NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
08 Jan. 2019: 01 Jamadiul-I 1440:
Vol: 11, No:96
INDIA
Alok Verma Back As CBI Boss Without Powers As
Court Scraps Centre's Order
New Delhi: Exiled CBI chief Alok Verma was
reinstated by the Supreme Court today, 3 months after the Govt divested him of his powers and sent him on
forced leave in a midnight swoop. Verma can go back to his office but cannot
take any major policy decisions for now, the top court said, asking a
high-powered selection committee comprising the PM , the Leader of Opposition
and CJI to meet and decide on his status within a week. It also means only
partial relief for Alok Verma, who had challenged the govt's Oct.23 order
arguing that CBI chief has a fixed 2 year term and can be removed only by the
high-powered committee. Verma's term ends on Jan.31. In election season, the
top court's ruling is seen as a huge setback for BJP-led Govt , which has been
accused by the opposition of manipulating CBI and misusing it against rivals.
Verma and his deputy Asthana, CBI's top 2 officers, were both sent on leave in
Oct. in the middle of a bitter feud between them"The legislative intent of
insulating the CBI director is manifest," said the three judges who set
aside the Govt 's move unanimously. The appointment of M Nageswara Rao, joint
director, as interim chief has also been set aside. Opposition parties grabbed
the judgement as vindication of their criticism that Govt was
"dictatorial". "We welcome the Supreme Court's verdict
lambasting the Govt against their
illegal removal of Alok Verma as CBI Director," said the Congress, which
alleges that Verma was removed because he intended to launch a probe into the
Rafale jet deal.Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that the court ruling was a
"direct indictment" of PM Narendra Modi.Asthana remains on forced leave.
There is also no decision on the transfers.NDTV
Verma's reinstatement partial victory: Bhushan
Senior Supreme
Court advocate Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday described the Supreme Court order to
reinstate Alok Verma as CBI Director as a "partial victory", as he
was not been given full powers."The SC has today quashed the Govt 's
decision and CVC's decision to divest Verma of his powers as CBI Director and
they have restored him as CBI director," Bhushan told media outside the
court following the judgement."But strangely quashing the orders divesting
him as CBI Director and despite restoring him, the court has said that he will
not take major policy decision till such time that this high powered committee
comprising PM,Leader of Opposition and CJI meets and considers matter," he
said. Bhushan, is one of the petitioners for the Common Cause NGO, which has
challenged the order sending CBI director on leave and divesting him of all
powers.IANS
‘Muzzling of Democratic Institutions’:
Congress Attacks Modi After SC Brings Back CBI Chief
Centre should now stop misusing CBI & NIA
for political vendetta: Mehbooba Mufti
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the
Supreme Court's decision to reinstate Alok Verma as CBI director, saying the
apex court ruling had restored faith in independent institutions."Welcome
SCs decision to reinstate #AlokVerma as CBI Dir. (It) reinstates belief in
independent institutions of our democracy that are its pillars," Mufti
said in a tweet.She said the Centre should now stop "misusing" the
investigative agencies like CBI and NIA for political ends."Time for Central
govt to stop misusing its influence to arm twist investigative agencies like NIA
& CBI for political vendetta," she added.PTI
Live: Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 passed
in Lok Sabha, TMC, Congress walk out: Opposition protest over extension of
Rajya Sabha by a day
Citizenship (Amendment)Bill seeks to amend
Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant Indian nationality to people from minority
communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after living in India for six years,
instead of 12, even if they don't possess any proper document. Trinamool
Congress, Congress have walked out of Lok Sabha during discussion over
Citizenship Amendment Bill. TMC MP Saugata Roy says the citizenship bill will
"lead to fires" not just in Assam but in the whole of the North East.
He clarifies that this was not a threat, amid objections to his statement, but
a warning of what is to comeCongress leader and MP Mallikarjun Kharge says many
people have reservations about the bill. He requests the Speaker to send the
bill to a select committee as it is related to a constitutional matter. He
highlights the unrest in Assam over the bill as it does not address the Assam
Accord. "AIDUF is an Assam-based political party. The Bill has evoked
strong protests in Assam. The AGP, another Assam party is also opposing the
Bill," AIDUF MP Badruddin Ajmal said. CPM MP Mohammed Salim said,
"With an eye on elections, country is being divided in a secular nation,
citizenship cannot be granted on basis of religion."Meanwile, opposition
leaders protest in the Parliament premises against central Govt for extending Rajya Sabha session by a day;
allege it was extended without consensus.nationalheraldindia
Assam bandh over Citizenship bill LIVE : 5
injured as agitators clash with police near Agartala
Assam: At least 5 people, including 2 who
sustained bullet injuries, were reportedly injured during a clash between
policemen and North East Students’ Organization (NESO) supporters at the HQRS
of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC), 25 km away
from Agartala. Protestors clashed with police, gheraoed CM Sarbananda Sonowal’s house in Dibrugarh,
damaged vehicles during 11-hour “bandh” called by AASU to protest against the
Citizenship Amendment Bill.AASU along with 30 other organisations called for a
state-wide 11 hours shutdown on Tuesday, from 5 am to 4 pm, protesting against
the scheduled tabling of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, in Parliament. Assam, on
Monday, witnessed public protests and demonstrations by civil society groups
and AASU against the Bill and black flags were raised in Guwahati against NDA Govt.AGP
accused CM Sarbananda Sonowal of not respecting the interests of the Assamese
people and "not cooperating" on the Bill.indian express
5-Judge Constitution Bench Led by CJI Gogoi to
Hear Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has formed a 5-judge
Constitution Bench to hear the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute case
from Jan.10. The bench, to be headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, comprises Justices SA
Bobde, NV Ramana, UU Lalit and DY Chandrachud. CJI Gogoi had said at the
previous hearing on Friday that a 3-judge bench would hear the politically
sensitive case, but decided to form a larger one of five judges as it assumes
the significance of a Constitution Bench. The bench will from Jan. 10 take
forward the Ayodhya land dispute case.News18
'Modi regime determined to protect religious minorities'
New Delhi: Undeterred by criticism that it was
pushing the Citizenship Amendment Bill with a “communal” and “pro-Hindu”
agenda, highly-placed sources in the Govt said Modi regime was determined to protect
religious minorities, including Hindus, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and
Afghanistan where their “persecution” had caused an alarming decline in their
numbers and share in population over the past decades.As per sources, Hindus’
share in the population of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in 1951 was a robust
22%, which as per Census 2011 fell to 9%. The percentage of other smaller
religious communities there has shown little change, with Buddhists down to
0.6% in 2011 from 0.7% in 1951 and Christians constant at 0.3%.Pakistan had 3%
Hindus among its population following the large-scale migration in aftermath of
Partition. However, this number by 1998 had reduced to a mere 1.2% of its total
population.In Afghanistan, before Eighties, Hindus and Sikhs totalled 2,20,000.
However, in the past three decades, their number is down to just about 7,000.
“Hindus are being persecuted in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Their
properties are being expropriated, they are being forced to convert, their women
get abducted and are forced to marry outside their faith. Hindus are an
endangered species in these countries. Where they can go if not to India,” said
a senior govt functionary. Citizenship Amendment Bill provides for granting
Indian nationality to people from minority communities --Hindus, Sikhs,
Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan after 6 years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don’t
possess any proper document, with Dec.31, 2014, being the cutoff date for
immigration. TOI
Govt's efforts to grant citizenship to
non-Muslim illegal immigrants 'appreciable': JPC
Plea to enter places of worship vicious: Delhi
Minorities Commission
New Delhi: Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC)
has condemned a petition filed in the Delhi High Court that seeks permission
for entry into places of worship of all religions, “in any condition”. Panel,
headed by Zafarul-Islam Khan, termed the petition “vicious” and has alerted
religious leaders about the issue. Expressing concern, the commission said,
“The court has been asked to allow even menstruating women to visit others’
prayer places. The petition will be heard next April, but no party has been
served with a copy of the petition so far.” The commission took note of the
matter after a Parsi delegation led by Ava Khullar, President of Delhi Parsi
Anjuman, approached the panel and sought its intervention, saying permission to
all to enter the fire temples will become a big problem for the community. Khan
said that Parsis were worried that such a permission will cause them great
pain, since only Parsis, under certain conditions, are allowed to enter the
sacred fire temples. Delhi Parsi Anjuman has acquired a copy of the petition,
which has been filed by one Sanjiv Kumar, who has sought permission “to enter
Parsi, Muslim and Christian prayer places at any time and in any condition.” “DMC
assured them of all possible help, gave them advice on how to protect their
fire temples and expressed readiness to file an affidavit in the court or
become a party to the case, if needed,” read a statement issued by the
commission.newindianexpress
Bhopal jailbreak and encounter of SIMI men
were fake: Congress MLA Arif Masood
Bhopal: A first-time Congress MLA and AIMPLB
member Arif Masood raised the issue of Bhopal central jailbreak of 2016 and
subsequent killing of 8 SIMI men in an alleged encounter.Dubbing both jailbreak
and the killing of the 8 men in alleged encounter by police as fake, Masood
said, "Entire episode, spanning from the early morning alleged jailbreak
by the 8 inmates to their killing by police in an encounter on outskirts of
Bhopal a few hours later on Oct.30-31 was nothing,but fake. I've already filed
a petition before the Supreme Court, demanding a fresh probe by a sitting judge
of High Court. I'll now seek the opinion of lawyers and if cleared by them,
will raise the matter in the state assembly and demand fresh judicial probe
from our Govt."Newly appointed MP home minister Bala Bachchan, when
questioned about the statements of his party's MLA, tried to play down the
matter. "I'll have to first take up the issue with CM Kamal Nath, only
after which I can tell journalists Govt's stand over the issue." One-man
judicial commission which probed the jailbreak encounter killing submitted its
report in 2017, which was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha in June last year. As the
report has already been submitted, we'll first have to take up the matter with
CM, home minister maintained.newindianexpress
AMU VC, students’ union hail SC verdict dismissing
plea to change its name
AMU V-C and its students’ union in unison
welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to scrap a petition seeking to change the
name of the varsity. The SC on Monday dismissed a plea which sought to change
the name of AMU. “You want us to do that,” asked CJI Ranjan Gogoi while
trashing the plea.It all started when a UGC audit panel had suggested dropping
words Muslim from AMU and Hindu from Banaras Hindu University in 2017. However,
after a prolonged debate over the issue, the Centre said that it had no plan to
change the name of the Central university.The court’s Monday decision came as a
“relief” to the people associated with the varsity.Its VC Prof Tariq Mansoor
told TOI that in view of the long history of the AMU, there was no question of
changing the name of the varsity. “I honour the decision of the SC,” he said. Expressing
happiness over the court’s judgment, Secretary of AMU’s students union, Huzaifa
Amir said, “It is a slap on the faces of those who had been indulging in petty
politics over this issue. The court has now put a full stop to all such
demands.” In response to the suggestions of UGC panel, the then university
Registrar Javaid Akhtar had written a letter to UGC saying that dropping the
word ‘Muslim’ would deprive the university of its unique historical character.
Dubbing the panel’s suggestion as “outrageous”, Akhtar had then said that the
panel had gone beyond its brief and has incorrectly drawn a conclusion that by
dropping Muslim from its name will instill secular values. TOI
Centre’s EBC Quota further queers pitch for
Muslims
Hyderabad: While Union cabinet has approved
providing 10% reservations for economically backward classes (EBC) in general
categories on Monday, there is confusion on the applicability of this quota for
the Muslim minorities in the state.The reason behind the confusion is that the
state Govt has been extending four % reservations to socially and educationally
backward classes in Muslims under BC (E) quota since 2007. After TRS Govt came
to power, it has been extending this quota to its welfare schemes as well.TRS Govt
had also proposed to enhance the quota
for Muslim minorities to 12% from the
existing 4% by amending the Constitution. However, Centre had turned down the
proposal. Similarly, state Govt had
proposed hike in reservations for STs from the existing 6% to 10% which is still pending with the Centre.Now,
officials in the state Govt will have to
take a call on whether Muslims should be either in the BC E or the general
category. Only in the latter case would they be eligible for EBC quota proposed
by NDA Govt in central govt jobs and education. However, the hitch is that at
present in Telangana, 14 sub-categories of Muslims have been getting reservations
under BC E quota. This would make it difficult for the remaining about a dozen
categories in the state to be given quota under EBC quota proposed by the
centre. Interestingly, after Monday’s union cabinet decision, some BC leaders
have decided to demand that state Govt remove Muslims from BC list on the
grounds that they can become eligible for 10% new EBC quota that is in the
works. Because of a lack of clarity on the quota for Muslim minorities, state Govt
has not officially reacted to the Centre’s proposal and wants to wait and watch
till the Centre brings either an amendment to the Constitution or tables a Bill
in the Parliament. TOI
Kerala:Muslim outfits plan stir against denial
of quota
Kozhikode:Muslim organisations in the State
are planning to rope in outfits representing OBCs to take forward an agitation
against the “denial of reservation benefits” in the recruitment of officials to
the proposed Kerala Administrative Service (KAS).K. Kutty Ahmed Kutty, former
Minister and convener, Minorities and Backward Classes Forum, said on Sunday
that discussions would be held soon with functionaries of KPMS and SNDP Yogam. He
said the forum had the support of the Samvarana Samudaya Munnani led by V.
Dinakaran, who represented the Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha, and Vishnupuram
Chandrasekharan, chairman of Vaikuntaswami Dharma Pracharanasabha, which
represented the Nadar community.“Leaders of over 60 most backward Hindu
communities have offered support to us. They will hold a meeting soon, after
which we will have joint deliberations,” Kutty said.The Govt proposed to give reservation to minorities and
backward classes only in Category 1 of KAS, which will be through direct
recruitment. Under Category 2, officials will be appointed from regular
employees or approved probationers in Govt departments. Under Category 3, those
holding first gazetted post or above can be transferred or promoted. In both
these cases, reservation rules are not applicable. The decision to launch the
agitation was taken at a meeting of the Muslim Coordination Committee, a body
representing various Muslim organisations, in Kozhikode. Representatives of IUML,
Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind, Wisdom Global Islamic Mission, Muslim Education Society, Muslim Service
Society, among others, were present at the meeting.thehindu
Maharashtra: MR vaccination drive to focus on
madrassas, Urdu-medium schools
Pune: Students from city’s 57 private and Govt
Urdu-medium schools and 12 madrassas will be vaccinated against measles-rubella
(MR) in the second phase of the state-wide vaccination drive. Around 5.7 lakh
students from 550 schools across the city have already been vaccinated during
the drive that began on Nov.27.“We plan to intensify the drive in Urdu-medium
schools and madrassas in the city, which have 15,000 students,” Amit Shah, city’s
immunization officer, said.“We have been trying to get the heads of the
madrassas and other institutions on board. We are also approaching religious
heads so that they can help dispel notions against the vaccine,” Ramchandra
Hankare, chief of PMC’s health department,said.Sayyed Wasim, assistant
administration officer at PMC’s education department for Urdu-medium schools
said they have held a meeting with the committee members of Jamiat Ulema Pune
branch. “We plan to make a video of the head Maulana appealing to parents to
vaccinate their children,” he said.
Kifayat Maulana, the head of Jamiat, said,“We are talking to experts on
how to address parents’ doubts.”TOI
UP: Madrassa Board exams: No. of candidates
dip 23%
Bareilly: UP Secondary Board and UP Madrassa
Board exams that are scheduled to be held around the same time has resulted in
the drop in number of applicants from 10,560 in 2018 to 8,040 in 2019, in the
district. Officials said that only a few students used to appear for both the
exams. UP Board exams will start from Feb.7, while madrassa exams will commence
on Feb.11. District minority welfare officer Jagmohan Singh said, “A few
students used to sit for both UP Secondary Education Board and Madrassa Board
by filling regular form at one place and private at the other one to ensure
they pass an exam. This time UP Secondary Education Board and Madrassa Board
exams will be held around the same time and this has resulted in the drop in
number of applicants by 2,520.” With the
decrease in number of applicants, the number of examination centres has reduced
from 13 in 2018 to 12 in 2019. “The Madrassa Board will conduct exams in four madrassas,
seven inter-colleges, including Govt and
unaided, and a degree college,” said Singh. TOI
West Bengal: Minority leaders from TMC, Muslim
League and CPI(M) join Congress
In a boost to Congress in West Bengal, several
leaders of the minority communities joined the party on Monday. The move gives
a push to the Congress to make inroads into the ruling TMC's vote bank that
enjoys the support of the minority communities.Most of the newly-inducted
leaders, who joined Congress along with their supporters, belonged to TMC.3
prominent names that were welcomed by the state Congress chief Somen Mitra were
Kalyani Majumdar, Shahenshah Jahangir and Iftikhar Yusuf.Kalyani Majumdar,till
Dec.6, was secretary of TMC's minority cell. Shahenshah Jahangir is former
president of Muslim League in West Bengal while Iftikhar Yusuf is a former
member of CPI(M).Opposition leader Abdul Mannan was also present at the event
when the leaders and their supporters joined Congress.indiatoday
Triple talaq: Nitish wants Centre to
'interact' with Muslims instead of 'interfering' in their traditions
Patna: In a strong rebuff to ally BJP on the
triple talaq issue, Bihar CM and JD(U)
national president Nitish Kumar on Monday said the Govt should have “interact” with the Muslim
community to end the practice instead of “interfering” in their traditions.“My
party’s suggestion on this (triple talaq) issue is that instead of interfering
in such matters,there should be interaction.This would make Muslims think over
the issue and rectify the tradition if needed,” said Kumar while clarifying
JD(U)’s stand. JD(U) had refused to vote in favour of a Bill brought by the
Centre in Lok Sabha recently seeking to make the practice of instant triple
talaq punishable with imprisonment. After the bill was passed by voice vote in
the Lower House, senior JD(U) leaders embarrassed the Govt by saying the regional party would stay away
from voting on Bill in Rajya Sabha, where NDA is in minority. “They(BJP-led NDA
Gov) have started a campaign to address the impacts of triple talaq on a lot of
women. But it is a tradition of the people belonging to a particular religion.
These people should be encouraged to dispel if there is anything wrong with
this tradition,” said Kumar after chairing the year’s first ‘Lok Samvad’ public
interaction programme. JD(U) chief also reiterated his party’s independent
stand on Ram temple issue, disapproving of any ordinance to ensure construction
of the temple in Ayodhya. He firmly denied the Opposition’s charge that he was
practising a double standard while continuing to ally with BJP.newindianexpress
‘ISIS-module’
case: NIA remand of 5 accused extended
A Delhi Court on Monday extended NIA custody
of 5 people arrested for being linked to an Islamic State-inspired module. 5
were part of a 10-member module which was allegedly planning suicide attacks
and serial blasts targeting politicians security forces in Delhi. Accused Mufti
Suhail and Saqib Iftekar were remanded for 5 days’ custody, and accused Zubair
Malik, Saeed and Anas Yunus were remanded to a 3-day custody. Remaining 5 were
sent to judicial custody till Feb.after NIA did not seek their further remand. According
to defence counsel Mohammad Noor Ullah, NIA argued in the court that various
social media accounts of the accused, including Mufti Suhail needed to be
verified. “NIA said that they need to verify social media accounts of the
accused, and that they want to take other accused to other cities to confront
with other persons,” he said. Noor Ullah said the defence opposed the NIA remand,
adding that the court must see the case diaries of the investigation before
proceeding.Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal reviewed the case diaries and
then granted 3- and 5-day remand, respectively.NIA had arrested the 10 – 6 from
Delhi, and the remaining from UP’s Amroha and Hapur – after carrying out
searches in 17 locations.indianexpress
Police flayed for RSS influence in Perambra
stone pelting There are some RSS hands behind the attack
Minister EP Jayarajan on Monday slammed the
police department on FIR registered in connection with the incident of stone
pelting at a mosque in Perambra. It was RSS who stoned the mosque. No proper
inspection was conducted, he alleged.There are some RSS hands behind the
attack. Some of the police officers there have links to RSS camps. They have
tried to mislead the investigation. This move will be seen seriously by the
govt.It is learnt that the FIR was tampered and was part of a conspiracy. That
will be inspected, Jayarajan added while speaking to media.At the same time,
the minister said mosque should never be attacked. Govt will take strict action against the
perpetrators.mathrubhumi
Women demand entry to mosque with Sabarimala link
Tamil women who wanted to enter the mosque
dedicated to Vavar were taken into custody by the police. Three of the six
women, who are in the custody of Kozinjambara police, are workers of Tamil
Makkal Kakshi. They were taken into custody at Velanthavalam checkpost.The
women demanded that they want to enter the mosque after entering Sabarimala
temple. As the police felt that this will cause trouble, they were taken into
custody.Their vehicle too has been taken into custody. Women are being
questioned.After receiving information that more activists from Tamil Nadu
might reach Sabarimala, police are taking extra precautions and are carrying
out checks at checkposts. Earlier, the police has stopped a woman who was part
of a 70 member group from entering the temple saying she did not have the
documents to prove her age. Thr group had come from Sri Lanka but had members
who were from Sri Lanka and the UK. The woman said that as she did not want to
create any problems she was going back and did not insist on entering the
temple.theweek
A day after clash in Steel City locality,
residents leave homes in Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur: A clash between 2 groups of people
in the Carriage Colony area of Burmamines police station limits near here on
Sunday, over 40 families belonging to a particular community left their homes
in Shriram Ashram area on Monday fearing backlash.These families are camping on
Vinoba Ashram campus demanding adequate security from the police before they
return to their homes. Manoj Bhagat, one of residents who has left his home,
said, “All we demand from the police is to ensure security for a longer period
of time so that we live safely in our homes.” Other residents said anti-social
elements of a particular community have threatened them of dire consequences
once the security forces leave the trouble-hit area. They have refused to go
back home despite top police officials persuading them to do so. Ramyash
Prasad, officer in-charge of the Buramamines police station, said he has sought
help from SDM (Dhalbhum) to resolve the matter at the earliest by holding
dialogues with the warring factions. He said, “Security has been beefed up in
the area and the situation is under control. Local peace committee members
interacted with the residents and tried to instil confidence and security among
them.” TOI
Bharat Bandh: Trade Unions on 2-day strike
against Centre’s anti-worker policies; Banking, transport services hit, schools
remain closed in many states
With as many as 10 Central Trade Unions
announcing a 2-day nationwide strike beginning today, major services like
banking, transport, insurance and other services are likely to be hit, bringing
normal life to a halt. The Unions have called for a bandh to protest against
alleged anti-workers policies adopted by Narendra Modi-led union Govt . In
Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai transport and buses will remain off-road, while the
state employees and employees of banks, insurance, telecom, and other service
sectors will also be on a strike. In West Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee has not given any permission
for strike asking state Govt employees
to not take any kind of leave.Educational Institutions will also be hit and are
likely to remain closed in most of the states. Odisha Education department has
issued a notice in the same, stating that the state-run schools, colleges and
universities will remain closed.In the rural areas, All India Kisan Sabha and
Bhumi Adhikar Andolan will also join the agitation for the 2 days. They will
observe a gramin hartal, rail roko and a road roko andolan on the 2 days. Trade
Unions have accused the Govt of not
paying heed to its demands on minimum wage, universal social security, better
facilities among others. On Monday, General secretary of CITU, Tapan Sen said
that central banks and insurance employees, along with unorganised sector
employees will participate in the protests.NewsX
University of Hyderabad students win quiz
contest on Prophet’s life
Hyderabad: Students of University of Hyderabad
(UoH) won the first prize in the first ever quiz contest conducted for
‘non-Muslims’ on the subject of life history of Prophet Muhammad here on
Sunday.The team of female students Kumari Ria Ranjan and Garvita Singh who won
after overcoming different stages of the competition were handed over a cash
prize of Rs 20,000 by Prof Sudhakar of UoH. In the event which was organised in
Abids about 200 youngsters, mostly women took part. The team of K Gopi and
Saidulu won second prize of Rs 15,000 and Rahul Reddy and K C Lal won the third
prize of Rs 10,000. While a consolation prize of Rs 2,000 was given away to 7
other contestants.The quiz was held in two languages Telugu and English. The
topic of the quiz contest was ‘Prophet Muhammad-Real Benefactor of Humanity’
(Manawa Mahopakari Muhammad in Telugu). The questions were asked from the book
‘Muhammad, the benefactor of humanity’ written by Naeem Siddiqi. “With the objective of clearing any
misconceptions about the life history of Prophet Muhammad, for the first time
in the city, this unique quiz competition exclusive for non-Muslims was
organised. Similar events will be organised in future,” said City president of
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Hafez Rashaduddin.thehansindia
Nearly 1 lakh schools with only one teacher:
Govt
There are over 90,000 schools with only single
teacher teaching in them at the primary and secondary level combined, as per
the data available with the Govt , Minister of State for Human Resource
Development, Satya Pal Singh said in Parliament on Monday."As per Unified
District Information System of Education (UDISE), 2016-17 (Provisional), there
are 92,275 single-teacher Govt schools at both elementary level and secondary
level," the Minister said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. Minister said
that the recruitment, service conditions and redeployment of teachers are
primarily in the domain of respective state Govt s and union territories.IANS
WORLD
US adviser meets Turkish officials after
Erdogan pullout warning
US national security adviser met a senior
Turkish official on Tuesday to hammer out plans on the withdrawal of American
forces from war-torn Syria. John Bolton is in Ankara along with senior US
military staff to hold talks with Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin
and other officials on the planned troop withdrawal. A scheduled joint press
conference for later on Monday was abruptly cancelled.Bolton and Kalin had a
productive discussion regarding the United States's decision to withdraw from
Syria, a spokesman for the US National Security Council said.Garrett Marquis
said in a statement the two sides identified further issues for dialogue and
the US looks forward to ongoing military-to-military consultations.Hillary Mann
Leverett, a former US diplomat, said Erdogan in his op-ed is "speaking
directly" to his US counterpart."He needs to do so because Bolton,
who has been in Israel, is now going to Turkey and we know that Bolton has a
very different view of Turkey, of Syria, of Israel than President Erdogan - and
even President Trump," she told Al Jazeera."So Erdogan is trying to
continue building on his direct channel to President Trump through his phone
calls, through an op-ed on the New York Times, a newspaper that Donald Trump
reads. His audience is the one and only, President Trump."In his op-ed,
Erdogan also warned the international community should avoid making the same
mistakes in Syria as in Iraq.aljazeera
Erdogan: US 'seriously mistaken' on Syrian
Kurd fighters' safety
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has denounced
comments by a senior US official urging protection for Kurdish allies as
"seriously mistaken"."We cannot accept the message US National
Security Adviser John Bolton gave from Israel, we cannot be deceived by
it," Erdogan said in a speech to his AK Party.Turkey considers Kurdish
armed groups such as People's Protection Units (YPG) - Americans' main local
ally in the region - to be "terrorists"."US apparently does not
know them,"said Erdogan."These terror organisations do not represent
my Kurdish brothers.If US sees these groups as [representatives of] my Kurdish
brothers,they are seriously mistaken."He also said his country completed
preperations for a new military operation in Syria, comments likely to antagonize
his American allies.aljazeera
Falling apart? UN peace deal for Yemen 'too
vague', Oxfam says
UN's peace deal for Hodeidah, in war-ravaged
Yemen, is unravelling because the text lacked specifics on how rebel forces
should vacate Red Sea port city, the British charity Oxfam says. Dina el-Mamoun, the aid group's head of
policy and advocacy in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, said the UN's Stockholm
Agreement agreed last month between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Govt was
"too vague"."There is an issue with actual agreement, which is
actually quite vague," Mamoun said. "UN should have made clear these
basic issues that go to the heart of the agreement: who needs to hand over what
and to whom."Under the terms of the UN-brokered deal, the Houthis were
expected to hand over control of the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa, to
"local security forces in accordance with Yemeni law". However, both
sides have disagreed over the meaning of the text. Houthis, meanwhile, insist
the deal refers to the officials currently running the port, who are their
allies.aljazeera
Afghan Taliban, US to hold fourth round of
peace talks in Qatar
Afghan Taliban representatives and the US
officials will hold peace talks for two days starting Wednesday in the Gulf
State of Qatar.Senior Taliban members, however, said Afghan Govt officials will not be involved in the talks.
Taliban has rejected numerous requests from regional powers to allow Afghan
officials to take part in the talks, insisting that the US is their main
adversary in 17-year war and that Kabul is a "puppet" regime. Taliban,
Afghanistan's largest armed group which was toppled from power by a US-led
invasion in 2001, called off their meeting with the US officials in Saudi
Arabia this week following Riyadh's insistence on bringing the Western-backed
Afghan Govt to the table.The talks will
be the fourth in a series between Taliban leaders and US special envoy, Zalmay
Khalilzad."After mutual consultations, we are going to meet US officials
in Doha on Wednesday. The meeting will continue for two days - Wednesday and
Thursday," said a senior member of the Afghan Taliban on condition of
anonymity. Pakistani and Iranian officials said they were trying to persuade the
Taliban to meet Afghan officials. Another senior Taliban leader confirmed the
Qatar meeting and said no other country would be involved. At the request of
US, a Taliban office was established in Doha in 2013 to facilitate peace talks.
But the office had to be closed after the Taliban came under pressure for
hoisting the same flag at their office that the group used during its rule in
Afghanistan.aljazeera
Khamenei aide says US approached him in Kabul
seeking talks with Iran
A close aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday US officials had approached him during a
visit he made last month to Afghanistan to request talks with Tehran, Iran’s
semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.Tensions between arch foes, Iran and
the United States, have increased since last May when President Donald Trump
pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers, and then
reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic that had been lifted under the
terms of the pact.“During my visit to Kabul last month, the Americans…asked to
hold talks,” the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali
Shamkhani, was quoted as saying, without specifying what the US side wanted to
discuss.US officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.In
2001, Iran worked with the US to help set up a new Afghan Govt to replace Taliban.
Shamkhani was in Kabul last month for talks with Taliban “to help curb the
security problems in Afghanistan”. He said the Kabul Govt had known of his talks with the
Taliban.Majority-Shi’ite Iran has long had close ties to Shi’ites in
neighbouring Afghanistan whose militias have fought the Taliban’s Sunni
militants. Washington accuses Iran of trying to extend its influence in western
Afghanistan by providing military training, financing and weapons to Taliban,charge
Tehran denies. Shamkhani’s comments came days after reports of talks between US
and Taliban officials over proposals for a ceasefire in Afghanistan and a
future withdrawal of foreign troops ahead of possible peace negotiations.MEMO
Khashoggi case: Saudi refuses to confirm
Qahtani's whereabouts
Saudi authorities are refusing to confirm the whereabouts
of Saud al-Qahtani, former top aide to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
(MBS), according to the Washington Post.Qahtani was fired in October, just days
after the gruesome murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi came to light.In
Nov, Kingdom confirmed that he was under investigation and banned from leaving
the country. Since then there has been no official statement in the case, Washington
Post reported. Saudi prosecutors allege that Qahtani played a major role in
Khashoggi's killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct.2 last year.
He was among 17 Saudis sanctioned by US govt over murder. Saudi officials say
Prince Mohammed was not aware of the plot to kill Khashoggi, the Washington
Post reported. US and western countries are watching the Saudi Govt 's
treatment of Qahtani as a measure of its seriousness in bringing to justice
Khashoggi's killers, the paper reported. A number of questions remain to be
answered about Qahtani's involvement, including his role in planning the
killing or whether he was framed.aljazeera
Saudi Arabia deports dozens of Rohingya to
Bangladesh: MEE
Dozens of Rohingya are being deported from
Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, despite being from neighbouring Myanmar. In video
footage sent to the Middle East Eye website on Sunday, men are seen lined up for
deportation at the Shumaisi detention centre in Jeddah. Some Rohingya were also
put in handcuffs after they attempted to resist their deportation to
Bangladesh, according to voice notes sent to MEE. Rohingya man who filmed the
footage said that the men who have been locked up in a Saudi detention centre
for up to six years were being deported."I've been here for the last five
to 6 years, now they are sending me to Bangladesh. Please pray for me," man
in the video said. Another recording sent to MEE recounted the events that led
up to Sunday's forcible removal. "They came to our cells in the middle of
the night at 12pm [midnight], telling us to pack our bags and get ready for
Bangladesh," a Rohingya detainee, who wished to remain anonymous, told MEE.
"Now I am in handcuffs and being taken to a country I'm not from - I am
Rohingya, not Bangladeshi. "Some detainees locked up in Shumaisi told MEE
they had lived in Saudi Arabia their whole life and had been sent to the
detention centre after Saudi police found them with no papers. Nay San Lwin, a
Rohingya activist said from Frankfurt, Germany, that most of the Rohingya
entered Saudi Arabia in 2012 following violence breaking out in Rakhine state,
searching for a better life.aljazeera
UNHCR probe Saudi girl Rahaf's case for asylum
UN's refugee agency said it was investigating
the case of Saudi teenager Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun who fled from her family and
barricaded herself inside a Bangkok airport hotel to prevent Thailand expelling
her.Alqanun accused her family of subjecting her to physical and psychological
abuse after she boarded a plane in Kuwait and flew to Thailand last weekened.
Thai authorities finally permitted the 18-year old to enter the country late on
Monday, after she was held for nearly 48 hours at Bangkok's airport with
authorities initially threatening to deport her. Country's immigration chief
later reversed plans to expel Alqunun citing concerns for her safety. She is
currently staying in Bangkok with her application for refugee status being
processed by UNHCR before she can seek asylum in a third country.aljazeera
China says it welcomes UN officials to visit
Muslim-majority Xinjiang region World
Beijing: China said it would welcome UN
officials to visit its volatile Muslim-majority Xinjiang province provided they
remain "fair and objective", days after the official media reported
that Beijing passed a five-year plan to "sinicise Islam" to make it
compatible with its version of socialism. UN's Geneva-based Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination said last year that it was alarmed by
"numerous reports of ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities"
being detained in camps Xinjiang region and called for their immediate release.
China defended the camps, saying they were for re-education and aimed at
de-radicalising some sections of Uygur Muslim population.US and several other
countries have also expressed concern over the camps.PTI
Netanyahu wants US recognition of Israel
sovereignty over Golan Heights
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called on US National
Security Adviser John Bolton to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the occupied
Golan Heights in compensation of its withdrawal from Syria, Israeli media
reported.Israeli paper Maariv said Netanyahu had sent an official request to
the US regarding the issue a couple of days ago.According to Quds Press,
Netanyahu also raised the issue during his meeting with US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo which took place in Brazil last week. During a press conference,
held jointly with Bolton, Netanyahu said that they would visit the Golan
Heights on Monday.“When you are there,” Netanyahu addressed Bolton, “you will
be able to understand perfectly why we will never leave the Golan Heights, and
why it is important that all countries recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the
Golan Heights.”middleeastmonitor
Pak Jamaat parts ways with Muttahida Majlise
Amal
Lahore - Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan has parted
ways with the Muttahida Majlise Amal after a year of revival of five religious
parties’ alliance. “We will not conduct any future programme under the banner
of the MMA,” said JI chief Sirajul Haq during a press conference at Jamaat’s
headquarters Mansoora. He added the religious parties formed the alliance only
to participate in the general elections.A senior leader of the JI said the
alliance failed to produce desired results in general elections and there was a
growing pressure of the JI workers on top leadership to part ways with the MMA
soon after the polls.The JI could only win one provincial assembly seat from KP
in the polls. Party workers feel had the JI not been part of the MMA, it could
have secured at least 10 PA seats from KP. Similarly, they link the worst
performance of JI in Punjab and Karachi was due to the same factor. Out of 16
MMA seats in National Assembly, 15 belong to JUI-F of Maulana Fazlur Rahman and
one to the JI. Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Islami Tehreek and JUP-Imam Noorani
are the other three components of the MMA. Their leaders, however, said the MMA
was still intact and that they were unaware of the JI’s move.Siraj was addressing
a press conference after conclusion of JI’s three-day JI central executive
council (Majlise Shoora) meeting. There are reports that majority of Shoora
members also voiced in favour of separation from the MMA. It was the last
session of the Shoora held under Siraj as his five-year tenure as JI chief will
end on March 31. The 80-member Shoora (70 male, 10 female) has also suggested 3
names for JI’s next ameer (chief ) through a secret balloting process. The
names will be opened at JI election commission office which will prepare ballot
papers mentioning names of the 3 Shoora’s favourite candidates. The ballot
papers will be sent to over 40,000 members who will finally choose one name for
JI chief among the given 3. However, they have right to vote for any other
person.nation.com.pk
flash: views & NEWS
Mufti Sayeed, India’s first Muslim home
minister & lover of gardens and golf:Rahiba R. Parveen
Video of Muslims Clashing is From Bangladesh,
And Not West Bengal
https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/video-of-clash-between-muslims-from-bangladesh-not-west-bengal
Verma back as CBI chief but powerless: Setback
for Modi govt or SC order lacks teeth?The Print
In Election Year, Private FM Stations Will
Carry 'Unaltered' AIR Bulletins:The Wire
Modi-Doval doctrine: Pushing Kashmir towards
Pakistan:Prem Anand Mishra
Fake News Clipping Says More Terrorists Killed
Under BJP Than UPA:the quint
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