19 June 2019:
14 Shawal 1440:Vol: 11, No:225
INDIA
Most parties support ‘one nation, one
election’, committee to check feasibility soon says Centre;Left terms it
backdoor way of replacing parliamentary democracy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an
all-party meeting today to explore the possibility of simultaneous elections
for Lok Sabha, State Assemblies and local bodies.Modi has invited heads of all
parties who have an MP either in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha for a meeting to
discuss several issues, including the “one nation, one election” idea,
celebration of 75 years of Independence in 2022 and 150 years of Mahatma
Gandhi’s birth anniversary this year.While several regional leaders including
M.K. Stalin, Mamata Banerjee, and N. Chandrababu Naidu have decided to skip the
meeting, the Left parties, which is opposing the idea of simultaneous polls,
participated in the meeting.The “one nation, one election” proposal is
fundamentally anti-federal and a “backdoor way of replacing our parliamentary
democracy”,CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said after a meeting of
political party chiefs called by Modi.Speaking on the programme and commitments
to celebrate Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Yechury said action must be taken
against those who are glorifying the assassins of the Father of the nation. He
also demanded for a law against mob lynching.“‘One Nation, One poll’ proposal
is fundamentally anti-federal and anti democratic and thus, against the
Constitution. It is a backdoor way of replacing our parliamentary democracy,”
Yechury said after the meeting.Holding simultaneous polls to Parliament and
state Assemblies is fundamentally anti-federal and anti-democratic and thus,
against the Constitution, the CPI(M) said on Wednesday, listing out the reasons
for its opposition to the “artificial attempt” to introduce “One Nation, One
Election” process by the government.Earlier, in a note circulated among the
representatives of the political parties in attendance, he listed out the
reasons for the CPI(M)’s opposition to the “artificial attempt” by the
government to introduce simultaneous polls.Modi will set up a committee for
giving “time-bound” suggestions on the issue of ‘one nation, one election’,
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said.Addressing the media after the
all-party meeting on the issue, Singh said most parties supported the idea of
holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.He said though
parties such as CPI and CPI(M) had “difference of opinion” on how the exercise
of joint elections will be held, they were “not opposed (to the idea)“.Asked
about the composition of the proposed committee, Singh said Prime Minister will
take a call.CEC S.Y. Quraishi, "“Till the idea achieves political
consensus, there are two alternative suggestions to deal with the problems that
arise due to frequent elections.“First, the problem of uncontrolled campaign
expenditure can be remedied by introducing a cap on expenditure by political
parties. State funding of political parties based on their poll performance
also is a suggestion worth considering. Private and corporate fund collection
may be banned.“Second, as I have suggested elsewhere, the poll duration can be
reduced from two-three months to about 33 to 35 days if more Central armed
police forces can be provided. The problems associated with a multi-phased
election have been getting compounded, with more issues being added to the list
with every election. Violence, social media-related transgressions and issues
related to the enforcement of the MCC which are unavoidable in a staggered
election will vanish if the election is conducted in a single day. All that
needs to be done is to raise more battalions. This will also help in job
creation.“...[I]t is undeniable that simultaneous elections would be a
far-reaching electoral reform. If it is to be implemented, there needs to be a
solid political consensus, and an agenda of comprehensive electoral reforms should
supplement it. Pros and cons need to be appropriately assessed and practical
alternatives sincerely considered,” Quraishi concludes.Former CEC T.S.
Krishnamurthy has said the ‘one nation one election’ idea is very attractive
but cannot be put into practice without a Constitutional amendment providing
for fixed tenure for legislatures.In a letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Pralhad Joshi, AAP's Spokesperson Raghav Chadha has called simultaneous polls,
at this stage, is just a slogan in the absence of a clear policy document or
white paper. thehindu
PM To Form Committee To Study Feasibility Of
One Nation, One Poll: Centre
Most parties support ‘one nation, one
election’, committee to check feasibility soon: PM Modi
‘One nation, one election’ a diversionary
tactic says Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi
Congress leader and MP Gaurav Gogoi slammed
the BJP over simultaneous polls, saying that it was a "diversionary
tactics" to divert people's attention from real issues and accused the
ruling party of remaining inconsistent on the issue.The Congress also said that
party President Rahul Gandhi has written to the government over the party's
inability to participate in the meeting of presidents of all parties in
Parliament. Congress leader and MP Gaurav Gogoi told reporters here
that"when we talk of 'one nation, one election,' then we also want
improvements in the election process."He said the Congress has raised
questions over the election process as voting for two Rajya Sabha seats is being
done on different dates.nationalheraldindia
Law panel for tough legal framework to hold
simultaneous polls
As the govt toys with the idea of holding
simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the Law Commission has
recommended a tough legal framework for such a gigantic exercise.The law panel,
in its draft recommendations made last August, recommended amendments to the
Constitution and the Representation of People Act to ensure simultaneous
elections. Simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be held
in two phases, provided at least 2 provisions of the Constitution are amended
and ratified by majority of the states, Commission had recommended. Agreeing
with the view of the law panel, former chief election commissioner TS
Krishnamurthy said the ‘one nation one election’ idea is very attractive but
cannot be put into practice without a constitutional amendment providing for
fixed tenure for legislatures.PTI
Supreme Court seeks ECI stand on plea against
separate Rajya Sabha bypolls in Gujarat
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today sought the
stand of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a petition challenging its
decision to hold 2 separate Rajya Sabha bypolls in Gujarat.The seats fell
vacant owing to the election of BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister
Smriti Irani to Lok Sabha.A Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant told
the poll panel to respond by Monday on the petition filed by Gujarat Congress
leader Pareshbhai Dhanani.The question whether such vacancy was ‘casual’ or
statutory needed to be decided, the Bench said, as it posted the case for
further hearing on June 25.Counsel for the poll panel argued that a petition in
such issues cannot be entertained.thehindu
Lok
Sabha adjourned after Speaker election and introduction of Council of Ministers
Om Birla, a two-term BJP MP from Kota, has
been nominated by the ruling party for the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha.On
June 19 PM Narendra Modi will nominate Birla, followed by other members who
will second his nomination.Members who couldn’t take their oaths in the last
two days will do so today.House adjourned for the day. Lok Sabha will
reassemble tomorrow,30 minutes after Presidential address.thehindu
Rationalist Dabholkar murder: CBI seeks
Sanatan Sanshtha lawyer Sanjeev Punalekar’s custody again
Pune: CBI has opposed the bail plea of
advocate Sanjeev Punalekar, counsel for the fringe right-wing outfit Sanatan
Sanshtha, and again sought his custody in connection with the murder of eminent
rationalist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar. CBI, through Special Public Prosecutor
Prakash Suryavanshi, sought his custody on the grounds that it needed to
interrogate Mr. Punalekar regarding documents and other materials seized from
the him during his arrest on May 26. A special court on June 4 remanded
Punalekar, and his aide, Sanatan Sanstha member Vikram Bhave, in judicial
custody after two spells in the CBI’s custody.At the time, the court denied the
CBI’s plea seeking a further extension of the custody of the accused, observing
that the investigating agency had not made any fresh progress in the
investigation when the accused was in its custody.thehindu
Union Health Secretary flags malpractices in
hospitals, sends patients’ rights charter to States
MUMBAI:A patient has the right to know all the
rates charged for specific services in a hospital, hospitals should boldly
display the cost of procedures in local and English language and patients
should pay the fees agreed upon and never resort to violence.These are some of
the points in a detailed charter of patients’ rights that the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare wants all the State governments to adopt.Raising a
red flag on malpractices in hospitals across the country, Ministry Secretary
Preeti Sudan, in a June 2 circular, asked all the States and Union Territories
to adopt the charter so that the common grievances of patients and clinical
establishments are addressed.The circular said the government had been
receiving many complaints of malpractices in clinical establishments,
particularly in large corporate hospitals such as billing of arbitrary and
exorbitant charges, gross deficiency in services provided, not following
standard treatment protocol, total lack of transparency in diagnosis and
treatment, forcing patients to avail diagnostic services and purchase of medicines,
consumables and implants from some select vendors, etc.thehindu
Excluded from panel on atrocities against
Dalits, Jignesh Mevani calls it prejudice
Gandhinagar :Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani,
who represents the Scheduled Caste reserved constituency Vadgam, Tuesday wrote
to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, objecting to being excluded from the Gujarat
government’s high power committee on prevention of atrocities on Dalits and
tribal people in the state. He attributed his omission from the panel to
alleged prejudice against him. The committee is scheduled to meet on
Wednesday.Under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, each state government constitutes a high power
State-level vigilance and monitoring committee for effective implementation of
the Act. The Committee, headed by the chief minister, can have a maximum of 25
members, including the leader of the opposition, the state’s chief secretary,
director general of police, the minister for social justice & empowerment
and MPs and MLAs representing the SC and ST communities.In his letter to the
chief minister, Mevani wrote, “To the best of my information, this meeting (of
State Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee) is scheduled tomorrow, ie June
19, 2019. However, to ensure that I do not raise the issues of the SC and ST
communities, I have not been included in the committee, with a prejudice
against me.” He submitted a list of demands on prevention of atrocities against
Dalits and tribals in Gujarat, and asked the state government to discuss it at
the meeting and do the needful.indianexpress
Anand Grover, NGO say attempt to silence them
after CBI's action
New Delhi :Lawyers Collective, rights issue
NGO run by senior lawyers Indira Jaising and Anand Grover has expressed “shock
and outrage at the action of the CBI. Acting on a complaint from Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA), CBI has registered an FIR against Lawyers Collective, for
alleged violation of FCRA.In a statement, the Lawyers Collective said: “The
Lawyers Collective believes that the FIR has no basis in fact and law. It is to
target the Lawyers Collective and its office bearers, to silence them as they
have taken up sensitive cases in the past, and continue to take them up. The
Lawyers Collective is seeking competent advice and will defend themselves in
accordance with law in every forum.”“LC has reason to believe that its officer
bearers are personally being targeted for speaking up in defence of human
rights, secularism and independence of the judiciary in all fora more
particularly in their capacity as senior lawyers in court. The LC sees this as
a blatant attack of the right to representation of all persons, particularly
the marginalised and those who dissent in their views form the ruling party. It
is also an attack in the right to free speech and expression and an attack on
the legal profession as such,” the statement said.indianexpress
Shah Faesal, Engineer Rashid join hands ahead
of J&K Assembly polls
Srinagar :Bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah
Faesal’s Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) and former independent
legislator Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) have joined hands to set
the foundations for a third front ahead of the Assembly polls in Jammu and
Kashmir.Uniting under the banner of Peoples’ United Front (PUF), the agenda of
alliance (AoA) of the new political amalgam “promises to pursue and facilitate
the resolution of Kashmir issue”.“In view of prevailing political circumstances
in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, Awami Ittihad Party and Jammu and Kashmir
Peoples’ Movement have decided to enter into a pre-poll alliance under the
banner of Peoples’ United Front,” JKPM chairman Javeed Mustafa Mir announced at
a press conference in Srinagar.“The alliance has been necessitated by the
ongoing political uncertainty in the state, apprehensions with regard to assault
on the special status, and absence of any credible political alternative that
could address both political vacuum and absence of good governance,” he
said.indianexpress
Akola Court acquits 3 of terror charges: Mere
use of word jehad can’t be ground to brand a person terrorist
Mumbai :Acquitting 3 men of terror charges, a
special court in Akola has said that mere use of the word “jehad” by a person
cannot be ground to brand him a terrorist.The acquitted youths, Salim Malik
(29), Shoeb Khan (29) and Abdul Malik (24), were slapped with terror charges
following an attack on policemen outside a mosque in Pusad on Sept.25, 2015 on
Bakr Eid over the beef ban in the state. ATS claimed that they were part of a
conspiracy to influence Muslim youths to join terrorist
organisations.Acquitting all three of terror charges, Special Judge AS Jadhav,
in his May 21 order, said, “As per the dictionary, the word ‘jehad’ literally
means ‘struggle’. Jehad is an Arabic word, which literally means striving or
struggling. According to the BBC, the third meaning of jehad is struggling to
build a good society. Related word of jehad is expedition, administration,
movement, strive, crusade. Therefore, merely accused used word ‘jehad’, it
would not be proper to brand him a terrorist.”Abdul was sentenced to three
years in jail for “voluntarily causing hurt to policemen”. As he was in jail
since Sept.25, 2015, having spent more than the three-year term, he too was
released. “It appears that accused No. 1 (Abdul) exhibited his anger by
violence against the government and some Hindu organisations for ban on
cow-slaughtering. No doubt he used the word ‘jehad’. But, it was adventurous to
jump to the conclusion that only for using the word ‘jehad’, he should be
branded a terrorist,” the court said.According to the prosecution, Abdul
arrived at the mosque, took out a knife and stabbed two policemen on duty and
said before the attack that because of the beef ban, he would kill the
policemen.Abdul denied the claim.indianexpress
ATS arrests: Acquitted, youths say their lives
shattered
People are laughing at Kishan Reddy for
calling Hyderabad a terrorist hub: KCR
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday
hit out at MoS Home G Kishan Reddy for calling Hyderabad a hub of ISIS and said
that the latter has become a 'laughing stock' by making such
comments."People are laughing at MoS G Kishan Reddy for his statement that
Hyderabad is an ISIS hub. He has become a laughing stock. Hyderabad is a
peaceful city,"Rao said.Rao further claimed that communal tensions
have decreased in the region in the last 5 years. "If we see the history of AP every year many cases of communal tension were
reported.But, in the last 5 years of our governance, there was no single
communal tension in the state. The crime rate has drastically come down. It is
madness to say that this place is adda (hub) for terrorists. No single
terrorist act was reported here in last 5 years," he said.CM made the statement after Reddy claimed that Hyderabad
had become a safe haven for terrorists. Reddy also linked terrorist attacks
which took place across the country with immigrants settled in the city.ANI
RSS functionary Krishna Gopal in video: ‘Hindu
is spiritual, more effective than Bharat’
New Delhi:The words ‘Bharatiya’ and ‘Hindu’ are
ideologically synonymous, and the people living between the Himalayas and the
Indian Ocean are Hindu citizens and Hindu persons, senior RSS functionary
Krishna Gopal has said.“It is true that for us there is no major difference
between the words ‘Bharatiya’ and ‘Hindu’. But it has to be noted that the word
‘Bharat’ gives the sense of geographical identity more. Ideologically, both
words are synonymous,” Gopal said in a recently released video, where he is in
conversation with another senior RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya. The video was
recorded and released by Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra (IVSK), which has
recorded around half-a-dozen such videos of discussions on various issues in
the programme “Gyan Shrankhla”.In the video, Gopal said that the word ‘Hindu’
has become popular across the country in the past 1,500 years. “It has been
well described in Vishnu Purana that the entire society living from the
Himalayas to the Indian Ocean was called Hindu society. The people living
between the Himalayas and the sea is Hindu society and the people are Hindu
citizens and Hindu persons,” he said.indianexpress
Congress suspends Karnataka MLA Roshan Baig
for ‘anti-party activities’
Bengaluru:Congress leader and former minister R Roshan
Baig, who recently attacked senior Congress leaders over the poor Lok Sabha
poll results, was suspended by Karnataka Congress Committee for anti-party
activities.Baig has been in the news over the past few weeks – first for an
outburst against AICC leader and observer for Karnataka KC Venugopal, state
Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and Congress legislature party leader
Siddaramaiah, and more recently for alleged links to a ponzi scheme in his
constituency. The former minister, who has been miffed over being ignored for a
state Cabinet berth and a Lok Sabha ticket from the Bengaluru Central
constituency, is widely believed to have been on the verge of joining BJP this
month when he was linked to IMA Group ponzi scheme which has defrauded hundreds
of investors – mostly Muslims – in Bengaluru.indianexpress
AMU gets new proctor
AMU authorities have appointed professor Afifullah
Khan of the department of wildlife sciences as the proctor on Monday. An order
to this effect was issued by university registrar Abdul Hamid (IPS). As
proctor, Afifullah would be responsible for maintaining law and order in the
university and act as a liaison between the university and district
administration. Afifullah is a distinguished academician who has a vast
administrative experience as well. He will take over charge in addition to his
own duties for a period of 2 years or until further orders.He has been a part
of the university since 1989 when he joined as a lecturer in dept.of wildlife
sciences. TOI
Muslim religious bodies to oppose new bill on
triple talaq
Lucknow:With the fresh bill to ban instant triple
talaq all set to be introduced in the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament,
Muslim religious organisations have made it clear that the legislation in its
present form will not be acceptable to them.While the All India Muslim Personal
Law Board (AIMPLB) was against the bill from the outset, it is the opposition
by the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board, initially in favour of the
law, which has surprised many. “I have been one of the harshest critics and
opponents of the instant triple talaq and was the first one to hail the ban.
But we were against the jail term of 3 years for offenders without exhausting other
means for reconciliation and patch-up between the couple,” said Shaista Amber,
president of the women’s body.Amber said the bill in the present form was not
acceptable to them and she had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
to invite religious scholars and bodies like the AIMPLB, Jamat-e- Islami and
Jamait-i-Ulema Hind for discussion before giving a nod to the new bill. The
AIMPLB, which had launched a campaign against the proposed bill and managed to
get the old bill stalled in the Rajya Sabha with the help of the Congress and
all other non-BJP parties, says its stand remains the same. “We are keeping a
watch on the developments; the AIMPLB has tasked one of its members Qasim
Rasool Ilyas to study the revised draft and give his feedback, after which we
would formulate our strategy,” said AIMPLB secretary Zafaryab Jilani.HT
Vande Mataram against Islam, cannot follow it:
Samajwadi Party MP in Lok Sabha
New Delhi :Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq concluded his
oath in Parliament with the slogan of “Constitution of India zindabad” before
triggering a din in the lower house with his comment on Vande Mataram.“Jahan
tak Vande Mataram ka taaluq hai, it is against Islam and we cannot follow it,”
he said after taking oath.There was an immediate uproar in the Lok Sabha as
some MPs raised “Vande Mataram” slogans. Barq had started to walk away from the
lectern without signing the register of MPs before a parliament official
signalled him back.Earlier, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, too, was faced with
slogans like ‘Vande Mataram’ while he was taking oath as MP.thestatesman
My ashes will be immersed by a Muslim man:Writer T. Padmanabhan
Haripad: Writer T. Padmanabhan disclosed that
as he has no children, he has entrusted a Muslim man to immerse his ashes in
Bharathappuzha and perform his last rites. The author revealed this while
speaking after receiving Haripad CBC Warrier Foundation Award.“My wife’s ashes
was immersed in a river at Wayanad and the last rites were performed by a
person who belonged to a community which the society perceives as low caste.Even
when I turn 90,my mind is young," Padmanabhan said."I am a person who
grew up experiencing the freedom struggle. I was not a mere spectator of it. I
wish to wear Khadi dress till death and to be covered with the tricolour after
the death,” he said. "Our land is in a path to the yesterdays.
The caste-based preferences are increasing in the society. We have to remember
the incident in which a doctor committed suicide due to caste discrimination
from her colleagues in Mumbai," he opined.Those who rule the country
impose caste-related violence. It was not very common to add caste name with a
person’s name. But now caste name is added with even children’s names,” the
writer added.mathrubhumi
Muslim trust moves rights panel over burial
ground
Panaji:Azad Jamatul Muslimeen Welfare Trust
complained to the Goa State Human Rights Commission that Muslims residing in
the vicinity of Panaji, including Merces and Bambolim, aren’t being permitted
to bury at the Corporation of the City of Panaji’s kabrastan at St Inez. The
complaint stated that Muslims from these areas have been burying their dead at
the St Inez kabrastan since 1961, until Sept.2017 when the CCP stopped the burial of those outside
its jurisdiction stating that there was limited space. Pointing out that there
is no kabrastan for the people of Merces and Bambolim to bury their dead, the
trust has requested the government to permit burial of people from Merces,
Bambolim and Curca at the St Inez kabrastan till the government or local
authority provides a piece of land.TOI
‘Called Modi a fascist and stand by it,’ says
KCR
Hyderabad:Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao
has said he was the first person to criticise Narendra Modi and will stand by
his criticism of the Prime Minister.KCR, as the chief minister is popularly
known, also reiterated his party would continue to oppose BJP on the political front but will maintain
constitutional relations with NDA govt at the Centre.“I called him the most
fascist ruler of the country. It was on record and I stand by it,” KCR said
while speaking to media while briefing the decisions taken by the state
cabinet.CM reminded that his party was not a part of NDA.
“I mooted the idea of the federal front (of anti-Congress and anti-BJP
parties). I will continue to make efforts in that direction,” he asserted.HT
Family of killed Jaish operative Sajad Ahmad
Bhat can’t believe he joined militant ranks
Marhama:On Feb.22, just a week after a car bomb had killed 40
CRPF men in Pulwama, Sajad Ahmad Bhat, a teenager, left his home at Marhama
village in Bijbehara, some 45km from summer capital Srinagar.A day later,
police shocked his family members by informing them that he had joined militant
outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad. 5 more days later, the family was in for
another startling revelation when the National Investigation Agency raided
their two-storey modest house with the news that Bhat owned the explosive-laden
Maruti Eeco, which was used in the Pulwama attack that had brought India and
Pakistan to the brink of war.On Tuesday, more than four months after the
ghastly attack, Bhat was brought home dead from an encounter, along with
another young local militant, Tawseef Ahmad.“Despite being a teenager, he was
very much respected here. He had learnt Quran at a tender age and also taught
kids in the village. Is 17 any age to die?” said a middle-aged neighbour who
was among the mourners.As the body of Bhat was laid in the courtyard of his
house, men, women and children made a beeline for catching a glimpse of the
boy. One group of people was followed by another. Some elderly said they
travelled 5km on foot to see him one last time.The funeral prayers of Bhat were
delayed as people were waiting for the arrival of his father Mohammad Maqbool
Bhat, an employee in public health engineering department, who has been in
police custody since Sajad Bhat’s name surfaced as the owner of the car.His
uncle, Tariq Ahmad Bhat, said they had no inkling that Sajad would join
militancy. “He would study, offer namaz during the day and teach village kids
in the evening. That was his life. Even after Pulwama blast, he lived a normal
life till Feb.22, when he went missing,” Tariq said. “We had
no idea that he will join militancy.”Sajad had learnt Quran at a Darul Uloom in
Shopian and also did his basic schooling there, his uncle said, while adding
that he loved cricket and captained the Darul Uloom’s volleyball team.HT
More than 200 Rakhine refugees in Mizoram to
be pushed back
Mizoram:Over 200 Buddhist refugees from Myanmar who
have been in Mizoram since 2017, are set to be ‘pushed back’, officials said on
Tuesday.The urgency to send them back arose after a directive was issued from Ministry
of Home Affairs to the state govt earlier this month, according to Lalbiakzama,
the additional secretary in the state’s home department. “They will be sent
back this week or the next. The directive is to complete the process by the end
of this month,” said Shashanka Ala, the deputy commissioner of Lawngtlai
district in South Mizoram which shares border with both Myanmar and
Bangladesh.While the focus has been on Rohingya refugees, in Nov. 2017, as fighting raged between Arakan Army and the
Myanmar military, around 1500 Rakhine Buddhist refugees crossed over to
Mizoram. Arakan Army, an insurgent outfit is fighting for a confederate status
for Rakhine state.The refugees who mostly came in boats, took shelter in four
border villages in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district — Laitlang, Hmawngbuchhua,
Zochachhua, and Dumzautlang.HT
No ‘anti-national activity’ in private
universities, says UP draft law
Lucknow:The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the
draft Uttar Pradesh Private Universities Ordinance 2019 to bring private
universities under the ambit of an umbrella act that provides for incorporating
development of nationalism, social and international harmony, national
integration, secularism and moral values among their objectives.The draft
ordinance also provides for the private universities to commit that they would
not indulge in any anti-national activity and not associate or allow any such
activity on its campus. It empowers the state government for action if a
university was found involved in any such activity and violated the conditions
for setting it up.The draft ordinance further provides for reservation of 10
per cent seats with 50 per cent fee for economically weaker sections.A
provision for admission by rotation has been made for the courses having less
than 1 per cent available seats.HT
No bail yet for channel staff in Adityanath
defamation row, decision likely today
A local court in Greater Noida has reserved
its order while hearing bail pleas of 3 TV news channel staffers — Ishika
Singh, Anshul Kaushik and Anuj Shukla — who were arrested on June 8.Three have
been booked in two FIRs, one for debate that the channel Nation Live had
broadcast on June 6 that was deemed defamatory to UP CM Adityanath and another
for allegedly running the channel without requisite permits. The court of the
additional sessions judge of Surajpur court heard the bail plea of all three
accused on charges of defamation. The hearing in the other FIR, in which the
police have invoked charges of cheating and forgery, is likely to be heard today.KK
Singh, who represents Ishika Singh, one of the staffers, said the court of the
additional district and sessions judge Nalin Kant Tyagi had reserved its order
for Wednesday while hearing the first (defamation) case. The bail pleas of
Ishika and Anuj Shukla were rejected by a lower court last
week.nationalheraldindia
Wardha: Caste Hindu Strips Dalit Boy, Forces
Him to Sit on Hot Tiles for Entering Temple
Mumbai: In a shocking incident, an
eight-year-old boy, belonging to Matang (a scheduled caste in Maharashtra)
community, was stripped naked and forced to sit on a hot, burning tiles at noon
for entering a temple space in Wardha. The accused, Umesh alias Amol Dhore, a
daily wage worker, allegedly first ruffled the child up and then pushed him
onto a hot tile, even as the child whimpered and pleaded to be let off. The
temperature in Wardha has been at 45 degrees celsius and the burning tiles have
left deep burn injuries on the child’s buttocks and back.The Arvi police
station of Wardha district, which is investigating the case, has booked Dhore
under several sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention
of Atrocities) Act and IPC for the violence. Additional sections of the
POCSO Act have also been slapped, since the child was stripped naked.Dhore, who
tried to escape from the village soon after the incident, was intercepted a day
later on June 16 by the police. He was sent to judicial custody soon after his
arrest. The case was earlier handled by a local police sub inspector, but was
handed over to deputy superintendent Pradip Mairale since atrocities law
mandates an investigation by an SP or a Dy SP level officer. The child’s family
has alleged that the police did not investigate the case effectively and hence
Dhore was sent to judicial custody instead of police custody.thewire
WORLD
UN calls for 'prompt and thorough' probe into
Morsi's death
UN has called for a "thorough and
transparent investigation" into the death of Mohamed Morsi in court, as
thousands of people across the Middle East paid their respects to Egypt's
former president.UN human rights office on Tuesday said the investigation
should encompass all aspects of his treatment during nearly 6 years of his incarceration.Egypt's first
democratically elected president was buried in a small family ceremony early on
Tuesday a day after he suffered a fatal heart attack in a Cairo court, his sons
said."Concerns have been raised regarding the conditions of Mr Morsi's
detention, including access to adequate medical care, as well as sufficient
access to his lawyers and family ...,"UN human rights spokesman Rupert
Colville said." Investigation should be carried out by a judicial or other
competent authority that is independent of the detaining authority and mandated
to conduct prompt, impartial and effective investigations into the
circumstances and causes of his death," he said.Morsi's death has brought
an outpouring of condolences from around the Middle East."I mourn, for
myself and all the free people of the world, the death of a great striver on
the path of freedom," said Tawakkol Karman, joint recipient of Nobel Peace
Prize.Al Jazeera Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Doha said that hundreds of
mourners gathered at a local mosque to pay their respects to the former
president." Presence of Khaled Meshaal,ex leader of the Palestinian
resistance movement, Hamas, is a testament that Morsi is seen as a champion of
other causes such as struggle for freedom in Palestine," he said. Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan attended a prayer service in Istanbul for the former
Egyptian president.At Istanbul's Fatih mosque, where thousands joined in
prayers, Erdogan called Morsi a "martyr" . Journalists were kept away
from the burial service in Cairo, while a family request to bury him in his
home town was turned down.But mourners still gathered in the former president's
home province of Sharqiya to pay their respects.Exiled Egyptian opposition
politician Ayman Nour called Morsi "a martyr who was killed
deliberately".Amr Darrag, senior member of Brotherhood's political party
who also lives in exile, said: "Sisi is the murderer and there must be a
transparent and independent international investigation." Rights bodies,Amnesty
and HRW, have also called for a credible
investigation into Morsi's death.aljazeera
Morsi was killed by junta:Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
his close ally Mohamed Morsi was "killed" and accused Egyptian
authorities of failing to intervene to save the ex-president."Morsi was
struggling on the floor in the courtroom for 20 minutes. Authorities
unfortunately did not intervene to save him," Erdogan said during a
televised speech in Istanbul."Morsi was killed, he did not die of natural
causes."PTI
Sudan’s Brotherhood leader mourns Egypt’s
Morsi
Head of Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood group
Awadallah Hassan offered his condolences to the Muslim Ummah following the
death of Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi.In a post on Facebook Hassan said he hopes that
God accepts Morsi as a martyr whose death will go down in history as a shameful
mark in the military regime’s rule.“Dr. Mohamed Morsi spent his life defending
justice, freedom and human rights,” Hassan said, adding that he prays that God
accepts Morsi as a martyr.middleeastmonitor
Egyptian forces ‘prevented us from receiving
mourners’: Morsi’s son
Egyptian authorities have prevented family of Mohammad
Morsi from receiving mourners, his son said today. Morsi, the first
democratically-elected president, died on Monday after falling into a coma
inside his soundproof glass cage during his trial on "espionage"
charges."They deprived people from performing funeral prayers for you
[Morsi]and prevented us from establishing a condolence house for you,"
Abdullah Morsi said in a Twitter post.“Even in the family's home we were not
allowed to receive mourners," he added. Egyptian authorities have yet to
comment on Morsi's son's claims.However, Morsi's supporters confirmed via
social media the presence of security restrictions in the surroundings of
Morsi's family residence which made it impossible to reach there.Anadolu Agency
Khashoggi killing: 'Credible evidence' linking
MBS to murder - UN
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should
be investigated over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a UN
rights expert has concluded, citing "credible evidence".In her long-anticipated
report, which was released on Wednesday,UN extrajudicial executions
investigator Agnes Callamard said Khashoggi's death "constituted an
extrajudicial killing for which the State of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is
responsible".Speaking to Al Jazeera just after the report was published,
Callamard said based on the information made available to her, "there is
little doubt in my mind that the killing was premeditated. It was
planned."The report cites audio from inside the consulate, recorded just
minutes before Khashoggi entered. In the audio, Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a close
aide to bin Salman, asked whether it will "be possible to put the trunk in
a bag?"In response, Salah Mohammed Abdah Tubaigy, a well-known Saudi
forensics doctor, replied "No. Too heavy," after which he expressed
hope that Khashoggi's killing would "be easy". "Joints will be
separated. It is not a problem. The body is heavy. First time I cut on the
ground. If we take plastic bags and cut it into pieces, it will be finished. We
will wrap each of them," Tubaigy said in the recording, adding:
"Leather bags".There was a reference to cutting skin, according to
the report. Tubaigy also expressed concerns that his direct manager was not
aware of what he was doing. "There is nobody to protect me." At the
end of the conversation, Mutreb asked whether "the sacrificial
animal" has arrived.At 13:13 local Istanbul time, a voice said "he
has arrived", the report said. In the recordings heard by the special
rapporteur, Khashoggi's name was not mentioned.Callamard said she
"determined that there is credible evidence, warranting further
investigation of high-level Saudi officials' individual liability, including
the crown prince's".Al Jazeera's editor, reporting from UN headquarters in
New York, described the findings as "damning".aljazeera
UN chief calls on Russia, Turkey to
'stabilize' Syrian province
UN chief Antonio Guterres called on Russia and
Turkey Tuesday to "stabilize the situation" in the Syrian province of
Idlib, rocked by intense fighting between pro-government and jihadist-led
forces."I am deeply concerned about the escalation of the fighting in
Idlib and the situation is specially dangerous given the involvement of an
increased number of actors. Yet again civilians are paying a horrific
price," Guterres told reporters.His comments came ahead of an open UN
Security Council session to discuss the situation, at the request of Belgium,
Germany and Kuwait, non-permanent council members overseeing UN humanitarian
operations in Syria.Guterres appealed to Russia and Turkey, as signatories of a
Sept.2018 memorandum aimed at deescalating the
conflict in Idlib, "to stabilize the situation without delay."AFP
ASEAN must not turn a blind eye to Rohingya
crisis: Rights groups
Human rights groups have called on Southeast
Asian leaders to rethink their approach to Rohingya refugee crisis ahead of a
regional summit in Bangkok this week. Rohingya issue, especially their
repatriation from Bangladesh, is expected to be a major topic during four days
of meetings among leaders of 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) in Thailand from Thursday.Myanmar regards the Muslim-majority Rohingya
as undocumented migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of
thousands to camps in its western Rakhine State since violence swept the area
in 2012.Human rights activists say the bloc should not rush to get involved in Rohingya's
repatriation without addressing the root causes of their displacement.aljazeera
Gunmen 'kill dozens' in attack on 2 villages
in Mali
Dozens of people are reported killed after a
new attack on two villages in central Mali, a part of the country experiencing
a dire security situation amid an increase in tit-for-tat ethnic violence.A
local mayor told Reuters News Agency on Tuesday that unidentified gunmen on
motorbikes attacked the villages of Yoro and Gangafani 2 the previous evening,
killing at least 41 civilians.The victims of the raids were mostly ethnic
Dogons, according to Issiaka Ganame, the mayor of Yoro, where 24 people were
killed. Another 17 died in Gangafani 2."About 100 unidentified armed men
circulating on motos all of a sudden invaded Yoro and fired on the
population," Ganame said.aljazeera
UN: More than 70 million people displaced
worldwide
More than 70 million men, women and children
fled war, persecution and conflict last year - a record annual high and an
overall total amounting to the world's 20th most populous country - according
to the UN's refugee agency.The yearly Global Trends report by the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published on Wednesday, put the number of
refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people worldwide in 2018 at
70.8 million, up more than two million from 2017, and signalled a nearly 70
percent increase from a decade ago.Half of those forced to flee their homes
were children, with the overall total marking the highest figure in UNHCR's
nearly 70 years of operations and the seventh consecutive year in which the
numbers of forcibly displaced rose.aljazeera
Emissions must be halved to avoid dangerous
climate: Scientists
Emissions need to be halved by 2030 to limit
warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius but temperatures are on track to be double that
by the end of the century even if countries' current plans are fully
implemented, scientists say.A group of European researchers, Climate Action
Tracker, tracks nations' progress towards the globally agreed aim of limiting
warming to well below 2C and a more ambitious target of 1.5C.Public concerns
about climate change are growing and have led to protests around the
world.aljazeera
A 'muted' Johnson inches closer to premiership
after TV debate
London:The frontrunner to become the United Kingdom's
next prime minister has edged one step closer to Downing Street on Tuesday
after a television debate which did not shed any new light on his views on
Brexit. However, Boris Johnson - who has pledged to take the UK out of the European
Union on Oct.31 without a withdrawal deal - came under
pressure in the BBC discussion over tax-cut pledges and comments that have
earned him a reputation as reckless.Upstart rival Rory Stewart - who has
pledged to avoid a "no-deal" Brexit at all costs - was unable to
capitalise on the unexpected momentum he had gained earlier in the day during a
second poll among Conservative MPs, who are whittling down the field of
candidates.aljazeera
Flash: views & NEWS
‘A funeral with no body or coffin’: How
Morsi’s hometown observed his death
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, story-telling
took precedence over reality: Nayantara Sahgal
#RightSideUp: Arvind Subramanian's Economic
Somersaults; 'Hate India Messaging':Aleesha Matharu
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