NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
12 Nov. 2018: 3 Rabiul-I 1440:
Vol: 11, No:52
INDIA
Delay by CVC to submit inquiry report in Alok
Verma case compels SC to adjourn crucial hearing
New Delhi:A 24-hour delay by the Central
Vigilance Commission (CVC) to file its report on the inquiry against ex CBI
Director Alok Kumar Verma forced the Supreme Court to adjourn the crucial
hearing on Monday to Nov. 16.The report was submitted before a Bench of Chief
Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul in the courtroom
in a sealed cover. Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, for the CVC, submitted that
the inquiry into allegations against Verma was over on Nov.10.That was when CJI
ogoi made the court’s displeasure evident about the delay in filing the
report.“You did not file the report... the SC registry for specifically opened
till 11.30 am on Sunday,” CJI said. Mehta said there was delay in reaching the
Supreme Court, and by the time the registry was closed.“There was no
information from you... You could have filed the report even at 1 pm provided
had you informed the registry,” CJI retorted.“They (CVC) could open their
offices at 2 am on Oct.23 to pass orders against Alok Verma, but they could not
file their inquiry report in the SC on time,”senior advocate Dushyant Dave, for
petitioner NGO Common Cause, remarked. Mehta apologised, following which the
court allowed CVC report to be placed on its record.The Bench was supposed to
peruse the CVC report on Monday and may have even passed orders on the legality
of the “overnight” removal of Verma from the top post of the country’s premier
investigating agency on Oct.23.The removal came in the background of a bitter
feud between Verma and CBI Special Director R.K. Asthana. Verma had okayed a
corruption FIR against Asthana. The court
also took on record a separate report filed by acting CBI Director M. Nageshwar
Rao detailing the decisions he took after assuming office on Verma’s removal. The court also agreed to
hear A.K. Bassi, the former probe officer in FIR against Asthana.thehindu
CVC files
probe report in sealed cover in SC
Asthana met middleman days after alleged bribe:CBI
New Delhi: Rakesh Asthana, the CBI special
director accused of receiving a bribe to dilute a case, told the CVC that he
was in London on Dec.13, 2017 –date the bribe was allegedly paid – and that he
never met Somesh Prasad, the middleman alleged to have paid his
representative.But call records, phone tower locations and video recordings
indicate that Asthana was back in Delhi from Dec. 15 and did meet the accused
and now fugitive Somesh Prasad there. Also, the complaint against Asthana
doesn’t allege that he physically received the bribe on Dec.13, but that it was
given to his representative. The video recordings also show Asthana with the
CBI team that was probing him, before it was unceremoniously dispersed this
year.Asthana’s phone tower location on December 15 is that of New Delhi’s
international airport, which indicates that he returned from London on that
day. His tower location on December 16 places him at Pandara Road, in central
New Delhi, where Asthana lives in a Govt colony. The tower location of Somesh
Prasad on December 16, at the same time, is also Pandara Road.Somesh Prasad is
also believed to have met with Samant Goel – a top RA&W officer and 1984
Punjab cadre IPS officer – who has also been accused by the CBI, along with
Asthana, of trying to dilute Moin Qureshi case.CBI investigations have revealed
that during the same period – Dec.15 and 16 – Somesh Prasad was present at the
CGO complex, the location of Goel’s office.thewire
Rafale deal: Centre complies with SC order;
hands over document on decision process to petitioners
Centre on Monday complied with a Supreme Court
order and handed over to petitioners, who sought a court-monitored CBI probe
into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, the document
detailing the decisions taken to procure the aircraft.The document titled
"Details of the steps in the decision making process leading to the award
of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft order" stated that the process as laid down
in the Defence Procurement Procedure-2013 has been followed in procurement of
the Rafale aircraft.It said procurement process laid down in Defence
Procurement Procedure (DPP) has been completely followed for the procurement of
aircraft and Approval of Defence Acquisition Council for aircraft taken for the
same.The documents said Indian Negotiating Team was constituted which conducted
negotiations with the French side for about an year and approval of the Cabinet
Committee on Security, being Competent Financial Authority, was taken before
signing the Inter Gov.Agreement.The document was handed over to the petitioners
as per the SC's Oct.31 order.The top court had said details, including the
steps in the decision making process for the procurement of jets, which could
"legitimately" be brought into public domain, be made available to
the parties who have filed petitions before it in the matter.It had also asked
the Centre to place before it in a sealed cover within 10 days the pricing
details of 36 Rafale fighter jets India is buying from France.The SC, which had
posted the matter for hearing on Nov. 14, had categorically told Centre that if
the pricing detail was "exclusive" and could not be shared with the
court then Centre should file an affidavit in this regard and say so.The
petitions seeking the probe in Rafale deal were first filed by advocates
Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda. Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed
the petition.Then ex Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist
lawyer Prashant Bhushan also filed a joint petition.nationalherald
Rafale: Govt submits document on decision
process to petitioners, claims deal was negotiated for a year
Former civil servants urge CAG to submit audit
reports on Rafale deal, demonetisation to President
A group of former civil servants Monday wrote
a letter to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India demanding the
submission of audit reports on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal signed between
India and France in 2015 and the note ban implemented by the central Govt in
Nov.2016. They have urged the CAG to submit the reports to the President of
India. A statement was released to the media by a former civil servant, Ramani
Venkatesan, on behalf of the group stating the same. He further said a letter
of the copy has been sent to President Ram Nath Kovind.indianexpress
Former Civil Servants Urge CAG to Submit Audit
Reports on Rafale Deal and Demonetisation
SC refuses urgent hearing of Babri Masjid
title case
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday rejected
a plea for an urgent hearing in Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case.
The plea was filed after the apex court last month deferred the hearing on the
matter till Jan.A 3-judge bench, headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, had on Oct.29 said
the appropriate bench will decide the future course of hearing in Jan.next year
on the appeals filed against the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Ayodhya
land dispute case.The SC, while observing “we have our own priorities”, ordered
listing of appeals before an “appropriate bench” in first week of Jan.2019 to
fix a date for the hearing.“We will fix the date of hearing of Ayodhya dispute
case before the appropriate bench in Jan,” the bench, which also comprised Justices
SK Kaul and KM Joseph, had said.indianexpress
SC pulls up Bihar govt for not arresting Manju
Verma, summons DGP to personally appear before it
The Supreme Court on Monday lashed out at the
Bihar Govt for not arresting former minister Manju Verma in Muzaffarpur shelter
home rape case. The top court summoned the state’s Director General of Police
to personally before it on 27 Nov.if Verma wasn’t arrested immediately under
the Arms Act. The court also asked the Bihar Chief Secretary to appear in the
next hearing to personally explain the mismanagement in the case.Angry Supreme
Court observed, “Fantastic..an ex-cabinet minister goes in hiding and the
police can’t trace her.” justice Madan B Lokur was reacting to a case related
to the discovery of ammunition from her house during a CBI raid.He said, “How
could it happen that cabinet minister is absconding and nobody knows where she
is? You realise the seriousness of the issue that cabinet minister is not
traceable. It’s too much.” While hearing the matter last month, the apex court
had said that just because Verma happened to be a cabinet minister ‘doesn’t
make her above the law.’ “The whole thing is highly suspicious. Why has she not
been arrested? It’s too much. Nobody is bothered about the law,” a bench of Justice
MB Lokur, SA Nazeer and Deepak Gupta was quoted by ANI.jantakareporter
SC refuses to hear plea seeking gender
neutrality in rape laws
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a
petition which sought to strike down Section 375 of the IPC on the ground that
it is not gender neutrality. Stating that it is not the appropriate forum to
deal with the case, the top court suggested that the Parliament can amend the
law if required.“We are not inclined to interfere at this stage. The Parliament
has to take a call in the issue,” CJI Ranjan Gogoi said while hearing the
petition filed by the Criminal Justice Society of India.indianexpress
Manipur fake encounter case: SC rejects Army
officers’ plea to recuse bench from hearing
New Delhi :The Supreme Court on Monday
dismissed a plea by 300 serving Army officers, seeking recusal of judges of
bench hearing the case on the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur. A SIT
of the CBI is conducting the probe into the case.“There is no reason for
Manipur cops to doubt SIT conducting the probe in fake encounter cases,” the
bench said, adding, “Institutional integrity of judiciary and CBI must be
maintained.”The plea by the officers was supported by the Centre.The apex
court, in July last year, had directed a thorough probe into the alleged fake
encounter killings in Manipur saying the use of “excessive or retaliatory
force” by the armed forces or police was not permissible in ‘disturbed areas’
under the controversial AFSPA.indianexpress
Build Ram Temple In Ayodhya, Let Muslims Live
In Peace: Minorities Panel Chief
New Delhi: National Commission for Minorities
chief Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi Sunday said Ram temple must be built in Ayodhya so
that Muslims can live peacefully and respectfully. Rizvi also stressed that the
dispute should be resolved soon to help strengthen ties between
communities.Some Muslim organisations had sought the panel's intervention in
the Ayodhya title suit case, Rizvi said.The commission in its November 14
meeting will decide whether to approach the Supreme Court for an early hearing
on the matter or not, he added."National Minority Welfare Organisation and
some other outfits have sent us reports that the Muslim community in the
country is living in fear," Rizvi told PTI."They have urged the
commission to take an initiative to improve the current atmosphere," he
added."During the November 14 meeting, we will hold discussions on the
matter. But, as it is sub-judice, we can only urge the apex court for an early
hearing," he said.PTI
Inside Ayodhya workshop: 50% carving work for
Ram temple ‘completed’ amid dwindling funds
Ayodhya:The pace of work at a Ram Janmabhomi
Nyas-run workshop in Ayodhya’s Karsevakpuram has turned sluggish due to lack of
funds and dwindling number of artisans and craftsmen, according to the
in-charge of the workshop that has been running since 1990 to build a ‘temple’.At
the Karsevakpuram’s sprawling Karyashala, which also houses a wooden model of a
‘proposed Ram Temple’ in a glass encasement, many devotees stream in from
various parts of India, some out of curiosity, other led by local tour guides.Annu
Bhai Sompura, in-charge of the workshop, points out to rows and rows of huge,
ornately carved stones stacked up on the ground in the open in its premises,
which he said are “ready-to-move blocks that can be easily assembled”.“50 per
cent of carving work of stones has been completed, which means the first floor
is ready. We are hopeful of getting a favourable judgement from the Supreme
Court in the Ayodhya title suit, and once we get the green signal, the work on
laying foundation would begin,” he told PTI.PTI
Yogi Govt likely to ban meat, liquor in Ayodhya district, other holy
places
Lucknow:Yogi Adityanath Govt is most likely to
prohibit the sale of meat and liquor within the geographical boundaries of the
new district of Ayodhya that was known as Faizabad till recently. Similar bans
may be imposed in the area around Lord Krishna’s birthplace in Mathura and
other holy places in the state.State Govt spokesman and energy minister
Shrikant Sharma gave ample indications about this here on Sunday.“The Govt is
seriously considering putting a total ban on the sale of meat and liquor in the
entire Ayodhya district within a legal framework,” he told HT over phone.At
present, a ban on the meat and liquor is confined to just Ayodhya town in the
new district.He said saints from various parts of the state had been demanding
a total ban on meat and liquor near various holy places in the state. “For
example, the sadhus and sants of Mathura have also demanded prohibiting the
sale of meat and liquor in the Sri Krishna Janmasthali area,” he said.The ban
in Mathura districts is in force at pilgrimage spots like Vrindavan, Govardhan,
Barsana falling on the Saptkosi Parikrima route.He also indicated the Govt might
declare certain sacred places as ‘pilgrimages to pave the way for the ban on
meat and liquor around the intended places. However, the ban on liquor, many
people believe, may render hundreds of people jobless. According sources many
people engaged in the liquor and meat business in Ayodhya district have already
started opposing, tacitly or otherwise, the seers’ demand for the ban.HT
Change BJP chief name first since Shah is
persina word and not Sanskrit: Historian Irfan Habib
In an unprecedented dig at the BJP’s obsession
to change names of places because they sounded Muslim, historian Irfan Habib on
Sunday advised the saffron party to first consider changing the name of its
president, Amit Shah. Habib told ANI that Shah was a ‘Farsi’ word and the
change must begin from changing his name first.“Shah is a Farsi word, not
Sanskrit. If they have to change names, they should change their own names
first, and then change the names of cities,” Irfan Habib was quoted as saying. Historian
also added that names like Munsi and Majumdar also had Islamic origins. BJP has
faced widespread condemnation for its craze to change Muslim sounding names of
places. The Uttar Pradesh Govt led by BJP has already renamed Mughal Sarai
railway station to Pandit Deen Dyal Upaddhyay, Allahabad to Prayagraj, Faizabad
to Ayodhya. One of the BJP’s MLAs has now suggested renaming of Muzaffarnagar
to Laxminagar. This suggestion came from riot-accused BJP MLA Sangeet
Som.Incidentally, it was Amit Shah, who had proposed changing the name of
Mughalsarai railway station.jantakareporter
Play more active role in next Taliban meet:
Russia to India
New Delhi: Russia and the Taliban seemed to have
scored some PR 'victories' with Friday's meeting in Moscow on the future of
Afghanistan, which brought the Taliban to another international negotiating
table. For India, the event served to bring out from the closet a significant
shift in its policy vis-a-vis the Taliban as it for the first time agreed to
share a room with them, something that was anathema until recently.New Delhi
though made it clear its participation was 'non-official' + as it sent former
diplomats to the meeting. After the meeting, Russian foreign minister Sergei
Lavrov said, "Afghanistan's problems can only be settled politically,
through the attainment of national accord and with the involvement of all
parties to the conflict. We hope that responsible politicians will not be guided
by personal or group considerations but by the interests of the people of
Afghanistan."The last remark is being seen by Indian observers as
indicating that Russia would try to resist Pakistan's machinations.TOI
US sanction cloud hangs over India, Russia
arms deal
Although New Delhi has been granted exemption
from US sanctions for purchase of Iranian crude, there is no word from the
Trump administration for a similar waiver of Countering America’s Adversaries
Through Sanction Act (CAATSA) for purchase of 5 units of Russian S-400 missile
system worth $5.4 billion by India. Both India and Russia concluded the
contract for supply of long- range surface to air missile system during Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India last month.According to South Block
officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, while India has made out a case
for a waiver on grounds that the negotiations of the deal pre-dates CAATSA,
fact is, any exemption granted by US will only be known when the Defence
ministry makes the initial payment for the missile system.“With Russia already
under US sanctions, it is for both Moscow and New Delhi to decided one mode of
payment. Whether CAATSA has been waived or not will only be known once the
Defence Ministry negotiates the mode of payment with its Russian counterpart,”
said a senior Govt official. However,Indian officials are positive that the
Presidential waiver under CAATSA will be granted for not only the S-400 missile
system but also the manufacturing of AK-47 rifles by a joint venture of the
Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) of India and Kalashnikov Concern of Russia under
the “Make in India’ rubric.HT
Impossible for any minority institution to
admit 50% of students belonging to minority community:HC
Following challenges made by several prominent
colleges, Madras High Court has stalled proceedings initiated by Tamil Nadu’s
State Minorities Commission to verify whether students’ admissions to these
institutions satisfy a 50% minority community quota.Justice SS Sundar granted the interim stay last week for a
period of three weeks in favour of Loyola College, Women’s Christian College,New
Law College, St Christopher’s College, and Nirmala College, following initial
submissions by senior advocate Isaac Mohanlal on behalf of colleges.Last Sept.the
judge had issued an interim stay on the Govt Order mandating the 50% minority
quota, after a Christian society, the Institute of Franciscan Missionaries of
Mary, challenged the same. Govt Order in question makes it mandatory for
minority institutions to take in a minimum of 50%students every year from the
minority community they claim to represent, in order to retain their minority
status. Same has been challenged by the society as unreasonable and impossible
to implement, given the low population of students from minority communities in
the country.As such, it has been contended that GO would effectively clamp down
on the Constitutional protection given to minority institutions. Colleges were
prompted to approach the Court for relief after Minorities Commission commenced
proceedings against them, directing that they furnish details regarding the
students admitted to the college,These proceedings were challenged contending,
inter alia, that State Minorities Commission does not have the jurisdiction to
proceed against minority institutions in this manner. It has been argued that
the challenged proceedings amount to trespassing upon the fundamental right of
minority institutions to decide upon matters of student admission. barandbench
47% turnout till 3 pm in Chhattisgarh, 5
jawans injured in encounter with Maoists at Bijapur
Raipur:Chhattisgarh recorded 47.18% turnout
till 3 pm for 18 seats spread over eight districts on Monday, in the first
phase of the assembly election, as five jawans were injured in an encounter
with suspected Maoists in Bijapur’s Pamed area.The jawans belonged to the CoBRA.
Special Director General of Police DM awasthi said Maoist casualties were
likely but details are awaited.For 18 constituencies going polls today, voting
began for 10 at 7am across seven districts in Maoist-affected Bastar region and
Rajnandgaon district. HT
Ananth Kumar, Union minister, BJP leader, dies
New Delhi :Ananth Kumar, Union minister in the Modi cabinet and BJP’s
leader in Karnataka, passed away in Bengaluru in the early hours of Monday. He
was 59. Kumar had been battling lung cancer for several months. The senior BJP
leader had been on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit for the last few
days. National Flag will fly at half mast throughout the country today and
Kumar will be accorded a state funeral. A three-day state mourning has been
declared in Karnataka.Kumar breathed his last at around 2 am with his wife
Tejaswini and two daughters by his bedside, Sankara Hospital Director Nagaraj
told PTI. He returned to Bengaluru only recently after undergoing treatment in
the US and Britain. Kumar served as Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
since May 2014 and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs since July 2016. He
represented Bengaluru South seat in Lok Sabha.indianexpress
NDA crisis in Bihar: RLSP chief Kushwaha meets
Sharad Yadav
New Delhi:In a clear indication of his party
severing all ties with NDA, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha Monday met LJD party
founder Sharad Yadav in the national capital. Yadav had formed LJD after
quitting JDU following Nitish Kumar’s return to NDA in 2016.Kushwaha alleged
Chief minister Nitish Kumar has been trying to poach MLAs. “He has come down to
destroying Upendra Kushwaha and his Party but he cannot cause any damage to me.
He is a part of the NDA and so are we, he should not do such things,” ANI
quoted him as saying after the meeting.The fight between JD(U) and RLSP took a
turn for the worse on Sunday, with both RLSP MLAs reportedly offering to join
JD(U). RLSP MLAs Sudhanshu Shekhar and Lalan Paswan met top JD(U) leaders,
including its national vice-president Prashant Kishor, and were reportedly
offered a ministerial berth and the Sasaram parliamentary seat,
respectively.This made Kushwaha upset who accused JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar of
poaching his MLAs. Kushwaha said Nitish Kumar had “an expertise in breaking
away MLAs” and had come after his party after having earlier split the BSP, RJD
and LJP. “Nitish Kumar should know that just as taking and demanding dowry is a
crime, poaching MLAs is as much a crime… I am seeking time to meet Amit Shah
and will also speak to LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.”Since JD(U) and RLSP share a
similar social base, Kushwaha has been under pressure in NDA since Nitish
Kumar’s return to the alliance. BJP reportedly offered RLSP two Lok Sabha seats
for the 2019 election, but Kushwaha is not ready to settle for anything less
than four seats.With the BJP showing little sign of intervening in the
RLSP-JD(U) divide, the RLSP is expected to walk out of the NDA in December
first week.indianexpress
Chandrababu Naidu inducts 2 new faces
including one Muslim into his cabinet
Andhra Pradesh state cabinet was on Sunday
expanded with the addition of 2 new members.The new members filled vacancies
after two BJP members resigned in March following TDP's fall out with the NDA
and the party quitting PM Modi's cabinet in Delhi. Later the BJP too quit the
Chandrababu Naidu government.Kidari Sravan Kumar, son of slain MLA Kidari
Sarveswara Rao and senior legislator N Mohammed Farooq, chairman of the state legislative
council, were inducted into the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet at the Grievance Hall
in Undavalli.Governor ESL Narasimhan administered the oath of office to the two
new ministers.NM Farooq served as minister twice during NT Rama Rao and
Chandrababu's regimes in the past. indiatoday
Assam: Citizenship Bill has given ‘fresh lease
of life’ to ULFA(I):senior police officer
A senior Assam Police official on Sunday said
that the banned ULFA(I), has received a shot in the arm due to the growing
public sentiment against the Centre’s move to amend the Citizenship Act, PTI
reported.Eight youths have joined the group since Sept.1, and as many were
apprehended in the process of joining it, Director General (Special Branch)
Pallav Bhattacharjee said.The militant group is suspected to be responsible for
the November 1 killings of five Bengali-speaking Hindus in the state’s Tinsukia
district, although it has denied any involvement. One person was injured in the
attack.The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was introduced in the Lok Sabha
in July 2016 and aims to make crucial changes to the Citizenship Act of 1955.
If passed, it would make undocumented immigrants – Hindus, Christians,
Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis – from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh
eligible for citizenship. It would also ease the terms for naturalisation of
individuals from these groups.The state has witnessed violent shutdowns as
protest against the bill. According to the United Liberation Front of Asom
(Independent), the legislation “threatens the existence of indigenous people”
of the state.scroll.in
Sitamarhi murder: Victim identified, now name
him in FIR, demands RJD
With Sitamarhi police in Bihar failing to
register a separate FIR even three weeks after the murder of an 82-year-old man
in what is seen as a communal killing, RJD, the state’s principal opposition
party, on Saturday demanded a separate FIR to be filed after identifying the
victim.RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tewary said, “Things were hushed
up after Internet was suspended for four days (in the district), and Sitamarhi
police kept denying whatever visual images came out subsequently. But now that
the Govt has paid Rs 5 lakh compensation to the victim’s family, it means they
have officially identified the victim.” The police, he said, should “immediately
lodge a separate FIR, clearly naming Zainul Ansari”, victim.Ex-MP Ali Anwar of
Loktantrik Janata Dal, the new party he founded along with Sharad Yadav and
other ex JD(U) leaders questioned “secular credentials” of Bihar Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar and said the case serves a “chilling warning of simmering communal
troubles” in Bihar in the run-up to General Election next year.Anwar, who also
leads the All-India Pasmanda Muslim Mehaz, said they will meet victim Ansari’s
family.Ansari, who lived in Bhodaha, under Riga police station of Sitamarhi,
was found murdered in Sitamarhi town on October 20, a day after Dussehra. Most
parts charred, the body was found about an hour after a communal mob crossed
the route.indianexpress
Arun Shourie: Modi, Shah responsible for
atmosphere of intolerance
Former Union minister Arun Shourie has accused
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of creating an
atmosphere of "intolerance" in the country."Modi and Shah have
created an atmosphere of intolerance in the country. Media should think about
its implications and should openly speak about this," said Shourie at a
programme in Jaipur.He said when leaders create such an atmosphere, local goons
too follow them in acts like gagging media but the media should throw light on
them.PTI
Karnataka temple holds puja for Tipu every day
Mangaluru: While the govt's plan to celebrate
Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary has created a controversy in several parts of
Karnataka, the Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple on the foothills of Western Ghats
continues to perform a special puja in the name of the 'Tiger of Mysuru' every
day. It's believed that the temple has
salam mangalarathi , also known as pradosha pooje as it is performed at 7.30pm,
to commemorate Tipu Sultan's visit to the temple. However, temple authorities
say there is no documentary evidence for it. Salam mangalarathi is nothing but
a mangalarathi offered to the deity in the evenings, said TR Uma, executive
officer of Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple. She that salam mangalarathi is an oral
undocumented tradition followed at the temple. "The tradition is being
followed for several years. It is believed that the puja is performed to
commemorate Tipu Sultan's visit to the temple. It is a tradition of offering
respect to chief ministers, ministers or officials. When VIPs arrive, temple
staff accord a welcome and lead them to the shrine holding a torch. A
mangalarathi is offered to the deity in the presence of VIPs. At present, the
tradition is followed when the executive officer visits the temple in the
evenings," Uma said. Historian Uday Barkur said the tradition of honouring
kings or Govt representatives in temples is common."Tipu Sultan had
visited Shankaranarayana Temple, just 10 km from Kollur temple. Ruler, who offered a bell to Shankaranarayana
temple, might have visited this temple too. The ritual might have been followed
to commemorate his visit to the temple. I plan to study how the tradition
started," Barkur said.Tipu was not anti-Hindu: Poojary Former Union
minister B Janardhan Poojary said Tipu Sultan was not an anti-Hindu ruler.TOI
Father-son had promised halal investments to
attract Muslims
Bengaluru: The fraudulent Ambidant Marketing
and investment company run by father-son Syed Fareed and Syed Afaq Ahmed had
allegedly faked halal investment and misused ulemas to attract Muslim
investors.The company, which assured investors that it was dealing with halal
business (businesses in accordance with Sharia) allegedly invested in
cryptocurrencies and made a fortune, until it came under Enforcement
Directorate scanner, after Reserve Bank of India declared cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) illegal tender.In the
beginning the company used to pay huge returns (up to 50 percent) per lakh
every month to the investors. Later as more investors joined, it paid 25 per
cent, then 11 percent and the last payout was in January, which was 9
percent.The company since then has not paid to any investor but has provided
flats to those who had made heavy investment.According to a source, the
father-son systematically used ulemas (Muslim clerics) to attract Muslims to
invest in 'Halal business".When the Bitcoin business was booming, the
company allegedly invested huge sums in it. The going was good until the RBI
declared the crypto-currencies illegal and IT Department issued notices to
those involved in this currency exchange.It is learnt that Ambidant was one
among over 4,000 companies and individuals who had been served with a
notice.DECCAN CHRONICLE
Imam Barkati conducting illegal marriages: Wakf
Kolkata :Wakf Estate of Prince Golam Mohammed
that takes care of the Tipu Sultan mosque in Kolkata has decided to take legal
action against the former Imam of Tipu Sultan mosque at Esplanade, Syed
Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, for allegedly registering marriages of couples
in an illegally way.“The marriage register which he maintained at his office is
not legal because under normal circumstances, after the nuptials, that paper is
supposed to be taken to the court for registration. Following this, a separate
marriage certificate is issued. Barkati never followed this rule and even now,
after he has been expelled, he has opened an office in the Chandni Chowk area
and is engaging in same activities.Marriages conducted therefore are illegal,”
alleged Shahzada Anwar Ali, patron manager of the trustee board adding that the
board will take action after recommendations made by their legal team.“Not just
that, an Imam of a mosque is supposed to lead the namaaz. He is not entitled to
hold any other power and certainly can’t conduct marriages which is done by a
Kazi. This Imam was just trying to make as much money as he could,” Anwar Ali
added.When contacted, Imam Barkati said, “I have not been told about this issue
at all. Nobody has informed me.”indianexpress
Deoband’s nail-polish fatwa shows how fake
news is manufactured
“Darul-Uloom Deoband has issued a fatwa
against Muslim women using nail polish as it is un-Islamic and illegal.”This
tweet by ANI on morning of November 5 kept newsrooms and social media busy
throughout the day ridiculing this latest fatwa. What are these fatwas all
about? How do they come up every now and then providing a sensational story to
the media? Alt News decided to dig deeper and uncovered a shocking tale of how
news is manufactured. Let’s take you with us on a fatwa trail.Soon after the
tweet by ANI, social media users called out the bluff saying that the man in
the picture is neither a mufti (a religious scholar authorised to issue a fatwa
or opinion on topics related to Islam) nor connected in any way to Darul-Uloom
Deoband, the Islamic school in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharnpur district.Alt News decided
to investigate this and called Darul-Uloom Deoband. They refused to comment on
the news about the fatwa but confirmed to us that the person in ANI’s tweet was
not associated with them.Alt News then contacted Ishrar Gaura, the person ANI
had quoted as a mufti. It turned out that his name was Ishaq Gaura and he was
neither a mufti nor linked to Darul-Uloom. He told us that ANI had contacted
him to get his comments on a story by Eenadu/ETV Urdu on this fatwa. He also
claimed that he had been misquoted by ANI. Alt News then contacted an ANI
editor with this additional information and ANI quickly issued an update
stating that Qari Syed Ishaq Gaura who was speaking on the fatwa issued by
Darul-Uloom Deoband did not represent Darul-Uloom Deoband.Darul-Uloom has an
online service where anyone can ask a question and get fatwa or opinion from
the mufti about it. This particular fatwa could not be found online.Alt News
contacted ANI again, this time to ask for a copy of the fatwa after which ANI
uploaded it online to their website. The new tweet was worded differently from
the original one. The fatwa against “Muslim women wearing nail polish” had now
become a fatwa against “women and men of the community proffering namaz or
prayer, wearing nail polish”. In this specific case, the question posed was,
“Is it permissible to apply nail polish? Many women apply nail polish when they
go to parties and weddings. A lot of women apply nail polish and grow their
nails. Is it permissible for men and women to grow nails and apply nail
polish?” The name of the person requesting this opinion was Mohammed Tufail
from Muzaffarnagar.The response was: “Yes, they can apply nail polish provided
it doesn’t contain any impure material. Moreover, since the act of applying
nail polish creates a layer, till the time it is not cleaned, water doesn’t
reach the nail. Unless it is removed, neither wuzu (the ablution before namaz)
nor ghusl (the ritual washing of the body) can be completed. That is why it is
necessary to remove this layer prior to Wuzu or Ghusl. Men and women can grow
nails up to 40 days and after that you have to cut the nails..”The fatwa does
not describe nail polish as un-Islamic or illegal, as claimed in ANI’s
tweet.scroll.in
WORLD
Israel kills 7 Palestinians in covert Gaza
raid
Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinians in the
Gaza Strip in a clandestine raid targeting a Hamas commander and air attacks
that provided cover for the commandos to escape back into Israel by car.Israeli
incursion and air attacks drew rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled enclave
late on Sunday. A senior Hamas official said the Israeli special forces team
infiltrated an area near the southern city of Khan Younis in a civilian
vehicle.Among those reported killed in the attack was Nour Baraka, a prominent
commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. A ground
operation inside the Gaza Strip is rare and it is likely to raise tensions significantly."We
heard that a special Israeli unit went inside Khan Younis and assassinated Nour
Baraka and another [commander]," Ghazi Hamad, senior Hamas official, told
Al Jazeera.After [that], the car which carried this special unit or some collaborators,
they tried to escape … but they were followed by Hamas and the al-Qassam
Brigades and after that Israel tried to cover this car through striking here in
Gaza," he added.Witnesses said that, during the chase, Israeli aircraft
fired more than 40 missiles in the area where the incident took place, killing
at least four other people.Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesperson for Hamas, denounced
what he called a "cowardly Israeli attack". An Israeli soldier was
killed in an exchange of fire during the operation, the army said, which comes
as tensions rise with the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave.aljazeera
Palestinian resistance foils ‘important’
Israeli security operation in Gaza
Egypt upholds death penalty for 7 charged with
murder of police officer
Egypt’s highest appeals court, the Court of
Cassation, has upheld the death sentence of seven defendants who were found
guilty of murdering a police officer.Egyptian Court of Cassation yesterday
rejected the appeal filed by the defendants against the ruling issued by
Al-Ismailia Criminal Court to execute the men. They had been charged and tried
for killed Police Captain Ahmed Abu Douma in 2013.The court convicted the defendants
of quarrelling and assaulting the officer by firing two bullets, one in his
chest and the other on his right leg which led to his death.officer was
murdered while he accompanied his force to investigate and arrest 2 persons who
they believed were in possession of narcotics.MEMO
New Saudi opposition bloc calls for the
accession of Prince Ahmed to throne
A Saudi opposition group called “Allied for
Good Governance” on Sunday called on Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud to
take power in Saudi Arabia for a transitional period of one year, until the
people of Saudi Arabia decide their fate” the bloc said in its first statement
received exclusively by al- Khaleej Online news site.“The past 4 years have
proven that King [Salman] and the Crown Prince [Mohammed] are not fit to rule
and that their way of governance threatens the kingdom, its sanctities, its
people and its resources,” the statement said.The bloc members stressed that
their support for Prince Ahmed “is based on his keenness to save the state and
his reluctance to rule, and that was not a party to the violations that
occurred in previous eras”.The statement called for the release of all
detainees in Saudi prisons, who have been detained since Mohammed bin Salman
came into power and to compensate them.The signatories to the statement said it
was issued after consultations and coordination with a wide range of Saudi
people including the armed forces and security, adding that “the wrong and
irresponsible policies adopted … since the arrival of Mohammed bin Salman have
put the country in a historic impasse”.“The tragic assassination of martyrs:
(journalist) Jamal Khashoggi, Turki al-Jasser and Suleiman al-Dweish and the
expansion of the circle of violations have led Saudi Arabia to trouble” it
added.middleeastmonitor
Saudis discussed killing enemies a year before
Khashoggi: NYT
Senior Saudi officials, including General
Ahmed al-Assiri, who was fired last month for allegedly ordering the murder of
Jamal Khashoggi, inquired about assassinating prominent Iranian officials and
sabotaging Iran's economy, the New York Times has reported.The paper said on
Sunday that during a meeting with private businessmen in 2017, senior aides
close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, inquired about
killing Qassim Suleimani, the leader of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary
Guards Corps.The paper said that al-Assiri attended a meeting in March 2017 in
Riyadh where businessmen pitched a $2bn plan to use private intelligence
operatives to try to sabotage the Iranian economy.George Nader, a convicted
paedophile and former political adviser to the UAE's Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Zayed, arranged the meeting, it said.Nader also met with MBS, and pitched the
Iran plan to officials in White House.aljazeera
EU countries approve arms sales to Saudi, UAE
worth 55 times aid to Yemen
European governments and the European Union
publicly wring their hands about the "human tragedy" and need for
"life-saving assistance" in war-torn Yemen.Yet while the Saudi-led
coalition has bombed the region’s poorest country over the past three years,
the EU and European countries approved the sale of more than $86.7bn in arms to
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to figures compiled by
Middle East Eye.The value of the licences which the countries issued in 2015
and 2016 - the only years for which data is available - amount to more than 55
times what EU and European countries have donated to UN’s chronically
underfunded Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan. Meanwhile, independent
researchers estimate that more than 56,000 Yemenis have been killed with the UN
warning “a clear and present danger” of an imminent famine engulfing 14 million
Yemenis – or half of the population. Many govts have promised during the course
of the war to stop or restrict sales of the weapons that are being used to maim
Yemenis, and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi last month brought a new wave of
public pressure to halt deals with Saudi kingdom.middleeasteye
Hodeidah: 110 Houthis, 7 civilians killed in
24 hours
At least 149 Yemenis, including seven
civilians, have been killed in the past 24 hours as forces loyal to exiled
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi close in on areas held by Houthi rebels in the
strategic port city of Hodeidah.Medics in hospitals across the city - which is
the main gateway for imports and relief supplies into Yemen - said on Monday
that 110 Houthi fighters and 32 pro-Govt soldiers had been killed in overnight
fighting. Sources at Al-Alfi military hospital, seized by the Houthis during
their 2014 takeover of the city, said charred body parts had been delivered
there overnight.Meanwhile, a military official in Hodeidah told AFP that 7
civilians had died in clashes without giving further details.Al Jazeera's
Mohammed Adow, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti, said fighting was raging
in eastern and southern areas of Hodeidah city. "Some of the fighting is
on the streets of residential areas, something that is causing concern about
the safety and welfare of the people still holed up in the city," Adow
said.aljazeera
Pak sends notices to 294 named in Panama case
Pakistan Govt led by Prime Minister Imran Khan
has served notices to at least 294 Pakistanis out the 444 who have been named
in the Panama Papers leak, said Federal Minister for Finance Asad Umar.Asad
Umar also said that action is being taken against all the Pakistani nationals
that have been listed in the Panama papers.It was also revealed that at least
150 people were untraceable while at least four had already given up their
Pakistani nationalities.The finance minister said that the investigation in at
least 15 cases, worth about Rs 10.9 billion (Pakistani rupees), is in the final
stages. So far, Rs 6.2 billion has already been recovered by the authorities. FBR
has acquired financial records of at least 96,000 Pakistanis abroad, which
includes those mentioned in the Panama leaks, Minister of State for Revenue
Hammad Azhar said.Panama papers are leaked documents of about 1.15 crore files
containing details of about 2.15 lakh bank accounts. Documents were leaked from
Mossack Fonseca, which is headquartered at Panama.More than 100 media houses
from across the globe sifted through the leaked data and dug out names of
people who invested their money in tax havens.The list included 12 world
leaders - serving and ex-head of states. Prominent names are Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, China's
President Xi Jinping, and ex Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto among others.indiatoday
Reports of Asiya Bibi leaving Pakistan 'false,
baseless'
Islamabad:Pakistan's Foreign Office has
refuted social media reports of Asiya Bibi, the Christian woman, who was
acquitted by the Supreme Court for blasphemy charges last month, of leaving the
country.Terming the reports as "false and baseless", a spokesperson
for the Foreign Office said, "Asiya Bibi has not left Pakistan and she is
in the country," Geo News reported.Last week, the Foreign Office had
dismissed reports of Asiya and her family leaving Pakistan.ANI
FLASH: VIEWS &
NEWS
For over 30 yrs, people of Hashimpura have
been reliving the killings:Asad Rehman
Are Hindus really the victims in India? Of
what, asks Barkha Dutt
A BJP Leader On What The Party Is Doing Wrong
In West Bengal: Bengalis Don't Care About “Mandir-Masjid” Culture:Piyasree
Dasgupta
Exclusive: Under Modi’s Crop Insurance Scheme,
Premiums up 350% But Farmers' Coverage Stagnant:Kabir Agarwal and Dheeraj
Mishra
Congress promises to ban RSS shakhas in Madhya
Pradesh Govt premises, stirs row
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