NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
09 April 2019: 03 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:171
INDIA
NRC hearing put off after govt says Supreme
Court observations could impact polls
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has directed the
Assam government to apprise it of possible “ways and means” that can be adopted
for releasing illegal foreigners who have been kept in the state’s detention
centres for a very long period.A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi also took
note of state’s submissions that the observations during the hearing of this
case may have some impact in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Assam and sought
the hearing of the plea after April 23.Lok Sabha elections in Assam would be
held on April 23. Shifting PIL for hearing on April 25, the bench, also
comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, directed the Assam chief
secretary to conduct a meeting of all stakeholders in the case and come out
with an affidavit on or before April 23 giving details on releasing over 900
illegal foreigners in several detention centres there.PTI
SC directs Assam govt to notify ‘ways and
means’ to release foreigners kept in detention
Nirmohi Akhara opposes govt in SC over
transfer of excess land in Ayodhya
New Delhi:Nirmohi Akhara, a party in Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court over
Centre’s move to transfer excess land around the disputed site to its original
owners. Nirmohi Akhara has opposed the government’s move seeking the Supreme
Court’s permission to release excess land acquired in Ayodhya, ANI reported on
Tuesday. The land in question was acquired by the government in 1994.Govt, in
Jan.this year, requested the SC to allow release of around 67 acres of land to
the original owners. The petitioner has said, according to ANI, that
acquisition of land by the government had led to destruction of many temples
managed by the Nirmohi Akhara. Contesting the Centre’s request in the SC the
Nirmohi Akhara said it wants the top court to decide the title
dispute.Currently, a SC-mandate mediation panel is holding deliberations with
the concerned parties in the Ayodhya title dispute case. HT
Nirmohi Akhara Moves SC, Challenges Centre's
Plea to Return 'Non-Disputed' Land in Ayodhya
Supreme Court asks why government should
manage temples and other religious places
The Supreme Court has asked why the govt
should manage temples and other religious places in the country. A bench
comprising Justice SA Bobde and Justice Abdul Nazeer made the remark while
hearing a plea on difficulties faced by devotees at Jagannath temple in Odisha,
and their alleged harassment by temple staff, PTI reported. “It is a matter of
perspective,” Bobde said. “I do not know why government officials should manage
temples? In Tamil Nadu, there is theft of idols. These idols, apart from the
religious sentiments, are priceless.”Attorney General KK Venugopal told the
bench that the Sabarimala temple in Kerala is run by Travancore Dewaswom Board,
while govt-appointed boards manage many other shrines in the country. “How far
can the government, in a secular state, control or manage a temple?” Venugopal
asked.scroll.in
SC rejects plea to stall release of PM Modi
biopic, says EC should take call
New Delhi:The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to
stay the release of ‘PM Narendra Modi’, a biopic on the PM, saying the Election
Commission is an appropriate forum to decide if the film violates Model Code of
Conduct. A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi said the plea is “premature” as the
movie has not yet been certified by the Censor Board.“We, therefore, do not
consider it fit to entertain the petition,” a bench also comprising Justices
Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Jain said, adding that even if the film is released it
will be appropriate for the petitioner to seek redressal from the Election
Commission.The plea filed by Congress activist Aman Panwar had sought deferment
of the release of the biopic till the completion of upcoming Lok Sabha polls,
alleging that it was designed to “manipulate, influence and impress viewers and
voters”. The plea has sought direction from the court declaring that
advertisement and promotion of the movie during the operation of the Model Code
of Conduct violates electoral laws.indianexpress
VVPAT verification: Supreme Court orders
counting of paper slips of 5 EVMs in every constituency
The Supreme Court has ordered that Voter
Verified Paper Audit Trail slips of 5 electronic voting machines in every
constituency should be counted instead of just one EVM in the upcoming
elections, Bar and Bench reported. The electronic voting machines will be
randomly selected, according to The Hindu.The court said this practice will
ensure the “greatest degree of accuracy, satisfaction” in the election
process.“At the outset we would like to observe we are not doubting it may be
possible that the system gives accurate results,” said CJI Ranjan Gogoi in the
order.“But if the number increases, it would increase the greater satisfaction
- the endeavour is to find to find a viable number of VVPAT,” he said,
according to Live Law. The Commission said it shall “make all out efforts to
operationalise and implement the directions of the court with immediate
effect”.At present, the Commission matches VVPAT paper slips of 4,125
electronic voter machines under the one EVM per assembly segment rule. With the
SC ruling, the poll body will have to count VVPAT slips of 20,625 electronic
voting machines, TOI reported.The court was hearing a petition filed by 21
Opposition parties who sought direction to verify at least 50% of the votes
cast in the Lok Sabha elections using the VVPAT machines.scroll.in
Hapur Lynching Case: Supreme Court Asks UP
Government to File Fresh Report
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has asked Uttar
Pradesh government to file fresh status report in the Hapur mob attack case
last year, in which one man lost his life.A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and
Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna asked the state government to submit
its status report on the investigation and trial in the case.The top court on
Sept.5 last year directed IG of Police of Meerut range to supervise the
investigation in the Hapur mob attack case.Uttar Pradesh government had earlier
told the court that it has transferred SHO concerned and filed appeals seeking
cancellation of bails granted to the accused in the case.PTI
Assam: Mob thrashes 68-year-old Muslim man for
selling beef, forces him to eat pork
New Delhi:In another instance of hate crime, a
man, identified as Shaukat Ali, became a victim to mob violence in Assam.The
mob suspected 68-year-old Shaukat Ali of selling beef and cornered him. They
thrashed him and also proceeded to force feed him pork. The incident took place
on April 7 in Assam's Biswanath Chariali town.In a video doing the rounds on
social media, Shaukat Ali can be seen kneeling in mud surrounded by an angry
mob. The mob asks Shaukat Ali why he is selling beef and if he has the license
to do so.The irate mob also proceeded to demand that Shaukat Ali declare his
nationality, asking if he is Bangladeshi or if he has a National Register of
Citizen (NRC) certificate. A man identified as Shaukat Ali was attacked by a
mob for allegedly selling beef in Assam’s Biswanath Chariali, according to
Assam Police. According to local police, Ali is a businessman and has been
running an eatery in the area for the last 35 years. The mob accused him of
selling beef in the weekly market. However, the situation worsened when the
miscreants started thrashing Ali and allegedly forced him to eat pork.In
another video of the incident, the group can be seen manhandling Ali and
forcing him to eat meat, claimed to be pork, from a packet. Ali received
injuries and is being treated in a local hospital.The mob also misbehaved with
the manager of weekly market, Kamal Thapa.Confirming the incident,local police
told news sites that 2 FIRs have been filed against unidentified persons -- one
by Thapa and the other by Ali's relatives.Police, however, denied that the
violence was communal in nature.AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed the
incident on Twitter, writing "I know many people who feel they're
desensitized because of the number of lynchings in the last five years. I am
not, each video infuriates me and saddens me."India Today
Targeted for ‘selling beef’, man force-fed by
mob
Rajasthan:Brutal assault on Muslim family,
goons attack with ‘rods, sticks, stones’,8 battling for life
Udaipurwati: Mob violence, muscle power over
minority Muslim community is increasing even in this Congress-ruled state
Rajasthan where a Muslim family was not only thrashed but women of this family
were molested too.In this shameful incident, Mohammed Yasin and his family
members were brutally thrashed with iron rods, sticks, repeatedly until the
family members dropped unconscious to this brutal assault that continued for
half an hour were the members were also subjected to stone pelting over
disagreement over new construction, Patrika reports. The frenzied mob attacked
Yasin who runs a small Fenci general store in the region after he had objected
to the construction of a new building in place of an old mansion near his shop.In all
11 people were injured in this bloody assault with 8 members belonging to
Yasin’s family suffered severe head injuries, broken hands and feet.All the
injured unconscious victims are identified as Yasin and his son Mohammad
Razzaq, Mohammed Nisar, Mohammad Aslam, Mohammad Yusuf, Mohammad Asif, daughter
Sher Bano and Sharif Bano were immediately rushed to SK hospital in the region.
According to reports, things turned ugly when Yasin’s daughter was molested
when she had come to open Sherbano shop in the morning.The victim’s family has
accused the police of remaining silent and delaying action against the
assaulters. Injured victim Yasin has stated he was threatened to evacuate the
shop following which he filed a case against the accused in court. Though the
court banned the accused’s entry in the region, the mob marched in the region
with rods and thrashed the family while Police remained silent. saisat
Muslims in Delhi and Haryana Feel 'Unfairly Represented' in Hindi
Newspapers : Survey
New Delhi: Muslim readers feel unfairly represented in Hindi
newspapers and gauge an ‘anti-Muslim’ bias in news coverage, a survey conducted
by Mass Media journal has found.The survey, published in the its April issue of
Mass Media, a monthly media research journal, says that its Muslim respondents
complain of anti-Muslim bias,hostile editorial policy and lack of coverage. In
the survey, conducted across 20 Muslim localities in Delhi and 5 cities in Haryana,
76% of respondents (all of whom were Muslims) believed that Hindi papers were
biased against their community; 84 % of the readers said that Hindi newspapers
did not give enough coverage to the minority community. The respondents said that
Hindi newspapers “either don’t report about them or, if at all they do, the
tone and tenor of their reporting is negative.”When asked if they were
satisfied with the coverage of Muslims in Hindi papers,67 % answered in the
negative. Survey also found that 44% of respondents in Delhi and Haryana only
read Hindi newspapers and 23%read both Hindi and Urdu publications. Majority of
the respondents also felt that Hindi papers tended to gloss over Muslim news
coverage and did not give space to minority voices in their publication, with
43%saying that they rarely see news of Muslim interest or statements issued by
Muslim leaders or organisations. 31% of respondents estimated that they saw
only one article concerned with minority issues per week.Majority of respondents,
an overwhelming 79%, also said that articles on Muslim interests such as Triple
Talaq,AMU or Babri Masjid were supportive of stance of the BJP or the RSS on
the issue.news18
Rafale: Modi govt. gave unprecedented waivers in offset agreements
Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by PM Narendra Modi gave
exceptional and unprecedented waivers to M/s Dassault Aviation and M/s MBDA in
the offset contracts they signed with the Indian govt on September 23, 2016 as
part of the €7.87 billion Rafale deal. These waivers, granted on August 24,
2016 at the highest level of political decision-making, were exemptions given
to the two private French companies from having to comply with provisions of
the Standard Contract Document of Defence Procurement Procedure, DPP-2013.The
waivers concerned two key issues — the provisions to be made in the offset
contracts for arbitration (Article 9) and access to books of accounts of the
industrial suppliers (Article 12). A Rafale aircraft performs at the biennial
air show Aero India 2019 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station near Bengaluru on
Feb.20, 2019.These had been sent up to CCS for its “final review and approval” by
the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar. He had evidently felt uncomfortable with sanctioning, at his level,
major deviations from the Defence Procurement Procedure. But that was not
all.thehindu
Vote on development issues, not on emotive issues, New Jamaat chief
tells Muslims
New Delhi:The newly elected President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Syed
Sadatullah Hussaini has asked the Muslim youth to “become assets for the nation
and not liability.”Addressing the media at Jamaat’s HQRS here on Monday, Jamaat
chief said: “Our community should strengthen their relations with all religious
communities, including Hindus, Sikhs and Christians. The communal divide is
growing in society due to communal politics. Youth should take note of the
current situation. They should empower themselves with education. They should
become assets for the nation and not liability. As Muslims, we should spread
Islam’s message of peace through our words, deeds and character. Islam is the
torchbearer of peace and goodness’’.When asked about his message to the people
of India on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the new JIH President said “Vote
on development issues and not on the basis of emotive issues. Some political
parties are trying to polarize society on communal and divisive issues. We
support those parties or candidates who are in a position to defeat forces that
practice communalism and divisive politics”.He took charge as JIH chief from
the outgoing Ameer, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari and announced a new Secretary
General – T Arif Ali and three new Vice Presidents – Mohammad Salim Engineer, S
Ameenul Hasan and Mohammad Jafar.Earlier on 6th April, the Council of
Representatives (an elected all India body consisting of 157 JIH members of
which 30 are women) elected 45 years old Electronics and Telecommunication
engineer Sadatullah Hussaini as their new chief for a 4-year term. In the press
meet, Jamaat released the resolutions adopted by its Council of Representatives
which are as follows:"This meeting of RC of JIH underlines the importance
of parliamentary elections, currently in process." On Kashmir situation,
the Council expressing its concern over bloodshed and lawlessness in Kashmir, appealed
to masses, political sections and rulers to make genuine efforts to restore
peace and bring normalcy. It said, "the Council reminds all stake holders
to respect rule of law and abide by healthy traditions. Whatever be the
compulsions, violation of human rights should not be tolerated.The Council
reminds rulers that unjustified arrests, curbs on social activities, banning of
peaceful organizations and oppressive measures, cannot bring peace in Kashmir;
rather such actions are counter-productive…." The Council shared
widespread feeling on the unfortunate incident of Christchurch, New Zealand
which has been widely condemned. On Palestine,the Council session condemned the
continuing Israeli aggression against people of Palestine and neighboring Arab
countries. It said, "in particular, aggressive stance on Golan heights and
shifting capital to Jerusalem are most reprehensible."
Become Asset, Not Liability, For Country: JIH's Newly-Elected Chief
Asks Muslim Youths
Imam Bukhari not to back any political party in general elections
Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in New Delhi Syed Ahmed Bukhari has
announced that he will not support any political party in Lok Sabha elections
or issue an appeal for any particular party as done in the past. Expressing
disappointment with political parties, Bukhari said that political parties always
make promises but never deliver on them.In a press statement, issued on Monday,
Bukhari said that Muslims should keep in view the fact that almost all
political parties have disappointed them.“Unabated hatred and growing religious
mania rampant in the country have trampled over our basic values and
traditions. These circumstances have caused grave concern to the civilised
society….Things have come to the point that instead of following the golden
principles of one nation and unity in diversity, the venom of communalism is
being spread in every matter,” he said.Imam added,“In these circumstances,
parliamentary elections of 2019 are a trial of the wisdom and farsightedness of
the people.In the current situation, it is difficult to ascertain which one deserves
to be supported. Therefore, after much deliberation and consultations, I have
decided not to appeal in support of any of the political parties,” statement
read.indiatvnews
Kanhaiya Files Nomination
from Begusarai; Najeeb's Mother, Teesta, Shehla Attend Huge Rally
Patna:Firebrand youth
leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday filed his nomination papers from Begusarai Lok
Sabha constituency. Thousands of people attended the nomination rally.Missing
JNU student Najeeb Ahmed’s mother Fatima Nafees, eminent rights activist Teesta
Setalvad, young activists Shehla Rashid and Gurmehar Kaur and Gujarat MLA
Jignesh Mevani were on an open truck leading the massive rally.Former JNU
student leader Kanhaiya, contesting as the CPI candidate, on Tuesday filed his
nomination for the Begusarai Lok Sabha seat in Bihar.India Tomorrow
Swara Bhaskar, Mevani,
Teesta, Shehla, star in red wave for Kanhaiya Kumar’s campaign for Begusarai
JNU sedition case: Delhi
govt gets until July 23 to decide on sanction to prosecute accused
A Delhi court on Monday
gave the state govt time till July 23 to decide on granting sanction to
prosecute ex-JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar and his co-accused in
a 2016 sedition case, PTI reported.AAP-led Delhi government had last week told
the Patiala House Court that it needed a month’s time to decide whether to
grant sanction to prosecute. At a subsequent hearing on April 5, Delhi govt
claimed that the police had filed the chargesheet in the sedition case in
Jan.“secretly and in a hasty manner without sanction from competent
authority”.Additional Public Prosecutor Vikas Singh told the court last week
that the government is looking into the matter and awaiting the opinion of its
Standing Counsel (Criminal) Rahul Mehra. Govt further said that they needed
time to decide whether the accused’s actions amounted to sedition.scroll.in
Muzaffarnagar riots
cases: UP government yet to give permission to withdraw cases
Uttar Pradesh government
has not yet permitted the district authorities to withdraw any of the
Muzaffarnagar riots cases that it had decided to take back, an official said on
Monday.According to prosecution sources, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
government, which had announced last Dec.that it would withdraw 44 cases, only
sought permission in about a dozen cases. Dushyant Tyagi, the district
government counsel, told PTI that the permission to withdraw the riot cases
from the court had not been received so far.PTI
CM Yogi rakes up
Muzaffarnagar riots, says ‘innocents’ who were framed will be freed
Bijnor: With just 3 days
left for polls in the region, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday raked
up Muzaffarnagar riots. Referring to murders of two brothers in Kawal village,
which had triggered the riots in 2013, Yogi said, “When Gaurav and Sachin were
killed, every peace-loving person had died. And, when innocent people were
being killed in the riots where was Ajit Singh? It was Sanjeev Balyan who was
fighting for you and even went to jail.”TOI
SC issues notice to poll
body on plea against political speeches with references to religion, caste
The Supreme Court has
issued a notice to the Election Commission on a petition seeking action against
spokespersons and representatives of parties who deliver speeches or make
remarks pertaining to a religion or caste.A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi
sought the poll body’s response by April 15, according to ANI. The petition was
filed by Harpreet Mansukhani, a non-resident Indian from Sharjah.scroll.in
In gaffe, BJP manifesto
promises laws ‘to commit crimes against women’; Cong has a field day
New Delhi:An apparent
goof up in the document of the BJP’s manifesto has Congress pointing out the
“true intentions” of the party on the issue of the safety for women. Among the
list of initiatives, BJP manifesto mentions safety for women as one of its key
concerns. However, the phrasing of a sentence appears to flip the intended
meaning.Manifesto reads:“We have constituted Women’s Security Division in Home
Ministry, and have made strict provisions for transferring the laws in order to
commit crimes against women.”Congress latched onto the opportunity and had a
field day on social media. Sharing a screen grab of the manifesto, a tweet by
the official handle of the party read, “At least one point in BJP’s manifesto
reflects their true intentions.”indianexpress
NDA could have the upper
hand but will fall short of majority, predicts pre-poll survey
A pre-poll survey
conducted by Lokniti of the Centre for Study of Developing Societies indicated
that the national mood was in favour of giving the BJP and the NDA a second
term.“Over the last one year, the ruling party appears to have overcome the
emerging mood of anti-incumbency and turned the tide in its favour,” the survey
report said. “As things stand in the last week of March 2019, NDA appears close
to the majority mark, though BJP itself seems well short of securing a majority
on its own. One must however hasten to add, that there does not appear to be
any national wave in favour of the ruling party.”CSDS-Lokniti Pre Poll Survey
indicated that the ruling BJP and the Congress are likely to register a 4%
increase in their vote share. However, this rise in vote share does not
translate to an increase in seat share for BJP.The pre-poll survey pegged BJP’s
vote share estimate at 35%. The party’s actual vote share in May 2014 was 31%.
BJP’s allies was 7.4% in 2014 and 6% in the pre-poll survey.scroll.in
Ahead of Election, Modi’s
Party Vows to Strip Kashmir of Special Rights:Reuters
New Delhi:Hindu
nationalist ruling party, BJP vowed to strip decades-old special rights from
the people of J&K, making an election promise that provoked warnings of a
backlash in the country’s only Muslim-majority state. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s BJP is widely expected to retain power after a general election that
starts on Thursday, though with a much smaller mandate, hit by concerns over a
shortage of jobs and weak farm prices.It pledged to spend 100 trillion rupees
on infrastructure in the next 5 years, to help create jobs for millions
entering the workforce each year.Pollsters say BJP’s re-election bid got a
boost from recent hostilities with arch-rival Pakistan, after Pulwama
bombing.“Nationalism is our inspiration, economic development of the poor and
backward sections our philosophy, and good governance our mantra,” Modi said
after releasing the election manifesto. BJP has consistently advocated an end
to Kashmir’s special constitutional status, which prevents outsiders from
buying property there, arguing that such laws have hindered its integration
with the rest of India.“In the last 5 years, we have made all necessary efforts
to ensure peace in J&K through decisive actions and firm policy,” it said
in the manifesto.Reuters
No option but to abrogate
Article 370, 35A if someone talks of separate PM for J&K: Rajnath
New Delhi :Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh has said the Centre will have no option other than
abrogating articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution if “there is a talk of
separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir.”His reaction came a week after
NC leader Omar Abdullah had said that his party would reinstate the posts of
President and Prime Minister in the state.indian express
‘Repetitions don’t make
the truth of a lie’: Pakistan rejects India’s proof of downed F-16
New Delhi:Hours after
India put out radar images as “irrefutable evidence” of the aerial dogfight
between IAF MiG-21 and a Pakistani F-16 Fighter jet, Pakistan rejected the
proof saying “repetitions don’t make the truth of a lie.” IAF also cited radio
intercepts, Indian Army sightings and statements by the Pakistan ISPR to
underline that the PAF lost an F-16. In a tweet, Pakistani military spokesman
Major General Asif Ghafoor said, “Despite claiming possession of evidence on
shooting F16, IAF still short of presenting it. Don’t overlook Pakistan’s
silence for not drum beating losses on the Indian side. Fact is that PAF shot
down two IAF jets, wreckage seen on ground by all.”indian express
J&K: Local leaders
warn BJP not to scrap Article 370, ex-CM says it could ‘free’ state from India
PDP President Mehbooba
Mufti on Monday said that abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution would lead
to Jammu and Kashmir’s “freedom” from India. The article grants special status
to Jammu and Kashmir.“If you free Jammu and Kashmir from Article 370, you will
free the state from country as well,” she said, according to PTI. “I have said
many times that Article 370 links Jammu and Kashmir with the country. When you
break this bridge, India loses its legitimacy over the state. It becomes an
occupational force.”scroll.in
‘We’ll get freedom from
them’: Farooq Abdullah hits out at BJP over Article 370 promise in manifesto
NC Chief Farooq Abdullah
has said that if BJP repeals Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants
special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the state will “get freedom” from the rest
of India, PTI reported.“They [BJP] talk of abrogating Article 370,” Abdullah said
at an election rally in Srinagar, from where he is contesting the Lok Sabha
elections. “If you do that, the accession will also not stand. I swear by
Allah, I think this is the wish of almighty, we will get freedom from
them.”scroll.in
J&K: RSS leader wounded,
his PSO killed as gunmen open fire at them in Kishtwar, say reports
A RSS leader was injured
while his personal security officer died when gunmen opened fire at them in
Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, Greater Kashmir reported.An unidentified
police official said gunmen opened fire at RSS leader identified as Chandrakant
Sharma and his security guard at the district hospital in Kishtwar. Sharma
worked as a medical assistant at the hospital, according to ANI. According to
Greater Kashmir, he worked with Health Department and was posted in the
outpatient department of the hospital.scroll.in
Mirwaiz appears before
NIA for questioning in terror financing case
Hurriyat Conference
chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq appeared before NIA in Delhi on Monday for
questioning in connection with a terror financing case, PTI reported.Farooq
decided to travel to Delhi after the agency assured that he would be provided
security, according to HT. Farooq was provided security upon his arrival at the
Indira Gandhi airport.Separatist leaders Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and
Maulana Abbas Ansari were among those who accompanied him.scroll.in/
Bilkul nahi kaha tha ki
Rs 15 lakh aenge: Rajnath
New Delhi:Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that BJP never made promises of
transferring Rs 15 lakhs into people’s bank accounts during the campaign for
Lok Sabha election in 2014. “Never said that Rs 15 lakh will come (to accounts
of people). This was never said. (Bilkul nahi kaha tha ki Rs 15 lakh aenge. Ye
kabhi nahi kaha tha).”siasat
Hyderabad Police Seize Rs
8 Crore Withdrawn From BJP's Bank Account
New Delhi: Hyderabad
police have seized Rs 8 crore in cash, allegedly withdrawn from the BJP’s state
unit’s bank account on Monday. The cheque to withdraw the Rs 8 crore in cash
was signed by the party’s state president K. Laxman.In a statement, Hyderabad
police said they intercepted two people in a car carrying cash worth Rs 2
crore. One of the persons said that the money was given to them by one
Nandiraju Gopi at the Narayanaguda branch of the state-owned Indian Bank.When
police reached the bank, Rs 6 crore more was found in cash. Nandiraju Gopi, who
was present at the bank and apprehended by the police, is an office assistant at
the BJP. Another person, S. Chalapathi Raju, is also an office assistant at the
BJP.In total, the police have apprehended seven people.thewire
Karnataka has not picked Muslim MP since 2004
With 3 major parties not favouring many candidates from the community
and polarisation of voters, Karnataka hasn’t elected a Muslim MP since
2004.Experts say delimitation of constituencies also had an impact on
winnability, although Muslim leaders say that should not be a factor while
giving representation.Of 84 MPs Karnataka sent to Parliament since 2004, Iqbal
Ahmed Saradgi,from Kalaburgi in 2004, was only Muslim. Congress and JD(S)
together had only 11 Muslim candidates from 2004 to 2019,while BJP had none. These
11 make up for less than 10% of seats (112) that were at play,while Karnataka
has over 12% Muslims.TOI
In
Western UP, Muslims are trapped in divide between Congress and gathbandhan:TOI
UP: BSP supremo Mayawati’s recent call to
Muslims not to divide their vote only mirrors a key question blowing through
Western UP’s dusty tracks.From Saharanpur to Rampur to Moradabad, across UP’s
most densely populated Muslim districts, will failure of the Opposition to form
a mahagathbandhan, or an alliance between SP, BSP, RLD and Congress, lead to
the Muslim vote being divided, thus giving the advantage to ruling BJP? Will
the Muslim vote in western UP be split wide open? In particular focus is
Congress which in Rahul Gandhi’s words wants to play on the “front foot” in UP.
In Saharanpur for example, where Mayawati and Akhilesh addressed their first
joint rally, Congress candidate Imran Masood who once threatened to dismember
PM Narendra Modi, is seen as a local strongman. Masood polled 4 lakh votes in
2014 and lost by only 65,000 votes. With the gathbandhan also putting up a
Muslim candidate, BSP’s Haji Fazlur Rahman, competition for Muslim vote is
intense. CM Yogi Adityanath has recently directed trenchant attacks at Masood
as Jaish chief’s “Masood Azhar’s son in law.” Some here feel that Yogi’s sharp
attack on Masood will serve to polarize Muslims towards Masood, thus weakening gathbandhan.Yet
opinion on this is divided. Although Masood is well-entrenched, he may not get
a `plus vote’ or be perceived as a winning candidate which is why in the end
Muslims may still opt for the gathbandhan in Saharanpur.But in Rampur, only
Muslim majority district in UP, Congress seems to have fielded what locals
describe as a “dummy candidate’ former MLA Sanjay Kapoor, an upper caste Hindu,
who is expected to cut into BJP’s vote, paving the way for SP’s stalwart Azam
Khan’s Lok Sabha debut.
Sharp rise in cattle run
over by trains in north India
New Delhi:Northern
Railway has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of cattle being run over by
trains, perhaps because of an increase in the number of stray cattle across the
northern plains.According to data provided by Northern Railway, the number of
stray cattle hit by trains increased by 66% in 2018-19. Number was 4,831 in
2018-19, up from 2,906 in 2017-18.“Cows are roaming in the open because there
is no buyer and the promised Gaushalas [cow shelters] are not operational. They
are also destroying crops. Farmers chase them out of their fields. Railway
lines are near fields, and the cattle go to open areas near the railway lines;
some, unfortunately, come under a train,” said Vinay Kumar, the Uttar Pradesh
vice president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.2 railway officials said, on
condition of anonymity, that this does seem to be the case.Tighter cattle
trading laws, a crackdown on illegal and unlicensed slaughter houses, and cow
vigilantes roaming the countryside and attacking any vehicle transporting
cattle, have meant that most farmers end up abandoning cattle that are too old,
instead of selling them to slaughter houses.HT
Agra: College suspends Muslim girl ‘harassed
for not wearing BJP cap’
Meerut: In a surprise development, a
22-year-old college girl, who was allegedly harassed by her “inebriated”
classmates for refusing to put on a BJP cap during their college trip to Agra
last week, was suspended by the college administration. College authorities
said they acted against her after she “failed to appear in front of an internal
grievance cell to record her statement”. Meanwhile, the victim has approached
police with a written complaint. In a letter addressed to Meerut senior
superintendent of police, the victim has narrated her ordeal. She also
elaborated on “pressure” being put on her to withdraw her complaint. The
development came hours after a group of activists from Bajrang Dal and VHP met
the college authorities demanding that the rustication of two students be
revoked. “When her classmates who were present during the trip are claiming
that she had lied on,why has college rusticated students even as the
investigation is pending? We want the rustication be revoked,” Balraj Dungar,
Bajrang Dal’s west UP convenor said. In her complaint to the police, the victim
wrote, “I took to Twitter to talk about harassment but the college and other
students have given it a political and communal colour. They have been putting
out my personal photos and videos in a conspiracy to get me thrown out of the
college and also put pressure on me to withdraw my complaint.”TOI
WORLD
Iran's Rouhani defends elite Revolutionary
Guard Corps, says US 'terror' label a 'mistake'
President Hassan Rouhani has defended Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as protectors of Iran and said that US
decision to label the Iranian elite force a "terrorist group" was a
mistake."Guards have sacrificed their lives to protect our people, our
[1979 Islamic] revolution ... Today America that holds a grudge against the
Guards, blacklists the Guards," Rouhani said.In an unprecedented step, US
President Donald Trump designated IRGC a "foreign terrorist
organisation" on Monday. Tehran took retaliatory action by naming US
Central Command (CENTCOM) as a "terrorist organisation" and US govt
as a "state sponsor of terrorism". Rouhani called US decision a
mistake and other Iranian officials have warned that it will endanger American
interests in the region, where Iran is involved in proxy wars from Syria to
Lebanon.Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the move was a "misguided
election-eve gift to [Israeli PM] Netanyahu". Israelis are voting to
decide if Netanyahu can win a record fifth term in office.If the US continues
to pressure Tehran, Rouhani said, Iran's nuclear agency will produce advanced
centrifuges - used to enrich uranium.US has already blacklisted dozens of
entities and people for affiliations with IRGC, but not the organisation as a
whole.aljazeera
US labels Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard
Corps a 'terror group'
Israeli elections: Netanyahu faces challenge
from Gantz at polls
Jerusalem - Israelis are voting on Tuesday to
choose the next party to lead the 21st Knesset in an election that pits
incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Benny Gantz, former army
chief of staff, with 37 other parties in the running.Polls are open at 10,720
polling stations.Israeli citizens aged 18 and over, including those living in
illegal settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank are eligible to
vote. Israeli law excludes expats currently abroad from voting. 4.8 million
Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation in East Jerusalem, West
Bank and Gaza do not have voting rights.According to the polls, Netanyahu of
the right-wing Likud party and Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party are
running in a close race for prime minister. The position is chosen by the
Israeli president, on the recommendations of Knesset Members (MK).At a polling
station in the occupied French Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem Yafit Scherer
called voting an important privilege. aljazeera
Algeria's parliament confirms Bensalah as
interim president
Algeria's parliament has officially confirmed
Senate President Abdelkader Bensalah as acting head of state for the next 90
days replacing Abdelaziz Bouteflika who ruled the country for nearly 2
decades.The move to designate Bensalah interim president follows the
constitutional council's decision last week to declare the presidency vacant
after Bouteflika submitted his resignation. He stepped down after nearly two
months of protests."I am required by national duty to take on this heavy
responsibility of steering a transition that will allow the Algerian people to
exercise their sovereignty," Bensalah said today."We must work to
allow the Algerian people to elect their president as soon as possible."
Bensalah will rule until fresh elections are held, in accordance with the
country's constitution. On Friday, 3 days after Bouteflika resigned, thousands
of Algerians marched in cities to demand a complete overhaul of the political
system. In addition to Bensalah, protesters said they do not want PM Noureddine
Bedoui and Constitutional Council President Tayeb Belaiz - all known to be
Bouteflika loyalists - to be involved in the political transition. aljazeera
UN: Recent Myanmar army attack may have killed
dozens of Rohingya
Office of UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) has said it fears that dozens of Rohingya civilians may have
been killed in a military attack in Myanmar's Rakhine state last week, despite
official government tolls putting the number of dead at 6. "We are now
receiving reports that the number may be much higher than that. We have
unconfirmed reports that the number may be as high as 30," said Ravina
Shamdasani, spokesperson for OHCHR, on Tuesday.On Friday, Myanmar army-run
Myawady Daily newspaper had said 6 Rohingya killed and nine wounded in
Wednesday's aerial attack were "together with terrorists while the army
was cracking down on the Arakan Army's terrorist activities" in Buthidaung
township, referring to an armed group that draws much of its recruits from the
ethnic Rakhine population.aljazeera
'Rohingya influx creating hardships in Cox's
Bazar'
Dhaka:Local residents of Bangladesh’s Cox's
Bazar district are facing increased insecurity in food and other resources due
to the influx of Rohingya refugees, according to a report.The refugee influx
has aggravated the already fragile situation in one of the poorest and most
vulnerable districts in Bangladesh, where most local households derive their
livelihoods from farming plots of around a hectare or less and/or fishing, said
the Global Network Against Food Crises, which was launched in 2016 by the
European Union,UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN World Food
Programme (WFP).“At least 100 hectares of cropland in Teknaf and Ukhiya have
either been occupied by refugee settlements or rendered useless by sandy soil
flowing down from the mountain slopes,” the network said in its report.Anadolu
Agency
Appeal aims to block UK arms sales to Saudi
Judges in UK hold Yemen's future in their
hands after a landmark legal appeal was lodged that will seek to block the sale
of billions of pounds worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia. The case brought by
campaigners against the arms trade could force Britain to halt exporting
missiles, bombs and jets in a move that some observers say could curtail Saudi
air raids in Yemen within weeks."A halt to UK arms exports and engineering
support would have a material effect on Saudis being able to conduct their
bombing missions," said Anna Stavrianakis, senior lecturer in
international relations at University of Sussex and an expert on the arms
trade.aljazeera
US bars entry to 16 Saudis over Khashoggi
murder
US State Department has barred entry to 16
Saudi nationals over what it described as their role in the murder of Jamal
Khashoggi.The announcement on Monday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo comes as
the Trump administration faces pressure from Congress over its response to the
killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October, which sparked
unprecedented international scrutiny of the kingdom's human rights record.The
section under which the individuals have been designated "provides that,
in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that officials
of foreign governments have been involved in significant corruption or gross
violations of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family
members are ineligible for entry into the US."aljazeera
Saudi-led air raids 'kill at least 11
civilians' in Yemen's Sanaa
Air raids by a Saudi-UAE-led coalition in a
residential area in Yemen's Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, have killed at least 11
civilians, including children, according to local officials.Youssef al-Hadrii,
a spokesman for the rebel-controlled health ministry, was quoted by DPA news
agency as saying that the attack on Sunday left more than 39 people wounded.He
said most of the victims were students killed in the bombing of houses and a
school.Citing local medical sources, The Associated Press news agency put the
number of those killed at 13, including seven children. More than 100 were
wounded, it added."Everyone was hysterical, some were crying and shouting
in panic," said Fatehiya Kahlani, principal of Al Raei school. "The
situation was horrible as the school population is 2,100.aljazeera
Libyan govt forces retake two bases from
Haftar
Tripoli:Forces loyal to Libya’s UN-backed
Government of National Accord (GNA) recaptured 2 military bases near the
capital Monday from commander Khalifa Haftar, according to GNA’s social media
account.The counteroffensive, called “Volcano of Anger”, repelled attacks
conducted by Haftar’s forces in Tripoli and other cities, retaking Yarmouk and
as-Sawareh military bases, according to the social media posts.Some 23 forces
of Haftar were captured during the operation, it said.GNA forces also
recaptured Tripoli International Airport from Haftar, according to a local
military source.Meanwhile, flights returned to normal at Mitiga airport in the
capital after it was targeted earlier Monday by warplanes affiliated with
Libya’s eastern government and forces loyal to Haftar.Anadolu Agency
Flash: views & NEWS
NaMo TV’s Use of Satellite Raises Questions
About Compliance With Indian Law:Mayank Saxena
https://thewire.in/media/namo-tvs-use-of-satellite-raises-questions-about-compliance-with-indian-law
Raids on Kamal Nath’s Aides Take Political
Hue:Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
When Bal Thackeray Was Disenfranchised for Far
Less Than Modi's Polarising Politics:Sujata Anandan
Donald Trump to Balochistan to Gurgaon meat
shops: Meet the Hindu Sena
Modi Has Failed to Live up to His Promise of
‘Big Bang’ Economic Reforms:Salman Anees Soz
#PrimetimeWatch: Channels Discuss BJP
Manifesto, Compare It With Congress's
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:43 PM)
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