NEWS
DIGEST, EVENING
24 April 2019: 18 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:184
INDIA
CJI sexual harassment issue: SC Spl Bench
calls confidential meeting with CBI, Delhi Police, IB chiefs
A Special Bench of the Supreme Court, led by
Justice Arun Mishra, on Wednesday ordered the CBI Director, Delhi Police
Commissioner and the IB chief to assemble at the judges’ chambers for a
confidential meeting on the claims made by an advocate that the sexual
allegations levelled against CJI Ranjan Gogoi is a part of a “larger
conspiracy” to frame him (CJI) in a false case and make him resign.Explaining
why the three top officials have been called,Justice Mishra said “this is not
just an inquiry, this is something more...We will not reveal anything.This will
be kept totally a secret.”The Bench, also comprising Justices Rohinton Nariman
and Deepak Gupta, ordered the Delhi Police to provide lawyer Utsav Singh Bains
"full protection" so that no one approaches him to either influence
or threaten him and the evidence he has with him of the conspiracy afoot is
kept safe. Bains, in his affidavit filed on April 22,said he was approached by
a man who identified himself to be a relative of the former SC employee who has
levelled the charge against CJI. This man, Bains claimed, offered him up to Rs.
1.5 crore to file the false case. The person, however, turned evasive when
asked by Bains to be specific about his relationship with the woman. The lawyer
said he had reliable information that a larger plot was up against the CJI in
which “fixers” in a “cash for judgment racket” were involved.Justice Mishra,
speaking for the Bench after reading Bains' fresh affidavit, said if the
contents of the affidavits were true, "then this is really very
disturbing".The judge went on to observe how CJI had been leading the
court with a sense of courage and independence, and how his independent nature
must be irking certain quarters. Justice Mishra referred to the recent
dismissal of court staffers Manav Sharma and Tapan Chakravarthy for doctoring a
court order in a contempt case between Anil Ambani and Ericsson in this
context. Bains said he had “specific information” on how the “larger
conspiracy” was planned.He objected to any possible move to involve CBI in the
case. “CBI is used a political tool...I want a judicial inquiry. I have brought
all this evidence before the court as an officer of the court. I have no other
interest in this," he submitted. thehindu
Over 250 women lawyers and academics appeal to
SC for fair probe on CJI sexual harassment case
In a letter addressed to the Judges of the
Supreme Court of India dated Tuesday April 24, 2019, over 250 women lawyers and
academics made an appeal to the apex court for a fair probe on the allegations
of sexual harassment raised by a former employee against Chief Justice of India
Ranjan Gogoi.thehindu
Interpol takes up India’s red notice on Zakir
Naik:HT
New Delhi:A high-powered panel of global law
enforcement body Interpol last week took up India’s request for issuing a
so-called red notice against Dr Zakir Naik, according to 2 Indian officials
aware of the development who asked not to be named.Red notices are requests
issued to Interpol’s 194 member states worldwide to locate and provisionally
arrest fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence.The
Interpol panel took up India’s request as NIA has been trying have Naik
declared as an international fugitive.The preacher lives in Malaysia, where he
has permanent residency. According to one of officials, the Commission for the
Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) met on April 19 to discuss India’s
request.Interpol cancelled a red notice against Naik in 2017 as he was yet to
be charged in India then.The government has attached Naik’s properties since he
fled India. His IRF has been banned and some of his associates have been
arrested.Attempts to reach Naik for comment were unsuccessful.HT
US to India: Helping you on Masood Azhar, so
end Iran oil imports
With the White House announcing the end of the
waiver to buy Iranian oil, Washington has conveyed to Delhi that it has stood
by India on combating terrorism after Pulwama attack and expects reciprocity on
President Donald Trump’s commitment to disrupt Iran’s terror network, Indian
Express has learnt.In its conversation with Delhi, Trump administration has
also assured that the exemption of the development of the Chabahar port project
will continue, though its decision to halt the waiver on oil imports to India
is guided by its objective of “changing the Iranian regime’s malign behaviour”.
Moving to squeeze Iran’s top export, White House Monday said it will no longer
grant sanctions exemption to Iran’s oil customers. The waiver for India runs
out on May 1, and from May 2, India cannot import oil from Iran, or its
state-owned or private entities will face US sanctions.Hectic consultations are
underway between India and US officials, with a top US State Dept.official, Alice
Wells, visiting India currently to discuss the issue with Indian
interlocutors.US has told Indian officials that the policy is designed to put
“maximum pressure” on Iran, and is not targeted against India.indianexpress
India to observe US sanctions on Iranian oil,
will buy from other oil producing nations
New Delhi : India said it will buy crude oil
from other major oil producing countries in view of the US’ decision this week
to end waivers that allowed it to buy Iranian oil without facing US
sanctions.External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said the government
would continue to work with partner nations, including the US, to find ways to
protect India’s energy and economic security interests.India bought 23.6
million tons of Iranian oil in the financial year ending in March 2019, said YK
Baweja, Petroleum Ministry spokesman. He did not give details of India’s plans
after the US waiver ends on May 2. Iran was the third largest oil supplier for
India after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Imports account for more than 80 per cent of
India’s oil needs.AP
J-K Police arrest PhD scholar from Bhatinda on
terror link suspicion
Bhatinda (Punjab): J&K Police have
arrested a student of Central University of Punjab in Bhatinda on suspicion of
his involvement in alleged terror activities.According to Punjab Police, arrested
student has been identified as Hilal Ahmed who is pursuing PhD from the
university."5 cops including a DSP (J&K) had come to the university to
arrest a 22-year-old PhD student," Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh said
Tuesday.An arrest warrant was issued against the student, a resident of J&K.ANI
Yasin Malik sent to judicial custody till May
24, Mufti appeals for his release
New Delhi : A Delhi court today sent JKLF
chief Yasin Malik, arrested in connection with terror funding case, to judicial
custody till May 24. Tihar jail authorities have also moved an application
seeking direction to produce Malik through video conferencing due to security
concerns.Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had also appealed to Centre
Wednesday to immediately release Malik due to his ailing health. “Also other
members of Jamaat-e-Islami should be released. Sadhvi Pragya on whom there are
several serious accusations has been set free,” she further said. The family of
Malik, said, that JKLF chief had fallen ill and was shifted to a Delhi hospital
after he went on a hunger strike to protest against his “illegal”
detention.indian express
No one ready to take over JeM leadership in
Kashmir: Army
New Delhi : Calling it a healthy sign, Indian
Army today said that there had been a decline in the recruitment of local
Kashmiri people in terror outfits after the recent crackdown on militancy by
the forces.The state police and Army, DGP in J&K Dilbag Singh said, “Recruitment
of local youth continues to be low, it is a healthy sign. 272 terrorists were
eliminated in the state during 2018 and a large number were apprehended.”
indianexpress
Geelani's son questioned by NIA in terror
funding case
New Delhi:Nayeem Geelani, son Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, appeared before NIA for questioning in connection with a case related
to funding of terror groups and separatist organisations in J&K, officials
said here.Nayeem, who had been evading questioning by NIA for long, appeared on
Monday and a detailed questioning took place on Tuesday. His questioning comes days after NIA quizzed Mirwaiz
Umer Farooq in the same case.PTI
‘Cannot stop Sadhvi Pragya from contesting
polls, let EC decide’: NIA court
New Delhi :The special NIA court Wednesday
rejected a plea to bar 2008 Malegaon blasts accused and BJP candidate Sadhvi
Pragya Thakur from contesting the Lok Sabha elections, citing that it is for
the electoral officers to take a call on the matter.“In the ongoing elections,
the court does not have any legal powers to prohibit anyone from contesting the
polls. It is the job of electoral officers to decide. This court cannot stop
the accused number 1 from contesting the polls. This application is negated,”
the court said. “At this juncture, NIA cannot state that there is no prima
facie case against the accused as NIA has not challenged the order (rejecting
discharge of the accused) before the high court,” it added. Indianexpress
Mumbai residents pay respect to Karkare,
condemn ‘distasteful’ remarks by Sadhvi Pragya
Mumbai: In the light of BJP Bhopal candidate
Pragya Thakur’s “distasteful remarks” against slain cop Hemant Karkare, who was
the chief of the state’s ATS, residents gathered to pay their respects to the
“city’s hero” who was killed in the Mumbai attack in 2008. Thakur is an accused
in Malegaon bombings.Dr Archana Amoulik from Chembur said, “Instead of going to
my clinic, I came here after I received a WhatsApp message about the protest. Karkare
gave his life for city’s safety.” Sanjeev Batra, a consultant based out of
Worli, heard of the gathering through friends. “Karkare is our hero. He
received the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award. On the one
hand you honour him and on the other, you have this person, contesting the
elections, who is badmouthing him. I wanted to express solidarity and took the evening
off to be here,” he said. Activist Teesta Setalvad, who was also present at the
spot, said she remembered when Karkare’s funeral took place, 25,000 Mumbaikars
had assembled and accompanied IPS officer on his final journey from his Dadar
home to Shivaji Park. “It was not a planned thing. That was the gratitude
Mumbaikars felt for him,” Setalvad said, adding, “in the aftermath of the 1993
riots when there was a trust deficit in police-public relations, it was
officers like Julio Ribeiro, Satish Sahney and Karkare, who healed relations.
To hear such venomous remarks about him for political gain is really
sad.”Retired High Court judge Justice Abhay Thipsay, a member of Congress,
said, “This protest was not an organised one. It is just a simultaneous
outpouring after hearing such comments. Pragya Thakur, a terror accused, is
making such statements; it’s a sad state of affairs.”indianexpress
A suspect held in Delhi
New Delhi: The suspect identified as Mohd
Faiz, resident of Jafrabad in Delhi, is the 14th accused to have been arrested
in an IS module case, NIA said. Faiz will be produced before a special NIA
court in Delhi today. NIA claimed that he is one of the key conspirators in
planning to carry out attacks in Delhi NCR and UP, surfaced during
investigations.According to NIA, Mufti Mohd alias Suhai, resident of Jafrabad,
Seelampur, Delhi, was the Amir of pro-IS module, who mobilized funds and
procured weapons, ammunition and explosive materials to prepare
IEDs.economictimes
People have right to ask what we did in
Balakot: Hamid Ansari
Former Vice President Hamid Ansari has said
every citizen had the right to question the military and the govt. In an
interview to Tiranga TV, Ansari said it was the government’s responsibility to
answer such queries. His comments come after much speculation and Opposition
criticism for the government on the strike on Balakot, Pakistan. Asked if it
was anti-national or unpatriotic to question the military or the government,
Ansari said, “Of course it is the right of any citizen to question the
performance particularly on matters that relate to foreign policy and defence.”
Since Balakot strike on Feb.26, the government has criticised the Opposition
for questioning its impact. “There is now so much of evidence available from
credible bodies outside the country that you cannot brush it under the
carpet.”Asked about claims that India did not shoot down Pakistan’s F-16 plane,
Ansari said: “If I have claimed that I have shot a tiger on a tiger hunt,
surely I have to produce the tiger.” He said there was no harm in finding out
answers to such questions in a democracy. “I don’t know the technicalities of
the Air Force,” he said. “One side claims it has shot down a plane the other
side says it has not shot down a plane then surely there is something which is
in between.”He said Modi-led govt is “some distance away” from fulfilling
promises it had made in 2014. He said the five years of Modi government was a
mixed record and that the general perception was that it has let people
down.scroll
Apoorva Shukla Tiwari, wife of ND Tiwari’s son
Rohit Shekhar, arrested for husband’s murder
The Delhi Police has arrested Apoorva Shukla
Tiwari, the wife of former Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND
Tiwari’s son Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, for her husband’s murder. The Delhi Police
had questioned her for three days in a row.Rohit’s dead body was brought to
Delhi’s Max Hospital in Saket last week. He was alleged to have been killed
after allegedly being suffocated with a pillow. He had travelled to Uttarakhand
to cast his vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls before returning to
Delhi on 12 April.jantakareporter
ELECTIONS
Opposition demand 50% VVPAT vote count, to
approach SC
Mumbai :Opposition parties have renewed their
demand for verifying 50 per cent of the VVPAT voter slips with the EVMs, and
announced plans to launch a fresh challenge in the Supreme Court on the
issue.Coinciding with the third phase of polling in the country, leaders of
major national opposition parties addressed a joint press conference here,
contending that " EVMs are susceptible to malfunctioning, manipulations
and hacking". Making a PowerPoint presentation to prove his contentions,
TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said the 23 major
opposition parties will file a review plea in the apex court on the EVM-VVPAT
issue and back it up with other petitions soon."What we are demanding is
something that can be done... it is easily achievable," Naidu said.IANS
Delhi CEO writes to Delhi govt seeks report
about 'increase' in honorarium for imams
New Delhi:Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi has
sought a factual report from the revenue secretary over allegations that Delhi
Waqf Board increased honorarium for imams after the Model Code of Conduct for
Lok Sabha election came into effect, officials said."We have asked for a
factual report from the Revenue Secretary. There has been a complaint and we
have asked whether there has been such a measure undertaken by the Waqf Board
during the Model Code of Conduct. A reply is awaited from them,"an
official said. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijedner Gupta said
AAP chief had announced increasing the honorarium in Jan.this year in the hope
of getting political mileage. Waqf Board chairman implemented the decision
during the operation of Model Code of Conduct, Gupta alleged. PTI
Gujarat: Low turnout in Muslim-dominated
localities
Muslim men and women queued at polling booths
in Juhapura, one of the largest Muslim ghettoes in India, and in the walled
city areas. The walled city, however, saw the lowest turnout in Ahmedabad West
seat. Booths in the Dariapur assembly segment also saw low turnout till the
afternoon, which picked up somewhat later in the day. However, turnout in
Muslim-dominated areas was lower than average for the parliamentary
constituency. The Jamalpur-Khadia assembly segment, where Muslims make up a
majority, saw a turnout of just over 52%, against the 58% average for Ahmedabad
West. Similarly, the Vejalpur assembly segment, includes most of
Juhapura-Sarkhej, saw a 60% turnout, against the nearly 65% turnout for the
Gandhinagar LS seat. TOI
West Bengal: BJP's Muslim faces chose not to
campaign on triple talaq plank
Kolkata :Hoping to break the party's
anti-minority image with their messaging, BJP's two Muslim candidates say their
outreach was not based on the triple talaq poll plank but on issues such as
domestic violence and the need to educate women in the community. Humayun
Kabir, contesting from Murshidabad Lok Sabha seat, and Mafuja Khatun, who is
fighting from Jangipur, are the party's only two Muslim candidates in its list
of 42 for the state. While Kabir is a former TMC minister, Mafuja is a 2-time
CPI(M) MLA. Both Jangipur and Murshidabad are voting on Tuesday in the third
round of the 7-phase election. BJP made talaq one of its major poll planks in
this election but Kabir and Mafuja said they were not keen on highlighting the
issue as it may not have yielded results. PTI
As BJP, TMC dive deep, Congress bastion Malda
sees battle for Muslim votes
Malda : It is a 3-cornered contest in Malda,
one of last Congress bastions in West Bengal, which goes to polls on Tuesday in
the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, and Muslim votes are likely to
settle the fight for the seat.Muslims form a major chunk of the electorate in
both the Maldaha North and the Maldaha South seats, which have stayed with the
Congress for almost 40 years, and there is a distinct buzz about the need for a
change this time.And that buzz has created a space, which the BJP and the TMC
are vying for.While the Congress has pitted Isha Khan Choudhury against sitting
Congress MP and now TMC nominee Mausam Noor Ghani Khan's nephew and niece
respectively from Maldaha North, BJP has fielded former CPI(M) leader Khagen
Murmu in the seat.In Maldaha South, sitting Congress MP Abu Hasem Khan, Ghani
Khan's brother, is contesting against Moazzem Hossain of the TMC and Sreerupa
Mitra Choudhury of the BJP.PTI
Muslim candidates could split Mewat votes,
dash Congress hopes
Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency, which has a
significant number of Muslim voters, has two candidates belonging to the
minority community in the race — Mehmood Khan of JJP-AAP alliance and Rais
Ahmad of BSP — and they are likely to dent the chances of Congress candidate
Captain Ajay Yadav. Yadav is banking on around 4.5 lakh Muslim voters in Mewat,
which is spread across Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka and Punhana assembly
constituencies.These voters, according to party insiders, were expected to
prefer Congress to BJP if no other Muslim candidates had contested the
polls.Captain Ajay Yadav has repeatedly has expressed confidence about support
from Meo and Ahir communities, which he thinks, would give him the edge. Yadav,
a 5-time MLA from Rewari, is expected to give a tough fight to incumbent MP Rao
Inderjit Singh of BJP. But the equations are set to change with two Muslim
candidates contesting the polls. Yadav, however, is still confident about the
support of Muslim voters. As per the past trends, almost 80% of Yadavs vote for
a Yadav candidate.Meos of Mewat always supported a Meo candidate, and vote en
bloc. Traditionally, Meos vote for Muslim candidates. Presence of more than one
candidate in the fray could split their votes, giving advantage to BJP.TOI
Denied ticket by BJP, Udit Raj joins Congress
New Delhi :Dalit leader Udit Raj, who was
denied a ticket to contest from the North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat by BJP, on
Wednesday joined the Congress in the presence of party chief Rahul Gandhi.
“Congress President Rahul Gandhi welcomes Udit Raj into the Congress party,”
the party announced on Twitter.“BJP’s refusal to grant me a ticket shows that
they are anti-Dalits. I was the most popular BJP MP in Delhi,” Raj later told
reporters in the national capital.indianexpress
‘BJP committed cow slaughter’: Union minister
Vijay Sampla rebukes party after being denied ticket
Union minister Vijay Sampla accused BJP of
committing cow slaughter after he was denied a ticket to re-contest the Lok
Sabha polls from Hoshiarpur. In March, the party had replaced Union minister with
MP Shwait Malik as Punjab BJP chief.Sampla, a popular Dalit leader, expressed
his disappointment with a series of tweets. “You [BJP] should have pointed out
any fault,” Sampla tweeted.“What is my fault? There is no corruption charge
against me.No one can raise a finger at my conduct. I got an airport in my
region, got many new trains started, got roads built.If this is the fault, I will
tell my coming generations that they must not commit these mistakes.”scroll
Vinod Khanna’s wife upset with BJP giving
ticket to Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur, says she feels betrayed
As BJP fielded actor sunny Deol from the
Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, Kavita Khanna, wife of late Union minister and
four-time MP Vinod Khanna from the constituency, expressed her disappointment
on Wednesday saying she felt “betrayed” by the party. She added that she is now
weighing all her options, including contesting as an Independent.“I feel
betrayed. I also feel that the wishes of people who wanted me as their MP were
ignored,” Kavita told PTI.indianexpress
SRI lANKA BLASTS
Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamath demand apology from
TOI for associating them with a terror group
After the bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter, 24
Muslim youth have been arrested on grounds of suspicion.The government of Sri
Lanka has shut down internet services to prevent false news from spreading and
creating more hatred and terror. The media in Sri Lanka named National Towheed
Jamath (NTJ) as group responsible for the dastardly act. And the Media in India
unhesitatingly associated the Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamath (TNTJ) with the suspected
National Towheed of Sri Lanka drawing the ire of TNTJ.It has condemned both the
terrorist act and also the role of Media in tarnishing its image and misleading
people. And even released a video
stating the facts and chiding the irresponsible media. Mohammed Ghany,audit
committee member of TNTJ, said, “Sri Lankan media mentioned the suspected
involvement of NTJ in the blasts in Sri Lanka and Indian media picked this up and
linked our organization TNTJ as an extremist organization associated with the
NTJ. We are not even remotely connected with the NTJ of Sri Lanka which is
banned in 2017 though we do have one of our branches there called ‘Sri Lanka
Towheed Jamath’. He explained that the TNTJ is a non political Islamic
organization founded in 2004 in Tamil Nadu and has branches in all of South
India and their work is focused mainly on 4 objectives such as giving dawah
(inviting people to Islam); socio-religious activities for betterment of social
harmony; open questions forum to clear misconceptions of Islam by non-Muslims
and also organize protests in a
democratic manner against any injustice irrespective of any religion. “And in
Sri Lanka we are functioning from 2006 and the jamath there is also based on the
same objectives” he said.“It is sad that Indian Media especially Times of India
published an article linking us with the terror act. Our work is all about
peace and harmony. We are going to push for an apology because this is very
irresponsible on the part of TOI, he added. TOI has rectified their mistake by
saying TN outfit denies links with
namesake organisation named in the blasts.
But have not apologized for dragging the organization in the
incident.twocircles
Muslim, Christian Leaders Condemn Sri Lanka
Blasts at Joint Press Conference in Delhi
New Delhi:Leaders from top Muslim organizations
and Christian groups addressed a joint press conference on Tuesday here at the
Constitution Club and strongly condemned the deadly serial blasts in Sri Lanka
on Sunday. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind had organized the press conference to express
solidarity with the victims of the terror bombings at several churches and
hotels in Sri Lanka. Eminent figures who attended press conference included
Maulana Mahmood Madani, General Secretary, Jamiat, Nusrat Ali, ex Vice
President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Navaid Hamid, President, Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, Chairman, Delhi Minorities Commission, human
rights activists Dr. John Dayal and AC Michael.Addressing the media, Dr.
Zafarul Islam Khan said that some forces “don’t want peace in India, Sri Lanka,
Burma, Nepal and Pakistan because if there is no peace in the region, their
weapons will purchased, people from here will approach them for help and to buy
weapons.”Dr Khan proposed constitution of an International Tribunal in India,
Sri Lanka or other country in the region “to probe this heinous crime in which
more than 300 people were killed and to expose those behind this crime.” “Our
presence here at this meet is an announcement that we Muslims, Christians and
others strongly condemn this heinous crime,” he said. Nusrat Ali,ex Vice
President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said: “The attacks are highly condemnable.
Those who are doing such acts in the name of religion are actually maligning
the image of their religion. They must be more strongly condemned.”Navaid Hamid
also demanded a high-level enquiry into such incidents in the region. “Those
who are behind such heinous game in the region must be brought to fore,” he
said.India Tomorrow
Those responsible for Sri Lanka blasts
anti-human, anti-God: Religious leaders in Delhi
Leaders from Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh
Communities Make Human Chain outside Delhi Church against Sri Lanka Bombings
New Delhi:Leaders from different religious
communities including Muslim and Christian made a human chain at the prominent
church- Sacred Heart Cathedral - in Delhi on Tuesday in protest against the
serial bombings in Sri Lanka on Sunday. Eminent figures who were part of the
human chain included Maulana Mahmood Madani, General Secretary, Jamiat
Ulama-I-Hind, Nusrat Ali, former Vice President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Navaid
Hamid, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, Civil rights activists
Dr. John Dayal, AC Michael and Apoorvanand and a large number of members of
United Against Hate.They were holding placard with messages condemning
terrorism like “Terrorism has no religion”, “We will fight against politics of
terror” and “We are Colombo, We are Christians.India Tomorrow
Sri Lanka president dismisses security
officials
Sri Lanka's president has asked for the
resignations of the defence secretary and the national police chief after
security forces failed to act on warnings before Easter suicide
bombings.President Maithripala Sirisena's office announced that he asked for
the resignations of defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General
of Police, Pujith Jayasundara. It wasn't immediately clear who would replace
them.Sirisena said during a televised speech on Tuesday that he planned to
change the head of the defence forces within 24 hours.aljazeera
Sri Lanka death toll rises to 359, more
arrested
Police say the death toll in the Easter Sunday
bombings in Sri Lanka has risen to 359 and more suspects arrested.Police spokesman
Ruwan Gunasekara said on Wednesday that 18 suspects were arrested overnight,
raising the total detained to 58. The Prime Minister warned on Tuesday that
several suspects armed with explosives were still at large.AP
Fear of Backlash Grips Muslim Community Sri
Lanka Mourns After Deadliest Attack:News18
New Delhi: For the first twenty-four hours
after the deadliest attack that killed more than 200 people and injured
hundreds, Sri Lanka remained calm and controlled. Even as rumours of various
extremist organisations, including those with Buddhist and Islamic backgrounds,
being responsible for the Easter massacre did the rounds, people lined up
outside hospitals to donate blood and help as much as they could.On Monday,
however, Sri Lankan government confirmed that attacks were carried out by the
Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamaat (STJD), a Salafist group with its origin in
Kattankudy, a Muslim majority town in Batticaloa district. Now, Muslims in Sri
Lanka are holding on to the hope that there would be no untoward incident in
the near future. Hilmey Ahamed, vice president of the Muslim Council of Sri
Lanka, said his council’s first priority was to restore the faith in
people. Ahamed said,“Trust and faith of
our people are shaken. Majority of the Muslims don’t subscribe to any kind of
violence, even when they were expelled from the North and all the problems they
went through during the 30-year conflict. Now, after years, you wake up to such
a horrific massacre. We have to do everything possible to restore the faith in
the Muslim community.”Muslims were living in a fear of backlash,he added.“In
fact, even with the political leadership, there is a fear of something grave
happening over the next couple of days,” Ahamed said.He also pointed out how he
had brought up the case of STJD with the authorities years ago. “It was a very
small organisation if at all, or a one-man show. There were posts on YouTube
and social media spreading hate. We knew about this person and informed the
authorities 3 years back. We informed not because we knew that they were
capable of such large-scale violence but because we felt that the outfit was
preaching hate,” he said, adding that the level at which the outfit carried out
the bloodshed was something that neither he nor the Council could have
expected.A resident of Colombo, on condition of anonymity, said that the
community was more in danger than ever.Ahamed further said that it was close to
impossible for STJD to have carried out this attack on its own.“Even with the
almost 30-year-long war, LTTE could not pull off something like this, despite
the experience that they had. How is it that such an amateur organization has
undertaken such an act of violence on such a large scale?” he asked.AFP
Sri Lanka may ban burqa following Easter
Sunday terror attack: Report
Colombo:Sri Lanka has initiated a plan to ban
the burqa as interrogation of suspects and other evidence are pointing to the
involvement of a large number of women in the Easter Sunday attacks that killed
at least 321 people and wounded nearly 500 others in the island nation, a media
report said on Tuesday.The government is planning to implement the move in
consultation with the mosque authorities, the Daily Mirror reported quoting
sources."The government, he said (source), is planning to implement the
move in consultation with the mosque authorities and on Monday several
ministers had spoken to President Maithripala Sirisena on the matter," the
paper reported the source as saying.It has been pointed out that burqa and
niqab were never part of the traditional attire of Muslim women in Sri Lanka
until the Gulf War in the early 1990s which saw extremist elements introducing
the garb to Muslim women. Defence sources said that a number of female accomplices
of incidents in Dematagoda too had escaped wearing burqas, the report said.PTI
No Intelligence Linking Attacks in Sri Lanka
to Christchurch Shootings: New Zealand PM
Wellington: New Zealand‘s PM Jacinda Ardern
said on Wednesday that her government was not aware of any intelligence
suggesting that the devastating attack on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka was in
retaliation for deadly shootings on a mosques in Christchurch.Sri Lanka‘s
junior minister for defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, told the parliament on Tuesday
that an initial investigation had revealed that the bombings on churches and
hotels, had been carried out in revenge for deadly shootings in two New Zealand
mosques on March 15.Security experts and analysts, however, have questioned
whether the coordinated bomb attacks could have been planned in such a short
period.“We haven’t received anything officially nor have we received any
intelligence reports that corroborate what has been said in Sri Lanka,” Ardern
said.“Sri Lanka will be in the very early stages of its investigations. So we
are simply stepping back and allowing them to undertake those, but we have
nothing at this stage to corroborate what is being said,” she added.Reuters
WORLD
US Middle East peace plan to be released after
Ramadan
The long-awaited Mideast peace plan, hailed as
a solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict by US President Donald Trump, will
be revealed after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Trump’s son-in-law and
senior adviser said Tuesday.While Jared Kushner provided no details as to what
the plan entails, he said that “there will be tough compromises for both
sides.”Kushner references to the two-state solution, a long-held framework for
the solution to the conflict, saying that efforts made in the past have not
worked.Kushner said in an interview at TIME 100 summit in New York:"We’ve
studied all the past efforts and how they failed and why they failed. I think
if people focus on the old traditional talking points, we will never make
progress."The plan will be revealed in early June when Ramadan
ends.middleeastmonitor
Hamas to form committee to tackle ‘deal of the
century’
Member of Hamas’ Political Bureau Salah
Al-Bardaweel announced yesterday that his movement is working to form the
Supreme National Committee Against the Deal of the Century, Al-Wattan Voice
reported.The committee, Al-Bardaweel explained, will include national, regional
and international players.“We are working to face the ‘deal of the century’ and
we want to achieve a real national unity that respects all the Palestinians,”
he said, pointing to the “successful joint work through the Return March and
the joint operation room.”The senior Hamas leader said that his movement is
also working against normalisation, as well as reinforcing popular resistance,
not only in Gaza, but also in the occupied West Bank.middleeastmonitor
Israeli army shoots handcuffed, blindfolded
teen
BETHLEHEM:A Palestinian teen has accused
Israeli forces of attempting to kill him in the occupied West Bank while being
handcuffed and blindfolded. Osama Ali al-Badan, 16, was arrested last week
during a protest in the town of Taqou in Bethlehem after a settler ran over
into a female Palestinian. “Israeli soldiers opened fire on me when I tried to
escape while being blindfolded and handcuffed,” al-Badan told Anadolu Agency on
Wednesday. The Palestinian teen accused the Israeli military of “deliberately
attempting to kill him”.He was released by local residents and was rushed to
hospital for medical treatment. Anadolu Agency
Israeli army razes West Bank home of slain
Palestinian attacker
Israeli forces on Wednesday destroyed the
family home of a Palestinian teenager who was suspected of carrying out a
deadly stabbing and shooting attack in the occupied West Bank last month.Omar
Abu Laila, 19, who was on the run, was found in a house in the village of
Abwein, north of Ramallah. He was killed on March 20 after he opened fire at
Israeli forces who had come to arrest him two days after the attack.Omar had
allegedly killed an Israeli soldier with a knife at a junction near the illegal
Jewish settlement of Ariel in the West Bank.aljazeera
Saudi executes 37 in connection with terrorism
Saudi Arabia executed 37 of its citizens on
Tuesday for what it said were "terrorism" related crimes, publicly
pinning 2 of the bodies to a pole as a warning to others. The individuals were
found guilty of attacking security installations with explosives, killing a
number of security officers, and cooperating with "enemy
organisations" against the interests of the country, the interior ministry
said in a statement.The sentences were carried out in Riyadh, the Muslim holy
cities of Mecca and Medina, central Qassim province, and Eastern Province, home
to the country's Shia minority.The men were executed "for adopting
terrorist and extremist thinking and for forming terrorist cells to corrupt and
destabilise security", a statement by official SPA said.2 of the executed
men's bodies were publicly hung from a pole for several hours in a process that
is not frequently used by the kingdom and has sparked controversy for its grisly
display.The report didn't state how death penalty was implemented, but
executions in Saudi are known to be carried out by shooting or beheading with a
sword, sometimes in public.The state killings came a day after the alleged
ISIL's attack on Sunday on a Saudi security building in the town of Zulfi. In
that attack, all 4 gunmen were killed and three security officers were wounded.
At least 100 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of
the year, according to a count based on official data released by SPA.Last
year, the oil-rich Gulf state carried out the death sentences of 149 people,
according to Amnesty International, which said only Iran was known to have
executed more people.aljazeera
Zarif slams US silence on mass executions in
Saudi Arabia
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
has criticised the administration of US President Donald Trump for not
condemning a mass execution of prisoners in Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, Saudi
Arabia beheaded 37 of its citizens for what it said were "terrorism"-related
crimes, publicly pinning two of the bodies to a pole as a warning to
others."After a wink at the dismembering of a journalist, not a whisper
from the Trump administration when Saudi Arabia beheads 37 men in one day -
even crucifying one two days after Easter," Zarif said on Twitter,
referring to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi agents in
Oct.aljazeera
US offers $10m reward for information on
Hezbollah's finances
As part of its anti-Iran push in the Middle
East, the US has offered a $10m reward on the Iranian-backed group
Hezbollah.Trump administration wants to cut the Lebanon-based group's means of
getting funds.But there are concerns that the move could unsettle Lebanon since
it is so firmly entrenched in the nation's political system.aljazeera
Calls grow louder in Sudan for civilian
government
2 weeks after mass protests in Sudan unseated
former President Omar al-Bashir, more protesters from the northern city of
Atbara have joined the sit-in in Khartoum.They are unhappy with the military
dragging its heels over establishing a transitional civilian government and
dismissed an African Union proposal to put back that deadline by three
months.aljazeera
Islamists make comeback in union elections in
Jordan
Islamist faction in Jordan, which is
associated with the Muslim Brotherhood group, has made a series of consecutive
electoral wins in the country’s professional syndicates in less than a month,
having obtained the majority of seats in the teachers’ and medical doctors’
associations, the Student Union of the University of Jordan, and the student
association at the Faculty of Technological Engineering. Such electoral results
in favour of Islamists had been absent for several years partially due to
interventions from the state, such as the state’s backing of rival candidates,
which was the case in the Jordan Engineers Association’s elections.In 2018 the
Muslim Brotherhood lost the Jordan Engineers Association elections, which was a
first given that the association had been a stronghold for the group since
1992. In May 2018, a ticket representing a coalition of leftists, pan-Arabists,
and secularists won the presidency and deputy presidency in the association’s
2018 election.middleeastmonitor
Libya: GNA forces repel Haftar's offensive,
retake Tripoli suburb
Troops loyal to Libya's internationally
recognised government have retaken control of territory along the capital's
southern districts from renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar's
eastern-based forces.Forces aligned with the UN-recognised Government of
National Accord (GNA) on Tuesday repelled Haftar's self-styled National Liberation
Army (LNA) from the town of Aziziya, pushing the latter's troops to more than
60km from central Tripoli.GNA spokesperson Mohammed Qanounou said government
forces destroyed eight armoured vehicles belonging to Haftar's troops.He added
that the GNA air force had conducted seven sorties targeting Haftar's
al-Watiyah airbase and al-Thamenah camp in Gharyan, located about 100km
southwest of Tripoli.aljazeera
Afghanistan: Pro-government forces killed more
civilians than insurgents did in 2019, says UN
Pro-government forces in Afghanistan were
responsible for more civilian deaths than those attributed to anti-government
elements including the Taliban during the first quarter of 2019, UN Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan said on Wednesday. The international organisation’s
report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, however, reported a
23% decrease in the overall civilian casualties as compared to the same period
(Jan.1 to March 31) last year.The mission attributed 305 civilian deaths and
303 injury reports in the first quarter to pro-government forces and said that
it accounted for a 39% increase compared to the corresponding period in
2019.“UNAMA attributed 17% of civilian casualties to the Afghan national
security forces, 13% to international military forces, 2% to pro-govt armed
groups, and 2% to multiple pro-government forces,”report said. “Continuing
trends observed in 2018, UNAMA documented increased harm to civilians from
aerial and search operations.”scroll.in/
North Korea's Kim Jong Un to meet Putin in
Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has left
Pyongyang by train as he heads to Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir
Putin.North Korean leader left at dawn on Wednesday with top government and
military officials, according to the North's state-run Korean Central News
Agency. It said officials and residents gathered at Pyongyang's train station
to see him off. Kim will meet Putin on Thursday in the Russian Pacific port of
Vladivostok to discuss the international standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear
programme, a Kremlin official said.aljazeera
More than 50 dead in South Africa after heavy
rains
More than 50 people have been killed in
southern and eastern parts of South Africa after heavy rains caused flooding
and mudslides, authorities said.Rescue workers were digging through collapsed
homes and other buildings in coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal province, where the
death toll stood at 51, local officials said.aljazeera
Flash:
views & NEWS
Did Sri Lanka President Order a Shutdown of
Mosques and Madrasas?THE QUINT
CJI's conduct has sent a signal that he is
above all principles of natural justice:Pratap Bhanu Mehta
In Rohingya Camps, a Political Awakening Faces
a Backlash:Simon Lewis Poppy McPherson and RumaPaul
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:34 PM)
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