30 July 2019:
26 Dhul Qadah 1440:Vol: 11, No:258
INDIA
Bill to criminalize triple talaq passed in Rajya
Sabha by 99-84 votes amid walkouts by JDU, AIADMK; Congress says aim is to
destroy Muslim families
Triple Talaq bill, passed thrice by Lok Sabha
over the last 19 months, finally received the approval of Rajya Sabha today
amid walkouts by BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK.Muslim Women (Protection of Rights
of Marriage) Bill, 2019, which makes the practice of instant triple talaq a
penal offence, and for which ordinances were issued 3 times, was cleared by the
House with 99 votes in favour and 84 opposing it.The Rajya Sabha had earlier
rejected an Opposition-sponsored motion to send the bill to a Rajya Sabha
Select Committee with 100 votes against it as compared to 84 in favour.Lok
Sabha had passed the triple talaq bill last week with 303 votes in favour and
82 opposed.Once granted assent by the President, the practice of instant
divorce by Muslim men will be punishable by a jail term of up to three years.
While fence-sitter BJD supported the legislation, JD(U) and AIADMK walked out,
lowering the majority mark which normally stands at 121. The ruling NDA has 107
members in 242-member Rajya Sabha. NDA was also helped by the absence of some
members of SP and BSP as well as those of TRS and YSR Congress.The debate that
went on for almost 5 hours witnessed a slugfest between Law Minister Ravi
Shankar Prasad and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, who termed the bill a
“politically motivated” move to destroy Muslim households.Justifying 3-year
jail term for Muslim men, Prasad said the govt could not leave in lurch women
who have been divorced by triple talaq via WhatsApp or other such means.Azad
said the Opposition had been forced to vote against the bill after the
government did not accept their demand to send it to a select committee and
make triple talaq a civil offence. Indianexpress
Triple Bill for Gender Dignity, Says Govt; Cong
Argues Pushing Women to Court Not Empowerment
Minorities Commission refuses to entertain plea
to declare Hindus as minority in 8 states
3-member committee set up by the National
Commission for Minorities (NCM) categorically refused to consider a plea to
declare Hindus as a minority community in eight states in the country. The writ
petition was filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, a Supreme Court advocate and a member
of BJP.A report by NCM sub-committee, whose members are George Kurian, Atif
Rasheed and Manjit Singh Rai, stated that National Minority Commission does not
have the jurisdiction to declare new minority communities and “the powers to
declare a community as 'a minority community' is vested with Central govt. The
sub-committee had stated that “the definition of 'minority' in the relevant Act
which is Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992
clearly states that a community is listed as 'minority' as notified as such by
Central Govt.In the report, the sub-committee stated that petition of Upadhyay
to NCM are misplaced. Upadhyay had approached NCM to consider his plea after
the Supreme Court in 2017, while hearing his writ petition had stated that NCM
should be asked to consider the representation and pass appropriate orders.
Upadhyay had alleged that he had submitted a representation to NCM and on not
getting any response, had filed the present Writ Petition again in 2019.
Upadhayay had stated in his initial petition filed in November 2017 that
National Minority Act needed to be repealed and that guidelines for identification
of minorities need to be framed looking at Article 29, 30. petitioner stated
that some states (J&K and Lakshwadeep)have Muslims in the majority while
the rest have Christians in majority (Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya) or in
substantial numbers (as in AP and Manipur) and Sikhs are in majority in Punjab.
The petitioner wanted a directive to these states to declare Hindus as
minorities.According to NCM Act,Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and
Zoroastrians (Parsis) were declared as minorities in 1993 and in 2014, Jains
were also notified as a minority community.“The SC has suggested the NCM to
propose ways and means to help create such social conditions where the concept
of majority and minority can be done away altogether,” states the report. Now,
the SC has to decide this case and it will come up for hearing towards the end
of Aug. nationalheraldindia
Don’t pay heed to rumours on Art.35A:JK Governor
With the deployment of additional forces fueling
fears that it could be part of a plan to abrogate Article 35A, J&K Governor
Satya Pal Malik today asked people not to heed rumours regarding the state’s
special status. “A lot of rumours are spread here, do not pay any heed to them.
Everything is fine, everything is normal,” PTI quoted Malik as saying when
asked about the slew of orders appearing on social media about the possibility
of a prolonged law and order situation in Valley. Asserting that any order
appearing on social media was not valid, Malik said, “If someone catches a
sneeze in Lal Chowk, by the time it reaches Governor house, it is projected as
a bomb blast.”Kashmir has been on the edge for the past week after Centre
decided to dispatch an additional 10,000 personnel to Kashmir to “strengthen CI
(counter-insurgency) grid as well as for maintaining law and order”. Police officers
in J&K described the deployment of the extra forces as “routine”, and
intended to relieve their stretched colleagues in the state. indian express
J&K Governor Rejects Rumours Over Special Status,
Says "No Order Valid"
Omar Abdullah demands CBI probe into 'fake
orders' that led to speculations about scrapping of Art.35A
Srinagar:NC leader Omar Abdullah has demanded a
CBI inquiry into the "fake orders" that had surfaced on social media
over the past few days, leading to speculation that the Centre might be moving
to scrap Article 35A of the Constitution, which provides special rights of
residency and jobs to the people of J&K in the state.Omar said that since
fake orders were circulated under the signature of senior officials, a sound
byte was not enough to dismiss the rumours. He was reacting to Governor Satya
Pal Malik's assertion that the orders that have appeared on the social media
were not valid.PTI
Petitioners seek early hearing in SC on Article
35A
6 separate petitions challenging the
constitutional validity of Article 35A of the Constitution is pending in the
Supreme Court. The matter gains significance as the the Centre has decided to
deploy additional forces in J&K. These petitions seek an affirmative answer
from the top court on the contentious issue -- should the Article 35A, which
confers special rights to the permanent residents of J&K, be finally phased
out.Since 2014,the case has come up for hearing several times but it is yet to
be heard in detail on merits, by a designated bench in the SC.The article
allocates Indian citizenship to the permanent citizens of the state and further
allows them special privileges, which have been challenged through petitions in
the SC.We the Citizen, an NGO, in 2014 challenged this article by filing a
petition in the SC.Another plea by West Pakistan Refugees claim that there were
3 lakh refugees from the West Pakistan and those who have chosen to be settled
in J&K have been denied the rights guaranteed under Article 35A, which is
only meant for original residents of the state.IANS
RPF officer transferred after letter on
‘emergency’ situation
Srinagar:2 days after he purportedly issued a
letter asking Railways officials in the Valley to stock up on ration, not to
keep their family members in Kashmir and the need to restrict staff leave due
to an “emergency situation”,Assistant Security Commissioner(ASC) Budgam, Sudesh
Nugyal, has been transferred, it was announced on Monday.The letter created
panic among people in the Valley, who started stocking essentials. Railway
Protection Force (RPF) has ordered Nugyal’s transfer to Central Crime Branch,
Railway Board, from Budgam.The official order stated: “DG/RPF has ordered
transfer and posting. in the administrative interest. The above officer is
directed to report at his new place of posting immediately”.Sources said IGNorthern
Railways, Sanjay Sankrityan arrived in the Valley on Monday and chaired an
emergency meeting to discuss the fallout of the letter. Sankrityan is learnt to
have held a separate meeting with Nugyal.Sources said another Railways officer
posted in the Valley, who had gone on leave, was asked to report back
immediately. indianexpress
In 6 months, 82% militants killed in J&K were
Valley recruits: indian express
Of 121 militants killed in J&K by security
forces in the first half of 2019, only 21 were from Pakistan,which means that
82% of militants killed in the state were locals. Most of these encounters took
place in south Kashmir, with 36 militants being killed in Pulwama, 34 in
Shopian and 16 in Anantnag districts. Recruitment of locals into militancy did
not witness a decline in 2019, as 76 locals picked up guns in first half of the
year, with 39 of them joining Hizbul Mujahideen and 21 JeM.
New Karnataka govt cancels Tipu Jayanti
celebrations; Cong calls it anti-minority move
Bengaluru:Soon after assuming charge,BS
Yediyurappa-led BJP Govt today cancelled birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu
Sultan, which had become an annual event under the previous Congress regime.In
an order, Kannada and Culture department has stated that Hazrat Tipu Sultan
Jayanti, which was being celebrated since 2016, has been cancelled “with
immediate effect”. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting Yediyurappa
chaired on Monday, according to the order. Tipu Jayanti celebrations, which
began in 2016 under the Siddaramaiah-led Congress govt, had been marked by
protests every time year.Opposing Tipu Jayanti celebrations, the BJP termed the
erstwhile Mysore ruler as a “tyrant” and “anti-Hindu”.On Monday, senior BJP
leader and ex Speaker K.G. Bopaiah wrote to the CM seeking cancellation of Tipu
Jayanti. He argued that there had been protests against celebrating Tipu
Sultan, especially in Kodagu district, leading to the destruction of private
and public property.BJP’s move has been condemned by ex CM and Congress
Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah. He said that it was part of the
“anti-minority” ideology of BJP.thehindu
Amit Shah to head group to combat lynching
New Delhi:An empowered Group of Ministers (GoM)
constituted last year to suggest measures to combat lynchings will continue
functioning. It will be headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, said a senior Govt
official.The GoM had met on 2 occasions. Since GoM was position-specific, there
was no need to reconstitute it, said the official, speaking on condition of
anonymity. The new GoM is yet to meet.The members of the GoM are External
Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari,Law Minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand
Gehlot.Last week the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre, NHRC and the
State govts to a plea seeking the implementation of its July 2018 judgment
laying down several preventive, remedial and punitive measures to combat the
crime of lynching.thehindu
Rajasthan govt tables bills against mob lynching
and honour killing
Rajasthan govt today tabled Bills in the state
Assembly to make lynching and honour killing cognisable, non–bailable and
non-compoundable offences with life imprisonment and fine up to Rs 5 lakh. The
bill to curb honour killing also has a provision of death penalty for the
accused.Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal introduced the
two bills to check rising incidents of honour killing and mob lynching in the
state, weeks after CM Ashok Gehlot said his Govt is “serious” in its efforts to
curb them. Citing “many” such lynchings “resulting in loss of livelihood, injuries
and death of persons at the hands of mobs”, the bill hopes to “nip the evil in
the bud.” Rajasthan had witnessed a spurt in lynchings in 2017, beginning with
dairy farmer Pehlu Khan in April 2017. Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill
defines lynching as “any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting
or attempting an act of violence, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on
the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary
practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity.”In case of
“hurt” from such an assault, convict may be punished with imprisonment up to 7
years and fine up to Rs 1 lakh; in case of a “grievous hurt”,convict may be
punished with imprisonment up to 10 years and fine between Rs 25,000 – Rs 3
lakh.However, if the act leads to death of victim, it shall be punished with
imprisonment for life and with fine between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5
lakh.indianexpress
Muslim boy, whose family claimed he was set on
fire for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ dies in UP
A 15-year-old boy in UP, who was allegedly set on
fire for not chanting Jai Shri Ram by a group of people in Chandauli district,
has succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. Khalid was brought to Kashi’s Kabir Chaura
hospital with 60 %burn injuries on 28 July. The police have denied the boy’s
claims stating that the victim set himself on fire. According to news agency
ANI, Chandauli SP Santosh Kumar Singh said that claims made by the boy were
false.The SP was quoted as saying, “He had given different statements to
different people, so it seemed suspicious. It seemed he had been tutored.
Police monitored CCTV footage of places he had mentioned and found that he had
not been at any of those places.”News agency IANS quoted the boy as saying, “I
was walking on Dudhari bridge when four men kidnapped me. Two of them tied my
hand and third one started pouring kerosene. After which they set me on fire
and ran away.”He later said that he was being forced to chant Jai Shri Ram.jantakareporter
6 ‘Cow Vigilantes’ Arrested for Looting Cattle
Trader
Hyderabad:Police in Telangana have arrested a 6-member
gang of the so-called cow vigilantes on charges of attacking and looting a
truck carrying cattle to Hyderabad and injuring the driver. The incident in
Hayatnagar under Rachakonda police commissionerate in outskirts of Hyderabad
has sparked fears that the miscreants were stepping up their activities ahead
of Eid Al Adha next month.Hayatnagar police launched a manhunt for the group of
assailants on the complaint of cattle owner Mohammed Ishaque and arrested six of
them. Four of them were identified as Devender, Shashi Kumar, Girish and K Mahesh.Later
BJP MLA from Hyderabad Raja Singh along with his supporters reached the police
station and staged a protest. They demanded the release of the arrested
persons. However police produced them before a court and the magistrate
remanded them to the judicial custody.caravandaily
Mob Lynching is Target Killing: Activists Flay
Yogi Govt over Recent Hate Crimes and Lynching in UP
New Delhi:2 incidents – namely, setting a Muslim
boy on fire for refusing to chant Jai Shri Ram in Chandauli and lynching a
retired Muslim soldier in Amethi – incurred a lot of public outrage against
Yogi Adityanath govt. Social activists also came down heavily on Yogi Govt and
the Centre over the recent killings and hate crimes against Muslims in the
state.They said that it’s a matter of shame for the entire country that such
incidents are happening, and that these resemble target killings.UP-based human
rights activist Rajiv Yadav holds UP CM Yogi accountable for these incidents.
He said that these killings are not mob lynching, but essentially target
killing. According to him, CM is seemingly in denial of the fact that mob
lynching is happening in UP.CaravanDaily
Hindu Mahasabha writes 101 letters in blood to
Modi, trashes protest by 49 intellectuals over lynching
Aligarh:All India Hindu Mahasabha urged PM
Narendra Modi today to take strong action against 49 eminent personalities, who
had written to him on lynching of minorities and hate crimes in the country.
Launching a counter-attack, leaders of the Mahasabha posted 101 letters written
in blood to PM, saying “such traitors should be charged with sedition and all
their national awards should be withdrawn”.49 personalities,including
filmmakers Mani Ratnam, Anurag Kashyap, Shyam Benegal and Aparna Sen as well as
vocalist Shubha Mudgal and historian Ramchandra Guha, in a letter to PM,
expressed concern at the number of “religious identity-based hate crimes” and
noted that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has become a provocative war cry with many lynchings
taking place in its name.PTI
Kandhamal Riots: SC Grants Bail to 2 of 7
Convicted in Swami Saraswati Murder
New Delhi:Bijaya Kumar Sanseth, one of the 7
convicted in the murder case of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the incident that
is seen as precipitating 2008 Kandhmal anti-Christian riots, was released on
bail on July 27 after spending almost 11 years in prison.He is the second
person among the convicted persons to be released on bail. On May 21, the
Supreme Court granted Gornath Chalanseth bail on grounds that the Odisha high
court kept deferring their bail appeals for more than two years, the last one
in Dec.2018.The SC used the same logic to grant Sanseth relief in the case.7
accused – all Chiristians – have been serving sentences of life imprisonment
after a fast track court in Odisha convicted them in Oct.2013. All were
arrested soon after the riots in 2008.Since then, activist groups have been
protesting against the court’s ruling, as they believed that they were falsely
implicated in the case.In Sept.2018, journalist Anto Akkara said that all the
seven were convicted despite flimsy evidence against them. Akkara has written
the book Who Killed Swami Laxmanananda, in which he argues the “Christian
conspiracy” against Saraswati that the Hindu right-wing and the Odisha police
sought to peddle in the murder case lacked any substantial proof. The fast
track court had accepted the “Christian conspiracy” hypothesis on the basis of
Saraswati’s quote in a documentary The Agony of Kandhmal, produced by the
centre-right trust India Foundation.Akkara says that the police arrested 4
Chistians, including one 13-year-old boy, initially. All of them were brought
to the police station by workers of VHP in the area. However, upon finding no
evidence against them, they were released. They had been detained for 40
days.It was then the police picked up 7 who were convicted eventually. All 7
accused were sentenced to life imprisonment.thewire
In letters to CJI, police, Unnao rape survivor
spoke of threat
Unnao rape survivor, who met with an accident on
Sunday, had written a letter to CJI Ranjan Gogoi days earlier alleging some
people had come to her house and threatened her“…Take action against those who
are making threats…people came to my house and threatened to take back cases,
otherwise whole family will be put in jail in fake cases”, the survivor wrote
on July 12.The survivor had earlier accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of
raping her and the case is in courts with MLA lodged in a jail.The survivor’s
mother had also complained about the threats to UP police on July 13. In a
registered letter sent to Unnao police, the mother mentioned two instances in
which unidentified people threatened them. She wrote that she feared for her
family.She had accused MLA of using his influence to harass her family even
while he was in jail. On July 28, days after the two letter were written, the
car in which the woman, her family and a lawyer were travelling was hit by a
speeding truck in Rae Bareli on Sunday, killing two members while leaving her
and the advocate critically injured.HT
National draft education policy overlooks
minority rights: Catholic Church to HRD
Terming the draft National Education Policy a
"fairy tale", Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has told
HRD Ministry the proposed policy has "overlooked" minority rights and
the facilities guaranteed to these communities to establish and administer
educational institutes.(CBCI known as 'Catholic Church' governs 30,000 formal
colleges, schools, universities and medical colleges. It also governs
institutes for empowering the poor, marginalized and differentiated like homes
for street children, special schools, vocational training institutes, and skill
training centers.A 6-member delegation of CBCI's Education and Culture office
met Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' today, i.e. July 29, 2019,
raised the issue besides submitting a feedback report on NEP
draft."Minority rights available in the constitution and facilities
guaranteed to the minority communities to establish and administer education
institutes are very much overlooked and seemingly brushed aside when the draft
policy deals with appointments of staff, fee fixation, inclusion of aided
minority (private) institutes in public category in the school complex concept,formation
of school management committees and other administrative and regulatory
details," feedback report said.CBCI asserted that the draft did not
include education providers from minority communities, private school trusts
and teachers who are in touch with ground realities of the education
sector.""It it a fairy tale NEP that bites more than it can chew. Why
is this draft silent on removal of caste system and other social evils? Why all
the constitutional provisions are overlooked regarding minority rights? Are we
succumbing to the demands of WTO-GATS and falling for excessive
commercialization of education?" CBCI posed.It said that bringing in
industries, corporate houses, NGOs and foreign universities should not make
higher education costly and far from the reach of common people. india today
Christian body raises concern over BJP's
‘missionary cell’ in the northeast
Guwahati:A Christian organisation in the
northeast, has questioned the motive behind the creation of a ‘Christian
missionary cell’ at a time when Centre is pushing an education policy to
“homogenise Indian society.”BJP in Mizoram had, a few days ago, formed the cell
to collect data on the community and connect with Mizos beyond the State. The
church leaders felt that little respect was being shown to the autonomy of
individual States.“Those who work for the dominant party are formed into a
Christian Missionary Cell, whose mission will be to collect data about
Christian activities and pass it on to their opponents who wish to undermine
the unity of the Christian service in the northeast,”Assam Christian Forum said
in a statement issued by its spokesperson Allen Brooks.The forum had convened a
meeting on July 26 to discuss the “haste with which Centre is trying to press
an unstudied and un-reflected education policy” on the people of the
country.The church leaders felt that little respect was being shown to autonomy
of individual States and to their concern for preserving their identity and
cultural heritage. They felt there was a planned strategy to homogenise Indian
society, ignoring regional diversity and inherited ways of passing on the
heirloom of centuries to the next generation.The gathering also took note of
planned effort on part of ruling dispensation to divide existing Christian
communities.thehindu
UP:Stone pelted on Kanwariyas near mosque
Muzaffarpur:Stones were pelted on Kanwariyas by
some anti-social elements allegedly belonging to the Muslim community in
Baruraj area of Muzaffarpur district in Bihar on Monday.According to the
administration, some people threw stones on women Kanwariyas when they were
passing by a mosque in the morning."When many girls and women devotees
were passing through the route (near the mosque), some people pelted stones on
them,"SDM Anil Kumar Das said.Earlier on Sunday, some other people were
beaten up in the same area while they were announcing about a religious
programme, Das said.ANI
Telengana: Muslim religious elders want Masjid
re-built, meet state Home Minister
Hyderabad:A delegation of Muslim religious
leaders called on Telangana State Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Monday,
to discuss the issue of Masjid-e-Ek Khana, which was demolished by the GHMC
officials on May 1 in Amberpet. The delegation led by Tehreek Muslim Shabban,
president, Mushtaq Malik along with the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami,
Jamait-ul-Ulema, Sunni Ulema Board, Jamiat-e-Ahle-Hadees and Alame
Jamiat-ul-Mashaiq, Shia Zakereen and others discussed the Masjid-e-Ek Khana,
which has turned contentious following the involvement of different political
groups. Malik said that the meeting was called by the Home Minister to pacify
the leaders including him, who had decided to organise a press conference
tomorrow and offer prayers at the site, where once the mosque structure stood.
Malik said that Home Minister had a detailed discussion over the matter with CM
and Chief Secretary and assured of resolving the issue and constructing the
mosque at the same site in the days to come. As the Govt was busy in GHMC
elections, Malik said that Ali gave assurances that after the elections the
works of the mosque construction would begin.HansIndia
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Says Hindus & Muslims
Selling Property To Each Other Is 'Not Okay'
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani spoke about the BJP's
targets for Gujarat during his second stint there in an interview with The
Economic Times. One of the main talking points was recently amended Disturbed
Areas Act, wherein a district magistrate or DM has been given greater powers to
decide whether one can buy or sell properties in ‘disturbed areas’. According
to Rupani, this is applicable in certain riot-affected areas such as Juapura,
Kalupur and Dariyapur in Ahmedabad, where there 'is sometimes tension during
Ganapati utsav': "A Hindu family may not want to settle down in certain
areas. If one family is running away, then others too are forced to relocate.
Now one has to take DM’s permission before buying or selling property in these
areas."When asked about what the parameters are that the DM will look
into, Rupani said,"The DM will have to ensure that the communal harmony of
the place does not get disturbed because of the deal. A Hindu selling property
to a Muslim is not okay. A Muslim selling property to a Hindu is also not okay.
"When prodded further, Rupani seemed to brush things off, claiming,
"This is not a problem. We have set this rule in areas where there have
been riots to tell them (Muslims) that they must buy property in their own
areas."scoopwhoop.com
Bengaluru, a hub for human trafficking
Some time at the end of this June, the
Ramanagaram police and NGO officials raided a house in Bidadi, on the outskirts
of the city, on a suspicion that it was being used in a prostitution racket. In
a locked cupboard, 10 girls were found.“They are all of a Bengali origin,
perhaps from Bangladesh. They had been trafficked here with the promise of good
jobs and eventually pushed into prostitution,” says Anita Kanaiya from The
Freedom Project, an NGO that participated in the raid.The incident is yet
another reminder that trafficking continues unabated in a city, where the
demand is only rising. “Many sex-trafficking rings have shifted to the suburbs
where there is lesser scrutiny. There are raids, but these are few and far
between. Moreover, there is no proper mechanism for their rehabilitation,
particularly when those rescued are from out of the State. These women end up
being forced back to prostitution,” said Ms. Kanaiya. According to NCRB, which
last released the 2016 crime statistics, there were 1,100 cases of trafficking
involving 2,712 victims and 3,921 persons were arrested between 2014 and
2016.Nearly a quarter of the victims were children, while an overwhelming 80%
of victims were women, suggesting the existence of a well-entrenched
inter-State prostitution racket.thehindu
MPSanjay Sinh resigns from Congress, to join BJP
Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Sinh, an Amethi royal
and a close associate of the Gandhi family, resigned from the Congress today
and said he would join the BJP, asserting that he will support PM Narendra Modi
as the nation is behind him. Sinh, a Congress member from Assam, also resigned
from the Upper House of Parliament and took a dig at the party, saying it is
still living in the past and unaware of the future. PTI
Maharashtra:4 NCP-Cong MLAs resign, may join BJP
In another setback to Sharad Pawar-led NCP ahead
of the Maharashtra assembly polls, three MLAs resigned on Tuesday.Sources say
the 4 lawmakers— Sandeep Naik, Vaibhav Pichad and Shivendrasinh Bhonsle — are
expected to join BJP on Wednesday.The current resignations take the number of
lawmakers who left NCP in the last 2 months to 5. Jaydutt Kshirsagar and
Pandurang Barora have already joined Shiv Sena. Last week, Mumbai NCP president
Sachin Ahir too left NCP and joined Shiv Sena.A Congress MLA, Kalidas Kolambkar
from Wadala in Mumbai, also resigned. He is also expected to join BJP on
Wednesday.HT
Missing Cafe Coffee Day founder Siddhartha’s
letter alleges harassment from I-T dept. officials
Bengaluru:A letter written by Chairman and
Managing Director of Cafe Coffee Day, VG Siddhartha, addressed to “Board of
Directors and Coffee Day family,” is genuine, police officials have
confirmed.In the letter dated July 27,
Siddhartha blames financial troubles and harassment from Income Tax
authorities for succumbing to the situation”.“We are in the knowledge of the
said letter found in Bengaluru. But presently our focus on the search
operations and are yet to recover the said letter and bring it on record in the
case,” a senior official said. However, I-T department, a statement, claimed
that the authenticity of the note was not known and the signature did not tally
with Siddhartha’s signature as available in his annual reports. But sources in
the State Police claimed that Siddhartha's close relatives had handed over the
said letter to them.thehindu
Medical body calls for 24-hour strike tomorrow
against NMC Bill
Indian Medical Assocition (IMA) has called for a
24-hour strike on Wednesday to protest the Lok Sabha approving and passing
National Medical Commission Bill (NMC) 2019. The strike includes only the
withdrawal of non-essential services.“Lower House on Monday dumped healthcare
& medical education of this country into darkness by approving undemocratic
Bill,” noted the IMA. It added that Section 32 of NMC Bill provides for
licensing of 3.5 lakhs unqualified non-medical persons to practise modern
medicine.thehindu
Humayun’s Tomb among 10 monuments across India to
stay open till 9pm; Taj Mahal missing
New Delhi:Visitors to Humayun’s Tomb will soon be
able to spend time in the sprawling garden complex housing the monument till
9pm.16th-century monument housing grave of Mughal emperor Humayun is among 10
monuments, managed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)and other committees,
that will be kept open till late to attract more tourists.Another Delhi
monument, Safdarjung’s Tomb, also features in the list prepared by a committee
comprising officials of the culture and tourism ministries. Bijapur’s Gol
Gumbaz, Sheikh Chilli’s Tomb in Kurukshetra, Bhubaneswar’s Rajarani Temple
Complex, Khajuraho’s Duladeo Temple, Varanasi’s Man Mahal, Rani-ki-Vav stepwell
in Gujarat’s Patan,a cluster of monuments in Karnataka’s Bagalkot, and a clutch of temples in Maharashtra’s
Gadchiroli make up the list. ASI’s most popular monument, the Taj Mahal, did
not find a mention on the list.HT
WORLD
Sudan talks cancelled as al-Burhan condemns
students' killing
Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council(TMC)
has condemned the killing of five schoolchildren at a rally as protest leaders called
off planned talks with the generals and thousands of students took to streets
to denounce the latest bout of violence.General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of
TMC, said the killings in North Kordofan city of El-Obeid was
"unacceptable"."What happened in El-Obeid is a regrettable and
upsetting matter and the killing of peaceful citizens is unacceptable and
rejected and a crime that requires immediate and deterrent
accountability," he was quoted as saying by SUNA. Protesters accuse the
feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by al-Burhan's deputy-General Mohamed
Hamdan Dagalo, of shooting dead the five teenagers at Monday's rally against
shortages of bread and fuel. UNICEF called on Sudanese authorities "to
investigate and hold all perpetrators of violence against children
accountable"."No child should be buried in their school
uniform," it said, adding the students killed were aged between 15 and 17
years. The 2 sides signed a power-sharing agreement on July 17, and were to sit
down on Tuesday to discuss the powers of the proposed joint civilian-military
ruling council and immunity for generals over previous deadly violence against
protesters. But negotiators for Forces of Freedom and Change alliance, umbrella
group that represents protest and opposition groups, said that today's talks
would not take place because they were visiting El-Obeid. aljazeera
Israel discusses building 6,000 new settlement
units
Israel’s Security Cabinet has been discussing
plan to approve 6,000 settlement units in “Area C” of the occupied Palestinian
territories, Haaretz reported. According to Israeli broadcasting corporation
Kan, it was “unclear whether the plans for construction would be for new units
or to legalise existing illegal structures.” Haaretz also reported sources
familiar with the matter saying that the plan was initiated by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu.Sources also said that the initiative included building 700
Palestinian housing units in return for building “the 6,000 Jewish settlement
units which are currently in the process of approval.”middleeastmonitor
UN envoy to Libya calls for Eid holiday ceasefire
UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame has also called
for a truce on the holiday of Eid as the conflict deepens. Renegade commander
Khalifa Haftar's forces appear to have made little progress as they resort to
using more powerful weapons, resulting in more casualties. But Salame's
proposal would need UNSC's backing.aljazeera
Syria: Idlib's hospitals under attack, at least
14 killed
Syrian govt air attacks have killed at least 14
civilians in Hama and Idlib provinces.Activists say govt's week-long aerial
attacks have been the bloodiest in three months and seem deliberately aimed at
health facilities in Syria, according to international aid agencies. aljazeera
Iraqi intelligence: ‘Al-Baghdadi is in Syria and
has strong influence within Daesh’
Iraqi intelligence body known as Falcons Cell
said on Monday that the leader of Daesh, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, is in Syria and
has strong influence within the outfit.This came in statements attributed to
Falcons Cell chief Abu Ali Al-Basri in Iraqipaper, Assabah.Al-Basri stated that
“following Daesh’s military setback in Iraq and Syria, there is a permanent
threat to the criminal Ibrahim Al-Samarrai, aka Al-Baghdadi, who is currently
based in Syria with his Arab and foreign followers.”He added that Al-Baghdadi
had given a high priority in the previous period to addressing the intelligence
threats and protecting the organisation from infiltrations.Al-Basri explained
that the leader of Daesh still has a strong influence and is obeyed among his
Arab and foreign followers. middleeastmonitor
Senate fails to override Trump vetoes of Saudi
arms sales bills
US Senate has failed to override President Donald
Trump's vetoes of legislation passed by Congress that would have blocked the
sale of certain weapons to Saudi Arabia.In the first of three separate efforts
to overturn the Republican president's vetoes, supporters failed by a vote of
45-40, well short of the two-thirds needed. Five of the chamber's 53
Republicans joined Democrats in voting to override Trump.aljazeera
Accused 9/11 open to testimony against Saudi
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused al-Qaeda
mastermind of the Sept.11, 2001 attacks, has indicated a willingness to
cooperate in a lawsuit filed by victims seeking damages from Saudi Arabia, if
US decides not to seek the death penalty against him. Khalid's offer was disclosed in a letter
filed in US District Court in Manhattan by lawyers representing individuals and
businesses seeking billions of dollars in damages. The lawyers said three,
including Mohammed, are housed at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detention camp,
where they face capital charges, while two are at the "Supermax"
maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado. Khalid and other Guantanamo
detainees have been attending pre-trial hearings in their cases, the letter
said.aljazeera
Saudi-led air attacks kill at least 10 in Yemen
Air attacks by Saudi-led coalition forces have
killed at least 10 civilians, including children, in a busy market in northern
Yemen's Saada province, a medical source and Houthi-run media reported.The
manager of the local Al Jomhouri hospital on Monday said 13 people were killed
and 23 others injured in the air raids in Qatabir district by Saudi-led troops
battling Houthi rebels.aljazeera
Algeria dialogue panel announces mediation plan
Algerian Mediation and Dialogue Committee has
announced its plan to mediate between the public authorities and the civil
society and parties, local media reported. The committee said in a statement
that it had invited 23 new national figures to join the body. According to the
statement: “The main objective of the National Committee for Mediation and
Dialogue is to consult, communicate and open dialogue with civil society
actors, political parties, national figures, youth and activists from all over
the country, in order to develop a clear vision of how to
exit.”middleeastmonitor
Rohingya suspicious as Myanmar touts repatriation
plan
Yangon: When a team of top Myanmar officials met
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar over the weekend, they handed out
flyers aimed at persuading members of the persecuted minority to return home
two years after fleeing a brutal military crackdown in 2017.With its happy cartoon
figures and its promise of a return "to normal life," the brochure
paints a rosy picture for refugees who agree to be repatriated to
Buddhist-majority Myanmar on the govt's terms.aljazeera
China: Most people in Xinjiang camps have
'returned to society'
Amid allegations of abuse and involuntary
detention, officials from China's northwestern Xinjiang region have said most
of the people who were in the area's controversial re-education centres had
left the facilities and signed "work contracts" with local companies.At
a press briefing in Beijing today, Shohrat Zakir, Xinjiang's Uighur governor,
declined to say how many people were being held in the centres, but defended
the system as an effective and "pioneering" approach to counter
"terrorism"."Most of the graduates from the vocational training
centres have been reintegrated into society," Zakir said. "More than
90 percent of the graduates have found satisfactory jobs with good
incomes."aljazeera
Trump wants to reduce US troops in Afghanistan
before 2020 elections: Mike Pompeo
US President Donald Trump has ordered to reduce
the number of American troops in war-torn Afghanistan before the presidential
elections in 2020, his top diplomat said."That's my directive from the
president of US,"Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said."Before the next
presidential election in US, would you expect we reduce our troops in
Afghanistan?" he was asked.Trump administration has intensified its
efforts to seek a negotiated settlement of America's longest war in Afghanistan
where US has lost over 2,400 soldiers since late 2001, when it invaded the
country after the 9/11 attacks.US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation
Zalmay Khalilzad is currently holding talks with the Taliban to work out a deal
for withdrawal of the US troops and participation of rebel group in the Afghan
govt."He's (Trump) been unambiguous: End the endless wars. Draw down.
Reduce. It won't just be us," Pompeo said.However, he refrained from
putting a timeline to the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. PTI
As Trump praises Imran for peace process, Afghans
wonder what price they will pay for US-Taliban deal
More civilians were killed by Afghan, NATO forces
than by insurgents:UN
UN mission in Afghanistan says that more
civilians were killed by Afghan and NATO forces than by insurgents in first
half of 2019.Most of civilian casualties were inflicted during Afghan and NATO
operations, such as airstrikes and night raids on militant hideouts.UN report,
which was released today, says 403 civilians were killed by Afghan forces in
the first six months of the year and another 314 by international forces, a
total of 717. That’s compared to 531 killed by Taliban, Islamic State affiliate
and other militants during the same period.UN says 300 of those killed by
militants were directly targeted. Last 6 months have seen Taliban carry out
near-daily attacks, mainly targeting security forces.thehindu
Imran Khan terms forced conversions ‘un-Islamic’,
vows to protect worship places of minorities
Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Monday termed the
practice of forced conversions as “un-Islamic” and said there was no precedent
in Islamic history for forcefully converting others, according to media
reports. Addressing an event in connection with National Minorities Day at
President’s House in Islamabad, Khan also vowed to protect and develop worship
places of minorities in Pakistan and also facilitate them to the maximum level
to perform them religious rituals.PTI
Pak plane crash kills over a dozen near
Rawalpindi
A Pakistani military plane on a training flight
has crashed into homes near the garrison city of Rawalpindi, killing at least
18 people. The incident, which took place before dawn today, created a fireball
that lit up the night sky above the Mora Kalu village near Rawalpindi.
Aljazeera
Muslim Sri Lankan Ministers who quit after Easter
bombings rejoin govt
4 Sri Lankan Muslim Ministers, who resigned
following the Easter Sunday bombings, have rejoined Govt after investigators
found no link in their alleged involvement with a local islamist extremist
group.2 senior Muslim leaders Rauff Hakeem —leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim
Congress (SLMC) and Rishad Badiyudeen, leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress —
were sworn in by President Maithripala Sirisena last night.Along with them, 2
more Muslims, a State Minister and a Deputy Minister rejoined the govt.Bodu
Bala Sena said the gathering will decide who to back in the presidential
elections later this year in the Indian Ocean island nation where Buddhists
make up about 70% of the population. Ministers were among 9 Govt legislators,
several of them Cabinet Ministers, who resigned in early June after a Buddhist MP
demanded their sacking and accused them of terror links.PTI
Iranians:US sanctions blocking life-saving
medicine
With Iran's economy in free fall from
"maximum pressure" American sanctions, prices of imported medicines
have soared as the national currency tumbled about 70% against dollar.Even
medicines manufactured in Iran are tougher to come by for ordinary Iranians.
The cost is out of reach for many in a country where the average monthly salary
is equivalent to about $450.Iran's health system can't keep up and many are
blaming Donald Trump's punitive campaign for the staggering prices and
shortages.The sanctions have hurt ordinary Iranians, sending prices for
everything from staples and consumer goods to housing skyward, while raising
the spectre of war with US.aljazeera
6 yrs on, deputy leader of Egypt’s Wasat Party
remains in solitary confinement
Deputy leader of Egypt’s Wasat Party has been
imprisoned for 6 years in solitary confinement having been denied family visits
for 2 years and meetings with his lawyer for 3.Essam Sultan fainted in court in
2017. His family have said his health has deteriorated inside Scorpion wing of
Tora Prison where he is being held.In Oct, shortly after he fainted, his wife
Noha Abdullah accused prison authorities of starving the detainees after they
deprived him of food and drink.Early last year, in a leaked letter, Sultan
described conditions inside jail where sewage was attracting mosquitoes.MEMO
Flash: NEWS, views, Articles
Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill does
not further empower NHRC: Tahir Mahmood
Draft NEP labels disabled as ‘divyang’ and
considers its duty is over: Muralidharan
Kashmir Militancy: Pulwama Shows Reality Isn’t
What Delhi Imagines:DAVID DEVADASUP
A Dangerous Experiment Is in the Works in
Kashmir:Ghazala Wahab
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 8:25 PM)
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