NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
17 Nov. 2018:07 Rabiul-I 1440:
Vol: 11, No:56
INDIA
CBI war spills to state vs Centre: AP, Bengal
bar agency; Jaitley says states don’t have sovereignty in matters of corruption
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today
hit back at the Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments for their move to
bar CBI saying, “there’s no sovereignty of any state in the matter of
corruption. Only those that have a lot to hide take the step of not letting the
CBI come to the state.’’Reacting to the controversy, the finance minister, who
was in Bhopal to release the BJP’s manifesto for the assembly elections,
alleged that the move in the case of AP was motivated by the fear of what is
likely to happen than by any particular case. Alleging that the top leadership
of Trinamool Congress was involved, he said the Sharda and Narada scams can’t
be wiped out by merely saying we will keep away CBI.Escalating the political
fight between non-BJP ruled states and the Centre in the run-up to 2019
elections, TDP-ruled AP has withdrawn the general consent given to the CBI to
investigate any case in the state. This comes days after CM N Chandrababu Naidu
accused the BJP and the Centre of using central agencies to destabilise his govt.
Officials said CBI will no longer be able to carry out searches, raids or
investigation in Andhra Pradesh without the state government’s consent. Late
Friday, West Bengal was planning similar action with CM Mamata Banerjee backing
the Andhra Pradesh move.“Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has done the right
thing in saying he won’t allow CBI in his state. We will also do the same in
our state. We will cross-check the laws. They (BJP) are giving instructions to
agencies from their party offices. From CBI to RBI, they have turned
institutions into disasters,” Banerjee told TMC workers.AAP leader and Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in a tweet, said: “Chandrababuji has done the
right thing. Modi is misusing the CBI and Income Tax department…”There was no
immediate comment from the CBI but a former officer of the agency, who handed
policy matters, said “withdrawal of consent simply means that CBI officers will
lose all powers of a police officer as soon as they enter the state unless the
state govt has allowed them”.Andhra govt order comes at a time when Chandrababu
Naidu is trying to rally non-BJP parties for an alliance in the run-up to 2019
state and Lok Sabha elections. Naidu has accused BJP of conspiring with AP
Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to topple his govt by using CBI and
Income Tax department. I-T department had recently searched premises allegedly
linked to TDP MP CM Ramesh. Presently, no major CBI case is being investigated
in AP.The cases of meat exporter Moin Qureshi and businessman Sana Sathish Babu
are registered in New Delhi. There is ambiguity, however, on whether the agency
can carry out a search in the state in connection with an old case without the
consent of the state govt.This is not the first time that a state govt has
revoked “general consent” for CBI probes.Indian express
Day after Andhra, Bengal bar CBI, Jaitley says
states don’t have sovereignty in matters of corruption
CBI director Verma's responses to CVC put Modi
Govt in the dock: The Wire
New Delhi: CBI director Alok Verma, who was
recently asked to step down to face an inquiry over charges of procedural
irregularities, has accused the central vigilance commissioner K.V. Chowdary of
bias and violating a Supreme Court order. Not only that, Verma has also put the
blame squarely on the Modi govt for the crisis India’s top investigation agency
is currently facing. Verma had recently filed a case against Rakesh Asthana,
his deputy in the CBI, for allegedly accepting bribes from a Hyderabad-based
businessman. Asthana, in turn, had charged Verma with similar acts of
corruption. The Supreme Court then ordered an inquiry by Central Vigilance
Commission (CVC) to determine the truth of the matter.CVC subsequently sent an
elaborate questionnaire to Verma.Verma’s official response – copies of which
have been seen by The Wire – is scathing in its remarks against the CBI’s
special director Asthana and the way CVC is conducting its probe. The
commission is focussing on Asthana’s “baseless” charges against him, Verma says
while contending that his deputy complained only after CBI booked him in a
corruption case.CBI director alleges that despite the SC specifically directing
CVC to probe into the allegations made against him in the note/letter of the
cabinet secretary dated August 24, “not one question raised is from the
allegations mentioned” in the letter. Instead, he says, “majority of queries
raised are for actions taken after Aug.24, 2018 and seem to be from an Oct. 18,
2018 letter by Rakesh Asthana to the CVC.”He adds that the October letter was
“written after CBI had registered a case of extortion involving Rakesh
Asthana”, had already arrested the main conduit, Manoj Prasad and had recorded
the statement of Satish Sana, the businessman who allegedly paid around Rs 3
crore to Asthana. He also said that the CBI has incriminating evidence against
Asthana in the form of WhatsApp messages, call intercepts and call detail
records. Verma goes on to question CVC’s integrity as an independent
investigator and hints at the support Asthana and Chowdary may have received
from a “top official” at PMO in going after him.“…CVC seems to be on a roving
expedition to cast aspersions on my integrity and impartiality, which have
never once been questioned in the last 39 years of my career in which I have
headed police forces across four states/union territories and two institutions
(including CBI). I am surprised that the line of questioning being adopted by
the CVC is as if I am already guilty and have to prove my innocence rather than
the other way around,”Verma writes in his response to the CVC’s questions.“Also
it seems to be more keen,” he adds, “to establish that Asthana is innocent in
an FIR related to extortion where Asthana is an accused and his SIT is under
scanner.”CBI director further reminded the CVC that he had expressed his
apprehensions “at various times during the last year on the integrity of Mr Asthana”
but it had not “paid any heed” to around half a dozen cases against him.Verma
also notes that CVC and DoPT under PMO overrode his objections to Asthana’s
appointment as the special director of the CBI in 2017. This, despite the fact
that he had pointed out that at least six cases of corruption against Asthana
were already being probed by CBI itself, Verma says.
IAF told SC in Rafale hearing: Russian Sukhoi
Su-30MKI fighter jet under induction till 2021
New Delhi :In the ongoing controversy over the
Rafale deal, the answers of the senior officers of IAF to the questions posed
by the Supreme Court on Wednesday are seen as being critical to the case.
Although their summoning by CJI Ranjan Gogoi drew a lot of attention, their
responses dealt with the technicalities of the fighter aircraft fleet of
IAF.Sources said that the response of the Assistant Chief of IAF, AVM J
Chalapati, in the presence of Vice Chief and Deputy Chief of IAF, clarified that
the Russian-origin Su30MKI is the latest aircraft to be inducted in India which
will be under production at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) till 2021.
Speaking of Mirage2000 in response to a question by CJI Gogoi, he said that French
aircraft, made by Dassault Aviation —maker of Rafale—was inducted in 1985.AVM
Chalapati also told the SC that there is no standard definition of classifying
the generation of fighter aircraft, but Sukhoi Su30MKI is a 4th generation
fighter.As Beyond Visual Range missile in HAL-built indigenous Tejas Light
Combat Aircraft is still under
induction, it can be classified as 3.5+ generation. He thus placed them both as
“between 4th and 3rd generation”. indianexpress
India seeks to buy anti-submarine choppers
‘Romeo’ from US for $2 billion
Washington:India has sought from the US 24 multi-role
MH-60 ‘Romeo’ anti-submarine helicopters for its Navy at an estimated cost of
USD 2 billion, defence industry sources in Washington said on Friday.India has
been in need of these formidable anti-submarine hunter helicopters for more
than a decade now. The deal is expected to be finalised in a few months,
informed sources told PTI, days after US vice president Mike Pence held a
successful meeting with prime minister Narendra Modi in Singapore on the
sidelines of a regional summit.India has sent a letter of request to the US for
an “urgent requirement” of 24 multi-role helicopters – MH 60 Romeo Seahawk,
sources said.PTI
Sabarimala Temple: Day After Sabarimala
Opening, Hindu Groups Call For State-Wide Shutdown
New Delhi: The Sabarimala temple was re-opened
to devotees late last evening in the midst of continuing protests in and around
the hilltop shrine. Today, a group in Kerala has called for a state-wide
shutdown over the arrest of Hindu Aikya Vedi KP Sasikala, amid protests over
allowing women of menstruating age to enter the Sabarimala temple nestled in
the Western Ghats. The shrine is set to be open for a two-month pilgrimage.
Some 500 women have registered themselves to visit the shrine to Lord Ayyappa, after
the Supreme Court in September overturned a decades-old ban on entry of women
between 10 and 50 years. Several women who had trekked to the temple had been
turned back by protesters in previous attempts. On Friday, activist Trupti
Desai had to spend an entire day at Kochi airport after she was surrounded by
protesters determined to stop her from going to Sabarimala.ndtv
SC to hear plea challenging constitutional
validity of Article 370 in April
New Delhi :The Supreme Court Friday said it
will hear in April a plea challenging the validity of Article 370 of the
Constitution, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, following a
request by the state and the Centre.A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and M R
Shah said it will hear the matter in the first week of April 2019 after
Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, sought adjournment on
the ground that the current situation is very sensitive.“The political
situation in the state is such that the matter should not be heard at this
time,” he said.Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi and advocate Shoeb Alam,
appearing for Jammu and Kashmir said that a letter has been circulated seeking
adjournment due to the ongoing nine-phase Panchayat polls in the state.To this,
the bench said that it can tag the matter along with a batch of pending
petitions challenging Article 35A of the Constitution, under which special
rights and privileges are granted to the “permanent residents” of the state.The
suggestion of the bench was opposed by the counsels for the state saying that
the two issues are different entirely and the plea should not be tagged along
with Article 35A pending petitions.The bench then posted the matter for further
hearing in first week of April, 2019.On April 3, the apex court had said that
Article 370 of the Constitution is not a temporary provision.PTI
J&K headed for Prez rule but assembly not
to be dissolved for now: Governor
Jammu :Jammu and Kashmir is headed for
President’s rule but the state assembly will not be dissolved for now, Governor
Satyapal Malik said Friday.His statement comes amid speculation that efforts
are being made behind the scenes to cobble together a coalition government by
various parties to succeed the PDP-BJP dispensation that collapsed in June when
the BJP withdrew support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP. However, the numbers
for a government formation don’t seem to add up for now.Malik himself is
convinced that a popular government will not be possible. “I still do not see
any government formation. No party has numbers so far and there is a clear
message that nothing illegal will be allowed,” he said.PTI
Afridi’s remarks on Kashmir reflect view of
every wise Pakistani:Shiv Sena
Mumbai :The Sena said Friday that former
Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi’s comments on Kashmir are the views of every
“wise” Pakistani citizen. In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena
said that Pakistan had been driven to bankruptcy by supporting terrorism and
corruption, and Prime Minister Imran Khan had been forced to sell buffaloes and
vehicles from the Prime Minister’s residence to meet government
expenses.“Pakistan is on the verge of financial bankruptcy and its crisis can
be understood from the fact that it had to seek a bailout package from IMF.
When IMF refused them, Pakistan had to beg before China,” said the
editorial.indianexpress
Normal life hit in separatists-sponsored
strike in JK
Srinagar: Normal life was affected in Kashmir
Valley Saturday due to a strike called by separatists in protest against the
conduct of the first phase of panchayat polls in the state.Most of the shops,
fuel stations and other business establishments were shut in Srinagar– the
summer capital of J&K, officials said.They said public transport was off
the roads while private cars, cabs and auto-rickshaws were plying in many areas
of the city.The officials said similar reports of shutdown were received from
other district headquarters of the valley. Security forces were deployed in
strength in sensitive places across the valley to maintain law and order, they
said. Separatist leaders, under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership
(JRL), had asked people to observe strike to protest against the "election
drama". PTI
Bhima Koregaon case: SC defers hearing in
arrests of activists matter to Dec. 3
The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing in
the arrests of activists, held for alleged Maoist links in connection with the
Elgar Parishad case and the Bhima Koregaon violence, to December 3, ANI has
reported.On October 29, the apex court had stayed the Bombay High Court order
that had put on hold a trial court decision granting more time to Maharashtra
Police to complete the investigation against five accused.Meanwhile, on
Thursday, the Pune police in its chargesheet claimed that Elgaar Parishad, a
one-day conference held in Pune on December 31 last year, was organised as per
a plan by the banned CPI-Maoist, to mobilise Dalit groups and other
organisations against govt. It further alleged that “inciting speeches” at the
event “provoked the masses and aggravated violence” in Bhima Koregaon the next
day, Jan.1, when thousands of people had gathered there to mark the 200th
anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon.The chargesheet names 10 accused,
including activists Sudhir Dhawale and Rona Wilson, lawyer Surendra Gadling,
professor Shoma Sen and former PM Rural Development fellow Mahesh Raut, all of
whom were arrested on June 6.indianexpress
5 Muslims booked for derogatory post against
Yogi Adityanath, RSS
Bahraich: 5 persons have been booked under the
IT Act for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath and RSS on Facebook, police said Friday.FIR was lodged on Thursday
by Gaurav Gupta against Rana Sultan Javed, Zeeshan, Haroon Khan, Shafiq and
King Khan at city police station, ASP Ajay Pratap Singh said.The accused made
derogatory comments against the CM and RSS in their FB posts, Singh said. After
FB post on Nov.14, locals held a protest and demanded registration of
FIR.indianexpress
‘Anti-national’ messages shared on WhatsApp
group, admin held: UP Police
Meerut:A 25-year-old man was arrested in
Baghpat Wednesday after he was found to be the administrator of a WhatsApp
group in which “anti-national messages” were being shared, police said. FIR
against the accused, identified as Naeem (25), was registered on the basis of a
complaint filed by Deepak Bamnauli, vice-president of Hindu Jagran Manch’s
district,at Doghat police station. Police said accused had added around 30
Muslim youths from Baghpat to the group, and that it also had several “Pak-based”
numbers. They said that messages “disrespecting the national flag and symbol
were being created and shared on the group”.indianexpress
JNU has cut library budget to one-fourth,
claims students union
New Delhi :JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) on
Friday alleged that the university has slashed its library budget from Rs 8
crore to less than Rs 2 crore and doesn’t have funds to renew the subscription
of e-journals, a crucial tool for research.The student body termed the Library
Advisory Committee a “farce” where these decisions were allegedly taken. “In an
extraordinary and surprising move JNU administration through Rector and
Librarian have provided a detailed chart for privatisation of Dr B.R. Ambhedkar
Library through massive fund cuts i.e. Rs 8 crore to Rs 1.7 crore,” said the
union.IANS
Watch: Students chanting ‘Chalo Ayodhya’,
‘Mandir wahin banayenge’ in BBA University, Lucknow
As tension is gradually building up in and
around Ayodhya over proposed VHP-Shiv Sena rally on November 25, a group of
students in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow was spotted
chanting provocative slogans on the campus.In a 17-second video, which surfaced
late Friday evening, November 16, students allegedly belonging to the RSS’
student wing ABVP can be seen shouting communal slogans such as : “25 November
ko Chalo Ayodhya ” (0n November 25, let’s go to Ayodhya) and “Mandir wahi
Banayenge ” (We will build the temple there only).Although the identity of the
students cannot be ascertained, but sources told National Herald that the
students in the video are associated with the ABVP. “They have been mobilising
students for the proposed rally for quite some time,” told a student on the
condition of anonymity.nationalheraldindia
'Muslims of India want Ram Temple' says Muslim
Rashtriya Manch, plans massive gathering in Delhi
New Delhi:Muslim Rashtriya Manch is set to
organise a massive gathering at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi next month to press
for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The aim of the gathering is to
send across a mesage that Muslims of India want that Ram Temple be constructed
in Ayodhya.Muslim Rashtriya Manch is an RSS affiliated organisation. Muslim
Rashtriya Manch will also be mounting pressure on PM Modi-led Government at the
Centre for the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya."We are trying to
gather Muslims from all over the country in December. We are calling 25,000
people to Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. We will send a message that the Muslims of
India believe that it's time the Ram Temple is constructed in Ayodhya,"
Yasir Jilani of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch told ANI. yahoo news/ANI
Maharashtra: Day after backward class
commission report, Dhangars, Muslims raise quota demand again
Mumbai :A day after the Maharashtra State
Backward Class Commission said the Maratha community is socio-economically
backward, govt has come under pressure from leaders representing the Dhangar
and Muslim communities seeking reservation.Members of the ruling BJP
representing the Dhangar (shepherd) community, along with opposition parties,
urged the govt to expedite the process to include the community among Scheduled
Tribes. Muslims leaders, cutting across party lines, have written to Chief
Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking him to consider five per cent reservation for
the community in government jobs and education.BJP MP Dr Vikas Mahatme, who
belongs to Dhangar community, said: “The demand to include Dhangar community in
the Scheduled Tribe category has been pending for several decades. Now, state
govt should take a pro-active stand and make recommendations to Centre. The decision
to include Dhangars in Scheduled Tribe category vests with the Centre.”On
Muslim reservation issue, Congress-NCP leaders have decided to corner the state
government.Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, Hussain Dalwai, said: “We welcome
reservation to the Maratha community. Now, the government should show the same
urgency in extending reservation to Muslims.” MP has written to CM about the
issue. “The Muslims are not seeking reservation based on religion, but on
socio-economic backwardness criteria,”MP said. indianexpress
I&B said don’t use ‘Dalit,’ Press Council
chairman says not feasible
Disagreeing with the Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting’s advisory that the media should stop using word Dalit and
replace it with Scheduled Caste, the Press Council of India has decided it will
not issue a blanket ban on the use of the word Dalit. Press Council of India
chairman Justice (retd) CK Prasad said “absolute prohibition is not advisable”,not
even “feasible”. The decision was ratified at Council meeting Thursday, on the
eve of National Press Day on Friday. In an advisory on Aug7 to all private
satellite television channels, I&B
Ministry had asked them to “refrain from using the nomenclature Dalit”, and use
only the Constitutional term, ‘Scheduled Caste’.The advisory, which had cited a
direction from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC, mentioned that “in compliance
with the directions of the Hon’ble Bombay HC, the Constitutional term
‘Scheduled Caste’ in English and its appropriate translation in other national
languages should alone be used for all official transaction”.indianexpress
Rajasthan polls: It’s Vasundhara Raje vs
ex-BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje will
face former BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra, who switched to the
Congress from BJP last month, in Jhalrapatan. The state goes to polls on Dec.7.“It
is party’s decision to field me from Jhalrapatan. I am ready for challenge,”
said Manvendra Singh soon after his name was released by the Congress this
afternoon in its second list of 32 candidates. Singh is a sitting legislator
from Sheo assembly seat in Barmer district.The Congress announcement came just
hours after Raje filed her nomination for Jhalrapatan seat. She has been
winning from the constituency since 2003.CM Raje, however, dismissed the
challenge saying, “it isn’t a battle of individuals. Jhalarapatan is my home
and its people are family so this is not my battle but of Jhalarapatan and its
residents.The decision to field the ex-BJP leader is seen as an attempt to
raise the stakes for BJP in her pocket-borough. It would, the Congress
believes, also endear the party to Rajputs. The community, which makes up for
seven per cent of the electorate in Rajasthan, has traditionally voted the
BJP.HT
MP Polls: 38 lakh Muslim Voters, Only 4
Candidates
Bhopal:The number of Muslim political
representatives in the Madhya Pradesh state assembly has declined in the last
two decades according to the poll data. The political parties are giving a wide
berth to Muslim leaders, irrespective of their population. There are between 37
to 38 lakh Muslim voters, out of 5.03 crore in the state, but there has been
only one Muslim representative in the state assembly in the last 15 years,
according to the data compiled by the Congress and the BJP's minority cell
after the release of the final electoral list.The new house to be formed after
the election gives no good news to them.While the Congress has given tickets to
three Muslim candidates – Arif Aqueel from Bhopal North, Arif Masood from
Bhopal Madhya and Masharat Shaheed from Sironj, BJP has given ticket to only
one candidate, Fatima Rasool Siddiqui from Bhopal North. BJP has pitted her
against Aqueel so that as a minority community candidate, she may cut into his
vote share. Besides Bhopal North and
Bhopal Cenral, Muslim voters influence the results of more than 25 seats. These
constituencies are Narela, Burhanpur, Shahjapur, Dewas, Ratlam city,
Ujjain-North, Jabalpur-North, Jabalpur-East, Mandsaur, Rewa, Satna, Sagar,
Gwalior South, Khandwa, Khargone, Indore 1, Depalpur, according to the
data.Yet, no party has made any attempt to increase the number of their
representatives in the assembly.Commenting on the declining Muslim
representation issue, senior journalist and political expert, L S Herdenia said
that Muslims formed 6.57 per cent of the state’s 7.27 crore population,
according to the 2011 census. So, their representation in the assembly should
have from 15 to 20. “We must try to increase Muslim representation into the
Parliament and state assembly. For this, political parties must encourage
Muslims to participate in political activities and give tickets to them,”
Herdenia said.Former Union Minister and ex-MP from Betul constituency Aslam
Sher Khan said, “Division of Muslim population in different constituencies and
polarisation of majority votes after the Babri Mosque demolition were the major
reason. With the support of fundamentalist forces, the Digvijay Singh-led state
government hatched a conspiracy against Muslims and divided the Muslim
population. Or converted Muslim-dominated seats to reserved ones. Just like
Betul in 2002." While constituencies such as Bhopal, Satna, Rewa, Narela,
and Jabalpur were divided into different constituencies in 2002 by the Boundary
Commission with the help of Congress’ Digvijaya Singh government. newsclick
Senior Telangana congress leader resigns
Abid Rasool Khan, senior congress leader from
Telangana tendered his resignation not only from the post of vice president
Telangana congress committee but also from primary membership in Indian
National Congress.Khan who served the INC from 32 years, in his resignation
mentioned that the two main reasons that have disappointed him and due to which
he has resigned are the appointment of Shaik Abdullah Sohail as the Chairman of
the Minorities Commission who Khan feels has no social standing and has a shady
background. And the other reason is appointment of working presidents from the
Reddy, SC, Kamma and BC communities, but none from Muslim community.He
expressed sorrow over the fact the congress party has conveniently side lined
Muslims even though they are 15-18% .Only the votes of the Muslims matter to INC
but not their interests.INC does not wish to empower the Muslims,he said in his
letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi.
Zainul Ansari lynching: National Minority
Commission issues notice to Bihar govt
Bihar: National Minority Commission issued a
notice to the home ministry of Bihar govt in connection with the brutal killing
of elderly person Zainul Ansari during Sitamarhi communal riots. The commission
directed the ministry to reinvestigate the matter and submit the report within
one month.The move came after a delegation of Sitamarhi Sangharsh Samithi
called on Commission Chairman at the head office of National Minority
Commission and demanded a high-level probe into the riots occurred on Oct. 19,
so as to bring the perpetrators to justice.According to Inquilab, NCM chairman
Ghayurul Hasan told that the Commission will also form a committee which would
inquire into the matter.82-year-old Zainul Ansari was killed in communal clash
3 weeks ago, a day after Dussehra. He was cycling his way home 7 km away after
visiting his sister. Hours later, on October 20, Ansari’s body was found –
burnt, with both arms and legs charred. According to his family, Ansari was
caught by a frenzied mob and killed.siasat
Post protests, court in Bihar’s
Muslim-majority Kishanganj allows men to wear lungi on premises
Patna: In a major relief to men in Bihar’s
Muslim-majority Kishanganj district, a local court on Friday withdrew a ban it
had imposed ten days ago on the wearing of lungi on the court premises.After
protests grew across the northeastern district against the order, district and
sessions judge Dr Ratan Kishore Tiwary described the order as “advisory in
nature”. In a letter he wrote to the two bar associations in Kishanganj, he
added: “If not interested, let that order be treated as redundant”.“The
withdrawal of this tughlaqi firman (insensible diktat) has sent waves of cheer
across Kishanganj and the entire Seemanchal area of Bihar. Lungi has been a
very popular casual wear of men in this region for centuries,” said
Kishanganj-based journalist Hassan Javed.Muslims comprise about 78 per cent of
the population in Kishanganj, making it Bihar’s only district and Lok Sabha
constituency where Muslims outnumber Hindus. Located close to the Bangladesh
border, Kishanganj is also India’s largest Muslim-populated area after the
Kashmir Valley and Lakshadweep. Bihar has a 17% Muslim
population.newindianexpress
Delhi on high alert after intel flags Jaish
threat on WhatsApp:HT
New Delhi:The national Capital has been put on
high alert after intelligence agencies were made aware of a message on a
WhatsApp group, believed to be run by Jaish-e-Mohammed. The message said the
militant outfit plans to strike sensitive locations in Delhi to avenge the
killing of its commander in Jammu and Kashmir last month.The Intelligence
Bureau on Tuesday circulated a letter, dated November 13, asking the intelligence
wings of security forces to maintain “high priority alert” and “activate
intelligence” in light of the threat. Hindustan Times has a copy of the letter
which reads, “according to a message circulated by one Pakistani national Ameer
Hamza, using the mobile number [redacted], in WhatsApp group ‘Jesh
Communication Centre’ that Jaish-e-Mohammed is planning to carry out terrorist
attacks on security establishments in Delhi to avenge the killing of its
commander Usman alias Huzaifa in Tral, Pulwama, on October 30.”The letter adds
that the Pakistani national, Hamza claims to be a part of JeM’s student wing,
Talba al-Murabitoon, in Karachi, Pakistan. A letter has also been sent to
various security establishments such as the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF),
National Security Guards, Railway Protection Force and Delhi police to put high
alert at important installations in Delhi.The advisory read, “It is requested
to issue necessary guidelines and instructions to all unit commanders of
Delhi-NCR based units/ battalions to take all precautionary and preventive
measures to avoid any untoward incident. Force personnel be kept on highest
alert and intelligence machinery should be geared up for collection and
exchange of useful advance information to prevent occurrence of any such
incident.”HT
After namaz at Taj, right wing activists now
threaten to perform puja at Mughal-era monument
AGRA: After local Muslims offered namaz at a
mosque inside the Taj Mahal complex to defy a recent ban order of the ASI,
right wing activists on Friday threatened to offer ‘puja’ at the 17th century
mausoleum if action was not taken against them. Local Muslims and members of
Taj Mahal Masjid Intezamia Committee had defied the ASI’s recent order barring
Muslims from offering namaz at the mosque on all days except Fridays.The right
wing outfits, which claim that the Unesco world heritage monument was
originally built on a Shiv temple and refer to it as Tejomahalaya, condemned
the decision of the local Muslims to offer namaz there and sought action
against them.Govind Parashar, leader of the lesser-known outfit, Rashtriya
Bajrang Dal, said that Hindus will perform “puja at the Tejomahalaya” if no
action is taken against the “violators” of the ASI ban. He told TOI that he was
jailed for 7 days for giving a call for offering ‘arti’ at “Tejomahalaya” in
2017, but no action is being taken against those who defied the ASI ban. Taj
Mahal Masjid Intezamia Committee president Syed Ibrahim Zaidi said that Muslims
had been offering prayers at the mosque for the past 400 years and the laws governing
the monument came into existence only in 1958. “If we have violated any rule,
legal action should be taken against us,” he said, adding that the right wing
activists were unnecessarily making a political issue out of it. “We will send
legal notices to all the people who have accused us of violating the SC order,”said
Zaidi, adding that they will continue to offer namaz at the mosque on all days
as “the apex court had never passed such an order”.TOI
Cyclone Gaja leaves 35 dead, heavy rains
forecast for next 24 hours
New Delhi :At least 35 people were killed in
the severe cyclonic storm Gaja that battered Tamil Nadu coast Friday. As many
as 82,000 people were evacuated before the cyclone made landfall between
Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam in the state. IMD has predicted squally weather
conditions in the area for the next 24 hours. The cyclonic storm has moved
westwards towards interior Tamil Nadu bringing heavy rains to the Tamil-Kerala
border region.Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences for the
families of people who lost their lives due to Cyclone Gaja. Modi said that he
spoke with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanswamy to take of the situation and
assured that officials were working towards providing all possible
assistance.indianexpress
PM Modi attends swearing-in ceremony of
Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih: indianexpress
New Delhi :PM Narendra Modi on Saturday
attended the swearing-in ceremony of the newly-elected Maldives President
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a step which is seen as an attempt to mend bilateral
ties which nosedived under the outgoing Abdulla Yameen government. This is
Modi’s first visit to the country as PM.Thousands of people cheered Solih, from
the Maldivian Democratic Party, at the ceremony in a soccer stadium chosen to
accommodate a large number of his supporters.On Friday, PM Modi took to Twitter
to inform that he will be attending inauguration ceremony of Maldives
President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.“I will be in Malé tomorrow to attend the
historic Inauguration Ceremony of the President-elect H.E. Ibrahim Mohamed
Solih. I warmly congratulate him on his victory in the recent elections and
wish him the very best for his tenure,” he said.
Heera Group founder seeks bail, claims
vendetta by Muslim leaders led to arrest
Mumbai :Nowhera Shaikh, the Hyderabad-based
founder of Heera Group of companies, said political vendetta by other Muslim
leaders has led to her arrest. Shaikh (38) made the claim in the bail
application she filed it before the special Maharashtra Protection of Interest
of Depositors Act (MPID) court this week.Shaikh has said she launched the All
India Mahila Empowerment party last year and contested the Karnataka Assembly
elections in May. “She (Shaikh) has earned enough popularity in political
circles. The other Muslim leaders are jealous of her political growth and are
apprehending rivalry,” Shaikh stated. Her party had ended up with a vote share
of only 0.3 per cent. Many investors in Mumbai and other cities have come
forward with complaints of cheating against Shaikh. She was arrested by
Hyderabad Police after investors made complaints against her there. The Mumbai
Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) took her in custody from Hyderabad jail on
October 26 and produced her in the special court in Mumbai based on the FIR
against her, accusing her of cheating people of Rs 500 crore. Shaikh was
remanded in police custody till November 8, after which the Thane EOW took her
in custody for a separate case in their jurisdiction. In her bail plea, Shaikh
claimed the cases against her were made to “harass her and cause loss to her
company”. She has claimed that the main complainant in the case, a Mumbai
resident, had invested in her company in 2017 and got dividends. In August, he
sought to withdraw his investment and it was approved. She claimed that the
withdrawn money will be paid in December to the complainant, but he had gone
ahead and filed FIR. “Such persons as the complainant are a misguided lot and
there is no substance or legality in their complaints,” Shaikh said in her
plea. She has also said that the way she was treated by the police was “very
humiliating”, claiming she was brought to Mumbai without proper paperwork just as
she was to be released from jail in Hyderabad.indianexpress
WORLD
CIA says Saudi crown prince ordered
Khashoggi's murder: reports
CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul,
US media reported on Friday, a finding that contradicts Saudi govt assertions
that he was not involved. According to the Washington Post, who first reported CIA
conclusion, US officials expressed high confidence in the CIA assessment, which
is the most definitive to date linking bin Salman to the killing and
complicates President Donald Trump's efforts to preserve ties with one of the
closest US allies in the region.Both the Washington Post and AP cited unnamed
officials familiar with the CIA conclusion.
The accuracy of the reports could not be immediately verified.US Vice
President Mike Pence, on a visit to Papua New Guinea, told reporters travelling
with him that he could not comment on classified information."The murder
of Khashoggi was an atrocity. It was also an affront to a free and independent
press and the US is determined to hold all of those accountable who are
responsible for that murder," he said."We are going to follow the
facts," the vice president said, also adding that the US wanted to find a
way of preserving a "strong and historic partnership" with Saudi
Arabia.The State Depnt and the CIA declined to comment.In Friday's report, the
Washington Post, citing people familiar with the matter, said the CIA reached
its conclusions after examining multiple sources of intelligence, including a
phone call that the prince's brother, Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador
to the US, had with Khashoggi. Khalid told Khashoggi he should go to Saudi
consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents and gave him assurances that it
would be safe to do so, the Post said.The newspaper, citing individuals
familiar with the call, said it was not clear if Khalid knew Khashoggi would be
killed but that he made the call at his brother's direction. Ambassador Khalid
bin Salman said in a Twitter post on Friday the last contact he had with
Khashoggi was via text on October 26, 2017, nearly a year before the
journalist's death."I never talked to him by phone and certainly never
suggested he go to Turkey for any reason. I ask the US government to release
any information regarding this claim," he tweeted. The ambassador posted a
second tweet, which he said included the embassy's full response to the
Washington Post report. aljazeera
CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered
Khashoggi’s assassination: Washington post
Washington opposes UN resolution on Syria's
Israeli-occupied Golan
US opposed on Friday for the first time an
annual draft resolution at the UN calling on Israel to rescind its authority in
the occupied Golan Heights, drawing praise from Israeli officials.The Golan
Heights, Syrian territory illegally occupied and subsequently annexed by
Israel, forms a strategic plateau between Israel and Syria of about 1,200
square km.It was part of Syria until Israel captured it in the 1967 Middle East
War. Israel moved settlers into the area and annexed the territory in 1981 in a
move not recognised internationally.US has abstained in previous years on "Occupied
Syrian Golan" resolution, which declares Israel's decision to impose its
jurisdiction in the area "null and void," but US Ambassador to UN
Nikki Haley said on Thursday that Washington would vote against the
resolution."US will no longer abstain when the UN engages in its useless
annual vote on the Golan Heights," Haley, who will be leaving her post by
the end of the year, said in a statement."The resolution is plainly biased
against Israel. Further, the atrocities the Syrian regime continues to commit
prove its lack of fitness to govern anyone," her statement said.Despite
the US opposition, a UN General Assembly committee approved the draft
resolution on Friday with 151 votes in favour and 14 abstentions. Only Israel
joined US in voting no.General Assembly is due to formally adopt the resolution
next month.middleeasteye
'We want it cancelled': Palestinians protest
social security law
Ramallah, occupied West Bank - Palestinians in
the occupied West Bank have continued to protest against a controversial social
security law, which came into effect at the start of the month. The latest of
several demonstrations against the law was held in the city of Ramallah on
Monday, where thousands of workers staged a sit-in outside the Palestinian
government headquarters."The government is not listening to our
concerns," said Jack Syriani, a worker at the Jerusalem School of
Bethlehem and member of the National Social Security movement (NSSM), which has
headed opposition to the law."We wanted to modify this law, but the
government has refused to hear our concerns. Now we want it cancelled
completely," he said.aljazeera
Iraq: Baghdad and Kurds strike deal to resume
Kirkuk oil exports: aljazeera
Iraq says it has reached an initial agreement
with Kurdish authorities to restart exports from the oilfields of Kirkuk, one
year after flows were halted due to a standoff between the central govt in
Baghdad and Kurdistan's semi-autonomous region.Asim Jihad, spokesperson for
Iraq's oil ministry, said on Friday the country's new PM Adel Abdul-Mahdi's
government had struck a deal with the Kurdish regional government to export 50,000
to 100,000 barrels per day."Federal government and the government of the
Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) reached a preliminary agreement to resume oil
flows starting today from Kirkuk fields through the KRI's pipeline to the
Ceyhan port in Turkey," he said .
UN committee condemns rights violations
against Rohingya
A key UN committee overwhelmingly approved a
resolution on Friday strongly condemning the continuing “gross human rights
violations and abuses” against Rohingya Muslims who are treated as outsiders in
Myanmar and were victims of a brutal campaign by the country’s military.
General Assembly’s human rights committee approved the resolution by a vote of
142-10, with 26 abstentions. It is virtually certain to be formally adopted by
the 193-member world body in Dec.Among those voting against the resolution were
Myanmar neighbours China, Cambodia and Laos along with Russia. Bangladesh,
which hosts 1.1 million Rohingya refugees, voted in favour.AP
Tariq Ramadan wins bail in France rape case
Paris : Tariq Ramadan, a leading Islamic
scholar held in France since February on charges he raped two women, on
Thursday won conditional release after testifying in an appeals court.A Paris
court ruled in favour of Ramadan after the 56-year-old Swiss academic, who has
been in custody since February 2, made an impassioned argument for release. His
bail was set at 300,000 euros and requires him to hand over his passport and
report to police once a week."Where would I flee to?" he asked in his
hearing, his first public appearance since his incarceration.Ramadan denies charges
he raped the women in 2009 and 2012. One accuser is a disabled woman identified
in media reports as "Christelle" and the other is a feminist
activist, Henda Ayari.But last month Ramadan was forced to drop assertions he
had no sexual contact at all with the women after an expert recovered 399 text
messages between him and "Christelle", some of which detailed violent
sexual fantasies. Ramadan subsequently said the sexual contact was
"consensual".In court, Ramadan said he had no intention of becoming a
fugitive from justice, and said his multiple sclerosis meant he had difficulty
walking after 10 months locked up.AFP
FLASH: VIEWS &
NEWS
SC hearing Zakia Jafri plea against Narendra
Modi in Gujarat riots opens old wounds:Humra Quraishi
Modi govnt itself ruined 1000 defence
manufacturing companies :Bhasha Singh
Renaming Spree: Erasing Muslim Heritage:Amulya
Ganguli
For Sanitation Workers On the Front Line,
Modi's Swachh Bharat Is a ‘Jumla':Akhil Kumar
Full Text of Response by Shourie, Sinha and
Bhushan to Centre's Submissions on Rafale
https://thewire.in/government/response-by-shourie-sinha-and-bhushan-to-centres-submissions-on-rafale
Sabarimala temple: A rallying point for the
Hindu far right?Zeenat Saberin
BJP changes Muslim personal law but opposes
centuries old custom change on Sabarimala?
A Legislation to Construct Ram Temple Will
Legitimise Babri Masjid's Demolition:Sukumar Muralidharan
North California fire: Death toll at 71, over
1,000 missing
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