NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
21 Nov. 2018:12 Rabiul-I 1440:
Vol: 11, No:60
INDIA
Altaf Bukhari is 'consensus' J&K CM
candidate as Congress, PDP, NC join hands to thwart Sajjad Lone
PDP, Congress, and National Conference (NC) today
confirmed an alliance in J&K, ahead of 19 Dec deadline to the Governor's
Rule in the state. According to reports, PDP's Altaf Bukhari is the 'consensus'
candidate for the post of CM. In order to checkmate efforts by BJP to prop
another Govt, the mainstream parties have been in touch with each other to form
a Govt, according to reports.The plan envisages a coalition between PDP and
Congress, which have been partners in a Govt between 2002 and 2007, backed from
outside by National Conference. PDP has 28 MLAs, followed by NC with 15 and
Congress with 12 which will make up for a clear majority. The alliance is being
discussed with the aim of stemming BJP's chances of forming the Govt in the
state again.NDTV reported that the talks to form an alliance are in the
"advanced stage". 3 parties might meet Governor Satya Pal Malik on
Thursday, to discuss the proposal, the report said. Sources said that the
Congress party is expected to hold a high-level meeting in Delhi on Friday. Ghulam
Nadi Azad, leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, "I believe in my
party members. By tomorrow afternoon everything will be sorted out. An alliance
is being talked about in all states. BJP first made Govt with PDP, and they
worsened the condition of the state." NC made it clear that they were not
interested in joining a coalition Govt but would not be averse to giving
outside support to a PDP-Congress coalition.The coming together of
traditionally bitter rivals, PDP and NC, would mark a significant realignment
of political forces in the state. NC had offered its support to PDP after 2014
Assembly polls but the latter ignored the offer and aligned with the BJP. Efforts
have also been underway to form a Govt headed by Sajjad Lone's People's
Conference, which has only 2 MLAs but which would be banking on support by 25
MLAs of BJP. However, this combination would fall short of the required
majority of 44 which is sought to be made by splitting PDP which has been
rocked by dissidence. After BJP's withdrawal from the coalition Govt with PDP
on 16 June, Lone is understood to have been approaching disgruntled PDP leaders
for forming an alliance with BJP, sources said.Imran Ansari, ex PDP minister,
is among a few others who have been cosy with Peoples Conference, which has
also approached some of MLAs for joining the alliance with BJP.On Tuesday, one
of founding members of PDP, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, the brain behind its
‘self-rule’ document, gave a veritable setback to the party by throwing his
weight behind BJP ally Lone’s idea of opening a new chapter in troubled
politics of the state. Firstpost
Sajad Lone has company: PDP’s heavyweight
Muzaffar Hussain Baig offers to join
PDP Announces It Will Be Forming an Alliance
With Congress, NC in J&K
Hurriyat leader shot dead in Anantnag
Srinagar :Hurriyat leader Mir Hafizullah was
shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kashmir’s Anantnag district Tuesday, eight
days after he reportedly received threatening calls. Mir was killed when gunmen
barged into his house in Achabal and fired at him from point blank
range.“Terrorists today barged inside the residential house of one Mir at
Budoora Achabal district Anantnag and fired indiscriminately,” a police
statement said.“In this incident Hafizullah sustained critical gunshot wounds
and was evacuated to nearby hospital where he succumbed. Police has registered
a case under relevant sections of law and initiated investigation in the
matter.”A statement by the joint separatist leadership, comprising of Syed Ali Geelani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik, said, “Hafizullah was a highly educated,
sensible and visionary pro-freedom leader and his sincerity, dedication and
sacrifices have earned him a distinguished place and status in the state
political circles especially South Kashmir.” They blamed Govt for killing and
called for a complete shutdown in the Valley tomorrow.At Achabal, several
thousand people attended his funeral, which was also addressed telephonically
by Geelani, the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat founder.indianexpress
HC extends relief from arrest to Navlakha, others
till tomorrow
Mumbai: Bombay high court today extended the
relief by a day from arrest granted to civil rights activist Gautam Navlakha,
professor Anand Teltumbde and priest Stan Swamy in a case against them over the
Bhima Koregaon violence and alleged links with Maoists. A bench of Justices BP
Dharamadhikari and Sarang Kotwal will hear on Thursday the petitions filed by the
3 activists, challenging FIR registered against them by Pune Police on Jan.1 in
connection with the Elgar Parishad event held on Dec.31, 2017. The police had
alleged that Maoists supported Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune, which led to
the violence.Several activists were named in FIR. Some of them, including Arun
Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, P Varavara Rao, and Gautam
Navlakha, were initially put under house arrest on directions of the Supreme
Court. However, all of them except Navlakha were re-arrested and taken into
custody by police recently.PTI
50% ATMs in India may shut down by March:
warns ATM Industry CATMi
Nearly 50 % ATMs may be shut down by March 2019 due to
unviability of operations, hitting hard both urban and rural population, the
Confederation of ATM Industry (CATMi) warned on Wednesday.India has approximately
2,38,000 ATMs, of which around 1,13,000 ATMs, including 1,00,000 off-site and
more than 15,000 white label ATMs, are expected to down their shutters, said a
CATMi spokesperson.“This would severely impact millions of beneficiaries under
the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana who withdraw subsidies in the form of cash
through ATMs, besides urban centres, resulting in snaky queues and chaos akin
to post-demonetisation,” said the spokesperson.He said the CATMi step is forced
on account of recent regulatory guidelines for ATMs hardware and software
upgrades, recent mandates on cash management standards and the cassette swap
method of loading cash.The measure will also result in huge job losses in the
industry that would be detrimental to financial services in the economy as a
whole.HT
Farmers were badly affected by demonetisation,
admits Agriculture Ministry
Union Agriculture Ministry has admitted in its
report that around millions of farmers in the country were unable to buy seeds
and fertilisers for their Rabi crops because of demonetisation. The report was
submitted by Union Agriculture Ministry to the Parliamentary Standing Committee
on Finance.The official claim has come after a day when PM Narendra Modi, in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, said
that he used the bitter medicine of demonetisation to bring back money into the
banking system and to give proper treatment to deep-rooted corruption
system.Chaired by Congress MP Veerappa Moily, the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Finance, was on November 20, briefed on the effect of
demonetisation by the Ministries of Agriculture, Labour and Employment, and
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).According to a report in The Hindu,
the report submitted by the Agriculture ministry said that demonetisation was
brought into effect when the farmers were involved in either selling their
Kharif crops or transplanting Rabi crops.Both these farming activities require
huge amounts of cash, which demonetisation removed from the market. “India’s 263
million farmers live mostly in the cash economy. Millions of farmers were
unable to get enough cash to buy seeds and fertilisers for their winter crops.
Even bigger landlords faced a problem such as paying daily wages to the farmers
and purchasing agriculture needs for growing crops.”nationalheraldindia
Maharashtra: 30,000 farmers, tribals begin 2-day
protest
Around 30,000 farmers and tribals begin their 2-day
protest march from Thane today to ensure
that their pending demands are met.The protest march will start in Thane and
end at Azad Maidan. Some of major demands include the implementation of
Swaminathan Committee Report, passing of claims under Forest Rights Act (FRA),
MSP and setting up of a judicial system to ensure its implementation, complete
farm loan waiver and compensation of drought of ₹50,000 per acre for
non-irrigated land and ₹1 lakh per acre for irrigated land.Maharashtra unit of
AAP has extended support to the protest.nationalheraldindia
Manmohan: Modi regime making calibrated bid to
weaken democracy
Former PM Manmohan Singh today said the credibility of
institutions like Parliament and CBI has been systematically denigrated in the Modi-led
regime, which he said is making "careful, well-thought-out calibrated
efforts" to weaken democracy. Singh said corruption was peaking in Modi Govt."The
country has witnessed credibility of institutions like Parliament and CBI
systematically denigrated. There is a careful well-thought-out calibrated
effort to weaken democracy," he said."The rule of law is under
attack. history shall never forgive our present generation if the situation is
not changed," he said.He termed demonetisation as "organised loot and
legalised plunder". "It (demonetisation) is a done act and can't be
reverted. It is up to the people to get rid of Govt which brought them on this
disastrous path,"he said. Singh also accused Modi of misusing the PM's
post. "It does not befit PM to abuse political opponents,"he
said.nationalheraldindia
Chidambaram: Modi Govt destroyed MSMEs, now
wants RBI to revive it
Picking on PM Narendra Modi's remarks that demonetisation
was a "bitter" medicine to get rid of black money, Congress leader P
Chidambaram on Wednesday, November 21, said it destroyed the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) and now the Govt wanted RBI to revive sector.The
former Finance Minister also took strong exception to remarks reported in the
media of an unnamed Govt functionary who had said that Govt had acquired
primacy on policy matters vis-a-vis the Reserve Bank of India."The truth,
Mr PM , is that you used note ban as a 'tez' (bitter) medicine to destroy MSME.
Now, Govt wants RBI to revive that sector!" Chidambaram said in a
tweet.IANS/PTI
Goa crisis: Civil society demands CM
Parrikar’s resignation, gives 48-hour ultimatum
Members of the civil society supported by
political parties such as Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP have demanded resignation
of the ailing Goa CM Manohar Parrikar. Asking for the “restoration of
governance” in Goa, members of the civil society marched towards CM Parrikar’s
residence on Tuesday, however they were stopped 3000 meters from CMs
residence.Led by the Congress, members of the civil society have sought an
appointment with the CM also.“A 10 member delegation will meet the CM to ascertain his factual health condition and
if he is unwell, will demand his
resignation, as there is a total collapse of law and order and administration
in state,” reads a letter written by advocate Aires Rodrigues to the Chief
Secretary of Goa.The civil society march coincided with the hunger strike being
observed by RTI activist Rajan Ghate at Azad Maidan demanding Parrikar’s
resignation.“They (members of civil society) have given an ultimatum of 48
hours to the CM. If he does not meet members of the civil society, they will
launch a state-wide protest against BJP Govt,” said a senior Congress leader
who participated in the protest-march.nationalheraldindia
First death sentence awarded in 1984 riot
cases re-opened by SIT: Unaddressed pain, grievance
New Delhi :Stating that two convicts in an
anti-Sikh riots case had “escaped the process of law” since 1984, a Delhi court
Tuesday awarded death sentence to one and life imprisonment to another. This is
the first death penalty awarded in cases probed by a SIT, constituted in 2015
to re-investigate “serious criminal cases”.Delivering the sentence on the
premises of Tihar Jail where he held court due to security concerns, Additional
Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ajay Pandey said the court must “rise” to the demand of
society since “unaddressed pain and grievance may bring distrust and
disaffection towards the procedure and efficacy of law”.He awarded the death
penalty to convict Yashpal and life imprisonment to Naresh Sehrawat who were
“participants of an unlawful assembly” which murdered Hardev Singh and Avtar
Singh in Mahipalpur on October 31, 1984 in the wake of PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination.A fine of Rs 35
lakh each was imposed on the two convicts and the money will be paid to the
families of the victims.indianexpress
Bhim Army Chief Bats for Dalit-Muslim Unity,
Says Combination Can Reshape UP Politics
Lucknow: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad
has batted for the Dalit-Muslim unity ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,
stating that the combination can play a major role in the future politics of UP
.Addressing ‘Bahujan Samaj Banao’ rally in Bijnor, he advocated harmony between
the 2 communities and underlined importance of social engineering that once was
base of BSP.Azad alleged that BJP had not addressed needs of the marginalised
communities and was afraid of the unity. “BJP Govts in the state and at the
Centre were afraid of unity between Dalits and Muslims. BJP Govts had done
nothing significant for both the communities along with other underprivileged
communities,” he said. Many Muslim leaders, including former MLAs Gauhar Khand
and Mohammad Ghazi, were present at the event and also tied a blue coloured
turban on Azad’s head as a mark of solidarity.News18
Nearly 400 paramilitary personnel killed in
action in 2015-17: MHA
New Delhi:Nearly 400 paramilitary personnel
were killed due to firing from across the Indo-Pak border, and terrorist and
insurgency violence in the country in the last three years, officials said on
Wednesday.The highest number of personnel killed in action were from the BSF,
which lost 167 persons between 2015 and 2017, and a majority of them were
killed while guarding the highly sensitive border.CRPF has lost 103 personnel
in the last three years, mostly while fighting Naxals and militancy in J&K ,
a Home Ministry official said.While the BSF lost 62 personnel in action in
2015, 58 in 2016 and 47 in 2017, the CRPF lost nine personnel in action in
2015, 42 in 2016 and 52 in 2017.PTI
NIA chargesheets Masood Azhar’s brother, 13
others in Nagrota army camp attack case
NIA Tuesday filed a chargesheet against
Maulana Abdul Rouf Asgar, deputy chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad and
brother of Maulana Masood Azhar, and 13 others in connection with a case pertaining
to the attack on an Army camp in Nagrota in J&K in November 2016, officials said.The spokesman
of NIA said in a statement that the chargesheet was filed under various
sections of Ranbir Penal Code (substitute of IPC in J&K ), UAPA and the
Foreigners Act against the accused.PTI
J&K policeman’s killing: Delhi Police
arrest man who gave info to militants
New Delhi :The special cell of Delhi Police
claimed to have made the first arrest in the killing of a Sub-Inspector posted
with the J&K Police in Pulwama
district in Oct.The accused was identified as Ansar ul Haque (28), who was
earlier associated with a political party in Kashmir. According to the police,
he later got associated with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Police have claimed that he
leaked information pertaining to the slain S-I Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir’s movements to
suspected militants.The police claimed that the accused lured Imtiyaz with the
help of his girlfriend, who also knew him, and later tipped-off suspected
militants. The militants tracked Mir’s car and intercepted it at Wahibugh
village in Pulwama district. They then took him to a nearby stream and shot him
dead.indianexpress
Winter Session: Ruckus In Maharashtra Assembly
Over Muslim Reservation Issue
Mumbai :Amid the chaos on the second day of
Maharashtra Assembly winter session, the house was adjourned till Thursday.This
happened on Tuesday, after the heated debate on the Muslim reservation issue.
The house was adjourned earlier in the afternoon too, because of the ruckus
created by the ministers. Congress leader Aslam Sheikh and SP leader Abu Salim
Azmi got agitated while speaking on the demands of the Muslim community for 5% reservation. The two leaders tore and threw
documents towards the speaker creating a ruckus while removing the 'whip' from
its designated place. Addressing the state assembly, NCP leader Ajit Pawar also
informed that Bombay High Court has also suggested the reservation for Muslim
Community.Pawar demanded the state Govt should implement the same soon. After
2014, coalition Govt of BJP and Shiv Sena did not follow the court's order and
cancelled the Muslim reservation quota.mumbailive
Shiv Sena wants quota for Muslims in
Maharashtra ahead of Uddhav Thackeray’s Ayodhya visit
Mumbai: Shiv Sena is demanding the
implementation of a Muslim quota in Maharashtra — at a time when party chief
Uddhav Thackeray is preparing to visit Ayodhya to make a national statement
about Sena’s commitment to the Hindutva agenda.Sunil Prabhu, Shiv Sena’s chief
whip in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, Tuesday expressed his party’s
support for a Muslim quota in the state, joining a discussion initiated by the
opposition. While arguing that the BJP-led state Govt should clearly state how
it plans to give reservation to the Marathas without touching the existing 52 %
quota in the state, Prabhu said that the
Muslim, Dhangar and Lingayat communities should also get reservations.“Muslims
are a part of this country. They have been demanding reservations for the
betterment of the community,” Prabhu told ThePrint today.“If Shiv Sena is
lending a voice to their demand so that the poor and oppressed get better
opportunities, what is wrong in that,” he asked. The party has been consciously
targeting Muslim voters over the past few years. Ahead of its annual Dussehra
rally last month, some Sena organisers started a ‘Me Marathi Musalman’
campaign, releasing a video of a Muslim party worker from the Beed district.theprint
Shiv Sena leader arrested for announcing
demolition of Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi
The deputy chief of Shiv Sena's UP unit, Ajay
Chaube was arrested today for releasing a poster in the city announcing,
"25 Nov.Ayodhya mein mandir nirman, Kashi mein Gyanvapi dhwast ka
ailan."In the released poster, the alliance partner of BJP, Shiv Sena announced
the demolition of Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi and the temple construction in
Ayodhya. The poster carried the image of the Ram Mandir model and the image of
the Gyanvapi mosque.However, the national spokesperson of the Shiv Sena, Sanjay
Raut has distanced the party from the poster, saying he does not know any
Chaube. He states that no call was put out for releasing such a poster and he
blames the party’s “adversaries”. However those who know Chaube claims that he
has been an active member of the Shiv Sena for years.“Through this poster, we
have tried to put Shringar Gauri Gyanvapi mosque agenda into motion. Every year
Shiv Saininks try to offer jalabhishek to the restricted site of Hindu deity
Shringar Gauri on the premises of Gyanvapi mosque. But, their attempt was
foiled by police. It has been in our agenda since the time of Bala Shaheb,”
claimed Chaube.nationalheraldindia
Temple controversy:VHP invites 2 accused in
Babri Masjid demolition as speakers at Dharma Sabha
VHP has invited two of the accused persons in
Babri Masjid demolition case—ex BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti and Ram Katha narrator
Sadhvi Ritambhara—to share the stage with other VHP leaders in Ayodhya on Nov.25.
They are the key speakers at the event, said a VHP leader who is currently
supervising preparations for the upcoming Dharma Sabha in Ayodhya. Ex-BJP MP
from Pratapgarh Lok Sabha seat, Vedanti is a senior executive member of Ram
Janmabhoomi Nyas—an organisation formed as a trust to promote and oversee the
construction of a temple in Ayodhya. He also heads Vashisth Peeth located in
Lakhimpur Kheri, UP . A native of Rewa district Madhya Pradesh, Vedanti was
accused of inciting karsevaks who demolished the Babri Masjid on Dec.6, 1992.Similarly,
Sadhvi Ritambhara who heads the women wing of the VHP, Durha Vahini, was
indicted by the Liberhan Commission that probed the Babri demolition
case.According to the findings of the Commission, Ritambhara was culpable for
leading the country “to the brink of communal discord” during the Ram temple
movement.A fire brand speaker, Ritambhara was one of the key leaders who were
responsible for the women’s participation in Ram temple movement in
1992.nationalheraldindia
Shiv Sena owns up demolition of Babri mosque
Demands law for Ram temple
Lucknow:Owning up the demolition of Babri
mosque in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena has asked the Narendra Modi Govt to bring a
legislation for the construction of a temple at Ram Janmabhoomi Complex as the
issue has been pending in court for over two decades and now the people are
losing patience.“People today are talking about the construction of Ram temple
at Ayodhya. This would not have been possible had Shiv Sainiks not demolished
the disputed mosque on Dec.6, 1992,” Shiv Sena’s senior leader Sanjay Raut told
media persons in Lucknow on Monday. Raut said the Union Govt should bring a
legislation for the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and the Shiv Sena
would support it. “Shiv Sena is committed to the construction of Ram temple. We
have struggled for it. For us, Ram temple is not a ‘jumla’ as the Shiv Sena
believes that Ram temple is not a subject of courts but of public sentiment and
national honour,” Shiv Sena leader said.dailypioneer
Ban Rizvi’s film, demand clerics
Lucknow: The upcoming film ‘Ram Janmabhoomi’
produced by UP Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi portraying police firing
on kar sewaks in Ayodhya in October/November 1990 has riled clerics so much
that Rizvi had been excommunicated from Shia community. On Monday, Rizvi
released a poster and trailer of the film which started 18 months back and
announced that the film would hit the theatre screens in Dec.Prominent Shia
cleric and Imam-e-Juma of Lucknow Maulana Kalbe Jawwad on Tuesday demanded the
UP Govt to ban the film. He said that Shia Muslims had already excommunicated
Rizvi and by launching controversial film, he stood expelled from the community
of Muslims. Other clerics and leaders of Muslim outfits, including Sunni
Muslims, also opposed the film by Rizvi.Maulana Jawwad said that the film
trailer released in Lucknow was itself very provocative and the Govt must
immediately act. In an afterthought, Jawwad said that they did not expect the
BJP Govt to act against Rizvi and hence they would approach the court and seek
a ban on the film. Without naming any political party, Jawwad said that the
film release would only spread hatred in society and immensely benefit a
particular party. Jawwad also submitted a memorandum to the state Govt
demanding a ban on the film. Imam of the Aishgbagh Idgah Khalid Rashid said
that the film trailer released on Monday was highly objectionable and it was a
nefarious attempt to spread hatred in the society. President of Shia Personal
Law Board Yasoob Abbas commented that the sole purpose of the film seemed to
drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims.President of Imam Welfare Association
Imran Hassan Siddiqui wrote to CM Yogi Adityanath demanding a ban on the film saying
that it aimed at promoting anarchy in the society. dailypioneer
Sentiments of Sunni Muslims hurt: Raza Academy
on 'Ram Janmabhoomi' film
AMU is being run on Taliban ideology: BJP MP
BJP MP, Satish Kumar Gautam has stated that
AMU is being run on Taliban ideology.Gautam's statement comes after posters
showing India's map without J&K were
put up on the campus of AMU. BJP MP from Aligarh also wrote a letter to the
Vice-Chancellor of AMU with a subject "AMU is being run on Taliban
ideology".As per the details given by the AMU administration, the posters
were made by the drama society for an anti-partition drama, which was supposed
to take place in the university premises.dnaindia
'If 90% of Muslims don't vote for us, we could
suffer huge loss': Kamal Nath video: TOI
Congress senior leader Kamal Nath is
purportedly heard talking about the importance of Muslim votes for the party in
a closed door meeting.In the video, the senior Congress leader is heard
stressing on the need to study the polling percentage in Muslim majority booths
in previous elections in Madhya Pradesh and find out why all Muslims don't come
out to cast their votes."If at some booths the polling percentage is 60 % ,
we need to find out why was there a dip in voting," he says adding,
"we need not 80 % , but 90 % of
Muslims to come out and vote.""If 90 % Muslims don't vote for us, we could suffer a
huge loss," Kamal Nath is heard saying.TOI
RSS man stabbed Rajasthan religious leader 35
times over land dispute, say police
Jaipur:The post-mortem report into the killing
of Swami Avdheshanand in Sirohi says that the seer was “stabbed 35 times”,
police said Tuesday. The district pracharak of RSS was arrested in the case on
Sunday.Avdheshanand was the patron of Ekal Vidyalay (schools associated with
the nationalist group VHP) in Sirohi district and was murdered at the district
headquarters of RSS on November 11.The police arrested Uttam Giri, then zila
pracharak of the Sangh, on Sunday around 11.30pm. On Tuesday, he was produced
before a local court, which sent him to juridical custody.Speaking to HT,
Sirohi circle officer Vikram Singh said the accused had first spoken of
“ideological differences” with Avdheshanand but both also had a dispute over a
piece of land. “Avdeshanand had 4 bighas of land over which he wanted to
construct a school.He had asked Giri to raise some funds because of the
position he held in RSS and exercised influence over the local business
groups,” the officer said.HT
BJP on CBI row: SC will decide if allegations
against ministers and officials politically motivated
Hyderabad: BJP has said the Supreme Court is
the right authority to examine whether the sensational charges brought by CBI
DIG Manish Kumar Sinha against a Union minister and top officials has any
substantive basis or is “politically motivated”.The feud within CBI turned
murkier on Monday with Sinha dragging the names of NSA Ajit Doval, Union
minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC KV Chowdhury over alleged
attempts to interfere in the probe against the agency’s Special Director Rakesh
Asthana, who has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the Govt
along with Director Alok Kumar Verma. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said
the matter is “sub judice”, but took objection to “somebody serving in an
organisation twisting the name of that organisation itself”.When asked by
reporters about the issue, he said, “Matter is sub judice.The SC is hearing the
matter on a regular basis. The court apparently itself said there is no urgency
to hear this particular complaint. Therefore, it is not proper for me to make a
political comment.”PTI
Pakistan issues over 3,800 visas to Indian pilgrims
to visit Nankana Sahib near Lahore
Pakistan has issued over 3,800 visas to Indian
pilgrims for participating in the 549th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in
Nankana Sahib near Lahore from November 21-30.In a press statement issued on
Tuesday, the Pakistan High Commission said this was the largest number of visas
issued for Sikh pilgrims in recent years. High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood said
this was a “special gesture” from Pakistan to the Sikh pilgrims who are
expected to travel to Sikh holy places in Pakistan that are associated with the
founder of the faith.“We extend profound felicitations to our brothers and
sisters celebrating this auspicious occasion and wish all yatrees [pilgrims] a
spiritually fulfilling yatra,” Mr. Mahmood said in the statement.Pakistan has
also issued visas to Sikh pilgrims from other parts of the world, the High
Commission stated.thehindu
BJP wins 5 mayoral seats, 34 chairman,
president posts in Uttarakhand civic polls
Dehradun;BJP has won 5 of the 7 mayoral seats
and 34 of 84 chairman and president posts in the Uttarakhand civic polls, while
Independents sprang a surprise by grabbing 23 posts. Congress won 25 of the
chairman and president posts in the state’s civic bodies and the BSP won one
post, according to information released by the state election commission here
Wednesday morning. Results for one post is yet to be declared, it said. The
civic body poll was a high-stake battle for the ruling BJP that was looking to
match its own impressive showing in the Uttarakhand elections last year when it
had won 57 out of 70 assembly seats.It was also significant for the Congress
that has been struggling to stage a comeback after its defeat in the assembly
polls. The BJP won five of the seven mayoral seats, including Dehradun,
Rishikesh, Kashipur, Rudrapur and Haldwani, while the Congress won Haridwar and
Kotdwar, the commission said. Voting was held for 84 urban local bodies,
including seven municipal corporations, 39 municipal councils and 38 Nagar
panchayats in Uttarakhand on Nov 18.PTI
Kejriwal Attacked With Chilli Powder. AAP
Claims Deliberate Lapses
On video, the audacity of the attack is
difficult to miss. A man who hands Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a letter outside his office,
swoops down to touch his feet, gets up and forcefully smears chilli powder on
his face. The incident took place inside one of the capital city's most
protected buildings today, the Delhi Secretariat, provoking outrage from Mr
Kejriwal's party and even critics.The attacker, identified as 40-year-old Anil
Kumar Sharma, has been taken into custody, the police said. After saying they
were investigating if the chilli powder "fell unintentionally", the
police late on Tuesday night filed a case against the attacker.ndtv
Linking Urdu to Muslims, Islam is wrong: Ex-
CEC Quraishi
Hyderabad:Ex-Chief Election Commissioner SY
Quraishi said Urdu language does not belong to any religion and linking it to
Muslim community was wrong as people irrespective of different religions speak
it.In his address at seventh convocation of MANUU here, Quraishi
said,"Urdu is linked to Muslims and Islam... this is very wrong..Urdu
language is born in India. Urdu has grown in India..it does not belong to any
religion... people from different religions follow it...we have to remember
this." Noting that India was the most diverse country in the world, he
said, "we have had a secular atmosphere over the past 5,000 years. India
is secular because Hindus are secular." On the educational status of the
Muslim community, he said it was very strange that the community which had
given utmost focus to education now has more number of illiterates. Expressing
concern over the educational backwardness in Muslims,PTI
WORLD
‘$400 bn deals with them’: Trump says US with
Saudi over Khashoggi murder
Washington:Disregarding US intelligence
assessment that Crown Prince Mohammad bin-Salman ordered the killing of
journalist Jamal Khashoggi, President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the Saudi
royal may or may not have had knowledge of it and all but ruled out any further
punitive measure.In a statement headlined, “Standing with Saudi Arabia”, the
president stressed close strategic and business ties with the oil-rich desert
kingdom and said the United States has already sanctioned 17 Saudis for the
murder, indicating seemingly he was not contemplating further action.“Our
intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very
well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did
and maybe he didn’t!” he said.“That being said we may never know all of the
facts surrounding the murder,” he added.Asked later by a reporter if Saudi
Arabia was getting away with murder, the president said, “No, no, this is about
America First. They’re paying us $400 billion plus ($450 billion in investments
and deals, as mentioned in the statement issued earlier by the White
House)”.CIA has concluded on the basis of intercepts and audio recordings that
Mohammad had ordered the killing of the journalist, according to multiple media
report. And the US has sanctioned close aides and advisers of the crown prince
for their involvement in the killing.But the president remains unconvinced
about the role of Mohammad, who is close to the White House and Trump’s
son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.HT
Trump not taking punitive measures against
Saudis over Khashoggi
US politicians accuse Trump of putting 'Saudi
first'
United States senators have accused President
Donald Trump of putting "Saudi Arabia first" by his decision to not
take punitive measures against the kingdom or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Trump's decision is "yet
another fawning prostration to a foreign authoritarian", Democratic
Senator Tim Kaine tweeted on Tuesday."It's only a matter of time until
actions like this one by the president directly threaten our security," he
added. Several senators vowed to put "serious sanctions" on Saudi
Arabia, including on the "appropriate members of the royal
family"."We should, at the very least, NOT reward Saudi Arabia with
our sophisticated armaments that they in turn use to bomb civilians,"
tweeted Republican Senator Rand Paul. "I'm pretty sure this statement is
Saudi Arabia first, not American First," he added.Trump ally and
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said "it is not in our national security
interest to look the other way" when it comes to Khashoggi's killing.
"I firmly believe there will be strong bipartisan support for serious
sanctions against Saudi, including appropriate members of the royal family, for
this barbaric act which defied all civilised norms," Graham
said."While Saudi is a strategic ally, behaviour of the crown prince - in
multiple ways - has shown disrespect for the relationship and made him, in my
view, beyond toxic." Last week, a bipartisan group of US senators
introduced legislation seeking to punish Saudi over Khashoggi's killing, and
for its role in the devastating war in Yemen. The move came not long after US
imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudis allegedly involved in the murder.Many
senators expressed disappointment that those sanctions did not include MBS
himself, and called on US to take tougher action.aljazeera
Arrested Saudi activists tortured, sexually
harassed: Amnesty
Saudi activists, including women, arrested in
a Govt crackdown this year have faced sexual harassment and torture during
interrogation, Amnesty International said. Since May, the kingdom has held at
least 10 women and seven men on vague national security allegations related to
their human rights work.Those arrested include Loujain al-Hathloul, Eman al
Nafjan and Aziza al-Yousef, who campaigned for the right to drive before the decades-long
ban was lifted in June.The activists, held in Dhahban prison on the western Red
Sea coast, faced repeated electrocution and flogging, leaving some of them
unable to stand or walk, Amnesty said in a report on Tuesday, citing three
separate testimonies.aljazeera
Yemen: 85,000 kids may have died from
starvation
As many as 85,000 children in Yemen may have
starved to death in the past three years during its brutal war, an aid group
reported on Wednesday.Using data compiled by the United Nations, Save the
Children evaluated mortality rates for untreated cases of severe malnutrition
in children under five years old.The humanitarian agency found some 84,701
children may have starved to death between April 2015 and Oct.2018 because of a
lack of food."We are horrified that some 85,000 children in Yemen may have
died because of extreme hunger since the war began," said Tamer Kirolos,
Save the Children's director in Yemen, in a statement."Children who die in
this way suffer immensely as their vital organ functions slow down and
eventually stop … Parents are having to witness their children wasting away,
unable to do anything about it." aljazeera
Bombing at Kabul religious gathering kills
dozens
Dozens of people have been killed in a
powerful suicide bomb blast that targeted a large gathering of top religious figures
in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, according to officials.Wahid Majroh, health
ministry spokesperson, said Tuesday's explosion killed at least 50 people and
wounded more than 70 others. He added
that the death toll could rise further as many of those injured were in
critical condition.Najib Danish, interior ministry spokesperson, said "a
suicide bomber detonated his explosives" inside a large wedding hall where
hundreds of scholars and clerics had gathered to mark the birthday of Islam's Prophet
Muhammad. Religious studies lecturer Mohammad Hanif said verses of the Quran
were being recited when there was a deafening explosion followed by
"chaos" inside the packed hall."More than 60 or 70 people were
martyred," Hanif, 31, told AFP outside a trauma facility run by Italian
NGO Emergency. He escaped unhurt.There was no immediate claim of
responsibility. Taliban condemned the attack in a WhatsApp message.aljazeera
Twitter War: Imran rips Trump’s tirade against
Pakistan to shreds
Karachi:The roller-coaster relationship
between Pakistan and the United States touched a new low on Sunday when
President Donald Trump fired off a fresh tirade at Pakistan, triggering an
angry retort from PM Imran Khan and his
cabinet members.US mission in Afghanistan, now in its 17th year, has become the
longest, deadliest and costliest in American military history. Despite losing
thousands of men-in-uniform and billions of dollars, the Pentagon is not
winning the war in Afghanistan, according to its own assessments. Perturbed by
their predicament in Afghanistan, US civil and military leaders continue to
blame Pakistan for not doing enough to aid the American campaign against the
Taliban. Khan said that US president should do self-assessment instead of
“making Pakistan a scapegoat for its failures”.Khan was responding to President
Trump, who said in a Fox News interview on Sunday that “they [Pakistan] don’t
do a damn thing for us” even though Washington has given Islamabad billions of
dollars in aid. Instead he accused Pakistan of sheltering Osama bin Laden.caravandaily
US suspends $1.66 billion security aid to
Pakistan
New Delhi :Ties between US and Pakistan hit a
new low after the former suspended its $1.66 billion security assistance to
Pakistan on Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of
not doing enough against combatting terrorism, Pentagon said. “USD 1.66 billion
of security assistance to Pakistan is suspended,” PTI quoted Col Rob Manning,
spokesman of the Department of Defence, as saying.On Nov.19, Trump launched a
frontal attack on Pakistan for not acting against the terror pads on its soil
and gave the example of Osama Bin Laden who was hiding in Abbottabad, allegedly
under the protection of its military. “Of course we should have captured Osama
Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just before the
attack on WTC. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan
Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!” Trump
wrote on his Twitter handle.indianexpress
Israel arrests Palestinian MP from W.Bank home
Israeli army this morning arrested a member of
the Palestinian Legislative Council from the occupied West Bank city of
Al-Bireh, according to local witnesses. Witnesses told Anadolu that an Israeli
military force raided and searched the home of Palestinian MP Ahmad Attoun
before arresting him.The army, they added, also confiscated computers and
mobile phones from Attoun’s residence.The last time Palestinian legislative
elections were held in 2006, Attoun – who represents Hamas – was elected for
the city of Jerusalem.middleeastmonitor
Palestinian MP calls to expel Israel from the
International Federation of Journalists
A Palestinian lawmaker has called on Tuesday
to expel Israel from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) for
targeting Palestinian media HQRS.“Israel has committed a crime against
international laws and the Geneva Conventions by destroying the headquarters of
the Al-Aqsa TV channel” Hamas’s deputy in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Bahar told
reporters in Gaza.Bahr stressed that Israel’s attempts to “silence the free
voice of the resistance will fail and the Al-Aqsa channel will rise again with
a louder voice to resist the occupation and expose its crimes”. middleeastmonitor
Australian PM's 'dangerous ideology' remark
irks Muslim leaders
Muslim leaders in Australia have boycotted a
meeting with PM Scott Morrison after the latter asked the community to be
"proactive" in dealing with deadly attacks. Morrison had proposed a
roundtable meeting with Muslim leaders in the wake of a fatal attack in
Melbourne. He had singled out Muslim community leaders as having a
"special responsibility" to counter "the radical and dangerous
ideology of extremist Islam". Australia's Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed
and a group of other senior Muslim figures rejected the invitation in an open
letter to Morrison today."Many in the Muslim community including the
undersigned are deeply concerned and disappointed with statements made by
senior Govt ministers and the PM in the
recent past which infer that the community is collectively culpable for the
criminal actions of individuals and should be doing more to prevent such acts
of violence," the statement said."These statements have achieved
nothing to address underlying issues, but rather, have alienated large segments
of the Muslim community," they said in the letter published by Australian
media.aljazeera
China surveillance firms face backlash amid
Xinjiang crackdown
Video screen shows a constant procession of
Chinese citizens moving past a camera at what appears to be a public festival,
park or central city plaza.Their faces are bracketed by yellow squares with
various numbers hovering below, including each person's estimated age and
gender. If the person is known to the system, their name appears too.The facial
recognition technology was just one of dozens of such systems at the China
Hi-Tech Fair in the southern city of Shenzhen this month.But while other
companies tried to bring some levity to the dystopian feel by making cute dog
heads appear on the faces of passers-by, others had no qualms about showcasing
the Orwellian nature of their products. Shenzhen-based Kuang-Chi, which
stresses the benefits of "civil-military integration" of its
technologies, claims its "super-intelligent tracking system" leaves
"nowhere to hide" for those it targets. "It can find a person in
a crowd of up to 8,000 people," a Kuang-Chi representative explains at firm's
prominent display at the entrance to the fair. "It is being used already
by police in Chongqing and Shanghai and is 95 to 98 % accurate."aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS &
NEWS
Viral Video Claiming Muslim Women Sang Bhajans
in Mosque is False
In Twist to Sohrabuddin Case, Investigating
Officer Says Men on Trial Lacked Motive:Sukanya Shantha
CIC Commissioner Pulled Up for Landmark
Judgment on Loan Defaulters:Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
Revealed: How UK counter-terror unit uses rap,
graffiti to target Middle Eastern youth:Simon Hooper
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:47 PM)
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