NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
01 Nov. 2018: 22 Safar 1440:
Vol: 11, No:47
INDIA
Assam NRC: SC extends deadline to Dec.15,
allows 5 additional documents
New Delhi :The Supreme Court today extended
the deadline for filing claims and objections of people whose names were not
included in the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) to Dec. 15 and
also allowed claimants to rely on 5 additional documents, beside the 10
permitted earlier, which were objected by NRC coordinator, subject to “rigorous
verification”.A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi rejected the concerns of
forgery and photoshop which State coordinator Prateek Hajela had raised
initially in his report to the court. Many stakeholders, including Assam Govt, had
demanded inclusion of all 15 documents in their affidavits.5 documents that
Hajela had requested court to exclude from his report are 1951 NRC, voter lists
up to March 24,1971, citizenship certificates, refugee registration
certificates and ration cards issued prior to March 24, 1971.The SC also fixed
a timeline for issuance of notice to claimants as Jan.15 and verification of documents as Feb.1,
reported PTI.Over 40 lakh people had been excluded from the final NRC draft
published on July 30 and have been given an option to file fresh claims. Read|
60-day window to file claims by those left out of draft NRCEarlier a bench of
Justices Ranjan Gogoi and RF Nariman set a date for filing claims and
objections beginning Sept.25 for 60 days. indianexpress
For Assam Citizens' List, Deadline Extended, 5
More Documents Allowed
Assam govt demands re-verification of NRC
draft
Guwahati: Govt in Assam has reiterated its demand for a
sample re-verification to ascertain the credibility of the complete draft NRC,
citing flaws in the design of the process and possible misuse of documents by
illegal immigrants.A similar demand for a complete re-verification has been
made by the Assam Public Works in the Supreme Court.“The recent report
submitted by state coordinator to the SC is an admission of the lacunae in the
design of the exercise,” LS Changsan, principal secretary at the home and
political department, said on Wednesday,adding the state Govt has submitted an
affidavit in the SC which is monitoring the process.HT
Bribery case: In possession of ‘incriminating’
documents against Asthana, CBI tells Delhi HC
New Delhi :Opposing Special Director Rakesh
Asthana’s petition to quash an FIR against him, CBI Thursday told the Delhi
High Court that the allegations against him show cognizable offences, and that
it was in possession of several incriminating documents against him and others
in the case, PTI has reported. CBI also told the high court that it was
handicapped as certain files were being scrutinised by Central Vigilance
Commission (CVC). The high court had earlier pulled up the CBI on Monday for
not filing a reply to the petition. Asthana had moved court seeking quashing of
an FIR lodged against him and 3 others on Oct.15 under various sections of IPC
and Prevention of Corruption Act.Asthana is accused of accepting a bribe of Rs
3 crore to avoid action by CBI in an investigation against meat exporter Moin
Qureshi. An accused in this case, Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Sathish
Babu, had said that Asthana, among others, accepted the bribe, according to an
FIR registered on Oct. 15.Asthana has alleged that this FIR showed “how the
highest officer of the premier investigating agency of the country” was trying
to falsely implicate him, the second most senior officer of the agency, to hide
his “own criminal misconduct of influencing investigations in exchange for
money”.CBI’s statement in the High Court comes a day after the agency told a
local court in Delhi that it cannot find Babu. CBI’s new investigating officer
in the bribery case Satish Dagar Wednesday said: “The complainant (Sana) was
not available and he did not turn up against the summons issued… We could not
get anything other than what is already there (against Kumar).”indianexpress
Asthana named after ASG’s ‘favourable’
opinion: No prior approval needed for FIR
New Delhi :In pursuing the matter at the heart
of the ongoing controversy in CBI, naming its special director Rakesh Asthana
as an accused in an FIR of bribery a fortnight ago, the agency had sought and
received a favourable opinion from the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) that
no “prior approval of the competent authority” was required under Prevention of
Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.In response to specific queries sent by the
CBI without naming anyone, ASG PS Narasimha said in a detailed reply that “for
clarity, I reiterate that registration of FIR/ PE [preliminary enquiry] will
not await the previous approval required under Section 17A”.This opinion of Oct.
15, which has been accessed by Indian Express, led to Asthana being named
accused in an FIR filed by CBI the same evening.indianexpress
Delhi Minority panel's says no terror funding
in construction of mosque in Haryana; finds many holes in NIA Theory
New Delhi: A fact-finding committee of Delhi
Minorities Commission has stated that it has “not come across any evidence to
state that terror-funding was received for the construction of Khulafa-e-Rashideen
Masjid” in Palwal district of Haryana. The committee was constituted after
recent media reports had quoted NIA as stating that it had been funded by
terror outfit LeT-linked charity Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF). The
committee was constituted by DMC as one of the accused in the case, the Imam of
the mosque Mohammad Salman, was a resident of Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi
and with regard to him, the NIA had been quoted as saying that he was “among
the arrested accused” and that “money was allegedly being distributed” by
him.Comprising well-known human rights activist Ovais Sultan Khan as
coordinator, ex member of Delhi Minorities Commission A.C. Michael, advocate
and human rights activist Abu Bakr Sabbaq and member of the Shiromani Gurudwara
Parbandhak Committee, Sardar Gurminder Singh Matharu, fact-finding committee
toured the area and met the police, administration and panchayat officials, as
well as other citizens.In its report, the panel said it was on Oct.15 that the
media reported the alleged case of terror-funding related to construction of Masjid
in Palwal’s Uttawar village.“The reports were based on a NIA source. It was
reported that NIA probe has led investigators to at least six instances where
funds from terror outfit LeT-linked charity FIF were distributed through a
“hawala” network among poor families in Haryana’s Mewat region to build
goodwill for the terror group,” the committee recorded. It further stated that
NIA officials were quoted by the media as saying that “we suspect that the
charity was done to create a base for Lashkar or FIF activities in the area.
The idea was to generate goodwill by distributing money for organising weddings
and the Masjid – to be encashed at the right opportunity”.The agency also
claimed that it had “found records of around Rs 70 lakh being sent to India in
instalments by FIF network” and that it had “seized books from the office of Masjid
to verify its accounts.” Further, unnamed officials were quoted as saying that
“money for construction of Masjid may have been given by others in the area as
well, but we believe that part of the funds came from FIF”.The committee said
the mosque was searched by NIA officers on Oct.3, just days after the agency
arrested 3 men, including Mohammed Salman.The panel said it was also reported
by a section of the media that in Uttawar village few buy the NIA story and
most believe it is a result of a court battle between the villagers and some
families occupying the masjid land. It said Khalid Hussain, who was present at
the mosque when it was searched and is the son of former Uttawar headman Akhtar
Hussain, was quoted as saying that “because we are trying to evict them, it
appears someone has given this wrong information to the police. No one in the
village can believe such a thing. Salman comes from a very reputed family in
the village. No one from his family has ever had a criminal case against
them.”The committee recorded how during its visit to the region, it learnt from
many that even Hindus had contributed to the construction of the mosque. It
noted that the village has a population of about 25,000 of which about 85% are
Muslims and that it had a history of communal harmony.the wire
No terror funding in construction of mosque in
Haryana: Delhi govt panel
Sanatan Sanstha faces heat as Maharashtra
relooks old blasts case
Mumbai:Hindu right-wing organisation Sanatan
Sanstha, whose members are under investigation for the murders of left-wing
intellectuals and rationalists like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, MM
Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh, is facing fresh trouble over bomb blasts in Mumbai
and Goa more than ten years ago.According to sources here, ATS of the Maharashtra
Police has questioned several past and present members of the Sanstha regarding
the bomb blasts in Mumbai and Goa in 2008 and 2009. Crude bombs were set up in
theatres in Thane and Navi Mumbai where plays and the movie Jodha Akbar,
opposed by outfit, were featured. 2 Sanstha members who were arrested in the
case were subsequently acquitted.Similarly in 2009, crude bombs that were to be
planted at a Diwali celebration in Goa exploded while being transported. 2
members of the organisation lost their lives in the incident.Sources say the
recovery of explosives from premises of a Sanstha activist near Mumbai last
August has led investigators to look into the 2008 blasts case in Maharashtra
as well. Police officials had earlier said that members of Sanstha and the
Hindu Jangruti Samiti were planning to set off bombs at the Sunburn Music
Festival in Pune.Several members of the organisation have been arrested so far
and are being questioned by police teams from Maharashtra and
Karnataka.tribuneindia
Time's up for Sanatan Sanstha? Maharashtra
govt to reopen case after incriminating evidence emerges
Bhima Koregaon violence: Relief from arrest to
Navlakha, two others till Nov.21
New Delhi :Bombay High Court today extended interim
protection from arrest to human rights activist Gautam Navlakha, civil rights
activist Anand Teltumbde and activist Stan Swamy till Nov.21, for their alleged
Maoist links. The court was hearing a petition moved by Navlakha, Teltumbde and
Swamy seeking that FIRs lodged against them by the Pune police in connection
with Bhima Koregaon violence be quashed.On August 29, 5 activists — Varavara
Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha —
were put under house arrest following an apex court order. Earlier, the court
had restrained Pune police from arresting the activists until Nov. 1. Stan
Swamy was also granted relief till Oct. 31. Lawyer Yug Mohit Chaudhry, who is
contesting for Navlakha, told the court that the Pune police have arrested
eminent people and distinguished scholars but no evidence has been produced
before any court.indianexpress
Rafale deal: SC admits petition naming Modi as
respondent in CBI probe
Supreme Court has admitted a petition, which
names Narendra Modi as a private individual as one of the four respondents in
the Rs 60,000 crore Rafale deal. The petition, filed by lawyer Manohar Lal
Sharma on Oct.10, was on Wednesday clubbed with other 3 other petitions, all
demanding a CBI probe into the controversial 36-fighter jet deal.In his
petition,listed as 225-2018, Sharma has argued that allegations of corruption in
the deal with France warranted a CBI probe against Modi in a personal capacity,
and not as a PM. Former Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar, businessman
Anil Ambani and France’s Dassault Aviation have been named as other three
respondents in the petition.A notice to the effect has been issued by the top
court to the Govt.“It must be first decided if allegations of corruption
against Modi amount to any cognisable offence. If they do, then case against
Modi and others must proceed,” said Sharma. The court noted that the Govt , in
accordance with its Oct. 10 order, had placed before it in a sealed envelope
the decision-making process that went behind in choosing Reliance Defence as
Dassault’s offset partnerThe other petitons in the matter have been filed by
former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie.nationalheraldindia
Post-Rafale, Inactive Anil Ambani Company Made
Rs 284 Crore Profit With Dassault Investment:The Wire
New Delhi: Even as Dassault Aviation and Anil
Ambani’s Reliance group battle allegations that extra-commercial considerations
drove their joint venture on Rafale, regulatory filings in France and India
reveal that the French defence major followed its JV with an investment in 2017
of approximately 4 million euros in another Anil Ambani venture that is loss
making and has almost zero revenues. The investment translated into a Rs 284
crore profit for the Ambani group company, Reliance Airport Developers Limited
(RADL).It is unclear how valuation for RADL stake was reached between the two
groups or why Dassault would buy a substantial share in an unlisted company
that has little to no revenues and has nothing to do with Dassault’s core
business.Public filings by Reliance Infrastructure, a Reliance ADAG group company,
show that it sold a 34.7% stake in RADL, a wholly owned subsidiary, to Dassault
Aviation in FY 2017-18. The terms of the sale are not known but Reliance said
it made a profit of Rs 284.19 crore on the sale of 24,83,923 shares which had a
face value of Rs 10 each.Reliance Airport Developers posted losses of Rs 10.35
lakh for the financial year ending March 2017 and earned revenues of Rs 6 lakh.
In the year ending March 2016, the firm had no revenues and posted losses of Rs
9 lakh.thewire
RBI Governor Urjit Patel should work in sync
with the Govt or resign:RSS affiliate
RBI Governor Urjit Patel should work in sync
with the Centre or should resign, the head of RSS’s economic wing has said.
Ashwani Mahajan said that Patel should restrain his officials from making the
differences between the Govt and the
central bank public.Govt has reportedly
been upset about a remark by one of Patel’s deputies, Viral Acharya, on
Friday,when he warned that undermining a central bank’s independence was
“potentially catastrophic”.On Wednesday however, the Finance Ministry issued a
statement in support of the central bank’s autonomy.Mahajan said: “If he
[Patel] doesn’t follow discipline, it would be better for him to resign.” Mahajan,
co-convenor of RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch, opposed the appointment of
foreign-trained economists at the central bank, and said one of the “talented
persons with nationalist vision” on RBI board can replace Patel if he
resigned.Swadeshi Jagran Manch’s senior leader S Gurumurthy was appointed to
RBI board in Aug.Mahajan added that RBI’s higher interest rates were hitting
small businesses.“RBI is adamant, ignoring India’s ground realities,” he said. Mahajan
said if there is any disagreement with the Finance Ministry, then it should be
expressed at the RBI’s board meeting, but not publicly. “This entire talk of
central bank’s independence is a western concept,” he said. “It is not
acceptable and feasible here. India is a developing country, our main priority
is employment and growth of small scale industries. RBI should stand with Govt
on these issues.”scroll.in
Demonetisation broke Maoists’ backbone, exposed
‘urban Naxals’:BJP think tank’s study
Modi Govt ’s decision to demonetise Rs 500 and
Rs 1,000 notes in Nov. 2016 “broke the backbone of left-wing extremists”, says
a report published by BJP’s think tank. Public Policy Research Centre’s study
titled “Demonetisation: Impact on Combating Naxalism” was released on
Wednesday. Nov.8 marks the second anniversary of the note ban exercise.A
research team visited the Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh to carry out
the study in Bijapur, Sukma, Rajnandgaon and Narayanpur, and spoke to the
Adivasis and surrendered Maoists, the report claimed. The report was released
weeks before Assembly elections in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh on Nov.12 and Nov.20.
The votes will be counted on Dec.11.scroll.in
UP : Pastors thrashed, held on suspicion of
‘conversion’, Hindu activists booked
Lucknow :A day after a group of pastors were
arrested — who were assaulted allegedly by VHP and Bajrang Dal workers over
rumours that they were converting Hindus to Christianity at an Agra hotel — an
FIR was registered against the assailants at Tajganj police station
Wednesday.Pastor Ravi Kumar, complainant in the assault case, claimed they were
being framed in the conversion case.7 pastors were earlier arrested on charges
of promoting enmity between two groups. In the evening, they were released on
personal bond. SHO of Tajganj police station Vinod Kumar said, “Today, Kumar
and others lodged a cross-FIR in the matter against workers of a Hindu
organisation.”“FIR has been lodged against eight named and 15 unidentified
people. No one has been arrested so far. Raids are being carried out to trace
them,” he added.Pastor Kumar said, they were holding meeting at Samobar Hotel
to chalk out plans for Christmas. Meeting was called under the banner ‘UP
family church’, in which pastors from Kerala were also present.“While the
meeting, which was also attended by women and children, was going on, workers
of VHP and Bajrang Dal entered and started abusing us. They assaulted us with
sticks, tore our clothes and damaged our musical instruments,” said Kumar,
adding that 3 persons were injured. “Half an hour later, police arrived and
took 14 of us, including 3 women to the police station. We were released late
evening.” FIR against the pastors were lodged on the basis of a complaint filed
by one Sunny Banswar. Hotel manager Tejveer Singh said, “allegation of
conversion is false. The people who had gathered were enjoying music and were
busy in conversation. I have no idea how the attackers came to know about the
meeting”.indianexpress
Chandrababu meets Rahul, says coming together
is ‘democratic compulsion’
New Delhi :Terming it a “democratic
compulsion”, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu Thursday met Congress
president Rahul Gandhi at the latter’s residence in a bid to drum up opposition
support to take on the BJP in next year’s Lok Sabha elections. “We have to save
the nation and defend democracy. It is a democratic compulsion and we have
joined together to protect our country,” Naidu said. Emphasising the need for
opposition parties to unite against the saffron party, Rahul said, “We had a
very good meeting. The gist was that we have to defend the democracy and future
of the country. So, we are coming together to work together; all opposition
forces must unite.” Congress leader added, “We are not going to get into the
past. We are going to talk about the present and the future. Opposition forces
need to come together to provide a vision to the country because of the current
situation.”indianexpress
Ramanagara bypoll: BJP candidate against
Karnataka CM’s wife pulls out, returns to Congress
Bengaluru :In a major embarrassment for the
BJP, two days before Ramanagara assembly bypoll, its candidate against CM HD Kumaraswamy’s wife quit the contest on
Thursday and returned to the Congress.With BJP’s L Chandrashekhar withdrawing
his candidature for the Nov.3 polls, Kumaraswamy’s wife Anita Kumaraswamy, is
expected to have a smooth sail facing a virtual no-contest.Announcing his
decision to return to his “mother party,”Congress, Chandrashekhar accused BJP
and its leaders of “abandoning” him after giving him the ticket. “After
welcoming me to the BJP by giving party flag, Yeddyurappa (state BJP chief) or
any other leaders did not join me for campaigning. They neglected Ramanagara
due to internal squabble between the leaders within the party,” he told
reporters. Alleging Yeddyurappa did not even answer his phone calls,
Chandrashekhar said, he was worried about his political future in the BJP and
hence decided to withdraw from the poll fray.“Saddened about the attitude of
leaders and system that exists within the BJP, I have decided not to have any association
with the party, I’m returning to my mother party Congress,” he said, with
Bengaluru rural Congress MP DK Suresh seated next to him. Chandrashekhar, son
of a senior Congress leader C M Lingappa, had joined BJP as the Congress
decided to support the candidate of its ruling coalition partner, JD(S). Within
days after joining BJP, he was announced as the party’s candidate.PTI
China dismisses India’s protests over PoK bus
service, says Kashmir position unchanged
Beijing:China said on Thursday it wasn’t aware
of India’s protests against a Sino-Pakistan bus service through PoK as part a
bilateral economic corridor, arguing that the service will not change its stand
on Kashmir.The bus service between Kashgar in China’s far-western Xinjiang
province and Lahore is expected to be launched on Nov. 3 during Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s high-profile visit to the
country.India has protested the move, saying it’s a violation of its
territorial sovereignty. The Chinese foreign ministry, however, played down
India’s concerns.“As for the bus service, I have not heard of the relevant
information and I have not heard of complaints,” Lu Kang, the foreign ministry
spokesperson, said at the regular ministry briefing on Thursday.Media reports
from Pakistan said the bus service is part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC), a flagship venture under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a
multi-billion dollar connectivity project launched by President Xi Jinping.“I
have taken many questions regarding CPEC. It is an economic cooperation project
between China and Pakistan and not targeted at any third party. It has nothing
to do with the territorial dispute and it will not affect China’s principled
position on the issue of Kashmir,”he said.China’s stand, Lu said, is that the
“…cooperation between China and Pakistan has nothing to do with the territorial
dispute and will not affect China’s principled position on Kashmir,”he said.A
Pak company has been quoted by media as saying the bus will run from Lahore to
Kashgar 4 days a week.HT
India objects to Pakistan-China proposed bus
service via PoK, says it ‘violates territorial integrity’
J-K: Two militants killed, one soldier injured
in encounter in Budgam
2 militants were killed in an encounter with
security forces today in J&K’s Budgam district, according to a statement
issued by the Indian Army. Police said one soldier was also injured in the
incident.“Security forces launched a search operation based on credible inputs
about the presence of terrorists in Zagoo locality of Khansahib area of the
district. During the operation, militants opened fire on the search party,
prompting the security forces to retaliate. In the ensuing encounter, two
militants were neutralised. The security forces also recovered various
incriminating material, including arms and ammunition from the site,” police
official said.The slain militants were identified as Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, a
resident of Arizal in Budgam and Mohammad Amin Mir of Pampore in Pulwama.“They
were both involved in a series of terror attacks on security establishments in
the area,”official said.indianexpress
All Attempts Were Made To Suppress Hashimpura
Case, Yet Justice Prevailed: Muslim Leaders
New Delhi:Muslim leaders have welcomed the
Delhi High Court verdict in the Hashimpura killing case. Talking to Caravan
Daily, they said this verdict will strengthen the community’s trust and
confidence in the judiciary and Constitution. While saying that if the
judgement had come earlier it would have been better, they have demanded
adequate compensation for the victim families.“Better late than never, said Dr.
Zafarul Islam Khan, Chairman, Delhi Minorities Commission. “They tried best to
suppress the case.But some evidences emerged that they got caught in.
Otherwise, UP Govt had tried best to bury the case, they were not allowing the
accused to appear before the court.Govt would say that it does not know them even
though they were in Govt service. System
made its effort but court did its work and punished them. It is good though it
is late,” said Dr Khan. Navaid Hamid, head, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat
demanded that the Govt should award
compensation to families of those killed in Hashimpura incident in 1987. Salim
Engineer, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said, “We welcome it though
it has come very late. Still we are satisfied. If it had come early it would
have been better. Justice has been delivered very late, still we will say it
has been delivered. This verdict has strengthened the trust of people in the
judiciary and justice system.” “We want that similar justice should be
delivered in other such killings like Gujarat riots so that people’s trust and
confidence is further strengthened in judiciary,” he said.caravandaily
1987 Hashimpura massacre case: ‘We survived
bullets but wait for justice killed us’
Telangana polls:SIO seeks strict RTE, filling
vacant posts
Hyderabad: Students Islamic Organisation
released a Student Manifesto and demanded that political parties pay heed to
students demands.They demanded strict implementation of Right to Education Act,
filling of vacant posts of teachers in varsities and an increase in the Gross
State Domestc Product towards Education. The student’s alleged that the
sudents’ role in Telangana movement has been forgotten after the
bifurcation.Deccan Chronicle.
Minority quota admissions: No Reservation for
sub-sects: Kerala HC
Kochi: Minority quota available in minority
educational institutions cannot be subdivided on the basis of sects or other
groups within the religion, the high court has ruled. The ruling came from a
bench of Justice K Surendra Mohan and Justice Shircy V after considering three
petitions filed by managements of 2 minority educational institutions and
students.It was contended by the petitioners, including Karuna Medical College
and Travancore Medical College, that the right of minority communities to
establish and administer educational institutions as per Article 30(1) of the
Constitution includes the freedom of choice of candidates. Refuting this, bench
said the term ‘minority’ means a community notified as such by Central Govt as per Section 2(c) of National Commission for
Minorities Act, 1992. Thus, Muslims have been classified as one community. No
sub-sect or denomination within finds a place in the notification, the court
pointed out.The right of unaided professional colleges to admit students of
their choice is subject to a selection that is merit-based, transparent, fair
and non-exploitative as per a 2016 SC decision, the court said. In the case of
Karuna Medical College, 35 seats were earmarked for the college trust and its
dependent trusts. The court said the ‘dependents of the trust’ are not
indicative of any definite class or category of persons. Any person could be
brought within the umbrella and allowing admissions thus would denude the
admission process of transparency, the judgment said. Other categories
mentioned in the seat matrix relate to even Muslim political organizations like
Jamaat-e-Islami, which also cannot be permitted, the court added.Of the 60
minority seats, Travancore Medical College has sought 10 for Sunni Muslims, 20
for Muslim Shafi Madhab, 10 for Hanafi Madhab, 10 for Mujahid jamaaths, and 10
for Jamaath-e-Islami.TOI
Plea filed in HC seeks to end gender
discrimination, entry of women,men in all places of worship
New Delhi: After Supreme Court’s landmark
judgement on Sabarimala which allowed women below 55 years to enter the hill
shrine, a PIL has been filed before Delhi High Court seeking orders to allow
women of all ages to enter all temples, mosques, churches and pray along with
men. The plea also calls for opening up of 'women only' Attukal temple and
Kamakhya temple for entry of men.The plea also says women should not be barred
from being ordained as priests in temples, churches should be allowed to lead
prayers in mosques, ANI reported. The move comes after a Hindu group recently
filed a PIL in the Kerala High Court seeking directive to the Centre for
issuing an order enabling Muslim woman to enter mosques for offering prayers,
PTI reported. TOI
Physically disabled people can now go for Haj:
Centre to HC
New Delhi: Centre today told the Delhi High
Court that it has amended its Haj policy and differently-abled people are no
longer barred from performing annual pilgrimage. The submission was made before
a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice I S Mehta, which was also
told that only people with serious illnesses, like cancer or tuberculosis, are
barred from the pilgrimage. Central Govt standing counsel Ajay Digpaul, appearing for
the Ministry of Minority Affairs, told the court that the Haj Committee of
India (HCOI) has “unanimously decided to allow persons with special needs to
apply” for the pilgrimage under the general category.Digpaul said on selection,
such a person with special needs can perform Haj if he or she can undertake the
journey on their own or else they may be accompanied by an able-bodied person
who will have to be a blood relation and will take responsibility of the
differently-abled individual during the pilgrimage.HT
Stubble burning in Punjab solely responsible
for rising Delhi pollution: Kejriwal
Chandigarh :Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said stubble burning in Punjab
was the sole reason behind the rising pollution levels in the national capital
as he slammed the Centre for failing to provide straw management machinery to
the farmers.PTI
WORLD
Khashoggi Strangled, Cut Into Pieces On
Entering Consulate: Prosecutor
Ankara: Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was
strangled as soon as he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and then
dismembered as part of a premeditated plan, Turkey's chief prosecutor said
Wednesday, making details of the murder public for the first time.The
revelations came just hours after Saudi Arabia's chief prosecutor left
Istanbul, and the Turkish prosecutor's office said it was "obliged"
to reveal the details after the talks produced "no concrete results".Gruesome
reports in the Turkish media had previously alleged that Khashoggi, a
59-year-old Washington Post contributor critical of the powerful Saudi crown
prince, had been killed and cut into pieces by a team sent from Riyadh to
silence him. His body has not been found.AFP
Prince Turki Al-Faisal :Saudi Demonisation
Amid US Outcry Over Khashoggi Murder
Washington: The outcry in US demonising Saudi
Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in kingdom's consulate
in Istanbul threatens US-Saudi strategic ties, the former Saudi intelligence
minister warned."We value our strategic relationship with the US and hope
to sustain it. We hope the US reciprocates in kind," royal family member
Prince Turki bin Faisal al Saud said in an address to the National Council on
US-Arab Relations, a non-profit advocacy organisation.Turki, to whom Khashoggi
once served as an adviser, has also served as an ambassador to London and
Washington. His speech denouncing what he called "demonisation of Saudi
Arabia" clearly carried Riyadh's imprimatur, as he heads an Islamic
research centre named after his father, the late King Faisal.Some U.S.
lawmakers have accused the crown prince of ordering Khashoggi's death - a
charge that Riyadh denies - and threatened sanctions. US commentators have
strongly condemned kingdom. "Tragic
and unjustified" slaying of Khashoggi "is the theme of today's
onslaught and demonisation of Saudi in the same fashion as the previous crises.
Intensity and gleefulness of it is equally unfair,"he said."Subjecting
our relationship to this issue is not healthy at all."Reuters
Saudi authorities did not respond to questions
over Khashoggi killing: Turkey’s justice minister
Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said
his country's questions on the killing of Khashoggi have not been answered by
Saudi Arabia.Gul demanded close cooperation from Saudi authorities to uncover
details of the famed critic's killing inside the kingdom's consulate in
Istanbul.He reiterated that responsibility for the criminal act is
"unavoidable" and cannot be "covered up" and said Khashoggi's
body hasn't been found yet. UK's foreign secretary was pressed by a select
committee on how to deal with Saudi over Khashoggi's killing.aljazeera
US senators call on Trump to suspend nuclear
agreement talks with Riyadh
5 Republican US senators have called Donald
Trump to suspend talks to reach a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with
Saudi Arabia over the recent killing of Jamal Khashoggi.In a letter sent to the
president on Wednesday, politicians said they have been concerned by Riyadh’s
ongoing refusal to adopt policies and technologies that limit the enrichment of
uranium and reprocess plutonium, among other nuclear fuel-making activities.Killing
of Khashoggi, a prominent Washington Post columnist, on 2 Oct. at the Saudi
consulate in Istanbul raises even more questions about the current thinking of
Saudi decision-makers, they said. “The ongoing revelations about the murder of Khashoggi,
as well as certain Saudi actions related to Yemen and Lebanon, have raised
further serious concerns about the transparency, accountability and judgment of
current decision-makers in Saudi,”letter reads. middleeasteye
We are not in contact with Saudi leadership
says Iranian FM, adds Iran will be ready for talks
Tehran :The Saudi leadership has not made any
recent contacts with Iran, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad
Zarif.Zarif made the assertion at a late Wednesday press conference in
Pakistani capital Islamabad, where he is currently on an official visit.In
response to reporters’questions regarding recent reports that Saudi Foreign
Minister Adel al-Jubeir had been in contact with Iranian officials, Zarif said:
“According to my information, there has been no such contact; the Saudi Govt has not made any contact.”Riyadh, he went on
to say, “needs to reconsider its regional policies -- then Iran will be ready
[for talks]”.He added: “We want good relations with our neighbors... Our
neighbors have not benefited by creating tension with Iran.”
Lankan President lifts suspension of
parliament
Colombo :Sri Lankan President Maithripala
Sirisena Thursday lifted the suspension of parliament and convened a meeting of
the legislature on Monday, Nov. 5, amid the current political deadlock in the
country over the sudden sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe as PM , officials said.
The move comes in the wake of mounting international pressure on the island
nation to resolve the political crisis at the earliest.In a dramatic turn of
events, President Sirisena had on Friday, Oct.26, replaced Wickremesinghe with ex
president Mahinda Rajapaksa and also dropped his entire cabinet.Experts had
termed the suspension of parliament, which was earlier until Nov.16, as a means
to buy time to engineer crossovers from Wickremesinghe’s side to Rajapaksa in
225-member parliament to reach 113-majority mark.Sirisena and parliament
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya discussed the issue Wednesday. Sirisena later indicated
that he may convene parliamentary session next week.indianexpress
Delhi’s air quality on brink of turning severe,
emergency steps kick in
Delhi’s air quality today is on the brink of
turning severe, authorities said. The overall air quality index of Delhi was
recorded at 392, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category and is just eight
points from turning severe. Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan also held a
meeting with his Delhi counterpart to discuss the measures that are being put
in.On Tuesday, Delhi’s air quality slipped to severe category, prompting
authorities to issue a slew of directions, including ban on construction
activities along with halting operations of industries using coal and biomass
as fuel between Nov. 1 and 10. indianexpress
Pollution Emergency for 10 Days as Delhi Mulls
Odd-Even, Criminal Proceedings Against Violators
US-backed Afghan Govt continues to lose ground to Taliban: US
watchdog
US-backed Afghan Govt has lost control of a number of districts to
the Taliban, while casualties among security forces have reached record levels,
a US watchdog agency has said.The latest quarterly report from the Special
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) underlines the heavy
pressure on the Govt in Kabul even as
the US has opened initial contacts with the Taliban on possible peace
talks."The control of Afghanistan's districts, population, and territory
overall became more contested this quarter," the agency said in its
report. The Taliban have still not succeeded in taking a major provincial
centre despite assaults on Farah in western Afghanistan and Ghazni in the
centre this year but they control large stretches of the countryside. Data from
Afghanistan's NATO-led Resolute Support mission showed that Govt forces had "failed to gain greater
control or influence over districts, population, and territory this
quarter", the agency said.As of September, it said the Govt controlled or influenced territory with about
65 % of the population, stable since Oct. 2017, after a year of heavy fighting
in Farah and Ghazni as well as other provinces like Faryab and Baghlan in the
north.However, it reported that only 55.5 % of the total 407 districts were
under Govt control or influence - the
lowest level since SIGAR began tracking district control in 2015.aljazeera
Maldives ex-Prez Nasheed ends exile, arrives
in Male
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed
returned home from exile on Thursday, 2 days after the country's Supreme Court
withdrew a warrant for his arrest. Nasheed, who had been jailed for 13 years on
a controversial terror-related charge, was welcomed at Male airport by
president-elect, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and hundreds of supporters.It was not
immediately clear what role he will have in the new Govt to be constituted by Solih this month.The SC
had ruled that Nasheed could not be arrested until his appeal against the jail
sentence for a terror-related charge is heard.aljazeera
Nearly 60,000 migrants have died or gone
missing since 2014: AP
At least 56,800 refugees and migrants have
died or gone missing since 2014, almost double the number recorded by the UN's
International Organization for Migration (IOM), an investigation by the
Associated Press news agency has said.aljazeera
Egyptian security forces arrest seven female
rights activists and lawyers
Egyptian security forces arrested at least
seven human rights lawyers and activists in early morning raids on Thursday,
family members said.Those arrested included Huda Abdelmonem, a prominent human
rights lawyer, who was detained by police after they raided her flat in Cairo,
her family said.Six others in the Egyptian capital were arrested in the raids,
according to two rights activists who spoke to Middle East Eye.Abdullah El
Shamy, an Al Jazeera journalist and Abdelmonem's son-in-law, posted pictures of
her ransacked flat on Twitter.Gehad Khaled, Abdelmonem’s daughter, told MEE
that police spent two hours searching the lawyer's flat in Nasr City in Cairo's
east.middleeasteye
Israel and Qatar reach deal to pay Gaza
salaries: Report
Israel and Qatar have reportedly agreed to a
deal to allow funds to be sent to the blockaded Gaza Strip to allow the Hamas Govt
to pay the enclave's civil servants. Palestine paper quoted a source close to
Gaza's Hamas-run finance ministry saying a 400 shekel ($107) advance would be
paid to staff in Gaza from a Qatari grant.The source said the payments should
begin in coming weeks, having been delayed as Qatar negotiated the transfer
with Israel. A diplomatic source told Israeli daily Haaretz that they were
exploring the idea of using a Qatari transfer of funds to ease humanitarian
conditions in Gaza, fearing poor living conditions could lead to a backlash
against Israel. Hamas has struggled to pay its own employees in Gaza while the
enclave's residents survive on around 4 hours of electricity a day because of
power shortages. Throughout Oct. emergency supplies of fuel, paid for by Qatar,
have been delivered to Gaza to ensure increased electricity. middleeasteye
Yemen's Houthis 'disappointed' by Netanyahu's
visit to Oman
TAIZ: Oman has walked a tightrope since a
Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen to root out the country’s Houthi rebel
group in 2015.On one hand, it considers itself a friend to Riyadh. On the
other, it has played host to much of the Houthi leadership currently battling
the coalition.The Saudis accuse Oman of allowing the Houthis to smuggle Iranian
weapons through the country, and whether or not that's true, Yemeni rebels
certainly consider Muscat a close ally.That's why last week's visit by Israeli PM
Benjamin Netanyahu to Muscat, where he
met with Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said, has left the Houthis in a difficult
position.And while the Houthi leadership has kept silent on the surprise trip -
the first time an Israeli leader has gone to Oman since 1996 - other members of
the group have described the meeting as “disappointing”.Mohammed Ali al-Houthi,
the head of the Houthis’ revolutionary committees, condemned Netanyahu’s visit
on Twitter, saying it aims "to isolate Oman from any further positive role
in the future with its allies and friends (Houthis)".middleeasteye
Yemen's Govt says it's ready to restart peace talks with
Houthis
Yemen's Govt said on Thursday that it is ready to restart
peace talks with Houthi rebels, as international pressure to end the years-long
conflict intensifies.United Nations said a day earlier that it aimed to
relaunch the talks within a month, after a previous attempt collapsed in
September when the rebels refused to attend."Republic of Yemen welcomes
all efforts to restore peace," a Govt statement carried by the state-run Saba news
agency said."The Govt of Yemen is
ready to immediately launch talks on the process of confidence-building,
primarily the release of all detainees and prisoners, as well as those who have
been abducted or subject to enforced disappearance."middleeasteye
FLASH VIEWS &
NEWS
As aftermath of Sabarimala judgment shows,
India is not ready for a constitutional theocracy:Faizan Mustafa
Plea In Delhi HC To End Discriminatory
Practices In All Religions :AKANKSHA JAIN
Why is everyone so worked up over the phrase
‘Sarkari Mussalman’?SAIRA SHAH HALIM
Slugfest in the CBI: Oh! my God, another
Modi? Uttam Sengupta
Has the End of Indian Democratic Secular
Polity Begun?PROF SHAMSUL ISLAM
Watch | 'While Gujarat Was Burning, Army Kept
Waiting For Vehicles':The Wire
Activists' Arrests: The Exceptional Has Been
Made the New Normal:Rajshree Chandra
'Who Gave the Hashimpura Orders?' Asks Former
SP V.N. Rai, 'These are Small Fish':Seema Mustafa
Military veterans write to Sitharaman to
appoint CDS at par with NSA to ensure external security
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:48 PM)
Posts
Thanks for sharing, nice post! Post really provice useful information!
ReplyDeleteGiaonhan247 chuyên dịch vụ mua hàng trên amazon ship về việt nam hay dịch vụ đồng hồ amazon hay nhận order mua hàng trên ebay việt nam chính hãng cùng bảng giá gửi hàng đi mỹ giá rẻ, dịch vụ uy tín hay mua hàng pandora úc giá rẻ.