NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
12 Jan. 2019: 05 Jamadiul-I 1440:
Vol: 11, No:99
INDIA
CVC met Alok Verma to request he withdraw adverse
comments on ex-CBI director Alok Verma
New Delhi: Central Vigilance Commissioner K.V.
Chowdary asked ex-CBI director Alok Verma to withdraw the adverse comments he
had made on the record in his deputy, Rakesh Asthana’s annual confidential report,
or ACR. Sources close to Justice A.K. Patnaik – the retired judge tasked with
supervising the CVC’s probe against Verma – told The Wire that Chowdary went to
Verma’s residence on Janpath and made this unusual request assuring him that
“everything will be ok” for the former director if he does that.Details of this
meeting were provided in writing by Verma to Justice Patnaik. Chowdary’s
request to Verma came when the fight between the two officers had broken out in
the CBI and when Verma had to take a call on making top PMO bureaucrat Bhaskar
Khulbe, an accused in the coal scam, something that Asthana had
resisted.Significantly, in all his submissions to the Supreme Court – which
finally became the basis for the high powered committee to sack Verma as CBI director
– Chowdary made no mention of his efforts to intercede on behalf of Asthana.
The omission is significant because the CVC’s negative report on Verma was
based entirely on inputs from Asthana.The Wire has learned that Verma made a
written submission to Justice Patnaik in which he revealed the details of this
meeting. Chowdary wanted Verma to change the conclusion he had reached in
Asthana’s ACR – that he was an officer of “doubtful integrity”. In general,
adverse comments in an officer’s ACR are an impediment for promotion and, in
the case of a sensitive post like director of CBI, a virtually insurmountable
barrier.Asthana’s complaint to CVC against Verma started after the latter’s
refusal to withdraw those adverse comments. His complaint then formed the basis
of action against Verma.thewire
No evidence of corruption, decision of PM-led
panel on Alok Verma very hasty: SC’s monitor
Justice A K Patnaik, the retired Supreme Court
judge who was asked by the apex court to supervise Central Vigilance Commission
(CVC) enquiry that eventually led to the ouster of CBI Director Alok Verma, on
Friday said there was “no evidence of corruption” against Verma, and “what the
CVC says cannot be the final word”.He was critical of “the very, very hasty”
decision of the Prime Minister-led selection committee to remove Verma from CBI
Director’s post over charges of corruption and dereliction of duty Thursday,
two days after he was reinstated by the Supreme Court.Of the 3 members of the
selection panel, Prime Minister Modi and Justice A K Sikri were against Verma’s
continuance as CBI chief in light of CVC report and “the extremely serious
nature of observations made by CVC against Verma”. Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader
of Congress in Lok Sabha, did not go with the other two members, contested the
CVC report and filed a dissent note.Justice Patnaik said: “There was no
evidence against Verma regarding corruption. The entire enquiry was held on
(CBI Special Director Rakesh) Asthana’s complaint.I have said in my report that
none of the findings in the CVC’s report are mine.”Indian Express has also
learnt that in a two-page report to the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief
Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Patnaik stated that “CVC forwarded to me
a statement dated 9.11.2018 purportedly signed by Rakesh Asthana. I may clarify
that this statement purportedly signed by Rakesh Asthana was not made in my
presence”.Reflecting on how events unfolded this week, Justice Patnaik said:
“Even if the Supreme Court said that the high-power committee must decide, the
decision was very, very hasty. We are dealing with an institution here. They
should have applied their mind thoroughly, especially as a Supreme Court judge
was there. What CVC says cannot be the final word.”Underlining that his role
was merely supervisory, he confirmed Verma’s claim in his letter Friday to the
Department of Personnel and Training that the findings of CVC report were not
his.“The SC entrusted me with a responsibility of supervising, so I ensured my
presence, the Sana evidence etc, and I ensured that principles of natural
justice were applied. Verma had access to all the documents and got a personal
hearing. The enquiry was completed in fourteen days, it was all done.
Thereafter, it was for the Supreme Court to decide.Report was 50 pages but
there were 1,000 pages of annexures,” he said.indianexpress
CBI reverses Verma orders, negates action
against IAS officer in a coal scam case
New Delhi:The order issued Friday by
officiating CBI Director M Nageswara Rao to reverse all decisions taken after
Tuesday has negated the file signed by then Director Alok Verma in a coal scam
case, allegedly involving a senior IAS officer. CBI order declared 4 office
orders issued on Wednesday and Thursday, after Verma was reinstated by the
Supreme Court as CBI Director, as non-est (does not exist). It said,
“consequently, all actions in pursuance thereof by all concerned are also
declared hereby as null and void”.This nullified one of the files signed by
Verma on Wednesday which could have led to the chargesheeting of Bhaskar
Khulbe, a West Bengal cadre IAS officer, in a coal scam case. Currently
Secretary to the Prime Minister, Khulbe is alleged to have been involved in the
allotment of coal blocks to Ramsarup Lohh Udyog Limited in Moira-Madhujore
block of West Bengal.Khulbe was then Advisor, Industries to West Bengal Govt .
His name had figured in CBI investigations in the coal scam and had parallels
with the case of ex Union Coal Secretary H C Gupta.indianexpress
Taking over at CBI, Nageshwar Rao transfers 4
officers, cancels Alok Verma’s orders
Verma opts for retirement,says natural justice
scuttled
The ousted CBI Director, Alok Kumar Verma, on
Friday refused to take up his new assignment as Director-General of Fire
Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards, and told the govnt that he be deemed
superannuated. Verma said the panel did not give him an opportunity to explain
the details as recorded by CVC. “Natural justice was scuttled and the entire
process was turned upside down in ensuring that the undersigned is removed from
the post of the Director, CBI.”thehindu
Among 4 cases against CBI ex-chief, omitting
officer’s name in FIR, Rs 2-crore bribe
CBI director’s removal hasty, Govt set wrong precedents: Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena termed the ouster of reinstated CBI
Director Alok Verma, who resigned from police service Friday, as a panic
reaction of the Modi Govt which is battling allegations over the purchase of
Rafale fighter aircraft.In an editorial in the party mouthpiece “Saamana”, the
Sena said the Govt has set “wrong
precedents” by denying Verma an opportunity to defend himself, and took aim at
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.PTI
BJP leader Swamy calls removal of Verma
‘injustice’
New Delhi :Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy
Saturday said the removal of Alok Verma from the post of CBI Director by the
Selection Committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “injustice” and
that Verma should have been invited to respond to the CVC probe against him. Swamy
said he completely agreed with Justice (retired) Patnaik that there was “no
evidence of corruption” against Verma, and “what the CVC says cannot be the
final word”. Justice Patnaik had monitored the CVC enquiry against
Verma.indianexpress
Cong:CVC acted as collaborator in violating
Constitution
New Delhi:Removing Alok Verma as CBI director
has shown Modi Govt ’s desperation and signals the beginning of the end of
“one-man era”.The party also slammed CVC, calling it the “Collaborator in
Violating the Constitution”.Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the CVC
has not acted in the Rafale case but has taken action in the Verma case.
Commission also did not act against CBI’s special director Rakesh Asthana,
against whom evidence has been provided, Singhvi pointed out. Congress leader
accused the CVC of acting as “Collaborator in Violating the Constitution” in
collaboration with Govt, forgetting its status as an independent authority. “It
is unfortunate that Modi Govt is using the shoulder of such institutions to
fire political bullets, and even more unfortunate that such institutions are
lending their shoulders for such abuse.”indianexpress
Probe report finds 3 Gujarat encounters fake,
says prosecute guilty cops
Ahmedabad:In his report submitted to the state
Govt , retired Supreme Court judge Harjit Singh Bedi, looking into fake
encounters in the state, has found 3 encounters by Gujarat Police – of Samir
Khan Pathan, Haji Ismail, and Kasim Jafer – were fake. The report suggests
prosecution of the accused policemen for murder.Among police personnel
mentioned in the report are retired officials Tarun Barot and K M Vaghela, both
facing trial in the Sadiq Jamal Mehtar encounter case. Barot is also a key
accused in Ishrat Jahan encounter.The encounter of Samir Pathan, in Oct.2002,
was the first after the post-Godhra riots. The police had said that Pathan had
plotted to kill then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi to avenge killing of Muslims in
the riots.DCB, whose officers were responsible for the encounter, was then
headed by now-retired IPS DG Vanzara (accused in Ishrat’s encounter). Vanzara’s
senior in DCB was former Gujarat DGP PP Pandey, who was discharged in the
Ishrat Jahan encounter case last year.In the “fake encounter” of Haji Ismail, a
smuggler who came from Jamsalaya in Jamnagar, Justice Bedi has recommended
criminal case against police officers K G Erda, J M Yadav, S K Shah, Parag
Vyas, LB Monpara. Erda was accused in the Gulberg Society massacre case of 2002
and was later acquitted.indianexpress
UN Rights Body 'Extremely Concerned' About
Fake Encounters in Yogi Adityanath's UP
New Delhi: UN officials have written to the
Indian Govt with information about 15 cases of what could be extra-judicial
killings by the Uttar Pradesh police. They have also taken note of 59 cases of
possible fake encounters. In a press release on Friday, they said they express
“alarm” and said they are “extremely concerned”.The officials from the Office
of the High Commissioner for United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR) said the
Indian Govt has not yet replied to their letter and that they continue to
receive more information on these killings. Most of the cases which the OHCHR
has raised with the Indian Govt pertain to Muslim victims.“We are extremely
concerned about the pattern of events: individuals allegedly being abducted or
arrested before their killing, and their bodies bearing injuries indicative of
torture,” said the UN experts.thewire
Amid citizenship bill protests, MP Bezbaruah
refuses to head panel on Assam Accord
New Delhi :Ex-bureaucrat MP Bezbaruah has
refused to head the 9-member panel constituted by the Union Ministry to suggest
ways to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.Bezbaruah said the committee is
“non-functional and de-facto defunct”.“I have informed about my decision to the
home minister after several members of the committee opted out. The committee
is non-functional and de facto defunct and my position as chair is untenable,”
he said. Union Cabinet, earlier this month, cleared a proposal to set up a
high-level committee to look into the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam
Accord of 1985. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had then said clause 6 “wasn’t
fully implemented”. The Govt ’s decision to form a committee for its
implementation came at a time when the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is
being updated and the Centre is trying to introduce a contentious Bill on
citizenship.indianexpress
Citizenship bill: Booked for sedition, Hiren
Gohain says the fight is for democracy, Constitution
Guwahati:Hiren Gohain, 80, a prominent Assam
academic, has been known to speak his mind and not shy away from taking a stand
against the popular tide. He is one of the three prominent individuals booked
by police for sedition after their comments during a protest against the
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.Gohain, a strong opponent of the Bill in the
recent past, took the stage at a rally on January 7 on Guwahati and critiqued
the Centre and the state Govt s for bringing the Bill. In his speech, Gohain
said,“If question of independence arises, if no one listens to us, the Govt ,
the state and political parties, then it’s a different thing, then we will
definitely be compelled to raise the demand for independent Assam. But let’s
not get carried away by temporary emotions, as citizens of India, we will fight
as long as we can. If that fight is not successful, then the demand for
independence will come up.”Subsequently Assam Police registered an FIR, charging
him and two other speakers at the event with sedition.indianexpress
BJP-led Manipur Rejects Centre's Citizenship
Bill, To Seek Exemption
Imphal: Manipur may have a coalition Govt headed by the BJP, but it wants no truck with PM
Narendra Modi's plan to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Northeast.
Participants of a meeting chaired by CM N Biren Singh yesterday resolved in favour
of urging the centre to exempt the state from the controversial legislation.The
proposed bill passed by the Lok Sabha recently aims to hasten the citizenship
process of non-Muslim immigrants from three neighbouring countries. The
opposition has termed the move as "discriminatory", and people across
the northeast have hit the streets in protest.According to a press release
issued by the chief minister's secretariat, the idea did not resonate with the
constituents of the coalition Govt . BJP rules Manipur in alliance with the NPP,
NPF and the LJP.ndtv
Hindus, Muslims should recognise their shared
history: Malaysia's PM-in-Waiting Anwar Ibrahim
New Delhi: Asserting that extremism cannot be
tackled through exclusionary politics, Malaysia’s Prime Minister-in-waiting
Anwar Ibrahim urged Hindus and Muslims to recognise “mutual influences of their
shared history”, even as he noted that India is even now racked by
“vituperative” contestations of the past to “purge it of the presence of
minorities”.President of the ruling PKR Party, Ibrahim is scheduled to inherit
the seat of prime minister in two years from Mahathir Mohamad as per a
coalition agreement.Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ibrahim at his
official residence on Thursday.At the start of his valedictory speech, he said
that it was hard for him to imagine addressing such a gathering just a few
months ago. In another part of his lecture, he alluded to his imprisonment,
noting that “prison allowed him to read a lot of books”.Ibrahim, who noted that
he had been visiting India for four decades, used Indian history to illustrate
the contradictions and continuations of the past into the present.He said that
“some inconvenient truth of atrocities will remind us about acts have been
perpetrated in name of religion and that all are culpable”.“Medieval India had
many instances of temple destruction committed by rival kingdoms against each
other… between followers of different deities as well as between Hindus, Jains,
Buddhists. Later on, the Islamic expansion in India saw destruction in various
phases of temples, Hindu in particular, again ostensibly, in the name of
religion,” he said.“No country more publicly and vituperatively contests its
own history, not to reclaim from colonisers, but to purge it of the presence of
minorities. The awful history of communal history during Indian independence
continues to be incited and tragically enacted due to visions of the past that
embraces the thesis of partition.” Ibrahim said that it was due to “Indian
sages, historians and scholars” that the “open, tolerant mosaic of the
subcontinent’s past” was reclaimed. “Hindus and Muslim need to recognise the
mutual influences of their shared history,” he added.This was the “moral
lesson” to be learnt “as we contemplate tackling insurgent ideologies”. “No one
is won over by exclusionary ethics of self-aggrandising fervour. It is common
humanity that draws people together,” stated Ibrahim. He said that nationalism
around the world was fuelled by “hydra-headed fear” of the Other. “Let us not
dupe ourselves by conflating nativism, nationalism or patriotism.. these are
nothing but manifestation of unbridled populism,” he said.the wire
West looks at Arab countries as entirety of
Muslim world: Anwar Ibrahim
I am deeply inspired by Pakistan PM Imran
Khan, Kejriwal: Ex-IAS officer Shah Faesal
New Delhi: Former Kashmiri IAS officer Shah
Faesal, who resigned from his post two days, addressed a press conference in
which he spelt out his reasons for quitting the civil services. Faesal
reiterated his belief that Muslims and minority communities were being
“marginalised” in India and also hit out at NDA Govt over the alleged “undermining” of institutions
like CBI and RBI. Former IAS official, a 2010-batch officer who was also the
first person from Jammu and Kashmir to top the civil services exam, said that
he found it impossible to express his concern over the marginalisation of
minorities and the curbs on freedom of speech while he was in service.“Today as
i chose to spoke out, i feel extremely relieved,” he said during the press
conference. “The rise of lynch mob and nationalism in the last few years has
led to extreme marginalization of minorities- both ideological and religious
minorities - that has become the source of extreme dejection for me,” Faesal
said. He added, “I also wish to express my disgruntlement which has led to this decision today - curbs
placed on free speech in the country and the culture of hate and intolerance
being used to win elections in India.” In a veiled attack at NDA regime, Faesal
also said that institutions such as CBI, NIA and RBI had been undermined over
the last few years, “which has the potential of hurting the constitutional edifice
of the country.”He also told reporters that he was inspired by Pakistan PM
Imran Khan and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He said, "I'm deeply inspired by
Imran Khan and Arvind Kejriwal but we are operating in a conflict zone and it's
not very easy for us to work in that space. The space that has lost its
legitimacy in the last few years."times now
Petitions Moved in Supreme Court for Live
Streaming of Ayodhya, Sabarimala Hearing
New Delhi: 2 lawyers have separately urged the
Supreme Court to ensure live streaming of its proceedings in the politically
sensitive cases of the Ayodhya land dispute and the Sabarimala issue, saying
justice should be made “accessible” to the common man.BJP leader and lawyer
Ashwini Upadhyay has written to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and four other
judges seeking live streaming of Ayodhya title dispute case scheduled for
hearing on Jan.29.National Ayyappa Devotees’ Association (NADA), represented by
lawyer Mathews J. Nedumpara, has also sought video recording and live streaming
of hearing on the petitions seeking review of the apex court’s Sept.22 verdict
allowing all women inside Sabarimala temple, on Jan.22.On Thursday, ex RSS
ideologue K.N. Govindacharya had written a letter to the Centre seeking live
streaming of the top court proceedings in the Ayodhya land dispute case.PTI
Ram Mandir finds place in BJP leaders’
speeches, but not in political resolution
New Delhi: BJP kept the Ram Mandir out of its
political resolution – its last and most important document outlining its
commitment ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls – which was released Saturday at
the party’s two-day national convention.Even as top party leaders and several
ministers, including party chief Amit Shah, evoked the issue, there was no
mention of it in the resolution. On Friday, Shah had accused the Congress of
stalling court proceedings in the Ram Mandir case.“BJP wants the Ram mandir to
be built at the same spot at the soonest. We are committed to it. It is the
Congress that is causing hurdles in the process. But we are trying to expedite
the case which is currently in the Supreme Court,” he had said.His remarks had
evoked a frenzied response from the crowd gathered.theprint
Union Cabinet Approves Re-promulgation of
Triple Talaq Ordinance
New Delhi:A day after the conclusion of winter
session of Parliament the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to
re-promulgate the ordinance making instant triple talaq a criminal offence,
according to reports.The Triple Talaq
Bill, could not be passed in Parliament as it stuck in Rajya Sabha where BJP
govt lacks majority, after it was passed in Lok Sabha.The opposition parties in
Rajya Sabha expressed their reservations to some provisions of the Trple Talaq
Bill and demanded that the bill be referred to the select committee for further
deliberations.The ordinance makes all declarations of instant triple talaq void
and illegal and provides for up to three years’ imprisonment for invoking
instant divorce by uttering talaq thrice in a single sitting.The Govt is expected to make another attempt to get
Triple Talaq Bill passed during the short budget session of Parliament which is
likely to begin on January 31.Caravan News
Akhilesh, Mayawati To Contest 50-50 In UP, No
Entry For Congress
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh rivals turned
partners-in-polls Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati today announced their
long-anticipated alliance to take on the ruling BJP in the national election
due by May, declaring that they would "rob Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
Amit Shah of their sleep". Congress will not be a part of the alliance,
they announced, saying there was no "real gain" from any tie up with
Rahul Gandhi's party."There is not much benefit to us from allying with
the Congress. We have decided that we will not tie up with a party like the
Congress across the country where they can't transfer votes to us," said
Mayawati, shutting the doors on the Congress weeks after reluctantly supporting
it in Madhya Pradesh. Akhilesh's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's BSP will
contest "50:50" or 38 seats each in Uttar Pradesh, which has 80
parliamentary constituencies and is key to power at the centre. Their only
concession for the Congress is to spare the two seats -- Amethi, which is
Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constituency, and Sonia Gandhi's seat
Raebareli. Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav announced they were leaving two seats
for "other parties" but didn't elaborate. Sources say talks with Ajit
Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal are stuck because it wants to contest four seats in
western UP.ndtv
Modi govt has not paid salaries of over 21,000
Madrassa teachers in UP since 2016
The central Govt has reportedly not paid the
monthly salaries of over 21,000 teachers of Madrassas (Islamic schools) across
Uttar Pradesh since 2016, which has forced them to take up alternative sources
of work. Madrassa teachers were recruited from 16 states, including UP, under
the Scheme to Provide Quality Education in Madrassas (SPQEM) by Union HRD
Ministry in 2008-2009.SPQEM aims to provide "modern, quality
education" across the Islamic seminaries or Madrassas in India. Under the
scheme, people with graduation or a post graduation degree were hired to teach
modern subjects in Madrassas. The centre used to pay Rs 6,000 per month to
graduates and Rs 12,000 per month to post-graduate teachers whereas the state Govt
paid an additional Rs 2,000 per month to
graduate and Rs 3,000 to post-graduate teachers.However, since 2016, the
central Govt has asked the state Govt s
to share 40 per cent salaries of Madrassa teachers for the financial years,
2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19, TOI reported. The state Govt led by CM Yogi Adityanath is yet to clear the
proposal for approving the share in the payment of salaries to Madrassa
teachers, which has left these youth to fend for themselves. ibtimes.co.in
MP: Govt officer claims being hounded because
he is Muslim
Bhopal:After being rebuked by a senior
bureaucrat for reportedly not coming prepared to an official meeting, a deputy
secretary level officer has alleged that in his 17-year service he has been
made to feel untouchable and that his Khan surname “has hounded me like a
ghost”. Posted in the public health engineering department, Niyaz Khan was
asked to get out of the official meeting on Wednesday by principal secretary
Vivek Agrawal after a heated exchange. Khan left the meeting and complained to
the chief secretary about his alleged insult. Seeking a transfer to other dept,
deputy secretary said he does not want to work with Agrawal.After the incident
was reported in local media, in a series of tweets Khan gave a vent to his
frustration. “There was a time when I was on the verge of depression but
literature saved me from fall. I have transformed all discrimination against me
into creation and now I am an English novelist with five novels,” he said
tweeted.“17 years in Govt service, transfer in 10 districts and 19 shiftings. I
was always made to feel uncomfortable like a German Jew. Khan surname hounded
me like a ghost,” read his another tweet. In another tweet, he said he was
writing his sixth novel to show how Muslim officers are regarded as Second
Class citizens. In another tweet he said he had exposed biggest ODF scam in
Guna and brutalities against Saharia tribe. indianexpress
ISIS case: NIA arrests man from UP’s Meerut
New Delhi : NIA Saturday arrested a
24-year-old man named Muhammad Absar from Meerut in UP, another accused in the
case of ISIS-inspired Harkut-ul-Harb-e-Islam module.NIA said Saturday it has
made a fresh arrest from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh in connection with its probe
against an ISIS-inspired group. They also conducted fresh searches at three
locations in Meerut, Hapur and Ghaziabad in connection with the latest arrest.
With the latest arrest, the NIA has nabbed 12 people so far in this
connection.indianexpress
NIA charges 7 youths with terror links: TOI
KOCHI: NIA Kochi unit registered yet another
case regarding the activities of at least seven youths who conducted
preparations or joined organizations Jund al-Aqsa and Jabhat al-Nusrah. FIR in
this regard was submitted at NIA court in Kochi on Wednesday. As per an
official communique of NIA, the case (Jund al-Aqsa Case) was registered at NIA
Branch Office, Kochi, under Sections 120B and 125 of IPC besides Sections 16
and 18 of UAPA. NIA said that it received credible information that from 2013,
certain youths, originally from Kerala and Karnataka but based in Qatar, had
hatched criminal conspiracy to wage war against Syria.
Haryana: Gurmeet Singh, 3 others convicted for
journalist’s murder
A court in Haryana’s Panchkula on Friday held
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Singh guilty of ordering his followers to murder
a journalist. CBI special court also convicted three others of the murder and
will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Jan.17.Sirsa-based journalist Ram
Chander Chhatrapati was shot dead in October 2002 after his paper Poora Sach
published an anonymous letter narrating how Singh sexually harassed women at
the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. A case was registered in 2003 and it was handed
over the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2006.scroll.in
Kashmir: Sikh Panchayat Leaders in Pulwama
Resign After Militants' Threats
New Delhi: After a young Sikh man was killed
and militant organisations issues threats of further violence, all Sikhs who
had been elected sarpanch and panch in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district
resigned en masse on Jan. 10.Simranjeet Singh, 24-year-old brother of the
Khasipora village sarpanch, was shot dead on Jan.4.Militant organisations have
earlier issued threat letters to those elected in the recently-held panchayat
elections, warning them of consequences if they participate in ‘pro-India
activities’.PM Narendra Modi, in an interview with a news agency, had said it
was a big achievement that panchayat polls had been conducted successfully in
the state.A former sarpanch said militants had posted threat letters warning
them to resign immediately and desist from participating in elections,
otherwise they and their families would be killed.thewire
Protection of minority community basic
responsibility of Kashmiris: J&K Jama’at
Jama’at-i-Islami J&K while expressing
total solidarity with the bereaved family of Sikh youth from Tral killed by
some unknown gunmen recently, urges the people of the valley to take all care
of the minorities living here and make them feel safe and secure. The spokesman
said that they have been living over here in the friendly and conducive
atmosphere for centuries together without being harassed or intimated by the
majority community. Islam teaches human brotherhood and ordains its followers
to safeguard the minority communities even at the cost of their lives and never
try to cause any damage or loss to their honour, person or property.Jama’at
ensures the safety of every human being without any discrimination of caste,
colour or creed and treats them as equal human beings.
Jaipur Shahar Quazi demands more share in
cabinet for Muslims
Muslim community has called upon the Govt to be more inclusive towards the Muslim
community that has supported the Congress in the assembly elections. Chief
Shahar Quazi of Jaipur Khalid Usmani had demanded more share for members of the
community in the cabinet and other Govt nominations. Addressing a press
conference in Jaipur on Friday, he said, “We had demanded tickets in proportion
to our population, but it was not given. We are however grateful to the
Congress that 16 candidates were given tickets and 8 have won in the elections.
But we are pained that only one of the MLAs of our community has been made a
minister that too with a ministry that is not weighty. Talented Muslim MLAs
have been neglected. We urge chief minister Ashok Gehlot that they should be
given place in the cabinet that is consumerate to their capabilities.”He added,
“Govt has appointed aditional advocate generals but there is no Muslim among
them. I would urge the CM that there are very talented advocates from the
Muslim community and they should also be included at various posts including Govt
advocates.”dnaindia
WORLD
Egypt acquits Muslim Brotherhood leaders of
violence charges for first time
The most senior leader of the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohamed Badie, has been found not guilty on violence
charges for the first time since his arrest in 2013, official MENA reported.Giza
Criminal Court acquitted Badie and eight others, including Brotherhood leaders
Mohamed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian, of “gathering with the intention of
murder and sabotage” in the aftermath of the 2013 coup against president
Mohamed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood.The case, known in Egyptian media
as the "Istiqamah Mosque events", dates back to 22 July 2013, when
anti-coup protests in front of the mosque led to the death of nine people. On
30 August 2014, the Giza court sentenced eight defendants to life imprisonment
and six others to death in absentia.Thursday’s verdict was the first acquittal
for Badie since 2013. However, he is still facing a death penalty and 3 life
sentences in separate cases, on charges of jailbreak and espionage. Beltagy, a
former parliamentarian and Brotherhood activist, was acquitted of murder
charges last month in a separate case.International rights groups have estimated
that there are at least 60,000 political prisoners in jails since Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi became president.middleeasteye
MBS in touch with 'former' Saudi royal adviser
al-Qahtani: Report
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)
remains in regular contact with his adviser Saud al-Qahtani, who is accused of
masterminding the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Washington Post reported.The
newspaper, citing unnamed US and Saudi sources, said that Prince Mohammed
continues to seek advice from al-Qahtani.David Ignatius, the paper's security
affairs correspondent, quoted an unnamed US citizen who had recently met MBS as
saying that al-Qahtani is in possession of a lot of files and
dossiers."The idea that you can have a radical rupture with him is
unrealistic," the source said.A Saudi who is close to the royal court
concurred."There's stuff [al-Qahtani] was working on that he may have to
finish, or hand over," he said according to The Washington Post.aljazeera
Israel opens 'apartheid road' in occupied West
Bank
Anata: A newly-opened highway in the occupied
West Bank has been hailed by Israelis but condemned by Palestinians, who are
calling it "Apartheid Road". It's the first operational section of an
eastern ring road around Jerusalem that could deny Palestinians access to parts
of the West Bank and threaten a future Palestinian state. Route 4370 has a high
wall in the middle, topped with fencing that segregates the road into two
separate two-way lanes.The western side is for Palestinians in the West Bank to
use to go around Jerusalem, which they cannot enter without an Israeli
military-issued permit, while the eastern side serves Israeli settlers going to
and from Jerusalem. aljazeera
Israel kills Palestinian protester in Gaza
A Palestinian was killed today while taking part
in the popular “Great March of Return” protests in the Gaza Strip.The identity
of the Palestinian citizen has not been revealed by the Ministry of Health.
Fourteen people, including journalists, were injured during the protest the
majority as a result of inhaling tear gas.“Medical staff in hospitals and
medical centres, paramedics and the emergency services are steadfast in their
work to spread their humanitarian message,” the Ministry of Health said in a
statement.According to a report issued by Abdullah Al-Hourani Centre for
Studies, by the end of 2018, Israeli occupation forces had killed 253
Palestinian protesters and wounded thousands more during the “Great March of
Return” protests in besieged Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the centre reported that
25,477 protesters were wounded, including 13750 who were admitted to hospital
and the others that were treated in the field.MEMO
Israel fires missiles towards Damascus
airport: Syria state media
Israeli warplanes have fired a number of
missiles towards Damascus, triggering Syrian air defence that shot down most of
them, according to state media reports."The results of the aggression so
far were limited to a strike on one of the warehouses at Damascus
airport," SANA news agency cited a military source as saying. The attack
took place at 11:15pm , it said.The state news agency also quoted a transport
ministry source as saying that the airport was running normally. State media
broadcast footage of what it said were the air defences firing, with bright
lights seen shooting across the night sky. Explosions were heard in one of the
videos.Israel has mounted attacks in Syria as part of its efforts to counter
the influence carved out there by Iran, which is supporting President Bashar
al-Assad in the war that erupted in 2011.aljazeera
US says it has only begun withdrawing
equipment from Syria
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-clarifies-has-only-begun-withdrawing-equipment-syria-186752963
US-led
coalition battling the Islamic State (IS) added to confusion surrounding the US
withdrawal from Syria by saying on Friday it had started the pullout process -
only for officials to later clarify that only equipment, not troops, were being
withdrawn.Donald Trump's announcement last month that he had decided to
withdraw the 2,000 US troops there stunned both allies battling IS and senior US
officials, among them Defence Secretary Jim Mattis who quit in protest.Earlier,
US Colonel Sean Ryan, a coalition spokesman, said that the coalition "has
begun the process of our deliberate withdrawal from Syria"."Out of
concern for operational security, we will not discuss specific timelines,
locations or troop movements,"Ryan said.middleeasteye
Pompeo praises Egypt 'freedoms' during church,
mosque visit
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised
Egypt's religious freedoms as he visited a vast cathedral and a mosque in the
country's new capital east of Cairo. Washington's top diplomat, who describes
himself as an evangelical Christian, is on a tour aimed at reassuring regional
US allies after Washington's shock decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.On
Thursday evening he visited the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ and the
Al-Fattah Al-Alim mosque in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, 45 kilometres
east of the capital.At the mosque, he praised Egypt's "freedoms here in
this houses of worship, these big, beautiful, gorgeous buildings where Lord is
clearly at work".The 2 buildings were inaugurated by President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday, a day after a deadly bomb blast near a church in the
country where jihadists have repeatedly targeted Christians.AFP
Video shows Idlib militants rescuing missing
British aid worker
Footage has emerged showing the apparent
rescue of a British aid worker missing in northern Syria since November. Mohammed
Shakiel Shabir, who is originally from Birmingham but has been based in
opposition-held Idlib for the past four years, is believed to have been
kidnapped and held hostage by an armed gang. Video, which was originally posted
by the media arm of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group, shows Shakiel
being rescued by men in military uniform who break down the door of a cell
where he is shackled to the wall by chains around his arms, legs and neck.“Shakiel!
Do you recognise me?” one man asks, leaning down to embrace him.“I do my
brother,” he replies.middleeasteye
Move to remove Republican county leader for
being Muslim fails
Shahid Shafi, an India-born Republican facing
removal as Texas county leader for being a Muslim, will remain in office as his
party officials have overwhelmingly slapped down a motion to oust him from the
post of vice chairman.Tarrant County Republican Party rejected the motion to
strip Shafi, a trauma surgeon and member of the Southlake City Council, at a
contentious meeting on Thursday.The committee voted 139-49 in favour of Shafi,
with 10 abstentions, Washington-based news website The Daily Caller
reported."This vote reaffirms the commitment by a majority of Tarrant
County Republicans to our core values and moral compass, a demonstration of our
allegiance to the Texas Republican Party Platform and the Constitutions of the
United States and Texas, which strictly prohibit religious and racial
discrimination of any kind," Tarrant County Party Chairman Darl Easton
said.PTI
Saudi teen Rahaf due to arrive in Canada for
asylum
An 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family
saying she feared for her life, is due to arrive in Canada on Saturday, after
being granted asylum in the North American country.Canadian PM Justin Trudeau
said on Friday that Canada had accepted a request from United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to take in Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, who
grabbed international attention earlier this week after she barricaded herself
in a Bangkok airport hotel room to resist being sent home to her family, which
denies any abuse.The decision is likely to exacerbate Canada's already poor
relations with Saudi Arabia, which last year barred the Canadian ambassador to
Riyadh after Ottawa criticised Saudi authorities for detaining female
activists.Alqunun has accused her family of abuse and has refused to meet her
father and brother who arrived in Bangkok to take her back to Saudi .aljazeera
FBI investigated Trump's Russia ties after
Comey firing: NYT
FBI agents were so concerned about Donald
Trump's behaviour that they investigated whether the US president was working
on behalf of the Kremlin, a report in the New York Times has said, citing
former law enforcement officials.The probe followed Trump's decision to fire
FBI chief James Comey, but reportedly came amid a backdrop of suspicions dating
back to his successful 2016 campaign for the presidency.Comey, who was sacked
in May 2017, had opened an FBI investigation into whether Russia meddled in the
2016 election and whether the Kremlin officials colluded with the members of Trump's
team. After his dismissal, Trump faced accusations of obstruction of justice,
which loudened after he fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe the following
year.aljazeera
US federal shutdown becomes longest in history
The partial Govt shutdown became the longest closure in the
history of the United States when the clock ticked past midnight on Friday as
President Donald Trump and nervous Republicans scrambled to find a way out of
the mess.A solution could not come soon enough for around 800,000 federal
workers who got pay statements on Friday but no pay.The House and the Senate
voted to give federal workers back pay whenever the federal Govt reopens and then left town for the weekend, as
the shutdown entered its 22nd day. aljazeera
Dozens feared dead in Nigeria after leaking
oil tanker explodes
An overturned oil tanker exploded in Nigeria
while dozens of people were scooping up the leaking fuel, killing at least 12
people, police and witnesses said, with locals putting the number many times
higher.Hundreds of people have died in similar accidents in recent years in
Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, as impoverished people risk their lives
to collect fuel leaking from pipelines or trucks."We have recovered 12
corpses and taken 22 persons with serious burns to the hospital," police
spokeswoman Irene Ugbo told the Associated Press news agency on Saturday.But
some residents put the death toll close to 60.aljazeera
Afghan envoy meets Pak Jamaat chief Sirajul
Haq
Islamabad: Afghan presidential envoy Umer
Daudzai Friday held a meeting with Jamaat Islami Pakistan chief Sirajul Haq to
discuss the peace process in Afghanistan. Jamaat Islami chief Sirajul Haq said”
a peaceful Afghanistan is essential for the neighboring Pakistan and the
regional peace.”Sirajul said the key to peace in Afghanistan is lies in the
hands of Afghan people and added Afghan Govt should take the opposition parties in
confidence over the peace process in the country, a private news channel
reported.The envoy reached Islamabad, earlier on Tuesday for an important
visit.APP
Green Book writer apologises for anti-Muslim
tweet
Green Book screenwriter Nick Vallelonga
apologised for posting a tweet suggesting that American Muslims could be seen
cheering 9/11. "I want to apologise," Vallelonga said in a statement."I
spent my life trying to bring this story of overcoming differences and finding
common ground to the screen, and I am incredibly sorry to everyone associated
with Green Book. I especially deeply apologise to the incredibly brilliant and
kind Mahershala Ali and all members of the Muslim faith for the hurt I have
caused. I am also sorry to my late father, who changed so much from Dr
Shirley's friendship, and I promise this lesson is not lost on me. Green Book
is a story about love, acceptance and overcoming barriers, and I will do
better," he added.mid-day.
flash: views & NEWS
1993 SC Judgment Capping Quotas at 50%,
Disallowing Them for the Poor:The Wire Analysis
Modi govt’s 10% quota for economically weaker
sections is by far best policy initiative for the poor, Muslims: Surjit S Bhalla
Not one Muslim from my village has anything
bad to say about me: BJP MLA Vikram Saini
SC verdict itself sealed Verma’s fate:Satya
Prakash
Leader is ‘not’ right and the future is ‘not
bright’, says Central Statistics Office:Raman Swamy
Ousted CBI chief: Don’t be surprised if Verma
gets arrested instead of Asthana:Faraz Ahmad
How and why Ayesha’s gruesome rape and murder
remains unsolved even after 11 yrs:Nikhat Fatima
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:09 PM)
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