NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
09 March 2019: 01 Rajab 1440:Vol: 11, No:146
INDIA
AIMPLB, Muslim clerics welcome mediation order
but reiterate justice should based on legal position, not on faith
New Delhi:All India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB) and Muslim clerics said the Supreme Court’s decision to send the
Ayodhya dispute for mediation was a positive step which may open space for a
solution. They reiterated that justice should be delivered on the basis of the
legal position and not on grounds of faith. AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali
Rahmani told TOI that they would support the mediation process by putting
across their viewpoint before the court-appointed panel. “In the past, when the
SC asked parties to the case to resolve the matter through mediation, the SC
did not get involved in the process. That has changed with this 3-member panel.
The parties to the case will put their views before the panel and the outcome, a
consensus or otherwise, will be conveyed to the court,” Rahmani said. SQR
Ilyas, joint convener of AIMPLB’s Babri Masjid Committee, said they were always
for mediation and welcomed the decision to make these proceedings in-camera.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind president and AIMPLB’s Vice President Maulana Syed
Jalaluddin Umari reiterated that justice should be based on the legal position
of the dispute. Jamiat Ulama president Maulana Arshad Madani was more assertive
on what they would put on the table. “We will abide by the SC decision. We have
said in the past that there was a masjid at the site which was about 500-600
years old and there was a Ram Chabutra and a Sita ki Rasoi. We want all that
was there should exist and be restored as it was. We said this in the past and
will say the same before the committee. This is our stand,” he said. A senior
member of the AIMPLB and the convenor of the Babri Masjid Action Committee,
Zafaryab Jilani, said he was ready for this and welcomed the move. Muslim
litigant Iqbal Ansari welcomed the decision but questioned the absence of any
local representative in the committee according to a HT report. TOI/ HT
Our participation in mediation should not be
viewed as change in our original stance on Babri: AIMPLB
SC’s Ayodhya mediation team: Rtd Judge
Kalifulla, Sri Sri, Advocate Sri Ram
New Delhi:In its attempt to give mediation a
shot to resolve the vexed Ayodhya issue, the Supreme Court Friday picked one of
its own former judges, Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla, a spiritual
guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and a mediation expert, senior advocate Sriram
Panchu, to sit with the parties and try to reach a settlement. It’s not clear
how the 5 judges on the Constitution Bench decided on these 3 as mediators but
their order noted “having taken note of the names suggested by the parties we
are of the view that the following panel of learned mediators should be
appointed to go into the dispute with liberty to the learned Mediators to
co-opt other members of the Panel, if so required”.All 3 have a Tamil Nadu
connection. Justice Kalifulla,son of late Justice M Fakkir Muhammad, hails from
Sivagangai district. An active labour law practitioner, he was appointed
permanent judge of the Madras High Court in March 2000. He served as Chief
Justice of J&K High Court from Sept.18, 2011 till April 2, 2012 when he was
elevated as a judge of the SC. Along with the then CJI TS Thakur, Justice
Kalifulla delivered the verdict for structural reforms in BCCI in July 2016. At
his farewell, CJI Thakur described Justice Kalifulla’s appointment as Chief
Justice of J&K HC as a step towards national integration. He underlined the
role played by Justice Kalifulla in “restoring faith in the minds of Kashmiris”
by travelling across the state and setting up legal aid clinics. Sri Sri is a
spiritual guru. When Sri Sri attempted to find an out-of-court settlement in
Nov.2017, guru travelled to Lucknow and Ayodhya and held talks with
stakeholders, sants and Muslim clerics, but his efforts did not bear fruit. At
that time, he said: “If this issue has to be resolved forever, the only
solution is that a grand temple is constructed with cooperation of both
communities. This dream could be made true. There is generosity, love and
bhaichara among people of communities and youths in the country.”Senior
advocate Panchu had begun his practice under well-known lawyer Govind
Swaminathan, ex Advocate General of Tamil Nadu. indian express
Muslims
unhappy with Sri Sri in mediation panel
Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, does
not agree with people in the Supreme Court-appointed panel to mediate the
Ayodhya dispute and thinks that this has no meaning. “We do not have any
objection on the names of the people who are from the judicial background but
as far the name of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is concerned, we have serious
reservations as he is a party in this whole issue and his inclination is well
known to everyone,” he said. He further added, “Sri Sri has regularly toed the
line of one side in this dispute and we have not agreed to statements he has
made in the past. I think it’s not worth making a committee with people who are
partial.”Echoing similar sentiments, Mufti Mukarram, Imam of Fatehpuri Shahi
Masjid, said, “The effort for mediation is welcome but my view is that there
should be no one from outside, only the parties to the case and judges hearing
the case should be a part of this process. As far as Sri Sri is concerned, he
is a controversial person and basically, he is an expert in funding. The Art of
Living that he runs is itself under scanner. He is very close to the current
regime and he is basically a political person. With Ravi Shankar in the panel
we don’t have any hope as we cannot trust him.” Mukarram said that about a
month back, Sri Sri sent him a letter. “After reading the whole text, I tore it
off,” he said .He added, “So, my view is, if the parties to the case sit
together, only then there are chances of reaching some conclusion.”Mukarram
sniffs a conspiracy in all this.Senior lawyer Mehmood Paracha has his own views
on this and believes that it will not work. “I only say that it cannot work
because it is purely a legal issue and it has to be decided purely on legal
basis because honorable Supreme Court has itself stated that there are no two
identifiable parties. There is no single individual or party who can claim that
he is the representative of the said community,” he said.Even he is not happy
about the inclusion of Sri Sri’s name init. nationalheraldindia
'Regrettable That Non-neutral Person Appointed':
Owaisi on Sri Sri in Ayodhya Mediation Panel
Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has
said Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a member of the Supreme Court-appointed panel to
mediate the Ayodhya dispute, was "not a neutral person" and claimed
that he had made controversial comments on the issue in the past."Ravi
Shankar had made controversial statements on Ayodhya issue and threatened that
India may become like Syria if Muslims do not give up their claims on the
disputed land," Owaisi said.He had also said Muslims as a goodwill gesture
should give up their claim on the disputed land, Owaisi said, adding he
expected that Ravi Shankar should now act as a neutral person without keeping
anything in mind."When he is connected with the subject matter, when he
had made his position clear on which party's side he speaks... This is
regrettable that such a person who is not neutral has been appointed by the
SC,"he said.Owaisi, however, welcomed the SC order for mediation. "It
would have been better had the SC appointed a neutral person. Even then I feel
that Muslims should go to them (mediators),"HE said.PTI
Hindus are constantly being neglected: RSS
unhappy over fresh SC order on Ayodhya dispute
RSS has criticised Supreme Court for its
decision to call for mediation in the Ayodhya case.RSS said top court
has taken a "surprising stand" instead of accelerating the
process."That the SC should find no priority for this sensitive subject
associated with deep faith of Hindu society is beyond understanding," RSS
said.Saying that Hindus are being constantly neglected, RSS said:"We are
experiencing that Hindus are constantly being neglected. While having full
respect in the judicial system we would like to say emphatically that the
Judgment on the dispute must expedite and remove the obstacles in constructing
a grand Temple."RSS further questioned the apex court after drawing a
parallel to the decision it gave in the Sabarimala case.India Today
Mixed reactions among political parties in
Ayodhya over SC mediation decision
Political parties broadly welcomed on Friday
the Supreme Court’s decision to refer Babri Masjid case to mediation but a
number of Hindu groups opposed the efforts, saying it would further delay any
resolution in the contentious issue.Union minister Uma Bharti asserted that she
stood for building the Ram temple.“It is important to resolve the issue but it
is more important and essential to build a grand temple at Sri Ram Janmbhoomi,”
said BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao. Congress spokesman Randeep Singh
Surjewala said he respected the SC decision. “We sincerely hope that the people
of India will see through the BJP’s duplicity and double speak,” he added. BSP
leader Mayawati called move “appreciable”.Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, which
spearheads Ram Temple movement,said it was not optimistic. “More than a dozen
efforts have been made to resolve the Ayodhya dispute through mediation. All of
them failed due to stubborn approach of Muslim litigants,” said Mahant Nritya
Gopal Das, head of Nyas. RSS expressed its “full faith” in the SC but said the
court “must expedite” and remove “obstacles” in constructing a temple. VHP
termed the process a futile exercise. Hindu Mahasabha, representatives of Ram
Lalla and the seers of Ayodhya opposed Ravi Shankar’s inclusion in the panel
but Nirmohi Akhada welcomed the decision.HT
Imam Bukhari expresses serious reservations
about Sri Sri’s inclusion Ayodhya Mediation Panel
Mumbai VHP's spokesperson: Battle not just for
mandir but 67 acres of Ram's birthplace
It is negotiation time again for the highly
sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue as the Supreme Court referred the
land dispute case for mediation. Mumbai's VHP spokesperson and general
secretary Sriraj Nair said, "The battle is not just for a mandir, it is for
67 acres of land, Ramjanmabhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Ram. Other countries
in the world have demolished symbols and statues of invaders."mid-day
Attorney General does a little rewrite: Statement
that files have been stolen is incorrect
New Delhi:2 days after he claimed in the
Supreme Court that documents related to the Rafale fighter deal were “stolen”
from Ministry of Defence, and threatened to invoke Official Secrets Act and
initiate “criminal action” against 2 publications and a lawyer, Attorney
General KK Venugopal did a U-turn Friday, saying the “statement that files have
been stolen is wholly incorrect”. On Wednesday, appearing before the bench of
CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph, Venugopal initially did
not name the publications but towards the end of the hearing said “documents in
the possession of The Hindu and ANI are stolen documents”. He even said a probe
into the theft was underway.But on Friday, A-G told PTI: “I am told that the
Opposition has alleged what was argued (in SC) was that files had been stolen
from the Defence Ministry.This is wholly incorrect. The statement that files
have been stolen is wholly incorrect.” He said the application filed by ex-Union
Ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and lawyer Prashant Bhushan, seeking
from the court a review of its verdict dismissing pleas for a probe into the
Rafale deal, had annexed 3 documents which were photocopies of the
original.A-G’s turnaround came after his remarks were condemned by press groups
as “reprehensible… threats” with the “potential of sending out a chilling
effect to one and all in the media”. At a briefing Thursday on Cabinet
decisions, Jaitley said “it’s obvious” that “notings” of files of the Ministry
of Defence, which are “sensitive interest to this country have been leaked
out”. He said “don’t forget, we have a very free press in India, we respect it”
and then added “even the framers of the Constitution said national security is
an exception” and it has “never been challenged in the last 72 years”. On the
proceedings in the SC, Jaitley said “what goes on in court, let’s leave it for
the court to decide”. indianexpress
Sitharaman defends AG over ‘stolen’ Rafale
notes
New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
has defended Attorney General KK Venugopal, who argued in the Supreme Court
against admitting “secret” documents pertaining to Rafale deal. Sitharaman said
Venugopal in his submission in the SC meant that the documents cited by the
petitioner was “secret” and not be put out in public domain. She said the
attorney general clarified his statement in an interview with news agency
PTI.“Learned AG told PTI Rafale documents were not stolen from the Defence
Ministry & what he meant in his submission before the SC was that
petitioners in the application used “photocopies of the original” papers,
deemed secret by govt,” she wrote.HT
After A-G’s U-turn, Chidambaram says ‘I
suppose thief returned Rafale documents’
New Delhi :A day after Attorney General KK
Venugopal did a U-turn and said documents related to Rafale deal were not
stolen from the Defence Ministry, Congress leader P Chidambaram Saturday said
he presumed the thief had returned them to the govt.“On Wednesday, it was
‘stolen documents’.On Friday, it was ‘photocopied documents’. I suppose the
thief returned the documents in between on Thursday,” Chidambaram tweeted. He
added, “On Wednesday, the Official Secrets Act was shown to the newspaper. On Friday,
Olive Branches Act was shown.We salute common sense.”indianexpress
‘We kept quiet, but Pakistan began crying at
5am’: PM Modi on Balakot strike
Balakot:PM Narendra Modi said it was Pakistan which
“cried” after IAF carried out a strike at terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed deep
across LoC. He said Pakistan had done its preparation after Pulwama attack
expecting a post-Uri style surgical strike, but “we went by air”.“When surgical
strike happened, we informed the country about it…After Pulwama, we did what we
had but we were keeping quiet. It was Pakistan that started crying at 5 am on
Twitter. Pakistan started crying ‘Modi ne maara,Modi ne maara’ (Modi hit us,
Modi hit us)…But some people, who eat of India but make statements to help
Pakistan,” PM Modi told a public rally in Noida.HT
India carried out 3 strikes in 5 years:
Rajnath
Mangaluru: Union home minister Rajnath Singh today
said that India has successfully carried out as many as 3 cross-border strikes
in the past 5 years, but stopped short of revealing details about the third
military action apart from Uri and Balakot. Rajnath said, "People know
about the surgical strike of Uri and the air strike that the IAF carried out in
Balakot. In fact, we have carried out 3 such strikes in five years. I can give
you details of the two operations. However, I can't disclose details of the
third one," Singh said.He said that Pakistan will have to pay a heavy
price for protecting and providing shelters to terrorists.TOI
Ex- Navy Chief Ramdas writes open letter to CEC
to ‘stop politicisation of armed forces’
Former Indian Navy chief, Admiral L Ramdas,
has written an open letter to Election Commission of India, urging the poll
body to stop the politicisation of armed forces in this year’s Lok Sabha
polls.In his letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, Admiral Ramdas
wrote, “On behalf of a number of my colleagues from the armed forces veterans,
this is Admiral L Ramdas, writing to share some of my concerns regarding recent
instances of using the Armed Forces for political gains, especially in the
aftermath of both Pulwama and the strikes in Balakot and the shooting down,
capture and repatriation of an Indian Air Force pilot.” He added, “I am sure
that you are well aware that the Armed Forces have always prided themselves on
belonging to a structure, an ethos and environment which has been both
a-political and secular. With elections due a few weeks from now, it is
particularly important that there should not be any misuse of these recent
events by any political party to send triumphalist or jingoistic messages which
can influence the electorate.”jantakareporter
Pulwama attack an outcome of match-fixing
between PM Modi,Imran Khan: Congress leader Hariprasad
Senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad has
claimed that the Pulwama attack was an outcome of match-fixing between PM Narendra
Modi and his Pakicounterpart Imran Khan. Hariprasad said that the attack could
not have happened without the knowledge of the Modi Govt .“Ravi Shankar Prasad
should clarify whether there is any match-fixing between Pakistan and Modi. Or
else, without their knowledge this Pulwama instance would not have taken
place,” he said.“If you look at the chain of events that have taken place after
Pulwama, it looks like Modi had a match-fixing with Pakistan people,” Congress’
Rajya Sabha MP added. He further said that this Govt can detect 2 kg of beef in
Kerala but could not detect 300kgs of RDX in J&K.financialexpress
Kashmir
shuts to protest banning Jamaat, slapping PSA against its leaders, Malik: Kashmir
reader
Srinagar: Kashmir Valley is observing a
complete shutdown on Friday on the call of Joint Resistance Leadership.The
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising of octogenarian Hurriyat
patriarch Syed Ali Geelani, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairperson Mirwaiz Umer
Farooq and Yasin Malik on Thursday asked the people to observe shutdown against
the arrest spree, ban on socio/religious organization Jamat-I-Islami J&K, attempts to tinker
with hereditary state subject law and detention of Jamaat (JI) cadres under
Public Safety Act. Reports said that authorities have imposed restrictions in
Maisuma, Rainawari, Khanyar, MR Gunj and Safa Kadal areas of Srinagar city.
Hurriyat (M) chairperson and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has
been placed under house arrest at his Nigeen residence. Geelani continues to
remain under house arrest in Hyderpora locality of Srinagar for last 8 years,
while Malik was arrested on Feb.22 and has been slapped with PSA and shifted to
Kot Balwal jail.Witnesses said that all shops and other business establishments
are shut in capital city Srinagar while public transport is off the roads.
Similar reports were received from other district headquarters.
After ban on J&K Jamaat, Govt set to curb
its online presence
New Delhi:Days after the Central Govt banned the Jamaat-e-Islami, J&K, under UAPA,
the Govt is said to be considering a curb on the online presence of the
organisation, accusing it of using social media platforms to propagate its
ideology and garner support.Based on inputs by agencies, the Govt is set to give its nod to block the
organisation’s website — jamaateislamijk.org — and plans to curb Jamaat’s
social media activities on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, sources said.“While
a tribunal led by a judge will look into the Home Ministry’s ban order, the
Jamaat (JI) is allegedly misusing the social media platforms to build a
narrative against the govt’s order. The notification banning JeI for 5 years
was cleared by Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS),”senior Govt official said.
The JeI’s Twitter handle has more than 5,800 followers, and on Thursday it had
tweeted a photograph showing the organisation’s central offices being sealed.
The post stated, “…Jamaat has already announced to challenge this arbitrary ban
on our right peaceful assembly and religious freedom in the court of law.”On
Facebook, the organisation has termed the ban by Centre as “unconstitutional”
and “undemocratic”.An MHA official said, “This organisation has nothing to do
with the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind [formed at the time of Independence]. In 1953, JI
J&K enacted its own constitution. It is the main organisation responsible
for propagation of separatist and radical ideology in Kashmir valley.IT is also
responsible for formation of Hizbul Mujahideen”In Nov.1997, 7 years after
Hizbul Mujahideen called itself the military wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, Ghulam
Mohammad Bhat, ameer of organisation, had publicly distanced it from militancy.
indian express
Jammu grenade attack accused will turn 13
tomorrow, school certificate shows
Srinagar :The person accused of lobbing a
grenade at the Jammu bus stand, killing 2 people and injuring more than 30, is
a Class IX student who will be turning 13 years old on Sunday, his school
certificate shows. Hours after the grenade blast on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir
Police said that a person from South Kashmir’s Kulgam had been arrested, and
that he was tasked by the Hizbul Mujahideen’s Kulgam district commander to
carry out the attack.On Friday, the school record of the accused revealed that
his birth date was March 10, 2006. “This is to certify that… is a student of
class 9th. His date of birth as per school records is as under 10-3-2006,”
reads a certificate issued by the principal of a school in Kulgam district,
where the accused is enrolled. At a press conference in Jammu on Thursday,
senior police officers led by IGP Jammu MK Sinha had presented the accused
before the media and revealed all his details. When asked why this was done for
an accused who seemed to be a juvenile, the police said they “were not aware
about his age”.“We didn’t know his age and we still don’t know (his age),”
Sinha said. The family members of the accused said he left home on Tuesday
afternoon to visit his maternal uncle. “He spent a night there and next day
(Wednesday) he left, saying he was going home. But he didn’t return. We had no
idea that he reached Jammu,” his mother said. “On Thursday morning, he called
us and asked for a contact number of a relative in Jammu… in a few hours we
heard he was arrested.”Another relative said: “We request Governor Sahib to
intervene. He is an innocent boy. Anyone can check his background. He was never
involved in anything.”indian express
Meghalaya opposition boycotts Governor’s
address over his anti-Kashmiri tweet
Shillong:Opposition Congress party on Friday
boycotted a ceremonial address by Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy on the first
day of the state assembly’s budget session in protest against his controversial
tweets in the aftermath of the attack in Pulwama.Congress leader and former
state CM Mukul Sangma said Roy posted
his comments at a time when Kashmiris living outside the state were being
attacked in some parts of the country.“He [Roy] had tweeted that all Kashmiri
goods should be boycotted and people should not visit Kashmir,” Sangma told
reporters. HT
MHA issues advisory for safety of J&K
residents in other states, tells police to take strict action
New Delhi:2 days after the attack on Kashmiri
vendors in Lucknow, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory to all
states and UTs asking them to reinforce the security arrangements to ensure the
safety of the people of J&K residing in their respective jurisdictions.This
is the second time that a similar advisory notice has been issued by the home
ministry since Pulwama attack.
US issues travel advisory for citizens: Don’t
visit J&K due to ‘terrorism’, don’t go near Pak border
New Delhi : UD Saturday issued a travel
warning for its citizens visiting India due to “terrorism and civil unrest” in
the country. It also asked Americans not to go within 10 kms of the border with
Pakistan “due to the potential for armed conflict.”The level-2 travel alert
comes in the wake of tensions between India and Pakistan.White House bureau
chief Steve Herman said on Twitter Saturday: “US issues Level 2 travel alert
for #India — “exercise increased caution,” warning Americans to not visit most
of Jammu and Kashmir due to “terrorism and civil unrest” and not go within 10
km of the border with #Pakistan “due to the potential for armed
conflict.”Asserting that some areas have increased risk,US asked its citizens
to exercise increased caution in India due to “crime and terrorism”. However,
the country has made an exception for tourists visiting the eastern Ladakh
region and its capital Leh.indian express
Hafiz Saeed ‘barred’ from giving Friday
sermon:Pak
Pakistan Govt has announced that Hafiz Saeed
has been “barred” from delivering the weekly Friday sermon at the headquarters
of his outfit JuD in Lahore in Punjab province.This is perhaps for the first
time in years that Hafiz Saeed, despite being present in Lahore, will not be
able to deliver the Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid Qadsia, the headquarters of
the JuD. Hafiz Saeed was never stopped from delivering Friday sermons even
during the years when Masjid Qadsia’s control was under Pakistan’s Punjab Govt .“As
the Punjab police have sealed the Jamia Masjid Qadsia, Saeed will not be
allowed to enter the premises to give his weekly sermon on Friday,” a senior
official of the Govt told PTI.the statesman
On Women's Day, Pakistan's First Hindu Dalit
Woman Senator Chairs Parliament Session:PTI
Krishna Kumari Kohli, Pakistan's first female
senator from the Hindu Dalit community, on Friday chaired the session of the
Upper House of Parliament on occasion of Women's Day."Chairman Senate of
Pakistan decided to make our colleague Krishna Kumari Kohli aka Kishoo Bai to
Chair the Senate for today on Women's Day, "Senator Faisal Javed tweeted.
Krishna, 40, was elected as senator in March 2018 after spending many years
working for the rights of bonded labourers in Muslim-majority Pakistan. She is
the first Thari Hindu woman to be elected to the Pakistan senate.She belongs to
Kohli community from the remote village of Dhana Gam in Nagarparkar area of
Sindh province where a sizeable number of Hindus live."I consider myself
very fortunate today to be sitting on this seat...,"she said before
starting the session.
Govt brings in Aadhaar authentication for
banks through the backdoor: National Herald India
While the whole media was focused on the
Rafale case and Ayodhya mediation ruling in the Supreme Court, the Govt released a Govt notification to allow for the pricing of
Aadhaar Authentication Services. It will be Rs 20 for each e-KYC transaction and
0.50 paise for each Yes/No authentication transaction. So, Aadhaar no longer is
a social security scheme and with this, it is one more obstacle for the poor to
get their ration or benefit from any of the schemes. “It is not yet clear if
the costs will be passed on to the customers, but the banks have always passed
on these costs to the customer. Banks fool us into believing that we need to
pay for every additional service, including getting a cheque book. When you
deposit your money with a bank, it costs you 3.5%; when you want to borrow from
the same bank, the rate is anywhere between 11-13.5%. The difference of 10% is
the spread that banks are earning on our deposits. This is the highest spread
in the world; in most developed countries, it is as low as 2%,” points out
Sucheta Dalal, activist and editor of Money Life.
Varanasi: Hundreds of Dalits locked for hours
before Modi’s visit
While PM Narendra Modi was inaugurating
“Vishwanath Dham,” the so-called Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on the debris of the
oldest living civilization in the world, residents of a nearby scheduled caste
settlement were virtually locked-up in their premises due to a heavy security
cover.Forget the requests and petitions that they had prepared to present to
their parliamentary representative Narendra Modi about the injustices meted out
to them over the last few months, they were not even allowed to roam freely in bylanes
of their own neighbourhood and were forced to stay back on ghats for more than
a couple of hours during which PM Modi stayed there. Vishal, a youth in his
twenties, says, “Modi is scared of us. That is why he has kept us out of the
premise which he visited.”The plight of forty Dalit families living near
Jalasen Ghat and only next to Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi is a blot on the
development model of Narendra Modi. This is a sordid chapter in the making of
Kyoto from Kashi that has gone unheard in the media. This locality, which is
predominantly SC and a mix of OBC groups like Mallah, Sahni, etc. bears a
single address, CK-10/35. These people are sons of the soil. They do not even
remember the exact generation that they started settling in the area. These are
the real “ghatias” (people who live on the ghats of Ganga) of Pakka mahal, the
local name for the crescent-shaped old Kashi that flourished just on the banks
of Ganga. After hundreds of years, ghatias are now facing eviction due to the
first phase of the so-called Corridor that is supposed to connect Kashi
Vishwanath temple with river Ganga, half a kilometer sloppy stretch. Vishal’s
mother says, “We do not know why to go from here and where to go from
here.”nationalheraldindia
Muzaffarnagar: Youth beaten up by BJP
supporters for complaining about jobs on TV programme
A young student was brutally beaten by alleged
BJP supporters in UP’s Muzaffarnagar district after he spoke about the lack of
jobs to a TV reporter on air. The video that captured the appalling incident
has gone viral. A journalist was hosting an election show ‘Mahaul Banaye
Rakhiye’ for a Hindi channel named ‘Bharat Samachar’. Adnan, a local, was with
his friends when he spotted a television crew conducting a vox pop and decided
to take part in it. The video shows the journalist as he moves around asking
questions and as the mic goes towards the youth, he is asked about the changes
made by the BJP Govt after they won the
people’s mandate in the state.Adnan replied, “Nothing much has changed.” The
reporter was doing an interactive session with the youngsters on issues of the
day.Adnan added that after the BJP come to power in UP, the roads have not
improved and employment has remarkably decreased. As soon as Adnan finished his
statement, a group of BJP supporters also present around the camera swooped
down on him and started thrashing him.The video also showed people calling the
youth a ‘terrorist’.“I was beaten up as I am a Muslim and spoke against the
BJP. I was even called an anti-national. I want strict action against the
culprits,” a report by News18 quoted Adnan as saying.financial express
Protests Break Out After 2 Muslim Youths Are
Beaten to Death in Police Custody in Bihar
In Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, anger is
simmering as people have been protesting since the last two days, demanding
justice and stern action against policemen in the alleged murder of two Muslim
youths in police custody. Protesters have also demanded a high-level probe into
it.However, the district police in a ritualistic action has suspended eight
police men including the Station House Office of Dumra police station (where
the incident happened) and ordered a probe by police itself. Mohammad Taslim,
35 and Mohammad Gufran, 30, residents of Ramdiha village under Chakia police
station in East Champaran district were picked up by a police team from
Sitamarhi on Tuesday night for
questioning in connection with their suspected involvement in a loot and murder
case last month. After that, Taslim and Gufran were detained in Dumra police
station, where they were allegedly tortured and mercilessly beaten by the
police to accept their involvement in the loot and murder case, finally leading
to their death. Taslim and Gufran died within 20 hours after being detained by
the police, raising serious questions on police and embarrassing state
govt.“Police on Wednesday beat Gufran and Taslim till they were half dead and
lost consciousness. After that, they admitted the two of them to a hospital but
soon after both succumbed to their internal injuries. It is a clear case of
murder by police in police custody. How did the two of them, who were healthy a
day before detaining, died in police custody?” Manawar Ali, Gufran’s father said.
Ali said his son Gufran, who is survived by two minor children and his wife,
was innocent and that there is no case lodge against him in any police station
in the district. He said, “Gufran died in police custody after being beaten
badly for not accepting his involvement in a case in which he was not at all
involved.”newsclick
Fugitive Nirav Modi spotted in London,
reportedly conducts business as usual
New Delhi :Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi,
who is wanted in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank fraud in India, is living
in a luxurious apartment situated in London’s West End and running a diamond
business, according to a report published in The Telegraph.A video released by
a UK-based newspaper on Saturday shows Modi, apparently sporting a jacket made
from “Ostrich hide” which costs “at least £10,000” (over Rs 9 lakh), repeatedly
answering “no comment” to every question posed by the reporter.Modi is living
in a “3-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point
tower block, with views across London”, likely to be rented at around £17,000 ,
the report stated.Citing highly placed sources in UK Govt , The Telegraph
reported that Modi was provided with a ‘National Insurance Number’ by the
Department for Work and Pension which allows him to operate online bank accounts
in the country while still being on a wanted list in India. When asked about
this, Modi replies: “No comment”.indian express
RSS top organ meet begins: On agenda –
Sabarimala issue, resolution against Kerala govt
Gwalior:3-day annual meeting of the Akhil
Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), RSS’S top policy-formulation and
decision-making arm, began in Gwalior on Friday and is set to discuss the
Sabarimala temple issue and pass a resolution against the Kerala Govt .Top RSS
leader Manmohan Vaidya told the media: “Sabarimala Temple issue is related to
age-old dharmic traditions. Kerala Govt is committing excesses against Hindu devotees
in the garb of implementing the SC’s decision. A resolution will be passed on
this issue.”indian express
Mizoram Cabinet Approves Liquor Prohibition
Bill
Aizawl: Mizoram cabinet has approved the
proposed liquor prohibition bill in the state, officials said Saturday.The
cabinet meeting chaired by CM Zoramthanga
approved Mizoram Liquor Prohibition Bill, 2019, the official said.The bill
would be introduced in the state assembly during the Budget session starting
from March 20, the official added.The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) had
promised during the state Assembly election in November last year that if voted
to power it would ensure total prohibition in the northeast state.PTI
UP Literary Body Strips Dalit Professor of
Award for Facebook Posts Against BJP
New Delhi: What could you stand to lose if you
are critical of Govt while being employed in a state-funded institution? For
one, parting with a prize.This is what happened to Ravikant, a Dalit professor
at Lucknow university, when a Uttar Pradesh state Govt -sponsored literary
collective withdrew the award it had bestowed upon him for posting critical
comments against the BJP-led Govt at the Centre and the state on his Facebook
page.Ravikant, an assistant professor of Hindi, was nominated for the Raman Lal
Agarwal Prize given out annually by State Employees Literary Association, a
collective of Govt officials funded by
the state.The association was founded in 1996. Since then, it has been giving
away more than 25 awards annually to distinguished literary personalities who
write in Hindi. Of late, it has also started felicitating 2 non-Hindi poets or
novelists annually. Most of these awards are sponsored by the state Govt .Ravikant
was supposed to get the award later this month. But on March 6, he received a
letter informing him that that was no longer the case.thewire
Modi govt’s plan to revive BSNL hits financial
fraud; enquiry ordered in Himachal
Even as the Modi Govt lends a push to minimise
the losses of state-run telecom giant BSNL, an investigation by National Herald
has revealed that the countrywide portfolio of properties managed by BSNL are
being illegally mutated from the Department of Telecom. The allegations, under probe
in Himachal Pradesh, would mean lesser revenues for BSNL, in turn affecting Govt’s
plans to monetise Govt’s assets.Official sources have told National Herald that
the District Collector of Shimla has sought revenue records from concerned
tehsildars to ascertain whether any stamp duty was paid at all at the time of
transferring DoT’s properties to BSNL.nationalheraldindia
Muslims attacked on petty pretexts like eating
beef under BJP rule: Mamata in her book
New Delhi: West Bengal CM and Trinamool chief
Mamata Banerjee has questioned Modi Govt on the attack, in her latest book titled
“India in Distress” that was released here on Friday, in the presence of TMC’s
parliamentary leader in Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien. Writing on the Pulwama
attack, Banerjee sought to know whether there was intelligence failure on part
of the security agencies and if such a threat was discussed in meetings with
concerned officials.“…I was constantly asking myself how such an incident could
happen… Few facts came to me which raised more questions,” she wrote in the
last chapter that was added to the book after Pulwama attack.She goes on to
ask: “Why the standard operating procedure(SOP) for convoy movement including
sanitisation of the entire route was not followed? Why 78 vehicles were allowed
in a convoy movement in a very sensitive zone? Why 'naka' (check post) checking
at the point of barriers on frequent intervals en route was not carried
out?”“It is reported that the CRPF had asked for airlifting their jawans, but
it was not cleared. Why? Who are responsible for such glaring lapses and lack
of coordination? I am constantly asking myself are the jawans and the people of
this country safe and secure in the hands of Govt?” she added.In the book that
deals essentially with the state of affairs in the country under the present
regime in the last four and half years, she claimed that a conspiracy was afoot
to erase the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and secularism was being replaced by “violence
and brutality.”Coming down on the ruling BJP she says, violence is being
inflicted on the Muslim community on “petty pretexts” like eating beef under
the BJP rule. India is being converted into a country of “religious orthodoxy”
and its secular non-violent fabric is being distorted, she has claimed.“It is
as if with the BJP in power, hooligans have got a license to practice violence
and riots. They are not afraid of anyone anymore. We see that violence is being
inflicted upon the minority Muslim communities across the country. We see that
on various petty pretexts like eating cow meat to 'love jihad', Muslims are
being slaughtered in various corners of the country. timesofindia
PFI’s Muslim Political Conclave intervenes
with a Charter of Demands
New Delhi: Muslim Political Conclave, which
was convened in New Delhi by PFI, has urged all the political parties which are
concerned with minority rights to respond positively and include those demands
in their election manifesto.The conclave has also appealed to the people,
especially minority community voters to watch and evaluate the response of
contesting political parties and candidates to this Charter of Demands while
exercising their franchise in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. As a follow up of the
Conclave, efforts will be taken to include these Charter items in the agenda of
political parties and to make the voters alert about their rights. siasat
WORLD
Palestinian protester shot in head near Gaza
border: ministry
Israeli forces have shot and killed a
Palestinian man and wounded more than 40 as thousands protested near the Gaza
Strip's perimeter fence, enclave's health ministry has said. Tamer Arafat, 23,
died from his wounds on Friday during 50th week of demonstrations, said Ashraf
al-Qidra, the spokesman for the ministry. Qidra also said that 48 Palestinians
had been wounded by Israeli gunfire, including four medics, 2 women and 15
children. Israeli military said over 8,000 Palestinians took part in the
demonstration, throwing rocks and explosives towards soldiers, and that some
tried to breach the fence into Israel.A spokesman for military said Israeli
forces "responded with riot dispersal means and fired in accordance with standard
operating procedures".aljazeera
Israel's Checkpoint 300: Suffocation and
broken ribs at rush hour
Bethlehem: Frantic clamoring disrupts the
usual noises at Israel's Checkpoint 300 in northern Bethlehem city, where
thousands of Palestinian workers queue for hours, starting at 3am, to make it
on time for their jobs in Israel. Workers chat, bicker, joke, frustratingly
shout, bang on the steel bars, and rattle the turnstiles that Israeli border
police officials intermittently lock amid the heavy traffic."He has
fainted. Everyone move! Call an ambulance!" The crowd becomes louder as a
young man is carried outside the checkpoint. Numerous workers surround the
man's limp body stretched out on the ground, and others attempt to resuscitate
him - to no avail.Several of the bystanders shout: "Move, move! Make room!
Let the journalist film! Show the world what is happening to us," as they
push people aside to create a cleared space for Al Jazeera to photograph the
scene.An ambulance arrives, and the young man is lifted onto a gurney and
rushed to the hospital. The workers continue on through the single cement lane,
sipping on small paper cups of coffee to push past their exhaustion. One worker
looks at Al Jazeera and says: "Israel treats animals better than
us."It's a typical morning at Checkpoint 300.Palestinians have long
complained of the volatile conditions at the checkpoint - also referred to as
the Gilo checkpoint.Al Jazeera
Hamas says to vie in elections under unity
gov't
Palestinian group Hamas said Saturday it was
ready to take part in presidential and legislative elections under the
supervision of a national unity govt. On Friday, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh met
with election commission head Hanna Nasser to discuss proposals for holding Palestinian
polls. "Hamas told Nasser of the
group's agreement to participate in presidential and legislative polls, to be
supervised by a national unity Govt," spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua
said. He said Hamas also suggested holding elections of the Palestinian
National Council, the legislative body of the umbrella PLO. "Hamas is also
ready to implement the 2011 reconciliation agreement," he said, adding
that his group was "open to all solutions that serve the Palestinian
people." Anadolu
100 civilians killed,wounded every week in
Yemen: UN
Almost 100 civilians were either killed or
wounded every week in Yemen last year, with children accounting for a fifth of
all casualties, the UN has said. According to figures released by the world
body's refugee agency on Thursday, more than 4,800 civilian deaths and injuries
were reported over the course of 2018,Children accounted for 410 deaths and 542
injuries, UNHCR said. Relying on open source data for its findings, the agency
noted that nearly half of all the casualties - 48 % - were reported in the
western city of Hodeidah, whose strategic port has been the scene of fierce
fighting between Houthi rebels and Saudi-UAE-backed fighters supporting Yemen's
Govt.aljazeera
Malaysia denounced over detention of Egyptian
president Sisi's critics
Human rights bodies have criticised Malaysian
authorities for detaining four Egyptians critical of President Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi with the intention of returning them to Egypt.Describing the move as a
violation of human rights law and legal procedure, groups expressed fear the
Egyptians will face severe punishment back home.An official at Malaysia's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday that 4 Egyptians had been
detained in an operation by Special Branch, the intelligence arm of the
country's police, and the immigration department. The source, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the men were not registered as refugees."We
can confirm the four have been arrested under SOSMA,"official said.aljazeera
Report: Female Palestinian refugees repeatedly
raped in Syria prisons
Families of female Palestinian prisoners in
Syrian jails have said that their daughters were repeatedly raped and severely
tortured, but their plight is being ignored. According to the Task Group for
Palestinians in Syria, the families sent a message to international bodies and
rights groups criticising the negligence surrounding the issue, Shehab reported
yesterday.Task Group – which received a copy of the message – said that the
families called for international bodies and rights groups to work towards
stopping torture and violations inflicted on their daughters inside Syrian
intelligence services prisons, as well as to do their best to release
them.Ex-female prisoners have said that they were subject to “all form of
torture inside Syrian prisons, including electrocution, hanging, being beaten
with iron poles and whips, as well as being repeatedly raped by their
jailers”.Sources have documented 1,730 Palestinian refugees inside Syrian jails,
including 110 women, stating that they do not have any information about their
situation.MEMO
Blackwater founder Erik Prince acknowledges
2016 Trump Tower meeting for first time
Erik Prince,founder of the private US security
company Blackwater, has admitted to meeting with members of Trump campaign in
Aug.2016 after, according to a public transcript, apparently failing to
disclose the gathering during his testimony in front of the House Intelligence
Committee last year. When asked by Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera's programme about
the August 3, 2016, Trump Tower meeting that reportedly took place between
Prince, Donald Trump campaign officials, an Israeli social media specialist and
an emissary for 2 Gulf princes, former Blackwater CEO did not deny the meeting
took place."We were there … to talk about Iran policy," Prince said
when pressed by Hasan. According to NYT, that meeting was attended by Prince,
Donald Trump Jr, George Nader, ex Blackwater employee and emissary for crown
princes of Saudi Arabia and UAE, Stephen Miller, then a top aide to Trump campaign
and currently a senior policy adviser to the president and Joel Zamel, whose
company Psy-Group employed former Israeli intelligence operatives and
specialised in social media manipulation and was reportedly contacted by Rick
Gates, a top Trump campaign official, for proposals for social media
manipulation to help Trump win the election. Prince, however, apparently did
not disclose information about the meeting when testifying before House
Intelligence Committee on Nov.30, 2017, according to a public transcript. aljazeera
Algeria: Deputies resign from ruling party,
join protests against President Bouteflika
Several deputies have resigned from Algeria’s
ruling National Liberation Front (NFL) and joined the protests. Algerian
authorities stopped train and metro services in the capital Algiers yesterday
amid tight security measures, as thousands of demonstrators gathered in the
centre of the city, chanting slogans against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s
intention to run for a fifth term in office, according to AFP.At noon, men and
women raising Algerian flags continued to gather at the Grand Post Office
square in the heart of the capital.This was the third week of mass protests,
the biggest challenge to the 82-year-old president who has ruled the country
for 20 years and is running on 18 April to win a new term.Tens of thousands of
Algerians are demanding that Bouteflika step down, fed up with the dominance of
veterans who fought the War of Independence from France between 1954 and 1962.
However, despite his deteriorating health, Bouteflika has vowed to run again
for the presidency.On Sunday, the Algerian president issued his first warning
to protesters, saying that unrest could destabilise the country.Bouteflika, who
is currently in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, has now spoken in public
since he had a stroke in 2013.middleeastmonitor
Algerians mobilise for mass anti Prez protests
Just 1 Drink a Day May Increase High Blood
Pressure Risk:New Study
Moderate alcohol consumption is thought to be
heart healthy, but a new study suggests that the truth is more complicated. Even
moderate alcohol consumption appears to raise the risk of high blood
pressure.Drinking alcohol, even in moderation, may increase your risk of developing
high blood pressure, say researchers.Yes, this is the same “moderate” that
we’ve been told many times before is heart healthy.While earlier research has
suggested that light and moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of dying
from cardiovascular disease, a new study has a different finding.The new study
was presented today at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual
Scientific Session. It included data from 17,059 US adults who took part in the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1988 and
1994.healthline.com
Flash: views &
NEWS
Can parties in Ayodhya dispute display spirit
of accommodation needed to make mediation a success? Faizan Mustafa, indian
express
SC-mandated mediation in Ayodhya dispute must
not be a substitute for due process:indian express Editorial
SC sending Ayodhya dispute to mediators could
be harbinger of a win-win situation for both sides: Sanjay R Hegde, indian
express
'Overarching Climate of Fear in the Media
Ecosystem': N. Ram of The Hindu
Why Hindutva Nationalists Need a
Sadhguru:Angshuman Choudhury
Gujarat: 3,565 EVMs, 2,594 VVPATs for Lok
Sabha polls found defective
How ex PMs, spiritual gurus have failed to
resolve Ayodhya dispute:M Tariq Khan
With Congress increasingly becoming BJP minus
hate, it cannot be the first choice for UP’s Muslims:Ajaz Ashraf
How Children are being divided along communal
lines after Pulwama incident: Nikhat Fatima
Pulwama attacks aftermath: Othering,
civilising processes and life as an Indian Muslim today:Misria Ali, firstpost
Muslims Attacked on Petty Pretexts Like Eating
Beef Under BJP Rule: Mamata Writes in Her Book
Is BJP using a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami to prove
its toughness in Kashmir?Suhail Bukhari
Anti-Pak wave helps Modi salvage some votes
from unhappy farms:Rajendra Jadhav, Reuters
SC Has Ordered Mediation But the Modi Govt
Wants Ayodhya Pot Boiling:Advocate M.R. Shamshad
TIFR crisis: Modi’s surgical strike on science
and rational thinking:Gauhar Raza
A Second Term for Modi? Academicians Remain
Divided on Their Stand Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls:Eram Agha | News18.com
By design and delusion, the project to
radicalise Hindu India gains momentum:Samar Halarnkar
15 months ago, Sri Sri’s Ayodhya solution: A
temple constructed with cooperation of both communities
Ayodhya: Judge who ‘restored faith in mind of
Kashmiris’
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:08 PM)
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