NEWS
DIGEST, EVENING
16 May 2019:
10 Ramazan 1440:Vol: 11, No:203
INDIA
Jammu: Curfew imposed in Bhaderwah as protests
erupt after alleged cow vigilantes kill a man
Curfew was imposed in Bhaderwah town in Jammu
and Kashmir’s Doda district on Thursday after violence erupted over killing of
a man by alleged cow vigilantes earlier in the day. The incident took place
when the victim, identified as Nayeem, and another person were travelling in a
vehicle near Nalti area, some eight kilometres from Bhaderwah town. Nayeem died
on spot but his companion received splinter injuries.Local reports alleged that
some cow vigilantes shot at Nayeem with a country-made weapon. “Nayeem was
working as a cattle trader. It’s being said that he was carrying some cattle in
his vehicle at the time of the incident,” a local journalist said. “When the
news of his killing reached his village, his relatives and other locals
attacked Bhaderwah police station and pelted stones at some parked vehicles
there.” 7 people have been detained in connection with the case, PTI reported.
Internet services have also been suspended.Bhaderwah Additional DCP Ravi Kumar
Bharti said the situation is currently under control. “We will issue an update
on the situation in the evening,” Bharti added.Another district administration
official, who did not want to be identified, said Army has been deployed in the
communally-sensitive town to prevent any untoward incidents and added that the
movement of civilian vehicles has been restricted.When contacted, SHO of
Bhaderwah police station, refused to comment. Jammu IGP MK Sinha did not respond
to Scroll.in calls.
Man killed in midnight firing in Jammu's
Bhaderwah for cow vigilantism; curfew imposed in valley
Tension in 2 Vadodara villages after man
assaulted by members of minority community
Vadodara :Tension prevailed in two villages of
Vadodara on Wednesday after a Hindu man from Hansjipura was attacked by a group
of men – all belonging to the minority community – from Dhaniyavi. The incident
was first reported on Saturday when an altercation had broken out between them.
Lakshman Babubhai, had filed a complaint accusing nine people of rioting and
criminal intimidation.As per his complaint, 2 main accused Imran and Nizam used
to empty their poultry farm waste into a pond that is shared between 3 villages
including Dhaniyavi and Hansjipura with the latter relying on the pond water as
a source of drinking water as well.On Saturday, while returning from his farm, Lakshman,on
witnessing this, raised an objection to the duo emptying their poultry farm
waste. This soon led to an altercation between 3 and Lakshman alleged that he
was slapped and assaulted.He had filed a complaint against the 2 and the duo
was arrested and later released on bail. However, on Tuesday evening, according
to Lakshman’s complaint, the duo accompanied by seven others from their
village, armed with sticks and sharp-edged weapons, assaulted him and
threatened to kill him.The minority community, on the other hand, has alleged
that the Thakor community is targeting them by falsely implicating them in the
case. They have alleged that the police was pressured to file a complaint
against 9 people when the entire community members of Thakor community had
landed up at the Varnama police and pressured them to file a complaint. The
community members will also be submitting a memorandum in this regard to SP and
the district collector in the afternoon today. indian express
Tihar undertrial with ‘om’ branded on back
tells court: Being pressured to withdraw charge or compromise
New Delhi :A Tihar Jail undertrial, who had
alleged that an ‘Om’ symbol was branded on his back by the jail superintendent,
Tuesday told a Delhi court that jail authorities were pressuring him to “either
withdraw his allegations or compromise”.“Jail authorities are pressuring me to
either withdraw my charges or compromise,” undertrial Nabbir told the
magistrate. Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Parihar did not respond to the
accusations levelled by Nabbir against jail officials, saying she has not yet
gone through the status report filed by Tihar and that she will need time till
May 24 to do so.The jail had filed its report in a sealed cover on April 30,
after a Delhi court pulled up authorities for failing to respond to the charges
levelled by the undertrial. Nabbir had alleged that the ‘Om’ symbol was branded
on his back, and that it was the handiwork of a jail superintendent who had
used a hot metal for the carving.Outside the courtroom, Nabbir’s advocate
Jagmohan Singh said he has not been given a copy of the status report and
expressed apprehensions over the jail’s findings.The matter came to light when
Nabbir, who was then lodged in the High Risk Ward of Jail No. 4, filed an
application alleging that on April 12, jail authorities had thrashed him,
carved the symbol with hot metal and forced him to fast. Following this, the
court had ordered jail authorities to inquire into the matter and submit a
report. “Allegations raised by the accused are of serious nature and require
immediate intervention,” magistrate had said.indianexpress
Assam: Defying curfew, Muslim man drives auto
to take pregnant Hindu woman to hospital
Hailakandi:With prayers on his lips, a Muslim
man drove his auto-rickshaw as fast as he can in a curfew-hit town so that a
Hindu woman who was in an advanced stage of labour could reach the hospital on
time.They made it and a boy, aptly named 'Shanti', was born on Sunday when the
curfew was in force in Hailakandi following communal clashes just 2 days
ago.Accompanied by DSP Mohneesh Mishra, Hailakandi DCP Keerthi Jalli visited
the residence of Rubon Das and Nandita, parents of the new-born, on Wednesday
and said,"We need more such examples of Hindu-Muslim unity and
amity." She also congratulated Maqbool, Rubon's neighbour, for helping his
friend at the time of distress, overriding the communal tension prevailing in
the district. 2 days later, Rubon was frantically calling his near and dear
ones for help. He needed an ambulance to take Nandita to hospital as she was
writhing in labour pain. In between the calls, Rubon said, "I was trying
to calm my wife down saying someone will surely come to take us to hospital in
Hailakandi town."However, no help came for them in the curfew affected
area and, in the meanwhile, Nandita's pain increased.At that time,Rubon's
friend and neighbour Maqbool heard his predicament and rushed to his residence
with his auto-rickshaw.As Maqbool was driving the vehicle, speeding along the
deserted roads, the only thing haunting him was whether he would make it on
time to the hospital."I was trying to comfort them.... telling them
everything will be fine. But I myself was praying," said Maqbool. His
timely help paid off and Nandita delivered a healthy boy at 5.30 pm.india today
Uttar Pradesh: Violence before Modi’s rally in
Chandauli, BJP activists beat up Dalits
When Prime Minister was addressing a rally in
Chandauli today proudly saying that he considers the party more important than
himself and the country more important than the party, was he aware of the
bitter fact that some Dalits in Chandauli were thrashed ruthlessly by his
party’s supporters just because they refused to attend the rally?According to
sources, the BJP activists allegedly bashed up some Dalits hours before Prime
Minister Modi's rally in Chandauli district in UP.As per information emerging
from the ground, BJP supporters in Bisundhari village asked Dalits to
participate in Modi's rally that was scheduled to take place in a nearby
Dhabapur village on Thursday afternoon. However, when the Dalits, who happened
to be BSP supporters refused to attend the prime minister’s rally, BJP
activists resorted to violence and attacked BSP supporters with iron rods and
sticks.As per sources, as many as 10 people belonging to the Dalit community
have received injuries. After initial denial, the police registered the FIR
under against the unknown people under the section 154 of the
IPC.nationalheraldindia
Behind Gujarat boycott: Dalits won’t pick
carcasses, want equal treatment
Lhor :Around 6 months ago, a buffalo belonging
to Vikram Thakor died. He dragged the carcass to an uninhabited place on the
outskirts of Lhor village in Mehsana with a tractor.“We have to do it on our
own,” Vikram said, “Dalits in the village stopped picking up carcasses two
years ago. Some months back, a dog died near my house, and I had to dispose it
in a similar manner.”Accusing the upper castes in the village of
discrimination, Dalits in Lhor decided to stop disposing animal carcasses as part
of their “customary” service saying it was a “filthy and unpaid for” job that
was thrust upon them.And this refusal is among the main reasons, they alleged,
that the upper castes in the village called for a social boycott of Dalits on
May 8, after a Dalit groom took out the first wedding procession in Lhor on a
horse. Based on a complaint, police have registered an FIR against 5 upper
caste men, including the sarpanch and deputy sarpanch of village, for ordering
the social boycott.Thakors form the majority in Lhor, which has a population of
over 1,600. Vikram and several other Thakors in Lhor indicate that though they
do not like the Dalits’ assertion in not disposing of carcasses, they cannot
force them. Thakors denied the accusation that the issue is connected to the
alleged boycott.But most Dalits believe otherwise. “Our old generation used to
lift the carcasses of animals and the tradition has continued for hundreds of
years. We (the Dalits) were not getting any remuneration for it and the service
was imposed on us as a custom for long. They think Dalits have to do it,”said
Mukesh Shrimali.indianexpress
‘No Communal Angle’, Says Daughter of Man
Murdered in West Delhi
Days after a 51-year-old businessman was
stabbed to death, allegedly for resisting youths who passed lewd remarks at his
daughter in West Delhi, his family told The Quint that the matter should not be
made communal.There was no communal angle, the four just happened to be
Muslims, they say.The murder took place on 12 May, when Dhruv Raj Tyagi
confronted the accused men who allegedly sexually harassed his 26-year-old
daughter Sheela (name changed) on the road. Sheela’s 19-year-old brother Anand
(name changed) also sustained injuries in the brawl.Sheela, at whom the lewd
remarks were allegedly directed, says,“It is true that those who attacked my
father and brother are Muslims, but there were other Hindus who watched and did
nothing to save them.”While Sheela accused onlookers of inaction, her uncle
Tapreshwar Tyagi called the communal spin given to the incident,“The handiwork
of the WhatsApp university, who have nothing better to do [...] The man who
took my brother and his son to the hospital is a Muslim.”Riyaz – Dhruv’s
neighbour who took him and his son to the hospital – says those attempting to
communalise the incident must remember that no one came forward to help the
family on the night that it really mattered.Soon after the incident in the wee
hours of 12 May, certain posts and messages claimed it was a communal attack.
Some even branded the accused “jihadis” and “terrorists”.thequint
Soldier, civilian die as militants open fire,
3 of them killed in retaliatory action
Srinagar: 3 militants were killed in a
gunfight after they shot dead a soldier and a civilian on May 16 in Pulwama
district of Jammu and Kashmir, Army said. The slain militants included the
mastermind Lethpora 'fidayeen' attack. Three soldiers suffered injuries in the
gun battle.Incriminating material, including ammunition, were recovered from
the encounter site, a police spokesman said.“On a credible input, a cordon and
search operation was launched in the early hours of the day by police and
security forces at Delipora area in district Pulwama,” he said.When the
security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood of the target
house, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately. “In the process, Sepoy
Sandeep attained martyrdom and civilian Rayees Dar lost his life,” the
spokesman said.In the retaliatory action by security forces, three terrorists
were killed and their bodies retrieved, he said.“They were identified as Naseer
Pandith of Kareemabad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and Khalid from
Pakistan.”thehindu
UGC warns against taking admission in PoK
institutes
Srinagar:University Grants Commission has
warned students against taking admission in educational institutions in
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) stating it is an integral part of India and
under illegal occupation of Pakistan.“Since Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir
(PoJK) is an integral part of Union of India and the educational institutions
including universities, medical colleges and technical institutions and other
education institutions situated in PoJK are neither established by Government
of India nor recognized by statutory authorities such as UGC, AICTE, MCI, etc,”
states the May 8 UGC notification issued by Secretary Professor Rajnish Jain.“Therefore,
students are cautioned/ advised against taking admission in any college/
university/ technical institution in any territory under illegal occupation of
Pakistan including the so-called AJK and Gilgit Baltistan, which are currently
not recognized in India,” notification said.Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman of
the Hurriyat Conference, described UGC directive as “politicisation” of
education and said it “violates” the fundamental right of students to take
education anywhere in the world. “It is unfortunate politicisation of
education, which violates the fundamental right of students to seek education
anywhere in the globe. It (UGC notification) has put the career of those
studying there in jeopardy and uncertainty.”indianexpress
2 J&K students leave Baghpat college after
tension
Ghaziabad:A day after Kashmiri students of a
college in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, sought transfer to their native State, Aquib
and Younis, 2 students from Doda district of Jammu have left the campus. The
issue spiralled after some locals thrashed Aquib over allegations of harassing
a girl.According to the college management, the matter has been resolved after
their intervention while the police say it was a scuffle between students and
outsiders and it should not be linked to the ethnicity of the students.Aquib
denied the charges of harassment to the local media on Wednesday.His classmate
Mohd. Irfan said that “it was a case of misunderstanding.” “I think he
inadvertently brushed the girl the wrong way. He apologised but people asked
him about his ethnicity. When he said that he was from Jammu and Kashmir, they
started thrashing him. It was wrong and should not have happened. They chased
him to the hostel. It created panic among students. It was only after senior
police officers and the management assured us of safety that we decided to stay
on.”Irfan added that the students were keeping fast during Ramzan and
participating in temple festivities as well.The incident occurred at Syadwad
Institute of Higher Education and Research during a college function.thehindu
Bofors: CBI does a u-turn, says it doesn’t
want to pursue case
NEW DELHI: CBI on Thursday informed a Delhi
court that it did not want to pursue its application for further probe into the
₹64-crore Bofors bribery case.Making submission before the court at the Tis
Hazari district courts, counsel for the CBI said it would decide the future
course in the matter later. But at the moment, It did not want to pursue the application
for permission to further probe the case, counsel said.Advocate Ajay Agarwal,
who had also moved an application for a further probe into the matter, also
moved an application for withdrawing his plea. But when the court threatened to
impose costs on him for wasting its time, he said he would argue on it.The
court agreed to his submission. Last year, the CBI moved the trial court
seeking permission for further probe into the case, saying it had come across
fresh material and evidence.thehindu
Evidence in a case, Rs 2 lakh cash stolen from
inside Delhi CBI court
New Delhi:A wad of currency worth Rs 2 lakh,
which helped CBI trap an accused in a corruption case, ended up getting stolen
from one of the safest places possible: the courtroom. The cash, part of
evidence in a case being heard in the court, was allegedly stolen by a court
staffer and was recovered by police from a room adjacent to the chamber of the
judge.The rare crime unfolded as special CBI judge Vimal Kumar Yadav was
presiding over a corruption case at the newly inaugurated Rouse Avenue court
near the Income Tax Office in central Delhi on May 1.HT
India joins global war on online terror
India
became one of the signatories to the Chirstchurch Call for Action to remove
extremist and violent online content. The global document, spearheaded by
French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, signed in
Paris on Wednesday brought together governments and technology giants to commit
to action that would weed out such content from online spaces like etc. The
idea, which germinated during Macron’s visit to Wellington in April, culminated
in the release of a global document on Wednesday at an event attended by
leaders of Britain, France, Canada, Ireland, Senegal, Indonesia, Jordan and the
European Union as well as tech giants like Twitter, Google, Microsoft among
others. India was represented by Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary in the
ministry of electronics and information technology. TOI
SC to hear plea of Muslim woman against talaq
notices:TOI
New Delhi: Anticipating that her husband, who
has already given two talaq notices, might take illegal and unconstitutional
route of triple to end the marriage, a Muslim woman on Thursday approached the
Supreme Court to restrain him. Appearing before a bench of Justices Indira
Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, her advocate M M Kashyap mentioned the petition and
pleaded for an urgent hearing. He said that the husband had sent two talaq
notices one on March 29 and other on May 7 and third notice might be sent any
time to complete the process of triple talaq. Referring to SC’s verdict, the
petitioner pleaded the court to declare the process adopted by her husband as
illegal. She contended that the Centre had also brought Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019 making triple talaq an
offence. Under the Ordinance, divorcing through instant triple talaq is
illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband.She
alleged that she was subjected to dowry harassment by her husband and was
thrown out of her matrimonial home after not meeting the demand. She also
pleaded for registration of criminal case against her husband for resorting to
triple talaq. The apex court will hear her plea on May 20.
Supreme Court agrees to hear Muslim woman’s
petition challenging talaq notices issued by husband
Muslim Educational Society in Kerala told to
withdraw hijaab ban
IUML, a constituent of Congress-led United
Democratic Front, on Wednesday asked Muslim Educational Society (MES) to
withdraw its circular banning face-covering veils (hijaab) on its campuses.In a
statement, IUML chief Panakkad Hyderali Thangal said it was a student’s
individual choice to cover the face or not and it was not proper to ban it. He
said covering the face was part of the religion and it was the duty of
religious scholars to take a decision on this. He asked the MES to withdraw its
circular immediately.Two weeks ago, the MES had issued a circular citing a
recent Kerala high court order to ban the hijaab, which covers the face of
women, in all its institutions. MES is a progressive educational group that
runs 150 institutions and educates more than 100,000 students. Samastha Kerala
Jemiayathul Ulema president Muthukoya Thangal criticized the MES move: “MES has
no right to dictate terms to believers. Burqa is the identity of Muslim women
and nobody can deny it,” he said. Samastha, a prominent section of the Sunni
sect, has threatened to boycott MES institutions if it goes ahead with its
decision.HT
RSS people have infiltrated Election
Commission: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on
Wednesday launched a tirade against the Election Commission of India accusing
it of functioning at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP
President Amit Shah. A visibly angry chief minister told reporters in Kolkata
that RSS workers had infiltrated the national election body.Questioning the
Election Commission’s decision to impose Article 324 and cut short the
campaigning period in the state by 24 hours, Banerjee said, “There is no such
law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped. It is
unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical. It is actually a gift to Modi
and Amit Shah.”Banerjee said that if there was a problem of violence in West
Bengal, then the national poll body ought to have stopped campaigning from
Wednesday. “But they would never do that because tomorrow (Thursday) there is a
rally of Modi. So once his rally ends, the campaign ends? Unfair,
unconstitutional, unprecedented…,” she said. Mamata also called Shah a ‘goon
leader’ and asked how his son Jay Shah’s income had risen so much since the BJP
formed its government at the Centre. Banerjee also targeted Modi for not being
able to take care of his wife, adding that how he will ‘take care of democracy
in India?’ Banerjee said that some emergency situation had ‘arisen due to some
directions of Election Commission.’ “I don’t consider these as Election
Commission’s decision. These have been taken as per the direction of the BJP,
Modi and Amit Shah,” she said.Banerjee said that the Election Commission’s
decision to impose Article 324 came hours after Shah held a press conference on
Tuesday’s violence during his road show. “In the morning, Shah held a press
conference in Delhi, where he threatened the Election Commission. Is this a
fallout of that?” she asked. Banerjee said that her voice could not be
stifled.West Bengal chief minister also complained that even the Supreme Court
was not listening to her. She said, “What kind of democracy is this? The
Supreme Court is not listening to us. The Election Commission is listening to
BJP. Where will we go? Where will our people go?”
EC ends campaigning in W.Bengal: Mamata says
such madness did not take place during Babri demolition
EC lost its independence, time to review
process of its appointment: Congress
NEW DELHI: Accusing the Election Commission of
losing its credibility and independence, the Congress on Thursday said time has
come to review the process of the poll panel's appointment. "Election
Commission has completely abdicated its Constitutional duty under Art 324 to
ensure level playing field, besides negating the due process under Article 14
and 21 of India's Constitution," he told reporters. "The time has
come to review the process of appointment of Election Commission," he
said, calling for a national debate on the issue. The Congress, a responsible
political party, has never cast unwarranted aspersions on the actions of
Constitutional bodies, Surjewala said.PTI
Godse a ‘deshbhakt’, says Pragya Thakur; BJP
condemns remark, asks her to apologise
New Delhi ;In yet another controversial
remark, BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur Thursday described
Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi, as a “patriot” and said those calling
him a “terrorist” will be given a befitting reply when the election results are
announced.“Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a ‘deshbhakt’ and will
remain a ‘deshbhakt’. People calling him a terrorist should instead look
within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections,”
Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, said.Launching a scathing attack
on the BJP, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said “India’s soul is again
under attack by the current ruling BJP dispensation” and that Thakur has
crossed all limits by describing Godse as a “true nationalist”.“BJP leaders are
describing the murderer of father of the nation as a true nationalist while
declaring those who sacrificed their lives for nation like Hemant Karkare as
anti-nationals,”Surjewala said. “Pragya crossed all limits today and committed
the unpardonable sin of describing Nathuram Godse as a true nationalist.”BJP
quickly scrambled into damage-control mode and said Thakur should publicly
apologise for her statement. indianexpress
Health centres in Rajasthan play Gayatri
Mantra in labour rooms; Muslim activists oppose practiceIn Focus
Jaipur:The government health centres in Rajasthan
have been playing Gayatri Mantra in labour rooms, saying it gives relief to
woman during labour pain. Meanwhile, Muslim activists have protested the
practice of playing the hymns from Rig Veda citing religious reasons. According
to a report in TOI, chief medical and health officer of Sawai Madhopur has
confirmed that health centres are playing the Gayatri Mantra.“We are playing
Gayatri Mantra in the labour room of our district hospital. We will soon expand
it to all our 20 labour rooms at other health centres in the district.If a
woman listens to Gayatri Mantra, she does not feel pain of labour," the
report quotes Dr Tejram Meena, CMHO of Sawai Madhopur as saying. In Udaipur
too, senior officials in the state health department said they are planning to
extend the practice in the labour room
of government-run medical college.Dr Ratan Grover, Principal medical officer in
Sirohi district, said they have been playing both bhajans and Gayatri Mantra in
their our labour room for more than a year as it relived stress of pregnant
women.However, Special secretary (health) in Rajasthan govt said, there has
been no instructions from health department to play Gayatri Mantra.timesnownews
Assam High Madrassa result declared; 58.18%
pass
In Assam High Madrassa (AHM) examination,
results of which was declared on Wednesday along with the High School Leaving
Certificate (HSLC) examination, Selim Ahmed of Rakhaldubi High Madrassa,
Goalpara topped the exam by scoring 561 out of 600 marks.Abdul Aziz of
Pipirakuchi Anchalik High Madrassa brought laurels to Darrang district securing
second rank in the AHM examination, while Ilias Ali from Ambari Kartimari High
Madrassa, Goalpara stood in the third position. TOI
WORLD
Saudi-UAE coalition carries out deadly air
raids on Yemen's Sanaa
At least six civilians, including women and
children, have been killed and dozens wounded in Saudi-UAE-led coalition air
raids on residential areas and Houthi rebel military targets in Yemen's
capital, Sanaa.The coalition carried out 11 attacks on the capital in all, out
of a total of 19 across rebel-held territory on Thursday, the Houthi-run
Masirah TV channel reported. It blamed "aircraft of the (Saudi-led)
aggression".Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya quoted a coalition
statement as saying the coalition had launched an operation aimed at
"neutralising the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out acts of
aggression."Masirah quoted the Houthi health ministry as saying six
civilians, including four children, had been killed and 52 wounded, including two
Russian women working in the health sector.aljazeera
Austria MPs approve law banning headscarf in
primary schools
Austrian MPs on Wednesday approved a law aimed
at banning the headscarf in primary schools, a measure proposed by the ruling
right-wing government.To avoid charges that the law discriminates against
Muslims, the text refers to any "ideologically or religiously influenced
clothing which is associated with the covering of the head".However,
representatives of both parts of the governing coalition, the centre-right
People's Party (OeVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), have made it
clear that the law is targeted at the Muslim headscarf. FPOe education
spokesman Wendelin Moelzer said the law was "a signal against political
Islam" while OeVP MP Rudolf Taschner said the measure was necessary to
free girls from "subjugation". The government says the patka head
covering worn by Sikh boys or the Jewish kippa would not be affected.Austria's
official Muslim community organisation IGGOe has previously condemned the
proposals as "shameless" and a "diversionary tactic". IGGOe
said that in any case only a "minuscule number" of girls would be
affected.Almost the entire opposition voted against the measure, with some MPs
accusing the government of focusing on garnering positive headlines rather than
child welfare.The government admits that the law is likely to be challenged at
Austria's constitutional court, either on grounds of religious discrimination
or because similar legislation affecting schools is normally passed with a
two-thirds majority of MPs.aljazeera
Sri Lanka Reimposes Curfew after Arresting
Over 100 People For Anti-Muslim Riots
Colombo: Sri Lanka's police reimposed night
curfews in vulnerable areas on Wednesday and arrested over 100 people in
connection with the communal riots which targeted Muslim-owned businesses in
the aftermath of the Easter bombings.The police announcement came hours after
authorities lifted the nationwide restrictions on people's movements and
assembly."We have already taken measures to obtain aerial photographic
evidence of those involved in such activities and to direct such evidence for
legal action against lawbreakers," police spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara
said.Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities said that there is no requirement to
bring in armies of other countries in the island nation. On ongoing violence,
the spokesman said at least 78 people were arrested from the worst-affected
North-Western Province (NWP) for the anti-Muslim violence. Rest of the suspects
were arrested from other parts of the country, he said.The majority Sinhala
community mobs vandalised Muslim-owned properties in NWP and adjoining Gampaha
district in the Western Province, a senior police officer said, adding that the
mobs even defied the curfew to attack Muslim properties which resulted in the
death of one person.Police said among the arrested were state and private
sector employees. Muslims said that rioters went about destroying their
properties and setting fire to them even after curfew hours. They accused the
security forces and the police for becoming silent watchers to the rioting.
Muslim political parties said at least one person was killed in the riots.The
attacks come during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan.PTI
Violence against Muslims by political and not
religious elements: Sri Lanka Cardinal
Colombo:Head of the Catholic church in Sri
Lanka, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, told newspersons here that the clashes in the
North Western Provinces have no religious nuances and that the attacks on
Muslim properties appear to have been carried out by political and not
religious elements.“What we see is a more a political crisis where certain
political parties and their agents at the base level run out of control and
they go and attack unnecessarily these people. I don’t think there are
religious nuances,” the Cardinal said.siasat
Taliban attack leaves 10 soldiers dead in
southern Afghanistan
A Taliban attack on two military checkpoints
has left 10 Afghan army members dead in southern Zabul province, officials
said.The attack in Shamulzayi district of the province also wounded at least
four soldiers, provincial council member Dur Mohammad Qiam said on
Thursday.Another councillor, Asadullah Kakar, while confirming the details,
added that Afghan security forces have technically retreated from the
checkpoints in the district.According to officials, Taliban control a vast part
of the province, with the government trying to retake lost areasaljazeera
Sudan military rulers suspend talks with
protesters for 72 hours
Sudan's pro-democracy protesters said on
Thursday the ruling military council's suspension of talks was a
"regrettable" setback to efforts to forge a new democratic era
following the overthrow of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.Transitional
Military Council (TMC) and protest leaders had been expected to come to an
agreement on Wednesday over the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three
years.But in the early hours of Thursday, the chief of Sudan's ruling military
council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced the talks had been suspended
for 72 hours as the security in the capital had deteriorated.The Alliance for
Freedom and Change, the group that is leading the protest movement and
negotiating the transfer of power with the army rulers, said the move was
"regretable"..aljazeera
UN calls on Qatar to reform workers rights,
abolish death penalty
Geneva:United Nations member states have
called upon Qatar to reform its domestic workers' rights policy and ban capital
punishment.Qatar is one of the 14 states currently undergoing a Human Rights
Council assessment, a UN-led process known as Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
involving all 193 member states.Since its last review in 2014, the Gulf country
has taken a number of initiatives to bring its national legislation in line
with international human rights covenants, said a Qatari official at the
country's review on Wednesday.
Free speech concerns in Bangladesh as writers,
activist arrested
Police in Bangladesh arrested three people,
including two writers and an activist, in the past week under the country's
controversial Digital Security Act (DSA) and the Information and Communication
Technology Act (ICTA).The arrests have once again raised fears of a crackdown
on freedom of expression in the South Asian country and have drawn criticism
from activists and international rights groups. Both the laws seek to curb free
speech, mainly in press, and carry a maximum punishment of 14 years each.Henry
Sawpon, 48, a prominent poet living in the southern district of Barisal, was
arrested under DSA on Tuesday for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of
Bangladesh's minority Christian community. He was released on bail on Thursday
morning.Writer Imtiaz Mahmud, 61, was arrested under the ICTA in capital Dhaka
on Wednesday over a Facebook post in which he wrote about the rights of the
minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region.aljazeera
Flash: views & NEWS
Modi claims “Hindu terror” is an insult, but
home ministry probes “Islamist & Sikh terrorism”:NIKITA SAXENA,
caravanmagazine
Interview | Mamata Banerjee: We Want a
Political Fight, Not Communal Riots and Division:
Siddharth Varadarajan and Himadri Ghosh
Giving wings to a dream: Muslim IAS aspirants
are being coached for free at Haj House:Jyoti Punwani , Mumbai Mirror
Mamata primed for national role after boxing
with Modi in Bengal:S N M Abdi
Election Commission has a lot to answer: four
questions on Bengal to start with
A fact-check of claims made by BJP about
Vidyasagar college violence :Pooja
Chaudhury/altnews
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:45 PM)
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