NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
20 Dec. 2018:12 Rabiul-II 1440:
Vol: 11, No:80
INDIA
Ex Union Minister Kushwaha joins UPA, becomes
part of grand alliance in Bihar
New Delhi:RLSP joined UPA Thursday, becoming part of a grand
alliance in Bihar. Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP had pulled out of the NDA on
December 10 after disagreements over seat sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha
elections.The former Union minister joined the UPA after holding talks with the
Congress leadership. “We had said that we have many options and UPA was one of
them.The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav is one of the
reasons I joined but the biggest reason I’m here is the people of Bihar,” ANI
quoted him as saying.Kushwaha announced his decision at the AICC headquarters
in Delhi in the presence of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, AICC state
in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and
opposition leader Sharad Yadav. Welcoming Kushwaha to UPA fold, senior Congress
leader Ahmed Patel said: There is a gathbandhan in Bihar, it’s a matter of
happiness that Upendra Kushwaha is joining mahagathbandhan.” Sources said
Kushwaha has been offered four or five seats to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha
elections. Kushwaha’s joining the UPA is likely to give a boost to the formation
of a grand alliance in Bihar to counter the NDA combine of BJP-Janata
Dal(U)-Lok Janshakti Party. Congress, RJD, ex Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha
(Secular) are already part of UPA in Bihar and are seeking to give a fight to NDA
in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Kushwaha had quit from his post as Union
Minister of State for HRD and walked out of NDA alliance in Bihar and at the
Centre. In his resignation letter sent to Narendra Modi, he said he felt
“dejected, betrayed” by PM’s leadership.indianexpress
Delhi HC reserves order on CBI Special
Director Asthana’s plea seeking quashing of FIR
New Delhi The Delhi High Court today reserved
its order on petitions of CBI special Director Rakesh Asthana and DSP Devender
Kumar seeking the quashing of FIR against them on bribery allegations.CBI
Director Alok Verma maintained that all mandatory procedures of law were
followed while registering an FIR against Asthana on bribery allegations. The
complainant, Sathish Babu Sana, also made allegations of corruption, extortion,
high-handedness and serious malpractice against Asthana. The Supreme Court had
earlier dismissed a curative petition challenging the appointment of Asthana as
the special director of CBI. The court ordered, “We have gone through the
curative petition and connected papers. In our opinion, no case is made out
within the parameters indicated in the decision of this court (in a 2002 case).Hence,curative
petition is dismissed.” Verma and his deputy, CBI special director Asthana,
were sent on leave by the Centre after a feud between the two came out in
public,with both levelling serious accusations of corruption against each
other.indianexpress
Rafale deal: Congress leader Moily accuses IAF
chief of lying, suppressing the truth
New Delhi: A day after Air Chief Marshal B S
Dhanoa said that the Supreme Court has given a "fine judgment" on the
Rafale jet deal, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Thursday accused IAF
chief of "lying and suppressing the truth"."In Govt records, defence ministry and IAF chief wanted
HAL to be involved. IAF chief at that time visited HAL with Dassault and found
it (HAL) competent and declared that they have expertise. I think IAF chief
(Dhanoa) is not fine, he is lying, he is suppressing the truth," said Moily.
Moily's remarks follows Congress' allegations that the Modi Govt had favored Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as
Dassault Aviation's offset partner in place of state-owned HAL. Congress has
also alleged irregularities in the deal for 36 aircraft, claiming that the Govt
is buying them from France at a price much higher than the one that was being
negotiated by the previous UPA Govt.TOI
2016 Latehar lynching case: 8 men, who killed
two Muslim cattle traders, convicted by Jharkhand court
A local court in Latehar district, Jharkhand held
8 men guilty of lynching 2 Muslim cattle herders to death in March 2016. 8 men,
out of which 5 were arrested and three surrendered earlier but were released on
bail later, were sent to jail by first class judicial magistrate until the
quantum of punishment is pronounced later this week.Earlier in March 2016,
Mazlum Ansari (32) and Imteyaz Khan (13) were beaten to a pulp by a frenzied
mob and then hanged from a tree in Latehar. 5 of the 8 accused – Mithilesh
Prasad Sahu, Pramod Kumar Sahu, Manoj Kumar Sahu, Awadhesh Sahu, Manoj Sahu,
Arun Sao, Vishal Tiwary, and Shahdev Soni – were arrested by the police within
24 hours of the crime while the remaining three surrendered to a local court.
All of them were released on a bail later. According to the deceased families,
both Ansari and Khan were taking their cattle for sale to a nearby village fair
but were stopped by a group of men on the way. It was there that they were
brutally thrashed by the group and hung from a tree for all to see.Latehar lynching
triggered a series of violent hate crimes across the state where several Muslim
cattle traders fell prey to cow vigilantism. After much protests across the
country, the Supreme Court intervened and urged Centre to enact separate laws
to prevent such mob violence.NewsX
Naseeruddin Shah on Bulandshahr violence:
Cow’s death more significant than death of police officer
New Delhi :Referring to the Bulandshahr
violence where a policeman lost his life to mob fury over alleged cow slaughter
earlier this month, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has expressed concerns over
how “the death of a cow has more significant than that of a police officer” and
how he doesn’t see “the situation improving anytime soon”. “In many areas, we
are witnessing that the death of a cow has more significant than that of a
police officer,” Shah said.The actor was speaking to Karwan-e-Mohabbat India when
he also expressed concerns over the “impunity provided for those who take the
law into their hands”.“The poison has already spread and it is difficult to put
this jinn back into the bottle. There is complete impunity for those who take
law into their own hands,” he said.In the two-minute-ten-second video, Shah
also expressed fears over his children’s response if they were asked about
their religion. “I feel worried about my children. They do not have a religion.
I had received religious education as a child. Ratna (his wife who is a Hindu)
belongs to a liberal household, so she had received none,” he
said.indianexpress
‘You care about death of 2 men but not 21
cows?’ BJP MLA hits out at ex-civil servants
Bulandshahr legislator Sanjay Singh has called
the open letter by 82 civil servants demanding UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s
resignation ‘politically motivated’.New Delhi: Two days after 82 former civil
servants sought UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s resignation for his “failure to abide
by the Constitution”, in light of the recent mob violence over alleged cow
slaughter in Bulandshahr, the BJP MLA from the area has hit back.In the letter
released Thursday, Sanjay Singh questioned the retired civil servants for
noticing the death of two men, but ignoring the fate of 21 cows who also
allegedly lost their lives.Alleging that the signatories had political
ambitions, he also asked them to “have the guts to contest an election”. Ex
civil servants had written to PM Narendra Modi Tuesday, demanding the
resignation of Adityanath. “CM of the state acts as a high priest of agenda of
bigotry and majoritarian supremacy — an agenda which now seems to take
precedence over everything else,” they had written.theprint
Bulandshahr Violence: No Fair Probe; Police
Under Pressure, Says Ex DGP
http://caravandaily.com/portal/bulandshahr-violence-no-fair-probe-police-under-pressure-says-ex-dgp/
New Delhi:It has been more than two weeks but
there is still no trace of the prime accused in the Bulandshahr violence, who
are responsible for two deaths, one of the killed being an inspector – Subodh
Kumar Singh, investigating the Dadri lynching case. The violence had been
sparked in the name of alleged cow slaughter. However, the police claim to have
arrested the three accused of slaughtering cow – Nadeem, Raees and Kala. They
also have recovered a Gypsy, two double barrel guns, meat chopper, knives and a
wooden block from the accused. Action perhaps comes in accordance with the
order of UP CM Yogi Adityanath, who had ordered the police to
take strict action against those involved in cow slaughter. Following which the
police had arrested four – Yasin Khan and Mohd Hussain, residents of Naya Bans
village, the two accused were 2 minors – Sarfuddin (11) and Parvez (12).Caravan
News
Bulandshahr: Families of men held wrongly run
up debts, struggle
Bulandshahr :For 2 days, Sabir has been
sitting on the footpath outside the Bulandshahr District Jail. He borrowed Rs
800 from relatives for the 100-km journey from his home in Faridabad to the
jail and barely notices the winter chill in the open.He is anxious only about
meeting his son Sajid, who was arrested a day after Inspector Subodh Kumar
Singh and a civilian, Sumit Kumar, were killed in mob violence on December 3
during protests against alleged cow slaughter near Siyana village. Sajid and 3
others — Sarfuddin, Asif and Nanhe — arrested on charges of cow slaughter a day
after the mob violence were given a clean chit by the police and are expected
to be released soon. Bulandshahr SSP Prabhakar Chaudhary had said that the four
men were “innocent” and police have arrested three others for the alleged cow
slaughter.The police’s acknowledgement that the four men were innocent has
their families relieved but deep in debt after borrowing money from relatives
and neighbours to pay for legal fees and frequent trips to the jail, court and
police station. According to Sabir, his family left Siyana village 12 years
ago. “We kept on saying that he (Sajid) wasn’t even present during the
killings. The police did not pay heed. I have spent more than Rs 50,000 in the
last two weeks on food, lodging and transport to visit the jail and police
station multiple times. Even today, my cousin had to borrow Rs 800 on my behalf
to sponsor the visit. This entire ordeal has set us back by 6 months. Our
businesses have stopped.”indianexpress
Allahabad HC dismisses plea for namaz at
Ayodhya disputed site, fines petitioner Rs 5 lakh
Lucknow: Allahabad high court today rejected a
petition seeking permission to offer namaz at the disputed site in Ayodhya
while imposing a fine of Rs 5 lakh on petitioner saying the appeal was filed
for “cheap publicity”. Justices D.K. Arora and Alok Mathur of the Lucknow bench
of the high court passed the order on the petition of Al-Rahman Trust, which
had requested the court to give permission to offer namaz at the disputed
site.The court termed the petition as an attempt to gain “cheap publicity” and
imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the petitioner. The court directed District Magistrate
Faizabad to realise the fine amount if it is not deposited by the Trust.PTI
BJP wants mandir in Ayodhya at 'exact spot':A.Shah
New Delhi: Amit Shah has joined a growing list
of Sangh parivar affiliates to demand that the Ayodhya title suit be disposed
at the earliest. Shah said that his party wanted a “grand temple” at the “exact
spot” and felt if the Supreme Court held “day-to-day hearings”, the verdict
could be issued within ten days.Shah was confident that the hearings would
begin in Jan.2019 and “whatever the decision”, the apex court should rule on it
quickly. He claimed that crores of people, not just his party, wanted to see a
“grand temple” built at Ayodhya.Earlier in Oct, the SC said that the Ayodhya
title suit would only be listed before an appropriate bench in January
2019.“Ayodhya is a title issue. BJP clearly states that we want to build a
grand Ram temple at the exact spot and it is the demand of the entire nation…
The case was pending before the Supreme Court much before 2014. Lawyers of both
the Centre and UP Govt requested the
court to give priority to the case,” Shah said. thewire
RSS chief leads closed-door dharm sabha in
Rajkot for Ram temple construction at Ayodhya
Ahmedabad:In a bid to further push the demand
for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya, a 2-day closed-door dharm sabha led by
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat began in Gujarat’s Rajkot city today.Arsh Vidya Mandir,
an ashram near Saurashtra University campus on the outskirts of Rajkot, is the
venue for the meet. Unlike Ayodhya’s dharm sabha last month, which was a public
event, in Rajkot, the BJP and RSS top leadership will get together with over
150 saints to brainstorm. Sources have maintained that Ram temple construction
is on the agenda.BJP functionaries familiar with the matter said party’s president
Amit Shah and CM Yogi Adityanath will join Bhagwat and others on Friday.HT
Modi govt has no data on farmer suicides, says
agriculture minister Radhamohan Singh
In an attempt to remain in a state of denial, Modi-led
Govt has said it has no data on farmer suicides after 2015. Union agriculture
minister, Radhamohan Singh said this in Parliament at a time when the country
is going through agrarian crisis and poor crop prices have hit farmers in
several states.Radhamohan Singh informed Parliament on Tuesday that NCRB which
publishes such data, has not done it since 2016.The Union minister was replying
to a question by Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi, who had asked
details about the number of farmers who had committed suicide since 2016, and
whether Govt planned to rehabilitate their families."NCRB under the
Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides...
These reports on suicides are available up to 2015 on its website. The reports
for the year 2016 onwards have not been published yet," the minister said
in a written reply.
President’s rule imposed in J&K
As J&K completed 6 months under Governor’s
rule, President Ram Nath Kovind last night imposed President’s rule in the
state. Kovind signed the proclamation for imposition of Central rule in the
state, which plunged into a political crisis in June after the Mehbooba
Mufti-led coalition Govt collapsed. After 1996, this is the first time the
Central rule has been imposed in the militancy-hit state.indianexpress
If elected to power in J&K, will bring
resolution of regional autonomy: NC Chief Farooq Abdullah
Jammu :Former CM and NC president Farooq
Abdullah Thursday promised that if NC is voted to power in J&K , he will
bring a resolution of regional autonomy within 30 days of its forming the Govt .“Today
I promise you that if with the grace of God, National Conference came to power,
it will bring resolution of regional autonomy within 30 days of its Govt
formation", Farooq said while welcoming ex RS Pura MLA Gagan Bhagat, who
was recently expelled from party by BJP on charges of “immorality’’ and “indiscipline’’.The
document on regional autonomy has been prepared, he said, adding that it will
meet the aspiration of people in all the regions of the state. “We have to
empower all the three regions of the state and I hope that you people will work
to meet their aspirations,” he added.indianexpress
Hansraj Ahir: No provision in Constitution to
deal with elements raising anti-India slogans
New Delhi :Constitution does not have any
provision to deal with anti-national elements raising slogans against India,
Union Minister Hansraj Ahir said on Wednesday. Some residents of J&K have been influenced by elements inimical to
national interests, the minister said in the Rajya Sabha, adding that J&K has been affected by terrorist and
secessionist violence that is supported from across the border for more than
two-and-a-half decades.“The Constitution of India does not have any provision
to deal with anti-nationalists raising slogans against India, stone pelting on
Indian Army and paramilitary forces etc. However, such offenders are dealt with
as per the provisions of relevant laws applicable in J&K ,” the Union
Minister of State for Home Affairs said in reply to a written
question.indianexpress
BJP Allowed Rath Yatras In Bengal, HC Asks
State To Keep Order
Kolkata: 3 BJP 'rath yatras', expected to
crisscross Bengal ahead of next year's general elections, received a green
signal from the Calcutta high court today. The court scrapped the objections of
the Mamata Banerjee's Govt, which had claimed that the yatras could trigger
communal tensions. The administration was asked to ensure there was no breach
of law and order. The judgment from the
division bench overturns an earlier ruling from the court that had refused
permission for the rally. Later,state BJP had appealed again. Congratulating
the state BJP on the judgment, Union minister Arun Jaitley tweeted:"If any
NDA/BJP Govt had stopped an opposition
Programme, it would have been called an "Undeclared Emergency". Why
Silence now?" BJP has planned three "Save Democracy" rallies:One
from Cooch Behar in the northern part of the state, one from Kakdwip, in the
extreme southern part and one from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district, which
would converge in Kolkata for a massive rally.Together, the rallies are
expected to cover all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal -- one of the
several non-BJP states, where the party hopes to expand its footprint. There
are expectations that PM Narendra Modi
will visit the state to attend one of the marches.ndtv
BJP leader Bukkal Nawab believes Hanuman is Muslim, he has his
reasons!
BJP’s Member of Legislative Council (MLC)
Bukkal Nawab today claimed that Hanuman was a Muslim. He said that there are
several Muslim names that rhyme with Hanuman like Rehman, Ramzan, Zeeshan,
Qurban, Farman and so on. Nawab added that had Hanuman not existed, there would
have been no such names in existence today which Muslims use.In another
incident, it was not long ago when UP CM
and another BJP leader Yogi Adityanath
told Congress that the grand old party can keep Ali (4th Caliph in Islam and
Muhammad’s son-in-law) because Yogi and his party has Bajrangbali (Hanuman).During
a rally before Assembly elections in Rajasthan, it was Yogi Adityanath only who
took his claims on Lord Hanuman a little too far when he claimed that the deity
was a Dalit. UP CM said that Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a
Dalit. “Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north
to south and east to west,”added Adityanath.From a long time, prominent BJP
leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has been asking the Muslims of
India to accept that they are Hindus. He has reasoned that India has been a
Hindu country ever since its inception and all the dwellers of the country were
once Hindus. He has given many explanations to corroborate his theory but the
debate still rages on.newsx
Karnataka seer plotted food poisoning to oust
temple trustee
Chamarajanagar: Determined to oust a temple
trustee and wrest control of funds, a seer hatched a devious plot to poison
devotees of the Kichguth Maramma temple in Sulwadi village in Kollegal, police
said on Wednesday.At the seer’s behest, his lover, her husband and the priest
of a nearby temple poisoned the prasada on December 14 which led to the death
of 15 people and left over 100 devotees in hospital. The seer, Immadi Mahadeva
Swami, and his 3 accomplices have been arrested. They have been booked for
murder which is punishable with death.While the seer, who is the junior
pointiff of Salur Mutt in Kollegal taluk, tried to mislead investigators, what
helped police crack the case was the suspicious visit of an agricultural
officer to the house of Ambika, the seer’s lover, eight days before the
incident. The officer, a relative of Ambika, told police that he had given her
two 500ml bottles of insecticide. Ambika had told him that she needed it for
her garden plants.TOI
Targeting of Manipur Journalist under NSA for
Criticising CM Condemned
New Delhi: Several senior journalists, a
former judge of Supreme Court and political parties have condemned targeting of
a Manipur journalist by the state BJP Govt for criticising the CM . They have posted
their comments on social media platforms. Kishorechandra Wangkhem, a
45-year-old staff reporter of a local cable network, ISTV, who was detained
under NSA in last week of November by the BJP-led coalition Govt in Manipur, has been sentenced to a 12-month
jail term by a local court. The court sentencing came after he was arrested a
second time within 24 hours over a Facebook post in which he had mocked PM Narendra Modi and Manipur CM N. Biren calling Biren the "puppet"
of Modi. His first arrest was also for attacking the BJP.Reacting over the
arrest of the journalist under NSA, senior journalist and Founder Editor of The
Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan said: “Outrageous assault on media freedom.Using
the NSA when the courts say the cops don’t have a case is nothing but the abuse
of law.”Another senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai commented: “An absolute
shocker: shame on the Manipur Govt. How can they be allowed to get away like
this?”Journalist Kanchan Gupta demanded the state Govt to drop the charges against the journalist.
“Unless there is more to this story, a wise State Govt would drop charges and
set him free.Bluster on Facebook is not a crime.”India Tomorrow
Sohrabuddin Fake
Encounter Case: Key Witness Wants to Be 'Re-Examined'
Mumbai: Just 2-days
before the special CBI court is scheduled to pass a verdict in alleged fake
encounter killings of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausarbi and Tulsiram
Prajapati, a key witness has moved the court seeking re-examination.Azam Khan,
an associate of Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram, filed a plea before the special CBI
court on December 19, stating that he had faced “unrelenting torture” for 20
days prior to appearing before the court as a witness.In a 22-page application,
Khan claimed that because of threats and torture, he was scared to name IPS
officers and politicians during his deposition before the court last month. Khan
claims his testimony is “incomplete” and sought to be recalled as a witness. He
wanted to be provided with security to ensure he is not threatened again.He
singled out prime accused Abdul Rehman, a Rajasthan police officer who had
allegedly fired at Sohrabuddin. Azam Khan, in his application stated that,
“While he (Khan) was able to name one retired IPS officer, he was scared to
name other IPS officers and politicians after he was threatened by accused
Abdul Rehman (Rajasthan policeman) on the morning of his deposition.”Before his
deposition on Nov.3, Khan alleges he was kept in a hotel in south Mumbai and
then taken into an SUV car in which Rehman was already present. Rehman
allegedly threatened him and asked for a favourable deposition. If he failed to
do, Rehman threatened to implicate Khan in false cases.thewire
Goa: Nuns can wear
headgear but I can’t says Hijabi woman
Panaji: A Merces-based
young Muslim woman has taken to social media to raise her voice against alleged
discrimination she faced in Goa from different authorities for choosing to wear
a hijab, while she claimed nuns were allowed to keep their headgear on.A writer
and a postgraduate psychology degree holder, 24-year-old Safina Khan Soudagar,
is currently busy gathering support from Muslims, after she claimed to have
been unable to answer NET, allegedly because she was asked to take her hijab
off to be able to meet the test rules. Safina said she has had to face
discriminatory behaviour on other occasions, too, because of the headgear she
wears for religious reasons. She claimed to have faced such behaviour while
getting her passport made.She also claimed that in June she was stopped from
entering the ward by GMC staff, where her father’s friend was admitted. “We
were told that there were some incidents in the past when woman with hijab
entered. Only after much debate, we were allowed to enter,” she told TOI.In her
social media post, Safina said that she was scheduled to appear for NET exam on
Tuesday, but wasn’t allowed to answer. “Why? Because I refused to take off my
hijab.Yes, that’s right. In a democratic country, a secular society, in a
forward state like Goa, I was not allowed to answer an exam that I had all
rights to do,” she said in her post.Safina said she was told she was required
to show her ears and after some debate with officials, she agreed to re-tie her
hijab in a manner that her ears were visible. “I asked them to show me to a
washroom. They refused. Asked me to do so in the presence of men who aren’t
family, which is against Islamic beliefs.”Safina alleged that she was also told
that she will have to sit through the exam without her hijab, so she chose not
to take the exam.“I chose to keep my faith above these laws that do not allow
me to practice my religion freely in a “secular society”. And this incident
isn’t isolated. I’ve had to face similar disregard for my hijab in the passport
office as well. Where I was told the nuns are allowed to keep their headgear
on, but I’m not. Even though both garments signify the same thing, modesty,
religious beliefs and our love for God,” Safina said. Calling it double
standards, she appealed to her ‘hijabi sisters, brothers in Islam, and friends
who have family or friends who observe hijab’ to come together against the
alleged injustice. NET authorities could not be reached for comment. TOI
Niti Aayog: 'Identify poorest among minorities
through socio-economic caste census'
New Delhi: The Govt ’s think tank NITI Aayog
has in its strategy paper for new India at 75 recommended that the poorest
among the minority communities be identified through the socio-economic caste
census data for proper targeting of various schemes. Concern is raised over the
fact that data on development indicators for minorities is not generated at
regular intervals. As per Census 2011, of the total population of 121 crore,
Hindus constitute 79.8 per cent, Muslims 14.2 per cent, Christians 2.3 per
cent, Sikhs 1.7 per cent, Buddhists 0.7 per cent and Jains 0.4 per cent. “While
improvements have been made on several fronts, religious minorities lag behind
on certain indicators pertaining to educational attainment, gender equality and
workforce participation,” it is stated. Disaggregated data from a survey is
cited to highlight that the highest proportion of out of school children in the
country belong to Muslim communities (4.43 per cent), followed by Hindus (2.73
per cent), Christians (1.52 per cent) and others (1.26 per cent). Data from the
68th round of the National Sample Survey revealed that the proportion of
households in urban India with casual labour and self employment as the
dominant income source was the highest among Muslims at 15 per cent and 50 per
cent respectively. The workforce participation rate among Muslims, Sikhs and
Jains was lower than the national average according to Census 2011. NITI Aayog
recommends that the primary responsibility for a number of schemes currently
being implemented by the ministry of minority affairs (MoMA) may be vested with
the relevant line ministries.TOI
AMU students take out
protest march against killing of civilians in Kashmir
AMU students took out a
silent march on Wednesday to protest the killing of 7 civilians in Kashmir on
Saturday. The students submitted a memorandum on the deteriorating situation in
J&K to the President of India, Ramnath Kovind through local administration,
and urged him to take cognisance of the situation and intervene into the
matter.The memorandum reads, “We find the situation in Kashmir very explosive
and going out of hand. The local mainstream political parties have failed to
govern the state and the Governor rule is about to turn into Presidential rule
in next few days”. In the memorandum, the students urged the President to take
some immediate measures and direct armed forces to maintain restrain in order
to prevent civilian casualties. They also demanded that the use of pellet guns
must be immediately stopped and non-lethal alternatives must be adopted,
besides revoking the iron fist policy. TOI
AMU Ranked 2nd Best Among
Indian Universities
"US News and World
Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2019" has placed the AMU on the
second rank among all Indian universities, in its "Best Global
Universities Ranking 2019", university officials said. According to agency,
AMU's Dept. of Mathematics is ranked first among all universities and
institutions in India, and 154th in the world, with a subject score of
46.9.Similarly, the world ranking body has placed the biological and
biochemistry studies [Life Science] in AMU as best among Indian universities
and institutions with a score of 35 and a world ranking of 294.Further, US News
and World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2019 has also ranked AMU's
Department of Physics at 465th, and Dept.of Chemistry at 518th, among best
global universities, worldwide. ummid.com
Men, women eating
together at functions un-Islamic: Darul Uloom
Muzaffarnagar: Men and
women eating food together in any programme or function is un-Islamic, says
Deoband-based Islamic seminary Darul Uloom. The seminary also said that eating
food while standing is also not "jayaz" (legitimate).A Deoband
resident, who did not wish to be identified, had approached Darul Uloom seeking
the seminary's opinion on the matter. "I had sought to know from the
seminary the proper way, under Islamic rules, of having food at programmes such
as wedding functions and other events. I also sought to know if one can have
food while standing," the man said.Replying to the man's query, Darul declared
that both the acts are forbidden and un-Islamic under the Shariat. Darul Ifta,
a wing of the Islamic seminary, issued a written fatwa that reads, "It is
'na-jayaz' (illegitimate) and sin for men and women to have food together at
wedding functions or other events." Replying to the other query of the
man, the seminary said, "Doing such act (eating while standing) will ruin
Muslim society. Muslims should avoid such act." Supporting the fatwa,
Deoband-based Mufti Athar Qasmi said, "Women eating or taking part at such
programms in which strange men are present is not good for women, and it is
strongly forbidden and is a sin under Islamic law. Eating while standing also
na-jayaz. We appeal all Muslims to follow this fatwa."TOI
Banks may remain closed
for 5 days due to holidays, strikes in Dec 26
Kolkata: Ahead of the
strike called by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on Dec.26, one of the bank
officers' union has called a strike on December 21, demanding unconditional
mandate for the XIth bipartite wage revision talks, officials said on
Wednesday. In the wake of strikes and holidays, the banks will remain closed
from next Friday to Wednesday, except on Monday and the banking services could
adversely be affected on these days.The banks will remain closed on December 22
and 23 on account of fourth Saturday and Sunday respectively. December 25 will
be national holiday for Christmas. IANS
Jinnah’s photo in Faizabad
jail event sparks row
Faizabad :A photo of Pakistan
founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah during an event in UP’s Faizabad jail has sparked a
row, with BJP and right-wing groups demanding strict action against the
organisers. On Wednesday, a function was organised inside the jail premises to
mark the martyrdom day of freedom fighter Ashfaqulla Khan. During the event,
the photo of Jinnah was put up along with that of several other notable
personalities like Bahadur Shah Zafar, Tipu Sultan and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
among others.The incident created a storm with ruling BJP and right-wing groups
like VHP demanding strong action against those who organised the programme.“The
organisers by putting up Jinnah’s photo has made great the occasion of
Ashfaqulla Khan’s martyrdom day a disputed programme. By doing this they just
want to come into limelight, but this is not accepted, we will take action
against them,” local BJP MLA Ved Gupta said.PTI
Mumbai’s Jinnah House to
be MEA property, to host top-level meets, banquets
Mumbai:External affairs
minister Sushma Swaraj said her ministry is in the process of acquiring Jinnah
House, originally owned by the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Swaraj
said Jinnah House would be converted into a venue along the lines of Hyderabad
House in New Delhi.In a letter to city BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha, she said
the ministry is in process of “transferring the ownership of the property in
our name”. Lodha said, “The move by the Govt will end the controversy about the
ownership and how it should be utilised.”Jinnah House has been the subject of a
legal battle between the Govt of India and Jinnah’s daughter Dina Wadia, who in
2007 petitioned in Bombay high court to regain control of the property. Wadia
died in Nov. last year.HT
WORLD
US announces complete withdrawal of troops
from Syria as Trump declares Islamic State defeated
US has started withdrawing its troops from
Syria, White House said on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump declared
that ISIS group has been defeated in the country. White House Press Secretary
Sarah Sanders said that "victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the
end of Global Coalition or its campaign". "We have started returning
US troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," she
added. "US and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend
American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to
deny radical Islamist terrorists' territory, funding, support and many means of
infiltrating our borders."Sanders's comments came after reports surfaced
that US was considering a full troop withdrawal from the country.A complete, rapid
withdrawal, if confirmed, would upend assumptions about a longer-term US
military presence in Syria, which US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other
senior US officials had advocated to help ensure ISIL cannot re-emerge. Still, Trump
has previously expressed a strong desire to bring troops home from Syria when
possible. Prior to Sanders's statement on Wednesday, Trump tweeted, "We
have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during Trump
Presidency." An unnamed US official told Reuters news agency that all
State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours. The
official added that the US plans to pull military forces out of the country
once the final stages of the last operation against ISIL are complete and that
the timeframe for the troop pullout is expected to be between 60 to 100 days.
US still has about 2,000 troops in Syria, many of them special operations
forces working closely with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab groups known as Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF).The partnership with SDF has outraged NATO ally Turkey,
which views US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as an extension
of an armed group fighting inside Turkey.The deliberations on US troops come as
Ankara threatens a new offensive in northern Syria. aljazeera
Syria: Putin welcomes Trump's decision to pull
out US troops;world reactions
Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed
US President Donald Trump's decision to send troops home from Syria after
declaring victory over ISIL."The fact that US has decided to withdraw its
troops is right," Putin told a press conference on Thursday. Putin said
that "as concerns the victory over IS, on the whole I agree with the US
president," he said, adding that "we have dealt serious blows against
IS in Syria."Nevertheless, Putin cast doubt on Washington's plans, saying
"we don't see any signs of withdrawing US troops yet, but I concede that
it is possible."Despite Trump's declaration that ISIL had been defeated,
officials in France and UK stressed the threat the armed group continues to
pose to their interests. British junior defence minister, Tobias Ellwood was
more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the group had been defeated in
Syria with the words: "I strongly disagree."Speaking on Thursday,
France's defence minister said that ISIL had been weakened but not defeated.Israeli
PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would
escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria.Israel also worries
that its main ally's exit could reduce its diplomatic leverage with Russia, the
Syrian Govt 's big-power backer."We will continue to act very aggressively
against Iran's efforts to entrench in Syria," Netanyahu said in televised
remarks, referring to an Israeli air campaign in Syria against Iranian
deployments and arms transfers to Lebanese Hezbollah, carried out with Moscow
often turning a blind eye.aljazeera
'Triumph for Erdogan' as he announces Syria
pullout
Syria: World reacts to Trump's decision to
pull US troops out
US clears Patriot missile sale worth $3.5bn to
Turkey
US has said it approved a sale of $3.5bn in
missiles to Turkey amid tensions between NATO allies over Ankara's plans to buy
them from Russia.The State Department said it had informed the US Congress of
plans to sell Turkey a Patriot package that includes 80 Patriot missiles, 60
PAC-3 missile interceptors and related equipment."The proposed sale will
increase the defensive capabilities of Turkey military to guard against hostile
aggression and shield NATO allies who might train and operate within Turkey's
borders,"it said.aljazeera
UAE says US-Taliban talks show 'positive'
result
UAE said talks it is hosting between US and
the Taliban have yielded "positive" results.US-Taliban
"reconciliation talks" produced "tangible results that are
positive for all parties concerned", the UAE's official WAM news agency
said on Wednesday.A new round of talks would be held in Abu Dhabi "to
complete the Afghanistan reconciliation process", it said without
providing further details.The two days of meetings in the Emirati capital are
Washington's latest attempt at ending Afghanistan's 17-year conflict, which has
cost it nearly $1 trillion since 2011 when it led an invasion to overthrow Taliban
Govt of Afghanistan following the Sept.11
attacks. Taliban, which has not confirmed meeting Afghan officials, said it had
held "preliminary talks" with US envoy. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad
said he had "productive" meetings in UAE with Afghan and
international partners "to promote intra-Afghan dialogue towards ending
the conflict".Khalilzad tweeted he met with Pakistani officials on
Wednesday to brief them before travelling to meet Afghan leaders in Kabul.In
another breakthrough, three representatives of the Haqqani network - Hafiz
Yahya, Saadullah Hamas and Dr Faqeer - were also present at the talks, AP
quoted an anonymous Taliban source as saying. Although part of the Taliban, the
Haqqani network has its own military committee. Its leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani,
is deputy head of Taliban. The group's prowess on the battlefield makes its
presence at the meeting particularly significant because it's unlikely any
agreement could be enforced without their support.aljazeera
Social media giants censor user content at
Israel’s request
Social media giants are collaborating with
Israeli authorities to censor user content, according to a new update by legal
rights centre Adalah.Adalah is continuing to demand that Israel’s state
attorney’s office closes its “Cyber Unit”, which works with companies like
Facebook and YouTube to remove posts. According to official data, in 2016 unit
submitted 2,241 content removal requests, of which 69 per cent of posts were
duly removed. In 2017, the unit submitted a massive number of 12,351 content
removal requests, 85 per cent of which were removed. Adalah maintains that
there are “constitutional and legal flaws inherent in Cyber Unit’s
activities”.“The state attorney’s authority in such issues is limited to the
possibility of retroactively appealing to the courts and bringing suspects to
trial,”Adalah stated.MEMO
Gaza’s Al-Aqsa TV to go off air after Israel
bombing
Gaza Strip’s Al-Aqsa TV is to go off air
tonight, a month after its studio was destroyed by an Israeli air strike. TV
station announced that it would go off air today at 17:00 local time , citing a
“suffocating financial crisis” caused by an Israeli air strike which left the
channel with $4.5 million worth of damages, Times of Israel reported. Director
of Al-Aqsa TV, Wisam Afifa, said that it is unclear if and when the station
will be able to resume its broadcasts, saying the timescale “depends on the
availability funds”.Though the station yesterday provided an email address and
phone numbers that could be used to make donations, it is unlikely enough funds
will be raised to prevent the channel from ceasing its broadcast tonight. Afifa
added that some 220 people work for the channel, meaning they are likely to be
left without work following the station’s closure.MEMO
UN World Food Programme to cut back aid to
190,000 Palestinians
UN World Food Programme (WFP) is to cut food
aid from next month to about 190,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West
Bank due to a shortage of funds, WFP's senior official for the Palestinian
Territories has said. The announcement follows the slashing of US aid funding
to humanitarian agencies working in the occupied territories, which UN agency
responsible for Palestininan refugees said this week would mean that half a
million fewer Palestinians would be recipients of aid. “WFP’s assistance has
been a lifeline to tens of thousands of people who have exhausted all their
meagre resources while trying to cope with unabated and mounting hardships,”said,WFP
director in Palestine.middleeasteye
Sudan protesters torch ruling party HQ over
rising prices
Protesters in Sudan have set fire to the
ruling party's offices as part of a series of demonstrations against rising
bread prices and shortages of fuel, both subsidised by the Govt .Images
circulating on social media showed the ruling National Conference Party's
offices in Atbara, some 320km north of the capital Khartoum, being set on fire,
while other fires were scattered across the streets at the centre of the
protests. Residents said that the protests were triggered after bread prices
increased from one Sudanese pound to 3 Sudanese pound. The protests, which also
broke out in the city of Port Sudan, the capital of Red Sea state, saw
demonstrators call for the "overthrow of the regime", a slogan that
was common during the Arab Spring uprisings that swept through the region in
2011.Hatem al-Wassilah, the governor of the Nile River state, told Sudania 24
TV that a state of emergency had been declared in Atbara and a curfew imposed
from 6pm local time to 6am .aljazeera
Egypt court acquits 40 NGO workers after
retrial
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/egypt-court-acquits-40-ngo-workers-trial-181220101927864.html
An Egyptian court has acquitted 40
pro-democracy NGO workers, in a retrial of a long-running case that has
strained the country's relations with the US.In 2013, 43 Americans, Europeans,
Egyptians and other Arabs were sentenced to jail terms ranging from one to 5
years on various charges, including operating NGOs without necessary approval.
Their offices were ordered to close.In April, Egypt's top appeal court
overturned the jail sentences of 16 of the workers and ordered their
retrial.Many of the defendants, including at least 15 Americans, left Egypt at
the time and received five-year sentences in absentia.The remaining three
defendants who were not acquitted on Thursday are among those who were
sentenced in absentia, but did not apply for a retrial, a judicial source
said.aljazeera
Gulf Arab blue collar workforce continues to
grow: UN
Blue-collar migrant workers continue adding to
the labour force of the oil-rich Gulf, skewing long-standing efforts by its
leaders to increase the percentage of its own citizens in the workforce, data
of UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) shows.Figures released this
month in a 78-page study, ILO Global Estimates on National Migrant Workers,
showed that the proportion of migrants in the eastern Arab region's workforce
ballooned by 5.2 percent from 2013 to 2017, mostly in the construction
sector.Migrants now make up 40.8 percent of the workforce across a 12-nation
region that includes GCC bloc of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and
Oman.aljazeera
Lankan Prez appoints cabinet after political
crisis
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena
appointed a 30-member cabinet, days after Ranil Wickremesinghe was reinstated
as PM following a lengthy political
crisis.Sirisena administered oaths in a private event today. Mangala
Samaraweera was reappointed as finance minister as parliament considers a
temporary budget aimed at avoiding a Govt shutdown from Jan.1.Wickremesinghe's
reinstatement as PM earlier this week
and the appointment of a new cabinet will result in Sri Lanka's Govt resuming functions that have been obstructed
since October. aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Explained: Mandir demand and the law: Kaunain
Sheriff M
Will We Keep Allowing Judges to Channel
Personal Religious Beliefs Through Courts?M.R. Shamshad
Here are 15 Questions for PM Narendra Modi, If He Will Ever Face
Them:thewire
How President’s Rule in J&K Differs From That in Other States:thewire
Identity politics has trampled secular values;
India is not a ‘Hindu nation’:Ram Puniyani
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:10 PM)
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