NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
19 Feb. 2019: 13 Jamadiul-II 1440:Vol:11,
No:132
INDIA: PULWAMA AFTERMATH
Pulwama: Imran promises action if evidence
given, warns against war; says understand it is India’s poll year, blaming Pak
will make it easier to get votes
Pakistan is ready to help India investigate
the deadliest blast in Kashmir in decades, but will retaliate if New Delhi
attacks, PM Imran Khan said today. “Pakistan won't just think to retaliate.
Pakistan will retaliate,” he said in a televised address.Khan went on to demand
New Delhi share proof of Islamabad's involvement in the suicide blast. Khan
said he understood it was India’s election year and the narrative of blaming
Pakistan would make it easier to get votes from the masses but he hoped that
better sense would prevail and that India would be open for dialogue. He
continued, "New Delhi held Islamabad responsible each time an incident
happened in Kashmir and made Pakistan its “whipping boy” again and again. The
Kashmir issue, like the Afghan issue, will be resolved through talks. If you
have any actionable intelligence that a Pakistani is involved. Give it to us. I
guarantee you we will take action - not because we are under pressure, but
because they are acting as enemies of Pakistan.I have been hearing and seeing
on the Indian media that politicians there are calling for revenge from
Pakistan. If India thinks it will attack Pakistan, then we will not just think
but retaliate. Starting a war is in our hands, it is easy. But ending a war,
that is not in our hands and no one knows what will happen.Its not in our
interests that somebody from here goes out to do terrorism, nor that somebody
comes here and does terrorism.I say it clearly this is a new Pakistan and a new
mindset. India talks about including terrorism in dialogue with Pakistan.
Terrorism is a big issue facing this region and we want to eliminate it. If
someone is using Pakistan’s soil [to carry out terror attacks elsewhere], it is
enmity with us. It is against our interests." Khan said he did not respond to India’s
allegations as he was busy with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit
to the country. “India accused Pakistan without any evidence and without
thinking how this [attack] would benefit us. Would even a fool try to sabotage
such an important visit as that of the Saudi crown prince” he asked. “We have
been fighting against terrorism for the past 15 years. How will Pakistan
benefit from such incidents? Kashmiris are not afraid of death anymore. There
must be a reason for that. Should there not be a discussion in India on this?
Which law in the world allows everyone to become a judge and jury?,” he
said.Questioning whether India “wants to resolve issue through military”, he
said, “This has never been a successful measure.” Earlier in the day, Pakistan
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi pleaded with UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres to intervene, saying India was threatening to “use force against Pak”
and abandon a vital water treaty.PTI /AFP
Imran warns India against retaliatory action:
Full text
Crown Prince MBS Flies to Riyadh First as
India Objects to Direct Arrival from Pak
New Delhi: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, popularly known as MBS, arrived in Islamabad on Sunday at
the start of his tour of South Asia, but returned to Saudi Arabia on Monday,PTI
quoted sources as saying, adding that New Delhi had reservations over his
coming to India from Pakistan. Ahead of the visit by Crown Prince, Saudi's
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said in Islamabad on
Monday that Riyadh will try to "de-escalate" tensions between India
and Pakistan in the wake of the attack in Pulwama. Official sources said Saudi
was no longer accepting Pakistan's narrative on Kashmir and cross border
terrorism and that India will forcefully raise the issue of Pakistan's support
to terror groups during delegation level talks between PM Narendra Modi and
Crown Prince tomorrow. They said the joint statement to be issued after talks
between the two sides is likely to have strong reference about terrorism and
ways to deal with it. Secretary, Economic Affairs in External Affairs Ministry
TS Tirumurti said both sides are expected to sign 5 agreements in areas of
investment, tourism, housing and information and broadcasting during the Saudi
leader's visit.Official sources said there has been a "change" in the
way Saudi looked at relations between India and Pakistan and that powerful Gulf
nation has a better understanding of the cross-border terrorism. "As part
of this engagement, we are finalizing the setting up of 'Strategic Partnership
Council' between the two countries at ministerial level. We are confident that
this will give greater thrust to our strategic partnership and take forward our
discussions in a focussed and action-oriented manner," Tirumurti said.India's
bilateral trade with Saudi was USD 27.48 billion in 2017-18,making it 4th
largest trading partner.News18
Saudi’s position on J&K, terror has
evolved: India
'Trade,investment' to top Saudi crown prince's
visit
India wants Masood on UN blacklist, Saudi-Pak
joint statement is a snub
A day before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman lands in Delhi for a bilateral visit, Riyadh signed off on a joint
statement with Pakistan Monday where they said there was a need to avoid
“politicisation of UN listing regime” — an apparent reference to India’s
efforts to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a “global terrorist”.It puts a stamp
of approval on Pakistan’s narrative that India is trying to politicise UN
listing process.Hours before the joint statement, MEA Secretary TS Tirumurti,
who handles ties with the country, said that the Kingdom has shown “greater
understanding” of India’s terrorism-related concerns and has agreed to work
with India in countering this global menace.But the joint statement did not
reflect these sensitivities as it not only praised Pakistan’s “achievements” in
the war against terrorism but was also seen to be backing Islamabad on the
listing regime.“Kingdom of Saudi and Pakistan reiterated their commitment to
continue combating extremism and terrorism and expressed their deep
appreciation for the achievements and sacrifices made by the two sides in the
war against terrorism.They also applauded the martyrs who sacrificed their
lives in order to confront this serious scourge and called on international
community to shoulder its responsibilities to join all international efforts to
combat global terrorism. They also underlined the need for avoiding
politicization of UN listing regime,” the joint statement said. Saudi Prince
“praised openness and efforts of Imran Khan for dialogue with India and the
opening of the Kartarpur crossing point for Sikh pilgrims, the joint statement
said.It also pointed out to the “efforts exerted by both sides, stressing that
dialogue is the only way to ensure peace and stability in the region to resolve
outstanding issues”.indian express
Israel offers unconditional help to India to
defend itself, especially against terror: Envoy
New Delhi:Israel has offered unconditional
help to India in defending itself, especially against terrorism, asserting that
"there is no limit" to its assistance, an assurance which assumes
significance amid demands that the Govt should consider Israeli-type retaliation to
terror strikes. The comments by newly-appointed Israeli envoy Dr Ron Malka came
in response to a question on up to what extent Jerusalem will go to help India
which has been a victim of terrorism."Whatever India needs to defend
itself there is no limit. We are here to help our close friend India to defend
itself specially against terrorism, because terrorism is the problem of the
world and not only of India and Israel," Malka told PTI.He said, "So,
we help India, share our knowledge, share our technique because we really want
to help our really important friend." 52-year old Malka, who was in
Israeli military service from where he retired with the rank of Full Colonel,
said PM Benjamin Netanyahu told him that
India was a very "important partner, very important friend and he wants to
collaborate to enhance ties and deepen them ... to share our
knowledge."PTI
‘Jaish leadership in Kashmir Valley eliminated
within 100 hrs of Pulwama attack’:Army
Militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad is nothing but
a “child” of the Pakistan Army, and there is no doubt that Islamabad “100%” had
a role in the attack in Pulwama last week, Indian Army said today.Army said
that the top leadership of the outfit in the Kashmir Valley had been eliminated
within 100 hours of the attack. 3 militants affiliated to the extremist group
were killed in a 17-hour gunfight with security forces in Pulwama on Monday. 4
soldiers were also killed in the gun battle, including a major. Army’s Chinar
Corps Commander Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon warned youth in Kashmir: “You pick up
a gun, and you are dead – unless you surrender. This is a message and request
to all the mothers of Kashmir. There is a very good surrender policy made by Govt
so that they can come back into the mainstream.”Dhillon said Jaish-e-Mohammad
is controlled by Pak Army and the spy agency ISI. scroll.in
Bajrang Dal ‘warning’ to Darul Uloom,
madrassas: Expel all Kashmiri students or we will deal with them
Muzaffarnagar:Activists of Bajrang Dal have
now asked Islamic seminary Darul Uloom and all other madrassas in Deoband to
“expel all Kashmiri students immediately”. In a video message, Bajrang Dal’s
local convenor Vikas Tyagi said:“All Kashmiri students who are studying in
Darul Uloom and other madrassas in Deoband should be expelled.Or, we know how
to deal with them”. According to an estimate, there are over 2,000 Kashmiri
students in Darul Uloom and scores of other seminaries across Deoband. Sources
say that they have stopped venturing out of seminary premises due to fear. Activists
of a right wing outfit gathered in Saharanpur,where a large number of people
from Kashmir live, and issued an appeal asking them to leave the city
“immediately”.“Go where you belong to, go to Kashmir or Pakistan.Otherwise, we
will send you there,”said Vijaykant Chauhan, convenor of Vande Mataram Mishan.
According to sources, holding Tricolours,he and his associates went
door-to-door in the area and asked landlords to “throw out” Kashmiris. TOI
Muzaffarnagar:Bajrang Dal, VHP men vandalize BSA's office over WhatsApp post on
Pulwama
Muzaffarnagar: Hundreds of activists of local
right wing groups on Monday vandalised the office of Basic Shiksha Adhikari
(BSA) in Muzaffarnagar after a social media post, allegedly shared by the
officer, claimed that the attack on CRPF convoy “didn’t happen, but it was
engineered”. BSA Dinesh Yadav could not be reached for his comments as he is on
a leave. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the district administration was
quick to order a probe into it. ADM Amit Singh said: “An investigation against
BSA has been ordered by the district magistrate. Action will be taken
accordingly.” However, by that time, the screenshot of the WhatsApp text was
shared widely. On Monday, hundreds of Bajrang Dal men and activists of other
right wing outfits vandalized his office. Soon, police was called and it used
“mild force” to disperse the agitators. TOI
Protests against Kashmiri students:’ Mob wanted
it so dean was suspended:’Dehradun college head
Dehradun:AS more colleges asked their Kashmiri
students to temporarily leave the city, one institute suspended its Dean
because a protesting mob demanded it.Aabid Majeed Kuchay, Dean,Academics, at
Dehradun-based Alpine College of Management, was placed under suspension on
Saturday after a crowd of Hindutva groups including the ABVP, Bajrang Dal and
VHP, demanded that Kuchay, a Kashmiri, be fired.An estimated 3,000 students
from Kashmir currently attend colleges and institutes in Dehradun. Hundreds
have left the city over the past 3 days fearing backlash after the Pulwama
terror attack. “For the safety of the college and the Kashmiri students in it,
I asked college authorities to suspend me,” Kuchay, who is from Kaddar in
Kashmir’s Kulgam district, said.When contacted, Alpine college chairman Anil
Saini said: “Mob was so aggressive that we had to give in to their demands.”indianexpress
FIR Against JNU Scholar Shehla Rashid for
Tweet on Kashmiri Girls 'Trapped' in Dehradun Hostel
Dehradun: Shehla Rashid, a JNU research
scholar and activist, was booked by Dehradun Police on Monday for allegedly
spreading rumours and fear on Twitter, in the wake of the Pulwama attack.Amid
reports of Kashmiri students being harassed and assaulted in parts of the
country, Rashid in a tweet, said, 15 to 20 Kashmiri women students were
“trapped” in a Dehradun hostel, while a mob of angry people standing outside
demanded their expulsion. She added, police was present at the spot, but was
“unable to disperse the mob”.However, Uttarakhand Police dispelled all “rumours” in a tweet on
Sunday, clarifying that the Kashmiris were not trapped in a hostel. Omar Abdullah said on Twitter that by filing the case against Rashid,
the Uttarakhand police had shown that they would rather "take sides than
deliver justice by upholding the law". Shah Faesal, who quit IAS, also
tweeted against Rashid being booked by police.News18/PTI
Police maintain vigil after slogans seeking
Kashmiris’ expulsion from Panipat college
Gurgaon:Students from Kashmir at Geeta
Engineering College in Haryana’s Panipat district had a harrowing 24 hours from
Sunday night to Monday evening after some men from a village in the area
allegedly raised slogans during a candlelight march, demanding that their names
be struck off the rolls. “There was a candlelight march that was held by
residents of a village here and some people raised slogans demanding that
Kashmiris be expelled. Although police resolved the problem then, college
authorities suggested we return to our homes because they were concerned that
the situation could escalate,”said Mohsin Shafi, BTech student from Kashmir. Police
have said they are keeping an eye on the matter. SP said,“We are keeping vigil
and will ensure the situation remains calm.” indian express
College suspends 6 Kashmiri students: MP youth
tries to slit hand, chants ‘Jai Shri Ram’
Bhopal :A 20-year-old tried to slit his hand,
praised India and raised slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” to escape police action
for glorifying the militant who carried out the Pulwama attack as a “hunter”,
and calling the slain CRPF troopers a “prey” in a Facebook post.Monty alias
Mohsin Khan was bleeding from his left hand, apparently from wounds made using
a razor, as the police arrested him from Pali in Umaria district on
Monday.Local Bajrang Dal activists had approached the Birsinghpur Pali police
station on Saturday after they saw the post and demanded that Monty be booked.
They also reached his home but Monty had managed to escape.AK Jha, in-charge of
Pali police station, said the youth apologised for his remark and tried to
placate the angry local residents by praising India and with slogans like “Jai
Shri Ram”.Police have booked Monty for provoking riots and for causing
disharmony between two religious groups. Meanwhile, a nursing college in Bhopal
suspended 6 Kashmiri students after receiving a complaint that they posted
anti-national content related to the Pulwama attack on social media. indian
express
‘Leave within 48 hours’: Bikaner
administration orders Pakistanis in city
Rajasthan: DM and collector of Bikaner has
issued an order directing all Pakistan nationals to leave Bikaner district
within 48 hours.In an order issued on Monday, Collector Kumar Pal Gautam also
restricted any direct or indirect trade, employment and exchange of classified
information with any Pakistani national.The order also states that Pakistani
nationals will not be allowed to stay at any hotel, residences and even in
hospitals within the revenue limits of Bikaner district.According to the order,
police, intelligence and security agencies have observed an intense
aggressiveness among locals towards Pakistan after Pulwama attack that could be
harmful for Pakistani nationals as well as the internal security. The collector
also banned the use of Pakistan-registered SIM cards in the district. This
order will be effective for two months or till the date of prior
cancellation.HT
Pulwama Attack: Protect Innocent
Kashmiris:Minorities Commission
New Delhi:National Commission for Minorities
is concerned about the attacks on students and traders from Kashmir residing
outside the valley, especially about the message that singling them out for
attacks will send across India as well as among residents of the valley,
Chairman Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi said.Rizvi has previously served as the state
president of the UP BJP’s unit’s
Minority Morcha.He also said that he had raised this issue with Home Minister
Rajnath Singh in a “telephonic talk” on Saturday after television news reported
the attacks in Dehradun and was assured that an advisory had already been
issued to the Director Generals of Police of all states about providing
security.huffingtonpost
Lawyer moves SC for judicial probe into Uri,
Pulwama attacks
New Delhi:A Delhi-based lawyer has moved the
Supreme Court seeking a judicial probe into terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama
in which Indian security forces suffered huge casualties.In his petition, advocate
Vineet Dhanda demanded the Govt should
freeze all bank accounts belonging to All Parties Hurriyat Conference and their
leaders and submit an action taken report before the top court. He also sought
a direction to debar APHC and other anti-national parties from contesting the
Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.Dhanda wanted the top court to direct the Govt
to constitute a commission headed by a
retired Supreme Court Judge and having officials from the Army, intelligence
and local administration to inquiry into the Uri and Pulwama attacks and find
out the lapses.The petitioner wanted lapses to be detected at local level as
also the role played by Indian nationals in helping the terrorists from
Pakistan in executing these attacks.Dhanda accused Govt of J&K of not taking enough strict action to control
lawlessness in the state and ignoring incidents of stone pelting on the armed
forces."Tribune India
‘Boycott Kashmiris’: Meghalaya Governor Roy’s
tweet sparks row
New Delhi:Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy has
sparked a controversy again with his tweets. Citing a retired colonel, without
disclosing the officer’s identity, Roy said he is “inclined to agree” to
boycott Kashmiri traders in other parts of the country and tourism in the
state.Roy wrote on Twitter, “An appeal from a retired colonel of the Indian
Army: Don’t visit Kashmir, don’t go to Amarnath for the next 2 years. Don’t buy
articles from Kashmir emporia or Kashmiri tradesman who come every winter.
Boycott everything Kashmiri. I am inclined to agree.”Roy’s comments on the
micro-blogging site drew sharp reaction from former J&K CM Omar
Abdullah. He said, “These are the bigots driving Kashmir over the abyss. While
you are at it, Tathagata why don’t you stop using our rivers to generate your
electricity as well?” HT
Muslims in India posted accha hua on social
media while our jawans died: BJP MLA Raja Singh
Hyderabad:All the Muslims in India took to
social media to say "accha hua" when our jawans were dying, a BJP MLA
from Telangana has said while reacting to the Pulwama attack. MLA T Raja Singh,
who is known for his controversial and provocative speeches, was speaking at a
public event when he said, "All Muslims in India took to social media to
say 'Accha Hua' when our jawans were dying."Raja Singh asked PM Narendra Modi to give "us freedom for 10
minutes and we will eliminate every terrorist."Raja Singh also called for
an all out war against Pakistan. He said, "The future generations of
Indians should ask where Pakistan used to exist."india today
SIO expresses concern over Pulwama attack
Expressing concerns over Pulwama attack,
Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) has offered condolences to
families of the slain soldiers.SIO Goa Unit President Suheb Naik said, "It
is extremely disheartening and painful to hear the sad loss of 44 CRPF
soldiers. We condemn every terrorist action in the strongest terms. Our
thoughts and prayers are with the families of all soldiers killed in the attack
and we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured."Further emphasizing
the need to stay united he added, "We appreciate the move by the Govt of
India to carry out a thorough investigation into the reasons for the attack,
uncovering the truth behind the incident. It is important that in times like
this we all stand together united and not let anybody break the peace and
harmony that exists among us. It is essential that we don't fall prey to any
false news being circulated through the social platform."ANI
Hurriyat leader Ansari wants security cover
withdrawn
Srinagar:A day after the Govt decided to withdraw the security cover of 3
separatist leaders in the Valley, Hurriyat leader Mohammad Abass Ansari has
demanded that his security cover be taken away as well.Ansari, who heads
Ittehadul Muslimeen, constituent of Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat, has written to
J&K Police to withdraw his security cover. indian express
RSS wing wants ‘hurdles’ for Chinese firms in
country
New Delhi:Pointing out that Beijing continues
to block New Delhi’s attempts to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist,
Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), economic wing of RSS, urged PM Narendra Modi to ban Chinese companies in the
country to prevent “economic gain of any nation or individual that directly or
tacitly supports such terrorists”. SJM specifically called for banning Chinese
telecom companies, 5G equipment, and social media apps such as TikTok and Helo,
as alleged child pornography and “anti-national activities” are carried on on
these platforms. indian express
OTHERS
Murders of religious minorities go unpunished:
HRW
New Delhi:Indian authorities have delayed
investigating a wave of vigilante-style murders of religious minorities, with
many instead working to justify the attacks or file charges against some of the
victims’ families, according to a report released today by Human Rights
Watch.104-page report said that since PM Narendra Modi’s governing BJP was elected in
2014, attacks led by so-called cow protection groups have jumped sharply.
Between May 2015 and Dec. 2018, at least 44 people have been killed, HRW
found.Most of the victims were Muslims accused of storing beef or transporting
cows for slaughter, a crime in most Indian states. Many Hindus, who form about
80% of India’s population, consider cows sacred. Data cited in the report from
FactChecker.in, that tracks reports of violence, found that as many as 90 % of
religion-based hate crimes in the last decade occurred after Modi took office.
Mobs hung victims from trees, frequently mutilated victims and burned bodies.In
almost all of these attacks, victims’ families faced significant pushback when
they pressed for justice.Police “initially stalled investigations, ignored
procedures, or even played a complicit role in the killings and cover-up of
crimes,” the report said.“Indian police investigations into mob attacks are
almost as likely to accuse the minority victims of a crime as they are to
pursue vigilantes with Govt connections,” said Meenakshi Ganguly,South Asia
director of HRW. Released ahead of national elections this April and May, the
report, called “Violent Cow Protection in India: Vigilante Groups Attack
Minorities,”also looks at the govt’s response to 11 recent attacks that killed
14 people. According to a survey from NDTV cited by HRW, “communally divisive
language” in speeches by elected officials shot up nearly 500 % between 2014
and 2018, compared with the 5 years before BJP came to power. 90 % of those
speeches were from the BJP, which has ties to far-right Hindu nationalist
groups. The report said this sort of rhetoric, paired with the profusion of
stricter cow protection laws, had emboldened mob attacks. They included
assaults of Muslim men and women in trains; the stripping and beating of
lower-caste Dalits in western India; force-feeding of cow dung and urine to two
men in northern India; rape of 2 women and the killing of two men in the state
of Haryana for allegedly eating beef at home. Some of the attacks were filmed,
suggesting that the mobs did not fear retribution for their actions, said Harsh
Mander, an Indian social worker and writer. NY times
Vigilante ‘cow protection’ groups attack
minorities:HRW
Cow-related violence has scuttled India’s
beef, leather exports and eroded incomes:new report
Centre empowers states to prohibit use of
funds, spaces by SIMI
New Delhi: Centre has empowered state govts to
prohibit the use of funds and spaces for holding activities by the banned SIMI.
In a notification,the home ministry said the ban imposed on SIMI was extended
for five more years under the UAPA on Jan.31."Now, therefore, in exercise
of the powers conferred by section 42 of UAPA, the central Govt hereby directs that all powers exercisable by
it under section 7 and section 8 of the said Act shall be exercised also by
state Govts and UT administrations in relation to the above said unlawful
association," it said. Section 7 of UAPA is related to powers to prohibit
the use of funds of an unlawful association and section 8 specifies the powers
to ban the use of locations by an unlawful organisations.PTI
Police arrest AMU student for vandalism,
thousands assemble to demand release
Lucknow:There was a huge assembly of thousands
of students protesting at the main gate of AMU on Monday evening to oppose the
arrest of Mohd Talib, a student, who was allegedly indulged in vandalism and
damaging 2 wheelers on Feb.12 unrest on campus when two factions of students
had clashed over opposition to propose visit of AIMIM MP Asasiddin Owaisi.Talib
was also accused of promoting enmity between 2 between different groups on
Feb.12.However, thousands of AMU students protesting at Bab-e-Sayyad gate were
ready to court arrest demanding immediate release of Talib who was picked up by
the district police early in the day and was sent to 14-day judicial
custody.SSP had claimed that the police had proof against two more students who
had fired at BJYM members on Feb.12. They would also be arrested soon,he added.
According to students union secretary,Huzaifa Amir Rashadi, the students had
decided to court arrest in support of their demand of release of Talib and a
final decision would be taken after Students Union's general body meeting.
However, in the wake of students' protest, Aligarh DM Chandra Bhushan Singh
claimed that the arrest was made only after going through the available
evidences. All identified students involved in a brawl would be arrested soon.
He said that he expected Amu administration's cooperation in the issue and made
it clear that no innocent would be humiliated.new indian express
SC refuses to intervene in appointment of Rao
as interim CBI Director
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today refused to intervene
in the process of re-appointment of M. Nageshwar Rao as the interim CBI
Director in Jan.A Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra said a regular CBI Director
has already been appointed in Rao's stead. The SC also refused to delve into
the issues of more transparency raised by NGO and petitioner, Common Cause. Petitioner,
represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, said Govt had “completely bypassed” statutory
requirement to consult the high-powered selection committee of PM, Opposition
Leader and CJI before appointing Rao.
NGO and activist Anjali Bhardwaj had termed the Jan.10 order of the Govt handing
over the charge and work of CBI Director to Rao as “illegal”.“Govt has
attempted to stifle the independence of the institution of CBI by appointing
Director of CBI in an arbitrary and illegal manner,” petition had contended.the
hindu
What’s happening in CBI, Mamata Govt retorts to SC judge’s query on W.Bengal
New Delhi:To a question today by Supreme Court
Judge Justice A.K. Sikri as to “what’s happening in West Bengal Govt ”, State Govt
did not blink a moment to retort “what’s
happening in CBI?”The impromptu query from the number two judge in the Supreme
Court came immediately after advocate and BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia detailed the
alleged killing of three BJP workers in Purulia district. Bhatia said the
“brutal killings”, the body of one of the workers was found hanging from a high-tension
electric post, was an example of the violence meted out by the ruling Trinamool
to its political rivals. Bhatia wanted a
CBI investigation into the deaths. “This is not being political, but what is
happening in West Bengal?” Justice Sikri expressed his apprehension with a
rider.But advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the state Govt , took on the
question from the judge head-long, replying with a counter-question of his
own.“So what is happening in the CBI also... And all of this [Bhatia’s petition]
is indeed politics,” he countered. Sibal said the Supreme Court should not
enter the realm of facts in criminal cases like this. Factual evidence should
be best left to be argued before the magistrate court concerned.the hindu
Anuj Sharma to replace Kumar as Kolkata Police
chief
ADG of West Bengal Police (law and order) Anuj
Sharma was on Tuesday appointed as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner after
his predecessor Rajeev Kumar was transferred as ADG & IGP of
CID.indianexpress
Yashwant , Shourie, Bhushan seek perjury action
against officials in Rafale case
New Delhi: Former Union ministers Yashwant
Sinha and Arun Shourie as also activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan moved the
Supreme Court on Monday seeking initiation of perjury proceedings against
central Govt officials for allegedly
giving "false or misleading" information in a sealed cover in the
high-profile Rafale case.The SC on Dec.14 last year dismissed a clutch of PILs,
including the one filed by Sinha, Shourie and Bhushan, saying that there was
"no occasion to doubt" the decision-making process of Centre in the
procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France.The trio, which has filed the plea
seeking review of the verdict, filed a fresh application under section 340 of
CrPC seeking perjury prosecution against the officials responsible for
providing "false" and "misleading" information to the apex
court in a sealed cover.The plea, which has been filed in the disposed of PIL,
said that the note on pricing was not shared with the petitioners.The plea also
gave the details of "misleading facts", as per their opinion, to the
court. Plea also referred to recent media reports and alleged suppression of
"unauthorised parallel negotiations" by the by PMO and bypassing of
the Ministry of Defence and INT. PTI
On plea seeking use of ‘Dalit’, SC says over
to govt
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has asked a petitioner, who approached it against
a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting circular advising the media to not
use the term “Dalit” for the members of Scheduled Castes, to first approach the
“concerned authority of the govt” before seeking legal remedies.“At this stage,
we are not inclined to entertain the present writ petition, as the petitioners
have the liberty to approach the concerned authority of Govt against the circular dated 7.8.2018. Once the
said representation is disposed of by means of a reasoned order, it will be
open for the petitioner to avail of such remedies as are available in law” a
bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said dismissing the
petition.Questioning the circular, advocate Kapil Sibal who appeared for the
petitioner asked “how can Govt issue such a circular questioning my
identity?”indian express
938 persons detained in 6 detention centres in
Assam, 823 declared as foreigners, Centre tells SC
New Delhi:Centre today told the Supreme Court
that 938 persons are at present detained in 6 detention centres in Assam out of
which 823 have been declared as foreigners by tribunals. The Centre was
responding to Jan.28 queries of the SC which had asked the Centre and the state
to provide the details of the functional detention centres in Assam and the foreigners
detained there during the last 10 years.A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi was
told by solicitor general Tushar Mehta that both the Centre and the state have
filed their affidavits giving in details the information sought by the apex
Centre said Over 27,000 foreigners have pushed back at border points while
attempting to enter India illegally. TOI
Indane leaked millions of Aadhaar numbers:
French security researcher
A French researcher has claimed that he found
a major security lapse that allegedly exposed millions of Aadhaar numbers of
dealers and distributors associated with Indane, an LPG brand owned by the
Indian Oil Corporation (IOCNSE 0.56 %).Baptiste Robert, who goes by the online
handle Elliot Alderson and has exposed Aadhaar leaks in the past, wrote in a
blog post on Medium late Monday that the Aadhaar data of nearly 6.7 million
dealers and distributors of Indane, accessible only with a valid username and
password, was left exposed. "Due to a lack of authentication in the local
dealers portal, Indane is leaking the names, addresses and Aadhaar numbers of
their customers," said Alderson.Using a custom-built script to scrape the
database, Alderson found customer data for nearly 11,000 dealers, including
names and addresses of customers, before his IP was blocked by Indane. "I
wrote the python script. By running this script, it gives us 11062 valid dealer
ids. After more than 1 day, my script tested 9,490 dealers and found that a
total of 5,826,116 Indane customers are affected by this leak,"he wrote.
French researchers found 5.8 million Indane customer records before his script
was blocked."Unfortunately, Indane probably blocked my IP, so I didn't
test the remaining 1,572 dealers. By doing some basic math we can estimate the
final number of affected customers around 6,791,200," Alderson added.IANS
UP police officer, who had booked Adityanath
under NSA, suspended
Lucknow:An IPS officer in UP has been suspended weeks after he gave an
interview to an English website on how he had been sidelined after he had
booked CM Yogi Adityanath, then
Gorakhpur MP, under NSA in 2002.UP Police spokesperson R.K. Gautam confirmed that
1992-cadre IPS officer Jasvir Singh, who was last posted as ADG Rules and
Manual, was placed under suspension. However,
Gautam did not reveal the reason for suspension. As per UP Police
website, Singh was suspended on Feb.14. “ADG under suspension,” it read under
his current post section.Singh was the SP of Maharajganj district in Purvanchal
in 2002, when he booked Adityanath under the stringent NSA. In a story
published in Huffington Post on Jan.30, Singh is quoted as saying that he had
refused to withdraw his case for preventive detention against the then sitting
MP despite pressure from politicians of BJP, who were in power at Centre at the
time, and the Bahujan Samaj Party, which formed the State Govt . 2 days later,
he was transferred to Food Cell of UP Police, said the article.While narrating
his ordeal over the years, the article says that under the Yogi Govt which came
to power in 2017, Singh had become “a pariah of IPS.”Singh says he paid a price
for trying to hold politicians and ministers to account, as per the article, in
which he also questions the encounter killings under the Yogi govt.thehindu
With 6-Seat Offer, BJP-AIADMK Beat Congress to
Bring PMK on Board Grand Alliance in TN
Chennai: BJP-AIADMK combine has beaten the
Congress to win the support of PMK for an electoral alliance in Tamil Nadu. PMK
will contest on 6 Lok Sabha seats and will be given one Rajya Sabha seat,
AIADMK chief and deputy CM O Panneerselvam announced at a press conference with
PMK leadership on Tuesday. A formal announcement of the BJP-AIADMK-PMK grand
alliance is yet to be made. PMK, led by S Ramadoss, has a support base in
northern Tamil Nadu, especially among OBC Vanniyar community. In successive Lok
Sabha elections since 1999, the party has polled 5-10% votes in the state.Both
DMK and AIADMK had been wooing PMK in the last one month in their efforts to
form a rainbow caste coalition for 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in
Puducherry. Sources said a leading industrialist was instrumental in bringing
PMK onboard BJP-AIADMK alliance. PMK was also part of NDA in 2014 general
polls, but Ambumani Ramadoss, though an MP, was denied a ministership in the
Narendra Modi Govt . This had soured relationship between BJP and PMK, which
was in talks with Congress over the last one month.PMK’s inclusion in the
AIADMK-BJP camp now paves the way for Thirumavalavan’s VCK to ally with the
Congress-DMK. news18
Maharashtra seat-sharing pact: BJP to contest
on 25, Sena 23 seats in Lok Sabha election
BJP and
Shiv Sena on Monday announced that they will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha and
assembly polls together, ending speculation that the bickering allies may go
their separate ways.Addressing a press conference, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said that for the upcoming
Lok Sabha elections, BJP will fight on 25 while the Shiv Sena will contest on
23 seats in Maharashtra.Maharashtra sends 48 lawmakers to the lower
house."Assembly seats will be equally shared between the 2 parties after
accommodating other political parties who are allied with us," Fadnavis
said.TOI
Day After Seat-sharing Pact with BJP, Sena
Cautions Govt Against Any Kind of 'War for Poll Gain' Rhetoric
A day after sealing a seat-sharing pact with
the BJP, the Shiv Sena asked NDA Govt not to behave in a way that would fuel
allegations that it was trying to wage a war to influence poll results.Riots
and terror attacks should not be used for "political gains", the Sena
said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. Targeting students from
Kashmir over such incidents could spell more trouble for the Govt , it
warned.PTI
We will promote your party on social media for
cash: Cobrapost expose hits Bollywood
Cobrapost, a non-profit website, conducted an
expose on more than three dozen Bollywood celebrities who were willing to
promote any political party on their social media in the run-up to the Lok
Sabha elections for a price.Among these celebs are directors, actors, singers,
stand-up comedians and dancers.: Noted playback singers Abhijeet Bhattacharya,
Kailash Kher, Mika Singh and Baba Sehgal; actors Jackie Shroff, Shakti Kapoor,
Vivek Oberoi, Sonu Sood, Amisha Patel, Mahima Chaudhry, Shreyas Talpade, Puneet
Issar, Surendra Pal, Pankaj Dheer and his son Nikitin Dheer, Tisca Chopra,
Deepshikha Nagpal, Akhilendra Mishra, Rohit Roy, Rahul Bhat, Salim Zaidi, Rakhi
Sawant, Aman Verma, Hiten Tejwani and spouse Gauri Pradhan, Evelyn Sharma,
Minissha Lamba, Koena Mitra, Poonam Pandey, Sunny Leone; comedians Raju
Srivastava, Sunil Pal, Rajpal Yadav, Upasana Singh, Krushna Abhishek and Vijay
Ishwarlal Pawar; and choreographer Ganesh Acharya and dancer Sambhavana
Seth.The few exceptions were Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi, Raza Murad and Saumya
Tandon. They turned down such propositions and refused to get
involved.Cobrapost reporters pretended to be from a fictitious PR agency and
approached these celebrities with a proposal to promote a political party
discreetly on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.nationalheraldindia
Before polls, centre's move on Triple Talaq
New Delhi: Govt will re-issue an ordinance as
Triple Talaq Bill failed to clear parliament in the last session before the Lok
Sabha elections due by May, sources said. The Bill is set to lapse on June 3
when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends, as it could not be passed in Rajya
Sabha, which adjourned indefinitely on Feb.13.ndtv
Telling Numbers: Electorate larger, Muslim
candidates got fewer votes
Mumbai:Data from the last 2 parliamentary
elections underline a low vote count for Muslim candidates, and a low
representation in Lok Sabha. Muslims make up 14.2% of the population; in both
elections, just under 10% of the candidates were Muslim. Of the winners in
2014, 22 were Muslim, the lowest ever.The total votes cast rose from 41.71
crore in 2009 to 55.38 crore in 2014, but the votes polled by Muslim candidates
fell 3.6%. Muslim candidates of 2009 polled 2.89 crore votes, or 6.9% of the
total; those of 2014 polled 2.78 crore, or 5%. Muslim candidates polled an
average of 34,948 votes in 2009, compared to an average 51,692 for all candidates;
Muslim candidates’ average fell in 2014 when the average for all candidates
rose.In Maharashtra in 2009, 114 Muslim candidates had together polled 13.1
lakh votes, or 3.53%; in 2014, 127 nominees polled 6.5 lakh votes, or only
1.34%In Assam, votes for Muslim candidates fell from 24.4 lakh to 19.6 lakh.Of
40 Muslims contesting 14 seats, two won. Muslims account for 34.2% of Assam’s
population (2011). In Andhra Pradesh, the number of votes polled by Muslim
candidates fell from 22.4 lakh to 15.6 lakh, and in Gujarat, from 4.3 lakh to
4.1 lakh.In UP, Muslim candidates polled 73 lakh votes (13.2%) in 2009,
followed by 1 crore (12.4%) in 2014. Muslims make up 18.5% of UP’s population;
none of its 80 MPs is a Muslim. In Bihar, Muslim candidates polled 32.44 lakh
votes in 2009 (82 candidates, 12.3%) and 43.94 lakh in 2014 (79, 12.2%). West
Bengal, with a 25% Muslim population, elected 8 Muslim MPs. In 2009, 57
candidates polled 58.13 lakh (13.6%); in 2014, 88 polled 89.42 lakh votes
(17.3%).A Muslim MP said the political climate of 2014 made it very difficult
for Muslim candidates to get votes from outside their community. Some
sociologists disagree.indian express
MHA backs J&K on not holding state poll
with LS poll
Assembly polls in J&K are unlikely to be
held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls as Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
is learnt to have backed the state administration’s security concerns in a
meeting called by Election Commission (EC). The meeting, which was held days
after the Pulwama attack, was attended by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, CEC
and J&K officials.The state administration had first indicated its security
concerns on holding J&K polls jointly with Lok Sabha last month. The
Commission, then, had asked J&K Chief Secretary and police chief to come back
with concrete data and information to back its view.In meeting, J&K
representatives reiterated their position and were backed by MHA. EC is yet to
take a final call on the matter. Indian express
Maratha quota violates Article 342A: Muslims bodies
to HC
Mumbai:Several muslim organisations have told
the Bombay High Court that Maharashtra govt’s decision to provide reservation
for members of Maratha community in Govt
jobs and educational institutions violates Article 342A of the
Constitution.A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati H
Dangre was hearing final arguments in four petitions challenging the state
govt’s notification published on Nov.30, 2018, to provide 16 % reservation to members of the Maratha
community in govt jobs and educational institutions. Counsel SB Talekar, who
was appearing in a petition filed by seven persons from various Muslim
organisations, including Raza Academy, told the court that Nov.30 notification
violates Article 342A of the Constitution, which states that the state cannot
just make the law — the inclusion of reservation has to be by presidential
order.3 other petitions were filed.Arguments are likely to continue Wednesday.
indian express
7th Pay Commission benefits for Madrassa
teachers in Bihar, salary hike for these contractual staff
Bihar
CM Nitish Kumar has said Madrassa teachers of the state will get 7th Pay
Commission benefits, while contractual teachers in Madrassas will be given a
salary hike. Kumar said this while addressing a gathering after inaugurating
the Examination Hall at the regional office and district school of the Madrassa
Board in Purnia. Along with 7th Pay Commission-related announcement, CM also
laid the foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth Rs 720 crore,
reported Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar. Kumar said that that opening of a regional
office of the Madrassa Board in Purnea will help Madrassa teachers and students
of the area. Now, they would not have to go to Patna for Madrassa-related work.
From August this year, all elderly people of the state above 60 years of age
will be provided Old Age Pension. The entire process for this will be completed
by July. Even as the scheme will be rolled out from August, the pension benefits to the eligible state
residents will be given w.e.f. from
April 2019 onwards. Zee Business News
38 held, 200 booked for clash in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad:Police have arrested 38 persons and
booked nearly 200 others for Saturday night’s communal clash in Nagoriwad area
of Shahpur in Ahmedabad.The clash broke out during a candle light march in the
memory of 40 CRPF men killed in Pulwama terror attack. “Apart from the 38
arrested, we are trying to identify and arrest another 150 to 200 people who
have been booked, from our CCTV footage. However, most men are absconding at
the moment, fearing arrest,” Inspector RK Amin of Shahpur police station said,
adding that those arrested belong to both the communities.According to FIR
filed on Sunday, 3 to 4 men were shouting slogans in solidarity with the
Pulwama attack victims around 8.15pm on Saturday when they were attacked with
stones, leading to communal clashes in the area.“We are trying to find out the
culprits who attacked the sloganeering men. It could have been from a passing
vehicle or a local resident. Within 15 minutes, the clashes erupted. To control
the situation, we lobbed 12 teargas shells when a mob set a CNG car parked
outside Ahmadi Masjid on fire. While no civilian was injured, 2 constables
sustained minor injuries,” Amin said. Meanwhile, a Muslim resident, who refused
to be named, alleged, “A Hindu wedding ceremony was going on right beside the
masjid and opposite the police chowki. They switched off their lights suddenly
around 8.30pm when all our men were at the masjid offering namaz, and people
started pelting stones at the mosque. A Muslim wedding ceremony was also going
on in the locality and the groom’s car was set on fire.”indian express
Rajasthan govt tells SC it has asked Google to
remove videos uploaded by accused Shambhu Lal Raigar
Rajasthan Govt
has told the Supreme Court that it has written to online search engine
Google to take down hate videos uploaded by a man accused of hacking and
burning alive a Muslim labourer in the state in Dec.2017.In videos, Shambhu Lal
Raigar was purportedly seen ranting that he killed Afrajul Khan, the labourer
from West Bengal, to stop "Love Jihad", a term used to refer Muslim
men marrying Hindu women. Khan's killing was recorded on camera by the minor
nephew of Raigar in Rajsamand district.The state Govt told the SC that the hate
videos uploaded by Raigar are hosted by multiple websites and it would take them
some time to remove the videos.A bench of justices A M Khanwilkar and Ajay
Rastogi asked the Govt to file an
affidavit about the steps taken by it to remove the videos, including those
uploaded byRaigar from inside Jodhpur jail and adjourned the matter for further
hearing. Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Khan's wife Gulbahar Bibi, said
state Govt authorities may have taken
action with regard to the video uploaded by Raigar before his arrest, but no
action has been taken about the video uploaded from inside prison.PTI
One Pilot Dead as 2 IAF Surya Kiran Hawks
Crash During Rehearsals For Aero India Expo in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: A pilot was killed and 2 others
ejected to safety when 2 aircraft of IAF's aerobatic team Surya Kiran collided
mid-air near the Yelahanka airbase and crashed on Tuesday, a day before the
opening of the Aero India show.The pilots, flying the Surya Kiran Hawk, were
practicing spin manoeuvres when the accident happened, eye witnesses said.
"There were three pilots, one has died, 2 are safe with injuries,"DGP
Fire Services who rushed to the spot said. A civilian was also injured in the
mishap, police said. Surya Kiran aerobatic team has been an eye catcher at
multiple aero India shows and had recently upgraded to Hawk from Kiran
aircraft. News18
Moradabad :Right-wing activists booked for
rioting on college campus
Moradabad: Unidentified right-wing activists
have been booked for rioting and voluntarily causing hurt 2 days after they
barged into the campus of Moradabad Institute of Technology (MIT), demanding
custody of B Pharma first year student, who had allegedly praised Pakistan on
his WhatsApp status following the Pulwama attack. Police have also invoked
section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act against the rioters, said SHO. TIU
After registration of case, both students were suspended from the college. timesofindia
Rajasthan:13 killed as truck runs into marriage
procession
Jaipur:A speeding truck ran into a marriage
procession in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district fatally hitting 13 people, four
of them children, while leaving 18 others injured, police said Tuesday.The
accident happened near Ramdev temple on State Highway-113 Monday night when the
truck, going to Banswara from Nimbahera, rammed into the marriage party moving
on the roadside, Choti Sadri DSP said.9 of the deceased have been identified
as: Daulatram (60), Bharat (30), Shubham (5), Chotu (5), Dilip (11), Arjun
(15), Ishu (19), Ramesh (30) and Karan (28), police said.PTI
Old guard of J&K Jama’at Ab Majeed Fazili
passes away
Srinagar:Abdul Majeed Fazili, (85) , died of
cardiac arrest at Delhi Hospital. Fazili had been admitted a week earlier and
was put on a ventilator till date.Fazili was known as an old guard of
Jamat-i-Islami in Kashmir for more than 6 decades. His body will be flown from
Delhi and Nimaz-i- Jinaza will be offered at 3:30 PM at Ahmad Nagar.Fazili is
survived by four sons, Basharat Fazili, Najeeb Fazili, Dr Abdul Hameed Fazili,
Dr Khalid Fazili, and Dr Asif Fazili.kashmirlife
WORLD
Jadhav case at ICJ LIVE : Claims for ex-Navy
officer’s release outlandish, says Pakistan
Pakistan on Tuesday began its submissions and
responded to India at the International Court of Justice in the case of
Kulbhushan Jadhav, former Navy officer who was arrested in Baluchistan in 2016
on charges of espionage and sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court.
Asserting that India’s claim for Jadhav’s immediate release was outlandish,
Pakistan maintained that the Indian Navy officer was a “spy” and not a
businessman. Anwar Mansoor Khan, Attorney General for Pakistan, said Jadhav’s
activities were an actual manifestation of Indian policy. “Since 1947, India
has pursued a policy of destroying Pakistan. Indian PM Narendra Modi is on
record to have said using water as a weapon against Pakistan. Putting forward
his arguments, Pakistan lawyer Khawar Qureshi said India failed to explain why
Jadhav was allowed to travel for 17 times on fake passport.Earlier in the day, ICJ
refused to entertain Pakistan’s request to adjourn the hearing in the case of Jadhav
to appoint a new ad-hoc judge.indianexpress
Khashoggi's appeal for unity between Saudi and
Iranian people:Middle East Eye report
Jamal Khashoggi was working to promote
reconciliation between the Saudi and Iranian people prior to his murder in the
Saudi consulate in Istanbul last Oct, Middle East Eye can reveal. In an
unfinished opinion article drafted early in 2018 by the exiled Saudi journalist
in collaboration with a leading Iranian human rights activist, Khashoggi called
for civil society organisations in both countries to be “voices of reason and
moderation” even as their Govt s risked open conflict.The article called on
leaders in Riyadh and Tehran to “stop meddling in the internal affairs of other
countries”, citing the death and devastation caused by both countries’ involvement
in wars in Syria and Yemen, and to start respecting human rights. “Our Govt s
are stuck digging in their heels in a dangerous staring contest that may soon
erupt into something worse,” Khashoggi wrote.“It is up to our people to be the
voices of reason and moderation – something both our people’s take pride in…
Civil society should spearhead this effort at mutual understanding among our
peoples.”MEE is publishing the final draft of the article with the permission
of the Iranian rights activist, who ultimately declined to put his name to a
joint piece, but gave consent for Khashoggi to publish it under his own
byline.It also calls for the Saudi and Iranian Govt s to “start respecting the
rights of our people”, noting that both had seen “serious protests against the
failed leadership of their countries". But it is most scathing about the
impact of the countries’ wider regional meddling. In Syria, the authors wrote,
Iran had “sent troops and provided financial support to help a murderous
tyrant... responsible for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of his own
citizens”.And in Yemen, Saudi had “carried out a reckless and indiscriminate
bombardment campaign, compounded by a cruel siege of the entire country”. The
article was seen as a first step towards promoting contact and discussion
between Iranian and Saudi exile communities in US,said friend, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
Israel worried about possible IS attack from
Syria, Egypt
Israeli security services have raised high
alert regarding the near defeat of Daesh in Syria, fearing it would turn into
an elusive organisation that carries out attacks around the world, Arab48
reported.According to Israeli website Walla, which is close to Israeli security
services, Daesh has recently carried out attacks in Iraq, Syria, Philippines,
Afghanistan and other countries.middleeastmonitor
Oman FM denies normalisation of relations with
Israel
Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf Bin Alawi said
there is no normalisation with Israel, explaining that what is happening is “a
peaceful process to find a settlement for the Palestinian cause that guarantees
their rights and the interests of all”.Speaking at a joint press conference
with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, Alawi said that Muscat supports the
two-state solution and denied that his country is negotiating with Israel on
behalf of any party. The minister added that his country is ready to help
everyone who works towards this end.Alawi and Lavrov reviewed the results of
two visits by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian leader Mahmoud
Abbas to Oman.Earlier this week, Alawi said that his country has long
considered Israel a Middle Eastern country that cannot be
ignored.middleeastmonitor
Israel closes gate to Al-Aqsa Mosque: MEMO
Israeli military police raided Al-Aqsa Mosque,
attacked students and evicted them from the area and closed Al-Rahma Gate which
leads to the holy site on Monday, witnesses said.At the same time, the Israeli
military police arrested 5 Palestinian worshippers, including a woman named
Nazmiyeh Bkeerat. Witnesses said Israeli police reopened the gate after several
attempts by angry Palestinian worshippers to enter the area through the
door.According to the witnesses, hundreds of Palestinian worshippers also
performed prayers in front of the closed gate in an attempt to put pressure on
the Israeli occupation to reopen it.During the daytime, the Israeli military
police facilitated the entry of 70 Israeli Jewish settlers, including 20
students of religious Jewish schools into Al-Aqsa.
1st Israeli spacecraft, Beresheet, to
launch moon mission
Israel is to launch its first moon mission
this week, sending an unmanned spacecraft to collect data to be shared with
NASA, organisers said Monday.585-kilogram Beresheet (Genesis) spacecraft is to
lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Friday.Mission
control will be in Yehud, near Tel Aviv."We are entering history and are
proud to belong to a group that has dreamed and fulfilled the vision shared by
many countries in the world but that so far only three of them have
accomplished," SpaceIL president Morris Kahn said. AFP
Committee formed to reform Bangla Jamaat: Daily
Inner dispute has flared up within Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami about seeking apology to the nation for its role during the War
of Independence of Bangladesh and also about dissolution of the party. After
Barrister Abdur Razzak's resignation, several other Jamaat leaders have broken
their silence on the issue. Jamaat-e-Islami has formed a committee headed by
its Secretary General Dr Shafiqur Rahman, who sent letter to its district
committees to ask for reform
suggestions from the root level
of the party.It has also been mentioned
in the letter that General Secretary Shafiqur Rahman is only the right person
to speak and receive recommendations for reforming the party's local bodies.Former secretary of
the ministry and think tank Shah Abdul Hannan said, Jamaat is working for
bringing massive reform to separate politics from Islami Dawati activities and social
welfare.He said that Jamaat would
actively work to form an organization
like Bangladesh Welfare Party or Bangladesh Justice Party sans the word
Islam."I believe that Jamaat leaders will form such a party
immediately," Shah Abdul Hannan said.thedailynewnation
No party opposing independence survives: ex
Bangla Jamaat leader Abdur Razzak
Egyptian journalist on verge of being released
after 5 yrs
middleeasteye.net/news/award-winning-egyptian-journalist-shawkan-verge-being-released-says-lawyer
Photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, also known
as Shawkan, left prison on Saturday and is expected to be fully released soon,
a local human rights lawyer said.According to lawyer Karim Abdelrady, Shawkan
was transferred to the Khalifa police station in Cairo on Sunday in preparation
for his release. Shawkan, 31, was arrested on 14 Aug.2013 while taking pictures
of the Egyptian military's violent dispersal of a sit-in at Rabaa al-Adawiya
square, where supporters of deposed President Morsi were protesting the coup
against him that year. Last year, Shawkan received the 2018 Press Freedom Prize
awarded by the UNESCO, which calls his detention a human rights abuse. Egypt's Govt
, in turn, criticised UNESCO for its decision to honour someone accused of
"terrorist and criminal acts".International rights groups have
repeatedly denounced Shawkan's arrest and called for his release, including
Amnesty International, which said he was imprisoned merely for doing his job as
a photojournalist at a demonstration.middleeasteye
Almost half of Conservative voters think Islam
is a threat to the British way of life, poll claims
Almost half of Conservative voters think Islam
is incompatible to the British way of life, an anti-fascist group has
claimed.Hope Not Hate’s ‘State of Hate’ report claims that 49% of of Tory
voters don’t believe Islam is compatible with life in Britain, and 22% of
Labour voters agree, while 47% of Tory supporters, and 32% of those polled,
believe there are ‘no go’ areas in Britain operated under sharia law.Overall
35% of the 10,000 people surveyed said they don’t believe Islam is compatible
with life in Britain.Hope Not Hate found young people were far more likely to
see the benefits of multiculturalism than their parents and grandparents. Some
76% of 18 to 24 year olds felt that diversity was integral to British culture –
less than half of those aged over 65 agreed. The report also claims that 68% of
people believe there is no longer a political party that speaks for them, with
55% of people agreeing the political system is “broken”.5 out of 10 far-right
activists with the biggest number of social media followers are British, and
55% of public have heard of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy
Robinson but just 37% have seen his videos and only 6% of those surveyed have a
positive impression of ex leader English Defence League.Yahoo News
Third of Britons believe Islam threatens
British way of life, says report:theguardian
UK report: Facebook behaving like ‘digital
gangsters’
Lashing out at Facebook for behaving like
"digital gangsters" in the online world, a UK parliamentary committee
concluded that the social networking giant intentionally and knowingly violated
both data privacy and anti-competition laws.In its final report on Monday after
an 18-month investigation into disinformation and "fake news", DCMS select
committee of UK Parliament called for stricter regulation to make Facebook end
spread of disinformation on its platform."Democracy is at risk from the
malicious and relentless targeting of citizens with disinformation and
personalised 'dark adverts' from unidentifiable sources, delivered through the
major social media platforms we use everyday,"Damian Collins, Chair of the
DCMS Committee, said in a statement.IANS
Erdogan: NATO gives arms to 'terrorists' but
not to Turkey
President Tayyip Erdogan has accused NATO
allies of supporting "terrorists" with thousands of truckloads of
weapons while ignoring Turkey's request to buy their arms."What kind of
NATO alliance is this?" Erdogan said."You give terrorists around
23,000 truckloads of weapons and tools through Iraq, but when we asked, you
won't even sell them to us," he added. "We have a 911-kms border
[with Syria]. We're under threat at any moment."Turkey also expects
Syria's Manbij region to be rid of "terrorists" and left to locals as
soon as possible, said he. Manbij has been held by US-backed SDF, a militia
spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG, since 2016.aljazeera
Twin bombings kill at least 15 people in
Syria's Idlib
A double bomb attack in Syria's northwestern
city of Idlib killed at least 15 people, including 4 children, a war monitor
reported. Dozens of others were wounded.The first blast was caused by an
explosive device planted under a car in Qusour neighbourhood during rush hour, Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said.aljazeera
16 states sue Trump over emergency declaration
16 US states sued President Donald Trump's
administration Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to fund
a wall on southern border with Mexico, saying the move violated the
constitution. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, said the
president's order was contrary to Presentment Clause that outlines legislative
procedures and the Appropriations Clause, which defines Congress as the final
arbiter of public funds. The move had been previously announced by Xavier
Becerra the attorney general of California who said his state and others had
legal standing because they risked losing moneys intended for military
projects, disaster assistance and other purposes.AFP
flash: views & NEWS
Nellie massacre and ‘citizenship’: When 1,800
Muslims were killed in Assam in just 6 hours:Ratnadeep Choudhary
Pulwama aftermath: Trolls, right-wing groups
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 3:09 PM)
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