NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
30 March 2019: 22 Rajab 1440:Vol: 11, No:163
INDIA
Police registers FIR against Muslim family
attacked by mob in Gurgaon
Almost a week after a Muslim family was
attacked by a mob in Dhumaspur village in Bhondsi, the situation in the
vicinity remains grim and members of the family continue to live in fear. The
family who were planning to put their house on sale and move back to Baghpat, have
now become entangled in fresh trouble. Dilshad, who was injured and roughed up
along with other members of the family on March 21, informed The Citizen that
police have now booked a case against him under Section 307 of the IPC or
attempt to murder. “We were told this morning that a case has been registered
against members of our family under Section 307 of IPC,” he said. The family’s
charges against the attackers has led to nearly a dozen arrests over the past
week. Explaining his vulnerability Dilshad said, “I fail to understand what
kind of system this is. The entire world has seen in a video that we were
roughed up, my hands were broken, members of the family are still languishing
in hospital recovering from their injuries, and now the police has filed a case
against us. This is bizarre injustice.”He added, “It has become a trend on the
part of the state machinery to file cases against families who were victimised
so they give up on their determination to get justice. This happened in
Afrazul’s case, Pehlu Khan’s case, and now we are in the same league.”Another
member of the family reiterated what Dilshad had said, but did not want to be
named, fearing it would create further trouble for her.“We have been living for
more than a decade here, we spent so much money constructing this house, we
have a successful furniture business running here in Badhshapur, but what
happened on the day of Holi shook our faith apart,” she told The Citizen.“A mob
just barged in and beat up us like filth. They asked the members of the family
to go to Pakistan even when there was an Indian flag flying on our rooftop. Now
they have registered a case against the men in our family. We just want to
leave this place and go to our Baghpat, or to any place that is safer for us,
and for people from our community as well. There are just two Muslim families
living here,” she said.“After security being deployed outside our house and
assurances from the police, we had managed so far. But now with a case being registered
against us, we are clear that no one is with us not even police.” Himanshu
Garg, South Gurugram’s DCP, confirmed to The Citizen that a case had been filed
against the family. “Rajesh, the main accused in the [family’s] case alleged
that he was beaten up by the family using a bat and that there was an injury to
his head. We registered a complaint under against two members of the victim’s
family, the original complainants in the case,” Garg said. It was on the day of
Holi that a mob entered a 2-storey building belonging to Dilshad, in which
Mohammad Sajid lived with his wife and 6 kids. Prior to that, according to FIR,
the main accused had approached the boys from Sajid’s family who were playing
cricket, and demanded that they go and play in Pakistan.The Citizen
Gurugram: Cross-FIR filed against victim Muslim
family attacked by mob
Day after cross-FIR, Muslim family packs up to
leave
Gurugram: Muslim family allegedly attacked by
a mob following a dispute over a cricket match on March 21 is planning to leave
the city, citing safety fears, a day after police registered a cross-FIR
against 2 of its members. The two members of the family against whom the FIR
was registered are Mohammed Abid and Aamir Khan, both in their early 20s. Abid
and Khan are nephews of Sajid who was allegedly thrashed by the mob. TOI
China defends blocking Masood Azhar ban at UN after
US'S "hypocrisy" barb
Beijing: Defending its repeated attempts to
block the listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by UN, China
on Friday refuted US allegations that its action amounted to protecting terror
groups from sanctions. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced China of its
"shameful hypocrisy" toward Muslims, saying China abuses more than a
million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist
groups from sanctions at UN. Reacting to this, Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Geng Shuang said that if that is so, the country that had put most
technical holds in 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of Security Council should
have been sheltering more terrorists.At UN Sanctions committee, the practice of
putting technical hold is in line with the rules of the Committee, he
asserted.Without directly referring to US, Geng said, "If a certain
country accuses China of sheltering terrorists by putting technical hold, does
that mean all the countries that put such holds are sheltering terrorists? If
this makes sense then shall we say the country that put most hold is the
biggest shelter of terrorists?"Defending China's move to block Masood
Azhar's listing, Geng said, "China put forward a technical hold with a
purpose of conducting in-depth assessment so as to give enough time and space
for the dialogue and consultation between parties. China is in communication
with all parties to seek a settlement through dialogue. We hope this will be a
common goal of all the members of the UNSC."Asked about Pakistan rejecting
the evidence put forward by India on the Pulwama attack, he said, "1267
committee has detailed and clear stipulation and requirements on the listing
issue." "What China has done is in line with the requirement of UNSC
and rules and procedures of the committee. We are always working in a
constructive manner and stay in communication with the relevant parties and
seek a proper solution.To another question on whether China is preparing to
defend its stand in UNSC when the latest US resolution would come up for
discussion, Geng said, "China stayed in close communication with all
parties on the listing issue. We will act in a responsible and a constructive
manner to participate in the discussion at the committee. We also hope to work
with various parties to seek a proper settlement to the issue", he
said.PTI
Kartarpur corridor: Pro-Khalistan faces in
Pakistan panel, India postpones talks
New Delhi:Hours after India summoned
Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah and conveyed its concern
over the presence of pro-Khalistan elements in a committee set up by Pakistan
on Kartarpur Corridor, New Delhi Friday postponed the second round of corridor
talks with Islamabad scheduled for April 2.It said the next meeting can be
scheduled at an “appropriate time” after receiving Pakistan’s response on
India’s proposals. The move came a day after Pakistan, responding to India’s
dossier on JeM’s involvement in Pulwama attack, claimed it had examined the 22
“pin locations” shared by India but found no terror camp. South Block, which
had expressed disappointment at this response, decided to put off the talks,
citing divergences in the proposals on the corridor and the presence of
pro-Khalistan elements in the panel.Sources said MEA also asked Shah to explain
his country’s stand on key proposals put forward by New Delhi at the last
meeting in Attari on March 14 to discuss the modalities of the corridor.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Faisal called the
postponement of the meeting “incomprehensible”.“Last minute postponement
without seeking views from Pakistan and especially after the productive
technical meeting on March 19 is incomprehensible,” Faisal
tweeted.indianexpress
Kartarpur Corridor: Khalistani in Pak panel
not an issue, let talks take place, says Punjab minister
Chandigarh :With India Friday hinting that it
is likely to reschedule the second round of meeting on the Kartarpur Corridor
with Pakistan, concerns have mounted in Punjab over the fate of the project,
awaited eagerly by the Sikh masses.On Friday, India summoned Pakistan’s deputy
high commissioner amid concerns over the presence of leading Khalistani
separatist Gopal Singh Chawla, a close aide of Hafiz Saeed, in a 10-member
committee appointed by Pakistan on the Kartarpur Corridor, official sources
said. India has also sought clarifications on a number of issues from Pakistan
including association of other anti-India elements like Bison Singh, Kuljit
Singh and Maninder Singh in the project. The latest development has left the
Sikh community wondering over the fate of the project that was not shelved or
slowed even when the tension escalated between 2 countries after Pulwama attack
and subsequent air strikes by India in Pakistan. Work on the project, sources said,
is on in the full swing on the other side of the border.indianexpress
Samjhauta case: Congress vilified Hindu
community for political gains, says Jaitley
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/samjhauta-express-blasts-case-congress-arun-jaitley-5649518/
New Delhi :A day after a Panchkula special
court judge, who acquitted all 4 accused in the Samjhauta Express blasts case,
pointed out loopholes in the probe by NIA, BJP on Friday used the verdict to
target the previous Congress-led UPA Govt .The party said the case had
“vilified the entire Hindu community” as the “Hindu terror theory” was
established to further political gains while the real culprits got away.“To establish
their theory of Hindu terror, a wrong set of people were framed, innocent
people lost their lives (in the blast) and the real culprits were not caught,”
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at BJP HQRS. indian express
Samjhauta blast verdict shows govt has no
respect for institutions: Omar Abdullah
Srinagar : National Conference leader Omar
Abdullah has said reports about prosecution withholding critical information
about Samjhauta Express blast case from the court was a reflection of the
respect BJP-led central Govt had for
institutions of the country.“Judge presiding over the special NIA court has
himself said that the prosecution withheld critical information that would have
allowed a guilty verdict to be passed. Clearly, this Govt has no respect for institutions,” Abdullah
told reporters at a press conference here.Ex-CM said the disrespect for the
institutions was seen across the length and breadth of the Govt . “Whether NITI
Aayog chairman being hauled up by the Election Commission for giving political
statements or the way they have treated RBI and reduced it to a subsidiary of Govt
, rather than an independent body.“We are yet to see a decision from the
Election commission of India where the PM uses a space-related announcement to
further BJP’s campaign. And now what we have seen with courts and the way in
which Samjhauta trial has been sabotaged by withholding evidence,” he said.PTI
Samjhauta acquittals reminder that 'terrorists
of Hindutva variety' not brought to justice: CPM
New Delhi: The acquittal of Aseemanand and 3
others in 2007 Samjhauta train blast case is a reminder that "terrorists
of extreme Hindutva variety" are not brought to justice in India, CPM
claimed.In an editorial in its mouthpiece People's Democracy, the Left party
said that between 2006 and 2008 six "terrorist" incidents were
perpetrated by a network of extreme Hindutva groups, and Aseemanand, Pragya
Thakur and Colonel Purohit were among prominent conspirators." Acquittal
of Aseemanand and 3 others in Samjhauta train blast case is a shameful reminder
that the criminal justice system in India is incapable of bringing terrorists
of the extremist Hindutva variety to justice for their crimes," it said.CPM
editorial further claimed that Aseemanand, an RSS-VHP activist who was earlier
acquitted in the Mecca Masjid blast and Ajmer Dargah blast cases, was
considered to be the main organiser of the terrorist attacks which targeted
Muslim places of worship."Both these cases were investigated by NIA. Under
Modi regime, NIA has the dubious record of undermining all the terrorist cases
related to Hindutva extremist groups," it said. "It was only in this
case that 2 RSS pracharaks were convicted and sentenced to life; however their
sentences were stayed by HC. In the case concerning Malegaon blast of 2008, NIA
dropped charges against Pragya Thakur under MCOCA. But special court reinstated
the case against her under UAPA," it said.PTI
EC gives clean chit to Modi on ‘Mission
Shakti’ address
Election Commission on Friday ruled that PM
Narendra Modi's address to the nation announcing the successful test of
anti-satellite missile (A-SAT) did not violate the model code of conduct
(MCC).In a letter to CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechuri, who had filed a complaint
over the issue, the poll-panel said that the committee headed by Deputy Election
Commissioner Sandeep Saxena had submitted in its findings that the MCC
provision regarding misuse of official mass media was "not attracted"
in the said case.It added that the Commission had accepted findings of the
committee.IANS
Former NSA Menon Says DRDO Head Never Sought
Permission for ASAT Test
New Delhi: Refuting reports that Manmohan Govt
refused to allow the DRDO to conduct a
test of its anti-satellite capabilities, former national security adviser Shivshankar
Menon told The Wire,“This is the first I have ever heard of it. Saraswat never
asked me for permission for an ASAT test.”In the wake of PM Narendra Modi’s
announcement that India had successfully destroyed a satellite in low Earth
orbit on Wednesday, a former head of DRDO, V.K. Saraswat, has implied that the
earlier Govt got cold feet and refused
to sanction a live test. Saraswat, who was made a member of the NITI Aayog by
the Modi Govt , retired as head of DRDO in 2013.He was quoted in Thursday’s
edition of the Economic Times as saying he made a presentation to the previous Govt
but “was not given the go ahead”.
Suggesting UPA Govt lacked “long-term political will”, he said, “I remember
making presentations to ministers and even the NSA but the necessary clearance
never came. No reason was given, there was just silence.”thewire
US knew about India’s Mission Shakti but
didn’t spy on ASAT test: Pentagon
Washington:The Pentagon has strongly denied
the reports that the US spied on India’s anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test by
sending a reconnaissance aircraft from its base in Diego Garcia in the Indian
Ocean to monitor the development.It, however, said the United States was aware
about India’s first test-fire of an anti-satellite missile.“No US assets were
spying on India. In fact, the US continues to expand its enduring partnership
with India, resulting in enhanced interoperability and stronger economic
ties,”US Defense Department spokesperson Lt Col David W Eastburn told
PTI.Aircraft Spots, which monitors military air movements, had said that a US
Air Force’s reconnaissance aircraft from its base in Diego Garcia went “for a
mission in the Bay of Bengal to monitor India’s anti-satellite missile test”.
This was interpreted by many that US spied on Indian ASAT test.“I don’t think
that it implies coordination between India and the US,” astronomer Jonathan
McDowell from the prestigious Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics told
PTI on the Aircraft Spots report.PTI
Farooq Abdullah raises doubt over killing of
40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama attack
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah
on Saturday raised doubt over the killing of 40 CRPF jawans in attack in
Pulwama last month.Earlier this month, the NC leader had said that the aerial
attack was carried out to “rebuild PM Narendra Modi’s image. Speaking to media,
the NC leader said, “How many Indian jawans were martyred in Chhattisgarh? Did
PM Modi went there to pay floral tribute to those martyrs.... 40 personnel of
CRPF were martyred, I have doubt about it.”timesnownews
Centre sets up Terror Monitoring Group
involving 6 investigating agencies in J&K
Jammu: Intensifying crackdown on terror
financing and related activities in J&K, Union Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA) set up an 8-member Multi Disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group, which has
been mandated to take coordinated action in all cases related to funding of
terrorism.Group comprised various investigating agencies including J&K
Police, IB, CBI, NIA, Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of
Indirect Taxes and Customs.The setting up of the high-level Group by the Union
Home Ministry comes at a time when the Central Govt has adopted a tough approach against all those
involved in terror financing including the separatists and the investigating
agencies have attached the assets of separatist leader Shabir Shah, businessman
Zahoor Watali and others in Kashmir.The Multi disciplinary Terror Monitoring
Group will be headed by ADGP, CID of J&K Police as its Chairman and will
comprise an Inspector General of Police from J&K, Additional Director of
IB, J&K, representatives of CBI, NIA, CBDT and CBIC besides any other
member co-opted by the Chairman.dailyexcelsior
‘If Article 370 goes, J-K will renegotiate
ties with India’: Mehbooba Mufti to Centre
Article 370 of the Constitution is a bridge
between J&K and India and if it goes, people in the state will be forced to
think if they want to be with New Delhi or not, Mehbooba Mufti said on
Saturday. She said if Article 370 was scrapped, new conditions would have to be
worked out between J&K and India.In such an eventuality, the people of the
country’s only Muslim-majority state would be forced to think whether they want
to remain with India or not, she said.“If you break that bridge (Article 370),
then you will have to renegotiate the relationship between India and J&K.”IANS
PDP hits back at Jaitley, says Article 35A
‘neither a charity nor a concession to J&K’
Srinagar :A day after Union Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley questioned the constitutional validity of Article 35A, PDP accused
BJP of trying to convert the “constitutional relationship” between J&K and
the Union into an “occupation.”“BJP is trying very hard to convert the legal
and constitutional relationship between J&K and the Union into an
occupation through subterfuge and systemic subversion. It is unfortunate that
Sangh Parivar has fielded one of the better-known lawyers of the country to
oppose the Supreme Court orders, which have upheld Article 35A not once, but
twice in the past,” senior PDP leader and former J-K minister Naeem Akhtar
said.indianexpress
Omar Abdullah Slams Jaitley for Advocating
Repeal of J&K's Special Status
Srinagar:Omar Abdullah Friday hit out at
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for advocating repeal of J&K’s special
status, saying any such talk will raise questions on the accession of the state
to India as well.He told reporters that BJP and its leadership would have to
tread carefully on this issue and the terms and condition cannot be
renegotiated.“If you want to debate Article 370 and Article 35A, then I am
sorry, there will be questions raised on the accession as well, because
accession was on these very terms,” he told reporters. Abdullah said Jaitley’s
claim that poverty in J&K is because of Article 35A is completely wrong.
“He either forgets or has not been informed well enough that before the advent
of militancy (1989) there was no such complaint here. PTI
2 militants killed,5 Armymen injured in JK
encounter
Srinagar :Two foreign JeM militants were
killed and five army men were injured in a pre-dawn encounter between militants
and security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar on Friday.A J&K Police
official said a cordon-and-search operation (CASO) was launched in the Sutsoo
Kalan area of Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar, on early Friday morning.
During the search operation, militants fired at the search party, triggering an
encounter. Subsequently, police confirmed killing of two militants in the
operation.indianexpress
Communal Profiling of Kashmiri Students
Continues in JNU
Communal profiling of Kashmiri students by
senior Professor Amita Singh at JNU is making them vulnerable to physical
attacks and has put their lives at stake, alleged Aejaz Ahmed Rather, a student
of Centre of Historical Studies. In his second complaint to Delhi Minority
Commission, Rather complained that Amita Singh, known for her controversial
remarks against Kashmiris, Muslims and Dalits, continues to target him without
any concrete evidence to gain political favours. She is currently a member of Indian
Council of Social Science Research and Member Secretary of JNU Ethics Review
Board.Rather, who is also the General Secretary of JNU Students’ Union, said
that Singh continues to target him on Twitter despite the commission directing
the university to conduct an enquiry against her after she called him a
terrorist who has committed 10 bomb blasts. He emphasised that he has not been
informed about any inquiry from the administration.The complaint read, "By
such vicious and communal remarks, Prof. Singh is making my life very
vulnerable to physical attacks and has mentally harassed me. In her heinous and
bigoted conspiracy theories, she has falsely chosen to target and involve some
Muslim students from the Centre for Study of Law and Governance (CSLG) where
she teaches. This communal profiling has terrified the Muslim students in
Centre for Study of Law and Governance where she is a senior faculty. The actions of Prof. Singh are defaming the
secular character of JNU for which the University is known world
over."newsclick
Ex-judge Shamsuddin asks Muslims to give up
Babri, wants govt to fund mosque in vicinity
Muslims should give up their claim over the
disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site and agree to an alternate site for
getting a mosque constructed at Govt expense, said ex Kerala High Court judge PK
Shamsuddin in an interview to DNA.The suggestion could have a bearing on the
ongoing mediation being held between Hindu and Muslim parties to the Ayodhya
title suit case as one of the mediators, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has acknowledged
it in his reply to a mail sent by the former judge.This is not a one-way deal,
said Justice Shamsuddin. Simultaneously, the Hindus must give up their claim
over any mosque or Muslim religious property in the country to ensure lasting
peace and communal harmony.The former judge said, "Last week, I mailed my
suggestion to Sri Sri as well as senior advocate Sriram Panchu. I tried sending
my suggestion to chairman of the mediation panel, Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifulla,
but could not locate his email. However, I have received a reply from Sri Sri
stating that he has noted the contents of my mail."According to the former
judge, "Even if the Sunni Central Wakf Board wins in its claim over the
disputed land, it may not be practical to build a mosque as there exists a
temporary structure used as a temple. It is for this reason I propose a four-point
formula."He proposes Muslims to give up their claim to the disputed site
and Hindus to take back their claim over other mosques or properties of mosques
in India. Muslims should be allotted land near the disputed site.The former
judge claims his suggestion has the backing of several other Muslim scholars.
His view is supported by Zafarul-Islam Khan, chairman of Delhi Minorities
Commission, as well. However, not all Muslim scholars favour this move. Syed
Shahbuddin, the former chairman of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat who was privy to
suggestion by Justice Shamsuddin, wrote a few years ago that the mosque site
belongs to Wakf and hence it cannot be shifted to any other place.DNA
Ayodhya Mediation Committee Have Invited BJP
Leader Subramanian Swamy To Suggest A Solution
BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday
said that the Supreme Court appointed Ayodhya Mediation Committee has invited
him to suggest a solution to resolve the Ram Janmbhoomi- Babri Masjid land
dispute. Addressing the media, Subramanian informed that MP and former Union
minister had tweeted this decision:"I will to Ayodhya to appear before the
Mediation Committee set up SC on Ram Temple issue. Dates are in mid
April." republicworld
Bilkis gang rape case: SC asks Gujarat Govt to complete disciplinary action against cops
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the
Gujarat govt to complete disciplinary action against erring police officials
convicted by the Bombay High Court in sensational Bilkis Bano gang rape case
during the 2002 riots.A bench headed by CJI
Ranjan Gogoi said it will hear on April 23 Bano's plea seeking enhanced
compensation. Bano refused to accept Rs 5 lakh compensation offered by the
Gujarat Govt before the bench also
comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, The high court had on May
4, 2017 convicted 7 people -- 5 policemen and two doctors. The top court had on
July 10, 2017, dismissed the appeals of 2 doctors and four policemen including
an IPS officer challenging their conviction by the high court saying there was
"clear-cut evidence" against them.The court while rejecting their
appeals, had said the trial court had unreasonably acquitted them.IPS officer RS
Bhagora, currently serving in Gujarat, was convicted along with four other
policemen by the HC, overturning the trial court order acquitting them.One
policeman Idris Abdul Sayed has not appealed against his conviction.PTI
JNU sedition case: Court says role of Delhi
Police on sanction matter complete
New Delhi : A city court hearing the 2016 JNU
sedition case Saturday observed that the city police’s role regarding sanction
was complete and it will now ask the Delhi Govt about the same.Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
Deepak Sherawat made the observation after being told by police that sanction
was an administrative action and the charge sheet can be filed without that.DCP
of Special Cell of Delhi Police, Pramod Kushwaha, told the court that the
agency has already sent a request to the Delhi Govt seeking sanction.The court Friday pulled up
the Delhi Police over non-appearance of the DCP, who was asked to file report
in the case.Delhi Police had earlier told the court that authorities were yet
to give requisite sanctions to prosecute former JNU students’ union president
Kanhaiya Kumar and others in the case, and it would take two to three months to
procure sanctions.PTI
Dabholkar, Pansare murder: Day after Bombay HC
rap, BJP minister says CM doesn’t probe crime cases
Mumbai :A day after the Bombay High Court
pulled up Maharashtra CM over the slow pace of probe into the murders of
rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, state Education Minister
Vinod Tawde said the investigation was entrusted with the highest agencies such
as CBI and SIT.The party said there is no question of the CM of the state or
any minister “intervening” in the matter.Expressing “shock” over the high
court’s observations questioning the CM, Tawde said:“The HC should give their
observations in writing. It will then bring greater clarity and enable Govt to
respond.”indian express
Mushawarat Delegation Meets NZ Ambassador to
Laud Jacinda Ardern and New Zealanders
New Delhi: A delegation of All India Muslim
Majlis-e-Mushawarat met New Zealand Ambassador to India Joanna Kampkers to
express their gratitude towards the New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and New
Zealanders for showing great sympathy and love towards the victim of
Christchurch terror attack. The delegation which was led by Mushawarat
president Navaid Hamid lauded the leadership of PM Ardern and her handling of
the situation with utmost care and attention. They said that at a time when the
terrorism and bloodshed is normal across the world; Muslim blood has become a
cheap commodity, and terrorism is tagged to Islam, the supportive role of PM
Jacinda Ardern and New Zealanders filled with love and sympathy is
praiseworthy. New Zealand has set an example for world countries and their
leaders.In their meeting with ambassador Kampkers, Mushawarat president also
proposed to call for an international conference over terrorism inviting
political leaders along with religious leaders.“We also proposed to call for an
International Conference over terrorism in which political leaders along with
religious leaders are invited. This issue is not about the clash of
civilization or clash of religion. It is totally a political issue which has
been tagged with religion,”said Navaid.They also invited ambassador Kampkers to
visit New Delhi’s India Islamic Cultural Centre. The delegation was comprised
of Zafar Mahmood, President of ZFI, Maulana Shaikh Asghar Imam Mehdi Salfi,
Ameer, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadeis Hind, Intizar Naeem Assistant Secretary,
Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Mushawarat secretaries Maulana Abdul Hameed Naumani and
Shaikh Manzoor Ahmed.The delegation also handed over a letter to the ambassador
Kampkers in the name of PM Ardern.siasat
Lok Sabha Elections: 3 crore Muslim, 4 crore
Dalit among 12.7 crore voters missing from electoral rolls
As many as 3 crore Muslims and four crore
Dalits are among the 12.7 crore eligible voters whose names are missing from
electoral rolls, claims Hyderabad based software engineer Khalid Saifullah.
Most of these voters have legitimate voters’ ID cards but their names are
missing from the electoral rolls, either due to ignorance or because of
mischief.According to his study, as many as 15% of all voters in the
country—including 25% of the Muslims and 20% Dalits—were found missing from
electoral rolls till the end of February this year.38-year-old CEO of RayLabs
is using technology to ensure that all the eligible voters cast their vote in
the ensuing parliamentary elections. Saifullah has founded the Missing Voter
App which is helping thousands of people to get their names registered on the
electoral rolls.“Huge discrepancies came to my notice during the 2014
parliamentary elections when lakhs of Muslim names got deleted from the voter’s
list,” he recalled, adding that “it prompted me to undertake a study in Gujarat
where names of lakhs of Muslims were dropped from the electoral lists in at
least 16 Assembly Constituencies during 2017 polls. The BJP candidates won with
slight margins of often 3000 votes from these seats.”“When I was analysing the
voter lists, I found, for example, there was only one registered voter each
from over 1800 households in Godhra,” he said, asking, “Is it possible? Where
did the rest of the voters go?”That is when, he said, he started working on a
free mobile App called Missing Voters. The App, according to him, provides the
details of all the street names of constituencies, the number of households and
the number of voters in each household.“The political activists working for a
specific politician or a political party can go to the National Voters’ Service
Portal and apply Form Seven in their name. If I want that Naveed Saab’s name
must me dropped from the electoral list, I can go online and fill Form Seven
that Naveed Hamid saab no longer lives here,” he informs.“Ideally, a polling
booth agent should pay a visit to verify,” he asserted.The deletion of names
from the voter lists, he further said, could also happen because of ignorance.
“Mostly, Muslims and Dalits live in rented houses. They change their place of
residence but don’t change their voter ID cards.”Appealing to the volunteers
and the eligible voters whose names are missing from the electoral rolls, he
said, “Your 20 minutes can decide next PM of the country.”Saifullah, who also
works with the Centre for Research and Debates in Development Policy, New
Delhi, claimed to have done analysis of electoral data of voter lists of
Karnataka also. It helped the state to register 18 lakh Muslim voters who were
otherwise missing during 2018 state Assembly elections, he
stated.nationalheraldindia
Over 10,000 Muslim voters 'missing' from
electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu's Harbour Assembly
Chennai: Over 10,000 Muslim voters have been
removed from the electoral rolls in Harbour Assembly segment of Chennai Central
parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu, a Hindu report stated citing local
MLA PK Sekar Babu.The move was called “unintentional” by the Chennai District
Election Officer G Prakash, who assured to look into complaints of deletion of
voters. According to MLA, he received petitions alleging that the names of
several Muslims in his constituency were missing. After finding the complaints
valid, he appealed to the District Election Officer to include the deleted
names on the rolls again. moneycontrol
Dalit-Muslim union creates a flutter in
Maharashtra
With the BSP-SP alliance also fielding Dalit
and Muslim candidates in Maharashtra, political pundits forecast a tough time
for BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP alliances in Lok Sabha polls.When Prakash
Ambedkar filed his nomination papers from Solapur and Akola Lok Sabha
constituencies as a VBA nominee this week, more than 200,000 supporters
followed him in each town, sending shivers down the political parties,
especially the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP alliances. Prakash
Ambedkar is the grandson of Babasaheb Ambedkar, and VBA is the political baby
of his BBM and Owaisi brothers' AIMIM.This formidable Dalit-Muslim brotherhood,
virtually untested in state politics, though tried out marginally in UP between
Mayawati's BSP and Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP,poses an unprecedented challenge in
Maharashtra this time. Turning the screws on both the opposing alliances by
targeting their support among Dalits and Muslims, the unprecedented VBA
experiment could probably change the attitude of major mainstream parties
vis-a-vis 2 sections.IANS
Amit Shah promises a National Register of
Citizens for West Bengal
Alipurduar: BJP president Amit Shah began his
election campaign in West Bengal on Friday with the promise to introduce NRC in
the State if the Modi govt is voted back to power. Addressing a rally here, he
said the BJP was committed to protecting the interest of ‘Hindu refugees’
through Citizenship Amendment Bill. “Mamataji thinks that infiltrators will see
her through in the polls... We will bring NRC and oust every infiltrator from
the State,” Shah said. “I want to assure all the refugees that the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill is our commitment and Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh refugees will
not be required to leave the country. They can live here with respect,” he
said. While several BJP leaders, including State party president Dilip Ghosh
and State observer Kailash Vijayvargiya, had pitched for NRC in Bengal in 2018,
party had maintained silence on contentious issue.thehindu
No MP from any minority community in
Uttarakhand since last 3 polls
Dehradun: Barring Almora, lone reserved
constituency in Uttarakhand, the remaining four seats in the Himalayan state
have either been won by a Brahmin or a Thakur since 2004 with no member of a
minority community managing a win. In 2004 polls for instance, three Thakurs,
one Brahmin and one SC candidate had won the polls and a similar trend was
observed in 2009. In the 2014 polls, Thakurs and Brahmins had registered a win
at two seats each and the reserved constituency of Almora went to an SC
candidate. According to the 2011 census data, Uttarakhand has 82.97 per cent
Hindus, 13.95 per cent Muslims, 0.37 per cent Christians, 2.34 per cent Sikhs,
0.15 per cent Buddhists, 0.09 per cent Jains and 0.01 per cent Other Religions.
TOI
Sacked BSF jawan says he will contest LS polls
against PM Modi from Varanasi
Ex-BSF man Tej Bahadur Yadav, who was sacked
from service after he uploaded a video complaining of bad quality food being
served to the forces, said he will contest upcoming Lok Sabha elections from
Varanasi constituency in against PM Narendra Modi. Yadav, a resident of Haryana,
claimed he was approached by several parties to join them but chose to contest
as an independent candidate.He said by contesting the elections he would raise
the issue of corruption in the forces.“My motive is not to win or lose. It is
to highlight how this Govt has failed the forces, especially paramilitary
forces. PM Modi seeks votes in the name of our jawans but has done nothing for
them. Our CRPF men killed recently in Pulwama were not even given martyr status
by this Govt,” he said. HT
Akhilesh Refuses To Placate UP Giant Killer
Who Called Off Alliance
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party has officially
confirmed the end of its alliance with an eastern UP party whose giant killing
act on Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat in the 2018 bypolls cemented Akhilesh Yadav's
alliance or "gathbandhan" with Mayawati's BSP.Samajwadi Party chief
Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati had launched a test version of their alliance on
the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats by taking on the BJP jointly in
bypolls to the seats of CM Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Maurya.In a
result they shocked many, the SP-BSP joint candidates had won both seats.The
victory was astonishing in Gorakhpur, where Samajwadi Party fielded Praveen
Nishad of Nishad Party, which has support from OBC Nishad community, on a SP
symbol. Nishad managed to defeat the BJP on a seat Yogi Adityanath held
continuously for over 2 decades. However, the Nishad party now seems set to
switch over to the BJP, in what could be a blow to Akhilesh Yadav-Mayawati-Ajit
Singh coalition in UP. Akhilesh, meanwhile, has announced a new candidate for
the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat - a Nishad community leader from his party. The
developments are in sharp contrast to just two days ago, when Akhilesh held a
press conference in Lucknow, with Nishad Party leaders besides him, and
announced that the Nishad party would be part of the UP gathbandhan. There was
speculation that Praveen Nishad would be given the from Gorakhpur again, but
Akhilesh Yadav did not announce it.But within 48 hours, Nishad Party chief met
with CM Yogi Adityanath and told the media his party was not with the
gathbandhan anymore. ndtv
Lok Sabha Elections: Over 100 Filmmakers Issue
Public Appeal Against Voting for BJP
Over 100 filmmakers from across the country,
on Friday, issued a joint appeal urging the public to not vote for the BJP in
the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.Coming together under a common umbrella called
‘Save the democracy’, the filmmakers have urged the public to choose a Govt that respects the Constitution of India,
protects freedom of speech and expression, and refrains from all kinds of
censorship.The 103 signatories include documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan,
editor Bina Paul, Malayaam director Aashiq Abu, Tamil director Vetri Maaran and
other renowned independent filmmakers like Gurvinder Singh, Devashish Makhija
and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, among others.caravandaily
Minority Leaders Meet to Chalk Out an
Alternative Path to Inter-faith Peace and Reconciliation
New Delhi;Representatives of minority
communities gathered today at Delhi Minority Commission office to discuss the
way forward in the light of ‘Human Fraternity For World Peace and Living
Together,’ the document of peace signed jointly by The Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar
Dr Ahmad Al-Tayyeb and Pope Francis during the latter’s visit to UAE in Feb.Many
intellectuals and community leaders presented their thoughts and visions to
find a way to establish harmony and cooperation among various faiths around the
world. Lakshmi Menon, India Director, Unity Earth and moderator of the session,
said, “We have gathered here to decide on how to build upon the document and
create a national discourse on oneness. We have to think about how to inculcate
the common minimum programme integrated education through resources and to use
the ability of all the organizations present here in order to channelize our
resources. We have to think how do we have to take the message of love and
brotherhood forward. We have to think about a strategy for peace and ensure
that inclusive thinking in not confined to this meeting only.” Jamaat e Islami
Hind Secretary Mohammed Iqbal praised the UAE document and said, “At a time
when world peace is under peril and wars are destroying hopes of peace, the
historical document, over which we gathered here, has shown us the light and
the way forward. It is good that we are here to talk about peace but there many
powerful people out there who are working tirelessly to challenge our endeavours
for establishing a peaceful society, we will have to think about that. Some
people say that religion is the root cause of all evil while the real causes
are anti-human policies of those in power, who use religion to attain their
evil goals.” India Tomorrow
WORLD
Israel to approve 4500 new settlement units in
W.Bank
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190330-israel-to-approve-4500-new-settlement-units-in-west-bank/
Israeli Govt is expected to approve construction of 4,500
new illegal settlement units in the occupied West Bank next week. According to
a report yesterday by Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA), the expected
approvals may be postponed until after Israel’s general election – which is
slated for 9 April – if an ongoing dispute between the finance and defense
ministries is not first resolved.Approximately 650000 Jewish settlers currently
live on more than 100 settlements in Israeli-occupied West Bank and East
Jerusalem..MEMO
Gaza's Great March of Return: Thousands rally
for anniversary
Thousands of Palestinians have gathered at
rallying points near the Israeli border fence as part of a mass demonstration
to mark the one-year anniversary of weekly protests in the Gaza Strip.Dozens of
volunteers in fluorescent vests prepared to restrain demonstrators from getting
too close to the border fence on Saturday morning. Ambulances lined up in front
of clinics and Hamas police supervised encampments erected far from the
fence.Some protesters started approaching the barrier, prompting Israeli forces
to respond with tear gas.The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a press
statement that by 11:30 GMT its medical teams had treated 33 casualties. Of
those, four had gunshot wounds, two were wounded by rubber bullets, 12 were hit
by tear gas canisters and 15 were suffering from tear gas inhalation, it said.
aljazeera
Hamas-Israel 'agreement' on reducing Gaza
tensions: Report
A newspaper affiliated to Hamas has reported
that a deal has been reached with Israel to reduce tension in the Gaza Strip,
as Palestinians prepare to mark the first anniversary of weekly protests along
the border fence with Israel.Gaza's fence with Israel has for the past year
been the scene of mass protests and major bloodshed in which more than 260
Palestinians were killed by Israeli sniper fire and nearly 7,000 shot and
wounded, according to Gaza's health ministry.For months, and through repeated
military escalations, Egyptian mediators have been trying to broker a truce.But
on the eve of the anniversary of the so-called Great March of Return protests,
the organising committee, which is calling for a "million man march"
on Saturday, issued instructions to the demonstrators: stay back from Israeli
guns, follow commands of organisers on the ground, make no aggressive actions,
and don't burn tyres - a sign that an Egyptian-brokered deal was in the works.
"The occupation has to meet this test - to implement the positive
responses we heard from Egyptian delegation," Khalil Alhaya, a Hamas
official, told Al Jazeera. "We, the Palestinian factions and our people,
are struggling to achieve our fair and legitimate demands."Palestinians
with knowledge of the talks told AFP news agency that as part of the proposed
deal, Gaza protesters were to keep away from the fence on Saturday and Israeli
snipers were to hold their fire.aljazeera
Egypt: Daughter of Senior Brotherhood Leader
Faces Extended Stay in Custody
An Egyptian court ruled to extend the
detention of Aisha Al-Shater, the daughter of senior Muslim Brotherhood leader
Khairat Al-Shater. Stretched out to 45 days, the detention extra time was
approved in order to maintain ongoing investigations uninterrupted.Aisha,
alongside her husband, faces charges of belonging to an outlawed organization
and terror funding. Investigations revealed that cell, to which Aisha belonged,
knowingly called for protests with anti-state sentiment. aawsat
Egyptian activist Abdel Fattah freed after 5 yrs
in jail
Alaa Abdel Fattah, a leading pro-democracy
activist in Egypt, has been released from prison after serving a five-year
sentence for inciting and taking part in protests, according to his family and
lawyer.The blogger was a leading voice among the young Egyptians who initially
led the 2011 uprising that ended 30-year rule of President Hosni
Mubarak."Alaa got out," his sister, Mona Seif, wrote on Facebook and
Twitter. His other sister, Sanaa Seif, posted a video on Facebook of Abdel
Fattah playing with a dog. aljazeera
Mortar shell kills 4 school children in
Afghanistan
At least 4 students were killed in Afghanistan
as a mortar shell hit their school in restive Ghazni province, an official
statement said on Saturday. According to the statement issued by the provincial
administration, a boys’ high school in the Andar district was hit by a mortar
shell from unknown direction killing four students and injuring 13 others.It
noted fighting was underway between the security forces and the Taliban in the
area when this incident took place.This came a week after 13 civilians,
including 10 children, were killed in an airstrike by foreign troops in the
northern Kunduz province.aa
NZ rugby player's mother, friend convert to
Islam
Muslim rugby star Sonny Bill Williams’ mother
and his friend have converted to Islam. “Allahu akbar today Sonny Bill
Williams' mother and his team mate Offa Tuungafasi accepted Islam. May Allah
make it easy for them and grant them firdous ameen,” John Fontain, a fellow
converted Muslim and friend of Williams, said on Facebook.“Our boy Sonny Bill
Williams wears his Islam on his chest proud for all to see. It is Islam he
seeks his honour and from this Allah granted him the gift of his mother,
brother and team mate accepting Islam,” he added.Fontain posted on Facebook a
picture of the ceremony at a mosque in which 33-year-old New Zealand athlete’s
mother Lee Williams and his teammate Offa Tuungafasi took the Shahada on
Tuesday.The photos show Tu'ungafasi dressed in white tunic alongside
Williams.aa
Bangladesh court sentences 5 more Jamaat
leaders to death in absentia
Dhaka: A Bangladesh court sentenced 5 men to
death in absentia for ‘atrocities’ perpetrated during the country’s war of
independence in 1971.A special court said the fugitives were found guilty of
serial abuses during the war, which saw Bangladesh gain independence from
Pakistan.Critics say the so-called International Crimes Tribunal, which has no global
oversight, is politically motivated and used to target the opposition.“They
were charged with murder, abduction, looting, arson and rape in Netrokona in
1971,” prosecutor MR Badol said. Prosecutors said the four accused were
connected to Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamic party in Bangladesh and one allied to
the country’s main opposition party.So far, 6 key opposition leaders have been
executed by the tribunal. Govt insists
the trials have been fair and meet international standards, despite strident
criticism from rights groups.
Erdogan says he plans to change Hagia Sophia's
title from museum to mosque:Reuters
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said on
Friday Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia should be re-titled as a mosque instead of a
museum after Sunday’s elections, but did not say whether the status of the
landmark site would be changed.Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was
the foremost cathedral in Christendom for 900 years before becoming one of
Islam’s greatest mosques for 500 years until 1935, when it was converted to a
museum.In 2014, amid rumours of a possible change, senior Erdogan adviser
Ibrahim Kalin said there were no plans to alter the monument’s status.In the
lead-up to local elections on Sunday, Erdogan has appealed to religious
sentiments to drum up support for his party, invoking the New Zealand mosque
killings as examples of the threats faced by Turkey, and Islam.He has also
brought up the issue of Hagia Sophia several times.
Flash:
views & NEWS
Samjauta Blasts Case :'Best Evidence Not
Produced', spl Court Slams Shoddy NIA Investigation [Judgment]
Article 35A became law through constitutional
process. Its repeal will be a blow to federal India: Haseeb A Drabu
Chilling Message from the Acquittal of
Aseemanand in Samjhauta Train Blast Case:PRAKASH KARAT
IG Abdur Rahman paints bleak picture of status
of Muslims in his book 'Denial and Deprivation...'
After Mecca Masjid, Samjhauta blast accused
let off: Poor history in delivering justice to victims of 'saffron terror'
continues
Minorities in a Democracy: Not Just a Numbers
Game:Tausif Ahmad
“Failure” of a Modi campaign: 51% Gujarat men
tobacco addicts, higher than 14 states
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:12 PM)
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