NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
09 Feb. 2019: 03 Jamadiul-II 1440:Vol:11,
No:123
INDIA
In strong punitive action US may withdraw zero
tariffs export concession for India as reaction to new FDI rules that hurt
Amazon, Flipkart: Reuters
India could lose a vital US trade concession,
under which it enjoys zero tariffs on $5.6 billion of exports to US, amid a
widening dispute over its trade and investment policies, people with close
knowledge of the matter said. A move to withdraw Generalised System of
Preferences(GSP) from India, world's largest beneficiary of a scheme that has
been in force since the 1970s, would be the strongest punitive action since
President Donald Trump took office in 2017 vowing to reduce US deficit with
large economies.Trump has repeatedly called out India for its high tariffs. PM
Narendra Modi has courted foreign investment as part of his Make-in-India
campaign to turn India into a manufacturing hub and deliver jobs to the
millions of youth entering the workforce. Trump, for his part, has pushed for
US manufacturing to return home as part of his Make America Great Again
campaign. The trigger for the latest downturn in trade ties was India's new
rules on e-commerce that restrict the way Amazon.com Inc and Walmart-backed
Flipkart do business in a rapidly growing online market set to touch $200 billion
by 2027.That, coming on top of a drive to force global card payments companies
such as Mastercard and Visa to move their data to India and the imposition of
higher tariffs on electronic products and smartphones, left a broader trade
package the two sides were working on through last year in tatters.GSP was tied
to the trade package and since that deal had slipped further away, US was
considering withdrawing or scaling back the preferential arrangement, two
sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of
the matter. US Trade Representative (USTR) was completing a review of India's
status as a GSP beneficiary and an announcement was expected over next 2 weeks,
the sources said."(2 sides) were trying to sort out the trade package, but
were not able to actually finish the deal. In the meantime these other things,
data localisation and e-commerce, have come along," one of sources
said."In a sense, it's like someone has rained on the parade."US
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is due in India next week where he is expected
to raise concerns about the e-commerce policy and data localisation, officials
said.New Indian rules announced in Dec. for e-commerce sector banned firms such
as Amazon and Flipkart from striking exclusive deals with sellers, restricted
their ability to offer discounts and barred them from selling products via
vendors in which they have an equity interest.
No intimation from US on export benefits
withdrawal: Govt
New Delhi:US has not formally informed India
that it is ending preferential benefits for $5.6 billion worth of Indian
exports,a senior official said.“We have not received any communication from
them that they want to pull the plug on this programme. It is non-reciprocal,
non-discriminatory and a unilateral prerogative of US,” senior official said
after Reuters reported that US is considering withdrawal of zero tariffs for
India. US withdrew duty benefits worth $75 million from Indian exports of
certain musical instruments, leather, textiles, dairy and chemicals in Nov,
based on import ceilings in the scheme to limit duty-free access.economic times
Defence Ministry protested against PMO
undermining Rafale negotiations: The Hindu
At the height of the negotiations over the
controversial €7.87 billion Rafale deal between India and France, Defence
Ministry raised strong objections to “parallel negotiations” conducted by PMO
with the French side. Stating that it was clear that such parallel discussions
by the PMO had “weakened the negotiating position of MoD and Indian Negotiating
Team,” a Defence Ministry note dated Nov.24, 2015 brought this to the attention
of the then Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar. Stating that “we may advise PMO
that any Officers who are not part of Indian Negotiating Team may refrain from
having parallel parlays [parleys] with the officers of French Govt ,” it
suggested that “in case PMO is not confident about outcome of negotiations
being carried out by MoD, a revised modality of negotiations to be led by PMO
at appropriate level may be adopted in the case.”According to govt’s submission
to the Supreme Court of India in Oct.2018, negotiations over Rafale deal were
conducted by a seven-member team headed by Deputy Chief of Air Staff. There was
no mention of any role for PMO in these negotiations.Official documents
available to The Hindu reveal, however, that Defence Ministry protested that
the position taken by PMO was “contradictory to the stand taken by MoD and the
negotiating team.”Then Defence Secretary,G. Mohan Kumar, made this official
notation in his own hand: “RM may pl. see. It is desirable that such
discussions be avoided by PMO as it undermines our negotiating position
seriously.” is firm opposition was recorded on Nov.24, 2015 on a note prepared
by SK Sharma, Deputy Secretary (Air-II), and endorsed by Joint Secretary &
Acquisition Manager(Air) and DG(Acquisition) in Ministry. New Rafale deal,
which bore little resemblance to original deal under prolonged negotiation, was
announced in Paris by PM Narendra Modi in April 2015.This was followed by
signing of a MoU between India and France when President Francois Hollande
visited Delhi on the occasion of Republic Day in 2016.Inter-govl deal for 36
Rafale fighter jets was eventually signed on Sept.23,2016.According to Defence
Ministry note, details of parallel negotiations conducted by PMO came to the
Ministry’s notice only from a letter of Oct.23, 2015 from General Stephen Reb,
head of French Negotiating Team. Letter “made mention of a telephonic
conversation between Jawed Ashraf,Joint Secretary in PMO and Luis Vassy,
Diplomatic Adviser to French Minister of Defence, which took place on
20.10.2015.”General Reb’s letter was brought to the notice of PMO by Defence
Ministry. The head of Indian Negotiating Team, Air Marshal SBP Sinha, AVSM VM,
Deputy Chief of Air Staff, also wrote to Ashraf.
Centre’s note to SC silent on PMO role in
Rafale deal
SC verdict on Rafale deal diminished judiciary’s
credibility says Shourie: Indian express
Nagpur:Senior journalist and ex-Union Minister
Arun Shourie said Friday that the Supreme Court judgment on the plea on Rafale
deal, of which he was one of the petitioners, had only diminished judiciary’s
credibility.He was replying to a question if he regretted having moved the apex
court in Rafale deal while talking to journalists on the sidelines of a
journalism award function here.“No, no. Why should I regret? In fact the ruling
that came had only diminished judiciary’s credibility. Ruling had contents
plagiarised from the Govt note that was submitted to the court.So we have
proved our point,” he said.
Rafale exposé: Revelations put SC ruling in
question, says Rahul Gandhi
Modi govt waived off 3.5 lakh cr debt for
industrialists, says Rahul Gandhi
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi mocked Modi Govt for
announcing support of ₹6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers when it
"wrote off" ₹3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 big industrialists.Gandhi
also reiterated that PMO was directly involved in conducting negotiations with
French side on Rafale deal.Congress would ensure minimum income guarantee for
the poor if elected to power after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, he said.
He said that BJP hailed the announcement
of the cash support for farmers in the Lok Sabha when the interim Union Budget
2019-20 was presented."They were hailing the decision, but announced only ₹17
assistance per day to farmers.On one hand, Govt
wrote off ₹3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 big industrialists, but gave ₹ 17
per day to farmers."If you divide that amount further, it comes down ₹3.5
per person,"Congress President informed gathering.PTI
PM should answer if Rafale deal was meant to
strengthen IAF or an industrialist: Shiv Sena
Operation Lotus exposed: BJP offered 200 cr to
MLAs to topple Cong-JDS govt in K’taka:Cong
In a sensational revelation, Congress today
accused PM Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah and former Karnataka CM BS
Yeddyurappa of hatching a conspiracy to topple the Congress-JDS Govt in Karnataka by offering bribes to some
MLAs.Releasing an audio tape of an alleged conversation between Yeddyurappa and
a JD(S) MLA, Congress said that the tape reveals the “ugly and dirty politics”
that BJP and the Modi-Shah duo indulge in.According to the Congress,
Yeddyurappa had planned to offer ₹10 crore per MLAs and ₹50 crore to the
speaker KR Ramesh Kumar in order to buy their loyalty.Addressing a press
conference, Congress general secretary,KC Venugopal said Yeddyurappa was
offering ministerial positions to 12 MLAs and chairman position to 6 MLAs.Congress
spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also addressed the media, and urged the Supreme
Court to take action against the BJP. He said that the BJP leader can be heard
saying we will manage the judges also, if the matter goes to the apex
court." Will the Supreme Court take action ?” asked
Surjewala.nationalheraldindia
CBI questions Kolkata police chief in Shillong
New Delhi :Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev
Kumar is being grilled by CBI in Shillong Saturday in connection with the
Saradha chit funds scam case. Both Kumar and CBI officials arrived at the
central agency’s headquarters in Shillong today morning.Meghalaya capital was
chosen as the “neutral” meeting place by the Supreme Court last week.Sources
said that Kumar has requested CBI that he won’t be able to stay in Shillong for
long as that would affect the police deployment decision ahead of Saraswati
Puja and board exams. Accompanied by 3 top state police officers, Kumar reached
Shillong on Friday.A 10-member team constituted by CBI will question top cop in
connection with central agency’s ongoing probe into chit fund cases.Meanwhile, TMC leaders and supporters staged a protest
outside CBI HQRS at CGO Complex,
shouting slogans against Centre.indianexpress
Kolkata cops show up at firm with links to
ex-CBI interim chief wife
Day before Kolkata top cop Kumar’s
questioning, state police raids firms linked to CBI chief Rao
A day before the questioning of Kolkata Police
commissioner Rajeev Kumar by CBI in connection with Saradha scam, the Kolkata
police raided 2 firms allegedly linked to former interim CBI chief Nageswara
Rao. Though the police clarified that it was only an examination, move is
widely being seen as a response to CBI trying to arrest Rajeev Kumar on Sunday.
The company that is being probed is Angela Mercantiles Pvt Ltd, the raid was
carried out at 2 of its offices, one in Kolkata and the other in Salt Lake
City. According to reports, the raids have been carried out after a complaint
was filed at the Bowbazar Police Station.Former interim CBI chief M Nageshwar
Rao issues a press statement, refuting any link with M/s Angela Mercantile Pvt
Ltd which is being raided by Kolkata Police today.There were reports that this
company was owned by Nageswara Rao’s wife Mannem Sandhya, however, the former
interim CBI chief issued a statement to deny the ownership of the company and
explained the financial transaction that took place with the company.NewsX
NSA slapped on 2 more persons in MP for
‘illegal’ cow transport
The authorities in Agar Malwa district of MP
on Friday booked 2 men under draconian NSA for allegedly transporting cattle
illegally and disrupting public peace, a police officer said.On Monday, Congress-led
Govt had invoked NSA against 3 men
accused of cow slaughter in Khandwa district.“2 accused — Mehboob Khan, a
resident of Lambikheda in Ujjain district, and Rodumal Malviya of Agar Malwa —
were arrested on Thursday for transporting cows illegally and disrupting public
peace,” Kotwali police station in-charge Ajit Tiwari said.Agar Malwa witnessed
tension on Jan.29 when the two accused were carrying cows in their vehicles,
the police said. Following protests, the market was shut. thehindu
Chidambaram: Imposing NSA on cow cases wrong
New Delhi: Ex- Union minister P. Chidambaram
has said the recent case of Congress Govt in MP invoking stringent NSA in alleged
cattle smuggling cases is a mistake. He said party leadership had communicated
this to the State Govt in Bhopal.“Use of
NSA in Madhya Pradesh was wrong. If a mistake has been committed, the mistake
has been pointed to Govt by the leadership,”he said at the formal launch of his
new book Undaunted: Save the Idea of India.The book was formally released by
former Vice-President Hamid Ansari and followed by a panel discussion that
included former Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi and
Congress MP Sushmita Dev.thehindu
Cong divided as minority leaders of party slam
MP govt for slapping NSA on cow slaughter accused
Congress unease over NSA in Madhya Pradesh cow
case: What message is being sent?
Cong trying to compete with BJP on cow: Kerala
CM
New Delhi : Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slammed
Congress Govt in MP for invoking NSA
against 3 men for cow slaughter, saying not even the previous BJP Govt took such a harsh step.“It is not only wrong
but an anti-secular move. Congress claims to be secular but then follows the
Sangh Parivar line. Even earlier BJP Govt
in MP did not use such a stringent section for cow slaughter,”Vijayan
said. He accused the Congress of “competing with the BJP on the cow”.“Even in
Kerala, Congress toed RSS line on Sabarimala. This is its biggest failure,” he
added.thehindu
Ram Temple issue of faith, Sabarimala about
customs: Chidambaram
Ram temple issue is about “faith” and
Sabarimala is about “customs” and the 2 should not be mixed, senior Congress
leader P Chidambaram said Friday.His comments came during the launch of his new
book. “Ram temple is not an issue of customs, it is an issue of faith. While
Sabarimala is a matter of customs which are opposed to modern constitutional
values,”ex-Union minister said in response to a question on the two issues. In
Ayodhya, and not to trivialise the faith of those who believe in Lord Ram and
his birthplace, it is a matter of faith, he said. “And, it is because of that,
a group of people are claiming the land. Others are saying a mosque existed
several hundred years ago.”The question is whether the Supreme Court would
resolve issues raised by Allahabad High Court,” he said. Many issues are
amenable to judicial resolution “but I don’t think we can mix up customs and
faith”, he said. As far as Sabarimala is concerned, it is an issue on which one
can’t take a categorical view, he added.“I as an individual accept the SC
judgement, but how can I stop ordinary men, women and party workers to express
those views,” Chidambaram said.Congress took a view, saying “we accept the SC
judgement, but we can’t tell our party workers, you can’t have other views”. PTI
Rahul Gandhi Repeating His Father's Monumental
Mistake on Triple Talaq:Jaitley
New Delhi: Criticising Congress for promising
to withdraw the Triple Talaq Bill if it comes to power, Union Minister Arun
Jaitley wrote in his blog that Bareilly Nikah Halala type incidents, which shook
conscience of people, ought to be made unconstitutional. “Some incidents are so
unconscionable and repulsive that they shake the conscience of the society and
compel it to take remedial measures. Injustice perpetuated by personal laws is
a glaring example of this,” wrote Jaitley.“Late Rajiv Gandhi committed a
monumental mistake in legislatively overturning Shah Bano judgment of the
Supreme Court, which guaranteed maintenance to all Muslim women,” BJP minister
wrote. Comparing the 32-year-old incident with Congress’s current stand,he
wrote “Unfortunately, when human conscience should have been repelled while
reading this news in the morning papers; Rahul Gandhi and his coterie, while
addressing a minority convention, promised to withdraw the bill pending in
Parliament,” wrote Jaitley.news18
Ram was ancestor of Hindus and Muslims: Ramdev
Yoga guru Ramdev said the proposed
construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya in UP
was linked to the nation’s pride, and claimed that Hindu deity Ram was
the ancestor of Hindus and Muslims, PTI reported.Ramdev said this while talking
to reporters at Nadiad town in Gujarat’s, where he attended a yoga camp
organised by Santram temple. He claimed that the Ram temple matter was not
linked to vote-bank politics.“I firmly believe that Ram mandir must be built in
Ayodhya,” Ramdev said. “If not in Ayodhya, where would you build it? It is
obvious that it will not come up at Mecca, Medina or Vatican City. It is an
undisputed fact that Ayodhya is Ram’s birthplace.”scroll.in
Citizenship Bill: Tribals Hold Protests in
Tripura Ahead of PM's Visit
Agartala:Ahead PM Narendra Modi's 2-day visit to 3 northeastern
states - Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh - several tribal parties and NGOs
on Friday held a massive demonstration in Tripura demanding the withdrawal of
the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.The protesting groups also demanded the
withdrawal of sedition charges levelled by the state police against 3 tribal
leaders.The several hours long demonstration took place in northern Tripura's
Manughat, 100 km north of Agartala, 10 days after a huge protest rally on the
same issue in Khumulwng, 20 km north of Agartala.Agitation was spearheaded by
newly formed Movement Against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (MACAB), a
conglomerate of several NGOs and 4 tribal outfits, including Tripura's oldest
tribal party Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT). North-East
Students Organisation(NESO) called an 11-hour shutdown in entire northeastern
region excluding Sikkim to oppose Citizenship Bill, was also part of the
agitation. NESO is an association of 8 student and youth organisations from 7
northeastern states.IANS
Modi in Guwahati, protesters show black flags
China needles India within hours of Modi's
Arunachal visit, warns against 'complicating border issue'
China's foreign ministry on Saturday condemned
PM Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, also claimed by China, saying it
"resolutely opposes" activities of Indian leaders in the
region.Modi's visit was part of a series of public meetings in the region aimed
at garnering support for Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of elections that are due
to be held by May. Despite recent efforts to improve bilateral ties in both
countries, disputes over the mountainous Indo-China border — which triggered a
war in 1962 — and the region that China claims as southern Tibet have remained
a sensitive issue."China urges the Indian side to proceed from the overall
situation of bilateral relations, respect China's interests and concerns,
cherish the momentum of improving relations between the 2 countries, and
refrain from any actions that intensify disputes and complicate the border
issue," the country's foreign ministry said. Reuters
BJP youth wing demands temple on AMU campus,
gives 15-day ultimatum
BJYM, youth wing of the BJP, has demanded the
construction of a temple on the premises of the AMU.BJYM district president
Mukesh Singh Lodhi wrote a letter to the varsity's V-C Tariq Mansoor giving him
a 15-day ultimatum to act on the demands, failing which the "thousands of
BJYM workers" will forcefully do a "murti sthapana", HT
reported."Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of AMU, had stated that both Hindu
and Muslims are 2 eyes of AMU and this should be the driving force for the V-C
of the university to allow the construction of a temple on AMU campus,"
the letter read.The youth wing leader alleged that thousands of Hindu students
studying at the varsity were facing problems in offering prayers owing to the
lack of a temple.new indian express
JMI professor accused of sexual harassment
sent on leave
New Delhi:A day after students of Jamia Millia
Islamia’s Faculty of Fine Arts alleged they were roughed up and sexually
harassed by “goons close to the head of the department”, university
administration suspended 3 students. The students had been protesting for nine
days demanding the ouster of HoD on charges of sexual harassment, unfair
marking and favouritism.The university on Friday also sent HoD Hafeez Ahmad on
leave. Ahmad said all charges against him were “fabricated”.“I have not heard
from the administration… that they are sending me on leave. In fact, I had
requested medical leave because it was getting too much to take all this.I have
been targeted and I will speak in my defence soon,” he said.PRO Ahmed Azeem
said: “Taking serious note of the complaint against three male students of
Faculty of Fine Arts by girl students of Faculty…the action has been initiated
against them. Pending the decision of the Disciplinary Committee, they are
hereby suspended with immediate effect from University and debarred from
entering the campus and attending the classes for two weeks.”indianexpress
Jamia Millia : Professor sent on leave after
students accuse him of sexual harassment
JNU sedition: Kejriwal questions timing of
chargesheet
CM Arvind Kejriwal has said the chargesheet
filed by Delhi Police in JNU sedition case right before Lok Sabha elections
raises several questions and it needs to be "legally studied" by AAP
Govt .Kejriwal said the police took 3 years to file in a court chargesheet in
connection with the sedition case against Kanhaiya Kumar and 9 others.Last
month,court had questioned the police for filing the chargesheet without
procuring the required sanction from authorities." Govt is currently studying the chargesheet. It
took Delhi Police three years to file a charge sheet...The police filed it
without Govt's nod, and also right before the elections, which raises several
questions. There is a need to legally study it," he said. NDTV
Batla House convict gets parole to attend
sister’s wedding
New Delhi:Batla House encounter case convict
Shahzad Ahmed, who is serving life imprisonment, has been granted one-day
custody parole by the Delhi High Court to attend his sister’s wedding at
Azamgarh in UP on Feb.9.A bench of
Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Vinod Goel ordered that the petitioner, Ahmed,
be taken in “proper police escort to attend the marriage of his sister on
Feb.9, between 10.00 am to 2.00 pm, excluding the time that shall be taken for
completing the journey from Delhi to Azamgarh and back”.“In case of need, the
in-charge of the escorting police party shall be entitled to keep the
petitioner overnight in lock-up at the local police station, during the course
of journey,” it said.indianexpress
ED files money laundering case in Palwal
Mosque terror funding matter
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a
case of money laundering against Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation , an NGO run by
LeT, for allegedly funnelling money into India for construction of a mosque in
Haryana.ED’s case is based on an FIR filed by NIA in Oct.last year. “Probe under
PMLA has been initiated by ED to establish money trail and to identify proceeds
of crime that are suspected to be generated out of the criminal activities,” an
ED statement said.indian express
ED
files money laundering case against Pak group
Fridge compressor blast injures 14 madrassa
students
Muzaffarnagar: A refrigerator compressor blast
in a madrassa here resulted in injuring 14 students, police said. Later, 11 of
the injured students were were referred to the Medical College in Meerut.
According to police, a burning candle kept on the refrigerator led to the
compressor's blast in a room where 15 students were sleeping. Incident occurred
around in Madarsa Islamia Ashraf-Ul at Sujru village under in Nagar-Kotwali
area. SP Omveer Singh said,“As many as 14 kids were injured in this incident
and 11 of them were referred to a higher centre in Meerut. All the kids are out
of danger. An investigation has also been ordered into the matter.”TOI
Haryana rule banning links of govt employees
with RSS still in effect:TOI
Chandigarh:Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar is a
self-acknowledged “swayamsevak” but any kind of association of Haryana
Govt employees with RSS is still proscribed in the state. The
instructions, issued by the general administration department of the chief
secretary’s office in April 1980, restraining the state Govt employees from any association with the
activities of RSS and Jamaat-e-Islami are still in force in Haryana. Although
former RSS pracharak Khattar has been the head of Govt in the state for around 4-and-a-half years
now, these instructions have not been replaced or withdrawn. Since then, the
ban on Govt officials participating in the activities of RSS and
Jamaat-e-Islami is still in force as this was never repealed or amended by the
Haryana govt till date. These instructions, according to legal experts, do not
directly affect the CM or his ministers with strong RSS affiliation because
they are not governed by the service rules. “However, presence of such rules
could create some legal complications for officials because the state is ruled
by the leaders from the restricted organization, or RSS,” the experts added. A
senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana high court, on the condition of
anonymity, said these instructions are very old and the ruling party may not be
aware of them or may not have repealed them due to fear of being getting an
adverse reaction. But these instructions may create some situation where
judicial intervention or interpretation may be required in future,” the
advocate added. When contacted, Rajiv Jain, media adviser to Haryana CM, said
actually nobody had ever tried to look into these instructions issued many
years ago. “Though these instructions never created any problem for anyone in
our Govt , we will look into the matter,” Jain added.TOI
J&K orders creation of separate division
for Ladakh
J&K Govt
on Friday ordered the creation of a separate administrative division for
Ladakh region.This division will comprise Leh and Kargil districts and
headquarters at Leh, according to a statement released by the state Department
of Information and Public Relations. The state will now have 3 divisions –
Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.Ladakh region was earlier a part of the Kashmir
division. The statement said people in the region had raised persistent demands
for the creation of a separate division due to topographic conditions, unique
cultural status and that it deserved special treatment due to the distance from
the capital Srinagar.scroll.in
Ladakh division: Omar says Chenab, Pir Panjal
will also get status if his party is elected
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on
Friday said his Govt will grant Chenab valley and Pir Panchal regions the
status of division if his party is elected to power in the Assembly elections
that are expected later this year.His statement came hours after the state Govt
ordered the creation of a separate administrative division for Ladakh region. “After
the elections of 2019, should the people of J&K repose faith in [National
Conference] , our Govt will grant
division status to Chenab valley[and] Pir Panchal regions as already laid out
in our regional autonomy promise,” Abdullah said in a tweet.“We will take care
of regional and sub-regional aspirations,” he added. “We won’t adopt the pick
[and] choose approach of the Governor but will instead take a holistic view
[and] address the wider problems. Our regional autonomy document will be our
template.”Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the govt’s
decision but wondered why the state had ignored Chenab valley and Pir Panjal
regions, which are also remote areas, PTI reported.“Although Leh and Kargil
already have hill development councils, we welcome the decision to grant
division status to Ladakh,” Mufti, also a former CM, said. “But I fail to
understand what is the intention behind ignoring Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal
regions. These are remote areas, the terrain is hilly and population is much
larger.”scroll.in
11 including 8 cops killed as avalanches
strike Kashmir
Srinagar:At least 11 people have died in snow
avalanches across J&K in the last
24-hours, including 7 in a massive one that buried a police post near Jawahar
Tunnel in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said on Friday. 2 more
were crushed in landslides on the Ramban highway, while one person drowned.10
people, 8 of them police personnel, were buried under snow on Thursday evening
by the avalanche. 2 were rescued alive on Friday morning while bodies of 5
policemen and two others were recovered. One policeman is missing.Qazigund
block medical officer, Zahoor Ahmad, said the rescued policemen were stable.HT
J&K Jamaat grieved over loss of lives in
avalanches
Jamaat-e-Islami J&K has expressed grief
over the loss of lives due to avalanches in Banihal and Kokernag. The Jamaat
expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. Jama’at also expressed sorrow
over the death of a Mo’azin in south Kashmir as the roof of Mosque crushed due
to snowfall.Kashmir Reader
Separatists call for strike to mark Guru’s anniversary
Normal life in Kashmir was affected on
Saturday due to a strike called by separatists to mark sixth death anniversary
of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged on this day in 2013.Shops and other
business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the
roads due to shutdown called by separatists, officials said.Separatists Joint Resistance
Leadership (JRL), consisting of both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF,
called for a shutdown to press for their demand that Guru’s mortal remains be
returned for burial in Kashmir.Authorities have placed Syed Ali Shah Geelani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and several other separatist leaders under house arrest to
prevent them from holding any protest marches,officials said. PTI
India protests against Pak on Saeed's rally
New Delhi:India has taken a strong note of
Hafiz Saeed's recent rally in Lahore on the occasion of so-called 'Kashmir
Solidarity Day' and sent a note verbale to Pakistan in protest against JuD
chief's gathering, sources said.Sources added that India registered a strong
protest against the continued use of Pakistani soil by extremist elements to
freely propagate and promote violence against New Delhi.They further said that
the Indian Govt once again called upon
the Pak Govt to fulfill its
international obligations and abide by it bilateral commitment to not allow any
territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India, in any
manner.ANI
Jadhav case:Pak claims it has evidence of his
‘sabotage activities’
Pakistan has said it will present its case in
International Court of Justice on Feb.19 against ex Indian naval officer
Kulbhushan Jadhav, Geo News reported. Jadhav is on death row in Islamabad after
Pakistan charged him with spying for Indian intelligence agencies in
2016.“Pakistan has all the evidence against Jadhav of sabotage activities
inside Pakistan,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said at an event in UK.
“Jadhav has admitted to being involved in such activities.” “Pakistan’s legal
team will present its stance in the case at The Hague on 19th of this
month,”said he.scroll.in/
Saudi Prince to arrive In India on Feb.19
New Delhi: While it’s not clear yet if Israeli
PM Benjamin Netanyahu will visit India this month, official sources confirmed
that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be here on Feb.19. India and
Israel have not yet been able to find a mutually convenient date for
Netanyahu’s visit even though the Govt
remains keen to host him. Prince Salman’s visit will be significant as
Saudi Arabia is a major energy security provider for India. Saudi Arabia also
is India’s fourth largest trade partner. During the visit, he will inaugurate
the new embassy complex in New Delhi. Visit of Prince Salman, who will be
accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and senior officials, will
further strengthen India-Saudi energy cooperation besides emphasising
enhancement of ties across several areas, including IT, health and tourism. TOI
Hyderabad: Miscreants attack Muslim youths,
pelt stones at Masjid
Hyderabad: A group of miscreants attacked
Muslim youths and pelted stones at Jamia Masjid of Tondpally of Shamsabad
Mandal. After this incident, panic prevailed in the area. According to the
details,last night, Krishna Goud, Manoj Goud and four of their companions who
are associated with Hindu fundamentalist outfits attacked 5 youths and
threatened them to leave the country. After abusing them, the miscreants pelted
stones at the masjid resulting in the breakage of window panes. The local
residents informed Shamsabad Rural Police.It is reported that Kishore Goud and
Manoj Goud were involved in such incidents earlier also.siasat
Dalits, Muslims will not vote for Congress
even if disillusioned with Modi:Prakash Ambedkar
Prakash Ambedkar-led BBM is making its first
foray into politics, with a new front called the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, an
umbrella of smaller regional parties, including AIMIM. It has decided to
contest all 48 Lok Sabha seats. Prakash in an interview said, "I strongly
believe that the Dalits and Muslims will not decisively vote for the Congress
even if they are disillusioned with the Modi Govt …The traditional vote base of
all mainstream alliances will be shaken in the elections. A lot of churning
will take place."indian express
SC refuses to stay 10% quota for upper castes
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has refused to
stay the decision to give 10% quota for
economically weaker sections among upper castes and clubbed all petitions,
including by Tahssen Poonawala, for early hearing.A bench headed by CJI Ranjan
Gogoi refused to stay the govt’s decision, which has now become law, to grant
10% quota to economically poor in the
general category as a PIL by Poonawala contended that such a reservation was
contrary to several pronouncements by the court.Appearing for Poonawala, senior
counsel Rajeev Dhavan said there was a cap of 50 % in the top court’s ruling in Mandal
Commission case that came in the wake of OBC quota by then VP Singh Govt .IANS
SC refuses to entertain sacked IPS officer
Sanjiv Bhatt’s plea seeking security for his family
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has refused to
entertain sacked Gujarat cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhat’s plea seeking security
for his family. A bench of Justices AK Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer asked Bhat to
approach the Gujarat High Court with his plea.On Oct.4 last year, the apex
court dismissed his wife Shweta Bhat’s plea, challenging the police probe and
his judicial custody in a 22-year-old case of alleged planting of drugs to
arrest an advocate, and said he could approach an “appropriate forum” for
relief.PTI
Trains cancelled, as Gujjars on quota stir
block tracks
Jaipur/New Delhi: Members of Gujjar community
continued to block railway tracks on the second day of their agitation today to
demand implementation of 5% reservation that was promised to them by Rajasthan
Govt . Agitating Gujjars sat on railway tracks at Malarna Doongar near Sawai
Madhopur, leading to the cancellation of 5 trains and re-routing of 15.The
blocked railway line in the West Central Railway connects Delhi to Mumbai.
Delhi-Jaipur-Agra line, however, remains clear. Gujjar leader Kirori Singh
Bainsla started a dharna yesterday along with his supporters on the railway
tracks in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, demanding reservation for five
communities including Gujjars.ndtv
5 Held in Connection with PMK Man’s Murder in
TN
Even as tension prevails in Kumbakonam town,
Tamil Nadu, over the murder of a PMK functionary, 5 persons have been arrested
in connection with the case. Ramalingam,PMK functionary in Thirubuvanam,
Kumbakonam town, was attacked on Tuesday,, after which he succumbed to his
injuries.Attack happened after he was seen in a video having an altercation
with a couple of Muslim men who were allegedly in the area to proselytise.
Police officials confirmed that 5 persons had been arrested in connection with
the case: Mohammad Azaruddin, Mohamma Riaz, Nizam Ali, Sarbuddin and Mohammad
Riaz.SP of Thanjavur, Maheshwaran, said that Nizam was seen in the video and he
was a member of PFI. SP did not confirm if other 4 were from PFI and said that
this would be revealed only after probe.thequint
Death toll due to consumption of illicit
liquor in Uttarakhand, UP rises to 92
Death toll has risen to 92 due to consumption
of illicit liquor in the states of UP
and Uttarakhand.Around 18 deaths have been reported in Meerut, 46 in
Saharanpur, 20 in Roorkee, 8 in Kushinagar among others. Saharanpur DM Alok
Pandey said,"There have been 46 postmortems so far out of which 36 deaths
are clearly due to consumption of illicit liquor according to the doctors.
Other cases are being ascertained."The authorities said that they do not
want to get involved in any blame game and will leave no stone unturned to get
the culprits. It has been revealed that the source of liquor consumption is
from Uttarakhand.indiatoday
Swine flu claims 250 lives in country this
year
New Delhi:Swine flu has so far claimed over
250 lives in the country this year so far with 30 more deaths due to the
disease being reported in last three days till Feb.7.PTI
India, Bangladesh call for expediting safe and
sustainable repartition of Rohingya refugees
Foreign Ministers of India and Bangladesh held
talks on Friday to further intensify ties between 2 countries as they called
for expediting safe and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees,
according to a statement from Ministry of External Affairs. During the fifth
meeting of India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission(JCC), External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj assured her counterpart AK Abdul Momen India’s
continued support for safe, speedy and sustainable return of the displaced
persons to Myanmar.2 sides also inked three pacts, including in the areas of
health services and training of civil servants. The ministers discussed the
gamut of bilateral issues of mutual interest and reviewed ongoing cooperation,
including the implementation of decisions taken during the visits of PM
Narendra Modi and PM Sheikh Hasina,the statement said.2 ministers agreed on the
need to expedite safe and sustainable repatriation of the displaced people from
Rakhine State of Myanmar,”it said.PTI
Bangladesh requests India to help with early
repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar
Delhi minorities commission offers internship
to law, political science students
New Delhi: Delhi Minorities Commission has
started an internship scheme for students seeking hands on experience in the
fields of minority rights, law and other related subjects.The Commission aims
to induct 8-10 students from the final year courses of LLB and political
science to give them experience in matters of law, minority rights and other
such related subjects, said Zafarul Islam Khan, chairman of the panel."Students
from departments like law and political science can come to the Commission for
a week or more, understand its work and how complaints are received and dealt
with," Khan said.PTI
Twitter CEO, top officials decline to appear
before parliamentary panel: Sources
New Delhi:Twitter CEO and top officials have
declined to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on IT that had summoned
them over the issue of safeguarding citizens’ rights on social media platforms,
sources in panel said on Saturday. Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP MP
Anurag Thakur, had issued a summon to Twitter via an official letter on
Feb.1.The parliamentary committee meeting was scheduled for Feb.7,but was later
postponed to Feb.11 to allow Twitter CEO and senior officials more time to make
themselves available. Twitter cited “short notice of the hearing” as the
reason, despite being given 10 days to travel, sources said.PTI
WORLD
Rights group: Egypt executes 3 Muslim Brotherhood
members tortured to confess
Cairo:An international rights group on Friday
said Egypt executed 3 Muslim Brotherhood members sentenced to death following
torture and beatings to extract confessions. Human Rights Watch said in a
statement the families of the men were notified of their hanging on Thursday
and asked to come to the morgue to pick up the bodies.3 were convicted last
year for 2014 killing of a judge’s son in Nile Delta town of Mansoura. HRW said
a letter from one of the men was reportedly smuggled out of prison, describing
torture and beatings. Michael Page, deputy director at the New York-based
group, says Egypt “committed a glaring injustice by executing 3 men who
apparently gave ‘confessions’ extracted through electric shock and other
torture.”Later Friday, the Interior Ministry confirmed the execution, saying
prison authorities carried out a final court order after the defendants’ appeal
was turned down. HRW’s statement came after Turkey this week launched an
investigation into 8 police officers over the deportation of a wanted Islamist
and Egyptian national back to Egypt, where he could face death penalty.Young
man escaped Egypt after he was sentenced to death in absentia last year, and
arrived in Turkey on Jan.16 where was detained and deported 2 days later,
despite requesting political asylum.He is likely to face a new trial in Egypt
over the same accusations.AP
HRW condemns Egypt hanging of 3 'political
detainees'
Trump misses Senate deadline to report on
Khashoggi
US President Donald Trump declined to meet a
Friday deadline to report to the Senate on whether the White House believes
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, also known as MBS, ordered the killing
of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.A senior administration official told US media
that the president maintains his discretion to decline to act on congressional
committee requests.A bipartisan group of US Senators triggered the terms of the
Global Magnitsky Act on Oct.10, 2018, which required the president to probe and
determine if a foreign person is responsible for Khashoggi's death within 120
days. White House had until Friday to submit their report.Although the White
House has sanctioned 17 Saudi individuals for their involvement in the murder,
including two top aides to MBS, members of Congress have called for greater
action to be taken against the kingdom and its leaders." Trump has
steadfastly insisted the US-Saudi relationship is more important than
establishing accountability for murder," said Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna,
reporting from Washington, DC.The White House decision comes a day after a New
York Times report revealed MBS told a top aide in a conversation in 2017 that
he would use "a bullet" on Khashoggi, according to a conversation
intercepted by US intelligence agencies. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Adel al-Jubeir dismissed the report along with the possibility MBS, the
de facto ruler of the kingdom, had any role in Khashoggi's killing.aljazeera
‘MBS had threatened to use 'a bullet' on
Khashoggi’
UN: Riyadh 'undermined' Turkey's access to
Khashoggi murder scene
US preliminary observations of human rights
inquiry into the killing of Jamal Khashoggi says it was a "brutal,
premeditated killing - planned and perpetrated by Saudi Arabian
officials". The findings of UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial
Executions, Agnes Callamard, follow a weeklong trip to Turkey with a team of
experts to examine the evidence.Her initial conclusion is that Saudi
"seriously undermined" Turkey's efforts to access the crime scene and
investigate the murder at the Istanbul consulate.Callamard has requested an
official visit to Riyadh and expressed "major concerns" about
fairness for the 11 suspects on trial for the murder.aljazeera
Khashoggi murder: No closure without
body:fiancee
Kushner to visit Middle East for peace plan
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's
son-in-law and White House senior adviser, is expected to head to the Middle
East later this month for an official visit to discuss a US proposal for peace
between Israel and the Palestinians. Kushner, will be joined by US Middle East
envoy Jason Greenblatt, US envoy on Iran Brian Hook and other administration
officials who have worked on the economic part of the plan, dubbed the
"deal of the century". The trip - which includes stops in Oman,
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, is aimed at building support for the
initiative which Kushner has been tasked with leading.aljazeera
2 Palestinian teens killed by Israeli forces
in Gaza
2 Palestinian youths were killed by Israeli
fire on Friday during the weekly protest near the Israeli fence east of the
Gaza Strip, the Palestinian health ministry in the besieged enclave said. Hasan
Shalabi, 14, "was killed by Israeli occupation live fire to the chest east
of Khan Younis" in the southern Gaza Strip, the ministry said, as
thousands of Palestinians demonstrated along the heavily fortified frontier
with Israel for 46th week running. Hamza Shteiwi, 18, was also killed after he
was shot in the neck by Israeli forces, the ministry added. Another 17
Palestinians were shot at different protest sites along the fence, including 2
journalists and 4 medics.aljazeera
Report: Israel will consider revisions to
economic agreements with Palestinians
Citing “Palestinian, international, and
Israeli sources”, Israeli news site Globes has reported that the Israeli
Govt “has agreed in principle to a
request by Palestinian Authority (PA) to reconsider Paris economic agreements
signed by the PA and Israel in 1994”.Report claims that the Israeli PM ’s
Office has approved PA’s request “in principle”, agreeing “to hold talks in a
number of professional committees in various areas, apparently including
international partners”.One Palestinian source told Globes “that French
President Emmanuel Macron agreed to help by hosting these talks, as was the
case when the economic discussions were held and the economic agreements signed
in 1994.”MEMO
Hamas discusses Jerusalem with Egypt’s
Al-Azhar
A Hamas delegation led by group leader Ismail
Haniyeh held a meeting in Cairo with Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt’s
Al-Azhar.“The meeting addressed the dangers facing the Palestinian cause,
Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, along with ongoing [Israeli] attempts to
Judaise the holy city,” Hamas said in a statement released yesterday
evening.The officials also tackled the dire humanitarian situation in the
Hamas-run Gaza Strip as a result of Israel’s 12-year blockade of the coastal
enclave.In the statement, Hamas urged Muslim nations to “focus their efforts on
safeguarding Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque and supporting the steadfastness
of the city’s Palestinian residents”.In its own statement issued after the
meeting, Al-Tayeb said that the
Palestinian cause remained “primary issue facing Muslim nation”.MEMO
Fatah rejects Egyptian and Russian initiatives
to meet Palestinian factions
Fatah is reported to have rejected official
invitations extended by Egypt and Russia to host Palestinian reconciliation
meetings, Resala.net has reported. According to informed sources, Egypt has
proposed a meeting in Cairo for the factions, but Fatah has declined as it does
not want to meet Hamas anywhere. They added that the secular group which
controls the Palestinian Authority will also inform the factions that it will
not attend any meetings in Moscow, under the pretext that it does not want to
hold new meetings with the Islamic Resistance Movement. The Palestinian
factions have all received official initiations from Russia to visit Moscow in
early April. Meanwhile, Hamas and Islamic Jihad will meet with Egyptian
intelligence officials to discuss the deteriorating situation, especially the
PA’s cutting of its employees’ salaries in Gaza.middleeastmonitor
Russia refuses to move embassy to Jerusalem
Russia has refused to move its embassy from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite previously recognising the west of the city as
Israel’s capital.The announcement was made by Russia’s Ambassador to Israel,
Anatoly Viktorov, through TASS news outlet.“Issue of transferring Russian
Embassy to Jerusalem is off the agenda,” explained Viktorov. “Russia is
committed to the international legal framework concerning Jerusalem, including
corresponding UNSC resolutions.” Such
resolutions condemn Israel’s actions in the Holy City.MEMO
Contradicting Trump, Merkel says IS not
defeated
Berlin:Islamic State is far from defeated, and
instead is morphing into an asymmetrical warfare force after the militant group
lost almost all of the territory it once controlled in Syria, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel said.Merkel’s remarks contradicted statements by Donald Trump
that the Islamist group has been defeated.“The so-called Islamic State has been
luckily driven out of its territory but this unfortunately doesn’t mean that
Islamic State has disappeared,” Merkel said. “It is transforming into an
asymmetrical warfare force. And this, of course, is a threat.”Reuters
US to pay damages of war after withdrawal from
Afghan: Siraj
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) Ameer Senator
Sirajul Haq has said that US would not only have to withdraw from Afghanistan
but also pay the damages of the war.In Mansoora, he said that a few years back,
nobody was ready to shake hands with the Taliban and whoever attempted that was
condemned as a traitor.However, he said, now Washington was begging Taliban for
talks and several countries including Russia were requesting the Taliban to
open their offices in their countries to be able to participate in the
talks.Haq further said that US defeat in Afghanistan after Soviet Union made it
clear that Afghanistan’s future was with Islam and this auspicious development
would be greatly helpful in the enforcement of the Islamic system in this
country.nation.com.pk
Morocco suspends participation in Saudi war in
Yemen
Morocco has suspended its participation in the
Saudi Arabia-led military coalition's fight against Yemen's Houthi rebels,
Govt officials have said.Speaking on condition
of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the
diplomatic tensions, two officials said that Rabat had also recalled its
ambassador to the kingdom. aljazeera
Myanmar villagers flee to Bangladesh amid violence
Scores of ethnic-minority villagers have
crossed from western Myanmar into Bangladesh in recent days amid fighting
between the Myanmar military and ethnic Rakhine rebels, according to Bangladesh
border guards and an activist. Members of 38 families said they fled their
homes fearing attack from military helicopters, Colonel Zahirul Haque Khan, the
Border Guards Bangladesh commander in Bandarban district where the group of 136
people are now living in shelters, was quoted as saying by Reuters.aljazeera
Saudi deporting Rohingya despite UN calls
Rohingya activists demand action against
Myanmar at NYC summit
Trump and Kim Jong-un to meet in Hanoi on
Feb.27 and 28
US President Donald Trump has announced that
he would hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam’s
Capital Hanoi on Feb.27 and 28.“I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim &
advancing the cause of peace,” Trump tweeted. “North Korea, under the
leadership of Kim Jong-un, will become a great economic powerhouse. He may
surprise some but he won’t surprise me, because I have gotten to know him amd
fully understand how capable he is. North Korea will become a different kind of
rocket – an economic one!” scroll.in
Khamenei's 'Death to US' aimed at leaders, not
people'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
has defended "Death to America" chants that are a standard fare at
anti-US rallies across Iran, but said the slogan was aimed at American leaders
and not its people.Khamenei said the chant meant "death to US leaders,
death to [US President Donald] Trump and John Bolton and [Mike]
Pompeo"."It means death to America's rulers ... we have nothing
against the American people," he said.aljazeera
flash: views & NEWS
After new Rafale revelations, what would you
call SC’s judgment ‘not based on facts’?Indira Jaising
8 Yrs on, Bihar’s AMU Centre Yet to See Light
of the Day:Waquar Hasan
Irrationality Behind the Benchmark Price of
the Rafale Deal:Sudhansu Mohanty
Govt's Real Target Is Not Prashant Bhushan but
a Transparent Judiciary:Apurva Vishwanath
Why Lynchings Have Become A Substitute For
Communal Riots:Ziya Us Salam
Civil Court Has No Jurisdiction When There Is
A Dispute As To Whether Suit Property Is Wakf Or Not: SC
Daily Fix: In Adityanath’s UP, people accused
of majoritarian violence are protected, rewarded:Ipsita Chakravarty, scroll.in
Remembering Rakhine: As Jammu turns hostile to
Rohingyas, memories return of persecution in Myanmar:Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
How Western liberalism has failed South Asia:
Khaled Ahmed
Why did Indira Gandhi call off Emergency? Fali
S Nariman
Issues of Indian Muslims & their solutions:
Zafar Mahmood
US: Alabama executes Muslim man who wanted an
imam by his side
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