NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
19 Jan. 2019: 12 Jamadiul-I 1440:
Vol:11, No:105
INDIA
Court pulls up Delhi Police over chargesheet
against Kanhaiya, Umar in JNU sedition case without sanction
New Delhi:A Delhi court has rapped Delhi
Police on the knuckles for filing a chargesheet against former JNU students’
union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a sedition case without
approval of the legal department.“’You don’t have approval from legal
department, why did you file chargesheet without approval?” the court said.
Delhi Police told the court that it will get approval in 10 days.The court
fixes the matter for Feb. 6 and asked the Delhi Police to get required sanction
approval by then.On Jan.14, the Delhi Police charged Kanhaiya Kumar and 9
others, including Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, with sedition three
years after they allegedly raised “anti-India” slogans at an event at the
university.HT
JNU case: AAP govt, Delhi Police engage in
blame game after court questions police over chargesheet
AAP govt and Delhi Police engaged in a blame
game on Saturday after a court questioned the department for filing a
chargesheet in the sedition case against former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar
and others without procuring the required sanction from authorities.An AAP Govt
spokesperson said no file seeking any prosecution sanction in any JNU-related
case had so far been brought to the notice of any Delhi minister."If the
Delhi Police are making any such claim, it is a complete lie and they are
hiding something," he said.However, a senior Delhi Police official said
prosecution sanction is required at the stage of taking cognisance.He said that
while filing the chargesheet, the investigating officer had mentioned that he
has applied for sanction from the Delhi government."It was applied for the
same day," the spokesperson said.Sources said the file for sanction was
received by the home department and forwarded to the law department for
necessary action.PTI
ED attaches assets worth Rs 16.40 crore of
Zakir Naik’s family in money laundering probe
New Delhi:Enforcement Directorate has attached
fresh assets worth Rs 16.40 crore in connection with its money-laundering probe
against Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, it said on Saturday.ED, in a statement,
said it had issued a provisional order for attachment of assets registered in
the name of Naik’s family members, located in Mumbai and Pune, under Prevention
of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The estimated value of immovable assets was Rs
16.40 crore, the central probe agency said.ED identified the properties as
Fatima Heights and Aafiyah Heights in Mumbai, an unnamed project in Bhandup
area of Maharashtra’s capital city and a project named Engracia in Pune.“To
disguise the origin of funds and real ownership of the properties, the initial
payments made from Naik’s bank account were refunded and diverted to the
accounts of his wife, son and niece and re-routed again for the purpose of
making bookings in the name of the family members rather than Naik. This has
been revealed from the money trail established by ED,” agency said.ED had
registered a criminal case against Naik and others in Dec, 2016 after taking cognizance
of a NIA complaint filed under UAPA. NIA had also filed a charge sheet against
Naik and others before a Mumbai court in Oct, 2017.Quoting NIA charge sheet, ED
said Naik “deliberately and maliciously insulted the religious beliefs of
Hindus, Christians and non-Wahabi Muslims, particularly Shias, Sufis and the
Barelwis, with the intention of outraging their religious feelings”. It said
Naik’s organisation, IRF, and Ms Harmony Media “have been instrumental in the
maximum circulation of such incriminating speeches”. This is the third such
attachment by ED in the case and with the latest order, the total value of
assets attached by the agency stands at Rs 50.49 crore.PTI
Former CBI deputy chief Asthana appointed
director general of Bureau of Civil Aviation
Centre has appointed former CBI
second-in-command Rakesh Asthana director general of Bureau of Civil Aviation
Security, a day after removing him and three other officers from the agency.
Asthana has been appointed to the post for two years and his tenure will begin
the day he assumes charge, according to a Ministry of Home Affairs
notification. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, a branch of the Ministry
of Civil Aviation, is the regulatory authority for the sector in India. Anil
Kumar Sharma, one of the three other officers removed, was appointed additional
DGP of CPRF earlier in the day. The home ministry said his tenure would run
till April 28, 2020.Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Thursday approved
the Department of Personnel and Training’s proposal to curtail the tenure of
the 4 CBI officers over a week after a selection committee, headed by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, removed CBI Director Alok Verma.scroll.in
UP police donate Rs 70 lakh for family of
inspector killed in Bulandshahr violence
Bulandshahr :Apart from Rs 50 lakh offered by
the Uttar Pradesh government, the family of slain Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh
on Friday received a sum of Rs 70 lakh from the state police as compensation,
ADG, Meerut Zone, Prashant Kumar confirmed.The incident occurred on December 3,
with violence flaring up after the carcasses of around 25 cattle were found in
a forest close to a police post.Inspector Singh was trying to control the mob
and was wounded in the head with a stone. His driver bundled him into a car and
tried to take him to a hospital, although the mob followed the car, cornered it
in a field and shot the police officer.Inspector Singh died of a bullet wound
below his left eyebrow, confirmed the autopsy report.One of the prime accused
of the case, BJP’s Yuva Morcha leader Shikhar Agarwal was on Jan.10 arrested by
the police from Hapur.ANI
Bail for Hindu outfit activist accused of Pune
techie Mohsin’s murder
Bombay High Court has granted bail to
Dhananjay Desai, a member of the Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) who was accused in
the murder of Mohsin Shaikh, who was an engineer with a private firm in
Pune.Mohsin was killed on June 2, 2014, when communal clashes had broken out
after circulation of objectionable pictures of Shivaji Maharaj and late Shiv
Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. Mohsin was attacked, allegedly by some youths
associated with HRS, while he was returning home with a friend after offering
prayers at a mosque in Hadapsar. He succumbed at hospital later.His brother
Mobin Shaikh had filed a complaint of murder at Hadapsar police station. The
police had nabbed 21 HRS activists, including Desai.indianexpress
Meat shops will be 150 metres away from
religious places in Delhi: SDMC
New Delhi: South Delhi Municipal Corporation
(SDMC) has approved the meat policy, which states that there should be at least
150 metres between meat shops and a religious place.The proposal, passed during
the standing committee meeting, also increased licence fee for meat shops from
Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000. It also made it mandatory to procure a no-objection
certificate from the area councillor for licence.“Considering sentiments of
people visiting religious places, minimum distance between meat shop and a
temple/gurdwara/religious place/cremation ground should be at least 150
metres,” the policy read.“The policy prohibits slaughter and sale of the meat
of cow or its progeny,” said an official.Shop owners have to mandatorily
display boards specifying if ‘halal’ or ‘jhatka’ meat is being sold at the
shop.“The condition of 150-metre distance from a mosque will be applicable in
case of pork shops only. Licences to mutton/chicken/fish and buffalo meat shops
can be granted if they are situated less than 100 metres from the mosque,
provided the same is permitted by the Imam or managing committee of the mosque.
The distance of the religious place from the meat shop shall be measured
through public pathway only,” policy said.
SDMC proposes increase in minimum distance
between meat shops and temples in south Delhi
Shut for 3 months for Kumbh, UP tanneries face
losses, cancelled orders
Kanpur : The roads are empty and the local
market closed in Kanpur’s Jajmau locality, with around 130 of its 249
registered tanneries ordered shut due to the Kumbh Mela and the production at
others cut by half.One month into the order, and with 60 more days to go till
they can begin operations, after Kumbh Mela ends, the owners say their overseas
orders for leather products are moving to other markets, in primarily Pakistan
and Bangladesh. At least 2 lakh people are employed in these units. Most are
daily-wage workers and migrants, and many have gone back home.“This is happening
for the first time. Earlier the Govt shut the tanneries for three-four days
before every holy snaan (bath) during Kumbh. We always followed this as we know
Kumbh is related to the religious sentiments of our Hindu brothers. But three
months is too much. Jajmau has a turnover of around Rs 7,000 crore yearly and
that has been hit,” says Hafizur Rahman, president of Small Tanners Association
and the owner of H Rahman Tanning Industries.UPPCB regional officer, Kanpur,
Kuldeep Mishra, says the order against the tanneries followed a Jal Nigam
report showing that effluents were ending up in the Ganga. The units in Jajmau,
Unnao city and Banthar (Unnao) were told to shut down from Dec. 15, 2018, to
March 15, 2019.Of the 402 tanneries registered in Jajmau, only 249 are
operational. Rahman says losses over the past few years hit business.In Dec,
following petitions by Rahman Industries Limited and Mirza International
Limited, Allahabad High Court permitted 2 of their tanneries to operate, on the
condition that they ensured that their effluents did not go into the Ganga.The
other tannery owners say they are either too scared to go to court, or
dependent on Govt infrastructure for the treatment and disposal of their waste,
unable to promise no discharge in the Ganga. Rahman Industries Ltd and Mirza
International Limited do both primary and secondary treatment of effluents on
their own.An ‘environment consultant’ with Rahman Industries Limited, Rajiv
Ranjan Pandey, says that to ensure there are no slip-ups, they have installed
web cameras at exits of their effluents. R D Kaushik, the Chief General Manager
of Mirza I.Ltd, claims it is the domestic waste going directly into the Ganga
that is much more harmful. “We have spent a great deal on creating an
infrastructure to treat all our effluents.” Rahman says the shutdown hurts them
more than just losses in terms of money or workers. “The UPPCB has also sealed
half the tanning drums in these units. The drums are made of wood and if not
used for three months, they will start leaking and would be of no use. A drum
is worth lakhs of rupees,” he adds.Ashraf Rizwan, the spokesperson of UP
Leather Industries Association (UPLIA), says there are 42 big tanneries in
Unnao, and the situation there is almost similar. “Collectively, all tanneries
coming under UPLIA give a turnover of around Rs 1,000 crore per year,”he
says.indianexpress
At Kolkata Rally, Opposition Leaders Unite
Against BJP's 'Politics of Hate'
New Delhi: A host of opposition leaders
criticising the BJP’s ‘politics of hate’ called for unity ahead of the Lok
Sabha polls. Leaders from as many as 22 parties were present at the ‘United
India Rally’ in Kolkata, organised by West Bengal chief minister Mamata
Banerjee.Chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), H.D. Kumaraswamy (Karnataka)
and N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) were also present, apart from party
heads Akhilesh Yadav (SP), M.K. Stalin (DMK), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Farooq
Abdullah (National Conference) and Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party).
Though Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressed support to the rally, he could
not attend. The party was represented by Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Former BJP
leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar
leader Hardik Patel were also present.Issuing a war cry ‘Delhi mein sarkar
badal do‘ (change the Govt at the Centre), Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata
Banerjee said the “expiry date” of the Modi Govt is over and a united
opposition will win the coming general elections. She promised to work with
other opposition parties to topple the BJP-led NDA government. She said the
prime ministerial candidate of the opposition would be decided after the polls.Claiming
that BJP’s days at the Centre are numbered, she criticised the BJP for not
having “courtesy in politics”. Banerjee also claimed that the BJP does not
respect many of its own senior leaders. She said Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj
and Nitin Gadkari are ignored in the saffron party.“Modi and his associates are
now talking of collective leadership, but if the BJP wins the Lok Sabha polls
these leaders will be ignored again,” she said.Calling the present situation in
the country a “super Emergency”, the West Bengal chief minister raised the
slogan of ‘Badal do, badal do, Delhi mein sarkar badal do‘ (change govt at Centre).thewire
At opposition rally, ‘Shotgun’ Sinha takes aim
at PM Modi over Rafale deal
Modi govt playing mischief with statistics:
Yashwant Sinha
Shourie asks Opposition to work together to
oust BJP
Farooq Abdullah wants ‘chor machine’ EVMs out
for transparency
Kolkata:National Conference leader Farooq
Abdullah Saturday called EVM the “chor machine” and demanded that ballot paper
system be brought back for the sake of transparency.Speaking at the united
opposition rally organised by TMC, he said, “It is not the question of ousting
any single person (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but of saving the country and
honouring the sacrifices of those who fought for its freedom.” “EVM is chor machine. Honestly speaking, it
is so. Its use must be put to an end. Nowhere in the world is the machine used.
The opposition parties should approach the Election Commission and the President
of India to stop the use of EVM and bring back the old ballot papers for the
sake of transparency,” he said.He blamed the BJP for the situation in Jammu and
Kashmir and said people are being divided on religious lines. “People are being
branded as Pakistanis. But all people — right from Ladakh to elsewhere — want
to continue in India.Continuing his tirade against the BJP, he said it stood
for the Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament but did not pass the Women’s
Reservation Bill.PTI
Gadkari, Sitharaman, Ratan Tata, Anil Ambani
give Vibrant Gujarat Summit a miss
Ahmedabad:Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and
Nirmala Sitharaman, Tata Sons’ chairman emeritus Ratan Tata, chairman of the
Reliance Group Anil Ambani were some of the big names who were conspicuous with
their absence on the inaugural day of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit
Friday.Gadkari, who is Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping,
posted on Twitter pictures of him and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
inaugurating phase two of Ramjhula railway overbridge in Nagpur on Friday
afternoon. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel addressed the first session of a
seminar on ‘Port-Led Development and Strategies to Establish India as the
Transshipment Hub of Asia’ that Gadkari was supposed to address.indianexpress
"Will Contest All Seats In UP If BJP
Doesn't Give Reservation": OP Rajbhar
Varanasi: Suheldev Bahujan Samaj Party (SBSP)
on Friday said it will contest all the 80 seats in UP in the upcoming Lok Sabha
elections if BJP fails to implement divisions under the 27 per cent reservation
for backward classes. It also proposed to release the SBSP candidate list on
Feb 25."BJP had promised to implement divisions under 27 per cent
reservation for backward classes. 80 days are left till the elections, when
will you do it? If you don''t keep your promise we will contest on all 80
seats, we will release candidates list on February 25," SBSP chief OP
Rajbhar told ANI.OP Rajbhar, a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, has
always been critical of the BJP government.ANI
Muslim outfits seek representation in SP-BSP
alliance
Lucknow: Muslims who make respectable 19.23
per cent of the total population in Uttar Pradesh seems to be divided over
support to newly-stitched SP-BSP alliance which is moving ahead with the sole
agenda of BJP's ouster.Most of Muslim organisations, including National Ulema
Council, AIMIM and even students union of AMU, have echoed a common sentiment
of being neglected. They claim that they are feeling cheated by the two major
allies who did not even give a single thought to Muslim representation the grand
alliance.Their common refrain is that both Samajwadi Party and BSP bank upon Muslim
vote bank in a big way, but ignored the minority community while cobbling up
the tie-up."Muslims have played a key role in nurturing these parties. But
they kept us out," riles a senior office bearer of National Ulema Council.The
council has sought at least 16 of the 80 seats in the gathbandhan for the
Muslim parties to strike the socio-religious balance in it.However, the Peace
Party chief Dr Mohammad Ayub sounds hopeful of the chances of getting a
foothold in the alliance.Qaumi Ekta Dal, led by Mukhtar Ansari and his brothers Afzal and
Sibghatullah Ansari, which has a strong base in Ghazipur, Mau in eastern UP,
has already announced its merger with BSP. newindianexpress
AMU to launch course in Islamic chaplaincy
AMU has
decided to start a one-year post-graduate diploma course in "Islamic
Chaplaincy" from July this year to help Madrassa students apply for the
post of Muslim chaplains in the Indian Army, jails or hospitals. V-C of the
university, Dr Tariq Mansoor said that 10 seats have been approved for the
course. "Madrassa students who have religious knowledge can apply for the
bridge course in the university. They can apply for it after graduation. The
course will help them get hired in the Army, prisons or hospitals."
"Spiritual teachers play a very important role in keeping morale of the
soldiers high during conflict through motivational speeches and also act as
counsellors, helping them to deal with combat stress," said AMU
spokesperson Shafey Kidwai. TOI
First Muslim pracharak of RSS dies
Mumbai:The first Muslim pracharak (full time
worker) of RSS in Maharashtra, Gulshan Abdullah Sheikh also known as Prahlad
Shinde, died on Friday following a bout of illness at Panvel near Mumbai.He was
heading the Dharm Jagran department of the Konkan prant for the VHP.Shinde was
diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage last week. He was first admitted to Bombay
Hospital and later was shifted to Patwardhan Hospital in Panvel after his
condition worsened.Born as Gulshan Sheikh, Shinde joined RSS in his home town
of Matheran, the famous hill station near Mumbai. An outstanding organiser, Shinde
was actively involved in RSS work. He worked for the organisation in Goa and
Panvel from 1985 to 1992. He then got married and embraced Hinduism with his
whole family.indiatoday
Court extends NIA custody of accused by 7 days
New Delhi : A Delhi court has extended by 7
days NIA remand of a man arrested from UP in connection with its probe against
an ISIS case.Special Judge Rakesh Syal allowed NIA's plea for further remand
during in-chamber proceedings after 24-year-old Muhammed Absar was produced in
court on expiry of his 6-day custodial interrogation, his advocate Noorullah
said.IANS
Delhi HC grants bail to Aslam Wani
New Delhi : Delhi High Court on Friday granted
bail to alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani in a money laundering case
filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate.A single judge bench of the
High Court presided by Justice Najmi Waziri further directed Wani to furnish
Rs. 3 lakh as personal bail bond and two sureties of the same amount. Wani is
being probed in a money laundering case involving Kashmiri separatist leader
Shabir Shah. The Enforcement Directorate had earlier opposed the bail plea
citing that a money trail has been established in the case.ANI
Mehbooba seeks separatist leader's release
from NIA on humanitarian grounds
Srinagar :PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday
sought the release of separatist leader Shahid-ul-Islam, who is in the NIA's
custody, on humanitarian grounds as his wife was not feeling well.She spoke to
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over phone after reports of Islam's wife
having suffered a brain hemorrhage emerged."I share your concern for
Shahid Ul Islam. Have spoken with HM requesting his early release on
humanitarian grounds as the wife has suffered a brain haemorrhage,"
Mehbooba said in a tweet, in response to a plea for the separatist leader's
release.PTI
Pandits reach out to a Muslim family in
distress in South Kashmir
Hapatnar :Battling with hunger for few days
due to utter poverty, 7-member family of Mouzudin Bhat in remote Hapatnar
hamlet of South Kashmir had a meal on Thursday after a group of displaced
Kashmiri Pandits braved heavy snowfall to bring them essential supplies.Not
only did the displaced Pandits from Mattan transit camp led by Ranjan Jyotshi
and Vinod Tickoo brought them rations, medicines and other essentials but also
ensured financial assistance to the family by collecting funds through Facebook
and other social media platforms. "After six days all of us ate food. Our
4 children have not eaten food for several days. Thanks to these Kashmiri
Pandit boys, who came to our help", Raja Begum, one of the family members
told reporters. Jyotshi, who works for the social welfare department, learnt of
their plight during a visit to the far flung area of Hapatnar. He and Vinod
Tickoo, an engineer collected rice, flour, oils, spices, sugar, tea, milk,
pulses, medicines and blankets, quilts and clothes with the help of KP
employees of Matan transit camp and rushed to Bhat's house in two vehicles
Thursday.PTI
India lodges protest over Pak SC extending its
powers to Gilgit-Baltistan
India summoned Pakistan’s Deputy High
Commissioner to lodge a strong protest on a recent order by the Pakistan
Supreme Court that extended its jurisdiction over Gilgit-Baltistan in
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is “an interference in India’s internal
affairs”.“It was reiterated that the entire state of J&K, which also
includes the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’ has been, is and shall remain an
integral part of India,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
“Pakistan govt or judiciary have no locus standi on territories illegally and
forcibly occupied by it. Any action to alter the status of these occupied
territories by Pakistan has no legal basis whatsoever.”The development came a
day after Pakistan’s Supreme Court directed the Govt to promulgate a new law
within a fortnight to grant more rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan,
according to Dawn. It ruled that the top court’s jurisdiction would also extend
to the region.scroll.in
India, Pakistan should engage in ‘meaningful
dialogue’ to resolve issues: UN chief
UN chief also said he has been offering his
“good offices in relation to the dialogue between the two countries that, until
now, had no conditions of success.”Guterres was speaking to reporters at UN
HQRS .“I hope that the importance of both India and Pakistan is such in
international affairs, I hope that the two countries will be able to engage in
a meaningful dialogue,” he said.PTI
Justice Lokur attends swearing-in of Pak Chief
Justice, shares bench with him
For the first time in more than 70 years, an
Indian judge — albeit retired — sat on a bench in a court in Pakistan. It was
Justice (retd) Madan Lokur of the Supreme Court, who heard three cases for
about 45 minutes on Friday. The first matter was a challenge of a conviction;
the second a bail hearing; and the third a civil matter, which resulted in a
compromise between the two parties.A two-judge bench in Pakistan’s Supreme
Court, consisting of freshly sworn-in 26th Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa
and his fellow judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, sat with Justice Lokur,
President Supreme Court of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Narin Ferdi
Sefik, Chief Judge of the State of Borno Nigeria Kashim Zannah and Sandra E
Oxner, former judge and founding president of Commonwealth Judicial Education
Institute, Canada. Justice Lokur, accompanied by his wife Savita Lokur,
described the reception in the neighbouring country as “unprecedented”, with
the gesture of getting all invitee judges to sit on a bench proving
heart-warming. He said the atmosphere was “wonderful and the court was not
crowded. Like in India, it was open to the press.”indianexpress
Delhi HC stays JNU council order on attendance
Delhi High Court has stayed the JNU academic
and executive councils’ decision to make attendance mandatory for faculty
members.Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, however, said that action against the
unauthorised absence of teaching staff be taken as per rules prevalent before Academic
Council (AC) decision of July 13, 2018, making marking of attendance
mandatory.On Jan14, court,in its interim order,had stayed JNU administration’s
directive denying leave to faculty members who fail to mark their attendance or
submit students’ attendance records.The court also issued a notice to JNU on plea
challenging the decisions of AC and Executive Council (EC) of the university
and listed the matter for further hearing on May 3.indianexpress
Selfie un-Islamic: Darul Uloom Deoband
Meerut: Darul Uloom Deoband has said taking
selfie is un-Islamic for both men and women. Darul Ifta, the online fatwa
department of the renowned seminary, replying to a query by a Pakistani youth,
said that since mostly selfies are taken to be posted on social media, it gives
rise to shamelessness. Maulana Asad Qasmi, a Deoband-based cleric, said, “We
fully agree with Darul as every fatwa issued by the seminary is in the light of
religious scriptures. Selfie is a new craze among youths which is not only bad
in the eyes of Islam but also contributes to a large number of accidents
leading to loss of lives.”TOI
Ram temple will be built under Congress rule: Harish
Rawat, gets rapped
Dehradun Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat
said Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya when Congress comes to power at the
Centre.“Congress would build the (Ram) temple based on the decision of the
Supreme Court. BJP would fail to construct the temple because they are ‘papi’.
They have violated maryada (order). Those who have no regard for ethics and
dignity cannot be devotees of Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram,” Rawat had said.The
statement drew sharp retort from his fellow party leader and Uttarakhand leader
of opposition Indira Hridayesh, who said: “If it is so, then the Congress could
have built a Ram temple when it was in power for 10 years.”“All including
Muslims are in support of constructing a Ram temple. But one should not make a
claim which cannot be fulfilled as we are not in power,” said Hridayesh,
indicating a rift within the ranks.HT
Miffed Over Delay, RSS Says Construction of
Ram Mandir Shelved for 2025
New Delhi:In a surprise statement, RSS
second-in-command Bhaiyyaji Joshi has said that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will
come up in 2025, a year after 2024 next Lok Sabha elections.“ India progressed
rapidly after the Somnath Temple was established in 1952. India will again
start prospering after the Ram Mandir is built in 2025. After the Ram Temple is
established at Ayodhya, the country will be blessed for the next 150 years,” said
Joshi.Joshi's suo moto intervention while speaking at Kumbh in Prayagraj comes
a month after VHP’s show of strength in Delhi. At the rally, Joshi had sought
an ordinance for the construction of temple.News18
Centre plans changes in Waqf properties lease
rules
New Delhi:A committee which reviewed Waqf
Properties Lease Rules 2014 presented its report to Union Minister for Minority
Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, recommending a slew of changes to bring clarity in
rental norms and reduce litigation. Naqvi said that the report will be
implemented "as soon as possible" after being examined by his
ministry. "Modi Govt has been successfully carrying forward the campaign
to utilise Waqf properties across the country for socio-economic empowerment of
the needy sections,"Minister said.Report recommends changes in Waqf Rules
2014 so that properties having lease rentals of Rs 3,000 are excluded from
bidding process. It also provides relief to occupants of Waqf properties
uninterruptedly from 1995 or before, extending lease renewal for 10 years as a
onetime concession, according to officials.The report also recommends
increasing lease period of properties used as shops from 5 to 10 years and,
from one year to three years in case of agriculture purposes. It also
rationalises security deposit payable on Waqf properties. Another
recommendation of the report is that legal heir of a tenant be entitled to
transfer of unexpired period of lease on payment of transfer fee.5-member
committee headed by Justice (retired) Zakiullah Khan was formed in March 2018
to review the rules related to Waqf properties. PTI
Kerala flaunts list of 51 women who entered
Sabarimala temple, with many a slip
New Delhi: It was meant to be a list of 51
women under the age of 50 to substantiate the state’s claim, complete with
name, age, Aadhaar numbers, addresses, and phone numbers. But by Friday
evening, it left many red faces in the Kerala Govt as it scrambled to explain
contradictions in the list.The list, prepared by Kerala police, names women who
have entered the Sabarimala temple since the Supreme Court lifted the age
restriction on entry of women to the hill shrine. Consider this: Not one name
on the list was from Kerala, all women were in the age range of 41-49. Indian
Express contacted 20 women from Tamil Nadu, 4 from Andhra Pradesh and one from
Goa. The responses varied.indianexpress
Swine flu kills at least 40 in Rajasthan
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/swine-flu-kills-40-india-rajasthan-state-190119092616731.html
At least 40 people have died and more than
1,000 have tested positive for swine flu since the beginning of the year in a
western Indian state popular with foreigners, according to authorities. The highly contagious H1N1 virus that spreads
from human-to-human killed around 1,100 people and infected 15,000 across the
country last year. "Total deaths are 40 and positive cases are 1,036 as
from Jan.1 to 17 in Rajasthan. One of the deaths occurred on Thursday," a
statement by the Rajasthan health department said on Friday. Rajasthan's
Jodhpur district recorded the highest death toll with 16 fatalities and 225
people testing positive.aljazeera
Health ministry bans 80 more fixed-dose
combination drugs, including antibiotics,painkillers
Union Health Ministry has banned 80 fixed-dose
combination drugs, including antibiotics, painkillers and several medicines
used to treat fungal and bacterial infections, hypertension and anxiety.Fixed-dose
combination drugs, or FDCs,are medicines that combine two or more drugs and are
marketed by pharmaceutical companies to circumvent the government’s price
control orders. These 80 drugs are part of a list of 294 drugs that were first
banned in Nov.2007 as they were licensed without the approval of Drugs
Controller General of India. Drug manufacturers challenged the ban in the
Madras High Court and managed to get a stay on proceedings. Drug Technical
Advisory Board then constituted a sub-committee to examine the rationality and
safety of the drugs. Sub-commitee has found that there is no therapeutic
justification for these 80 drugs, and based on its recommendation, health
ministry prohibited the manufacture, sale and distribution of these
drugs.scroll
IRCTC case: Lalu Yadav granted regular bail
New Delhi: A Special CBI court on Saturday
granted regular bail to former Railways minister Lalu Yadav in IRCTC scam case.Special
CBI judge Arun Bharadwaj directed RJD supremo to furnish an amount of Rs 1 lakh
as a personal bail bond and one surety of like amount. Yadav is already on an
interim bail while the other accused in the case are on regular bail.ANI
AMU alumnus Abbas Akhil becomes New Mexico’s
first Muslim American lawmaker
Albuquerque, New Mexico: On Tuesday, with
swearing in as the District 20 representative in the New Mexico House,
Democratic member Abbas Ali Akhil became the first Muslim American lawmaker in
the history of the southern state.Abbas is an Indian immigrant who has been
living with his family in the state’s most populous city, Albuquerque for the
last 40 years.Newsd.in
WORLD
UN chief: Instruments at hand to probe
Khashoggi murder
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the
Human Rights Council has the capacity to probe the murder of journalist Jamal
Khashoggi.“Human Rights Council has the possibility to take decisions in
relation to launching different forms of interaction,” Guterres said at a press
conference at UN HQRS in New York. “There are many instruments Human Rights
Council can use, requested by member states, and I am not in a position to
encourage member states. I’m saying these instruments are available.”UN Human
Rights Chief Michele Bachelet said last month that the killing of Khashoggi
deserves an international investigation, however, UN does not have the
jurisdiction to launch one. middleeastmonitor
US Senator Graham: US-Saudi ties can't move
until MBS is dealt with
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/lindsey-graham-saudi-ties-move-mbs-dealt-190119084608281.html
Senator Lindsey Graham has said the
relationship between US and Saudi Arabia cannot move forward until Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman is "dealt with", without elaborating on what
action he believes should be taken. Speaking in Ankara a day after meeting with
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Graham said Congress will reintroduce
sanctions against those involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Last Nov,
CIA concluded that Prince Mohammed ordered the assassination of Khashoggi in
Istanbul, a finding that contradicts Saudi govt assertions that he was not
involved. Khashoggi, a longtime royal insider who had become a critic of Prince
Mohammed, was killed and dismembered by a Saudi hit team in the kingdom's
consulate in Istanbul in Oct,prompting a global outcry.US Treasury sanctioned
17 Saudi individuals and Senate adopted a resolution blaming Prince Mohammed. At
least 21 Saudis have reportedly been arrested in connection with the case, with
5 facing the death penalty. Senator Graham also said he hoped President Trump
would slow US withdrawal from Syria until ISIL is destroyed.Graham said he
believed US Chief of Staff Joseph Dunford was working on a plan with Turkey to
move Kurdish YPG elements away from the country. By arming YPG group in Syria,
Washington "created a nightmare for Turkey,"said Graham. Underlining
that YPG/PYD is "clearly" tied to PKK - listed as a terrorist group
by Turkey, the US, and the European Union - Graham told reporters that US
strategy in Syria has the potential to cause harm to Turkey.aljazeera
Trump's new 'anti-Muslim' appointee worries
civil rights groups
American civil rights groups have condemned
the appointment of a new deputy national security advisor who served on the
board of an anti-Muslim group for nearly a decade.US President Donald Trump
appointed Charles M Kupperman last week to assist NSA John Bolton, saying in a
press release that Kupperman "brings to the role more than four decades of
national security policy and programme experience". Kupperman served on
the board of directors for the Center for Security Policy (CSP) between 2001
and 2010, according to tax records. Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an
Alabama-based hate monitor, designates the CSP as an anti-Muslim hate group,
pointing to the group's promotion of conspiracy theories claiming that Muslims
have infiltrated US govt and seek to establish Islamic law in the country. Council
for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on Trump administration to
revoke Kupperman's appointment. "Once again this is an example of Trump
elevating foxes into the hen house, where Islamophobes are well placed to
direct our nation's national security priorities,"Robert McCaw, director
of CAIR's govt affairs department,said. McCaw argued that Kupperman's
appointment "should absolutely be rescinded" and that he "has no
place in US government". aljazeera
Trump, Kim Jong-un to hold second summit in
Feb
White House announced that a second summit
between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would
take place in late Feb. The location of the meeting will be announced later.2
leaders met for the first time on June 12 in Singapore for a historic summit,
following which Kim committed to the “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean
Peninsula.scroll.in
Taliban refute peace talks with US in Pakistan
Taliban on Saturday refuted reports about
their joining the second round of meeting with officials from the United States
and Pakistan over Afghanistan peace and reconciliation process here in near
future.In a press statement released here, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
was quoted as saying, "We want to make it clear that we will not hold any
meeting with Zalmay Khalilzad in Islamabad."The decision to hold further
talks with the Taliban was taken on Friday during an official meeting between
the US Special Representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad
and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, whereby Khalilzad stated that the
Taliban were reluctant to meet the Afghan Govt and announce a ceasefire, Geo
News reported.Sources further confirmed Geo News that Pakistan had extended an
invitation to attend to hold talks on the Afghan peace process in Islamabad.
Pakistan Foreign Minister further promised Khalilzad that his Govt would
cooperate with Afghanistan in having talks with the Taliban. (ANI)
Afghanistan's Hekmatyar running for president
Kabul:A former leader of Afghanistan’s
Mujahedeen on Saturday threw his hat into the ring for April presidential
elections in the war-ravaged country.Announcing his candidacy, Gulbuddin
Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e-Islami party, sharply criticized current Kabul govt
and vowed to bring drastic reforms for peace, transparency, and governance.
Afghan political arena is heavily divided along ethnic lines, with all main
candidates balancing the representation of major ethnic groups. As an ethnic
Pashtun, Hekmatyar chose an ethnic Turkmen and a Tajik as his proposed deputies.“Only
a strong centralized presidential system can salvage Afghanistan,” he said,
categorically rejecting other candidates’ ideas for a federal or parliamentary
system. Anadolu Agency
Private jet reportedly takes UAE and Israel
officials from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv: middle east eye
Emirati and Israeli officials travelled
together on a direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv late on Thursday,
Al-Khaleej Online reported.The private jet marked 9H-VCL flew from Abu Dhabi
airport through Saudi airspace, without stopping in Jordan as is customary, and
landed in Ben Gurion airport.Israeli security figures were returning from a
secret trip to Abu Dhabi to prepare for "a surprise visit" of UAE
foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed to Tel Aviv, high-level sources said.This
was to be followed, the sources said, by a visit to Abu Dhabi by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The sources added that a Saudi "green
light" was given to UAE for these visits, as Riyadh is keen to normalise
ties with Israel officially and is preparing a meeting in Washington that would
gather Netanyahu with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad
bin Salman.
Arabic press review: Senior UAE official
sought to buy East Jerusalem home?
A leader of the Islamic movement in Israel has
accused UAE’ intelligence chief of attempting to purchase a home near Al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. Commenting on news reports that an Emirati
plane landed in Tel Aviv with two senior Emirati officials in tow, Sheikh Kamal
al-Khatib accused UAE’s Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan of being behind an attempt
to buy a house "adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque" for $20m, according to
the Arabi21 news website.Khatib, deputy head of Islamic movement in Israel,
said the attempted real estate purchase, "which failed despite offering
the owners $20mn, was made by a local businessman known to be close to Mohammed
Dahlan, who lives in Abu Dhabi"."The owner of the house next to
Al-Aqsa Mosque spoke with me personally three weeks ago, and he assured me that
the Jerusalem businessman who offered to buy the house was sent by Tahnoun bin
Zayed," al-Khatib said.middleeasteye
Israel contacting Hamas for prisoner swap:
Sources
Gaza:Israel is holding “indirect” contacts to
reach a prisoner swap deal with Palestinian group Hamas, according to Hamas
sources on Saturday. “Hamas has received indirect contacts from Israeli Govt about
a prisoner swap deal,” the London-based Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed newspaper quoted the
sources as saying. The sources described the Israeli contacts as “an attempt to
support the Govt of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu” before the April general
election. “We have received new contacts from a European side and Cairo
regarding advancing negotiations about Israelis held captive by [Hamas],” the
sources said. The sources said Hamas wants the release of all prisoners
rearrested by Israel after their release as part of an Egyptian-brokered
exchange deal to free captured soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. “The Netanyahu Govt
is maneuvering to make gains,” the sources said. Sources said UN envoy Nickolay
Mladenov has also opened a “discussion” with Hamas leaders regarding the deal.Anadolu
Agency
Egypt court adjourns Morsi trial in espionage
case
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190118-egypt-court-adjourns-morsi-trial-in-hamas-espionage-case/
A Cairo criminal court adjourned the trial of
ousted President Mohamed Morsi in a case in which he is accused of “espionage
for Hamas”.Morsi, along with 23 other defendants, is in court accused of
orchestrating prison breaks and breaches of Egypt’s eastern border during the
country’s 2011 uprising. However, the court today adjourned the trial until 29
January, citing the absence of the defendants due to a security-related
difficulty in transporting them to court.middleeastmonitor
Amnesty: Egypt must release activist
Abdelmonem
Amnesty International called for the Egyptian
authorities to immediately release Egyptian human rights activist Hoda
Abdelmonem.In a tweet, the rights group wrote that Abdelmonem had been forcibly
disappeared for 20 days before she appeared in court.Amnesty reported the
account of Abdelmonem’s daughter, detailing what happened to her mother: “On 1
Nov.2018, [Egyptian] State Security forces broke into the house of Hoda
Abdelmonem in Cairo at 1:30 am, ransacked it, and took her blindfolded to her
mother’s house.”It added: “While the Security forces searched her mother’s
house, she was left blindfolded in a police vehicle. Hoda was then forcibly
taken to an unknown destination.”MEMO
flash: views & NEWS
Babri Masjid Case: Why Representation of
Minority Judges Matters:John Sebastian and Faiza Rahman
Collegium courts controversy by elevating
relatively junior judges:Rekha Sharma
CBI vs CBI:
The many lives of Asthana & why the Govt rehabilitated him:Uttam
Sengupta
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:20 PM)
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