NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
23 March 2019: 15 Rajab 1440:Vol: 11, No:157
INDIA
After J&K Jamaat, Centre bans Yasin Malik-led
JKLF
Yasin Malik-led JKLF was banned by the Centre
under anti-terror law PTI reported quoting officials. The outfit has been
banned for alleged promotion of secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir,
they said.They said the organisation has been banned under various provisions
of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A notification banning the group
issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, says that the organisation
is:"involved in anti-national and subversive activities intended to
disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. is in close touch
with militant outfits and is supporting extremism and militancy in Jammu and
Kashmir and elsewhere. is supporting and inciting claims for secession of a
part of the Indian territory from the Union and supporting terrorist and
separatist groups fighting for this purpose by indulging in activities and
articulations intended to disrupt the territorial integrity of India. "PDP
leader Mehbooba Mufti questioned the ban saying Yasin Malik, who had already
renounced violence, was treated as a stakeholder by former Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee.This is the second organisation in Jammu and Kashmir which has
been banned this month. Earlier, the Centre had banned the Jamaat-e-Islami J&K.thequint
ED imposes Rs 14.4 lakh penalty on separatist
leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani
New Delhi:Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday
imposed a penalty of Rs 14.4 lakh on J&K separatist leader Syed Ali Shah
Geelani in 2002 Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case for allegedly
acquiring USD 10,000 and a sum of Rs 10 lakh through illegal means.The
investigation, which was initiated on the basis of a report by the IT
department, stated that it had seized Rs 10 lakh and USD 10,000 from Geelani’s
ground floor residence at Hyderpora, Srinagar on June 9, 2002.As per ED sources,
Geelani’s wife, who was also examined gave away some information regarding the
seized Indian currency but was unable to explain the source of the foreign
currency. “Geelani did not tender any explanation or evidence regarding the
lawful acquisition, holding, ownership or possession of the said seized amount
apart from the verbal denial which was submitted by him during the
investigation,” sources said.On Wednesday, a Delhi court had allowed the agency
to quiz Geelani’s son-in-law Altaf Shah and others in connection with a
terror-funding case.A similar proceeding against another Yasin Malik, Chairman
of JKLF, was also underway. indianexpress
ED arrests Zakir Naik's financier Najmudin
Sathak
Mumbai: ED has arrested jeweller Abdul Kadir
Najmudin Sathak here for assisting Zakir Naik by transferring funds of dubious
origins from the UAE to him.The agency said the funds were used to facilitate
production of videos meant to spread communal hatred and radicalize a
particular community. Sathak was director of Global Broadcasting Corp FZE LLC,
which owned the Peace TV channel which broadcast the "communal and
inflammatory" speeches of televangelist Naik from UAE to the Middle East
and Africa, an ED statement said."Investigation revealed that Global
Broadcasting Corp was controlled by Naik through Sathak who was his trusted
aide."IANS
PSA slapped on Ameer of J&K Jamaat,
shifted to Kathua jail:freepresskashmir
Srinagar: Ameer Jama’at-e-Islami J&K Dr
Abdul Hamid Fayaz has been booked under draconian Public Safety Act on
Saturday.Sources said that Dr Fayaz has been shifted to Kathua jail. He was
arrested on Feb.23 from his residence at Hyderpora and was placed under police
detention.freepresskashmir
New Delhi should rethink on Jamaat ban: Sajad
Lone
People’s Conference chairman Sajad Ghani Lone
Friday said that banning Jamaat-e-Islami and resorting to mass arrests have
achieved nothing in the past, nor will achieve anything now.He suggested New
Delhi to rethink on its decision banning JeI, which has invested heavily in the
education sector across Jammu and Kashmir. “Banning JeI is a tried and tested
act which has failed miserably in the past. New Delhi needs to have a rethink
on it. I don’t support this ban and condemn it,” he said.Sajad was accompanying
his party candidate Raja Ajaz Ali who filed nomination papers for Lok Sabha
election at Baramulla on Friday. greaterkashmir
J&K : Family, teachers seek justice in
Rizwan Pandit’s ‘custodial death’
Srinagar : Family of deceased teacher Rizwan
Asad Pandit, 28, who died in the police custody last week, has called for a
judicial probe into the incident, as Valley two top teachers’ associations on
Friday supported the family and also sought justice in the case.“My brother’s
spine was broken as per the report of SMHS hospital. The body has bruises and
cuts all over. Even on the head and the face, the wounds were visible. His
vitals were damaged. Are they signs of a man escaping from police custody?”
said the victim’s elder Mubashir Assad said.Pandit was a post-graduate in
Physics and ran a coaching institute and also taught at a nearby school and a
varsity. He was picked up by the police’s special counter-insurgency cell from
Srinagar on Sunday and his body was handed over to the family on Tuesday.
Pandit was also a member of now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami and was first detained
in August last year and later released in January this year.thehindu
8 Militants Killed in J&K Encounters in
Over 48 Hrs
At least eight militants have been eliminated
in J&K in over 48 hours during encounters between militants and security
forces in at least four places, including Shopian, Baramulla, Bandipora and
Sopore. The encounter at Bandipora district’s Hajin area, also claimed the life
of a 12-year-old civilian who lost his life after being held hostage. The Quint
Mob Attacks Muslim Family at Gurugram House,
Horrifying Video Shows Women Pleading for Help
Gurugram: The members of a Muslim family were
mercilessly beaten with iron rods and hockey sticks, and their house was pelted
with stones by a mob of over 40 men in Bhondsi, Gurugram, on Thursday. While
the police claimed that the “brawl” was triggered over a game of cricket on
Holi, the victim family said it was a planned attack by a group of people
backed by a Hindutva outfit.The police have arrested six people for the attack
and booked them for attempt to murder.A video of the brutal assault shared on
social media shows around 10 men attacking the family’s male members with rods
and sticks in the verandah of their home even as a woman prays for them to
stop, her cries filling the air.The men continued beating one man, seen
bleeding from his head, till he fell unconscious. Another man was seen lying
motionless in the corner, but even that did not stop the mob from raining blows
on him. Police said the incident took place around 5pm. One of the victims,
Shahid, told the cops in his statement that six to seven drunk men had asked
his family members not to play cricket on the street outside their house in
Bhup Singh Nagar. When they continued to play cricket, the men were joined by
over 40 youths who attacked the family with batons, iron rods, hockey sticks,
and water pipes, the cops said.In a bid to save themselves, the victims rushed
into their house but some of the attackers managed to barge in and beat them.
The ones who couldn’t enter threw stones at the house.The victim family alleged
the police took about 40 minutes to come to their rescue, though they kept
calling on the help number. By then, the attackers had escaped, they said. Politicians
cutting across party lines have taken to Twitter to blast out on the BJP
government led by CM Manohar Lal Khattar for the ghastly incident. news18
‘Go to Pakistan’: 20-25 men barge into Gurgaon
home, assault Muslim family
Muslim man killed by group of 20 in UP's
Sonbhadra
Sonbhadra: When the entire nation was
symbolically burning evil on the night of Holika Dahan, Kamrun Begum never
thought something evil was going to take place right in her backyard.
48-year-old woman saw some people converging at Imam Chowk near her house and
sent her husband Mohammed Anwar to find out what was happening at the chowk. On
the night of 20 March, Anwar, 50, was attacked and killed by a group of over 20
people in Parsoi village of Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh.Hailing from
Ghazipur, 25-year-old Hasnain Anwar Seikh, said that his father was strolling
in the village after having dinner when he saw around 20 men gathered near Imam
Chowk on the night of Holika Dahan. "My mother told my father that
something was happening at Imam Chowk and asked him to go there and check as it
was not the place where Holika is burned. My father went there and someone
attacked him with an axe from behind. They gagged him and started beating him
up. We were helpless as no one from the village came to rescue him. We called
the police helpline and with the help of police, we took him to the hospital,
but by then, it was too late. My father was declared dead on arrival," the
mourning son said.According to the police, Anwar was killed because he opposed
the demolition of Imam Chowk, which was allegedly illegally constructed by the
community.The deceased was looking after the farms and is survived by seven
sons, one daughter and his wife. All his sons are settled and have small
businesses of their own.The police has lodged an FIR against 19 people and two
unnamed persons. While 13 people have already been taken into custody, the
police have launched a manhunt to nab the rest. After the incident, the Muslim
community — which has only 3 families in the village — is living under fear.
Such is the extent of fear that Anwar’s family has now shifted to Obra market
in Sonbhadra from the village.
Kannur: Explosion in RSS functionary’s house,
2 children injured
Kannur: 2 children, who are also relatives and
one of them the son of a local RSS functionary, were seriously injured when a
country-made bomb, apparently stocked there, exploded inside the compound of
the house of one of them, at Naduvil in the hilly areas of the district on
Saturday afternoon. Police also recovered weapons and raw materials to make
bomb from the house during a raid later.According to Kudiyanmala police, the
incident happened around 1.30 pm when the two kids, identified as Gokul (7),
son of Muthiramala Shibhu, who is an RSS functionary, and Kajinraj (12), son of
Kumar, both residents of the same locality in Naduvil, were removing
miscellaneous things from around the compound of the house of Shibu, as part of
making a cage for the birds. Kajin is the son of a relative who is also a
neighbour of Shibu.While doing that the boys stood on something and it exploded
causing injury, said police. On getting the information, the police and the
bomb squad reached the spot and conducted a search in which the raw materials
including gunpowder and aluminium powder, as also a few swords and knives, and
a hacker were recovered from the house. Police suspects that the materials were
kept in house of Shibu, who is a taluk-level functionary of RSS. Police have
strengthened vigil following the incident and 2 boys have been admitted in hospital.TOI
Pak calls for peace with India as it shows off
its military might
Pakistan wants peace with India and they
should focus on health and education, the Pakistan President said on Saturday
during a parade to show off its military might following a tense standoff
between the nuclear-armed neighbours.“We do not believe in war and want to
solve problems through dialogue,” President Arif Alvi said in his Pakistani
Republic Day speech.“Instead of war we should focus on education and
health.”The President, who largely holds ceremonial duties, said India had
blamed Pakistan for the suicide-bomb attack without evidence, which he said was
irresponsible.Saturday’s military parade included an air show featuring the
Pakistani-built JF-17 fighter jet. One of the aircraft shot down the Indian
plane last month.The parade was attended by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad, who was invited to attend as the chief guest, and Pakistani Prime
Minister Imran Khan.Reuters
‘Kashmir is central issue’: Imran Khan’s reply
to PM Modi message on terror
Sam Pitroda has questions on Balakot, PM Modi
says he kick-started Pak day
New Delhi :Technocrat-turned-Congress
politician Sam Pitroda was at the centre of a political row Friday after he
sought “more facts” and proof of the death toll in the Balakot air strike and,
while referring to the Mumbai 26/11 attack, said one cannot “jump on an entire
nation… just because some people came here and attacked”. PM Narendra Modi said
“kick-started the Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of the Congress,
ironically by demeaning India’s armed forces”. Distancing the party from
Pitroda’s remarks, Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala
said “the expression of opinion by an individual has nothing to do with the
opinion of the party”. The view of the Congress, he said, was that the Balakot
strike was a shining example of the valour of the IAF. At the same time, he
said, the Pulwama attack was a “national security and intelligence failure” of Modi
govt. Pitroda, had sought more information about the Balakot dead count. Saying
he admired India’s security forces and “they did a super job”, he said: “If
they killed 300, it is okay. All I am saying is can you give me more facts and
prove it. That’s all. I am not debating anything. I am not even questioning
anything. I want data because I am trained to believe in data.”indianexpress
Modi, Jaitley do not know economics: Swamy
Kolkata :BJP MP Subramanian Swamy Saturday
claimed neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
knew economics, as they dub India as the fifth largest economy despite it being
the third largest one.In an apparent backhanded praise, Swamy said he does not
understand why the prime minister says India is the world’s fifth largest
economy when, as per scientifically acceptable procedures for GDP calculations,
the Indian economy is the third largest after the USA and China.PTI
RSS-backed ‘Muslim body’ plans campaign for
Modi, Ram temple
Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM),an organisation
inspired by then RSS sarsanghachalak K Sudarshan, would act as Modi-led BJP’s
campaign arm within the Muslim community in the upcoming elections. MRM will
also canvas for building a Ram temple in Ayodhya where a mosque once stood. It
wants the area to be developed as a multi-religious centre with a Ram temple as
the centrepiece.At a meeting with BJP organising secretary Ram Lal on March 2, MRM
was tasked with spreading the message within the community that the Modi
government is not anti-Muslim. Instead, it is one that treats Muslims as equal
citizens and not a minority to be appeased. The organisation would closely work
with the BJP’s minority cell and has identified about 120 seats, predominantly
in UP, Bihar and Bengal, where the Muslim community has significant influence,
MRM national convenor Mohammad Afzal told ET. ET
Yeddyurappa Diary May Reveal Pay-Offs to BJP
Leaders, Congress Says, BJP Slams 'Forgery'
New Delhi:Quoting a report in the Caravan, Congress
party today alleged that India’s income-tax department was in possession of a
diary that details pay-offs of over Rs 1,800 crore to top BJP leaders, with
entries apparently written in the hand of Karnataka state president BS
Yeddyurappa.According to the entries, the recipients of the funds include
finance minister Arun Jaitley, home minister Rajnath Singh, and transport
minister Nitin Gadkari, as well BJP Central Committee and state legislators,
Caravan reported.Addressing the press on Friday, Congress spokesperson Randeep
Surjewala demanded an investigation into the evidence that Yeddyurappa – a
former chief minister of Karnataka tainted by corruption allegations – arranged
these payouts through mining baron and former state minister Gali Janaradhana
Reddy.“5 facts are disclosed from this diary. Rs 2,690 crore was extorted and
Rs 1,800 crore was given to BJP’s central team,” Surjewala said. “Yeddyurappa
was a CM from May 2008 to July 2011, and this diary contains his signatures and
names of top BJP leaders.”“It mentions the names of senior BJP leaders from
Rajnath Singh to Jaitley,” he added. “There is an allegation of a bribe of Rs
1,800 crore on the top BJP leadership.”“Is it true or false? The diary with BS
Yeddyurappa’s sign on it was with Income Tax Department since 2017. If that is
the case why did Modi ji and BJP did not get it investigated?” Surjewala asked.
What BS Yeddyurappa Said To Tax Officials
About "Bribe Records"
Oppn Bihar pact: RJD gets 20, Congress only 9,
Kanhaiya left out
Patna :Opposition’s grand alliance in Bihar
announced its seat-sharing Friday tying up — for the first time — with
CPI-ML(Liberation) by giving it a seat but not accommodating CPI which had
asked for Begusarai for former JNU students’ union chief Kanhaiya Kumar.Veteran
leader Sharad Yadav, who heads Loktantrik Janata Dal, will contest on the RJD
symbol. The Congress, which got nine, did not get some of its desired seats
such as Aurangabad but was assured of being “compensated” with a Rajya Sabha
seat against the first vacancy. This is the least number of seats Congress will
contest in Lok Sabha polls in Bihar.RJD national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha
MP Manoj Kumar Jha announced that the RJD has kept 20 seats for itself, RLSP will
contest five seats and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Vikasshil Insaan
Party (VIP) 3 seats each. Jha announced seats and candidates for the first
phase. CPI, which formed an alliance with RJD in the 1990 and 1995 Assembly
polls, however, could not find place in Grand Alliance.
Left out of Bihar alliance, Kanhaiya Kumar to
be CPI candidate in Begusarai
A day after the Grand Alliance allotted just
one seat to the Left parties in Bihar, CPI on Saturday confirmed that it would
field former JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar from Begusarai Lok
Sabha seat.CPI Bihar secretary Satyanarayan Singh said the party had taken a
final call to field Kanhaiya Kumar. “The executive committee meeting has been
called on Sunday to decide on the number of seats the party will contest but a
final call on Kanhaiya has been taken,” he said.HT
Election LIVE: BJP Releases Sixth List of 48
Candidates, Appoints Uma Bharti as Vice President
BJP declares the sixth list of 48 candidates
for upcoming elections. Jayant Sinha will contest from Hazaribagh, Arjun Munda
from Khunti, Vidhyut Varan Mahatao from Jamshedpur and Pashupati Nath Singh
from Dhanbad. The party has also declared six names for the assembly elections
in Goa and Gujarat. With the announcement of 48 contenders from Goa, MP,
Jharkhand, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka, the party has so far
fielded 286 leaders for Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a press conference, Nadda
said that senior leader Uma Bharti has told the CEC that she is "not
interested" in contesting elections this time. The party has decided to
give her charge of BJP's vice president. news18
After Advani is replaced by Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, Sena calls him
‘BJP’s tallest leader’
Mumbai :Shiv Sena Saturday said L K Advani would remain the “tallest
leader” of the BJP irrespective of his poll presence, 2 days after the party
nominated its chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, a seat represented by BJP
patriarch.Marking a generational shift in the BJP, the party recently announced
candidature of Shah, who will be contesting his debut parliamentary election,
from Gandhinagar.indianexpress
MPs Who Kept Stirring Communal Pot in UP West Find Place in BJP’s List
Again
New Delhi:BJP’s first list of candidates that was unveiled included a
few surprising names, especially from the Western Uttar Pradesh region, which
has witnessed communal clashes since 2014. Many of the party MPs, who
represented these restive constituencies, are once again being fielded from seats.Some
of the controversial names which have figured in the saffron party’s first
candidate list are - Raghav Lakhanpal (Saharanpur), Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan
(Muzaffarnagar), Kunwar Bhartendra Singh (Bijnor), Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar
(Moradabad) and Satish Gautam (Aligarh).news18
BJP Shows Shatrughan Sinha the Door in Bihar,
Fields Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib
New Delhi: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
will be the BJP’s face from Patna Sahib, the constituency of actor-turned-rebel
leader Shatrughan Sinha, the party announced on Saturday. Prasad is likely to
face Sinha in the upcoming elections as there are reports that the actor will
contest as a Congress candidate.Sinha, who is expected to join the
Mahagathbandhan comprising the Congress and RJD besides several smaller
parties, recently came out with a series of tweets decrying the ‘Main bhi
chowkidaar’ campaign that is meant to be a riposte to AICC president Rahul
Gandhi's "Chowkidar hi chor hai" barb at Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.news18
District chiefs, civic leaders write to Rahul
Gandhi for tie-up with AAP
New Delhi: Sections in Delhi Congress pressing
for an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party are exerting their pressure with
district party presidents, former state chiefs and party leaders in the
municipal corporations writing to party president Rahul Gandhi in favour of a
poll pact. A decision on a tie-up is awaiting the consideration of Rahul Gandhi
with party leaders hoping for clarity soon.The deliberations within the party
have seen those in favour of an alliance arguing that the PCC leadership has
not been able to explain whether Congress will be able to win seats in Delhi if
it went on its own. Those opposing AAP feel that a tie up compromises prospects
for the assembly election due in 2020 while throwing a life line to chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal.TOI
With 30% minorities, Bijnor had just one
Muslim MP since Independence
BIJNOR: Since independence, Bijnor Lok Sabha
seat has had only one Muslim MP, in 1957, despite the fact that 30% of the
voters here are Muslims. Now, as the general election is round the corner, the
candidates fielded by various political parties are all non-Muslims and from
the Gujjar community. While BJP has fielded Kunwar Bhartendra Singh, BSP has
fielded Malook Nagar. Congress has fielded Indira Bhati and Pragatisheel
Samajwadi Party has fielded Isham Singh Gujjar. Of these four candidates, three
are Gujjars.TOI
BSP List Announces 11 Candidates, Karnataka
Leader Danish Ali to Contest From Amroha
Lucknow:With less than a month to go for the
Lok Sabha elections, BSP on Friday announced its candidates for 11 Lok Sabha
constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, including Danish Ali who joined the party
leaving the Janata Dal-Secular.Ali, who joined the BSP on March 16 has been
named the BSP candidate from Amroha.After Ali joined the BSP, Karnataka Chief
Minister and JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy said that he joined the BSP with the
party's consent."Ali joined the BSP in consent with me and our national
President H.D. Deve Gowda in a purely political arrangement between the two
parties. It is a thoughtful political decision taken by JD-S and BSP to win
more seats in the Lok Sabha elections," Kumaraswamy had tweeted last
Saturday.IANS
Justice Ghose takes oath as country’s first
Lokpal
NEW DELHI:President Ram Nath Kovind on
Saturday administered the oath of office to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the
country’s first Lokpal.The oath was administered at a ceremony held at
Rashtrapati Bhavan, a communiqué issued by President’s office said.PTI
FIR Lodged Against 16 Muslim Activists in Jharkhand
for Asking Representation in LS Polls
RANCHI –– Muslims across Jharkhand are in a
state of shock as a FIR was lodged against 16 prominent Muslim activists for
organising a meeting to discuss Muslim representation in the upcoming Lok Sabha
elections.FIR has accused them of making an attempt to disrupt communal
harmony. But activists have claimed that they had assembled with a single
agenda if putting forward a demand before politicians that Muslims should also
be granted tickets to contest elections from Muslim-dominated constituencies.
FIR complaint was lodged by some Vijay Kumar Uraon at Hind Pidi police station
on March 17 and have charged the organisers of disturbing communal harmony,
offending the sentiment of a particular community and violating the model code
of conduct. The complaint was filed on the basis of a report published in a
local Hindi newspaper (Azad Sipahi) which highlighted the meeting organised by
a group of social activists.The report is titled ‘If Muslims are not allowed to
contest elections from three seats (Muslim concentrated constituencies), they
will contest elections under the third front’. During the meeting organised on
March 15,social activists accused the Mahagathbandhan (Grand alliance) of
discriminating against Muslims in allotting tickets for elections.Caravan Daily
How media ignored Rajnath’s chilling warning
to India’s minorities or anyone who does not constitute BJP’s vote bank
On Friday Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh
spoke to Times Now channel’s Navika Kumar. Although, the content of this
interview should have caused nationwide outrage and should have made headlines
in every newspaper on Saturday; it went unnoticed by almost all. This caught
the attention of only one journalist, Vijaita Singh of The Hindu newspaper, who
reacted in shock on Twitter.Vijaita wrote, “Home Minister Chowkidar
@rajnathsingh on Samjhauta Blasts acquittal: “sarkaar Kyun appeal karegi? Kya
Karne Ka matlab hai?” 68 people, including Indians were killed but HM doesn’t
want to know who carried out the blasts.”Vijaita rightly highlighted the
extraordinary statement of the Indian home minister, who said that the
government will not appeal the verdict of the anti-terror court in Haryana,
which last week acquitted all four accused in the Samjhauta Express terror
attack in 2007. 68 people, mostly Pakistani nationals, were killed in the
February 2007 terror attack targeting the train linking India and Pakistan.Singh
told Times Now disdainfully, “Those who want to appeal can appeal. Why would
the govt do it. What purpose does that serve?” This was in response to Navika’s
question highlighting that 68 people had died in the 2007 terror attack and
whether India as a country should seek to punish the culprits or not since the
attack had taken place on Indian soil.jantakareporter
Waqf board college scam: CBI searches premises
of AIADMK MP Anwar Raajha
Chennai: Sleuths from the CBI on Friday
conducted searches in three places of A Anwar Raajha, AIADMK MP from
Ramanathapuram, pertaining to an alleged scam in the appointment of teaching
and non-teaching staff of the MSS Waqf board college in Madurai. CBI sources
said searches were conducted in three places in Ramanathapuram, Madurai and
Chennai. In the state capital, searches were conducted in the Waqf board's
office in Mannadi, sources said. In Ramanathapuram, searches were carried out
in Raajha's residence while in Madurai at the college.Raajha had created a
flutter with his speech against the Triple Talaq bill in Parliament last
December, after which the party was constrained to point out that it was his
personal opinion. This is despite AIADMK opposing the bill. The party has
formally announced an alliance with BJP. Raajha has not been given a ticket,
while BJP will be contesting from Ramanathapuram.TOI
WORLD
ISIL defeated in final Syria victory:
US-backed SDF
US-backed fighters in Syria's have declared
military victory over ISIL on Saturday, ending a 4-year battle against the
group that once held territory spanning a third of Syria and Iraq.After weeks
of heavy fighting, the tent camp where ISIL fighters had made their final stand
in the village of Baghouz was bombed to shreds.A field pitted with abandoned
trenches and bomb craters, and littered with scorched tents and the twisted
metal carcasses of vehicles, was all that remained.Half buried in the dirt was
a tattered shred of ISIL's notorious black flag, while a giant yellow flag
belonging to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fluttered atop a shell-pocked
building.An official of SDF announced the defeat of ISIL via Twitter on
Saturday. It is not known whether the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is
still alive or where he might be hiding.Meanwhile, in Raqqa, ISIL worked on
weakening Syrian Army (FSA), which opposed forces loyal to Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad. It eventually ejected the two largest FSA factions at the
start of 2014.aljazeera
ISIL territory '100 percent eliminated' in
Syria: US
US Defense Department said on Friday that ISIL
no longer holds any territory in Syria, according to a White House
spokeswoman.US Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan briefed President
Donald Trump as he was travelling to Florida on Air Force One, spokeswoman
Sarah Sanders said.aljazeera
Muslim countries call for measures on
Islamophobia after New Zealand attack
Muslim countries called for
"genuine" measures against Islamophobia after attack on 2 New Zealand
mosques. Violence driven by Islamophobia requires "genuine, comprehensive
and systematic measures to address this affliction," ministers from the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said in a statement after a meeting in
Istanbul. OIC said attacks against mosques and murders of Muslims showed the
"brutal, inhumane and horrific outcomes" of hatred of Islam.It called
for countries with Muslim communities, minorities or migrants to refrain from
"statements and practices that associate Islam with terror, extremism and
threats" to society.AFP
Erdogan urges fight on Islamophobia 'like
anti-Semitism after Holocaust'
Istanbul : Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on
Friday called on the world to fight back against Islamophobia in the same way
it responded to "anti-Semitism after the Holocaust", following the
deadly attacks on two New Zealand mosques.The Turkish leader has presented the
mosque attacks, by a self-avowed white supremacist who killed 50 people, as
part of a wider assault on Islam and demands the West do more against
anti-Muslim sentiment."Just as humanity fought against anti-Semitism after
Holocaust disaster, it should fight against rising Islamophobia in the same
determined fashion," Erdogan told an emergency meeting of ministers from
the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul.AFP
Pak, Malaysia voice concern on rising
Islamphobia
New Zealand's women don headscarves in
solidarity with Muslim victims
Christchurch : Women in Christchurch wore
makeshift hijabs as a statement of peace and solidarity on Friday, a week after
a white supremacist killed 50 Muslims at two mosques in the southern New
Zealand city.Rafaela Stoakes, a 32-year-old mother of two, said wearing the
Islamic head covering gave her an insight into what it means to stand out and
feel part in the minority.On Friday morning she covered all but a few locks of
her dark chestnut-coloured hair in a loose red and white scarf, crossed neatly
beneath her chin and tucked into a black hiking jacket.She is one of many women
in New Zealand who is embracing #HeadScarfforHarmony, to make a stand against
the hate espoused by the Australian man accused of killing dozens of
worshippers.Headscarves are also being worn as a mark of respect by policewomen
and non-Muslim volunteers directing the crowds around the site in Christchurch
holding communal prayers on Friday.Many are wearing a headscarf for the first
time.AFP
Christchurch mosque reopens amid call for
action on Islamophobia
Christchurch's Al Noor mosque has reopened its
doors, eight days after they were shuttered in the wake of the killing of 50
Muslims in the worst mass shootings in New Zealand's modern history.Officials
at Al Noor, where more than 40 people were shot dead during the attack on March
15, started allowing small groups of people back into the complex to pray and
pay their respects shortly after midday on Saturday.Armed police stood guard at
the gates of the complex, which were lined with flowers and messages of
condolence, and by the mosque itself as returning worshippers and new visitors
entered slowly, side-by-side.Inside, amid the potent smell of newly-painted
walls, visitors passed through an uncarpeted hallway as they headed to the prayer
room, where the dull sobs of kneeling worshippers punctuated an otherwise
pristine silence.Linwood mosque, some 7km away, however, remains closed in the
wake of the attack, allegedly carried out by 28-year-old Australian-born
Brenton Tarrant.Suspected attacker Tarrant, a self-identified white supremacist
who was living in Dunedin, on New Zealand's South Island, has been charged with
one murder following the mosque attacks.However, police said in a statement
last week that the person formally accused of killing had been wrongly declared
dead, adding Tarrant's charge sheet would be updated when he next appeared in
court on April 5.aljazeera
London adopts APPG definition of Islamophobia
London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced Friday that
City Hall adopted All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims
definition of Islamophobia. Khan encouraged the government and other public
bodies to do the same in a bid to tackle "hate crime and the spread of
far-right messaging by also signing up to the wording."City Hall will
become the largest public authority to adopt the APPG definition, which is a
grouping in the parliament of the United Kingdom that is composed of members
from all political parties. Anadolu
Mufti Taqi Usmani survives assassination
attempt in Karachi, guards killed
Karachi: Renowned religious scholar Mufti Taqi
Usmani survived an assassination attempt on Friday as unidentified gunmen
opened fire on two vehicles near Karachi's NIPA Chowrangi, killing two.Mufti
Taqi Usmani's two guards, one a Sindh police official and the other belonging
to a private company, were killed in the targeted attack. The vehicles, which
belonged to Darul Uloom Korangi, were travelling together and were fired at by
assailants on motorcycles.Senior journalist Ansar Abbasi spoke with Usmani
after the attack who told him he was traveling with his wife and two grandsons,
all who remained unhurt. Mufti Taqi further said the motorcyclists fired from
the back at the vehicle and then went forward and fired.IG Sindh Kaleem Imam
said, “Investigations are underway. Counter-Terrorism Department in-charge Raja
Umar Khattab said, "As per initial reports, four terrorists on two
motorcycles fired at the cars."Prime Minister Imran Khan said, "The
attack on an esteemed figure like Mufti Taqi Usmani is a conspiracy,"
vowing to make every possible effort to expose this conspiracy.Governor Sindh
Imran Ismail said, "Maulana had been receiving threats for some time. He
had reported that he had been receiving threats and his security had been increased."geo.tv
Police claim finding 'important leads' in
Mufti Taqi Usmani assassination attempt
Israeli forces kill two Palestinians at Gaza protests
2 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli
forces during the weekly Friday protests in the besieged Gaza Strip, according
to officials.Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the health ministry, said the
two male demonstrators - aged 18 and 29 -were shot in separate incidents near
the Israeli fence east of the Gaza Strip. Jihad Harara was shot in the head
east of Gaza City, while the older man, Nidal Shatat, was hit in the chest near
the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, al-Qidra wrote on Twitter.aljazeera
Pompeo tells Lebanon to choose Hezbollah or
independence
Beirut: A 7-minute media address by US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday was dominated by his country's
preoccupation with Hezbollah and, in effect, its patron Iran.Pompeo read out
his statement during his visit to Beirut as his Lebanese counterpart Gebran
Bassil watched with an unwavering gaze.The top US diplomat minced no words
while declaring the intentions of President Donald Trump's administration to
take on Hezbollah for its "criminal activities and terrorist network"
albeit by "peaceful means".Referring to a recent televised speech by
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Pompeo claimed success of US sanctions
against the group, saying "Nasrallah begged for contributions". Trump
has reversed his predecessor Barack Obama's Middle East policy, abandoning the
much-hailed 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposing sanctions.aljazeera
US slaps Iran with fresh sanctions over
weapons programmes
US on Friday imposed sanctions on 14 people
and 17 entities connected to an Iranian research organisation it said had
played a central role in the country's past nuclear weapons effort and which
remains active.Among those designated for sanctions was the Shahid Karimi
group, which works on missile and explosive-related projects for Iran's
Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, and four associated
individuals, the US Treasury Department said in a statement.aljazeera
Algeria: New opposition umbrella group fails
to reach consensus
Algiers, Algeria - As tens of thousands of
Algerians filled the streets for the fifth week in a row on Friday in an effort
to push President Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power, leading opposition figures
began working on collectively shaping the country's political transition.Echoing
demands of street, the National Coordination for Change (CNC), an emerging
bi-partisan umbrella group, that ranges in membership from socialist to
Islamist activists, has rejected Bouteflika's plan to extend his 20-year rule,
while overseeing Algeria's political transition.This newly-formed group issued
a statement on Monday titled the "platform of change" in which it
urged Bouteflika to hand over power to a temporary collective presidency on
April 28, day on which his fourth term expires.In statement, CNC also called
for the dissolution of parliament and asked the military not to interfere in
politics.aljazeera
Death toll from Russian attacks in Idlib rises
to 15
IDLIB:The death toll from Russian airstrikes in
Syria’s northwestern Idlib province has risen to 15, according to the White
Helmets civil defense agency on Saturday.
Earlier reports said ten people had been killed when Russian warplanes
struck opposition-held areas in Idlib’s Al-Fuah, Khan Sheikhun and Kafriya
districts on Friday. White Helmets sources said 28 civilians were also injured
in the attacks. Attacks carried out by
the Syrian regime and Iran-backed terrorist groups in Idlib’s de-escalation
zone are estimated to have killed at least 166 civilians -- and injured more
than 470 others -- since the beginning of 2019.Anadolu Agency
Death toll from Iraq's ferry disaster rises to
120
The full extent of the ferry disaster in the
Iraqi city of Mosul is becoming clearer.Civil Defence says the number of dead
is now at least 120, while 100 people are still missing.Iraq's Prime Minister
Adel Abdul Mahdi is formally requesting a local governor be sacked over the
incident.aljazeera
Over 20 Chadian soldiers 'killed in Boko Haram
raid'
Boko Haram fighters have killed at least 23
Chadian soldiers, according to military sources, in what appeared to be the
deadliest such attack inside Chad by the armed group.The assault in the early
hours of Friday took place in the town of Dangdala, near the banks of Lake
Chad, two security sources told the Reuters news agency.The attackers were believed
to have crossed the border from neighbouring Niger before launching the
attack.aljazeera
Egypt court upholds jail terms against 262
Brotherhood loyalists over violence
Cairo:Egypt's top Court of Cassation upheld
jail terms varying from 3 to 25 years against 262 loyalists of the Muslim
Brotherhood group over violence.The defendants have been accused of committing
acts of vandalism and violence in response to the security dispersal of a
sit-in in Giza against the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi in July
2013.The court rejected the appeals by the defendants against earlier rulings
issued by Giza Criminal Court, which sentenced 17 defendants to 25 years in
jail, 223 defendants to 15 years and 22 others to three years, while acquitting
115 in the same case.The court also imposed a fine of 39 million Egyptian
pounds (2.26 million US dollars) against the defendants for the damage they
caused to Giza Zoo, nearby Orman Botanic Garden and the opposite building of
the engineering college of Cairo University.Xinhua
Jordan rejects Arab League request to ban
Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas
Jordan has rejected the Arab League’s request
to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas and label them “terrorist movements”,
informed sources told the Shehab agency.The sources said the Arab League’s
General Secretariat has sent a secret letter to the Jordanian Ministry of
Interior calling for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas to be banned in
Jordan.The sources added that two Arab countries initiated the secret request
ahead of the Arab Interior Ministry conference held in Tunis earlier this
month.According to the sources, the Jordanian interior ministry has requested
Jordanian General Intelligence Department’s opinion, which in turn replied that
“the kingdom has no interest in such action” because it comes in the context of
“some countries’ internal escalation” against Muslim Brotherhood and the
Saudi-UAE incitement against the 2 movements.memo
'No one’s safe': Fears grow for four Egyptians
deported from Malaysia
4 Egyptian men have disappeared since being
deported from Malaysia and their families fear they are being tortured in
Egypt,the wife of one of the men has told Middle East Eye. Malaysia suddenly
sent the men back to Egypt in early March, but their arrival was never publicly
confirmed, according to Jodie Harris, the Australian wife of Abdullah
al-Hinnawi, 28, who says they have been kept in the dark. The men believed they
had been arrested as part of common immigration raids on refugees and migrants
living in Malaysia. But shortly before their deportations, they found out that
Egypt had requested their extradition on security grounds.“They can be doing
anything, anything to him,” said Harris, breaking down in tears as she
considered the danger for her husband, who had been imprisoned in Egypt before.
“I already know they hurt him the first time. I don’t want to know what they’re
going to do this time.” “Because they have disappeared, they’re probably in
Egypt and they’re hiding them and they’re doing whatever they want to
them.”Middle East Eye
US: US Spl Counsel Mueller concludes Russia
probe, delivers report to Barr
US Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday
turned over his long-awaited final report on the contentious Russia
investigation that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency,
entangled Trump's family and resulted in criminal charges against some of the
president's closest associates. Report, still confidential, marks the end of
Mueller's probe but sets the stage for big public fights to come. The next
steps are up to Trump's attorney general and Congress, as well as potentially
the federal courts. Justice Department said Mueller delivered his final report
to Attorney General William Barr and officially concluded his probe of Russian
election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates.Mueller
had been examining since 2017 whether Trump's campaign conspired with Moscow to
try to influence the 2016 presidential election and whether Republican
president later unlawfully tried to obstruct his investigation. Trump has
denied collusion and obstruction, repeatedly calling the investigation a
"witch-hunt". Russia has denied election interference.aljazeera
Flash: views &
NEWS
More than five years after riots, Muslims in
Muzaffarnagar debate whether to vote for Jat candidate
Is Kashmir's new custodial death a consequence
of India's military policy?QADRI INZAMAM, trtworld
Chattisingpora: A Massacre, Its Lone Survivor
and Its Aftermath:Umar Lateef Misgar
Dalit Muslim unity will create a new force in
Maharashtra politics this time: Prakash Ambedkar
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:31 PM)
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