NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
03 Feb. 2019: 27 Jamadiul-I 1440:
Vol:11, No:118
INDIA
Centre’s application to acquire excess land in
Ayodhya case unjust: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
New Delhi:Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has said
that the application moved by Union Govt in the Supreme Court in connection
with the Babri Masjid case in Ayodhya is unjust and an “emotional step that
goes against national interest”.JIH said Govt should withdraw its application
and concentrate its basic constitutional obligations. It must honour the stay
by the court and refrain from taking any step that would go against justice,JIH
said. Addressing a press conference, Mohammad Salim Engineer, JIH general
secretary, said it was well known that there were many cases related to the Ram
Temple-Babri Masjid dispute pending in court and it was a well-established norm
that litigants in any case waited for the court to pronounce its judgement and
accept it when it came. He said it was surprising that the Govt was becoming
party to the dispute. “Because of this strange behaviour of govt, people will
be justified in concluding that Govt is abandoning its duty of providing
justice to its citizens,”said Salim Engineer.He said by moving an application
in court for the acquired land, BJP-led Centre wanted to please Hindu hardliners
keeping in view the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.Tribune India
Jamaat-e-Islami slams govt for exploiting
Ayodhya issue for electoral gains: The Indian Awaaz
Jamaat Prez, Shahi imam question Govt move in
Ayodhya case
New Delhi:US intelligence report that there
was "strong possibility" of communal violence in India ahead of the
Lok Sabha elections if the ruling BJP stresses on Hindu nationalist themes is a
matter of concern, Shahi Imam Maulana Ahmed Bukhari said.He said that the
pushing of religious beliefs of majority community by BJP governments at the
Centre and in UP is in violation of
India's Constitution that declares India to be a secular state.He said that the
way Modi Govt has approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to grant 67
acres of land in Ayodhya to Hindutva groups shows the Govt is illegally moving
towards making India a "Hindu Rashtra". Prominent Muslim body
Jamat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) too questioned the government's intentions in moving
the Supreme Court to return to its "owners" the "extra"
land out of the 67.7 acres around Babri Masjid acquired by the then Central
Govt in 1993.JIH asked the Govt to withdraw the petition concerned it filed in
the Supreme Court.JIH President Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari
said:"Because of this strange behaviour of the government, the people will
be justified to conclude that Govt is abandoning its duty of providing justice
to its citizens, and keeping in view upcoming parliamentary elections, it is
trying to influence the voters for gaining political mileage by inciting them
with pipe dreams."PTI
Ban on SIMI Extended for 5 more yrs
New Delhi: Students Islamic Movement of India
(SIMI), has been banned by the Govt for 5 years.According to a Home Ministry
notification, if the unlawful activities of SIMI are not curbed and controlled
immediately, it will continue its subversive activities, re-organise its
activists, who are still absconding,and disrupt the secular fabric of country
by propagating anti-national sentiments and escalating
secessionism."Now,therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by
sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the UAPA, central Govt hereby declares
SIMI as an ''unlawful association'' and directs that this notification shall,
subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have
effect for a period of five years," notification said.Home Ministry listed
58 cases where members belonging to SIMI were allegedly involved.The ministry
said the organisation has been polluting the minds of the people by creating
communal disharmony, undertaking activities which are prejudicial to the
integrity and security of the country.PTI
Selection norm for CBI chief diluted, Shukla
is not qualified enough, says Kharge
Objecting to the appointment of Rishi Kumar
Shukla as CBI Director in a dissent note to Centre, Congress leader Mallikarjun
Kharge Saturday said the officer had no experience handling anti-corruption
cases and alleged that the selection criterion mandated by law had been
diluted.Kharge, who was part of the three-member selection panel headed by PM
Narendra Modi, said that the government replaced the criterion of “experience
in investigation in anti-corruption cases” with “experience in investigation
and anti-corruption cases”.In his note, he said that “adding of investigative
experience to experience in investigating Anti-Corruption to enhance overall
experience has led to inclusion of candidates who either have no experience or
at best very little experience in investigation of anti-corruption cases”.
Making it clear that 1983-batch UP cadre officer S Javed Ahmed was more
qualified for the post in line with the Supreme Court guidelines and provisions
of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, Kharge said Shukla has no
experience in investigation of anti-corruption cases, which he felt should be
the criterion to select the CBI chief.Other than Shukla, Kharge said the
five-name panel placed before the committee comprised of Ahmed, Director NICFS,
RR Bhatnagar, DG CRPF, AP Maheshwari, DG Bureau of Police Research Delhi and
Sudeep Lakhtakia, DG NSA (MHA).According to Kharge, Bhatnagar, who topped the
government list, has 25 months experience in investigating anti-corruption
cases, while Shukla has no experience in anti-corruption probe. He said that
based on the criteria laid down by the DSPE Act and the Supreme Court, Ahmed
with an overall experience of 303 months, Bhatnagar with experience of 170
months and Lakhtakia with 155 months “meet the requirements of experience in
investigating anti-corruption cases in order of overall merit.”indianexpress
CBI chief: Kharge vs PMO, who is telling the
truth?
Govt picks Shukla as new CBI head, Oppn dissents
Elgaar Parishad case: Teltumbde arrested,
released; court says action illegal, contempt of SC
Pune:Dalit scholar and civil rights activist
Anand Teltumbde’s fortunes swung from disappointment to despair to relief in a
matter of 24 hours after a court in Pune first rejected his application for
anticipatory bail and, after Teltumbde was picked up by police, declared his
arrest illegal.Teltumbde was released Saturday evening after the completion of
formalities. In the afternoon, the court said that the Supreme Court would be
informed about his illegal arrest.Renowned academic, who teaches at Goa
Institute of Management, was arrested before dawn at Mumbai airport after the
court turned down his anticipatory bail plea earlier on Friday evening.“What
has happened (arrest by Pune Police) is highly embarrassing for a person of
international stature like me. I claim that there are very few people in the
country with a profile like me,” Teltumbde said after he was released. He
rubbished the Pune Police charges against him:“These are all concocted charges
based on completely fabricated evidence,” he said. Teltumbde predicted that
allegations about his visit to Paris for a conference at the behest of a banned
Maoist outfit, would “boomerang”.Teltumbde’s brother-in-law and Dalit leader
Prakash Ambedkar was among those present in courtroom during the arguments over
his arrest. Teltumbde is among 22 people named as accused in the Elgaar
Parishad case for alleged CPI(Maoist) links. The court denied him relief on
Friday,saying investigating officer had collected sufficient material to show
his involvement in the commission of the alleged offence. Pune Police had moved
swiftly, swooping on Teltumbde at 4 am after he landed in Mumbai from Kerala.
He was brought to Pune and produced before Additional Sessions Judge Kishor
Vadane.On Jan.14, the SC had said that the “investigation (against Teltumbde)
is getting bigger and bigger”, and it was not inclined to quash FIR. However,
the court said: “...Counsel for the petitioner submits that interim protection
against arrest granted by the High Court on 15th Oct, 2018... remained in force
until... 18th Jan,2019. We extend the said interim protection for a period of
four weeks from today within which the petitioner may seek regular/pre-arrest
bail from the Competent Authority...Lawyers for Teltumbde submitted that the
police action constituted contempt of the SC since 4-week period for which he
was granted protection from arrest was not over.indianexpress
Elgaar Parishad case: Other accused already
spent months in jail
Pune:While Anand Teltumbde has managed to get
relief from the courts, many of the other high-profile accused in the Elgaar
Parishad case have not been so lucky. 4 of 6 other activists, who were raided
by Pune Police along with Teltumbde in a multicity operation on Aug.28 last
year, have already spent several months in jail. Chhattisgarh-based Sudha
Bhardwaj, and Mumbai-based Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira were arrested by
Pune Police on Oct.26 last year, after the initial attempt to arrest them on
Aug.28 had been nullified by courts. Activist P Varavara Rao, who lives in
Hyderabad, was arrested on Nov.17. All of them are currently lodged in Yerawada
jail. Their bail application is pending.Pune Police had, on June 6 last year,
arrested 5 activists and lawyers.indianexpress
‘Why the obscene haste?’: Teltumbde’s arrest,
despite SC protection, draws criticism
Supreme Court issues notices to Centre, Assam,
EC on voting rights of NRC left outs
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has issued notices
to the Centre, Assam Govt and the Election Commission on a PIL demanding voting
rights in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for those whose names do not figure
in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) prepared July 30, 2018.A bench
of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and justice Sanjiv Khanna on Friday also sought response
from Assam State Election Commission and the state coordinator for NRC on the
issue. Plea has been made by two Assam-based residents, Gopal Seth and Susanta
Sen.While Seth is a resident of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, Sen claims to
be a resident of Sibsagar district in Assam. Both reside in Sibsagar district
at the moment. Their names have been deleted from draft NRC. Both used to be voters
of Sibsagar Assembly constituency in previous elections.The court has not fixed
the date for the next hearing.However, it said the matter would come up after 4
weeks.The petition, filed through advocate Pijush K Roy, has pointed out that
the petitioners’ names have been dropped from the Assam voters’ list on the
ground that they do not find mention in the draft NRC.HT
Tripura: 7 Rohingyas arrested from
Kanchanjungha Express
Agartala : 7 Rohingya migrants, all below 18
years, were arrested on Sunday from Kanchanjungha Express on their way to
neighbouring Assam, officials said. They were detained at Dharmanagar Railway
Station in North Tripura district and were later handed over to Tripura Police.
RPF assistant Sub Inspector Laxman Debbarma, who is in charge of a small RPF
contingent at Dharmanagar railway station, said Rohingya migrants were detained
after security personnel found them behaving in a suspicious manner in the
station premises. The detainees include 6 girls and one boy. They have been
handed over to Dharmanagar Women’s Police Station.“They were on board
Kanchanjungha Express and had general category tickets from Agartala till
Badarpur junction in Assam. Some of them alighted on the station and were
behaving suspiciously. So we detained them and later found out they were
Rohingyas from Myanmar,” Debbarma said.In Jan.this year, 67 Rohingyas were
arrested in Tripura. indianexpress
Situation is challenging, admits govt as anti Citizenship Bill protests rock
Assam
Guwahati:As Assam remains on the edge over the
controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which has sparked major protests,
top bureaucrats on Saturday conceded that the situation is challenging.“The
situation is peaceful but challenging. On a scale of one to ten it is slowly
progressing,” said Alok Kumar, chief secretary of the state even as he appealed
for “peaceful and dignified” protests.Asked if the situation was worsening, he
said, “That is for you to decide.”Kumar, his colleague Kumar Sanjay Krishna,
the additional chief secretary and Assam Director General of Police Kuladhar
Saikia and Hiren Nath, an inspector general of police, addressed a press
conference in Guwahati on Saturday.HT
Citizenship amendment bill: Centre will have
to withdraw citizenship Bill, says Mamata
Kolkata:CM
Mamata Banerjee has said her party would oppose Citizenship (Amendment)
Bill and demanded that the Centre withdraw the legislation.She was reacting to
PM Narendra Modi seeking TMC’s support
for the passage of the Bill at a rally.“Centre will have to withdraw the Bill.
There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him
(Modi) succeed,”she said.Reacting to remarks made by PM and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in separate
rallies in the state the same day, TMC chief said the 2 of them should worry
about winning their own Lok Sabha seats before dreaming of victory in West
Bengal.indianexpress
Agra mayor calls AMU hub of terrorists
Agra Mayor Naveen Jain has raised a storm in
the teacup by calling AMU a "hub of terrorists".Jain, who has been a
BJP leader since decades and also served as the deputy mayor of Agra
previously, said that AMU has been encouraging anti-national thoughts amongst
the students by not acting on sedition and communally-coloured incidents taking
place at the campus.Jain made these remarks following the announcement made by
a former office bearer of AMU student council for holding a protest at the
university campus and burning the saffron flag. Jain said that anti-national
activities have been dominating AMU and it is becoming a hub of terrorists.
There had been incidents when AMU students went the anti-national way and even
joined terrorist organisations. BJP leader was clear that AMU needs to change
its name as no university in India has a religious name. He said that the
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is also not based on religion and there was no
proof that the university had claimed a Hindu status.In fact, Jain said BHU was
established on Hindu tradition and the name befits that tradition, whereas AMU
was not only established on Islamic lines, but also claimed to have a minority
status, which could not be allowed.Several ex AMU students were outraged
following the mayor's statements. They demanded that Jain should apologise to
the students for calling them terrorists.India Today
Muslim techie killing: Dhananjay Desai
promises to shun Hindu Rashtra Sena activities
Dhananjay Desai will not take part in the
activities of Hindu Rashtra Sena till the trial of a case in which he is an
accused. An FIR was registered in Pune against Desai in which he is accused of
inciting violence which led to the murder of techie Mohsin Shaikh.Desai signed
an undertaking before the jailor of Yerwada Prison on Jan. 24. The undertaking
states that Desai "shall not in any manner whatsoever involve in any
public/political activities related to or organised at the behest of Hindu
Rashtra Sena" and "shall not participate or deliver any public
speeches in any manner whatsoever and shall not work with any other outfit till
the conclusion of trial". He has even specified, "I undertake not to
publish/broadcast any speeches or interviews or bytes on any social media
namely WhatsApp,Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,etc in any manner whatsoever organisation
till the conclusion of trial." He will have to even restrain in every
manner his party workers, activists and followers from publishing any
hoardings/banner depicting his pictures/posters or for that matter any activity
pertaining to his outfit namely Hindu Rashtra Sena till conclusion of the
trial.Desai got bail from the HC on Jan.17.indiatoday
Qureshi again: After Mirwaiz, Pak Minister
dials Geelani of the Hurriyat
New Delhi :4 days after speaking to All
Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Pakistan Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday dialled Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah
Geelani and discussed the human rights situation in Kashmir, The Sunday Express
has learnt.Phone conversations between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Hurriyat
leaders are unusual, and New Delhi had earlier summoned Pakistan’s envoy over
what it called “direct interference” in India’s internal affairs.Sources said
Qureshi and Geelani had an “in-depth discussion” on the deteriorating situation
in J&K and the “gross human rights
violations” in Kashmir.While there was no official response to the phone
conversation, India had warned Pakistan of “implications” if they did not
desist from such actions.This had been conveyed by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale
to Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood Wednesday, after Qureshi’s phone
conversation with Mirwaiz Tuesday. After Mirwaiz, Pak Foreign Minister dials
Hurriyat leader Geelani, Pakistan minister to directly dial Hurriyat
leaders.indianexpress
Paki has no intention to interfere in India’s
internal matters: Qureshi
Lahore:Pakistan has no intention to interfere
in India’s internal matters and New Delhi should not make an issue out of his
telephonic conversation with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Pakistan Foreign Minister
Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said. Qureshi said that Pakistan has no intention to
interfere in the internal matters of India, but New Delhi should also stop
blaming Islamabad for its problems, Dawn News reported. Foreign Minister
acknowledged that he spoke with Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz and India should not
make it an issue.“We want to resolve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue but
India is making undue hue and cry,” Qureshi was quoted as saying by Express
Tribune. “Issues are emerging in India but Pakistan has no role in
that.”Qureshi said that he would highlight Pakistan’s viewpoint on Kashmir
issue at an event in the House of Common in London this week. The Foreign
Minister said that election in India was an internal matter and Islamabad would
try to hold talks with new Govt if it wanted to work with Pakistan.PTI
Spouses of former militants demand travel
documents to return to Pakistan
Srinagar: A group of Pakistani spouses of ex
Kashmiri militants, who returned to the valley under the government’s’
rehabilitation policy in 2010, protested in Srinagar, demanding travel
documents to return home. Appealing to PM Narendra Modi and his Pak counterpart
Imran Khan, women said that they couldn’t travel to Pakistan, because Govt is
not providing them promised permanent residence certificates. In 2010, then
Govt announced a surrender and rehabilitation policy for J&K youths who had
crossed LoC for arms training. Policy was for those who had renounced militancy
and wanted to return home.“We came with families after Omar Sahib(then CM) had
announced the policy. But, here we feel cheated and now no one is here to
listen us,” says Asia Hassan Baba, one of the protestors, who came to Kashmir
under the policy.“We were invited here and we did not intrude. At present, we
don’t have a single document, through which we can travel to our homes. For
last 10 years, we haven’t seen faces of our brothers, sisters and parents in
Pakistan.” There are over 500 women from Pak who are facing a difficult time in
Kashmir,she added.indianexpress
Slain J&K soldier’s father set to join BJP
at PM rally
Jammu :Mohammad Haneef, father of slain
Armyman Aurangzeb, who was last year awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously
for fighting militants in the Valley, is set to join the BJP at PM Narendra Modi’s rally in Vijaypur on
Sunday.Sources close to Haneef confirmed that he, along with some others, has
left Krishna Ghati area of Poonch district for Jammu to attend the rally.
Before leaving his native Salani village, Haneef said he was inspired by PM
Narendra Modi for his determination to uplift the poor.indianexpress
Kashmir Economic Alliance fears ‘conspiracy’
to create wedge between Kashmiri Muslims, Pandits
Srinagar:Reacting to reports that Governor
administration has been directed to explore possibilities of declaring sales of
all the properties, movable and immovable, made by the Kashmiri Pandits after
1989-90 as null and void, Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) said it is a
conspiracy to create wedge between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims.These
directions and recommendations were reportedly made by an empowered
parliamentary standing committee on home affairs in its 137th report.“We can
understand the pain of Pandit brethren but the Govt wants to further distance
them from homeland Kashmir through such conspiracies which are unlawful and
unethical,”KEA chairperson Muhammad Yasin Khan said.UNI
I am targeted because I am a Muslim woman :
Karnataka PCC head Dinesh Rao’s wife
Tabu Rao, wife of Karnataka Pradesh Congress
Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao, was never in the political limelight
before. In fact, she preferred to stay away from it all these years.But, Tabu
had come out and defended herself when her religious identity (and her identity
as a woman) was used by BJP leaders, especially Union minister Anant Kumar
Hegde, to attack her husband. Hegde, notorious for his controversial comments,
called Dinesh Rao a “guy who ran behind a Muslim girl”.About Hegde’s comment
she says: “It is both communal and sexist. In fact, it became sexist since I am
a Muslim. I would not have been dragged into it if I were not a Muslim. I
think, because I am a Muslim, I am targeted all the time.”theweek
FIR lodged against Azam Khan for ‘defaming’
Maulana Kalbe Jawad in 2014
Lucknow:An FIR has been registered against
Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for allegedly making derogatory comments
against prominent Shia Muslim cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawad Naqvi and
defaming him through several press notes issued under his official letterhead
in 2014. FIR was registered on Friday at Hazratganj police station of Lucknow
on the complaint of Allama Zameer Naqvi, president of Lucknow-based social
organisation, All India Muslim’s Council.SHO of Hazratganj, Radharaman Singh
said that FIR was registered after Zameer Naqvi filed a complaint on Friday.“In
Aug.2014, Khan issued several press notes to the media in which he called
Maulana Kalbe Jawad an agent of RSS and BJP,Zameer Naqvi said.indianexpress
Muslims to decide political fortunes in UP ?
Lucknow: As the bustle over the union interim
budget settles down, the focus returns to the political script being readied by
parties and alliances to outshine the ruling BJP in upcoming Lok Sabha polls. With Congress making it clear to play on
front foot and SP-BSP alliance looking for a socio-political engineering to
turn the tide in their favour, parties can’t overlook UP’s Muslims – largest in
the country, playing a key role in deciding the fates.“This time around, the
so-called secular forces will be vying for the Muslim votes as an oar to sail
through,” says Ashutosh Mishra, a senior political scientist.Of 22 crore
population of UP , Muslims constitute crucial 19.23 % .Of 80 Lok Sabha seats,
around 20 seats are such with over 20 % Muslim population playing a decisive role in
making or marring the electoral fortunes of candidates in the fray.In 2014, not
even a single muslim candidate could reach the Lok Sabha largely due to the
multi-cornered fights and division of muslim votes among non-BJP parties
including Congress-RLD, SP, BSP and a few smaller religious outfits like Peace
Party and Rashtriya Ulema Council. It simply facilitated the BJP and allies
sweeping UP with humoungous mandate and walking away with 73 0f 80 seats. new
indian express
BJP hates Muslims, natives of Bihar, UP:
Kejriwal
New Delhi: Firing a fresh salvo at BJP, Delhi CM
and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that the saffron party removed the
names of Muslim voters from the electoral rolls in the national capital as they
hate Muslims. Addressing a public rally here, AAP chief also asked people to
vote for his party in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.Claiming that BJP deleted
the names of 30 lakh voters from the electoral rolls in Delhi, Kejriwal
asserted that among these voters, 15 lakh belong to UP and Bihar, while eight lakh are Muslims and
four lakh are ‘baniya’ (trader class).“BJP removed the names of Muslim voters
because they hate Muslims. The party also deleted the name of ‘baniya’
community because they know that the trader class would not vote for them
because of GST,” he added.He further said that BJP doesn’t even like the people
hailing from the eastern UP and Bihar
and thus it deleted their names from the electoral rolls too.Times Now
Controversial Gujarat ex-IPS officer chosen as
rights panel member
Ahmedabad: Controversial former IPS officer JK
Bhatt, who retired two days ago, was appointed as a member of the state Human
Rights Commission on Saturday. Announcing the decision, Minister of State for
Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said that a committee headed by CM Vijay Rupani chose
Bhatt and appointment has been approved by Governor OP Kohli. Bhatt’s appointment
comes days after BJP govt appointed PR Patel, who as a judge adjudicated 2002
Godhra train burning case and awarded death penalty to 11 convicts in March
2011, as Special Officer (Litigation) on day he retired as Registrar General of
the HC.Bhatt was the supervisory officer of Godhra train burning case before it
was handed over to ST-appointed SIT.In his 26 years of career, Bhatt was
embroiled in several controversies. The latest was an allegation of extortion
against him.indian express
As Tejashwi puts his 'condition' to back Rahul
as next PM, Cong chief pacifies him with an assurance
Patna: The residents of Bihar on Sunday
witnessed a 'bromance' between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav with the latter
pitching for Congress president as the next PM and Gandhi praising him at a
rally.Yadav's praise, although, came with a condition. "You have all the
qualifications to be the next PM, but onus also lies in you and the Congress
party to take along all the other parties," RJD leader said at the
opposition's election rally at Gandhi Maidan here.Friction between the grand
old party and its allies has been witnessed on several occasions as they demand
that Congress treats them as equals in running the coalition governments. The
allies have made it clear that they don't want a lesser role if they help
Congress come to power.In an effort to not let the allies feel left out, Rahul
Gandhi assured that it was the 'gathbandhan sarkar' (coalition government) that
would come to power after Lok Sabha polls and later the state assembly
elections.News18
‘Visit my mosque’: How 3 words conquer
prejudice
‘Chalta kya hai masjid ke andar?” It was a
question 28-year-old Vikas Gavali had thought of often, but never ended up
asking even his closest Muslim friends.“There was always a fear. What if they
felt bad,” he says. In Dec.last year, Gavali confronted this apprehension of
the unknown, when he visited a mosque for the first time in Pune’s Azam Campus
locality. He asked questions about Islam, and wandered through the white
corridors and long halls covered in blue carpets.Gavali was among 350 people
who visited mosque in a programme helmed by Pune Islamic Information Centre (PIIC).
For the first time in many years, the mosque at Azam Campus, an educational
hub, opened its doors to men and women from other communities. The idea was to
allay doubts and dispel misconceptions around the religion and its practices.It
is an initiative that is slowly gathering strength across the country. Apart
from the Pune mosque, Al-Fukran in Mumbra (Mumbai), Masjid Umar Bin Khattab in
Ahmedabad and three mosques in Hyderabad including the well-known Spanish
Mosque have opened their doors for anyone interested in paying a visit.The
trend started abroad. Moinuddin Nasrullah, trustee of the Umar Bin Khattab
mosque in Ahmedabad, has encountered the ugly face of prejudice often. He
recounts how an elderly man walked away from him at a book fair saying, “ t’s
best to keep a distance from people like you.” The comment stung but also left
Nasrullah reflecting about what to do. It took a year but the mosque hosted its
‘Visit My Mosque’ programme last month. Harsh Mander, who started
Karvaan-e-Mohabbat project as an outreach for Muslim victims of lynchings and
riots, says the effort is touching but it must be the majority community that
reaches out to others. TOI
Congress-led MP Govt declares spl measures for
temple priests and cows
Congress Govt in MP hiked the honorarium of
priests of Hindu temples, and also announced financial help to the shrines
which offer shelter to cows.The move, an apparent bid to counter BJP’s Hindutva
politics, comes ahead of general elections. Around 25,000 priests serving at
govt-managed temples will get Rs 3,000 instead of Rs 1,000 per month with
effect from Jan.1, said Spiritual Affairs Minister PC Sharma. Muslim clerics
attached to MP Aukaf Board would also get the same hike, he said. “We are also
going to provide financial help to the temples which have land attached to them
for sheltering and rearing cows,” he said.“BJP did not care for Gau Mata (cow)
during its 15 years’ rule in MP,”minister alleged.PTI
4 BJP men arrested in Raipur for assaulting
journalist
Raipur police has arrested 4 BJP office
bearers for allegedly assaulting a journalist inside party’s office in the evening.The
arrests came after a case was registered against district president of BJP
Rajeev Agarwal, a local leader Vijay Vyas, Utkarsh Trivedi and Deena
Dongre.Journalists had staged a protest inside BJP office demanding the arrest
of 4 accused.HT
BJP functionary arrested for anti Islam comments
Chennai: BJP functionary was arrested by police for allegedly posting views against
Islam in his facebook post. UNI
Maharashtra: 3 Chinese nationals among five
held for carrying cow meat
Nagpur :5 persons, including 3 Chinese
nationals, were arrested on Friday at Khapa village in Nagpur district, for
allegedly carrying cow meat in a vehicle.5were produced before a court at
Saoner, a tahsil town near here, on Saturday.They 5 were remanded to
magisterial custody. “A Mahindra Scorpio vehicle was intercepted near Khapa
police station around 11-11.45 am on Jan.18 following specific information. On
searching the vehicle, a plastic bag carrying red meat weighing about 7-10 kg
was found. A sample was sent for examination and was found to be cow meat. 5
were placed under arrest under Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act on Friday,”
a press note issued by Nagpur Rural Police said. Their names were given as Li
Chyo Chung, 55, Lu Weng Chang, 51, Lu Whong Kong, 53. The other 2 arrested were
Afroz Sheikh 29, and Devendra Nagrale, 31.indianexpress
Like former boss Chhota Rajan, Ravi Pujari
sought title of ‘Hindu don’
New Delhi:Like his once-boss in the
underworld, Chhota Rajan, Ravi Pujari aspired for the title of a ‘Hindu don’,
or a ‘patriotic don’, a tag coveted by several estranged Rajan gang members to
get protection of a section in the Indian security establishment, according to
police officials.Detained in Senegal, he has been accused in at least 50 cases
registered with Mumbai Police.“Pujari has been apprehended in Senegal a few
days back,” Mumbai Police JCP (Crime) Ashutosh Dumbare said on Friday.A senior
officer said, “Since the 1980s, there are more than 50 cases against Pujari in
Mumbai and several Red Corner Notices had been issued against him…. We will now
seek his extradition.”indianexpress
Shahabuddin’s nephew shot dead in Bihar,
triggering violence protests
Patna:Jailed former RJD MP Shahabuddin’s
nephew was shot dead in Bihar’s Siwan district, triggering violent protests,
police said on Saturday.Mohammad Yusuf was shot dead in Pratappur village,
where Shahabuddin hails from.He was gunned down by unidentified assailants late
on Friday, Siwan SP Navin Chander Jha said.The attackers pumped the bullets
into his chest and Yusuf died on the spot,” Jha said, adding it was not yet
clear what led to the murder.Yusuf was close to his cousin Mohammad Osama,
Shahabuddin’s son.Hundread of angry villagers, mostly Shahabussin’s supporters,
blocked roads and demanded action.IANS
Suspect Abdul Matin arrested in Mallapuram
A joint operation by the West Bengal Police
Special Task Force and Kerala police led to the arrest of terror suspect Abdul
Matin from Kerala's Mallapuram on Friday. Matin, an active member of the terror
outfit JMB, will be produced in court today.Hailing from Assam's Barpeta
district, Matin is one of the 15 trainees from the Simulia Madrasa and
Mokimnagar Madrasa in West Bengal's Bardhman district. ANI
NIA arrests accused in Kozhikode twin blasts
case
New Delhi:NIA has arrested an accused in the
2006 Kozhikode twin blasts following his arrival from Saudi Arabia. PP Yoosaf,
36, was arrested by the agency after a manhunt lasting over a decade as he fled
to Saudi Arabia after the blasts. Yoosaf’s is the second arrest in the case in
the last 10 days – last week, NIA had arrested his associate Mohammed Ashar
after he landed in India from Saudi Arabia.indianexpress
7 killed as Seemanchal Express derails in
Bihar
Patna:7 people lost their lives and over 30
injured after 11 coaches of Seemanchal Express (train no: 12487) derailed early
on Sunday morning in Vaishali district of Bihar. The accident occurred at
SahadaiBuzurg in Sonpur Division of East Central Railway.According to Principal
Secretary of the State Disaster Management department Pratyaya Amrit, who
visited the spot, teams of NDRF and SDRF have been engaged in relief and rescue
operations, he added.It is said that a total of 11 coaches of the train were
derailed due to a crack in the railway track. Many more bodies are feared to be
trapped inside the train coaches.thehindu
Will RSS Get a Christian Wing? Sangh ‘Parivar’
Renews Efforts to Add Another Member
New Delhi: RSS is toying with the idea of
floating an affiliate to lend structure and platform to its interactions with
the Christian community in India.After many failed bids, sources tell News18.com
of renewed attempts in the last one year, to establish one Rashtriya Isai Manch
modelled on the lines of Muslim Rashtriya Manch- an RSS affiliate working among
the Muslim.First contact between RSS and the clergy for setting up of Rashtriya
Isai Manch was made in 2016 but the attempts did not fructify.After a brief
hiatus, efforts were renewed in 2017 when an Agra-based family with ties to
Church of North India met the Sangh leadership in New Delhi and Nagpur to start
work on the outfit.This was followed by a few more interactions between Sangh
leaders and members of Christian community and the clergy. As the work is still
in progress, participants in these parleys have sought to remain anonymous
though they confirmed the ongoing efforts to set up an RSS affiliate which may
act as a bridge between the Christians and the Sangh.“Based on my experience
and interaction with RSS, I feel that more people from Christian community
should come near RSS to have more interaction and understand RSS and its role in
nation building,” a participant in the talks said. RSS leadership confirmed
that the work on establishing the link between Sangh and Isai samaj is being
pursued.“Though Sangh does not hold outreach programs it is still open to
connect with those who want to have links with Sangh. In this case, where
someone has approached us, the work is in progress,” said its leader Manmohan
Vaidya. News18
NEET PG Result 2019:Gujarat’s Ashraf is All
India Topper, says parents were a great moral support
Gujarat’s Ashraf Kesrani got 1006 out of 1200
marks to secure all-India rank (AIR) 1 in NEET 2019, declared by National
Testing Agency showed.Ashraf, a student of Baroda Medical College, is the first
in his family to become a doctor. Ashraf said, “My parents were a great moral
support to me while I was preparing for the exam. I am happy that I have
fulfilled this dream.”Gujarat’s Kesrani got 1006 out of 1200 marks to secure all-India
rank 1 in NEET.newsd.in/TOI
WORLD
UN urges protection of Palestinians as Israel
ends observer force
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes a deal
can be reached to protect Palestinians in the occupied West Bank after Israel
said it would suspend the mandate of an international observation mission.UN
spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres was "grateful" to the
five countries that contributed to conflict prevention and the protection of
Palestinians under the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) for
the past 22 years,namely Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Italy and Turkey.Israeli PM
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that
he was taking the decision as a result of the TIPH's alleged bias.Palestinian
officials labelled the move a "green light" for Israeli settlers in
the city to carry out abuses."I think nations should stand tall against
this," PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat said. On Friday, 5 TIPH countries
condemned in a joint statement the Israeli government's unilateral decision not
to extend the observer force's mission in the flashpoint city.aljazeera
Hamas delegation sets out for Egypt for talks
Gaza City:A delegation from Palestinian
resistance group Hamas left the Gaza Strip for Cairo on Sunday for talks with
Egyptian officials.Led by Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, the delegation crossed
the Rafah border crossing into Egyptian territory, a Palestinian security
source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the
media. The visit comes two days after an Egyptian intelligence delegation on
Friday held talks in Gaza with Hamas leaders on Palestinian developments, a
proposed Hamas-Israel truce and inter-Palestinian reconciliation. Anadolu
Agency
Israel arrests 14 Palestinians in Gaza, West
Bank
Israeli army forces rounded up 14 Palestinians
in West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to the military on Sunday. In a
statement, army said Israeli forces arrested nine people in West Bank for
"suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities", but without
elaborating on the nature of these activities. Local residents said 5 people
were arrested in Israeli raids in the city of Bethlehem and 4 others in
Hebron.Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across
the occupied West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.Meanwhile,Israeli
army said it detained 5 Palestinians near the southern Gaza border.Anadolu
Jerusalem Archishop: ‘Everything Palestinian
is targeted by Israel’s occupation’
Palestinian Archbishop of Jerusalem’s Greek
Orthodox Church, Atallah Hanna, said that “everything Palestinian in Jerusalem
is targeted by Israeli occupation”. During a meeting with a delegation from
Doctors without Borders, MSF, Hanna explained dangers threatening Palestinians’
existence and identity in Holy City,Al-Wattan Voice reported. “Everything is in
danger in Jerusalem,” Hanna said, adding:“Islamic and Christian holy sites and
endowments are targeted in order to change our city, hide its identity and
marginalize our Arabic and Palestinian existence.”Hanna added that “recently,
Israeli occupation cancelled a planned celebration on the 50th anniversary of
establishing Al-Maqased Hospital,” noting that Israeli occupation had cancelled
many other Palestinian events planned to take place in Jerusalem.MEMO
Pope Francis seeks dialogue on first trip to
UAE
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/pope-francis-seeks-dialogue-trip-uae-190203060859000.html
Pope Francis starts a 3-day visit to the UAE
on Sunday, the first for a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in the Arabian
Peninsula. Pontiff will attend Global Conference on Human Fraternity at the
behest of UAE's leadership, which has proclaimed 2019 "Year of
Tolerance", a move scorned by human rights activists .Along with Saudi
Arabia, UAE is heavily involved in the war in Yemen - dubbed the world's worst
humanitarian crisis - and has a problematic human rights record. UAE has also
imposed an air, land, and sea blockade on Qatar, which has severely affected
relations among Gulf countries over the past two years.Whether Pope will
address these issues is not clear, but expectations run high that the pope may do
so in private talks with UAE's leadership. The world gathering of religious
scholars is aimed at promoting tolerance and peace between 2 faiths, said the
Muslim Council of Elders organising the event. Pope Francis is also expected to
meet with the Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyib, Head of Al Azhar. aljazeera
Iran Unveils Long-Range Cruise Missile on 1979
Islamic Revolution Anniversary: Reuters
Iran
unveiled a new cruise missile with a range of 1,300 km on Saturday during
celebrations marking anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution,state TV said. "This
cruise missile needs a very short time for its preparedness and can fly at a
low altitude," defence minister Amir Hatami said during the unveiling
ceremony.Hatami said the surface-to-surface missile, named Hoveizeh, was from
the Soumar family of cruise missiles, which were unveiled in 2015.Western
experts say Iran often exaggerates its weapons capabilities, although there are
concerns about its long-range ballistic missiles.Amirali Hajizadeh, head of
Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace division, said at the event Iran had overcome
initial problems in producing jet engines for cruise missiles and could now
manufacture a full range of the weapons.
UN official begins drafting report on
Khashoggi's death
As UN's investigator into the death of Jamal
Khashoggi leaves Turkey this weekend, it remains unclear whether her inquiry
will get world powers to push harder to bring Saudi journalist's killers to
justice.Agnes Callamard, UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions,
said she was a "bit disappointed" with the information she obtained
following a week of talks with Turkish ministers, intelligence chiefs and
Istanbul's top prosecutor. According to reports, Callamard was allowed to
listen to Turkey's audio recordings of Khashoggi's murder in the Saudi
consulate in Istanbul.Riyadh has not cooperated with the probe, and she was not
granted interviews with Saudis or access to 3-storey building.aljazeera
Algeria ruling coalition backs Bouteflika, for
5th term
Algeria's ruling coalition named President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika as its candidate in elections slated for April, although
the ailing incumbent has yet to officially confirm he will run."The
parties of presidential coalition nominate Abdelaziz Bouteflika for the
upcoming presidential elections," 4 coalition partners said in a
statement. The meeting was attended by Mouad Bouchareb, speaker of the lower
house of parliament and coordinator of Bouteflika's National Liberation Front,
as well as by PM Ahmed Ouyahia, head of
National Rally for Democracy. The leader of the Rally for Hope in Algeria party
Amar Ghoul and Amara Benyounes, who heads the Popular Algerian Movement, also
attended.In power since 1999, Bouteflika, 81, uses a wheelchair and has rarely
been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.aljazeera
CAR reaches deal with armed groups
e Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 armed
groups reached a peace agreement during talks in the Sudanese capital Khartoum,
the UN announced."Central African @GouvCF and 14 armed groups reached an
agreement at Kharthoum peace talks – The meeting started on 24 January with
@AU_Chergui facilitation and @UN support," United Nations Mission in the
Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said on Twitter.After the peace deal was
concluded, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace
Operations, tweeted: "Let us mobilize to support the implementation of the
peace agreement."Anadolu Agency
Venezuelans prepared to resist US: envoy
Venezuela’s envoy to the UN said that the
people of his country were prepared to resist a possible U.S. military
intervention.“We are totally prepared for any military aggression by a foreign
country,” said Ambassador Jorge Valero, permanent representative of Venezuela to
UN.“We have millions of people prepared for a long resistance […] with any kind
of arms,” he added. Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10 when
President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote
boycotted by the opposition. Tensions climbed on Jan.23 when Juan Guaido
declared himself interim president.Anadolu
Wearing hijab in court can make you more
credible witness: Study
Sexual assault victims wearing hijab are
viewed more positively when testifying in court than uncovered women, reveals a
study that aimed to investigate the importance of being able to see the face to
judge credibility among witnesses, along with the importance of religious
garments.Contrary to expectations, the study led by researchers from Lancaster
University in the UK and Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, found
that "positive biases" are created when women testify in court with
either their hair covered (hijab) or their face and hair covered (the niqab).The
reason for the bias could be because religious garments may signal that the
wearer is more honest because of a positive view of religion.Muslim garment may
dispel the common rape myth that the sexual assault victim was "asking for
it" because it represents sexually conservative attitudes that are thought
to disapprove of pre-marital or casual sexual encounters, the researchers
explained.IANS
Egyptian opponents campaign against charter
amendments
Egyptian opponents have launched an online
campaign to reject proposed amendments to the country's constitution. The move
came shortly after the largest bloc in parliament, Support Egypt Coalition
which holds 317 seats in the 596-member assembly, said it will ask parliament
to amend the constitution. According to local media, the proposed
constitutional amendments include increasing the presidential term from four to
6 years. While opponents tweeted against the proposed amendments, supporters of
Egyptian regime reiterated their support for the move to amend the charter on
the ground of ensuring stability.Several dignitaries, including former
presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, have joined the campaign on social media
to voice their opposition to any constitutional amendments.Anadolu
flash: views & NEWS
Who lost out in Budget 2019? Minorities,
senior citizens, farm labourers:DailyBite
You Can Shoot an Effigy, But What Do You Do
With the Man?Rohit Kumar
Quran addressed women directly':Authors of a
new illustrated title on Islam explain why the history of the religion is
incomplete without its women
Modi has no choice but to lean on Mandir
politics to win forthcoming elections:Harihar Swarup
If Piyush Goyal is an economist, I am a Kathak
dancer at ‘interim budget’ 2019:Sanjay Jha
Ram Mandir movement now becomes a divided
house:Mrigank Tiwari
If BJP does not win a majority, Gadkari will
challenge Modi for leadership: P Chidambaram
A (Failed) Quest to Obtain India's Missing
Jobs Data: Rosa Abraham, Janaki Shibu,Rajendran Narayanan
Meet the Kashmiri Journalists Barred from
Covering Republic Day:Mudasir Ahmad
Reports of possible communal flare-up before
polls disturbing: Shahi Imam; Jamaat question Centre’s plea in Ayodhya case:
IANS
This Pune Mosque Is Dispelling Prejudices
Against Muslims And Islam By Inviting Everyone
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:16 PM)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment