NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
27 OCT. 2018: 17 Safar 1440:
Vol: 11, No:42
INDIA
After raid, ED freezes Amnesty India’s
accounts: Rights
body accuses Centre of treating human rights groups like criminals
A day after Amnesty India’s Bengaluru office
was raided by the Enforcement Directorate, the not-for-profit organisation said
that ED has also frozen its bank accounts, effectively forcing it to stop work.
Amnesty International India has alleged the union govt of treating human rights
organisations like criminal enterprises. The reaction from the human rights
watchdog has come a day after ED carried out searches at two locations of
Amnesty International India in connection with contravention of FCRA.In a
statement, Amnesty International India director Aakar Patel said that govt
authorities were increasingly treating human rights organisations like criminal
enterprises. He asserted that the operations of the organisation in India are
in conformity with the national regulations and his organisation was committed
to the rule of law.ED officials, however, said they were examining the
documents seized during the raid and would come with the details soon.Earlier,
ED officials had said that after Ministry of Home Affairs denied permission to
Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) under FCRA, organisation
resorted to bypassing the FCRA and floated commercial entity in the name of
Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL).The commercial entity of Amnesty
International India allegedly received foreign funds through commercial route
to the extent of Rs 36 crore till date. Rs 10 crore out of the total Rs 36
crore was received as long-term loan and fixed deposits while another entity –
Indians for Amnesty International Trust– established an overdraft facility for
Rs 14.25 crore with Rs 10 crore as collateral, according to ED.The remaining Rs
26 crore was received in 2 separate bank accounts of AIIPL as consultancy
services, ED further stated.ED tread the line of questioning relationship
between two entities, AIIPL and Amnesty International India Foundation, Amnesty
stated.Rights body stressed that most documents ED asked for during the search
were either available in the public domain or were already filed with relevant
authorities. All the details regarding Amnesty India’s current structure, which
was the focus of much of the questioning, have been available on its website
since 2014, the statement issued by Amnesty said.Amnesty remarked that ahead of
the raids, ED authorities leaked a cache of their internal documents marked
‘secret’, which appears to cast Amnesty India’s operations as a dark web of
intrigue. It held that the organisations work in India and elsewhere is to hold
and fight for universal human rights. Amnesty wrote on Twitter, “ED raid on
Amnesty shows a disturbing pattern of the govt silencing organisations that
question power and it is clear that govt wants to instil fear among Civil
Society Organisations.” financialexpress
After raid, ED freezes Amnesty India’s
accounts
Day after raids,Amnesty India says govt trying
to silence it
SC rejects review plea for release of
activists in Bhima-Koregaon case
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today dismissed
the review petition filed by noted historian Romila Thapar and four others
against the court's majority opinion, delivered on Sept. 28, upholding the
arrests of five activists for alleged Maoist links in the aftermath of the
Bhima-Koregaon violence. The activists were arrested by the Maharashtra Police
as part of a pan-India crackdown and raids held on Aug.28.The review petition
was filed after the writ petition against the arrests of poet Vara Vara Rao,
lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj, activists Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Gautam
Navlakha failed. The majority opinion of the Supreme Court had held the arrests
were not an attempt to silence dissenting voices in the country. It gave the
go-ahead to the Maharashtra Police to pursue the case against the 5 activists
under UAPA.Review Bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY
Chandrachud held that "in our opinion, no case for review of judgment
dated Sept.28, 2018 is made out. Review petition is accordingly
dismissed". The one-page order, published on Saturday and dated on Oct.
26, rejects Thapar's plea for an oral hearing in open court.It is apparent that
Chief Justice Gogoi, the new member on Bench, agreed with his predecessor
Justice Dipak Misra, who had seconded the majority opinion penned by Justice
Khanwilkar on Sept. 28.Justice Misra retired as CJI on Oct. 2, a few days after
the judgment. His successor and the present CJI, Justice Gogoi, had replaced
him on the Review Bench.thehindu
Bhima-Koregaon case: Activists Vernon
Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira remanded to police custody till Nov 6
Pune:A special court today directed activists
Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves to be remanded to police custody till Nov.
6. Both activists, who were taken into custody by the Pune police from their
residences in Mumbai, were produced in the court on Saturday morning.Meanwhile,activist
Sudha Bhardwaj was also taken into custody by Pune Police who had reached her
Faridabad residence around midnight on Friday night.She was, however, taken
into custody on Saturday around 1 pm after the Supreme Court dismissed the
review petition filed by Romila Thapar and others against the court’s Sept.28
order.Ms. Bhardwaj’s counsel Soutik Banerjee said she would be produced before Pune
Court by police. Pune court had also, on Friday, rejected the bail pleas filed
by Bhardwaj, Ferreira and Gonsalves. Banerjee said the rejection of Bhardwaj’s
bail plea would be challenged in the HC.“The house arrest of the two activists
was to end on Oct. 26. As per SC guidelines, this period was to end at
midnight.But city police took the duo into custody before that,”Patil argued.thehindu
Bhima Koregaon: Pune court sends Arun
Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves to police custody till Nov. 6
SC sets 2-week limit for probe into CBI chief,
reins in Govt appointee
New Delhi :The Supreme Court Friday set a 2-week
deadline for Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to complete its probe against
CBI Director Alok Verma who, along with Special Director Rakesh Asthana, was
stripped of all responsibilities and sent on leave Tuesday night. Justice A K
Patnaik, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, will monitor the CVC probe.A
bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SK Kaul and K M Joseph, while hearing
petitions by Verma and NGO Common Cause against Govt move, also restrained interim CBI Director M
Nageshwar Rao from taking any “policy decision(s) or any major decision(s)” and
directed that he “will only perform the routine tasks that are essential to
keep CBI functional”. The bench made it clear that it will look into all
decisions that Nageshwar Rao has taken till date, including “transfer of
investigations, change of Investigating Officer(s) etc”.Senior advocate Fali S
Nariman appeared for Verma and senior advocate Dushyant Dave for Common
Cause.After hearing the lawyers of the petitioners, the bench directed that
notices be issued in both the writ petitions and the matter be “listed
immediately after the Diwali holidays i.e. on 12th Nov.”The bench declined to
take up for hearing a petition filed by Asthana, saying “you missed the
bus”.indianexpress
Complaint against CBI No. 1: Bid to call off
Lalu raid, bribe in Moin Qureshi case
From IRCTC scam to accusations of accepting
bribe in Moin Qureshi’s investigations and ignoring intelligence report on coal
scam, the allegations levelled by CBI special director Rakesh Asthana, number 2
in the probe agency, against the number 1, Alok Verma, will now come under
probe by CVC following Supreme Court’s order on Friday.There are 9 allegations
of misconduct, interference in investigation, and corruption—CVC is required to
examine them within 2 weeks.indianexpress
Asthana diverted police funds to BJP poll
purse : PSI
Ahmedabad:A retired police sub-inspector has
reportedly dashed off a mail to CBI alleging that its Special Director Rakesh
Asthana had given away Rs 20 crore from Police Welfare Fund to BJP poll fund
when he was posted as Surat police commissioner. E-mail alleged that Narendra
Modi was Gujarat CM when the funds were transferred, and they were not returned
since.Asthana is embroiled in a bitter feud with CBI Director Alok Verma. The
email by PSI is not the first such allegation of Asthana’s cosy relationship
with BJP Govt. In 2012, a complaint made to Gujarat HC by IPS officer Satish
Verma, member of SIT constituted by HC to probe Ishrat case, points at then
Vadodara commissioner Asthana’s ‘unauthorised interference and collusion with
State Govt’. Mumbai Mirror
3rd man:Sharma’s son,his web of firms in
Asthana’s plaint
CBI Joint Director Arun Kumar Sharma’s son and
daughter are on the board of directors of at least four companies where their
partners range from a person mentioned in the list of undesirable contact men
and the relative of a caterer recently raided by CBI to the wife of a CBI
officer who worked closely with Sharma.These are the findings of an
investigation by The Indian Express of Registrar of Companies (RoC) records and
visits to registered addresses of these companies. Sharma’s son Kushagra Sharma
is a director in four companies while his daughter is a director in one
company.As many as four companies did not exist on their registered addresses
while as many had not done any business since their incorporation.In the
ongoing war between CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh
Asthana, the latter wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on August 24 alleging that
seven shell companies were associated with Sharma where his son, daughter or
wife of personal staff Ashwani Gupta were directors.indianexpress
Interim CBI chief Rao passed these quick
orders in 3 days, all are now on SC table: indianexpress
In SC order on CBI chief Verma’s case, both
govt, Opposition see victory
Union Govt and Opposition Congress welcomed the Supreme
Court order in connection with the controversy in CBI, with both seeing a
vindication for their side. Officials and ministers in the Union Govt describing the directions by the court — the
court ordered an investigation against CBI director Alok Verma to be wrapped up
in two weeks, but retrained the interim chief from taking any policy decisions
-- as a positive development that will enable a fair inquiry into an
“extraordinary” situation. ongress said the SC directive had stopped a
“sinister attempt by the Govt to capture
CBI through lackeys”. “Truth prevails in SC... A slap in face of tyrants who
wanted to pin the last nail in CBI’s independence. CVC can’t act as Modi Govt ’s
pawn but would be supervised by a SC judge to act fairly,” chief spokesperson
of Congress, Randeep Surjewala, tweeted. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on
Friday led a protest outside CBI HJQS in New Delhi,demanding Verma’s
reinstatement.Workers of the party held similar demonstrations in other parts
of the country, where they found support in some other opposition parties such
as TMC and CPI.HT
RBI Dep Guv slams Modi govt; says markets can
discipline Centre for eroding independence
Emphasising the need for independence in the
central bank's functioning, RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya on Friday, said market
can make Govt pay for eroding bank's independence. He said markets keenly watch
Govt's activities which exert pressure on the central bank's independent
functioning. His statement assumes significance as there have been instances in
the past few years when Govt has reportedly tried to undermine RBI's
autonomy."Market can discipline Govt not to erode central bank
independence, and it can also make Govt pay for its transgressions,"
Acharya said. In a strong reminder to Govt, Acharya said the world over, the
central bank is set up as an institution separate from the Govt. “Put another
way, it is not a department of the executive function of Govt; its powers are
enshrined as being separate through relevant legislation.”Alluding to pressure
points in Govt-RBI relations, he cautioned about excess money supply, which
while facilitating ease of financial transactions, including the financing of Govt
deficits, can cause the economy to over-heat
in due course and trigger(hyper-) inflationary pressures or even a full-blown
crisis that eventually require sharper monetary contractions.He warned that
excessive lowering of interest rates and/or relaxation in bank capital and
liquidity requirements can lead to greater credit creation, asset-price
inflation, and semblance of strong economic growth in the short term. But
excessive credit growth is usually accompanied by lending down the quality
curve which triggers mal-investment, asset-price crashes, and financial crises
in the long term, he said. nationalheraldindia
Modi govt appoints another right-wing loyalist
SK Mishra as ED chief
Govt appoints IRS officer SK Mishra as
Enforcement Directorate chief in an additional capacity, stated an official
order . Mishra, a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer of the Income Tax
cadre, has been appointed as the Principal Special Director in agency and has
been entrusted with the additional charge of ED Director for 3 months.Mishra
will take over from incumbent Karnal Singh whose tenure at the agency ends on
Sunday.Singh, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Union Territories cadre, will
complete an over three year tenure as the ED Director.Official sources said
Mishra, posted as chief commissioner of Income Tax in Delhi at present, has not
been empanelled as an additional secretary in the central Govt and hence has been given the top ED charge in
an additional capacity. He is expected to be empanelled soon and subsequently
will head the ED in a regular capacity, they said. According to some sources,
SK Mishra is said to be close to the BJP top brass and putting him in the top
position at the ED is being seen as an attempt by NDA Govt to put up a strong face in the light of the
CBI crisis.Sanjay Mishra has been in the limelight over the years for
investigating many high-profile cases including the case of disproportionate
assets against Mayawati, and National Herald case.nationalheraldindia
'People Were Standing and Provoking When
8-yr-old Azeem Was Beaten to Death': newsclick
Mohamamd Azeem, a 8-year-old boy studying in a
madarsa in Begumpur locality of South Delhi, was beaten to death by some minors
on Thursday evening. Azeem, who hails from Rithath, Haryana, used to study hifz
(memorised Quran) at Jamia Faridya Jama Masjid in Malviya Nagar. The incident
took place around 1 p.m, during the lunch break, when some students were
playing inside the premises. Nearly, 7 youth, including four minors from Balmiki
Camp, allegedly attacked and killed Azeem. They reportedly repeatedly attacked
him with a stone, punched him and later, threw him on a bike where he collapsed
and died on the spot.Azeem was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead. 5
other students sustained injuries.Balmiki
camp is adjacent to the madarsa and shares the same boundary wall.Azeem was the
youngest in his family and had left at a very early age to pursue his education
in a madarsa. After the incident, Newsclick went to the spot and talked to
people from both sides. As per eyewitness accounts, the people who killed Azeem
were the ones who used to barge into the madarsa and would use its premises for
activities like gambling, drugs and liquor. "They used to even throw
liquor bottles in the compound. It wasn't once or twice but a daily affair
now," said one of the eyewitness. As per the madarsa teachers and
students, since a very long time, the people of
madarsa had complained to the police about the ill behaviour of some
youth from the Balmiki Camp. "The police has not been taking any action,
has been trying to dodge the matter and was completely negligent til this
grotesque incident took place," said a man from the madarsa on the basis of anonymity.Mohammad
Mustafa, Azeem's elder brother, who also studied in the same school said,
"At least seven people beat my brother to death. They have a problem with
our dress (kurta-paijama), they would taunt us for wearing skull caps. They
always used to disrupt the namaz."Recalling Thursday's incident, Mustafa
said in a choked voice:"They always used to threaten Azeem that one day
they would kill him. The controversy erupted when our teachers and madarsa head
asked them not play cards and drink inside the premises. They said 'Sab
karenge, jo ukhdna hai ukhad' lo (we will do whatever we wish to, do whatever
you want to) .People who lives around the are also asked them not to indulge in
these activities, but they wouldn't pay heed and mentally harass us."Azeem's
senior and close friend, Mohd Anas said,"Whenever we go to the Balmiki
Camp to buy our daily stuff, they would tease us, taunt us for our religion and
threaten to kill us. After drinking, they would throw the empty liquor bottles
inside our hostel. Our campus is open, so it's very risky at night. Even our
principal had complained to the Delhi Police but there was no action. I don't
know why they do not like us. Do we look different?," he asked.Newsclick
also spoke to madarsa's head, Mohammad Aizaj Ali. He said, "This madarsa
was established in 1880 but is functioning full-fledged since the past 30
years. Such an incident has never happened. Azeem was very bright student. In
this early age, he was doing hifz He was
enrolled in the school in 2016," he said alleging that "some people
have been targeting our madarsa since long. When they were beating Azeem, many
people were standing and provoking them to kill him. A lady, Saroj, also
threatened us with more such cases. This is utterly shocking. We are concerned
about the security of our students more than ever. Such an incident has
ingrained fear among our students."Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, who
supervises the madarsa and also looks after the mosque which is in the same
compound, said, "I am living here since the 40 years. More than 50
students from different states study here. Three-four children were playing
inside the campus and cleaning the shrine, when a lady named Saroj, who lives
in the Balmiki Camp, came with four youth and started pelting stones at our
students. What I learnt is that they pressed Azeem's neck and threw him at a
bike. He died on the spot. This lady Saroj also threatened us and said that we
can't do anything to them."Meanwhile, at late night around 3 a.m, 4 minor
boys allegedly involved in the lynching
were arrested. newsclick
8-year-old’s death deepens faultlines between
neighbouring communities
8-yr-old madrasa student lynched in S.Delhi;
students complain of regular abuse by locals
SIO Will Fund Education of Slain Delhi Madrasa
Student’s Brothers Till PG
New Delhi: Students Islamic Organisation of
India (SIO) has announced to bear all expenses of education of two brothers of
slain madrasa student Mohammad Azeem. Azeem who studied at a madrasa in Malviya
Nagar of Delhi was beaten to death by a group of local youths outside the
madrasa premises Thursday noon.SIO president Nahas Mala visited their home in
Mewat on Saturday and announced to support the education of two brothers.“Vsited
Azeem’s house at Mewat. SIO will bear all expenses of education of his two
brothers Mustafa and Musatqeem till their Post graduation,”Mala made announcement
on Facebook.Meanwhile, AAP Govt of Delhi
has announced to give Rs 5 lakh to his family. caravandaily
'I hate Hinduism, love Islam'; Mulund boy
calls family from airport before disappearance; police suspect radicalization
Mumbai: A youth from Mumbai deleted his
facebook profile and the data from his computers before he went missing after
making a last call from Mumbai International airport, reports Loksatta.
23-year-old student Jagdish Parihar was studying in 3rd year of graduation in
commerce stream when he was reported missing. His family suspects that a woman,
possibly a honeytrap, lured him online and also radicalised him enough to take
a rash, drastic step like renouncing the life and family he knew. Mid-Day
reports that the Mumbai police suspect he may have left the country and have
alerted ATS about the issue.The report says Jagdish Parihar was spotted
chatting with a woman on social media a couple of times before his
disappearance. His last words, albeit on a telephone call to his family, were:
"I'm unhappy with Hinduism, I want to convert to Islam". Police have
confirmed that the now missing young man was last spotted at the Mumbai
international airport, and fear he may have already left the country.Jagdish allegedly
told a lie to his family on Tuesday when he his home around 1.30 pm. This boy
from Mulund apparently told his family that he will be gone the entire day as
he had to visit the Mumbai University campus to fill his BCom year-3 forms. Mid-Day
quotes his brother Bhavesh Parihar telling the police, "Parihar called us
around 7.30 pm and said he was unhappy with Hinduism, and that he wished to
join Islam. He also told us that he would not come home again." Mirror Now/
timesnownews
Maharashtra: Student leaves home ‘to embrace
Islam’, police suspect radicalisation
Attempts on to include illegal migrants: NRC officer
to SC
Guwahati:National Register of Citizens’ (NRC)
Assam coordinator, Prateek Hajela, has claimed in the Supreme Court that the
outcry against the exclusion of five identity documents as a basis for filing
claims and objections is an attempt to get illegal immigrants included in the
NRC.The top court had on Tuesday asked Hajela to explain to the state Govt ,
Centre and other stakeholders why five documents — extract of the 1951 NRC,
copy of electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971, citizenship and refugee
registration certificates up to March 24, 1971 and ration cards— were not
allowed to be used for filing inclusion claims. Around four million people were
excluded from the final NRC draft released on July 30.Centre, BJP-led state Govt
, the Opposition Congress and outfits representing minority communities have
demanded that the all the initial 15 List A documents, which the applicants
could submit with the NRC, be allowed as a basis for filing claims, objections.In
a report submitted in the Supreme Court on Oct. 4 and made available by the
court to the stakeholders on Thursday, Hajela states: “As NRC claims and
objections is the last chance for the illegal migrants, these actions [demand
for inclusion of five documents]…are actually a well planned attempt to get the
illegal migrants into the NRC...” hindustantimes
CJI Led Bench To Consider Ayodhya-Babri Masjid
Land Dispute On Monday
Supreme Court will consider the Ayodhya-Babri
Masjid land dispute on Oct. 29, Monday. The appeals arising from the 2010
judgment of Allahabad High Court pertaining to division of Ayodhya-Babri Masjid
land is listed before the bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice S K Kaul and
Justice KM Joseph under the caption “direction matters”.On Sept.27, a 3 judges
bench of the then CJI Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul
Nazeer had decided by 2:1 majority that there was no need to refer the matter
to larger bench.The request for reference was made by Senior Advocate Rajeev
Dhavan, the counsel for Sunni Waqf Board, on the premise that the observation
in the Constitution Bench judgment in Ismail Faruqui case that “offering namaz
in mosque is not an essential feature of Islam” required reconsideration. The
majority of the then CJI Misra and Justice Bhushan opined that the said
observation in Faruqui was not relevant in determining the title dispute of
Ayodhya-Babri Masjid land. The majority held that the observations in Faruqui
were made in the context of deciding the issue whether a mosque could claim
immunity from land acquisition proceedings. However, dissenting from this view,
Justice Abdul Nazeer held that the observations in Faruqui case influenced the
High Court decision in the title suit, and hence required reconsideration by a
larger bench.After declining the plea for reference to larger bench, the
majority had fixed the next date of hearing as Oct. 29. livelaw
Ayodhya case: SC to decide course of hearing
on Oct.29
Togadia fails to elicit much support for Ram
Temple during Ayodhya visit
Lucknow:Former VHP president Praveen Togadia,
who on Tuesday floated his own party, could not elicit much support for the Ram
Mandir movement during his three-day visit to Ayodhya this week.Now the
president of the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), and the head of an as-yet
unnamed political party, is making all efforts to project himself as the
torch-bearer of the Ram Mandir in UP. This, after he was thrown out of VHP over
his alleged differences with top BJP leaders, including PM Narendra Modi.On this visit, he failed to
evoke much response from both the saints and locals of the temple town,
political and spiritual leaders familiar with the matter said. “Ram Janmabhoomi
Nyas has nothing to do with Togadia’s visit. The Nyas is in no way associated
with his movement. In future also we will not have any association with his
political party,” said Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head of the Ram Janmabhoomi
Nyas. hindustantimes
Bukkal Nawab’s slip of tongue on Ram Mandir
creates ruckus at BJP Minority Morcha meet
BJP’s Minority Morcha meeting in Lucknow was
marred by protests when party MLC Bukkal Nawab courted controversy with his
remark that ‘no one will read namaz at the disputed site if a masjid is
constructed’. According to a report in the Indian Express, the attendees took
strong exception and started hooting Bukkal, forcing him to issue a clarification.
He said, "It is being said that instead of Ram Mandir, a mosque should be
constructed. Okay, I am also saying construct a masjid. Even if a mosque is
built on the disputed site, who will go there to offer namaz? In Islam, it is
clearly written that offering namaz at a disputed site is forbidden… he will go
to hell."When his remark triggered hooting and protests from the
attendees, he said: “I am speaking about the construction of a mosque, not
temple."“I was trying to explain issues on which we are constantly
targeted. I was trying to explain in other words that even if the demand for a
mosque is fulfilled, any prayers offered at the disputed site would not serve
any purpose. Anyone who does so will go to hell,” he said later. Bukkal
reiterated that reading namaz at the disputed place is against the Islamic
principles. He said that there was no major protest.“I was trying to explain
something and was asked to speak about the organisation, so I continued with
other topics…A temple will be built in Ayodhya or in Pakistan or Afghanistan? I
am in favour of Ram temple in Ayodhya, not 100%, but 1000 %,” he said.MLA added
that he will donate Rs 10 lakh when a temple is constructed in Ayodhya. The
meeting was attended by senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and UP Deputy CM
Dinesh Sharma.Bukkal was earlier with the Samajwadi Party but he joined the BJP
after 2017 Assembly polls. Bukkal was sent to Legislative Council from the
BJP’s quota soon after. financialexpress
BJP MLC’s remark offends minority cell: ‘Namaz
at disputed site is haram’
Hamid Ansari says India just as responsible
for Partition as Pakistan, claims 'it was easier to blame Muslims'
Former vice president Hamid Ansari, speaking
at the launch of Saeed Naqvi's new book Being the Other - The Muslim in India,
said that India was just as responsible as Pakistan for Partition.As per a
report from Times Now, Ansari said: "We are not ready to accept that we
were equal culprits in the deed." "On 11 Aug., 1947, 4 days before
independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel made a statement where he said: 'We took
these extreme steps after great deliberation. In spite of my previous strong
opposition to Partition, I agreed to it because I was convinced that to keep
India united, it must be divided.'" He alleged that when politics changed,
someone had to be made responsible for Partition, and it was easier to blame
Muslims. "Everyone agreed that Muslims should be held responsible,' he
said. firstpost
Hamid Ansari Warns of Consequences of
‘Othering’ Indian Muslims
Arms haul and terror plot case: Maharashtra
ATS seeks more time to file chargesheet
aharashtra ATS on Friday sought more time to
file a chargesheet in the alleged arms haul and terror plot case involving
Hindutva groups.ATS has filed an application stating that as the investigation
in the case is still ongoing and crucial evidence is being gathered, it should
be granted a further 90-day period to file the chargesheet.Under UAPA, applied
on the accused men, an investigating agency can be granted up to 180 days to
file a chargesheet as against the usual limit of 90 days. The investigators,
however, need to seek an extension from the special court hearing the case,
which may allow them the plea based on whether reasonable grounds were made out
to seek more time.On Friday, after ATS moved an application, Special Judge VS
Padalkar directed lawyers of accused to file a reply. Plea will be heard next
week.On Aug 10, ATS had held 3 men— Vaibav Raut, a member of the Hindu Govansh
Raksha Samiti, Sharad Kalaskar and Sudanva Gondhalekar— allegedly with a huge
consignment of arms and ammunition, including materials to make guns and crude
bombs.indianexpress
Heeragold MD brought to Mumbai,held for Rs 500
cr fraud
Mumbai:The city economic offences wing (EOW) has
brought Heera Group of Companies managing director Nowhera Shaikh to the city
and arrested her in a Rs 500 crore investment fraud case. She was produced
before a special court and remanded to police custody till Nov. 3. Over two
lakh invested in schemes run by the Rs 1,000-crore group. Around 10,000
investors are from Mumbai. EOW registered an FIR on Oct. 23, after a Bhendi
Bazaar resident, Shane Ilahi Shaikh, complained that he had invested Rs 6 lakh
in Heera Gold and it defaulted on payments. Shane told police he was promised
monthly returns of 2.8-3.2% on his investment. He got returns for a few months
but they stopped since June. Police searched the company's Bhendi Bazaar and
Mira Road offices and named an agent, Saleem Ansari, in FIR as an accused.
Agents would mainly target Muslim, claiming the scheme gave a monthly profit,
and not interest, which is not allowed in Islam. Those named in FIR include
Nowhera, director of Heera group of companies, Heera Gold Exim Ltd, Heera
Retail Pvt Ltd, Heera Textile Ltd, Heera Foodex Pvt Ltd, and several agents for
inducing investment. Besides the
Hyderabad case against the group and Shaikh, two cases are registered in
Bhiwandi and Aurangabad. Vineet Dhanda, Nowhera's lawyer, said she was a victim
of political vendetta. TOI
College asks students to wear 'proper
uniform', invites MLA's wrath for ‘targeting Hijab’
Nagaon:An MLA of the opposition AIUDF has
charged the authorities of a premier college in Assam's Nagaon district with
"saffronising" the college environment by asking the students to wear
"proper uniform".There cannot be any harm if some girl students go to
college in 'hijab' (veil worn by Muslim women) and 'niqab' (clothing that
covers the face), AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said in a Facebook post.Principal of
Anandaram Dhekial Phookan (ADP) College Dr Surajit Kumar Bhagowati on Friday
said he did not ban any religious outfit and only issued a notice before the
Autumn vacation asking students to wear "proper uniform".Of the 20 % Muslim students of the college, only the MLA's
daughter comes in burqa, Bhagowati said, adding that he was feeling threatened
and has lodged a police complaint over the Facebook post of the AIUDF leader.In
his Oct. 24 post, Islam said, "No such decision (banning religious
outfits) was taken in the last 60 years of the college's existence. I would
like to know where in the Indian Constitution or the state gazetted
notification it is written that one cannot wear such outfits." "The
college has been imparting education to students irrespective of caste, creed,
race and religion for the last 60 years but you (Bhagowati) have tried to
saffronise the education system in the college,"MLA, a former student of
the ADP College, said in the post written in Assamese.PTI
Riot affected victims of Malegaon await
justice from 18 yrs
18 years back on 26th Oct. 2001 it was a
Friday and after the Jummah namaz at Jama Masjid in Central Market, Malegaon communal
riots took place.But the police who tried to control the riots fired only on
Muslim crowds killing 10 more persons and not on the Hindu crowds that were
vandalising Muslim properties.Despite being a majority the Muslims in Malegaon
were the ones who suffered more there were rapes of Muslim women, mosques were
damaged and nearly 100 crore worth business was lost. Hindus who are a minority
are economically strong and had planned these riots in advance. Patil
commission that was formed by State Govt of Maharashtra to investigate the
communal riots prepared their report and submitted to Govt. The report of the
concerned citizens however brought to light the horrific crimes committed
against the Muslims and the apathy of Police force.TCN
CISF ASI killed in J&K’s Nogwam in
shootout with militants
Srinagar:An assistant sub inspector of Central
Industrial Security Force (CISF) who was injured in a gun fight with militants
Friday night in Nowgam area of Srinagar later died of his injuries, police
said.“In the intervening night a standoff fire by terrorists took place at the
grid Station Wagoora in Nowgam area in which one ASI of CISF sustained serious
bullet injuries. The attack was successfully repulsed by the alert sentry at
the spot,” a police spokesman said Saturday morning.The area has been sanitized
by the security forces.HT
Aligarh police awaits forensic reports of
azadi slogan video of AMU students
Though AMU has revoked suspension of Kashmiri
students, allegedly involved in raising the slogans of azadi in the campus, UP
police is awaiting the report of FSL of the video clip that went viral on
social media on Oct. 12. P police had booked two Kashmiri students under
sedition charges after the video, purportedly shot a day after the death of
Mannan Wani in an encounter, showing Kashmiri students raising slogans of
azadi, went viral. They were suspended by AMU administration after the video
surfaced. PTI
Govt asks telecom companies to adhere to SC order,
stop using Aadhaar eKYC to verify users
Centre on Friday asked telecom companies to
stop using Aadhaar for electronic verification of existing mobile phone
customers as well as for issuing new connections. Govt asked the companies to adhere to the Supreme
Court’s verdict in September restricting the use of Aadhaar by private
entities. Department of Telecom on
Friday issued instructions to the companies to discontinue the use of e-KYC
service and report compliance by Nov. 5. The department further said the use of
physical Aadhaar card for new connections is permitted, provided the customer
offers it voluntarily. scroll
Sabarimala row: Centre will dissolve Kerala Govt
if it arrests more devotees, says Amit
Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday warned
that the Centre will dissolve the Left Democratic Front Govt in Kerala if it continues to arrest Ayyappa
devotees who protested in the state against women’s entry into the Sabarimala
temple. Shah asked courts to issue “practical instructions to Govt s”.On
Friday, police said it has arrested 2,061 people in connection with last week’s
violence that broke out against the Supreme Court judgment permitting the entry
of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple. At least 452 cases have been
registered so far, police said.scroll.in
Kerala: Ashram of religious preacher who
backed SC’s Sabarimala verdict attacked
Unidentified people on Saturday morning
attacked the ashram of a Hindu religious preacher who has supported the Supreme
Court’s decision to allow the entry women of all ages into the Sabarimala
temple, ANI reported.The incident took place at Sandeepananda Giri’s ashram in
Thiruvananthapuram’s Kundamankadavu around 2.30 am. 2 cars and a two-wheeler
were set on fire and a wreath was placed in front of the ashram as a mark of
protest, reported Mathrubhumi.Residents living near the ashram noticed the fire
and informed the police and fire rescue service, according to Malayala
Manorama.Giri alleged that BJP state chief Sreedharan Pillai, the Thazhamon
family to which the head priests of the Sabarimala temple belong, and the
erstwhile Pandalam royal family –custodians of the hill shrine – were behind
the attack, Mathurbhumi reported.“They are trying to destroy the people who say
[the] truth to the public,” Giri said. The police have initiated an
investigation, Malayala Manorama reported.sroll
Vedic education only alternative to Macaulay’s
system: Amit Shah
Haridwar :BJP president Amit Shah has
inaugurated Patanjali Yogpeeth’s
“Acharyakulam” which claims to synthesise modern and Vedic education,
saying yoga guru Ramdev has paved the way for the country’s freedom from Macaulay’s
system of education by offering an alternative.“By offering an option of Vedic
education in the form of this institution, the yoga guru has shown the way out
of Macaulay’s divisive education system whose foundations were laid during the
British rule,” Shah said.Thomas Babington Macaulay was a British historian and
played a major role in the introduction of English as the medium of instruction
for education in India. Alleging that Macaulay’s system of education introduced
by the British had divided the society, Shah said the Centre will consider
setting up a board at the national level to promote Vedic education in the
country.PTI
Gujarat: Net services shut in Mahuva for 7
days after riots
Bhavnagar Collector Harshad Patel held a peace
meeting on Friday with local residents in Mahuva town after the murder of a VHP
leader led to communal tension in the area. Members of both Hindu and Muslim
communities went on a rampage after the killing on Tuesday night.The collector
issued a notification suspending internet service for the next seven days in
the area. The step was taken to ensure peace and stop rumours from spreading
through social media. A video of the violence went viral on social media which
showed a mob setting fire to several commercial establishments. Local schools
and colleges have been asked to remain closed till the situation is brought
under control.Jayesh Gujaria (22), newly appointed president of the VHP in
Mahuva town, was stabbed to death by four persons from a rival group on
Tuesday. Three of the accused have been identified as Islam, Imran and Bapudi
while the fourth person could not be identified. A dispute is believed to have
erupted between them over VHP banners that Gujaria was putting in the minority
area for Navratri festival.dnaindia
Mumbai: Muslim parents wary of new MR vaccination
The central Govt's Measles-Rubella vaccination
campaign has become a matter of concern among parents in the Muslim community
who are uncomfortable with the involvement of schools and they are unwilling to
get their children to take the vaccination. In order to dispel the
misconceptions about the vaccine fuelled by viral posts and videos on social
media, parents from Dongri and Bhendi Bazaar were invited to an open discussion
with paediatricians and officials from WHO and the BMC on Thursday. The
parents' concerns stem from rumours based on videos and messages being
circulated on social media suggests that MR vaccination has been designed to
sterilise the next generation to wipe out the Muslim community. Unwilling to
reveal their identity, a parent said that she was deeply suspicious about the
vaccinations being given at the schools instead of at hospitals. "Our
school management says that it's mandatory. Polio is given at health camps then
why should our child get the vaccination at school? They want to keep our child
under observation after the injection is given even though it's not done for
other vaccinations," she said. Another parent questioned the need for a
second vaccination since the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccination already
exists. "My daughter has already had MMR vaccination. Then why do we have
to give her vaccination twice when it's only meant to be taken once? The school
refuses to answer our questions," she said.mid-day.com
Modi a paradoxical PM who failed electorate: Manmohan
New Delhi :Narendra Modi is a “paradoxical PM ”
who has failed the electorate and eroded the voters’ faith in his promises over
four and a half years, ex PM Manmohan
Singh said.Speaking after releasing MP Shashi Tharoor’s book on PM Modi, Singh
said that the Modi Govt has remained
silent in the face of widespread communal violence, mob lynching and cow
vigilantism despite promising to be PM for all of India. Govt, he said, has sought to
curb academic freedom and the “environment in our universities and national
institutions like CBI is being vitiated and dissent stifled”.indianexpress
Former NCP leader Tariq Anwar joins Congress
Former NCP leader Tariq Anwar joined the
Congress on Saturday. Ex-MP from Katihar and his supporters met Congress
President Rahul Gandhi Anwar at his Tughlaq Lane residence. He is expected to
release an official statement later in the day, PTI reportedAnwar quit NCP in
Sept.after party chief Sharad Pawar’s remarks about Rafale defence deal that
were seemingly in support of PM Narendra
Modi.“I resigned after being hurt by Pawar saheb’s comments,” Anwar had said
after handing over his resignation. “There must be a thorough probe on the
corruption in Rafale deal.”scroll.in
BJP, JD(U) to fight equal seats, ally tapped
by RJD
New Delhi, Patna :Even as BJP president Amit
Shah on Friday claimed there are no internal differences in NDA in Bihar over
seat-sharing, and along with JD(U) chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced
that both parties will contest an equal number of seats in 2019 Lok Sabha
elections, the 2 smaller alliance partners, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP and
Ramvilas Paswan’s LJP, appear to be growing restive as BJP is yet to announce
the number of seats each party would contest.After a meeting with Nitish Kumar,
Shah said the Lok Janshakti Party and the RLSP will get “respectable” number of
seats to contest, and that each party has agreed to take a cut in its share to
accommodate the new partner – JD(U).“Numbers (of seats that each party will
contest) will be announced in two or three days,” Shah, with Nitish by his
side, told the media in Delhi.Within hours, RLSP chief and Union minister
Upendra Kushwaha created a stir with his “unscheduled meet” with RJD leader
Tejashwi Yadav at Arwal in Bihar.indianexpress
Bengal Cong, Left hold talks with Muslim
leaders
Kolkata:Both the Congress and CPI(M) leaders
of Bengal have started holding “meaningful talks” with the Muslim religious and
social leaders aheadof 2019 general elections. According to sources Bengal Congress
chief Somen Mitra have held secret talks with select leaders of various
minority organizations Furfura Mujaddedia Orphan Foundation and Minority Youth
Federation. Though the leader would not dwell much on the points of references
he said the Congress was indeed trying to wrest back the minority voters from TMC.PCC
president is known to have spoken to Muslim social andreligious leaders like Md
Nuruddin the State president of Jamiat-i-Islami Hind, secretary of Mili Ittehad
parishad Abdul Ajiz, Sarwar Hasan, Kamruddin Malik, Jahid Mahmood etc.Elsewhere
CPI(M) politburo member Md Salim also held talks with Muslim leaders party
sources said. While Mitra spoke to minority leaders on Tuesday Salim held
discussions with them on Wednesday sources said.Among those who held talks with
Salim at the CPI(M) State headquarters at Alimuddin Street was Jamat-i-Islami
leader Abdul Ajiz, party sources said. dailypioneer
West Bengal: BJP to woo Muslims to unseat TMC: theweek
BJP has now decided to woo Muslims in West
Bengal and would like to give them tickets in the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021
assembly polls. A meeting in this regard was convened by Arvind Menon, a close
aide of Amit Shah and joint convener of the campaign committee of Bengal,in
Kolkata on Thursday. Menon asked party leaders and members attending the
meeting to woo Muslims and find candidates among them.
Bengal BJP minority wing to launch drive on
triple, NRC
RSS’s Muslim wing to start campaign backing
Modi
Nagpur: RSS’s minority outreach wing — Muslim
Rashtriya Manch (MRM) — has initiated a drive to project PM Narendra Modi as the community’s messiah and
flay the Congress. Focusing on Subhas Chandra Bose, it will be stressed that it
was this freedom fighter who championed for an undivided India, but the
Congress led to the partition which ultimately hampered the interests of the
Muslims. TOI
Back candidates with secular credentials:
Muslim bodies
Jaipur: Several Muslim groups have asked the
community neither to have a soft corner for the Congress candidates nor to vote
for the party which is fundamentally against Muslims in the upcoming polls.The
socio-religious leaders representing all sects of the community have decided to
mobilise support for alternate leadership by supporting smaller parties or
independent candidates who have secular credentials over BJP and Congress
candidates. The decision was taken in a meeting on Thursday in Jaipur.Naim
Rabbani of Helping Hand Foundation says that Congress had maintained a stoic
silence on lynching cases involving Muslims while BJP leaders left no stone
unturned to justify the killings.Jamait-E-Ulema Hind, a frontal body of
Muslims, spokesperson Mohammed Iqbal says that 14th Rajasthan legislative
assembly had two Muslim MLAs that too from BJP who remained silent on the
issues pertaining to the 10% of the state population. timesofindia
Ganga activist GD Agarwal reportedly
criticised Centre in ‘final video’ before death
Followers of Ganga activist Guru Das Agarwal
have released a video, reportedly recorded about an hour before his death on Oct.
11, showing the scientist-turned-seer on the hospital bed questioning the
central Govt ’s notification on the river’s environmental flow.The video was
released on Friday, the day the Supreme Court refused shifting his body from
AIIMS, Rishikesh, to his Matri Sadan ashram in Haridwar for post-death rituals.
The ruling came hours after the Uttarakhand high court had ordered the state
police to supervise the body’s transfer after accepting a plea on behalf of the
seer’s followers who wanted to pay their last respects to the 86-year-old former
IIT professor, popular among his disciples as Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand.Members
of the ashram said he had passed away soon after the video was shot.HT
80% of Wakf land in Maharashtra lost in
illegal deals:Ansari
Nagpur:Tehrik-e-Aukaf, a watchdog organization
on Wakf properties, has alleged that 80% of Wakf land in Maharashtra has been
lost either to illegal transfers or encroachments. Its head Shabbir Ahmed
Ansari has threatened to go to court if the Govt failed to take action against the current and
ex-members of the State Wakf Board involved in illegal transfer of land.Ansari,
who is also chairman of All India Muslim, OBC Trust has been spearheading a
movement against misuse of Wakf land for last two decades and is based in Mumbai.
Addressing a press conference, he said that despite several complaints against
Wakf board member Asif Qureshi, the state Govt has failed to order his disqualification. “If
FIR is not filed in the next eight days, we will have to knock at the court’s
door,” said Ansari.The activist said ever since the state Wakf board was
established in 2002, those close to the then ruling Congress and NCP occupied
posts of board members. TOI
Haryana govt spends Rs 80,000 per day on CM’s
air travel
Rohtak:BJP Govt in Haryana has splurged about Rs 80,000 per
day on CM Manohar Lal Khattar’s inland
air travel since Oct.2014 when he took over the reins of the state.A RTI query
filed by Gurugram-based activist Harinder Dhingra has revealed that around Rs
10 crore were spent on fuel cost of the state-owned helicopter used by the CM and the rent paid by the state Govt on chartered air services hired for him during
the past 45 months.HT
Saeed's JuD no more in Pak list of banned
terror outfits
Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) is no
longer mentioned in Pakistan's list of banned outfits after a presidential
ordinance, declaring all individuals and organisations, which are on the UN
terror list as part of the country's list of banned outfits also, lapsed.The
then Pakistan President, Syed Mamnoon Hussain, had issued the ordinance a few
days before the plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
earlier this year. The move, widely seen as Pakistan's last resort action to
tackle FATF failed as the Pakistani team failed to convince FATF of its actions
against money laundering and terror financing and saw itself thrown into the
FATF 'grey' list. indiatoday
WORLD
With Netanyahu’s surprise visit, Sultan Qaboos
building Oman's 'regional role'
Ramallah:Sultan Qaboos bin Said's surprise
meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu this week was more about Oman's desire to play a role in the region
than reaching a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, according to a
diplomatic source.Sultan Qaboos hosted Netanyahu in Muscat only days after he
met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Still, while Palestinian sources said
the sultan urged both leaders to revive the stalled peace process, a Western
diplomatic source indicated that Netanyahu's visit - and the way it was quietly
announced after PM had returned to
Israel - was more about Oman and its role in the region than anything else."Oman
is trying to play a regional role between the various parties and axes in the
region, and it sees Israel as an important player in various regional
issues," the diplomat told Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity. "Abbas's
visit was for creating the necessary balance," the diplomat said. Palestinian
sources say Sultan Qaboos told both Netanyahu and Abbas to restart peace talks,
but Palestinians told him there isn't a good chance negotiations can resume
with Israel's current right-wing Govt." Palestinian side welcomes any Arab
or international effort to revive the peace process, but does not think that
Oman has a magic wand capable of doing what the Americans and the others could
not do," the Palestinian source said.The peace process, the source
continued, has been "crushed under the bulldozers and the non-stop
expansion of Israeli settlements".In a statement, Netanyahu's office said
Sultan Qaboos invited the PM and his
wife to Oman "at the end of lengthy contacts between the two
countries".Netanyahu is the first Israeli leader to visit the sultanate
since Shimon Peres in 1996.According to the statement, Netanyahu was
accompanied by several high-ranking Israeli officials on his rare visit to the
Gulf state, including Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, who serves as the PM 's adviser
on national security issues; head of NSA,Meir Ben-Shabat; director-general of
the Foreign Ministry, Yuval Rotem; PMO chief, Yuval Horowitz, and Netanyahu's
military secretary, Brigadier General Avi Plut. "The meeting dealt with
ways to advance the peace process in the Middle East, as well as issues of
mutual interest related to peace and stability in the region," read a
joint statement issued after the meeting.In a tweet, Ayoob Kara, member of
Netanyahu's Likud party and Israel's minister of communications, said the visit
to Oman was "proof of good relations between the Israeli Govt and Sunni countries that oppose Iranian
terrorism that threatens them". middleeasteye
Netanyahu makes surprise trip to Oman,meets
with Sultan
Netanyahu meets Sultan Qaboos in surprise Oman
trip
Netanyahu rounds up official visit to Oman
Oman rejects mediating between Israelis,
Palestinians
Oman says it will not act as a “mediator”
between Israelis and Palestinians, playing down an earlier visit by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.The sultanate was only
offering ideas to help Israel and Palestinians to come together, Omani Foreign
Minister Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah told a security summit in Bahrain’s
capital Manama on Saturday.The remarks came a day after Netanyahu visited Oman
in a rare visit, while accompanied by other senior Israeli officials, including
the head of the Israeli spy agency Mossad.“We are not saying road is now easy
and paved with flowers, but our priority is to put an end to the conflict and
move to a new world,” Reuters cited Abdullah as saying.presstv
Israel kills 5 Palestinians in Gaza protests:health
ministry
5 Palestinian demonstrators were shot dead by
Israeli soldiers and 170 others wounded during protests at the Gaza border on
Friday, the Gaza health ministry said.Dozens were also injured by tear gas
fired by Israeli forces towards the demonstrators participating in the
protests, which were held for the 31st week in a row.In response to the deaths,
Gaza's ruling Hamas fired 14 rockets towards Israel, 10 of which were
intercepted, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said on
Twitter.Israeli military launched air strikes in retaliation at three positions
belonging to Hamas, an army statement said. In late March, Palestinians
launched the Great March of Return, gathering peacefully along the "buffer
zone" in Gaza near the fence separating it from Israel.middleeasteye
Israeli jets hit 80 targets in Gaza amid
rocket fire,protests
Israeli fighter jets struck dozens of sites
across the Gaza Strip early on Saturday as fighters fired about 30 rockets into
Israel, in the heaviest exchange of fire in several weeks.The fighting followed
a bloody day of border protests, in which Israeli forces shot and killed five
Palestinians protesting along the perimeter fence dividing Hamas-ruled Gaza and
Israel.The fighting and bloodshed complicated the mission of Egyptian
mediators, who have intensified shuttle diplomacy to achieve calm and prevent a
full-blown conflict between Hamas and Israel.Israeli military said it had
struck about 80 sites across Gaza by early Saturday morning, including a
security headquarters building. Air raid sirens sounded throughout the night in
southern Israel, with firing some 30 rockets, the military said.It said about
10 rockets were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket defence system, two landed
prematurely in Gaza and the rest fell in open areas. Israel's military chief,
General Gadi Eisenkot, convened an emergency meeting of top security officials,
the army added, without elaborating.aljazeera
Israel Army Radio HQ begins move to Jerusalem
HQRS of Israel’s Army Radio began its move to
Jerusalem yesterday, with Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman laying the
building’s cornerstone.The opening ceremony was attended by Lieberman, as well
as key figures from Israel’s Ministry of Defence,its Chief of Staff and Army
Radio’s Commander. Lieberman addressed the ceremony saying:”This ceremony is a
sign that all the arguments are behind us. I’m positive that Jerusalem, the
capital of Israel, will provide special inspiration to Army Radio [and] will
always enjoy public confidence.” middleeastmonitor
Palestine accuses Israel of falsifying
Palestinian curriculum in Jerusalem schools
Palestinian Education Minister Sabri Sidem
accused Israel, Thursday, of “falsifying” the Palestinian curriculum in schools
in occupied Jerusalem.Sidem said in a news conference held at the ministry’s
headquarters in Ramallah that “the Israeli authorities printed distorted copies
of Palestinian curriculum and distributed them to the schools supervised by the
Israeli municipality in Jerusalem.”He pointed out that the distortion affected
“all the curricula issued by the Palestinian Curriculum Development Centre.”“The
occupation authorities removed the Palestinian flag from all books covers, the
Palestinian keffiyeh, and the name of the State of Palestine and its Eagle Logo
as well as the phrase ‘Ministry of Education and Higher Education,’” he
clarified. middleeastmonitor
Palestinian group announces Gaza ceasefire
with Israel
Gaza-based Islamic Jihad movement on Saturday
announced an Egypt-brokered ceasefire with Israel, according to its spokesman.“We
announce a ceasefire with Israel after Egyptian contacts with us,” Dawoud
Shihab said.He said his movement “will be committed to the deal as long as
Israel is committed to”.Late Friday, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of
airstrikes across Gaza Strip, citing rocket fire from the blockaded Palestinian
territory.The deal came after at least 6 Palestinians were killed and dozens
injured by Israeli army fire during anti-occupation protests along Gaza border.Anadolu
Would not negotiate secretly with Israel, says
Pakistan minister after reports of 'Israeli' aircraft in Pakistan
Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry
on Saturday said the country would not negotiate in secret with either Israel
or India after sections of the media reported the alleged arrival of an
‘Israeli’ business jet at Islamabad International Airport (IIA).Reports emerged
on social media on Friday evening regarding the presence of a suspected Israeli
aircraft at Islamabad airport. The aircraft reportedly spent 10 hours at the
airport. The information was obtained by flight tracking website Flight
Radar.tribunePak
11 Israelis take part in UAE judo competition
11 Israeli players are taking part in a judo
competition in UAE after the tournament was temporarily suspended last year
over a ban on Israeli symbols during the medal-awarding ceremony. Abu Dhabi
Judo Grand-Slam, which started on Saturday and runs for three days, includes
athletes from 62 countries. Israel is represented by 6 male and five female
competitors. Last year, the UAE organisers had singled Israel out with a ban on
displaying its flag or playing its anthem during the tournament when one of its
athletes was awarded a medal. aljazeera
Khashoggi suspects 'will be prosecuted in
Saudi: Saudi
Saudi Arabia will prosecute the suspects in
the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh's foreign minister has said
Saturday, in response to a call by Turkey's president for their extradition."On
the issue of extradition, the individuals are Saudi nationals. They're detained
in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be
prosecuted in Saudi Arabia," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a
regional defence forum in the Bahraini capital.Jubeir also told the forum that
Riyadh's relations with the United States were "ironclad" amid what
he described as "media hysteria" over the killing of Khashoggi.The
foreign minister's comments came a day after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
called for the extradition of 18 Saudi nationals authorities say were involved
in the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi Govt critic killed in his country's consulate in
Istanbul earlier this month.middleeasteye
Khashoggi's fiancee: Why I declined Trump's
invitation
The fiancee of Saudi journalist Jamal
Khashoggi has called for those responsible for his murder to be brought to
justice, adding that she declined an invitation by US President Donald Trump to
visit the White House.Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish national, made the comments in
an emotional interview with broadcaster Haberturk on Friday, her first TV
appearance since Khashoggi's killing inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul
more than three weeks ago."I demand that all those involved in this
savagery from the highest to the lowest levels are punished and brought to
justice," she said.aljazeera
Son of Saudi journalist Khashoggi has left
Saudi
The eldest son of murdered Saudi journalist
Jamal Khashoggi arrived in Washington with his family from Saudi Arabia on
Thursday, according to two sources close to the family, after US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo pushed for his return, Reuters reports.Salah Khashoggi, who
holds dual US-Saudi citizenship and had thus far been under a travel ban,
departed Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.He and his family joined his mother and his
three siblings in Washington, said the sources, both speaking on condition of
anonymity.Several hours after their arrival, State Dept deputy spokesman Robert
Palladino disclosed that Pompeo told Saudi leaders in Riyadh earlier this month
that “he wanted Salah Khashoggi returned to the US.”middleeastmonitor
Bahrain says 'Arab NATO' to be formed by next
year
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al
Khalifa has said a planned Gulf security alliance, expected to include Egypt,
will be formed by next year.At a security summit in capital Manama on Saturday,
Khalifa said the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), an initiative pushed by
US President Donald Trump to confront Iran, will help the Gulf remain "a
pillar of stability"."It (MESA) is an alliance for security and prosperity
for the region and will be open to those who accept its principles," he
said, adding that the alliance would also cooperate on economic issues.aljazeera
European Court ruling on insulting Prophet
Muhammad ‘reinforces right of religious belief’
Integrity Foundation for Humanitarian and
Human Rights (Hayat Haq) has expressed its support for the decision of the
European Court of Human Rights, which considered that insulting the Prophet
Muhammad does not fall under the framework of freedom of expression.The Integrity
Foundation said in a statement that “European Court’s decision reinforces the
freedom and rights of religious belief, one of the pillars of freedom in
democratic societies governed by law”. On Thursday, the European Court of Human
Rights ruled that “insulting the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – does
not fall within the freedom of expression, and considered that the conviction
of an Austrian court for a woman accused of insulting the Holy Prophet does not
violate the right to freedom of expression, nor Chapter X of the European
Charter of Human Rights”.Integrity Foundation explained that the decision of
the European Court comes in the context of encouraging the protection of and
respect for the religious feelings of Muslims and functions mainly to promote
community peace.MEMO
Irish singer Sinead O'Connor converts to Islam
: aljazeera
Irish singer Sinead O'Connor has announced she
has converted to Islam and said she has changed her name to Shuhada' Davitt.51-year-old
has been posting selfies of herself wearing hijabs on Twitter in recent days,
as well as a video in which she sang the Azan, or call to prayer.She tweeted on
Oct. 19:"This is to announce that I am proud to have become a Muslim.This
is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian's journey. All
scripture study leads to Islam. Which makes all other scriptures
redundant."O'Connor, who now goes by Davitt, achieved widespread success
in 1990 with her cover of 'Nothing Compares 2 U', a song written by late
Prince.
Another meeting for Sisi and Bashir as Sudan
lifts ban on Egyptian imports
Sudan has lifted a 17-month-long ban on
Egyptian goods following an official visit from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi to Khartoum on Thursday.“Today I signed a decision to lift the ban on
the entry of Egyptian products to Sudan, to remove all obstacles to the
movement of trade and people between the two countries,” Sudan's president Omar
al-Bashir told reporters.During the visit, the two countries signed 12
cooperation agreements in various trade and economic sectors including
agriculture, healthcare, and higher education. According to Egyptian Minister
of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, the value of his country's exports to Sudan
stood at $550m last year, while Sudanese exports to Egypt are worth $103m. The
visit is Sisi’s second to Sudan in less than two months, as relations between
the two have warmed up after a brief diplomatic crisis. middleeasteye
Sri Lanka president suspends parliament amid
political crisis
Hours after Sri Lanka President Maithripala
Sirisena sacked PM Ranil Wickremesinghe
and replaced him with opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse, he has suspended the
South Asian country's parliament."President has prorogued the parliament
with effect from 12 noon on Saturday," cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne
told reporters.Parliamentary officials said the president had suspended all
meetings of the 225-member house until Nov. 16, AFP reported.The move came
after Wickremesinghe, who said he remains PM , urged the speaker to convene the
parliament on Sunday to prove he still retained his parliamentary majority.Sri
Lanka was plunged in a constitutional crisis after Sirisena sacked
Wickremesinghe and gave the job to former president Rajapakse, who was sworn in
on Friday night.Reports said supporters of Rajapakse stormed several state
media institutions and intimidated staff after he was sworn in.In a surprise
move that triggered political turmoil in island nation,Sirisena dismissed
Wickremesinghe, who was away touring the south of the country.Sirisena has
accused Wickremesinghe and his party of privatising and selling public ventures
to foreign countries and large-scale corruption.A major port developed by
Rajapaksa's Govt in Sri Lanka's
south-east was leased to a Chinese company last year. Under the Sri Lankan
constitution, the president has the power to name the PM . Wickremesinghe
insisted he remained the PM . "I retain the confidence of the house. I am
the PM and I have the majority," he said on Friday. "According to the
constitution, I'm the PM. That [removal] is not legal," he said. Sirisena's
UPFA has only 96 seats in parliament, while the UNP has 106 members in 225-seat
parliament. Developments bring an end to a coalition Govt that was formed more than three years ago on
promises of economic reform and accountability for alleged atrocities committed
during Rajapaksa's 10-year rule at the close of Lanka's bloody civil war.aljazeera
Sri Lanka president sacks PM , appoints
Rajapaksa
Jordan floods: Schoolchildren among 19 dead
after bus swept away
At least 19 people, mostly children, were
killed when torrential rains swept away a bus carrying students and teachers
touring near the Dead Sea, according to sources in the country's civil defence
directorate.DG of the kingdom's Civil Defence, Mustafa al-Basaiah, said on
Friday that 13 of the dead were middle school students.The official news agency
Petra said 37 students, along with seven
adults, had been touring near the Dead Sea when heavy rains unleashed flash
floods in the area.A number of families picnicking in the popular destination were
also among the dead and injured, rescuers said, without giving a breakdown of
numbers. aljazeera
3 Bangladesh Jamaat leaders arrested including
former nayeb-e-amir Ahsanullah
Chattogram:Police arrested 3 leaders of
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami including one of its central leaders from Bakalia
area Chattogram. During a special raid on Rahattarpol and Masterpol area
Chattogram, police arrested them in separate operations on Thursday night. Bakalia
police station officer in charge Pranab Barua said that the three arrestees
were Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami central organizing secretary and former
nayeeb-e-ameer Professor Ahsanullah, Jamaat rokon Shabauddin Aftab and ward 17
Jamaat amir Asadullah.Earlier, they were accused of ‘hatching a conspiracy’ and
‘planning to sabotage’ and for their involvement in several cases of violence.Meanwhile,
six leaders and activists of Jamaat were arrested from a madrassah at Nabagram
Road area of the Braishal city on Friday afternoon suspecting them as
participants of a meeting conspiring sabotage, reported New Age correspondent
from Barishal. newagebd
Assad regime violates Sochi agreement in
Syria's Idlib
Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and
Iranian-supported terror groups violated Sochi agreement by attacking civilians
in Idlib de-escalation zone on Friday.A total of seven civilians, three of them
children, were killed by the artillery and rocket strikes by the regime and the
terror groups targeting Raffa village in Idlib de-escalation zone in violation
of the Sept. 17 Sochi agreement between Turkey and Russia, according to White
Helmets civil defense agency.Mustafa Haj Yusuf, the local head of the White
Helmets in Idlib, told Anadolu that 10 civilians were also injured in the
attacks.In the last 10 days, the regime forces had also carried out attacks on
the opposition-held region.Anadolu
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Jamal Khashoggi will not be forgotten:Abdullah
Alsaafin
Muslim boy’s death in scuffle reopens old
communal fissures in South Delhi’s Begumpur:Abhishek Dey
No Ajit Doval, from Indira to Modi, majority
govts are overrated. Don’t fear coalitions:SHEKHAR GUPTA
Tragedy Of Saudi Arabia’s War: Nytimes
Modi Regime squeezes out ALL Minorities, Even
Buddhists, from Scholarships:Ankita Rastogi, Sabrang Series
Ajit Doval speech: A bureaucrat laying out
political policy is bad news for Indian democracy:Shoaib Daniyal
Explainer: How Mahinda Rajapaksa Pulled off a
Constitutional Coup in Sri Lanka:Asanga Welikala
Saving the National Register of Citizens From
the 'Bengal Tigers':Madhav Godbole
In Efforts to Ban Kancha Ilaiah's 'Anti-Hindu'
Books, a Scholar Has Been Reduced to an 'Enemy':Avijit Pathak
A police encounter is premeditated murder. And
it has to be recognised as such:Ali Khan Mahmudabad
Govt on the backfoot in CBI affair:IANS,
Amulya Ganguli
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:15 PM)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment