03 AUG. 2019:
01 ZilHajj 1440:Vol: 11, No:261
INDIA
Kashmir on alert: Tourists, including pilgrims,
foreigners all set to leave; Governor says no knowledge of changes to
constitutional provisions
Kashmir Valley is fuelled with uncertainty and is
in panic mode after the govt, in a security advisory on Friday, suspended the
Amarnath Yatra, and asked tourists to leave the state at the earliest fearing a
major militant strike. The unprecedented move is the latest in a series of govt
actions in the state including enhanced troop deployment.An estimated 11,000
tourists, including yatris and over 200 foreign visitors, are currently in the
Valley, govt officials said.On Saturday, Governor Satya Pal Malik
Administration suspended the annual Machail Mata pilgrimage in hilly Kishtwar’s
Paddar area adjoining Kashmir Valley. Later in the day, Malik met a delegation
of political leaders led by NC Chief Omar Abdullah.Malik said that the state
has no knowledge of any changes to constitutional provisions. Therefore, no
panic should be created by unnecessarily linking this security matter with all
kinds of other issues. On the other hand, Omar said, “More than what Governor
tells us publicly, I definitely would like to hear from Govt of India publicly
that there is nothing people have to worry about.”Meanwhile, Congress
condemning advisory said that the people in J&K, Leh and Ladakh are in a
state of perpetual fear. “There were terror-related incidents during Congress
rules as well followed by similar situation during the Atal Govt, but even then
an advisory asking the tourists to leave Kashmir and yatris to curtail the
pilgrimage was not issued,”Gulam Nabi Azad said. Senior Congress leader
Digvijaya Singh said that BJP should tread carefully in the restive J&K, a
day after Centre issued an advisory asking Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to
leave the Valley as soon as possible.Singh said a forceful decision in the
state could inflict a massive loss on the country."Have the heavens fallen
that you (Centre) have called off the Amarnath yatra? A force of 20,000
(troopers) has been sent there (J-K). It is an indication of a big
exercise," he told reporters. Ministry of Civil Aviation has advised
airlines to rein in the surging airfare, for pilgrims returning from Amarnath
Yatra. Pilgrims of Amarnath yatra and tourists prepare to leave J&Kafter a
directive issued by the govt."British High Commission in New Delhi is
monitoring the situation. If you're in J&K, you should remain vigilant,
follow the advice of local authorities and keep up to date with developments,
including via this travel advice," FCO update note said.VHP today
announced cancellation of upcoming annual Budha Amarnath yatra, citing threat
posed by Pak-sponsored terrorists to pilgrimage. Students of Kashmir
Polytechnic College have been asked to vacate hostel.indian express/pti/ani/newsx
11,000 tourists, including yatris, foreigners all
set to leave Kashmir, airlines advised to fly extra flights
Kashmir: Cong wants Modi to make statement, Karan
Singh says “unprecedented situation”
Amid growing apprehensions and uncertainty over
the deployment of extra troops in the Valley, the Congress party hit out at the
Modi Govt in the Centre, pressing for a statement from PM Modi on the
issue.Condemning the govt’s decision to curtail the Amarnath Yatra, Congress
said that PM Modi should make a statement in Parliament over the current
situation in J&K. Last Sadr-e-Riyasat of J&Kand a senior politician,
Karan Singh also addressed the conference and termed the situation in the
valley as “unprecedented”.nationalheraldindia
Days ago, J-K Governor said no need to panic but
series of orders did just the opposite
UK updates advisory for British nationals to be
“vigilant” in J&K
Any discussion on Kashmir will ‘only be with Pak,
and only bilaterally’, India tells US after Trump repeats offer to mediate
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said
he had told the US that any discussions on the Kashmir dispute will only be
directly with Pakistan. His statement came hours after US President Donald
Trump reiterated his offer to help India and Pakistan resolve the decades-old
dispute “if they wanted”.Jaishankar said he had wide-ranging discussions with
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on regional matters. “Have conveyed to
American counterpart this morning in clear terms that any discussion on
Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally,”
Jaishankar wrote on Twitter.Jaishankar met Pompeo on the sidelines of 9th East
Asia Summit Foreign Ministers meeting in Bangkok. On Thursday Trump said:
“Well, that’s up to – it’s really up to PM Modi. And I met with PM Khan; I got
along great with – I think they’re a fantastic people, Khan and Modi. I mean, I
would imagine they can get along very well.”“But if they wanted somebody to
intervene or to help them – and I spoke with Pakistan about that, and I spoke,
frankly, to India about it,” he added. “But that’s been going on, that battle,
for a long time.”When asked how he wanted to resolve the dispute, Trump said:
“If I can – if they wanted me to, I would certainly intervene. Yeah.”scroll.in
India expresses disappointment over UN chief
mentioning it in report on children,armed conflict
UN:India has strongly expressed its
disappointment over UN chief Antonio Guterres, in his recent report, including
situations in India that are neither armed conflicts nor a threat to
international security, saying such attempt to “expand mandate in a selective
manner” to certain situations only politicises the agenda.In the ‘Annual Report
of Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict’,, Guterres said children
continued to be affected by incidents of violence between armed groups and the
Govt, “particularly in J&K and in the context of the Naxalite
insurgency.”India was mentioned under a section of the report titled
“Situations not on the agenda of Security Council or other situations.”Paulomi
Tripathi, India’s first secretary at the UN General Assembly, speaking at a
Security Council open debate on Children and Armed Conflict on Friday, pointed
to the “importance of credible, impartial and transparent implementation of the
mandate given to UN system.”“In spite of the clear mandate by the Council, we
are disappointed that Report of Secretary-General includes situations which are
not armed conflicts or of threat to maintenance of international peace and security,”
she said.The report noted that UN received reports of child recruitment and use
in J&K. The report also cited the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in
Kathua district.PTI
Cong votes in favour of UAPA bill after opposing
it in LS, Left accuses party of ‘betraying’ people
New Delhi:Congress has voted in favour of the
passage of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 in the Rajya
Sabha after it had opposed it in the lower house and demanded that the
amendment be sent to a select committee. Clearing that the party is not against
the law but some amendments, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said “an
individual who commits a terrorist act is punishable.But there is no clear
differentiation driven out between punishing an unlawful association and
punishing the member of the unlawful organisation.”Questioning the introduction
of the amendment, Chidambaram asked why an individual be named a terrorist when
the organisation he belongs to has already been banned. The amendment in UAPA
bill allows the Centre to designate individuals as terrorists and seize their
properties. Accusing the Congress of “betraying” the people of the country and
having “lost” its vision,Left parties hit out at the grand old party for
supporting govt on UAPA Bill.“Congress backstabbed democracy. They betrayed the
minorities. They betrayed the people of India by voting in favour of the
draconian UAPA Bill in Rajya Sabha,” CPI(M) leader Elamaram Kareem said.“The
way the Congress conducted itself was highly condemnable.Congress party has
also lost all its vision.“It is a new situation. A right-wing, fascist party
has captured power.There are increased attacks on democratic and constitutional
rights, people do not feel secure and mob lynchings have become the order of
the day. In this situation, how can the Congress party side with such a
draconian law,” D Raja said.indianexpress
Individuals from Telangana,AP under UAPA lens
Hyderabad:With Rajya Sabha passing UAPA Bill,
which enables the Govt to designate individuals as terrorists, NIA is
finalising the initial list of “most wanted” persons who will be officially
designated as terrorists. The list is likely to include the names of
individuals from Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh who are said to be involved
in terror cases and Maoist activities.It is still unclear whether the Centre
intends to set up a tribunal for individuals designated as terrorists to
contest the claim of the govt.Sources said that while the names of Mazood
Azhar,Hafiz Sayeed, Syed Salahuddin and Dawood Ibrahim, will top the list,
there are several others from J&Kwhose names will figure in it.There are
five individuals from Hyderabad who are accused of terror cases and are ‘most
wanted’, and an equal number of Maoists. Those wanted in terror cases from
Hyderabad include Mohammed Farhatullah Ghori alias Abdul Sufiyan; Mohammed Bhai
alias Abdul Bari alias Abu Hamza of Yakutpura; Furqan alias Abu Saad also from
Yakutpura; Mohammed Abdul Majeed of Moosarambagh and Siddique Bin Usman of
Talabkatta. Among Maoists, most wanted are Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna
who hails from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Gajarla Ravi from Warangal; Jalumuri
Srinu Babu of East Godavari district of AP and Madhavi of Warangal. Speaking
from Azamgarh,UP, ex-president of SIMI, Shahid Badr Falahi, said UAPA was
brought in by Congress in 1967 and the then leader of the opposition was Atal
Behari Vajpayee against it, saying it would kill the meaning of the word
freedom. “Thereafter, Congress amended UAPA several times and even our
organisation was banned under this Act in 2001. But now that NDA has amended it
to enable it to designate individuals as terrorists, it is bound to be
misused,” said Falahi.Deccan Chronicle
Delhi High Court tribunal upholds 5-year ban on
SIMI
A tribunal of the Delhi High Court has upheld the
ban imposed on SIMI and validated a Central Govt notification, issued in
Feb.this year, extending the ban for another 5 years.Govt describes SIMI as a
terrorist organisation and had banned it in 2001, for 2 years. The ban was
since extended from time to time. 5-year ban was first imposed in 2014.The ban
was lifted in Aug.2008 by a special tribunal, but was reinstated by the Supreme
Court on Aug.6, 2008.The tribunal, headed by Justice Mukta Gupta, on July 29
had dismissed SIMI’s contention that the Govt had no fresh evidence against it
to extend the ban for another 5 years and held that there were valid reasons to
ratify the ban imposed by the Govt under UAPA.indianexpress
NIA wants media gag in trial against Pragya, cites
'communal harmony'
Mumbai: Claiming that media coverage in the
ongoing Malegaon bomb blast trial will “have a direct bearing on the communal
harmony, national security and public order”, NIA has moved an application
before the special trial court seeking a blanket ban on media reporting.BJP MP
Pragya Thakur, lieutenant colonel Prasad Purohit, and 10 others have been facing
trial in this 11-year-old blast case which had killed six persons and had left
over 100 injured. In an application moved before the special NIA court,
presided by judge V.S. Padalkar, the agency has claimed that the case is
sensitive as the accused had allegedly executed the bomb “to take revenge
against the Muslim jihadi activities and to create the rift between the 2
communities (Hindus and Muslims)”.“As per the prosecution, for causing the bomb
blast, Malegaon was chosen, because it is a Muslim dominated area.…for
maintaining harmony in the society, it is necessary to conduct an in-camera
hearing and restraint on the publication of court proceedings,” NIA plea
states.While Sameer Kulkarni, one of 12 accused, opposed NIA’s move to gag
media, other accused will be responding to it on Aug.5. The court is likely to
pass an order on the same day.thewire
Leaders of both parties hail SC decision to start
day-to-day hearing Babri Masjid case from 6 Aug
Lucknow: Welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision
to commence day-to-day hearing in Babri Masjid title suit, leaders of both the
communities, especially, those who are a party in litigation, felt the apex
court’s decision had rekindled hope of a logical verdict.Claiming that the
mediation exercise failed, CJI Ranjan Gogoi on Friday said that case would now
be heard by the Supreme Court from Aug.6, on day-to-day basis. Earlier, a 5-judge
SC Constitution bench had set up a 3-member mediation panel on March 8, 2019,
headed by Justice (Retd) F.M.I Kalifulla.Now, as the SC acknowledged that the
mediation efforts could not be successful, noted lawyer Zafaryab Jilani, who is
also representing the Muslim parties in the case, said that failure of
mediation process was a foregone conclusion. “Why would the Muslim side take
back their claim? Now the Supreme Court will hear it and whatever be the
outcome, we will abide by it,” said Jilani who is also the convenor of Babri
Masjid Action Committee and member All India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB).One of the main Muslim litigants in the case, Iqbal Ansari,
representing his father late Hashim Ansari, appreciated the SC decision. “Whatever
will be the SC decision, we will abide by it,” he said. Similarly, the saints
of Ayodhya, including litigants Ram Lala Virajman and Nirmohi Akhada welcomed
SC decision with a pinch of salt. Mahant Dharam Das of Ram Janmabhoomi Nirman
Samiti, also a party, hailed courts’ Friday decision.The saints were of the
opinion that 5 crucial months were lost in the mediation process with zero
results.newindianexpress
Muslim Board Welcomes SC’s Day to Day Hearing
Decision on Babri Masjid Title Suit
RSS supports SC's decision in Ayodhya case
RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi has welcomed
the Supreme Court's decision of holding daily hearing in the Babri Masjid land
dispute case.In a series of tweets, Joshi said "We were hoping that
mediation would be successful in removing the obstacles in the construction of
Ram Janmabhoomi temple but it did not work out.UNI
Muslim body moves Supreme Court against triple
talaq law, claims Act violates Articles 14, 15 and 21
New Delhi:The newly-enacted law which makes the
'triple talaq' a punishable offence was challenged in the Supreme Court.'Samastha
Kerala Jamiathul Ulema' moved the SC seeking to declare it as unconstitutional.
"Act has introduced penal legislation, specific to a class of persons
based on religious identity. It is causative of grave public mischief, which,
if unchecked, may lead to polarisation and disharmony in society," plea
said.The organisation, claiming itself largest Muslim organisation in Kerala,
submitted that legislation is class specific to Muslims and the intent behind
the Act is not abolition of triple talaq, but punishment of Muslim
husbands."Section 4 imposes a maximum sentence of 3 years in jail when a
Muslim husband pronounces triple talaq. The offence is cognisable and
non-bailable as per Section 7," the plea said.It said that Act is
violative of Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution and thus, is liable to
be struck down. The plea said that if the motive was to protect a Muslim wife
in "an unhappy marriage", no reasonable person can believe that the means
to ensure it is by putting an "errant husband in jail for 3 years and
create a non-bailable offence for merely saying 'talaq talaq talaq'".It
said there are statutorily prescribed procedures for divorce in other
religions, too, and non-compliance of this procedure for divorce is not a
punishable offence for members of other religions."There is no
reasonableness or constitutional logic for making the procedural infirmity in
effecting divorce a punishable offence for members of Muslim community alone
and such legislation cannot withstand the test of Article 14," it said. PTI
Kerala Muslim Body Moves SC Against New Law
Criminalising Triple Talaq; Another Plea in Delhi HC
-Demonetisation showed fake currency was myth:HC
Bombay High Court has said the govt’s
demonetisation exercise showed that it was a myth that fake currency was in
circulation.While hearing hearing a PIL seeking to make currency notes and
coins easily identifiable for vision-impaired people, the court asked the RBI
why it kept changing the sizes and features of currency notes. “You [govt] keep
saying it is because of fake currency,” a bench of Chief Justice Pradeep
Nandrajog and Justice NM Jamdar said. “I doubt that reason. Demonetisation
showed that it was a myth that Rs 10,000 crore were taken away by
Pakistan.”“What is the compulsion of RBI to change features of notes from time
to time,” it added. “What is the compulsion of RBI to change the size of the
notes?”court directed RBI to file an affidavit explaining its reasons within 2
weeks. Scroll
What compulsion behind demonetisation, HC asks
India drops in GDP rankings, now 7th-largest
economy, shows World Bank data
World Bank figures for 2018 show that India has
fallen in GDP rankings and is now the seventh-largest economy. UK and France
have overtaken India.In 2018, India’s GDP was $2.72 trillion, while that of the
UK was $2.82 trillion and France was $2.77 trillion. Top 4 economies in the
world were US, with a GDP of 20.5 trillion in 2018, followed by China ($13.6
trillion), Japan ($4.9 trillion) and Germany ($3.9 trillion). Scroll
RSS blames RBI for economic slowdown, defends
Modi govt policies
Swadeshi Jagran Manch, economic wing of RSS has
hit out at RBI for not lowering rate of interest even when the inflation is
down to 2%, holding it responsible for the current slowdown in the
economy."RBI has been the major reason for the slowdown. Monetary Policy
Committee of RBI has been working on the wrong model and faulty framework. All
over the world the rates of interest come down as inflation comes down, but in
India it does not happen," said Aswini Mahajan, head of the Swadeshi Jagran
Manch.IANS
Too much of reforms has led to slowdown: NITI
Aayog CEO
A spate of reforms undertaken by Govt has led to
the current slowdown in the country, Amitabh Kant, the CEO of policy think-tank
NITI Aayog, said. This came as a note of caution from senior official as he was
advocating a series of policy decisions to revive economy.thehindu
India seeks unimpeded consular access to Jadhav
India has sought an unimpeded consular access to
Kulbhushan Jadhav, death row prisoner in Pakistan. This comes a day after
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declared that it was evaluating Pakistan’s
proposal to grant diplomatic access to him.Pakistan was asked yesterday to
provide unimpeded consular access to Jadhav, in an environment free from the fear
of intimidation and reprisal in the light of the orders of ICJ [International
Court of Justice].Their response was awaited, said a source familiar with the
discussion conducted through diplomatic channels. While Pakistani reports
suggested that consular access was to be granted to Indian diplomats at 3 pm on
Friday, India had declined to confirm the time and date of the meeting. Sources
said India had not yet set a deadline for Pakistan’s response. “They offered us
consular access to Jadhav on Friday. In response, we have sent a note verbale
conveying our position,” said the source hinting that the negotiation on
securing normal consular access is expected to continue.the hindu
Kathua rape-murder case: J&K seeks death
penalty for 3 main convicts in HC
Chandigarh :J&Kadministration has filed an
appeal in Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking death penalty for the three
main convicts in the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua,
contending that the case was “rarest of rare” and deserves capital punishment. In
2 other appeals, the state sought conviction of the accused acquitted, Vishal
Jangotra, and setting aside of acquittal of 3 police officials from the charge
of conspiracy.The appeals are expected to come up for hearing on August 7 along
with other appeals filed by convicts and complainant.“It is not a case of any
spur of the moment provocation or even a case where the accused gets overcome
by lust. This is a case where a calculated and meticulously planned conspiracy
was hatched, the victim was identified and targeted, and what disturbs the
moral fibre of the society is that the same was done due to the enmity between
the 2 communities, of which an innocent girl of 8 years paid the ultimate
price,” reads an appeal filed through Jammu Crime Branch.indianexpress
Need to mend Hurriyat Conference, J&K Jamaat-e-Islami
to control terrorism: Ram Madhav
Srinagar: BJP's national general secretary Ram
Madhav has hit out at separatist groups in J&Kand said there is a need to
mend non-political groups like Hurriyat Conference and J&K Jamaat-e-Islami
to control terrorism in the state."There are 3 reasons that make a
terrorist in Kashmir. First, the politics of some political parties, who
indirectly or directly support terrorism for their own interests. Also,
political and non-political groups like Hurriyat Conference and Jamaat-e-Islami
need to be mended," Madhav said here at an event. ANI
Maharashtra: Opposition parties plan signature
campaign, protest march against EVMs on Aug 21
Mumbai:All parties in the Opposition rank are
planning to undertake a statewide signature campaign and hold a protest march
on August 21 to demand a switch from EVMs used in elections to the ballot paper
system.MNS chief Raj Thackeray, along with leaders from various Opposition
parties, on Friday announced a statewide agitation.Among other prominent
leaders who attended the gathering on Friday,included state Congress head
Balasaheb Thorat, senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal, PWP’s
Jayant Patil and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti.“When I met Election
Commission, I asked where are these EVMs made. EC told me that the chips of
EVMs are made in Japan, US and the Netherlands. None of these countries use
EVMs during their elections. My questions is then why are they being used only
in India,” said Thackeray, who was instrumental in getting the Opposition
leaders united on a stage.indianexpress
Govt to prepare National Population Register to
lay foundation for pan-India NRC
In order to lay the foundation for rolling out a
citizens’ register across the country, the Govt has decided to prepare a
National Population Register (NPR) by Sept.2020. NPR will be a list of usual
residents of the country. Once it is completed and published, it is expected to
be the basis for preparing National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC), a
pan-India version of Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC), an official
was quoted as saying by PTI. For the purpose of NPR, a usual resident is
defined as a person who has resided in a local area for past six months or more
or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or
more.indianexpress
Congress accuses Assam govt of contempt of court
after minister releases NRC data in assembly
Opposition Congress in Assam has claimed that
detailed figures of the district wise break-up of National Register of Citizens
draft inclusions and exclusions released by a cabinet minister in state
assembly amount to contempt of a Supreme Court order.Leader of Opposition in
state Assembly Debabrata Saikia said that he would write to the Supreme Court
to initiate contempt proceedings.“On behalf of my party I am going to write to
the SC. The way the minister released detailed data including how many people
are excluded, how many are included, how many are on hold in every district is
in violation of the SC order which said no information is to be shared without
the leave of the court,” said Debabrata Saikia as he cited a SC order of
Sept.19, 2018. Saikia questioned how the state Govt got access to the
figures.HT
Assam’s NRC: The registry test of citizenship
After skipping Finance Minister’s dinner,
journalists boycott briefing
Relations between Finance Ministry and
journalists covering it has been uneasy after entry restrictions were imposed
by the former but it came several notches down on Friday with correspondents
boycotting a press briefing of senior officers. This is considered a big
embarrassment for the Govt as just weeks back, most of the journalists covering
Finance Ministry in the North Block stayed away from post-budget dinner hosted
by Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.On Friday, journalists walked away from the
conference hall at the National Media Centre(NMC) after they were told that the
officials addressing the media would only read out a statement and not take any
questions. The event turned even more dramatic when Finance Minister's CEA K.Subramanian
went out of the hall to apparently seek advice from top bosses on whether
questions can be taken from the media but did not come back. Later, he could
not be found anywhere near conference hall.nationalherald
SC gives Centre until August 14 to decide on
Justice Kureshi’s elevation pending for 3 months
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to decide
by Aug.14 on the pending appointment of Justice Akil Kureshi as the chief justice
of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Centre had in June named another judge as acting
chief justice, ignoring the collegium’s recommendation of Kureshi’s name.The
top court’s collegium had recommended Bombay High Court judge for the post on
May 10. All the other three judges recommended for elevation on that day were
approved by Centre within days and have taken charge as chief justices of their
High Courts. However, Kureshi’s appointment remains pending.scroll.in/PTI
Delhi Minorities Commission rejects BJP MP's
claim that illegal mosques, mushrooming
New Delhi: Chairman of Delhi Minorities
Commission Dr Zafarful Islam has said that the report claiming that "54
illegal mosques mushrooming on Govt land" in the city was found
'incorrect'. A month ago, a five-member committee was set up to look into the
issue of "illegal mushrooming of mosques on Govt land" in the
national capital. "We formed a fact-finding committee a month ago after
BJP MP Parvesh Verma claimed that mosques were being built in Delhi illegally.
He also gave a report to Delhi LG about 54 such mosques. Those reports are
found to be false by fact-finding committee", Zafarful Islam said in a
press conference.The fact-finding committee has given 8 recommendations to
Commission and asked lodge an FIR against BJP MP Parvesh Sharma for spreading
rumours against a particular community."We have given 8 recommendations to
Commission, one of them to start legal proceedings and lodge an FIR against BJP
MP Parvesh Verma for spreading rumours against a particular community and
trying to disturb peace and harmony in Delhi", the fact-finding committee
said. Chairman had earlier claimed that mosques are being targetted in the wake
of upcoming elections in the national capital.His response came after Verma
demanded an inquiry into the illegal mushrooming of mosques.ANI
3 Muslim Boys Allegedly Thrashed by 6 Men for
Refusing to Say 'Shri Ram' in Godhra
Godhra: 3 Muslim boys were allegedly thrashed by
6 unidentified men for refusing to say "Shri Ram" in Gujarat's Godhra
town, police said on Friday.Siddique Bhagat, complainant, claimed that six
unidentified men on 2 motorcycles stopped his son Samir (17), and his friends
Salman Gheeteli and Sohail Bhagat when the trio were returning home on
motorbike on Thursday night."The accused asked my son and his friends to
chant 'Shri Ram'. When the boys refused, they started thrashing them. One of
them hit Samir with a bicycle chain on forehead while another man hit Salman on
head with a blunt object," he said."Before leaving, the assailants
threatened to kill them if they were seen again in the area," stated the
FIR registered at Godhra Town police station.Samir and his friends who were
injured were taken to the civil hospital by some local people, said police
inspector HC Rathva. "As the victims are not in a position to speak right
now, we do not have more details.We have registered an FIR against six
unidentified persons," Rathva added. Incidents of members of the minority
community being assaulted for refusing to say `Jai Shri Ram' have been reported
from several parts of the country recently.PTI
‘Chant Jai Shri Ram with fervour,’ says suspended
Kerala DGP Jacob Thomas
Kerala’s suspended DGP Jacob Thomas has said
people should chant the slogan “Jai Shri Ram” more vociferously, ANI reported.
Thomas made the comments on Thursday while addressing a “Ramayana Fest” event
in Thrissur district. He asserted that Ram, a Hindu deity, was not hailed
anymore. “Is Lord Ram really in our land now?” Thomas asked. “Did we reach a
situation where we cannot hail Lord Ram? If our minds have reached a state
where we cannot hail Ram, then we must think if we have become evil. Time has
come for us to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ with more might.”scroll.in
UP: Muslim man beaten for participating in Kanwar
Yatra in Baghpat
Baghpat:A Muslim man hailing from a village in
Baghpat, was allegedly beaten black and blue by a group of people for taking
part in Kanwar Yatra to Haridwar with his Hindu friends. Apart from him, his
family was attacked as well. A police complaint has been filed against the
attackers and investigation in the matter is underway. According to reports,
Irshad took part in the Kanwar Yatra with a couple of his Hindu friends to
Haridwar and returned to a Shiva temple in his village to offer the holy water
he had gathered and brought from river Ganga. This was not the first time he
had done this as locals have confirmed that he has been taking part in Kanwar
Yatra from a long time now.However, Irshad's participation in the Yatra this
time enraged a couple of people from his own community. On Wednesday night, a
group of men reached Irshad's house in Barka village and began assaulting him.
Times Now
Palwal incident: 'Where are those people now who
stand up for minorities' asks Haryana minister
Palwal:Weeks after a cow vigilante was allegedly
shot dead by cattle smugglers, Anil Vij, Minister in the Haryana cabinet on
Friday hit out at people who create an uproar when a person from the minority
community is attacked and questioned their absence.However, pointing out that
attacks on people from minority community should not happen, the minister said
that "Everyone comes together when a person from the minority is attacked,
where are they today?" "People like this are creating tensions and trying
to divide the two communities," he further added.A cow vigilante was shot
dead by cattle smugglers on July 30 while he was chasing their vehicle on a
bike after being tipped off about cows being smuggled using the said vehicle.
The deceased has been identified as Gopal and is a member of 'Gau Raksha
Dal'.ANI
Muslim MLAs seek protection for cattle
transporters ahead of Bakrid
Bengaluru: With cow vigilantism on the rise and
Bakrid just around the corner,Muslim MLAs have petitioned BJP Govt, urging it
to ensure adequate protection for cattle traders and transporters of sheep,
goat, oxen, buffaloes and other animals. Acting on the petition, CM BS
Yediyurappa directed DG&IG Neelamani Raju to initiate necessary steps. In a
letter to the CM, 6 Muslim MLAs — Tanveer Sait, Raheem Khan, NA Haris, CM
Ibrahim, Nasir Ahmed and Abdul Zabbar — urged Yediyurappa to direct police and
district administrations to ensure vehicles carrying animals for sacrifice and
slaughter were not obstructed. The legislators stated Bakrid, which will be
observed on Aug.12 this year, is a sacred festival of Muslims and the tradition
is to sacrifice animals to God on festival day. The request came in the wake of
increasing incidents of attacks on vehicles transporting cows, besides cattle
transporters being lynched across the country. TOI
BJP leader sympathises with Unnao rape-accused
MLA, says Kuldeep Sengar is having a difficult time
BJP MLA Ashish Singh Ashu expressed his support
for rape-accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on Friday. “Kuldeep Singh bhai could
not be here among us today as he is going through difficult times,” Ashu said,
NDTV reported. “Out best wishes are with him. We hope that he will overcome the
bad times, fight through it and come out of it and be with all of you. Wherever
we are, our best wishes are with him.” MLA from Hardoi constituency was
speaking at a panchayat event near Unnao district, which is also Sengar’s
home.scroll.in
AMU, Jadavpur, Azim Premji Universities among
universities denied Institute of Eminence tag
UGC has rejected a proposal by a govt-appointed
committee to grant Institute of Eminence(IoE)
tag to a number of well-known private and public institutes. AMU, KREA
University, Jadavpur University and Azim Premji University are among institutes
denied the prestigious tag on the grounds that they are not ranked under world
QS rankings orNational Institutional Ranking Framework. UGC has, however, said
the status will be given to Jadavpur University, Kolkata,and Anna University,
Chennai — both state universities — if the states agree to pay 50 % of Rs 1,000
crore grant promised to govt institutions under the initiative.newindian
express
AMU V-C warns of strict action against rumour
mongers
AMU’s V-C Tariq Mansoor has appealed to students
not to believe in rumours and warned of strict action against people indulging
in rumour mongering to disrupt the peaceful environment of the campus.V-C’s
remarks came after four student leaders of the university were arrested 2 days
ago for allegedly creating unrest at the campus, following which police
personnel and RAF were deployed at all the entry points of the campus as a
precautionary measure.In an open letter to students, Mansoor said some of them
were spreading rumours over establishment of a police chowki in the university
campus.“I urge students to be reasonable and rational to cross check before
believing in such baseless rumours,”he wrote in his letter.indianexpress
Maharashtra 1st to establish
trilateral Waqf Tribunal
Mumbai:Maharashtra is the first state in the
country to establish a trilateral tribunal. Since all the districts had to come
to Aurangabad for hearing, but now the establishment of a trilateral tribunal
has helped citizens. The State Govt has taken care that the land belonging to
the religious community will not be misused by the judgment of the Trilateral
Tribunal. The second survey of Waqf properties in the state is being done in
Pune and Parbhani districts and the survey is in the final phase. The remaining
areas will be surveyed on the basis of actual experience and findings. In order
to safeguard and encroach on these properties, a survey of Waqf properties is
underway by Commissioner of Jamabandi, State Govt in a release said.Information
about waqf assets will be recorded in the computer system developed by the
central Govt, the waqf management system of India. All relevant Waqf properties
are being surveyed by making direct visits and inspecting the records, it
added.Minister for Minority Development Vinod Tawde said that for the second
survey, additional district collectors of all the districts have been appointed
as additional survey commissioner of Auqaf for their respective
districts.Accommodation Times
Flare-up in UP’s Aashiana village: Hindu
neighbours junk sedition charge
Lucknow:Hindu residents of Salehnagar village in
Aashiana have come out in support of their Muslim neighbours, dubbing the
sedition case against 60 minority community youths as fabricated and "an
attempt by right-wing groups" to drive a wedge between 2 communities
living peacefully in the area for decades. The show of solidarity has been
spurred by the tragic death of Zakir Ali (55) whose 20-year-old son Akram is
among the accused.Ali, allegedly humiliated by policemen during the raid
following Tuesday's clash, succumbed to cardiac arrest in the small hours of
Friday. Saurabh Kashyap, a friend of Akram, said they were childhood buddies.
"We grew up together. None of us ever made any derogatory remark against
each other's religion. All the accused, including Akram, have been framed. I
don't believe anyone from here will ever raise pro-Pakistan slogans," he
said. Ajay Singh a neighbour of Ali, underscored that Hindus and Muslims had
peacefully coexisted in Salehnagar for generations. "An ego clash between
youths of Salehnagar and adjoining Ruchi Khand is being given communal colour
by right-wing outsiders,"he added. Ankur Lodhi, echoed that right-wing
people "are trying to drive a wedge between Hindu and Muslim brothers.
Dukhi Rawat said,"Muslims and Hindus in Salehnagar have lived like family.
Zakir was a friend of mine. His death has left us all shocked and deeply
saddened." TOI
MP: Man from right wing group covers eyes on
seeing Muslim anchor, sparks outrage online
The founder of a fringe right wing is being
widely criticised after he covered his eyes during a televised debate when a
Muslim anchor participated in it. The incident comes days after a customer
refused to take accept a delivery from a ‘non-Hindu’ man in MP. Incidentally,
the debate on the channel was about the incident in MP, where a customer
rejected the order because of the delivery person’s religion. Ajay Gautam,
founder of the right wing group called Hum Hindu, was among those debating the
incident and the questions raised by it.However, when a segment featured
another anchor named Saud Khalid, Gautam was shown covering his eyes. This
happened right after the anchor moderating the debate announced his fellow
anchor’s name. It wasn’t clear for how long Gautam kept his eyes covered and
the video was tweeted from the official handle of the channel.Many
criticised the man for what they said was an obnoxious gesture, while others
questioned why Gautam was invited in the first place. The channel later
announced that it had decided not to invite Gautam to its studio in future,
saying his actions were “inappropriate and condemnable”.indian express
Odisha BJP MLA apologises for making anti Muslim
women remarks in Assembly
An Odisha BJP MLA has apologised for his
controversial remarks about Muslim women made during a discussion in the state
Assembly on triple talaq a day earlier.Bishnu Charan Sethi, also BJP’s Odisha
vice-president and the party's deputy leader in the Assembly, was forced to
retract his comments after hundreds of workers of the Opposition Congress
staged a protest rally and a demonstration in his home district of Bhadrak.With
Sethi tendering an apology, stalemate in the Assembly on the issue ended.
Congress MLAs had created unruly scenes in House on both days demanding that the
MLA withdraw his “anti-women” statements.news18
Ravish Kumar wins 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award
NDTV journalist Ravish Kumar is one of 5 winners
of 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, the foundation that gives the honour announced
on Friday. The awards will be presented in Manila, the capital of the
Philippines, on Sept. 9. Kumar, who hosts NDTV India’s Prime Time show, won the
award for “harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless”, said the
Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. The foundation said Kumar was being
recognised for “his unfaltering commitment to a professional, ethical
journalism of the highest standards; his moral courage in standing up for
truth, integrity, and independence; and his principled belief that it is in
giving full and respectful voice to the voiceless, in speaking truth bravely
yet soberly to power, that journalism fulfills its noblest aims to advance
democracy”.scroll.in
Muzaffarnagar riots: Court asks authorities to
seize accused's land
A sessions court has directed the district
authorities to seize the land belonging to an accused in the Muzaffarnagar
riots case, officials said. CJM Rakesh Gautam issued the order to prevent the
accused- Ravinder Singh from selling the piece of land, they said. Singh along
with 5 others-Prahlad, Bishan Singh, Tendu, Devender and Jitender - had
allegedly killed a man named Shahnawaz at Kawal village in Jansath area on
Aug.27, 2013. 5 of the 6 accused, barring Singh who is still absconding, were
arrested by police. Shahnawaz's death and that of 2 other youths, identified as
Gaurav Sachin, in another incident were said to be the trigger behind the
communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar. PTI
7 Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh, arms recovered
Bhopal:7 Maoists were gunned down by the police
on Saturday in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh.Based on intelligence
inputs, DRG personnel, part of a special operations team of the Rajnandgaon
police, at around 7 a.m. fired at 40 Maoists in Sailpar forest in Sitagota village,
close to the Maharashtra border, said DIG Sundarraj P.thehindu
Former Maldives vice president deported a day
after seeking political asylum in India: Reports
Former Maldives Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who
was detained in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district 2 days ago, was deported late
on Friday by the Coast Guard. 9 crew members of tugboat “Virgo 9” that Adeeb
had used to enter the country were also handed over to Maldivian authorities at
International Maritime Boundary Line.scroll.in /PTI
WORLD
Sudan protesters, army agree on constitutional
declaration
Sudan's military rulers and the main opposition
coalition have reached an agreement paving the way for a new transitional Govt,
African Union said, after lengthy negotiations following the toppling of
long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir.Mohamed Hassan Lebatt, AU mediator for Sudan, said
today that two sides "fully agreed on a constitutional declaration"
outlining the division of power for a three-year transition to elections. The
document, which outlines the powers and the relationships between the branches
of the transitional Govt, comes after weeks of protracted negotiations brokered
by AU and neighbouring Ethiopia amid sporadic bouts of violence in the capital,
Khartoum, and other cities.The main opposition coalition, the Forces of Freedom
and Change (FFC), welcomed the agreement as a "first step with more to
follow" and pledged to complete the journey to "freedom, peace and
justice" in Sudan.FFC said both sides were expected to sign it on
Sunday.As news of the agreement emerged, people began gathering on Nile Street,
the main avenue in the capital Khartoum, honking car horns and ululating in
celebration.aljazeera
Israel officials met with Iraq counterparts: media
European diplomats revealed to Israeli newspaper
Haaretz that Israeli officials have been holding secret meetings with Iraqi Govt
officials.In a long report published by the newspaper yesterday, Zvi Bar’el –
Haaretz’s Middle Eastern affairs analyst – said that some of the meetings were
even held in Israel.In his report Bar’el speculated that Iraq is a new front or
a secret partner for Israel, questioning two recent Israeli attacks on Iranian
targets in Iraq, on which the Iraqi Govt remained silent. Israeli journalist
said that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo paid a hasty visit to Iraqi capital
Baghdad in May to tell Iraqi PM, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, to stop letting Iran bring
missiles into the country and to remove those Iranian missiles already there.He
continued: “According to several reports, including one that cited ex Iraqi PM
Ayad Alawi, Israel gave Pompeo photographs of the missiles and launch pads, and
said in no uncertain terms that it would take action against them if Iraq
didn’t remove them itself.”MEMO
Rohingya activists slam ASEAN's call for dialogue
with Myanmar
Efforts by Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) to encourage "dialogue" between Rohingya refugees and Myanmar
Govt have sparked fierce criticism from Rohingya activists, who accuse the bloc
of whitewashing Myanmar military's crimes and legitimising deeply flawed
repatriation plans.A team from the humanitarian arm of 10-member trade bloc
joined a Myanmar delegation on a visit to camps in Bangladesh last week in a
bid to launch fresh repatriation talks with Rohingya leaders and activists.
aljazeera
8th round of US, Taliban peace talks starts in
Doha today
A fresh round of US-Taliban peace talks will
start in Qatar's capital Doha today, officials said, describing it to be “most
crucial” phase of negotiations to end 18-year war in Afghanistan. Senior
officials privy to the talks said a peace agreement could be expected at the
end of the eighth round of talks and would enable foreign forces to be
withdrawn from the war-torn country. Zalmay Khalilzad, US peace envoy for
Afghanistan who has held a series of meetings with Taliban leaders since last
year, reached Doha on Friday night.“Just got to Doha to resume talks with the
Taliban. We are pursuing a peace deal not a withdrawal agreement,” Khalilzad
wrote on Twitter.“A peace agreement that enables withdrawal. Our [US] presence
in Afghanistan is conditions-based, and any withdrawal will be
conditions-based,” he said, adding the Taliban are signaling they would
conclude an agreement.2 sources with knowledge of the talks said an agreement
on the withdrawal of foreign forces in exchange for security guarantees by the
Taliban is expected before Aug.13. Reuters
‘2,761 women tortured,degraded since Egypt coup’
An international rights platform has documented
thousands of violations against women in Egypt since 3 July 2013, a turning
point in the regime’s treatment of females, which was considered a red line by
previous govts. We Record has documented enforced disappearances, physical and
psychological torture, threats of rape and exposure to sexual harassment by
members of the national security and police personnel, over the six years since
the coup.The regime has carried out 312 extrajudicial killings against women,
according to their research, forcibly disappeared 396 women and 16 girls and
referred 115 to terrorism courts.Arab Organisation for Human Rights has said
that as many as 3,185 civilians have been extrajudicially killed by Egyptian
security forces since 3 July 2013.Rights groups have accused the Egyptian
authorities of carrying out punitive measures against the opposition to silence
dissenting voices.MEMO
Saudi women won’t need male guardian’s approval
to travel
Saudi Arabia’s new laws, issued early on Friday,
will allow women to travel without the approval of a male guardian, bringing to
end a decades-old policy.In a series of royal decrees, Saudi Arabia announced
that a Saudi passport should be issued to any citizen who applies for it and
that any person who is above 21 years of age will not need permission to
travel. Women were also granted the right to register child births, marriages
and divorces. They will be issued official family documents and be eligible as
a guardian to minor children.scroll.in/ AP
Flash: NEWS, views, Articles
Is J&Kgoing to be divided into three union
territories?Sheikh Qayoom/IANS
Allowing State to Designate Someone as a
‘Terrorist’ Without Trial is Dangerous:Siddharth Varadarajan
Watch | Salman Khurshid On Triple Talaq Bill: Why
Not Strengthen Muslim Law Instead?Sidharth Bhatia
Why Modi Govt is Wrong About Triple Talaq:Hasina
Khan
There’s No Article 30(A) That Says Gita Can’t Be
Taught in Schools
Books the disappearing Muslim: Review on Salman
Khurshid's new book, Visible Muslim, Invisible Citizen.
Lynching of young Muslim entrepreneur in Manipur
last year shows such acts are carefully planned:Harsh Mander
China's
deepening relationship with Taliban:Rupert Stone
Madrassa as mainstream:Khaled Ahmed
Almost half of Britons think Islam is
incompatible with British values, shock poll reveals:Joe Gamp, Contributor,
Yahoo News UK
Kashmir situation is potentially dangerous:Lt Gen
Hasnain
Maharashtra Police deradicalisation project: Core
curriculum step by step: indianexpress
This Eid,destroy skin, beat leather mafia,
Muslims told:TOI
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 9:26 PM)
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