NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
01 Jan. 2019: 24 Rabiul-II 1440:
Vol: 11, No:91
INDIA
Sabarimala row: 30 lakh women form 620-km ‘Vanitha
Mathil’ in Kerala, take pledge to uphold gender equality
In a defining moment for feminist politics in
Kerala, lakhs of women filled the roads from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram
and took a pledge to protect the renaissance value and uphold gender equality.Although
the wall was organised by the state's LDF against the backdrop of the Supreme
Court verdict on Sabarimala, the women's pledge reportedly had no reference to
the shrine. Women actors from across the state and political leaders gathered
at the venue to support the 620-km Vanitha Mathil or the women's
wall."Today's women wall formation was an aim to strengthen gender
equality. Women should no longer be pushed into dark sides," CPM leader
Brinda Karat said.Today afternoon, Women from across 14 districts in Kerala
reportedly started assembling by the side of the national highways by 3pm.The
event finally began at 4 pm and saw women of all ages thronging the venue. LDF
govnt, led by CM Pinarayi Vijayan, said it won't allow Kerala to be taken back
to the dark ages, and that women have equal rights. Vijayan, Devaswom Minister
Kadakampally Surendran and Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac took take part in
the event in Thiruvananthapuram. Health Minister KK Shylaja was at the starting
point in Kasaragod while Politburo member Brinda Karat joined everyone at
Thiruvananthapuram.With close to 30 lakh women attending the event, it is
believed to the largest/longest women's gathering in world.There were also
reports of stone pelting from Bekal in Kasarkod district, aimed at the women
participants. Kerala govt has been facing heat from both BJP and Congress over
its efforts to implement the SC verdict. The SC struck down a ban that
prevented women aged between 10 and 50 from entering the shrine dedicated to
Lord Ayyappa, considered to be eternally celibate.indiatoday
Women’s wall in Kerala HIGHLIGHTS: ‘Vanitha
Mathil’ falls into place across state
PM Modi: Triple Talaq matter of gender
equality, Sabarimala is about tradition
PM Narendra Modi today said that while Triple
Talaq is a matter of gender equality, entry of in Sabarimala is related to
tradition.PM tried to clear the air on BJP's apparent contradiction in its
stand on the controversial Triple Talaq Ordinance and the ban on entry of women
between age group of (10-50 years) in the Sabarimala Temple by saying the
Ordinance against Triple Talaq was brought keeping in mind gender equality and
social justice and it should not be seen as interference in religious
issues.However, on the entry of women of menstrual age in the Sabarimala Temple
and protests by Hindu groups, PM said that the issue relates to tradition and
the Supreme Court judgement that saw a dissent by a lady judge should be read
carefully."Triple Talaq Ordinance was brought after Supreme Court verdict.
We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue
under the Constitution,"Modi said." Most Islamic countries have
banned Triple Talaq. So it is not a matter of religion or faith. Even in
Pakistan, Triple Talaq is banned. So it is an issue of gender equality, matter
of social justice. It is not an issue of faith. So keep the two separate,"
he said. indiatoday
Ram Temple ordinance only after legal process
gets over:PM Modi
New Delhi:PM
Narendra Modi today made it clear that any decision on bringing an
Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets
over. He also suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because
Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the SC."We have
said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the
ambit of the Constitution," PM said about the Ram temple matter when asked
whether Ram Mandir issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for
BJP.BJP,as articulated in its manifesto, wants building of a majestic Ram
temple in Ayodhya. Recently, there has been a renewed pitch within the party as
well as by its sister outfits in Sangh Parivar for expediting the process of
construction of temple. Parivar outfits have expressed unhappiness over the
delay in resolving the matter and there are demands for promulgating an
Ordinance, similar to the one issued on Triple Talaq, to facilitate
construction of a temple.The demand for Ordinance has been articulated even by
BJP's ally Shiv Sena.Asked whether Govt could consider issuing an Ordinance on
Ram temple, PM pointed out that the matter is before the SC and possibly in the
final stages."Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process
is over, whatever will be our responsibility as Govt, we are ready to make all
efforts," he added.The matter is slated to be heard by the SC on Jan.4.ANI
PM Modi LIVE: Ram Temple ordinance only after
legal process gets over
Gujarat changes roll call: Jai Hind, Jai
Bharat to replace Yes Sir, Present
Ahmedabad:Taking inspiration from a Rajasthan
teacher who was honoured in Ahmedabad last Saturday by RSS-affiliated ABVP,
Gujarat Govt asked all schools to ensure
that students respond with “Jai Bharat” or “Jai Hind” during roll call from
Jan.1. Govt Resolution (GR) was issued in a circular by the Gujarat Secondary
and Higher Secondary Education Board, and Director, Primary Education. “In
order to instil nationalism from a young age, it is directed that students of
all schools, Govt , grant-in-aid as well as private, should say ‘Jai Bharat’ or
‘Jai Hind’, instead of ‘Yes sir’ or ‘Present sir’ across the state from Jan.1,
2019. Ensure this is followed across all schools,” circular states. According
to officials, the decision was inspired by Sandeep Joshi, a History teacher at
a school in Rajasthan’s Jalore district, who received the Yashwantrao Kelkar
youth award, at ABVP’s national conference, for his work in education,
including for getting his students to say “Jai Hind” and “Jai Bharat” during
roll call.Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said: “There is nothing
bad in taking inspiration from such a good initiative. This was followed in
Gujarat decades ago but somewhere down the line, it was
forgotten.”indianexpress
Gujarat IPS officer G L Singhal, key accused
in Ishrat Jahan case, gets promotion
Ahmedabad :Gujarat Govt has promoted IPS officer GL Singhal, who is
out on bail in 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case, to the rank of IGP. Singhal’s
name figures in the list of six IPS officers and DIG rank officers of 2001
batch who have been promoted to IGP.Singhal is among the key accused in Ishrat
encounter case who was arrested by CBI in 2013. He was granted default bail
after the central probe agency didn’t file chargesheet in the stipulated time. In
May 2014, Singhal was reinstated with promotion as Deputy Inspector General.
Singhal gave damning evidence to CBI in Ishrat case which included 2 pen drives
containing 267 voice recordings that had suggested the illegal surveillance of
woman under the orders of then minister of state for home Amit Shah, now BJP chief,
allegedly acting at the behest of a “saheb.”Vipul Aggarwal, currently posted in
Ahmedabad as ACP (administration), has also been promoted to IGP. Aggarwal was
involved in the Sohrabuddin case from which he was discharged. In this case, a
special CBI court in Mumbai acquitted all the accused last month. The other
officers promoted is JR Mothaliya, ACP (Traffic), Ahmedabad. Mothaliya is part
of SC appointed-SIT which probed 2002 post-Godhra riots. The other officers are
MA Chawda, Range IG, Gandhinagar and DN Patel, ACP, sector-2, Surat city. State
Govt has also promoted Surat commissioner Satish Sharma to the rank of DGP.indianexpress
Sohrabuddin encounter case: Smriti Irani says
Sonia Gandhi used CBI to frame BJP chief Amit Shah
Union Minister Smriti Irani has accused the
Congress of running a political conspiracy against BJP president Amit Shah in
2010 in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. Addressing a press conference on the
matter, she said the Congress ran a dubious campaign against her party
president as he was discharged by a special CBI court in 2014 in Sohrabuddin
Shaikh fake encounter case. Her statement comes days after a CBI court
acquitted all the 22 accused, mostly the policeman from Gujarat and Rajasthan,
in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case due to lack of evidence. She further accused
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi of using CBI to falsely frame the BJP president. She
further said years of fake propaganda by Congress against Amit Shah has
crumbled.NewsX
Sohrabuddin Case a pre-meditated theory to
implicate political leaders:CBI Court
Thwarting the prosecution's case and evidence
placed on record, Special CBI Judge SJ Sharma who presided over the Sohrabuddin
trial, recorded in a 358-page judgement that the entire investigation of the
prosecution was based on a pre-meditated and scripted theory that the killing
of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, Tulsiram Prajapati and a pregnant Kausar Bi, was part of
a larger conspiracy hatched by politicians with the help of both Rajasthan and
Gujarat police."CBI while investigating Sohrabuddin case was trying to
establish a pre-conceived and pre-meditated theory, rather than finding the
truth. They had a script intended to implicate political leaders anyhow"
Judge Sharma said in the judgement dated Dec.21, acquitting all 22 accused. A
copy of the judgement was made available today.Judge Sharma retires on Dec 31.A
total of 210 witnesses were examined in the case, out of which 92 turned
hostile. Initially 38 accused were named in the case, however, 16 were
discharged, including Amit Shah, and former home minister of Rajasthan Gulab
Chand Kataria. The remaining 22 accused were acquitted.However, the judgement
reveals that almost all the crucial witnesses who supported the case of
prosecution turned hostile. All the witnesses that turned hostile had refused
to corroborate their own statements recorded by CBI. Most of the witnesses that
did not turn hostile were police officers.For example, according to the
prosecution, Sohrabuddin, Kausar Bi and Tulsiram were travelling in a luxury
bus run by Sangeeta Travels to Sangli when they were picked up by the Gujarat
police. Thereafter, Tulsiram was handed over to Rajasthan police and
Sohrabuddin was taken to Disha farm outside of Ahmedabad along with his wife
Kausar Bi. But all the witnesses who were present in the bus during the said
incident, including the driver and conductor, turned hostile.A particular
witness who runs a Dhaba near Pune had deposed that Rajasthan police had
stopped at the Dhaba and he was told by one police personnel that they were
carrying a hardened criminal from Gujarat. He also stated that his staff had
served breakfast to Sohrabuddin.He turned hostile as well.Court also refused to
accept the prosecution's case that Tulsiram was present along with Sohrabuddin
and Kausar Bi in the bus when they were picked by the police. Court observed
that there was no material evidence to prove that Tulsiram was indeed present
during the bus journey. Also, the prosecution's claim that Tulsiram complained
about a threat to his life depended on the testimonies of inmates who were with
Tulsiram in Udaipur prison before his death. All the inmates turned
hostile.Court was not convinced of the prosecution's case that the killing of
the deceased was linked to the shooting that took place at the office of
Popular Builders in Ahmedabad. Court further recorded that CBI had completed
their investigation in a hurried manner. livelaw
Sohrabuddin Case: Court Says Prosecution
Failed to Prove Politician-Cops Nexus
30 Lakh File Claim for Inclusion, But 10 Lakh
Lose Out as Assam NRC Deadline Ends
Shillong:Of the 40 lakh applicants excluded
from the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, around 30
lakh had filed claims for inclusion by Monday evening, when deadline for the
“Claims and Objections” round ended, officials said.While the final tally is
expected to be clear Tuesday morning, officials said objections against 700
names in the final draft had also been filed till Saturday. The Supreme Court,
which is monitoring the updation process, had fixed Dec.31 as the deadline for
submission of claims and objections. The process for verification of
applications in the round is scheduled to begin from Feb.15, according to the
SC. Asked about the 10 lakh who have not filed their claims, official sources
said that “non-genuine citizens” who had tried to get in earlier “may not try
again”.AB Khandekar, who heads Association for Citizens’ Rights (ACR), which
focusses on citizenship issues,said a clear picture would emerge only after the
final figures are released, including those whose applications are “on hold”.
When the final draft was released on July 30, officials estimated that around
2.48 lakh applications were on hold, pending verification. “2 factors may have
led to even some genuine citizens being unable to file claims. First, the
freezing of ‘legacy person’ for applicants. And second, lack of capacity
building of ground-level officials to deal with complications faced by
applicants,” Khandekar said. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the claims
round, as accepted by the SC on Nov.1, states that a person cannot use a
different “legacy person”than the one already listed in the initial
application. In NRC process, legacy persons are those through whom applicants
draw their ancestry from prior to March 25, 1971.“Those who don’t file their
claims will not figure in the final NRC but that doesn’t mean they are rendered
stateless immediately. They will get a chance to appear before the state’s
foreigners tribunals to prove they are Indian citizens. Then, there’s the High
Court and the SC,” said Aman Wadud, a Guwahati-based lawyer.“But one fallout of
not being in the final NRC could be the Govt deciding that they will be
disenfranchised until they can prove their citizenship,” Wadud said.On Monday,
official sources said the state govt is unlikely to seek another
extension.indianexpress
30 Lakh File Claim for Inclusion, But 10 Lakh
Lose Out as Assam NRC Deadline Ends
House Panel on Citizenship Bill to Table its
Report by Jan.7
New Delhi: Joint Committee of Parliament
constituted to look into the various aspects of the contentious Citizens
(Amendment) Bill, 2016 is likely to submit its report by Jan. 7 during the
present session.The Committee headed by BJP's Lok Sabha member Rajendra Agarwal
met on Monday and discussed clause by clause the Bill that seeks to grant easy
Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan. "Today we had a clause by clause discussion on the Bill. Some
of the proposed amendments were considered, some were rejected. We are aiming
to table the report by January 7," Agarwal told IANS after the meet.
However, he refused to go into the specifics.Sources close to the development
said the ruling party tried to fervently push for most of its points even
inside the Committee, but the Govt is unlikely to bring the Bill immediately in
Parliament. AASU and various other groups in Assam and even BJP ally in Assam
state Govt, AGP, have been vociferously protesting against the Bill and have
warned Govt against it.Assamese groups
are already preparing to move the Supreme Court on the Bill.IANS
Man accused of attacking Bulandshahr cop with
axe during mob violence, arrested
Lucknow: A second man who led the fatal attack on a police officer in
Bulandshahr, during the mob violence of December 3 has been arrested. The
police said the man, identified as Kalua, had attacked Inspector Subodh Kumar
Singh with an axe, chopping off a couple of his fingers and then inflicting a
head wound. After that, the officer was shot. Prashant Nutt, the man who
allegedly pulled the trigger, was arrested on Dec.28.Subodh Kumar Singh's body
was found in an SUV abandoned in a field. Officer was part of the police team
called in to control a mob that had gone berserk after carcasses of more than
20 cows were found in the outskirts of a village in the district.The man was
arrested from a bus stand on Monday night, pushing up the number of accused
arrested in the case to 30."Kalua said on December 3, he was felling a
tree to block a road. When the inspector stopped him, he attacked him with an
axe," said Atul Kumar Srivastava, a senior police officer of Bulandshahr. Prashant
Nutt, Kalua and a third man, Johnny, who had snatched the officer's revolver
were identified from a cellphone video from the spot. All 3 are residents of
Bulandshahr and a hunt is on for Johnny. The police are also looking for the
man who allegedly instigated the attacks - Yogesh Raj, a member of the
right-wing Bajrang Dal. Yogesh Raj claimed he was innocent and has been
absconding since.ndtv
New ISIS module: NIA raids homes of 2
suspects, who were arrested last week, in UP 's Amroha
Amroha: NIA today carried out "follow
up" searches at the homes of 2 suspects, who were arrested last week in
connection with its probe into the new IS module.The suspects whose homes were
raided this morning are Saeed (28) and Raees Ahmed. As per locals, NIA team
arrived at the homes at around 5:30 am."Follow up searches are being
carried out today at five locations in Amroha," an NIA spokesperson said.On
Sunday too, the counter-terror probe agency had carried out searches at few
places in east Delhi's Jafarabad area and interrogated some people as part of
its probe.On December 26, the NIA had arrested 10 people, including the group
head Mufti Mohammad Suhail.Times Now
Jamiat Ulema to provide legal aid to people
arrested by the NIA for having ISIS link
New Delhi: NIA arrested 10 terror suspects by
raiding simultaneously at 17 places in UP and Delhi with the help of local ATS.
Not only Rihai Manch but the biggest organisation of Sunni Muslims - Jamiat
Ulema-e-Hind - has decided to to provide legal help to them. Jamiat president
Arshad Madani said that despite all big claims made by the police and
intelligence agencies, when these arrested youths go to court, they are
released after 5, 7 and 10 years of court battle in want of proof. They are
released sometimes by the lower court and sometimes by the high court and even
by the Supreme Court. So it clearly tells that their lives have been
deliberately destroyed.They were innocent as intelligence agencies and the
police don't have any proof against them. Proofs are mostly fabricated by
forceful and by illegal means. The external influence that is threatening UP,
Madani said that mountain hill is made out of a mole but in reality there is
nothing against these youths. This is where the role of Jamiat comes in picture
to fight cases of such innocent people. "What I feel that these children
will also be released if legal aid is given to them. It doesn't matter whether
from the lower court, the high court or the SC. We are fighting around 60 such
cases and we are getting relief from courts." But the way these cases are
presented that had these arrests not been made and intelligence agencies had
not done this excellent job by their excellent skills, the country would have
been destroyed. Sometimes it is being claimed that a CM was in the radar of
these terrorists, sometimes it is said that republic Day was on target or
Independence day was in the target but police fail to provide proof against
them. Madani was of the view that people having the intention of harming the
country by making bomb or scheming to make bombs or sharing secrets of the
country with other countries of the world must not be spared. But the issue
becomes delicate for Muslims where the attitude of the police, media and
intelligence have always been like that when Muslims are arrested throughout
the year. oneindia
Modi Govt is targeting innocents at the name
of terrorism: Alvi
Amroha:Congress spokesperson and former MP
Rashid Alvi here on Monday alleged that BJP Govt at Center was targeting innocent people at the
name of terrorism.
Addressing the media here on Monday, Mr Alvi
said that on direction of center Govt NIA was targeting innocent people at the
name of terrorism.Questioning on recent raids of NIA in western UP and NCR
region, he said that before elections BJP was targeting minority community
people for political gains.HE met with family members of arrested accused and
assured them that he will talk to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this
matter.He alleged that BJP was scared after defeat in three state assembly
elections and was trying to disturb communal harmony for political gains before
Lok Saba polls.UNI
Triple Talaq Bill: It’s not good for govt to
interfere in religious practices, says LS deputy speaker Durai
Chennai: Stating that it was the duty of AIADMK
to protect the rights of the minorities, Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambi
Durai said his party would oppose the Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha. “It is
not right for the Govt to interfere in religious practices. It is our party’s
stand to protect the rights of the minorities. Hence, we will stoutly oppose
the Bill that will harm our Muslim brothers,”Thambi Durai told reporters at Chennai
airport on BJP Govt’s move to pass the Talaq Bill. Party’s MP A Anwhar Raajhaa
spoke vehemently against the Bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday, creating ripples
within his party. He said that the Bill was against the Muslim community and
the AIADMK would oppose it. TOI
Opposing triple talaq Bill, Mehbooba says:
Don’t want Zia-ul-Haq’s Pak in Gandhi’s India
Srinagar:Saying that Indian Muslims are
against creating “Zia-ul-Haq’s Pakistan in Gandhi’s secular India”, PDP
president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asked the Centre not to interfere in
religious matters, referring to the triple talaq Bill.“All the Muslims, who
have stayed back in India, have stayed in Gandhi’s India. J&K , which
despite being a Muslim majority state, aligned with India, did it because of
Gandhi’s secular India,” Mufti said at a press conference in Srinagar. “We
don’t want to create a Zia-ul-Haq’s Pakistan in Gandhi’s India.”Speaking on the
triple talaq Bill passed by the Lok Sabha, Mufti said, “Today, there is an assault
on the family structure of the Muslims… Being a Muslim first, a woman, and also
having gone through a broken marriage, I thought it is my duty to speak,” she
said.She said Bill was introduced without consulting even a single Muslim
parliamentarian. “In such a big parliament, not a single Muslim Parliament
member has supported this Bill,” she said.indianexpress
Fiddling with Sharia law not acceptable: NC
over talaq bill
Srinagar: National Conference has accused BJP
of "fiddling with Muslim Sharia law" for electoral benefits and
asserted that tinkering with the customary Islamic law is not acceptable.
"Fiddling with the Muslim Sharia Law is not acceptable to us. The whole
process is being executed by the ruling BJP to leverage poll benefits,"
said NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, addressing workers from different
parts of the valley at the party HQRS Nawa-e-Subh here."BJP's recent
drubbing has made it pretty clear that people have now rejected it as a jumla'
party," he added "BJP Govt has
been mulling to come up with a bill criminalising triple Talaq since long. But
Mehbooba didn't raise the issue with her former ally at any forum when she was
hand in gloves with them. I fail to understand what purpose her statements
serve now.PTI
Unfair to point finger at AIMPLB; Board
members reject Imam Bukhari’s allegation
Lucknow: It is wrong to point finger at All
India Muslim Personal Law Board. Board has been strongly opposing triple talaq
bill. Said the officials of AIMPLB while responding to the remark made by Shahi
Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari.After the passage of triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha, Imam
had said AIMPLB has failed in fulfilling its responsibilities. Rejecting Shahi
Imam’s claim Board member Dr Qasim Rasool Ilyas said that the Board with all
its might mounted pressure on the Govt against the bill keeping itself within
the framework of the constitution. The Board wrote a letter to the Govt
especially to the PM, a delegation of the Board met opposition leaders
motivating them to oppose the bill and it also engaged strongest advocates in
Supreme Court to pursue the case. That is why the bill will not pass in Rajya
Sabha. Though the number of BJP members in parliament are more, despite that
just 245 votes in favour of bill proves that not only opposition, even BJP
members of the parliament are not in favour of the bill.siasat
J&K Governor warns of action if women
relatives of militants are harassed
New Delhi:Taking cognisance of an incident of
alleged harassment of a militant’s family in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, J&K
Governor Satya Pal Malik said strong action would be taken against police
officials if found they were found guilty.“It has been widely reported in media
that 3 close relatives of a militant were allegedly arrested and harassed by
the J&K Police. It has also been alleged that the clothes of a woman, who
was one of the persons arrested, were also torn,” said Malik. He also directed
police officers not to harass women relatives of militants. “I’ve been informed
that there has been no tearing up of a woman’s clothes or her being harassed by
police. All police officers and staff will be directed not to harass women who
happen to be relatives of militants or treat them in any unbecoming manner,” he
said. Malik also said that he would direct IG Police, Kashmir, to look into the
matter and verify if indeed the woman was harassed or her clothes were torn. If
necessary, action will be taken against police staffers found guilty, the
Governor said.indianexpress
Anniversary of Battle of Bhima Koregaon: HC
refuses relief to Bhim Army for Pune meet, Azad set to visit Jaystambh
Pune: Bhim Army has cancelled its public
meeting in Pune after Bombay High Court refused to grant interim relief to the
outfit over its plans to hold events in the city. However, the Dalit outfit’s
chief Chandrashekhar Azad is set for his first visit to Jaystambh in Perne
village to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. “We respect
the decision of the High Court. It was possible for us to hold public meetings
in Pune even without permission. But we believe in the Constitution, and so we
are not holding any public meetings. But I will visit the Mahatma Phule Wada,
Lal Mahal and will also meet some people,” Azad told mediapersons in Pune on
Monday. On his plans to visit Koregaon Bhima and the Jaystambh, Azad said, “I
will be going to Koregaon Bhima for sure. I am a citizen of India and not a
terrorist, and it is my fundamental right to visit place (Jaystambh), which is
a symbol of bravery of Bahujans. Dr Ambedkar used to visit this place. So,
nobody can stop us from going there…”.He added, “It was not right to impose a
ban on our public meetings. It seems Maharashtra has rajtantra (monarchy) and
not loktantra (democracy). All Bahujans should unite for 2019 polls and bring a
change.“I have come here to strengthen Dalit movement. I am not aware of the
politics in Maharashtra. I will take inputs, understand the basic problems and
then support the right parties.” Azad is also scheduled to address public
meetings in Latur and Amravati for which, he said, the requisite permissions
have been obtained. Referring to the arrests of activists in connection with
the Elgaar Parishad case, Azad said, “Those raising voices for their rights are
being branded Maoists and terrorists in this rule. Even I am a victim of this.”Bhim
Army has also said that Azad will visit Jaystambh on Jan.1 and shower flowers
on it from a helicopter.But Pune Police said it has received no application
seeking permission for entry of a helicopter in the area.indianexpress
Ghazipur: Villagers allege police barged into
Dalit homes, damaged property
A day after police raided the houses of
members of Nishad community and allegedly knocked down doors and damaged
property, locals alleged that another team barged into the houses of Dalits at
Chakfarid village in Ghazipur district Sunday night and created ruckus.The
police raid on Chakfarid village came in connection with the death of head
constable Suresh Pratap Vats, who was killed on Saturday when a mob attacked a
police vehicle as police tried to control protesters belonging to the Nishad
Party.Chakfarid village is less than 1 km from where Vats was killed. IG
Varanasi (range) Vijay Singh Meena on Monday said that 27 people have been
arrested so far in connection with Vats’s death.Locals alleged that while police
raid was confined to the houses of Nishads and washermen on Saturday, policemen
on Sunday barged into the houses of Dalits and damaged their property. Police men
also allegedly threatened the women with consequences if they helped the men
hide from the police, the villagers alleged.“On Sunday around 8 pm, policemen
arrived at the village in 6 vehicles. They first created a ruckus at the Nishad
basti. I had just finished my dinner and was about to go to bed when I got to
know about this. I hid on the terrace. Minutes later, several policemen entered
my house and started asking my 55-year-old mother about the male members of the
family. They also forcibly entered the room of my sister-in-law looking for
other family members,” alleged Bittu Kumar (23), a resident of Dalit
basti.indianexpress
Modi Govt makes NET mandatory for Dalit scholars:
Newsclick
In an exclusionary move that can have a
detrimental effect on scholars from marginalised communities, the Modi Govt has now made qualification of JRF through NET
mandatory for Dalit students to avail the special research fellowship.So far,
to get the special fellowship, dalit students did not need to take the NET:
they only needed to pass their post-graduate exam and were selected on the
basis of their research proposals.
Coming from communities that still face caste discrimination across the
country, this move by the Modi-led BJP Govt has been termed as “unjust”, as it
will lead to further excluding Dalit students from higher education. Speaking
to Newsclick, Swali, a post-graduate scholar in English from Delhi University,
said, “Govt through these moves wants to send out a message that the
fundamental right to education should rest with the majority. I come from a
background where being a woman from the marginalised community, affording to
acquire education in the national capital has not been easy, I want to question
this Govt why doesn't it want dalit and
Muslim scholars to avail the advantages of higher education.” Most dalit
students cannot afford coaching and, left out of the JRF, were using the
special fellowship to research topics on social discrimination and social
disparity, among others.newsclick
NHRC sends notice to HRD Ministry over suicide
of 49 JNV students, seeks reply in six weeks
New Delhi: A week after an investigation by
Indian Express revealed that 49 students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs)
committed suicide between 2013-17, NHRC today sent a notice to Ministry of HRD
regarding the matter and sought a reply within 6 weeks. Of the 49 suicides,
half were by Dalit and tribal students, and a majority of them were boys.“All,
except seven, were suicides by hanging, and bodies were discovered either by
classmates or members of the school staff. The contents of the report cannot be
ignored or overlooked as this reported pattern of suicides by so many students
in JNVs might still increase, if not checked in time with appropriate
measures,” NHRC said.NHRC also expressed concern regarding the proportion of
suicides from SC/ST communities. The commission has sought information on
whether trained counsellors were available on campuses to whom adolescent
students can open up and talk about their feelings.Information has also been
sought on whether dedicated staff are employed to ensure that children are not
left alone in rooms and whether emergency assistance through phone counselling
and suicide hotline services were available to them.indianexpress
Withdraw cases or will review outside support
in Rajasthan, MP: Mayawati
New Delhi:BSP chief Mayawati on Monday warned
that the party will have to “review” its decision of outside support to Congress
Govts in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh unless cases registered against
“innocent” people in connection with the Bharat Bandh on April 2, 2018 are
withdrawn.BSP also asked the Govt s in both states to fulfill promises made to
farmers in the Congress’s election manifestos.Mayawati’s remarks come on the
heels of Samajawadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s warning signals to the
Congress by expressing unhappiness with the party for not giving a Cabinet
berth to the lone SP MLA in MP.In a statement, Mayawati maintained that cases
were lodged against innocent people as part of political and caste “vendetta”
in Rajasthan and MP, both then governed by BJP, during Bharat Bandh, observed
to demand restoration of the SC/ST Act and reservation in promotions.indianexpress
With 1 million homes still in the dark, Modi Govt
misses power goal?
Modi’s Govt missed a self-imposed target to
electrify every home, delaying the success of a marquee $2.3 billion
development goal that his party plans to showcase before national elections
early this year.After bringing electricity connections to 23.9 million
households across 25 states, about 1.05 million homes in four states still lack
power, Govt’s Press Information Bureau said in a statement Monday, the year-end
deadline. Power Minister R.K. Singh reaffirmed as recently as late Nov.that the
Govt would meet its Dec. 31 target, which had earlier been moved up by three
months. Achieving full energy access has been one of Modi’s key reforms amid
his outreach to rural communities, where his BJP has been challenged by
dissatisfaction and joblessness. Electrification success would be a political
boon for Modi and BJP as they face national elections in the coming
months.Bloomberg/ET
JNU Professor Calls Muslim Student a
‘Terrorist’, Makes Communal Comments
Amita Singh, a professor at JNU, allegedly
made Islamophobic comments at Aejaz Ahmed Rather, General Secretary of JNUSU.
She allegedly addressed Rather, in the presence of several other students, as
someone who “looks like a terrorist who has committed 10 bomb blasts.”Aejaz was
having tea with his friends near the canteen of Sanskrit Centre, JNU on the
afternoon of Dec.26, when Prof. Singh of the Centre for the Study of Law and
Governance (CSLG), to the shock of the students, allegedly started raising
questions about the students’ social and religious backgrounds. He said, “She
asked for our names, demanded that we show her our identity cards, and, in a
brazen display of arrogance, made comments about our religious
backgrounds.” He said that Prof. Singh
would have known his identity, as he is a known activist in the campus as well
as the students’ representative, and has had several encounters with her at
protests and meetings with the administrative staff, but she still asked about
his identity just to provoke him. “She made communal and hateful comments
regarding my religious background. She even suggested that I had come here at
the behest of some other Muslim students,” he said. The students refused to
show their identity cards to her. Aejaz said, “Since Professor holds no
authority to demand us to prove our identity, we refused to do so.” After that,
the Professor allegedly told the students, “You people are outsiders, you look
very vulgar and uncultured, and lack the minimum decency to be a JNU student,”
and hurled abuses at them, insisting that they show their identity cards. He
added, “When Prof.Singh persisted with her forced interrogation, we asked her
as to what authority did she have to demand us to show our identity cards and
why should we as registered students agree to such surveillance.Professor took
this as an opportunity to personally target me and started making anti-minority
and Islamophobic comments towards me.”newsclick
Arnab Goswami directed to appear in J&K
court with Republic TV colleagues in criminal defamation case
A court in J&K has directed controversial
Arnab Goswami, founder of Republic TV, with his colleagues in a criminal
defamation case filed by former minister and senior PDP leader, Naeem Akhtar. CJM
of Srinagar has ordered Goswami along with Adidtya Raj Kaul, Zeenat Zeeshan
Fazil and Sakl Bhatt.Aditya Raj Kaul is a senior Associate Editor with Republic
TV,while Zeenat Zeeshan work for the channel as its J&K bureau chief. Akhtar, in his defamation case,
had accused Republic TV of broadcasting ‘scandalous’ news content against him.
He had pleaded before court to hold the named Republic TV individuals on trial.
The court has directed Goswami and his colleagues to appear before it by 9
February, 2019.Akhtar, according to local media reports, had filed his
defamation case on 16 Nov.against one Molvi Abid Ansari, BJP activist Khalid
Jahangir Sheikh and others for accusing him of corruption. Akhtar’s counsel,
Jahangir Iqbal Ganai was quoted by KashmirWalla website that Abid Ansari was
facing an arrest warrant against him after he failed to turn jup in the court
during the last hearing. CJM Srinagar Aijaz Ahmad Khan had issued a bailable
arrest warrant against him for not appearing before the court.jantakareporter
UP: Muslims decide to socially boycott cow slaughterers
Muradnagar: After the complaint and incident
of cow slaughter and subsequent sale of the beef, the Muslims of Muradnagar
have unanimously decided in a panchayat held at Rawli road Muradnagar, to
boycott all those who are involved in the act.Non-Muslims along with Muslims
welcomed the decision. In the panchayat, it was decided not to extend any sort
of help to those who slaughter the cow.The panchayat was held by the notables
of the city under the chairmanship of former vice chairman Bhure Chaudhry. He
told that some people indulge in cow slaughtering and disrupt the peace of the
city.The panchayat unanimously decided that if any Muslim is caught for being
involved in cow slaughtering and selling beef, no one will help him and he will
be socially boycotted.siasat
UP Shia board meeting today to discuss stance
on Ayodhya temple issue
Lucknow:Shia Central Waqf Board in UP has called a meeting to discuss its stance in
support of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and rebuilding the
mosque elsewhere today, ahead of the hearing in the title dispute case in the
Supreme Court. The board has already filed a 30-page affidavit before the top
court, saying that since the mosque was a Shia Waqf property, it alone is
entitled to negotiate with other stakeholders to arrive at a settlement.“Now
that the hearing in the case is scheduled to commence from January 4, I have
called a meeting with our lawyers to discuss the way forward on how best we can
resolve the issue,” said Waseem Rizvi, controversial chairman of the Shia Waqf
Board.HT
Actor-writer Kader Khan who dies today, designed courses in Islamic
studies
Mumbai:A little-known facet of Kader Khan, the
veteran Bollywood actor-writer-comedian who passed in away Toronto early on morning,
was that he was a Quranic scholar who designed a special academic syllabus in
Islamic studies, besides simplified Arabic and Urdu courses, a family friend
said. “Though deeply immersed in Bollywood, around early 1990s, he bowed before
the wishes of his aged father, the late Maulana Abdul Rahman Khan, to take
forward his ideals for propagating Islamic studies and help clear
misconceptions among the minds of people by using simplied language with their
meanings,” said Javed Jamaluddin, a veteran Urdu journalist and close friend of
the late actor. Originally hailing from Kabul, Afghanistan, Maulana Khan was a
renowned Islamic scholar who remained in India post-Partition and in the early
1950s, migrated to Holland, where he set up Arabic & Islamic Institute. However,
in early 1990s, Kader Khan was summoned by his father who wanted him to take over
and carry forward his legacy, but actor – then already a big name in Bollywood
– was reluctant, arguing he had acepractically no knowledge of Islam or Arabic
or Urdu.Adhering to his father’s wishes, he set up a team of experts in Mumbai
and also at his bungalow in Pune’s posh Koregaon Park where he designed various
Islamic courses for students from nursery to post-graduate levels covering
Islamic tenets, Sharia laws and the like.He followed up by opening the KK
Institute of Arabic Language & Islamic Studies in Dubai and later in Canada
to impart training in Arabic and Islamic laws as preached in the Holy Quran,
said Jamaluddin. IANS
WORLD
Bangladesh election makes mockery of
democracy: Main Opposition leader
Dhaka:The leader of the main opposition BNP
has said that Sunday's general election was a "fraud" and marred by
widespread irregularities."Yesterday's election was totally fraud,"
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the general secretary of BNP, told Al Jazeera
after PM Sheikh Hasina registered an
unprecedented victory.Ruling Awami League (AL) captured 288 out of 298 seats
for which elections were held, winning a whopping 96 % of the seats, drawing criticism from the
opposition."Ballot papers were stuffed on the night before the election.
Except for few, irregularities were found in almost all the constituencies. It
was preplanned, and the result was decided much earlier," Alamgir alleged.
BNP leader said that the vote rigging was facilitated by " Govt agencies, the police and other law enforcement
agencies in collaboration with the election commission
officials"."This is a mockery of democracy. Bangladesh has lost an opportunity
to come back to democracy," said Alamgir, who is among the seven BNP
candidates to win their seats.Meanwhile, many Bangladeshi voters shared their
stories on social media, some of them complaining of irregularities on the
election day.Shaquib Ahmed, a Dhaka resident, told Al Jazeera that he was
kicked out of the polling booth after he voted for the BNP."There was no
curtained area in the room to vote. As I put my seal on the BNP symbol a man
standing beside me snatched the ballot paper away and shouted, 'what do you
think you are doing?'," he said.34-year-old Ahmed says he was later abused
at Dhaka's Tejgaon College polling centre. "I did not protest as there
were other people with him and it was very intimidating," Ahmed told Al Jazeera.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon, ex-BNP member of parliament, blamed the
"fraudulent" election for his defeat in Noakhali 1
constituency."The election commission and the Govt collectively committed
fraud against the nation, the voter, and the constitution," said Khokon,
who is the secretary of Supreme Court Bar Council."The night before the
election, they stuffed ballot boxes in each centre with the help of the
police," he alleged."I met with the chief election commissioner 3
times before the election to take action against the police who were lodging
false cases against opposition members. He did not do anything."But PM Hasina rejected the rigging charges, saying
people voted her party to power for development work done in her 10-year
rule.Al Jazeera
Houthis stole food 'from mouths' of hungry
Yemenis: UN
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/houthis-stole-food-mouths-hungry-yemenis-181231143128776.html
UN's food agency has accused Houthi rebels of
stealing food "from the mouths" of hungry Yemenis, hours after an
investigation by AP found that both sides in conflict had stolen aid meant for
the country's most vulnerable.David Beasley, the Executive Director of the
World Food Programme (WFP), said on Monday that his agency had collected
evidence showing the Houthis had diverted shipments of food sent to help
alleviate "the world's worst humanitarian crisis"."At a time
when children are dying in Yemen because they haven't enough food to eat, that
is an outrage," Beasley said."This criminal behaviour must stop
immediately". Yemen's 4-year war and ensuing economic collapse have
unleashed the world's most urgent humanitarian crisis with over 22 million
people needing some kind of aid to survive.Food prices have increased by an
average of 68% , and the price of commodities such as petrol, diesel and
cooking gas has increased by at least 25% in the past year.WFP said the photographic and
other evidence it had obtained showed trucks illicitly removing food from
designated food distribution centres and local officials falsifying records and
manipulating the selection of beneficiaries.aljazeera
UN: 85 FARC members killed in Colombia since
peace deal
In the 2 years since Colombia signed a peace
deal with the left-wing FARC rebels, 85 members of the
armed-group-turned-political-party have been killed, the UN said.Colombia's
special investigation unit, quoted in a new UN report, blamed "illegal
armed groups and criminal organisations" for the killings.In his quarterly
report on the UN's mission to Colombia, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
urged Colombia's President Ivan Duque - a vocal critic of the peace accord,
signed by his predecessor Juan Manuel Santos- to better protect ex-combatants.
FARC, formerly known as FARC of Colombia, now operates as a political party
under the name, Revolutionary Alternative Common Force. aljazeera
Netanyahu refuses to resign amid corruption
allegations
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would not
resign if indicted on corruption charges, as police continue to investigate
several cases involving him ahead of April polls.Netanyahu, who is enmeshed in
three corruption cases and denies any wrongdoing, announced last week that a
snap parliamentary elections would be held in April, seeking a fresh political
mandate after his right-wing ruling coalition collapsed.On Monday, Netanyahu
said at a press conference during his Brazil visit that he would not step down
"in the event of being summoned for a hearing by the prosecutor general
before the elections".The lawyer general's decision on indictments is
expected in the coming months and some see Netanyahu's decision to call early
elections as a manoeuvre to fight any charges with a fresh mandate. aljazeera
US and Israel formally quit UNESCO
United States and Israel have officially quit UNESCO
at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day, the culmination of a process
triggered more than a year ago. Withdrawal is mainly procedural yet serves a
new blow to UNESCO, co-founded by US after World War II to foster peace. Trump
administration filed its notice to withdraw in October 2017 and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu followed suit, accusing the
UN agency of anti-Israel bias.Paris-based organisation has previously
criticised Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem, naming ancient Jewish sites
as Palestinian heritage sites, and granting full membership to Palestine in
2011.aljazeera
Syrian regime attacks Idlib in violation of
Sochi deal
IDLIB:Syrian regime forces and Iran-backed
terror groups intensified their attacks in Idlib province’s de-escalation zone
Monday despite a ceasefire agreement, according to a civil defense official.
"Assad regime forces have intensified airstrikes on Idlib and Homs on
civilian settlements since the evening," Mustafa Hajj Youssef, director of
the White Helmets civil defense agency in Idlib, told Anadolu Agency.Two
civilians were killed and six others were wounded in a camp for displaced
people, Youssef said.Following a meeting on Sept. 17, 2018 in the Russian city
of Sochi between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian
counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two sides agreed to set up a demilitarized zone
-- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited -- in Syria’s Idlib
province.Anadolu
Taliban attacks kill police in northern
Afghanistan
At least 23 security personnel have been
killed and dozens of others wounded in a series of attacks by the Taliban on
security checkpoints in Afghanistan's northern Sar-e-Pul province, officials
said on Tuesday. Fierce gun battles raged for several hours late on Monday in
the centre of Sayyad district and outside the provincial capital, Sar-e-Pul,
provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani said. A high-ranking provincial
official with an Afghan spy agency, a local police commander, and an army
company commander were among the dead provincial council member Mohammad Asif
Sadiqi told dpa news agency. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi claimed
responsibility for the attacks.Sadiqi said at least 25 others were wounded in
the attacks that began around 7pm local time and continued for more than seven
hours with Taliban fighters overrunning the posts.aljazeera
flash: views & NEWS
Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case to Lok Sabha
polls: What to look forward to in 2019:Abhishek De
New Rajasthan Govt Under a Cloud After Attack
on Muslim Man, Farmer Suicide:Shruti Jain
Prakash Ambedkar and the Future of Dalit
Politics in Maharashtra:Harish S. Wankhede
Aadhaar Judgement: Petitioners Send Legal
Notices to DoT, TRAI, RBI & UIDAI for Non-Compliance with the SC
Order:moneylife
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