: “I have been living in this area for the
last 56 years and have been in the meat business for 44 years, but never before
have I seen these kinds of protests.” He said that in order to avoid any confrontation,
most of the shopkeepers have decided to close their shops.In some places, the
shop owners were also beaten up for resisting the closure move. News channels
showed a man being slapped by an activist during the closure
raids.Incidentally, the action of the Hindutva activists had no sanction from
either the local administration or the police.thewire
Yogi Govt Cancels Recruitment of 4,000 Urdu
Teachers, Muslim Clerics Cry Foul
Lucknow:Yogi Adityanath-led BJP govt in UP has
stalled the recruitment process of 4,000 Urdu teachers which was initiated by
the erstwhile Samajwadi Party govt. Additional Chief Secretary of Basic
Education Department Prabhat Kumar said that there were enough Urdu teachers in
primary schools and that the additional recruitment wasn’t required.Akhilesh
government had announced a total of 16,460 posts for assistant primary teachers
in the state on Dec.15, 2016, out of which 4,000 posts were reserved for Urdu
teachers.However, their recruitment was put on hold as soon after BJP came to
power in 2017.Muslim clerics find this decision as a veiled attack on the Urdu
language. “This step is a setback for Urdu language and as well as Urdu
teachers,” Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said. “Govt should reconsider
its decision. Urdu is like any other Indian language and should not be looked
upon only as the language of Muslims.”news18
2 Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including PhD
scholar Manan Wani, killed in Kupwara encounter
2 Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a PhD
scholar of AMU, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and
Kashmir's Kupwara district today. Police officials said that at least three
militants were trapped inside a house in the Shatgund Balla area of Handwara.
After a tip-off, a joint operation was launched by the Army 30 RR and the
Special Operation Group on Thursday morning. The police officials had earlier
said that one of the trapped militants was Manan Wani and later identified him
as the one who was killed. Sources said that the militants were also asked to
surrender before the police, which they denied.The area was later cordoned off
by the security forces whereas all the educational institutions and other
offices were ordered shut. The killing of militants come at a time when the
civic polls are underway in the state and the Hizbul Mujahideen has issued
warnings to the contestants as well as the voters.Wani had joined militant
ranks early this year and was known for various letters that he penned down
reasoning why he took up arms. He was said to be inspired by Hizbul Mujahideen
commander Burhan Wani who was killed in 2016.Wani was a PhD Scholar studying
Applied Geology at AMU. In a letter, Wani had stated how young educated
Kashmiris, who have little or no sources of income, are now resorting to
joining militancy to raise their voice against the government. It also claimed
that the trust deficit between Kashmiris and the government is fading
especially since New Delhi is not ready to listen to a counter-point of view.Mannan
also wrote that he didn't join militancy to die, but for him living a life of
freedom is important and for that, he chose the path of resistance.25-year-old
hailed from a small hamlet, Takipora, in Kupwara district. He was described as
a bright student who went on to study Masters and MPhil in Geology and later on
a doctorate in Applied Geology at AMU.He had also reportedly received the best
research paper award during an international conference on 'Water Environment,
Ecology and Society' in 2016. He was felicitated for his research on flood risk
assessment of Lolab valley using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Wani was
described by his friends at AMU as one whose interest lies heavily in student
politics and Islamic revivalist movement.ibtimes.co.in
J&K: Militant, a PhD scholar, killed in
encounter; Mehbooba rues losing educated boys everyday
Kashmir Valley records just 3.4% turnout in
second phase of urban local body elections
Srinagar :Kashmir Valley recorded just 3%
turnout in the second phase of urban local body elections on Wednesday. In the
first phase on Monday, only 8% of voters had cast their ballot. However, Jammu
witnessed a far better turnout, Greater Kashmir reported. “[As much as] 78.6%
polling was witnessed in 214 wards of Jammu while Kashmir division witnessed
average 3.4% polling in its 49 wards,” state Chief Electoral Officer Shaheen
Kabra said. The overall polling percentage stood at 31.3%.In Kashmir, the highest
voting percentage was recorded in Sumbal town in northern Bandipora district
where 35.6% of voters exercised their right to franchise, Kabra said. On the
other hand, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation areas of Batamaloo and Habba
Kadal Assembly segments recorded just 2.3% polling. In Anantnag town, only 1.1%
of eligible persons cast their vote.One of the polling stations in Anantnag
will hold fresh elections as BJP candidate died after casting his vote. In
Langate municipal committee in Kupwara, the voter turnout was 5.1%. In Watergam
town of Baramulla district, it stood at 7%. In Jammu province, 72.8% turnout
was recorded in Kishtwar, 72.8% in Doda, 79.5% in Ramban, 79.2% in Udhampur and
79.4% in Kathua district, Greater Kashmir reported.scroll.in
Delhi HC Directs Media to Remove News, Videos
Linking JNU Student Najeeb Ahmed to ISIS
New Delhi: After allowing CBI to file a
closure report in the case of the disappearance of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed,
Delhi high court on Wednesday asked some media houses to retract from their
websites and YouTube certain news reports and videos which allegedly link him
to ISIS.Justice J.R. Midha issued the direction on a defamation suit moved by
the student’s mother, Fatima Nafees, contending that the news reports and
videos are defamatory and seeking an apology as well as Rs 2.2 crore in damages
from the media houses.Advocate Nabila Hasan, who appeared for Nafees, said,
“the court has directed all the defendants (media houses) to retract all
articles and video clips from their websites and also remove YouTube links”.She
said the matter was listed for further hearing on Oct.29 when it will take up
Nafees’ plea seeking an apology from the media houses.In the petition, Nafees
has contended that even Delhi Police during its investigation into Ahmed’s
disappearance, had not said that he had any links to the ISIS.In her lawsuit
filed in the Delhi high court against Times of India, Times Now, Dilli Aajtak
as well as reporters of the India Today group, Ahmed’s mother has sought
damages worth Rs 2.2 crore and immediate retraction of all articles.thewire
62 Hindu families left Haridwar village under
pressure from another community, claims Prachi; district authorities denied any
exodus
Haridwar:Right-wing leader Sadhvi Prachi
stoked controversy once again on Wednesday by claiming that 62 Hindu families
of Dhanpura village in Haridwar district had left in the past few years under
pressure from another community. She added that she would soon meet chief
minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and seek his intervention in the matter.
However, district authorities denied any exodus from the village. They added
that some people may have left the village for personal reasons but it was “not
under any pressure.” Sadhvi, who was in Dehradun on Wednesday, had said,
“Hindus have been forced to leave communally sensitive Dhanpura village. I will
not sit silent over the issue.” She added that exodus of Hindus in UP was
“common” but it was “shocking that such things are being reported in Devbhoomi
as well.” “Minor girls are being misled and forced into marriage. There is a
need for a law to prevent cases of ‘Love Jihad’ in the country,” she said. When
contacted, Haridwar SSP Krishna Kumar VK said that there was no law and order
problem in the village. TOI
Gujarat riots: It's now for courts to decide:
Setalvad
The revelations made by Lt. General Zameer
Uddin Shah (retd) about the deployment of Army during the 2002 Gujarat riots
"corroborates what we have been saying", Teesta Setalvad, the
co-petitioner seeking a criminal trial of then CM Narendra Modi and 62 other
politicians and government officials for alleged "complicity" in the
riots, said."The account by Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah (retired)
corroborates what we have been saying in the Zakia Jafri Case (still pending in
the courts) since 2006," the 56-year-old civil rights activist told IANS
in an email.She said that at the time of filing the complaint, on August 8,
2006, they had detailed "ground reports from the Gujarat state
police", which included affidavits of police officers and home department
records.She further said that all the probe papers, 24,000 pages of records,
were quoted in the Protest Petition filed before a Magistrate on April 15,
2013. "Now we have his (Shah's) account," she said. "SIT (headed
by RK Raghavan(today Ambassador to Cyprus) was a travesty of an investigation. It
disregarded hard, contemporary documentary evidence."Despite statements of
Zakia Jafri and myself (as co-petitioners) recorded in 2009, they did not
record Zameer Uddin Shah's statement. Why not? Now it is left to the Courts of
India to decide," she said. IANS
NDMC Suspends Head of Wazirabad School for
Segregating Students on Religious Lines
New Delhi:Head of an NDMC-run school in north
Delhi’s Wazirabad was suspended Wednesday for “segregating students” into Hindu
and Muslim sections, the commissioner of civic body said here, while denouncing
his action as “unimaginable” and “unpardonable”, according to PTI. “I was
apprised of the allegations of students being segregated by our officials. We
decided to probe the accusations, and unfortunately they were found to be true.
We have suspended the head of the school with immediate effect and initiated a
major penalty charge sheet against him,” North Delhi Municipal Corporation
(NDMC) commissioner Madhup Vyas told PTI. The conduct of the official was
“bizarre” and “unpardonable” and “goes against the grain of our pluralistic
society,” Vyas said.The commissioner said, “During our probe, it was found that
it was the school-in-charge who had initiated this segregation. These are
children coming from poor background, and such acts would have deleterious
effects on them. We will not tolerate such things, it is unpardonable.”C.B.
Sehrawat Singh, a teacher in North MCD Boys’ School, was appointed as head when
the previous principal was transferred. When the attendance register of the
school was accessed by the Indian Express, the names of the students were
marked with their religion. thewire
IT raids at ‘The Quint’ office, owner and
senior journalist Raghav Bahl’s home
New Delhi:Income Tax dept today morning
conducted raids at the office of news portal ‘The Quint’ in Noida and at the
home of its owner and media baron Raghav Bahl. Right now in Mumbai, Bahl told
the Editors’ Guild about the raids and expressed his strong concern. “I have a
matter of great concern to share with the Guild. While I was in Mumbai this
morning,dozens of IT officials descended on my residence and The Quint’s office
for a ‘survey’,” Bahl said to Editors’ Guild.Bahl, who is founder of ‘The
Quint’ and Network18 group, further said: “We are a fully tax compliant entity,
and will provide all access to all appropriate financial documents.”He said he
told the IT officers over phone not to pick or see any email from The Quint
office because they may contain sensitive journalist materials.caravandaily
#MeToo campaign: Woman No. 7 speaks up against
Union Minister MJ Akbar
New Delhi: Facing allegations of sexual
harassment and misconduct by as many as six women journalists on record, today,
Union Minister MJ Akbar has been accused by a seventh journalist, for the first
time of assault and molestation.In a detailed account written for The Wire,
Ghazala Wahab, executive editor of Force magazine, described several instances
where Akbar allegedly molested her by grabbing her, rubbing his body against
hers and forcefully kissing her in his office.Wahab, who worked withThe Asian
Age from 1994 to 1997 —where Akbar was founder-editor — wrote that he would
make her sit opposite him “while he was supposedly writing his weekly column”
and if he “needed to look up a word in the gigantic dictionary placed on a low
tripod on the far end of his cabin, he would ask me instead of walking across
the room”.Indian Express
#MeToo: Smriti Irani puts onus on MJ Akbar to
respond to harassment charges
New Delhi: Union minister Smriti Irani today put
the onus on minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar to respond to
allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him."The gentleman
concerned would be better positioned to speak on this issue," Smriti Irani
said while responding to questions over allegations against Akbar. "I
appreciate that the media is accosting his (ex) female colleagues but I think
it is for the gentleman concerned to issue a statement (and) not for me because
I was personally not present there," Irani added. She urged people not to
mock the women who are speaking out against the harassment meted out to
them.TOI
Sohrabuddin, Prajapati ‘encounters’: CBI
submits list of 3 more witnesses to be examined
Mumbai: CBI has submitted a list of 3 more
witnesses to be examined in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Tulsiram Prajapati
alleged fake encounter cases.3 witnesses include an assistant of Gujarat Police
officer ML Parmar, accused in the case, and two men from Gujarat — Mahendrasinh
Jhala and Ramzan Qureshi — who were booked as co-accused with Sohrabuddin and
Tulsiram for a firing incident at Navrangpura in 2001. The latter two had said
in their statements in 2010 that they were falsely implicated in the firing
case in 2001 and had spoken about the alleged criminal links of discharged
accused, Gujarat policeman Abhay Chudasama, including his links with
Sohrabuddin.indianexpress
Centre clarifies citizenship status of Gorkhas
living in Assam
The central government on Wednesday said that
members of the Gorkha community living in Assam can neither be sent to
detention centres nor can cases on their citizenship status be referred to the
Foreigners Tribunals, The Hindu reported.In a letter to the state government,
the Ministry of Home Affairs said the Gorkhas who were Indian citizens at the
time of commencement of the Constitution, or those who are Indian citizens by
birth, or those who have acquired Indian citizenship by registration or
naturalisation according to the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, cannot
be termed “foreigners”. Such cases, therefore, cannot be referred to the
foreigners’ tribunals./scroll.in
Muslims to observe 13th Oct as ‘day of
resistance’ against lynching, fake encounters, systematic discrimination
New Delhi:A group of professionals, activists,
journalist and academics from the Muslim community is going to mark the
upcoming 13th Oct.as “Day of Resistance” against unchecked trend of lynching in
the name of faith, fake encounters in the name of law and order and systematic
discrimination and injustice. The open event will be held across the country –
from villages to towns to cities to metros and capitals.“Every Indian citizen
deserves equal compensation and dignity. Every Indian citizen deserves equal
access to legal justice,” say the organizers who want to demand “Respect our
right to Economic Activity; Respect our right to; Education; and Respect our
right to Life.”As part of the event, organizers have appealed to all to
organise or join a street protest, post pictures on social media using the
hashtag #EqualCitizens, create a Facebook event for a protest in their
neighbourhood, wear black armband to office or workplace, change their Facebook
profile picture to black with #EqualCitizens and change WhatsApp status to
#EqualCitizens.Talking to Caravan Daily about the event, Mumbai-based eminent
social activist Aamir Edresy, the brain behind the 13th Oct event says: “We
have decided to hold this event as a mark of protest against the continuous
injustice and bias against Muslims. Our purpose is that we want to highlight
that Muslims are equal citizens of this country and any attempt to made them
second class citizens must be opposed.”“We are going to hold this event in
various cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gaya and also at universities
like Jamia Millia Islamia, JNU and Aligarh Muslim University, says Edresy who
last week created a WhatsApp group ‘Vote Hamara – Baat Hamari’ to spread the
message about the event.Caravan Daily
Ignored by the Govt, Environmentalist G.D.
Agarwal Dies While on Fast to Save the Ganga
New Delhi: Environmentalist G.D. Agarwal who
had been on a fast to ‘save the Ganga’ since June 22, died on Tuesday. A former
faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Agarwal had given
up drinking water on October 9 and was in a hospital in Rishikesh. He breathed
his last at around 1:30 pm.“I was with him. He was weak but reasonably okay. He
was talking. And all of a sudden, he left us. Doctors say that it was because
of a heart attack,” said Prem, a caretaker who had been with Agarwal for
years.For several years, Agarwal had been demanding that steps be taken to make
the Ganga ‘aviral’ (free flowing). He wanted the government to stop the
construction of all hydroelectric projects along the tributaries of the Ganga
and the enactment of Ganga Protection Management Act.thewire
UP: Communal clash flares up over installation
of Durga idol; 6 policemen injured
Bahraich : 6 policemen were injured when they
tried to intervene in a clash between members of two communities over
installing a Durga idol in the Sisaye Salon locality here, police said
Thursday.The incident occurred Wednesday when some people tried to install the
idol of Goddess Durga in the Risiya police station area without permission of
the authorities concerned, ASP(Rural) Ravindra Kumar Singh said.People from the
other community objected to it, leading to a clash. Members from Hindu and
Muslim communities indulged in brick-batting, he said.The clashing groups also
attacked the police team rushed to control the situation. Police have
registered cases against 290 people of the two communities, naming 40 of them.
15 of them have been arrested, he said.devdiscourse.com
Rampal verdict: Self-styled baba convicted in 2
murder cases, quantum of punishment next week
Self-styled godman Sant Rampal was convicted
by a Hisar court in 2 murder cases today. The quantum of punishment will be
announced on Oct.16 and 17.Rampal, who enjoys a huge fan following, is
currently lodged at Hisar’s Central Jail-2. He was arrested in November 2015
after a two-week long stand-off between his followers and police which had left
six dead and several others injured.A special court was set up inside the jail
— Hisar’s Central Jail-1 — to pronounce the judgment via video conference. In
the wake of the verdict, nearly 1,800 policemen were deployed to maintain law
and order.indianexpress
UP: Mystery shrouds death of BSP's former MLA
Haji Aleem from Bulandshahr
Lucknow: Mystery shrouds the death of BSP's ex
MLA Haji Aleem, whose body was found lying at his Bulandshahr residence on
Wednesday morning.A pistol was also recovered from the spot leading the police
to suspect it to be a case of suicide.The body was sent for autopsy and a
thorough probe was underway.The police were also looking into the killing of
Rehana, Aleem's second wife, who was allegedly murdered by 2 of her stepsons in
New Delhi 3 years back.Aleem, who had several criminal cases registered against
him, was found dead a day after the death anniversary of his second wife, who
was murdered in New Delhi 3 years back. Sources said that the family members,
who prayed on Rehana's death anniversary on Tuesday, were shocked to find the
body of Aleem lying in a pool of blood in his room in Uppercoat area of
Bulandshahr. The deceased had bullet injuries and a pistol was found lying
nearby.The family suspects it to be a case of murder but the police are of the
view that it is a case of
suicide.dailypioneer
Trump threatens countries including India to
stop importing oil from Iran or face action
US President Donald Trump today said that
America will take care of countries including India which defy its directive to
stop importing oil from Iran by Nov.4. Trump’s warning has come on the heels of
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announcing that two state refiners have placed
orders for importing crude oil from Iran in Nov.According to reports, US is
going to announce a fresh batch of sanctions on Iran’s oil and shipping sectors
as well as its central bank.Earlier, US had asked buyers of Iranian oil to cut
imports to zero starting in November. However, India, which is Iran’s 3rd
largest oil importer, went against US warning and cited growing energy
requirements while placing orders from Iran. Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) together have placed order for
1.25 million tonnes (MT) of crude oil from Iran.newsx
Cyclone Titli LIVE: 8 dead in Andhra’s
Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram districts, storm slowly losing steam
At least 8 people have died in AP’s Srikakulam
and Vijayanagaram districts due to cyclone Titli. Power supply and
communication systems have been affected in both districts while coastal
villages are cut off from the mainland as the roads are damaged.The very severe
cyclone Titli, that made landfall in Palasa-Srikakulam south-west of Odisha’s
Gopalpur with a wind speed of 126 kmph on Thursday morning, changed direction
and spared Odisha today. The storm hasn’t caused much damage as expected.According
to reports, the cyclonic storm made a landfall between 4:30 am and 5:30 am. newsx
WORLD
Egyptian ex-President Morsi's youngest son held, later released by police
Egyptian police have detained the youngest son of overthrown former
President Mohamed Morsi from his home on the outskirts of Cairo on Wednesday,
then released him on bail hours later, his family and security sources said.
Attorney General Nabil Sadek issued a brief statement late Wednesday ordering
the release on bail of 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($280) on the charges after
questioning by Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution. Abdullah Morsi was
taken into custody by security personnel for questioning along with his ID and
mobile phone, but when he was released his phone was not returned, his brother
Ahmed said.2 security sources said Abdullah was arrested on charges of "spreading
false news", in connection with an interview he gave to AP last week that
focused on his father's detention. Ahmed told Reuters the police officers did
not present a warrant for his brother's arrest and said they were taking
Abdullah for questioning.Abdullah is the youngest of Morsi's 5 children and was
sentenced to a year in jail in 2015 for alleged drug possession.Another son,
Osama, is also in prison and was among hundreds recently sentenced in
connection with protests against Mohamed Morsi's overthrow. Abdullah's latest
arrest comes just days after he told AP in an interview that his father's
health had deteriorated due to prison conditions and that the family was rarely
allowed to visit. Abdullah said he was seeking more visitation rights and better
healthcare for his ailing father. aljazeera
US intel intercepts suggest Saudi crown prince
ordered Khashoggi operation: Report
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, the country's de facto ruler, ordered an operation targeting journalist
and US resident Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing for more than a week, the
Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing US intelligence intercepts.The
Post, a newspaper to which Khashoggi contributed, cited unidentified US
officials as saying that Saudi officials had been heard discussing a plan to
lure Khashoggi from the US state of Virginia, where he resided, and detain
him.The paper cited several of Khashoggi's friends as saying that senior Saudi
officials had approached him offering protection, or even a high-level
government job if he returned home - but that Khashoggi was sceptical of the
offers.A former US intelligence official told the Post that capturing him does
not meet "duty to warn" threshold.middleeasteye
US outcry grows over Khashoggi with lawmakers demanding action
Washington:A bipartisan and influential group of US senators called on
President Donald Trump to investigate and potentially sanction Saudi Arabia
under US human rights law for the disappearance and alleged murder of Saudi
journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In a letter released by Senator Bob Corker, Republican
chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the senators invoked terms of
the 2012 Magnitsky Act requiring the president "to determine whether a
foreign person is responsible for an extrajudicial killing" and demanding
a report to Congress within 120 days."Our expectation is that in making your
determination you will consider any relevant information, including with
respect to the highest-ranking officials in the government of Saudi
Arabia,"letter signed by 22 senators said on Wednesday. Magnitsky Act
provides for an automatic trigger if members of Congress request a probe. aljazeera
Jamal Khashoggi case: All the latest updates
Khashoggi dragged from consulate office,
killed, dismembered
Jamal Khashoggi was dragged from the consul
general's office inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last Tuesday before he
was brutally murdered by two men who cut up his body, sources close to the
investigation have said. Turkish officials say they know when and where in the
building the veteran Saudi journalist was killed and are considering whether to
dig up consul-general's garden to see whether his remains are buried
there.Khashoggi has been missing since last Tuesday when he entered the
consulate to obtain paperwork so he could remarry, and has not been seen since.
Since Saturday, Turkish officials have maintained that he was assassinated
inside the building, but have not provided evidence or spoken on the record.
Meanwhile, Saudi officials have said the 59-year-old left the consulate soon
after he arrived and are concerned about his whereabouts.“I would like to
confirm that... Jamal is not at the consulate nor in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, and the consulate and the embassy are working to search for him,”Saudi
consul-general,Mohammad al-Otaibi,said on Saturday after consulate was opened
to Reuters journalists. “We are worried about this case.”But a Turkish source
with direct knowledge of the investigation has given MEE a detailed account of
what investigators say happened in the consulate last Tuesday."We know
when Jamal was killed, in which room he was killed and where the body was taken
to be dismembered. If the forensic team are allowed in, they know exactly where
to go," he said. Middle East Eye
Arrests of tribal elder fuel conflict between Bin Salman and National
Guard
According to intelligence sources, King Salman has recently been
forced to intervene in the power struggle between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad
bin Salman and the tribes that form the National Guard.National Guard consists
of fighters who represent the central tribes in the kingdom, which have been
loyal to the family of the House of Saud since the founding of the country and
has enjoyed considerable independence from Saudi security services for years.Mohammad
bin Salman wants to remove privileges that the tribes have gained under their
National Guard connections.However, a number of tribal sheikhs were arrested
and forced to follow the Crown Prince’s political line, according to the French
“Intelligence Online” journal.The move caused a great disturbance among the
tribes, and as soon as they recovered from the trauma they suffered because of
oppression, the tribes of Mutayr, Otaibah, Anazzah, Bani Auf, Al-Buenan, Ghamd,
BaniJizan and Bani Hilal complained to the Royal Palace. middleeastmonitor
UAE violating Somalia arms embargo: Report
A new report by a panel of experts from UN Sanctions Committee seen by
Al Jazeera reveals that UAE has continued to violate arms embargo imposed on
Somalia. The report, yet to be released, notes that UAE has carried on with the
construction of a military base in Berbera in Somalia's Somaliland region,
including the transfer of military equipment despite international resolutions
against these arms shipments.UAE began construction of the base last year,
under an agreement with officials in Somaliland, a northern region of Somalia
that self-declared independence from the latter in 1991 following a civil war.
UAE is investing in developing a port, which is strategically located close to
Yemen, where UAE troops have been fighting as part of an alliance with Saudi
Arabia against Houthi rebels since 2015.Somalia has previously urged UNSC to
take action against the construction of UAE base in Somaliland.The report also
noted that the panel of UN experts did not receive a response from authorities
in Somaliland when they were asked to comply with the embargo in place. When
the panel asked UAE to present them with more details of the construction of
the base, response was: "Te UAE concluded all agreements with Somali
regions based on constitutional powers granted to the heads of those regions to
achieve security, stability and prosperity for the Republic of Somalia and its
people."Al Jazeera
Israel, UAE envoys share dinner date
Israel’s Ambassador to the US had a dinner date with his counterpart
from UAE yesterday, in the latest sign of strengthening ties between the two
countries.Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer, sat with Yousef Al-Otaiba,
the Emirati envoy to the US, at the annual dinner of the Jewish Institute for
National Security Affairs held in Washington DC yesterday. The pair were seen
talking amiably while they listened to a speech made by US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo. Egyptian Ambassador to US, Yasser Reda, was also at the same
table.As Haaretz points out, “it is rare for officials from Arab states that
don’t have formal ties with Israel to be seen in public with Israeli
officials”. However, this is not the first time Al-Otaiba has been seen sharing
a table with senior Israeli figures. middleeastmonitor
US’ Pompeo: ‘We want the whole Middle East to look like Israel’
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that “Israel is everything we
want the entire Middle East to look like going forward” and that US-Israel
relations are “stronger than ever”.Speaking at an award ceremony held by the
Jewish Institute for National Security of America in Washington DC, Pompeo
hailed Israel as “democratic and prosperous”, adding “it desires peace, it is a
home to a free press and a thriving economy,” Arutz Sheva reported. Pompeo then
compared Israel to Iran, citing the latter’s “corrupt leaders [who] assault the
human rights of their own people and finance terrorism in every corner of the
Middle East”.Pompeo lamented that the US administration under former President
Barack Obama “had more respect for the leaders of Iran than it did for the
State of Israel,” stressing that "under President Trump’s leadership, US
is standing where it should firmly be: On the side of
Israel."middleeastmonitor
Malaysia to abolish death penalty
Malaysia's cabinet has agreed to abolish the death penalty and halt
pending executions, a move that has been hailed by international human rights
groups and foreign diplomats.A proposed bill on abolishing capital punishment
is likely to be discussed by the government when the Malaysian parliament meets
on Monday."All death penalty will be abolished. Full stop," a Channel
NewsAsia report cited Law Minister Liew Vui Keong as saying.Keong called for a
halt on all executions until the decision is in effect, saying: "Since we
are abolishing the sentence, all executions should not be carried
out.""We will inform the Pardons Board to look into various
applications for convicts on the [death penalty] waiting list to either be
commuted or released," he said. Communications and Multimedia Minister
Gobind Singh Deo confirmed that the cabinet, which met on Wednesday, had
resolved to end the death penalty. More than 1,200 people are on death row in
Malaysia, which mandates hanging as punishment for a wide range of crimes including
murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking and treason, among others.aljazeera
Syria rebels pull out heavy arms in a boost to Sochi deal
Turkey says a planned buffer zone in the northwestern Syrian province
of Idlib has been cleared of heavy weapons as part of a deal reached between
Moscow and Ankara, but experts say Ankara still has more challenges ahead.National
Liberation Front(NLF), an umbrella organisation of Turkey-backed rebels that
includes Free Syrian Army, confirmed that it had completed process of
withdrawing its heavy weapons from Idlib, the last rebel-held bastion in Syria.
Our heavy weapons - including tanks and cannons - have been moved to the back
lines of the de-militarised zone so that they are no longer a target for Russian
warplanes," NLF spokesperson Naji al-Mustafa, said."We will remain in
our defence lines with our small arms and light weapons," al-Mustafa
said.The agreement, signed on Sept.17 in Russian resort city of Sochi, aims to
stave off a large-scale government assault on Idlib by creating a 15-20km
buffer zone.aljazeera
FLASH
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