NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
24 Feb. 2019: 18 Jamadiul-II 1440:Vol:11,
No:136
INDIA
No change in stance on Article 35A, only
elected govt can take stand: J&K Administration
Jammu: Putting all speculations to rest, J&K
administration on Sunday said only an elected Govt would be able to take a stand on Article 35-A
before the Supreme Court, which is hearing a bunch of petitions challenging its
validity.Addressing a press conference, senior bureaucrat Rohit Kansal, who has
been designated as the chief spokesperson of the governor's administration,
said, "Stand of the state Govt on
the request of deferment of hearing on Article 35A in the Supreme Court remains
the same as requested by them on Feb.11."He was replying to a question on
whether there was a change in the stand of the governor's administration on the
contentious issue.Urging citizens not to pay heed to rumours, Kansal said,
"Over the past few days several rumours have been circulated and panic
messages disseminated. Most of these have been based on unsubstantiated or
exaggerated pieces of information."J&K Govt's counsel had sought
permission from the Supreme Court for circulating a letter among the contesting
parties for adjourning the upcoming hearing on pleas challenging the
constitutional validity of Article 35A as there was no "elected Govt"
in the state. The SC is scheduled to hear the petitions challenging Article 35A
soon. A bench, comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, was told
by lawyer Shoeb Alam, representing the state Govt, on Feb.11 that he was
seeking its nod to circulate the letter among the parties for getting the
scheduled hearing deferred."On the day of listing, the undersigned (Alam)
shall be requesting for an adjournment in the matter since presently, there is
no elected Govt in the state which is under President's Rule."The matter
involves a sensitive issue regarding a challenge to Article 35A of the
Constitution of India. A short reply has been filed by the state. It will
therefore be requested that the matter may kindly be heard when an elected Govt
is in place," state Govt said in the letter.PTI
J&K Govt seeks adjournment on Article 35A
hearing in SC
SC hearing on Article 35A not likely till
Tuesday
J&K: Shutdown in parts of Valley against
detention of J&K Jamaat leaders, Yasin Malik
Normal life was hit in Kashmir Valley on
Sunday due to the Joint Resistance Leadership’s call for a shutdown. The group,
comprising separatists Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik,
had called for a bandh following Malik’s detention and a police crackdown on
Jamaat-e-Islami J&K, GK reported. Malik was detained on Friday evening. Joint
Resistance Leadership had issued a statement on Saturday condemning the “dictatorial
policy of cracking the whip and arbitrary arrests against Kashmiris by those
calling the shots in J&K”, Kashmir Reader reported. The group added that deployment
of 12,000 paramilitary personnel in the state also indicated that “something is
cooking”. The group had also urged people to observe a shutdown to defend
Article 35A of the Indian Constitution.The article, incorporated into Indian
Constitution in 1954, grants special rights and privileges to the citizens of J&K.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear petitions against the article on
Monday.All shops and commercial establishments in Srinagar and other district
headquarters of the Valley remained closed on Sunday. A complete bandh was also
observed in Bannihal town. However, the police continued to detain leaders of
the Jamaat on Sunday. Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi was arrested from
his Bijbehara residence early in the morning. Jamaat-e-Islami Vice President, Ahli
Hadees leader Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri were also held.The security forces also
arrested 8 more activists of the organisation from Anantnag. As many as 15
people, including 5 Jamaat-e-Islami activists, were arrested from Shopian.
Bashir Ahmad Rather, brother of Peoples League member Nisar Ahmad Rather, was
arrested from Dadsara in Tral.Nearly 200 people, many of them linked to
Jamaat-e-Islami, were arrested on Saturday as part of a crackdown in Kashmir
that coincided with the Union home ministry orders to move reinforcements to
Kashmir.“Police took away our district president Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri and his
deputy Shiraz Ahmad Hajam. Besides member of another faction of Jamiat has also
been detained,” said Jamiat Ahli Hadees (JAH) secretary general Abdul Lateef
Alkindi,HT reported. Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah told Union Home Minister
Rajnath Singh about panic prevailing in the Valley, party vice president Omar
Abdullah tweeted. “He has requested the Union Govt to step in with a statement and
steps that reassure people.” scroll.in/HT
Kashmir shuts down against ‘arbitrary
arrests’, crackdown
After Mass Arrests, Official Orders to Stock
Medicines, Food Fuel Panic in Kashmir
Tampering with Article 370, Article 35A will
render instrument of accession of J&K null and void:Mufti
Srinagar:PDP president Mehbooba Mufti today
said any tinkering with Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution, which
provide special status to J&K, will render null and void the State’s
Instrument of Accession with India.“Article 370 is the constitutional
connection between J&K & Indian Union. Instrument of accession is
contingent on Article 370 which is inextricably linked to Article 35A. Any
tampering will render Treaty of Accession null & void,” Ms. Mufti said in a
series of tweets. She said Kashmir Valley is rife with speculation about the
status of Article 35A.“Before taking a decision, GoI (Govt of India) must
consider that J&K was the only Muslim-majority State that chose a secular
India over Pak during partition,” she added. Mufti cautioned that Kashmiris
should not be blamed for the developments if the special provision was
scrapped. “Those frothing at the mouth & calling for its removal shouldn’t
blame Kashmiris for the developments that will follow such a hare-brained
decision,” she said.PTI
People need not panic, induction of forces
only for elections: J&K Governor
New Delhi:As panic gripped the Valley
following the induction of 100 companies of central police forces and a few
announcements by the state Govt, J&K governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday
appealed to the people to remain calm and not to believe in rumours. Malik
reiterated that the people need not panic and the induction of forces be seen
only in the context of conducting elections.“Rumours about curfews and other
actions should not be believed. There is some security related action being
taken by the forces, but this is purely related to Pulwama attack which is
unprecedented one,”Malik he said.“The response of security forces is guided
solely by the need to counter both the impact and any further action that may
be taken by terrorist groups who are still out to disrupt our country and its
democratic processes,” he said while chairing an informal meeting of State
Administrative Council.The state Govt had on Saturday ordered a slew of measures,
including stocking of fuel, cancelling the winter vacation of the medical
faculty and directing ration shops to complete the sale of foodgrains by
evening, which had created panic among the locals.indianexpress
J&K: Section 144 in Poonch, Rajouri after
shops, vehicles set on fire
Pak MP Ramesh Kumar meets Modi, Sushma, denies
country’s hand in Pulwama attack
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pulwama-attack-pakistan-mp-meets-modi-sushma-swaraj-5598921/
New Delhi : At a time when India-Pakistan ties
are at an all-time low in the wake of the Pulwama attack, an MP of ruling PTI
met PM Narendra Modi and held
discussions with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today. Ramesh Kumar
Vankwani, a Hindu parliamentarian from Pakistan, denied Islamabad’s involvement
in Pulwama attack.“I assured (Sushma Swaraj) that there is no Pakistani
involvement in the Pulwama attack. We should move in a positive direction, we
want peace,” ANI quoted Vankwani, a high-profile leader of Hindus in Pakistan,
as saying.MP of the Imran Khan-led party was part of a foreign delegation that
was invited to attend the Kumbh Mela by the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR). Vankwani also met Minister of State of External Affairs VK
Singh on the sidelines of the event.indianexpress
Pak MP Kumar
meets Modi and Sushma, offers to mediate between countries
J&K Police Officer Killed, 2 Soldiers
Injured in Kulgam Encounter
A senior police officer was killed and two
soldiers, including a Major, were injured in an encounter between militants and
security forces in Kulgam district of J&K on Sunday, reported ANI. DSP Aman
Thakur was killed in the exchange of fire, police officials told PTI.A militant
was also gunned down in the encounter, officials said, adding that the identity
and the group affiliation of the slain ultra were being ascertained.On Sunday,
security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Turigam area of
Kulgam following information about the presence of militants in the area.The
Quint
Punjab sets up helpline for Kashmiris facing
threats
Punjab Police set up a toll-free helpline
number – 181 – to deal with the complaints lodged by Kashmiris, days after CM Amarinder Singh assured full support for
students from the Valley in Punjab.indianexpress
Jammu: Hindu, Muslim Dogras warn ‘outsiders’
against incitement
Jammu:Even as political parties are brazenly
trying to exploit the prevailing situation of the Jammu region, Dogras — both
Hindus and Muslims — cautioned outsiders against inciting people for their
petty political gains.Dogra leaders vowed to frustrate the nefarious designs of
outsiders, who, according to them, were trying to turn Jammu into a battlefield
to further their decisive agenda in the region.“We, Dogras — both Hindus and
Muslims — are competent enough to solve our issues amicably without any help
from the outsiders with vested interests,” Sujat Khan, general secretary of the
Anjuman-e-Imamia, said. Khan said there were a few Muslim families in Jullaka
Mohalla, where he lives, but there was no fear among them due to their
centuries-old bond. “We are living here for a long time and there’s no reason
to be afraid.”A meeting of prominent leaders of the Dogra community,
irrespective of caste or religious, would be convened to formulate peace
committees to frustrate the divisive designs of outsiders of any religion, he
said.Echoing sentiments, BS Slathia, president of the J&K High Court Bar
Association (Jammu) and a prominent Dogra leader, said, “Outsiders who are
trying to teach us the lesson of secularism should do so in their own areas.
For centuries, Dogras have been living in total harmony and brotherhood.” The
Tribune
Lucknow: 10-day custody for men held for
alleged Jaish links
Lucknow :A local court here sent two
Kashmiris, arrested by UP’s ATS from a hostel in Deoband late Thursday night
for suspected links with Jaish-e-Mohammad, to 10-day police custody.The youths
– Shahnawaz Teli (26) and Aqib Ahmad Malik (28)– were brought to Lucknow on a
transit remand Saturday.When they were taken to the court, a group of lawyers
protested. Police said that the protestors reportedly attempted to drag the
youths outside the vehicle. Later, additional police force was called in and
the two were produced before the court. “Shahnawaz and Aqib have been sent to
police custody for 10 days,”said IG, ATS,Asim Kumar.indianexpress
Invitation to OIC 'misplaced euphoria',
'futile exercise' to mislead people: Congress
New Delhi: Congress has expressed surprise
that the Govt was celebrating the invitation to External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj for OIC's inaugural plenary, dubbing it a "misplaced
euphoria" and a "futile exercise" to mislead the people of
India.Party spokesperson Anand Sharma asked PM Narendra Modi and Swaraj to
respect past position of India of not attending meetings of the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) till it is accepted as a full member, given its large
Muslim population."I am surprised at Govt celebrating the invitation to Swaraj to
address OIC meeting in UAE. The euphoria is misplaced and it is a futile
exercise to mislead the public opinion in India," he said.Sharma, who was
the minister of state of external affairs in the UPA Govt, said that in the
past India has always taken a firm position with respect to its engagement with
the OIC, a powerful grouping of Muslim majority nations. "India has
rejected OIC's offer for observer status and made it clear that given the size
of its Muslim population, OIC must give India the status of a full member to
facilitate the Indian State's engagement with OIC," he said."We would
advise the PM and the external affairs minister to respect the past position of
India and go for the OIC meeting only when India ia accepted as a full
member," he said. MEA called the OIC invitation a "welcome
recognition" of the presence of 185 million Muslims in India and of their
contribution to its pluralistic ethos, and of India's contribution to Islamic
world. Official sources said it was for the first time, India has been invited
to an OIC meeting as guest of honour.PTI
In a first, India Invited as ‘Guest of Honour’
to OIC Meet, Sushma Swaraj to Attend
Mob burns Deputy CM’s house, destroys police
station in Arunachal
The law and order situation in Arunachal
Pradesh capital Itanagar worsened on Feb.24 with a mob burning down Deputy CM Chowna
Mein’s multi-storeyed private residence. Separate groups of people also
advanced toward CM Pema Khandu’s private
residence apart from vandalising the city’s main police station and the office
of the deputy commissioner. Army and paramilitary personnel, called to restore
normality, were pelted with stones too.Violence in Itanagar, triggered by Govt’s
move to provide permanent resident certificates (PRC) to 6 non-tribal
communities living in the Frontier State for decades, appeared to have subsided
after Khandu announced on Feb.22 night that PRC issue would not be discussed
during the ongoing Assembly session.On Feb. 23, city administration clamped
prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC and sought the help of the Army
that conducted a flag-march. But irate locals defied the restrictions to gather
in large groups after a man who had allegedly sustained bullet injuries on
Friday night died in a Guwahati hospital on Sunday.Another man from Kimin area
in Papum Pare district had died Friday due to firing when a mob stormed the
State Secretariat. It could not be confirmed if the man was killed in police
firing or by “miscreants”.Mob violence spread to Naharlagun, which along with
Itanagar, is State's Capital Complex, with a shopping complex owned by
Environment and Forest Minister Nabam Rebia burnt down. Rebia headed the joint
high power committee that recommends granting PRC to 6 non-tribal communities
in the State.thehindu
Live: 1,000 ITBP personnel dispatched to
Arunachal
Arunachal protests: Mob burns down deputy CM’s
home as violence breaks out in Itanagar
'Stand to protect India, but seen as doubtful
citizen': Army soldier who served at Siachen fighting to prove citizenship in
Assam
An Indian Army soldier named Shahidul Islam,
hailing from Assam's Barpeta district and currently posted in Kolkata, is
fighting to prove his Indian citizenship in Assam to be included in NRC. He is
now contesting a case at Foreigners' Tribunal Number 11 of Barpeta district to
prove that he is an Indian citizen. 43-year-old told Indian Express that he
served in Baramulla in North Kashmir and at the Siachen Glacier before being
posted in Kolkata in Oct. "I have been posted in Kashmir, Kargil, and
Siachen. I love my country and stand to protect it. But back home in Assam, I
am seen as a doubtful citizen," he said.The paper quoted Islam as saying
that he received the first notice to appear at Foreigners' Tribunal in Oct.
Sources in border police confirmed to Indian Express that the reference case
against Shahidul Islam and his family members was made in 2003 Shahidul, his
mother and his brother were to appear in court on 9 November. His brothers —
27-year-old CISF trooper Mizanur Ali and 29-year-old Delbor Ali, with Army
Medical Corps since 2010 — are also mentioned with their father Abdul Hamid as
minors in the 2003 reference case.Their father died in Aug.2005.The next
hearing in his case has been scheduled for 18 March, but the army subedar says
there is a chance he may not be able to make it as he may "be on the
move".firstpost
Soldier who served at Siachen fights to prove
citizenship
Police: Bajrang Dal Man Behind Kidnap, Killing
of Twin Boys in MP
MP Police arrested 6 people today, in
connection with the abduction and killing of two children from MP's Chitrakoot.
Arrests came amid protests against the killing of the children. Protests took
place in MP's Chitrakoot after two children who were abducted from a school bus
in district on 12 Feb.were found dead in a river in Uttar Pradesh's Banda on
Sunday morning.Rewa IG Chanchal Shekhar said to ANI that the mastermind behind
the crime was Vishnukant Shukla, the local area coordinator of the Bajrang Dal.
IG added that while Shukla was the mastermind, he didn't directly participate
in the crime. Police said that the primary accused was Vishnukant Shukla's
older brother Padam Shukla.The police, in their statement to ANI, said that a bike
and a car were used in the crime.Rewa IG added that the words 'Ram Rajya' were
written on the number plate of the bike and that the car used in the crime
carried a BJP flag.Shreyansh and Priyansh Rawat were reportedly kidnapped at
gunpoint from their school bus near Chitrakoot's Nayagaon, HT reported.The
report added that the boys' family had already paid Rs 20 lakh in ransom to the
kidnappers, but that the kidnappers had raised the demand to Rs 1 crore. The
boys were reportedly killed on 21 Feb.Thousands reportedly took to the streets
after the bodies of the two boys were discovered early Sunday. The police fired
tear gas shells to control the mob.thequint
Fascist forces entered all institutions: Arundhati
Roy
Tiruchy: Writer and activist Arundhati Roy on
Saturday said there may be a lot of dreams for people of the State, but their
first action should be to vote out the BJP in the coming elections. “Fascist
forces like BJP are not only present in politics but have penetrated into all
institutions in nation,” she said speaking at a conference organised by Makkal
Adhikaram in the city, and asked people
to be vigilant.Addressing the gathering, Roy said that after Narendra Modi
became PM , it became clear that casteism and corporatism were intertwined.
“Earlier the struggles and fights of Communists against capitalists, minorities
against the majority, oppressed against dominant were isolated struggles.” And
added, “We need to thank Modi for one thing, for showing us that they are all
intertwined.”new indianexpress
Karachi Bakery harassment: 9 arrested by
Bengaluru Police
Bengaluru Police has arrested nine men in
connection with the harassment of staff at a city outlet of Karachi Bakery, The
Hindu reported. The men are residents of Halasuru and nearby areas, the report
said.Police are questioning them to find others involved. One of the men works
at a printing press and another in a hotel, though they have all claimed to be
social workers. 9 were booked for rioting and criminal breach of trust, Deccan
Herald reported.On Friday, a group of people had protested at Indiranagar
branch of the bakery, ostensibly objecting that the company bears the name of a
city in Pakistan, which they have accused of supporting terrorism against
India. The incident was reported a week after the attack in Pulwama. After
this, the word “Karachi” had been covered on the bakery’s signboard. The bakery
clarified that it was “absolutely Indian by heart”, and founded by Khanchand
Ramnani, who migrated to India during the Partition.scroll.in
VVPAT audit of EVMs must be proper, not just
tokenism, ex-bureaucrats say in open letter
A group of former bureaucrats has dismissed
the need to switch back to the ballot, saying that instead, voter-verifiable
paper audit trail-based confirmation of votes cast on electronic voting
machines must be implemented properly.In an open letter, the retired
bureaucrats said they were concerned about the recent controversies surrounding
the use of electronic voting machines. They pointed out problems with the use
of VVPAT slips, which they said should be properly implemented, not in a
“perfunctory” manner.The letter said that the number of machines for which the
Election Commission uses VVPAT slips is a “statistically incorrect sample
size”, and the chances of that sample size detecting a malfunctioning machine
are low and “unacceptable” for a democracy. The former bureaucrats urged the
poll panel to use a sample size that can detect at least one defective machine
with 99.9% reliability.“Spending hundreds of crores of rupees on procurement of
VVPAT units makes little sense if their utilisation for audit purposes is
reduced to an exercise in tokenism,” the letter said.Former Lieutenant Governor
of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah
and former Deputy Governor of RBI Ravi Vira Gupta are among the signatories of
the letter.scroll.in
In show of strength, Ambedkar and Owaisi take
on Congress
Mumbai :In a show of strength on Saturday,
Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash Ambedkar and AIMIM president Asaduddin
Owaisi, who have come together to form the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), held a
rally at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, where both criticised the Congress over its
alleged soft Hindutva stand and exploitation of Dalits and minorities.Congress
has been dithering over allying with VBA for Lok Sabha polls, as it feels that
associating with a front that includes AIMIM could put off Hindu voters.“You (people)
gave chance to Congress for 70 years. All of us, including Muslims, have faced
the side effects of this. The tide is now turning against the current system. After
70 years (of Independence), what is the situation in this country? We have been
giving applications for jobs and for fulfilling our needs for the last 70
years, but those were thrown in the dustbin,” Ambedkar said while addressing
the rally.The two leaders had set up VBA in an attempt to consolidate the
Muslim-Dalit vote and provide an alternate to the established alliances like
the Congress-NCP and BJP-Shiv Sena in the state. VBA, which is planning to
contest over a dozen seats in the state, managed to draw a substantial crowd in
its first major rally in Mumbai. indianexpress
BJP general secretary describes muslim
Congress MLA from Bhopal as 'beef-eater'
BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya
stoked controversy on Saturday by referring to a Muslim MLA of the Congress in
Madhya Pradesh as a "beef-eater" during a party event.BJP leader,
known for making controversial statements, was talking about party candidate
Surendra Nath Singh's defeat from Bhopal (Central)assembly seat.Vijayvargiya
said,"Your (Singh's) loss caused me the greatest anguish. It is surprising
that a nationalist Govt which stopped cow slaughter was in power (in the
state), but a beef-eater won against you. It is a matter of shame for all of
us." In the Nov.elections, Congress's Arif Masood defeated Singh by 14,757
votes. The Congress ended BJP's 15-year rule in the state in the polls.Reacting
to the comment, Masood said, "Vijayvargiya should produce evidence as to
when I ate beef. I have never had a meal with the BJP general secretary. This
(remark) only shows his frustration." Masood claimed he had never eaten beef
in his life, and he won from a seat where Hindus are in a majority."I was
elected by all sections of society while BJP only focused on dividing
people," he said.PTI
Writing generates fear among oppressor caste
forces: Dalit writer Kancha Ilaiah
New Delhi :Writing is the only medium that
generates fear among the oppressor caste forces and can change the conditions
of the oppressed Dalitbahujans, believes activist Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd.Dalit
writer has come out with his memoirs “From a Shepherd Boy to an Intellectual”
in which he also talks of the struggle for education and dignity that a great
majority of Indians undergo.“Many people from the Brahmin-Baniya castes have
written about their own greatness in their autobiographies, in English and in the
regional languages. But I have not seen even a single autobiography of a person
born and brought up in the shepherd community,” he says.“Writing is the only
medium that can change the conditions of the oppressed Dalitbahujans. After (B
R ) Ambedkar, I took up this task, and this writing has to be done on a
continuous basis, generation after generation,” Ilaiah Shepherd writes in the
book, brought out by Sage Publications.“There is no doubt that such writing
generates fear among the oppressor caste forces. What I have realised in my
lifetime is that caste-centred change is resisted more than class-centred
change. This is because caste hegemony gets into the bloodstream of people born
into those castes. So also caste inferiority gets into the bloodstream of the
oppressed castes,” he argues.PTI
Maharashtra Muslims to paddle march to demand
for reservations
Muslims of Maharashtra had organised a protest
when CM Devendra Fadnavis had announced 16% reservations for Marathas in Nov.
They had demanded for 5% reservations in education and employment but things
did not move forward.Once again the Muslim Reservation Federation (MRF) are
coming together to organise a protest rally in the form of Paddle March from
Bhiwandi to Mumbai. They will cover a distance of 50 Km.The march will commence
today in Bhiwandi and conclude on Tueday at Azad Maidan, Mumbai. They will
submit a memorandum to the CM of
Maharashtra with demands not just for
the Muslim minority community but also for other minorities of
Maharashtra.Convenor of Muslim Reservation Federation Shaikh Asif will lead the
paddle march as he had earlier organised paddle march in 2003 from Malegaon to
Mumbai covering 300 km.TCN
Odisha: Muslims demand 10% reservation
Bhubaneswar:Odisha Muslim Reservation Movement
on Saturday submitted a memorandum to CM Naveen Patnaik demanding a 10-% reservation in education, employment, Assembly
and Lok Sabha for the Muslims. Movement chairman Dr Salim told a Press
conference here that if Muslims are given reservation, they can excel in
education, employment and politics.He regretted that even if Muslims are given
reservation in different States, they are yet to get it in Odisha.Dr Salim said
that the conditions of Muslims in the State are deteriorating day by day. He
also threatened that if reservation is not provided the Muslim community would
boycott the upcoming elections.daily pioneer
After kicking up storm on Azan, Sonu Nigam
says demolition of Babri Masjid was wrong
Singer Sonu Nigam, who faced huge backlash in
2017 for expressing his disgust over the use of loudspeaker for azan, Muslims’
call for prayers, has made a stunning statement over the demolition of Babri
Masjid on 6 Dec.1992. The singer said that the act to demolish Babri Masjid was
wrong.“I am never in favour of demolishing any temples or mosques. First, it
was wrong to demolish Babri Masjid. That single act is responsible for
everything wrong now. It shouldn’t have happened,” he told Times Now
channel.Nigam added, “I agree (Mughal emperor) Babar was wrong to have
demolished the temple, built at the birth place of Ram. There can be no bigger
mistake or foolishness than this. Ok, he made that mistake. Now is it right for
others, several generations after Babar, to avenge that act? This is not
right…This is not forward thinking at all.”jantakareporter
Most people trust 'neutral media':New report on
fake news
New Delhi: A new report looks at the specific
nature of the fake news problem in India. The report assumes significance in
the run up to the Indian general elections this year, as a number of other
countries like Brazil and the US have seen damaging upticks in the spread of
fake news around elections.The presence of misinformation and fake news raises
the “possibility of false and misleading information swaying the election”,
says report.The report, titled ‘Countering Misinformation (Fake News) in India:
Solutions and Strategies’, has been published by Factly Media and Research and
Internet and Mobile Association of India.While much of the research, literature
and policy interventions on fake news has happened by the West or in the West,
this report aims to provide an India-specific understanding of the
phenomenon.One part of the report is a web survey of 1,286 respondents. They
were asked to identify a number of statements as true or false and give
reasons. The report says there could be a margin of error of 3-5%.The survey
found that it is those under 20 and over 50 – young and the old – who are most
susceptible to fake news.These are also the brackets that may be relatively new
to the use of technology such as internet and smartphones. Those who are less
familiar are also more susceptible to falling for fake news, says the
report.With regard to sources of news, the survey found that newspapers still
remains the top source of information for people across age groups, while
social media usage is largely motivated by the desire to connect with family
and friends and to exchange relevant information.But trust in mainstream media
is low. This is what drives people to share information on social media
instead.If there is trust in the media, then people tend to trust “neutral
media.” thewire
Assam hooch tragedy death toll jumps to 133
The death toll in the Assam hooch tragedy
increased to 133 on Sunday, with over 200 people hospitalised in Golaghat and
Jorhat districts, authorities said.The toll was confirmed by ADGP, who added
that 10 people have been arrested in connection with the sale and manufacture
of the illicit liquor known as 'Sulai mod' in Assamese.Meanwhile, an Excise
Department official said that a total of 90 cases have been registered
regarding the unauthorised sale and production of hooch and also for violating
the excise law.IANS
AIADMK MP S Rajendran dies in car accident
New Delhi :AIADMK leader and Member of
Parliament S Rajendran, 62, died in a car accident Saturday. Rajendran was
elected from Villupuram in Tamil Nadu to Lok Sabha in 2014.A police official
was quoted as saying by PTI: “2 others who were with MP, his driver and a
relative who assisted him in his work, were taken to a local hospital and then
shifted to Govt Hospital.”
Relief for home buyers as GST Council accords
big relief to real estate sector
Coming as a big relief to the real estate
sector, GST Council on Sunday accorded GST payable for under-construction flat
has now been reduced to 5% from the existing rate of 12%. 33rd meeting of GST
Council was chaired by Union Minister Arun Jaitley.He also announced that the
GST rate on affordable housing has been reduced to 1% from 8%. New GST rate for
both doesn’t include input tax credit (ITC). The slashed tax rates will be
effective from April 1, 2019.NewsX newsx
WORLD
US, Russia to find ways to lift travel ban on
Taliban leaders for peace talks
Kabul: US and Russia have agreed to explore
options on securing travel waivers for Taliban negotiators to participate in
talks to end the war in Afghanistan, US peace envoy said ahead of a fresh round
of peace talks scheduled on Monday.Lifting the travel ban imposed over Taliban
leaders by UN has been one of the key demands of the hardline Islamic group
that started negotiations with US officials in 2018 to end 17-year-old war.US
special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who is leading the peace talks with the
Taliban, discussed the issue of lifting the travel ban for Taliban leaders with
his Russian counterpart Zamir Kabulov in Ankara on Friday. "Amb
(Ambassador) Kabulov and I also discussed travel barriers to talks. We will
explore options for securing UN travel waivers for Taliban negotiators to
participate in peace talks," he wrote on Twitter.U.S. officials familiar
with discussions said lifting the travel ban on some Taliban leaders could help
accelerate the pace of ongoing negotiations.Afghan Taliban said it would resume
negotiations on Monday with the United States in Qatar, insisting the meeting
"will prove positive" despite propaganda against the peace
process.Reuters
Afghan civilian deaths hit record high in
2018:UN
More civilians were killed in the Afghan war
in 2018 than during any other year on record, according to a UN report released
on Sunday.Civilian deaths jumped by 11 % from 2017 with 3,804 people killed, including
927 children, and another 7,189 people wounded, according to UN figures, as
suicide attacks and bombings wreaked havoc across the war-torn country.The
report was released a day before the US and the Taliban hold their next round
of talks aimed at ending the conflict, raising tentative hopes for peace along
with fears that an American withdrawal could lead to an even bloodier civil war.
The talks in Doha follow years of escalating violence in Afghanistan. According
to the UN, at least 32,000 civilians have been killed and another 60,000
wounded in the last decade, when the organisation began compiling the
data.aljazeera
Turkey may take part in Afghan solution:
Russian envoy
Moscow:Turkey may be involved in the solution to the
Afghanistan problem, a Russian diplomat said.“We will be pleased if [Turkey]
attends next meeting in Moscow” on Afghan peace talks, Russian President
Vladimir Putin's special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said in a
statement.Kabulov made the remarks after meeting separately in Ankara with US
special envoy for peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Riza Hakan Tekin,
head of Turkish Foreign Ministry’s Asia Department.“ US has proposed establishing
grounds for reconciliation in Afghanistan, and Russia is ready to consider this
offer,” Kabulov said.Anadolu Agency
Jared Kushner heads to Middle East to promote
peace plan
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's
son-in-law and White House senior adviser, is on his way to the Middle East to
promote the economic portion of a long-awaited US plan for peace between Israel
and the Palestinians.Kushner left US for a 5-nation tour late on Saturday,
according to White House officials. Accompanied by US Middle East envoy Jason
Greenblatt and US envoy on Iran Brian Hook, Kushner plans stops in Oman,
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar.During their week-long trip, the White
House team will gauge level of support for economic part of Trump's "deal
of the century", Reuters reported earlier.aljazeera
Israel briefly detains top Waqf official, bans
him from Al-Aqsa
Israeli police briefly detained the head of
the Islamic authority that oversees Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem early on
Sunday following recent protests there.Sheikh Abdelazeem Salhab was appointed
to head the Waqf by neighbouring Jordan, which strongly protested the arrest. Jordan's
minister of Islamic affairs, Abdul Nasser Abul al-Basal, said the Israeli
action was "dangerous and an unacceptable escalation" that affected
Jordan's role as the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, according to Petra
agency.Israeli police confirmed the arrest on Sunday, and the Waqf later said
police had released Salhab and prohibited him from entering the site for a
week.On Friday, Palestinian protesters streamed into a part of the Al-Aqsa
Mosque compound that Israel had sealed off in 2003 because it was home to a
heritage organisation allegedly connected with an armed group.aljazeera
Saudi replaces ambassador to US with first
female envoy
Saudi Arabia has appointed its first female
ambassador to serve as its top diplomat in the US, pulling a son of King Salman
back to the kingdom to serve as deputy defence minister amid deteriorating ties
with the US after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.Princess Reema bint Bandar Al
Saud, a daughter of the kingdom's longtime ambassador to Washington Bandar bin
Sultan Al Saud, faces a stark challenge in improving the image of Saudi in the
US.She replaces Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, a son of King Salman and a
former fighter pilot who insisted after Khashoggi's disappearance on Oct.2 that
the Washington Post columnist simply left the kingdom's consulate in
Istanbul.Instead, members of the entourage of his brother, Saudi's Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman,assassinated and dismembered Khashoggi inside diplomatic
post, in what Saudi Arabian authorities said was a rogue operation. POST,
citing unnamed sources in November, also reported that US intelligence agencies
reviewed a phone call that Prince Khalid had with Khashoggi, in which he
allegedly told the writer he would be safe going to the consulate to retrieve
the documents he needed to get married.aljazeera
Brother of Saudi crown prince named deputy
defence minister
Erdogan lashes out at Sisi over Egypt
executions
Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticised his Egyptian counterpart Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi after the recent execution of nine people in Egypt, saying he
refused to talk to "someone like him"."They killed nine young
people recently. This is not something we can accept," Erdogan said
Saturday in an interview with Turkish TV channels CNN-Turk and Kanal D, referring
to the execution Wednesday of nine men sentenced for the murder of the Egyptian
prosecutor general in 2015."Of course, we are going to be told that it is
a decision of the judiciary, but there, justice, elections, all that, are
codswallop.There is an authoritarian system, even totalitarian," Erdogan
added."Now, I am answering those who wonder why Tayyip Erdogan does not
speak to Sisi, because there are mediators who come here sometimes, but I will
never talk to someone like him," he said.The Turkish president also called
for the release of Muslim Brotherhood prisoners in Egypt."First of all, he
should release all those imprisoned with a general amnesty. As long as these
people have not been released, we will not be able to talk with Sisi," he
said.Erdogan also attacked Western countries which, according to him,
"roll out the red carpet" for Sisi and turn a blind eye to the latest
executions in Egypt. AFP
Democracy and political stability cannot come
at the expense of innocent lives in middle east: Mahathir
Kuala Lumpur: Dr Mahathir Mohamad said democracy and political stability in the
Middle East cannot be promoted over the dead bodies of Yemenis, Syrians, Iraqis
and others, and it cannot be built upon the rubble of bombed-out cities. PM said cynics have every reason to conclude that
all the talk about exporting democracy or building a new world order or even
fighting terrorism was increasingly a false construct to cover naked aggression
and dominate a resource-rich region.“And if we are honest as well, we will have
to acknowledge that all the billions that have been spent on weapons have done
nothing to improve the security and stability of the region. Indeed, Middle East
has experienced almost two decades of continuous war. Millions have been
killed, wounded or forced to flee from their homes.“Whole cities have been laid
waste and vital infrastructure destroyed. One has only to survey the landscape
of much of Iraq, Libya, Syria and now Yemen to see the grim reality of it all,”
he said at the “Stand With Yemen” Symposium and Exhibition organised by Suhakam
and the Stand with Yemen Coalition here today.Bernama
Sudan’s Bashir names VP, PM as protests continue
Sudanese police fired teargas at demonstrators
on Saturday as fresh protests broke out against the rule of President Omar
al-Bashir, after he appointed a new PM and first vice president a day after declaring
a state of emergency.Police confronted dozens of protesters in the Shambat
neighbourhood of Khartoum North, and similarly sized crowds in the Wad Nubawi
and Abbasiya neighbourhoods of Omdurman, witnesses said. Protesters in Shambat
blocked a road and burned car tyres, witnesses said. Demonstrators chanted
“Revolution is the people’s choice”, and other slogans, in Wad Nubawi. In
Abbasiya chants included “Down, that’s it”, a rallying call that underlines
their main demand for Bashir to go.A statement from the president’s office said
Mohamed Tahir Ayala, the governor of Gezira state who was previously touted by
Bashir as a potential successor as president, was appointed PM .middleeastmonitor
Venezuelans vow to continue protests as
clashes turn deadly
Cucuta:Violent clashes broke out in Venezuelan
border towns on Saturday that left at least two people dead, as Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro blocked humanitarian convoys from entering the
country.Troops loyal to Maduro fired tear gas and rounds of rubber bullets at
protesters who tried to bring boxes of US-supplied aid across border, leaving
dozens injured. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is supported by
Washington, backed the efforts to import the aid, saying hundreds of thousands
of people are in urgent need of food and medicine. Maduro sees the aid as part
of a US plot to remove him from power.At least 2 people were killed in clashes
in Venezuelan town of Santa Elena de Uairen, close to Brazil.aljazeera
Hijack Attempt On Dubai-Bound Bangladesh
Plane, Passengers Safe: Report
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight to Dubai
from Chittagong in Bangladesh made an emergency landing back at Chittagong on
Sunday after what appeared to be an attempted hijacking, a senior official from
the airline said.All 142 passengers have subsequently been allowed to leave the
plane, airline's general manager, Shakil Miraj, said.Police and army are still
surrounding the aircraft, he said."There were 142 passengers and all of
them have come out from the aircraft safely," said Miraj.He said Boeing
737 aircraft was scheduled to go from Dhaka to Dubai via Chittagong. Reuters
lash: views &
NEWS
Why Saudi Crown Prince's Visit to India Was a
Diplomatic Success:Manoj Joshi
Fact Check: Was Modi Really Unaware of the
Pulwama Attack For Over 2 Hours?The Wire
These 15 Muslims Have Been Taking Care Of
Gaushalas With 300 Cows For More Than 15 Yrs: Maninder Dabas, india times
Kashmiri teenagers living in fear, suffering
from trauma: Dr Arshad Hussain
9 Collegium Reiterations the Supreme Court
Didn’t Want to Be Reminded Of:The Wire
Never mind the SC, Aadhaar is now in the
people’s court:Godavar
‘These are dangerous times for Indian media’:
Siddharth Varadarajan
‘There is no pure race in India’:Author Tony
Joseph
Thousands of Muslims celebrate Shivaji’s birth
anniversary across Maharashtra: Imran Inamdar, TwoCircles.net
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:10 PM)
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