31 AUG. 2019:
29 ZilHajj 1440:Vol: 11, No:280
INDIA: NRC ASSAM FINAL LIST
Assam NRC Final List: Over 19 lakh excluded, 3.11
crore included in list
Final list of the updated NRC (NRC) in Assam left
out over 19 lakh people, almost half of 40 lakh people excluded in the final
draft published last year. Out of 3,30,27,661 applicants, a total of
3,11,21,004 persons were found eligible for inclusion in the final NRC. This is
informed by Prateek Hajela, state coordinator of NRC.Today’s publication is a
“Supplementary Inclusions List” which provides the names of those included into
NRC after they had filed “claims” against their exclusion in the final draft
published July 30 last year or excluded in the additional draft exclusions list
published on June 26, 2019 or those who were in the final draft but had
“objections” filed against their names or those who were included in the final
draft but called for hearing from July 5, 2019 onwards. “Process of receipt of
NRC Application Forms started during the end of May 2015 and ended on Aug.31,2015.
A total of 3,30,27,661 members applied through 68,37,660 applications. Particulars
submitted by the applicants were taken up for scrutiny to determine the
eligibility of their inclusion in NRC. The exercise of NRC Update is a mammoth
exercise involving around 52,000 state Govt officials working for a prolonged
period,”Hajela said. Those excluded can approach a Foreigners Tribunal with a
certified copy of the rejection order from NRC, along with the grounds for
appeal.IE
Next? 120 days for appeal at Foreigners’
Tribunal; 10 months to prove citizenship before being sent to detention centres
Those excluded from the final NRC published on
Aug. 31 will get a window of up to 10 months to prove their citizenship before
being sent to detention centres. Centre had in June decided to help Assam create
e-Foreigners’ Tribunals and increase the number of Foreigners’ Tribunals –
quasi-judicial establishments headed by members who are lawyers and retired
judges and bureaucrats – from the existing 100 to 1,000.At least 200 of the
additional Foreigners’ Tribunals are expected to be set up by Sept.with the
Govt already having appointed 221 new members.Each person excluded will have a
maximum of 120 days or 4 months from the date of publication of the final NRC
to challenge his or her case at a Foreigners’ Tribunal, which has to dispose of
the case within 6 months. Thehindu
No one will be declared a foreigner immediately;MHA
Ministry of Home Affairs has assured that those
excluded in the final list will not be immediately sent to dentition centres
and they can appeal."Those excluded could move Foreigners Tribunals,
[there is] 120 days window to appeal," an MHA official told The
Hindu."No one will be declared a foreigner immediately, no one will be
sent to detention centres," he assured.thehindu
Conspiracy to keep Hindus out: Assam BJP Leaders unhappy
with NRC list
Guwahati:As the Assam NRC was released today,
members of the state's ruling BJP lashed out, saying the list left out many
genuine citizens, especially refugees who migrated from Bangladesh before 1971.
"Names of many Indian citizens who migrated from Bangladesh as refugees
prior to 1971 have not been included in NRC because authorities refused to
accept refugee certificates," Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a
series of tweets."Many names got included because of manipulation of
legacy data as alleged by many," he added.Sarma, who is among BJP's top
leaders in Assam, had earlier said he had no faith in NRC and didn't think it
would help remove illegal immigrants.Govt says they won't be declared
foreigners immediately and have the option of appealing to the foreigners'
Tribunals and the courts.After NRC, BJP has indicated that it will bring the
citizenship amendment Bill soon. Firebrand BJP MLA Silditya Dev alleged that
NRC was part of a "conspiracy to keep Hindus out and help Muslims".
He alleged that NRC software was bugged and the process of preparing the
citizen's list was steeped in corruption. "People wanted error free NRC
for protection of right but it didn't happen... It seems a conspiracy to keep
the Hindus out and give legitimacy to Muslim infiltrators," Silditya Dev
said."When the Assam accord happened it was estimated there are over 1
crore Bangladeshis, where have they gone now," he questioned." BJP
will now protect the Hindus with citizenship bill. We will bring it soon,"
Dev declared.NDTV
BJP not happy with NRC list as ‘more should have
been excluded’: Himanta Biswa Sarma
NRC: Current MLA Ananta Kumar, ex Army officer
Sanaullah among those whose names are excluded
Assam AIUDF MLA Ananta Kumar Malo and retired
Army officer Mohammad Sanaullah are among 19.07 lakh people whose names have
been left out of state’s NRC.Malo, MLA from South Abhayapuri, and his son did
not make it to the list.Sanaullah, who had earlier been declared a foreigner
and sent to a detention centre in Assam, told ANI that he was not expecting his
name to feature in NRC since his case is still pending in court. “I have full
faith in the judiciary and am confident I will get justice,” he was quoted as
saying. Members of his family had been excluded from the list too.However, he
said he had hoped his name would be included at the last minute, HT reported.
Other prominent names not on the final NRC include ex AIUDF MLA from Katigorah,
Ataur Rahman Majharbhuyan, and daughter of Dalgaon Congress MLA Ilias Ali.The
number of people left out comprise around 6% of Assam’s entire population, two
times the number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and the population of
Nagaland.scroll.in
BJP demands NRC in Telangana, claims lakhs of
illegal immigrants
Telangana BJP has demanded a NRC in the state. In
a press statement issued by party chief spokesperson for Telangana state K
Krishna Saagar Rao, BJP claimed that there’s a steady growth of illegal
immigrants in the state in general and Hyderabad in specific in guise of
refugees.Alleging that TRS-led Govt along with its ally AIMIM was turning a
blind eye to the issue, BJP stated, “BJP considers this trend is growing and
illegal immigrants are moving into Telangana State from many borderline states,
finding local environment conducive for their survival. Telangana state Govt in
political connivance with AIMIM is looking the other way, with full knowledge
of this dangerous trend.”Claiming that the Telangana police have pegged the
number of illegal Rohingya refugees in the state as 5000, while the real
numbers were ‘running into several lakhs’, BJP alleged, “These illegals are
being used by AIMIM in variety of ways apart from using them as illegal voters
during elections.” The state wing of the BJP intends to formally appeal to and
brief Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the relevance of this demand. Thenewsminute
NRC:Gorkhas’ body claims over 1 lakh community
people excluded
Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha (BGP) has claimed
that more than 1 lakh people belonging to the community have been excluded from
Assam’s final NRC. The list otherwise is believed to comprise mostly
Bengali-speaking Hindus and Muslims. State BGP president Nityananda Upadhyay
said the figure was arrived at by speaking to members of local units of the
organisation across the State. BGP is one of the stakeholders in the cases
related to NRC in the Supreme Court. thehindu
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari renews demand for
NRC in Delhi, to meet Shah
New Delhi: Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has renewed
his demand for a similar exercise in the city and said he will meet Union Home
Minister soon to press for it.The situation in Delhi is "dangerous"
due to the presence of a "large number" of illegal immigrants
including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas who have been found involved in
"criminal activities", he said.Tiwari, who had demanded NRC exercise
to identify and evict illegal immigrants from Delhi, wrote to the then Home
Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue. "I firmly believe that illegal
migrants in Delhi are depriving locals of their rights and opportunities. I
have even met Muslims from the city who told me that NRC should be conducted in
Delhi because criminal activities of illegal immigrants maligned the image of
their community," Tiwari said.PTI
NRC final: Many genuine cases left out, but do
not panic, says state's Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Many genuine Indian citizens have been left out
of the final NRC but they need not panic as they can appeal to the Foreigners
Tribunal. "One thing is sure that many genuine Indians were left out of
the NRC. However, they don't need to panic or worry. They can appeal in the
Foreigners Tribunals," said Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra
Mohan Patowary.
NRC: TMC opposes, says Centre will have to take
responsibility of those excluded
Trinamool Congress hit out at BJP Govt at Centre
for allegedly trying to drive out Bengalis from Assam in the name of NRC and
said it will have to take the responsibility of 19 lakh applicants who failed
to make it to final list. "Our party supremo (Banerjee) is very concerned
about the future of 19 lakh people who have been left out of the NRC list. What
will happen to them? What is their future? The central Govt has to take their
responsibility,"said senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim. PTI
AGP dissatisfied with final NRC
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a member of ruling
alliance in Assam, today expressed dissastisfaction over the final NRC in the
state and said there is scope for its review in the Supreme Court, which
supervised updation process.The number of exclusions appears to be
"ridiculuously small",AGP president and state Agriculture Minister
Atul Bora said. (PTI)
Amnesty International voices concern over NRC
list
Amnesty International India has appealed to Assam
Govt to ensure that the Foreigners Tribunals function with utmost
transparency.It should function in line with the fair trial standards
guaranteed under national and international laws, Akar Patel, Head of Amnesty
International India, said in a statement here. "Several reports have
demonstrated how the proceedings before Foreigners Tribunals are arbitrary,
while their orders are biased and discriminatory," he said.Patel expressed
deep concern over the functioning of the 100 and more Foreigners
Tribunals.Patel cited media reports that alleged Assam Govt was applying
"pressure on members to allegedly declare large numbers of people as
irregular foreigners."PTI
Family of India’s Fifth President, Fakhruddin Ali
Ahmed, Left Out of Final NRC List
Family of the son of Fakhruddin’s brother was not
listed in NRC list released at 10 am today.Their names were also left out from
NRC draft which was released in July.“I am nephew of ex President Fakhruddin
Ali Ahmed, and my name is missing in the NRC since my father’s name is not in
the legacy data, we are little worried about it,”Ziauddin Ali Ahmed had then
told News18.india.com
NRC should be implemented in Bengal too: West
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh today
demanded implementation of NRC in the state to drive out Bangladeshi Muslims
for the sake of internal security of the country. BJP, he said, is committed to
protecting the interest of Hindu refugees through the Citizenship Amendment
Bill. Ghosh accused TMC Govt of aiding Bangladeshi infiltration in the border
areas of Bengal to secure its minority vote bank, a charge often brought by the
saffron party. “We demand that just like Assam, NRC should also be implemented
in Bengal.If TMC Govt is not willing to bite the bullet, we(BJP) will implement
it and drive out Bangladeshi Muslims from the state after we come to power in
2021,”he told reporters here.PTI
We do not trust final NRC list: Assam President
Ranjeet Kumar Dass
The ruling BJP today said they do not trust the
updated NRC, specifically prepared for Assam, and appealed to the central and
the state Govts to prepare a nationwide NRC. Addressing a press conference
here, BJP Assam President Ranjeet Kumar Dass said final NRC contains very small
figure of exclusions compared to officially stated figures earlier. “We do not
trust this NRC… We are very unhappy…We appeal to central and the state Govts to
prepare a national level NRC,” he added.PTI
BJP Failed to Ensure Error-free NRC:Ex- CM Gogoi
Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi today accused the
ruling BJP of failing to ensure a free and fair NRC even with the entire
administrative machinery at its disposal. He further slammed the saffron party
for attempting to "hoodwink" the people following NRC publication. "I
am not happy with the way NRC has been published with names of genuine Indian
citizens left out and foreigners included", the three-time former CM told
reporters.PTI
Assam NRC mayhem: 60-yr-old woman jumps into well
hearing rumours of being excluded, dies
After hearing rumors that her name was not on the
NRC final list, Sayera Begum, a 60-year-old woman from the district of Sonitpur
in northern Assam, jumped into a well Saturday."She was dragged out of the
well and taken to hospital, but she died," said Mukesh Agarwal, a senior
Assam police official.indiatoday
Students, minister, allies: despite detailed work
& huge expense, Why NRC has left many unhappy
Govt will provide legal support to citizens left
out of NRC, says Assam minister; 200 new foreigners’ tribunals to open from
Monday
Guwahati: Assam Govt has claimed many genuine
Indian citizens have been left out of final NRC, but said they do not need to
panic as they have option to appeal in the Foreigners Tribunal (FT).Assam
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, said the Govt will
provide legal support to the Indian citizens not finding place in the NRC list.
If the genuine Indians, who were not included in the NRC, require assistance in
appealing in the Tribunal, the Govt will assist them, he added. "We have
increased the number of FTs to 300 from 100 earlier. Additional FTs will start
functioning from Monday. So people can result approach FTs," said
Patowary, who is also spokesperson of the Govt.PTI
Aadhaar to those who get entry in final NRC
Aadhaar cards will be issued to all those who
were excluded in the draft NRC but could get entry in the final list.This will
happen as NRC authorities have taken biometric data from more than 36 lakh
people who have claimed Indian citizenship after their exclusion from the draft
NRC published on July 30, 2018.However, those who may be excluded from the
final NRC and can not prove their Indian citizenship after pursuing legal
process will not be eligible for obtaining Aadhaar cards anywhere in the
country as their biometrics will be flagged. “Biometric data taken during the
process of claims of NRC will ensure that those who are in the final NRC will
get Aadhaar and those who could not prove their Indian citizenship will not get
it anywhere in the country,” a senior home ministry official said.thehindu
NRC : Owaisi says myth of illegal migrants busted
AIMIM chief Assaduddin Owaisi said the so-called myth of illegal
migrants had been busted. “BJP should learn a lesson. They should stop asking
for NRC throughout the country in terms of Hindus and Muslims. They should
learn from what has happened in Assam. The so-called myth of illegal migrants
has been busted.”“I have my own doubts that the BJP through Citizen Amendment
Bill can bring a bill wherein they can try to give citizenship to all
non-Muslims, which will again be a violation of Right to Equality,” Owaisi
said.“Many people in Assam have told me that the parents’ names are included,
but the names of their children are excluded. For example, Sanaullah, he has
served in the Army. His case is pending in High Court. I am sure that he will
also get justice,” he said.indianexpress
NRC: Congress says final list will end suspicion
about undocumented migrants in Assam
The Congress on Saturday said the final NRC
published in Assam will end the suspicion that there are “tens of millions” of
“illegal immigrants” living in the state. “With publication of the final list,
the decades old suspicion that tens of millions of illegal immigrants are in
Assam, will also end,” Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata
Saikia said. “It will also stop harassment of people dubbed as foreigner merely
on suspicion. We would appeal to the public to maintain calm and not fall prey
to rumours.” Saikia said Congress will provide legal help to all genuine
Indians who have been left out of the list. “We are of the opinion that of the
1.9 million names missing from the list, there would be several who are genuine
Indian citizens,” Saikia said.scroll/ht
NRC: Hindu, Muslim organisations raise
credibility concerns, ethnic groups keep distance
In a surprising turn of events, Hindu and Muslim
groups find themselves on same page ahead of the publication of the final list
of NRC. Both groups have expressed serious concern that many might find
themselves excluded from the final list and have thus threatened to agitate.
Significantly, ethnic groups in Assam, which have been demanding NRC update,
have kept a safe distance from such concerns.All Assam Minority Students Union
(AAMSU) recently held a press conference expressing apprehensions that NRC may
include names of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh while excluding many
bonafide citizens. Hindu groups have also expressed their concerns. ABVP, of
the Sangh Parivar, recently held a protest demanding 100%re-verification of NRC
before it is published.“We do not understand what is the problem in conducting
a 100%re-verification of the entries in the NRC,” said ABVP leader Natwar
Kedia. “If the people of Assam could wait for 35 years, they can certainly wait
another year for a flawless NRC.”He added that the draft NRC did not include
many names from indigenous tribes and ethnic groups. Interestingly, ethnic
bodies in Assam, which have been demanding NRC update for past 35 years, have
dubbed AAMSU and ABVP stance a ploy to further their own agendas.“How did they
know that NRC would be flawed?” asked Lurinjyoti Gogoi, general secretary, All
Assam Students Union. Firstpost
Imran Khan claims NRC final list is part of
Centre’s policy to target Muslims
Pakistan PM Imran Khan today lashed out at India
over NRC exercise, claiming that the publication of the final list was part of govt’s
policy to target Muslims. “Reports in Indian and international media on Modi
Govt’s ethnic cleansing of Muslims should send alarm bells ringing across the
world that the illegal annexation of Kashmir is part of a wider policy to
target Muslims,” Khan tweeted. “Fascist, Hindu supremacist Modi Govt should
know that while armies, militants and terrorists can be defeated by superior
forces; history tells us that when a nation unites in a freedom struggle and
does not fear death, no force can stop it from achieving its goal,” he said.scroll.in
Imran Khan cites NRC, says ‘illegal annexation’
of Kashmir part of wider policy to target Muslims
INDIAN ECONOMY
India's GDP Growth Drops to 5% for First Quarter
of FY20, Slowest in 6 Years
India’s economy expanded at its slowest pace in
over five years for the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020, according
to official Govt data released on Friday evening.GDP growth rose just 5% for
the quarter ended June 2019, in a development that reinforces concerns over a
slowing down of Indian economy.Lower growth, data shows, is primarily due to a
sharp deceleration in the manufacturing sector and sluggish agriculture output.
In addition to this, ‘consumption growth’ was also weak – private final
consumption expenditure growth fell to 3.1% in Q1 FY20 as compared to 7.2% in previous
quarter. The numbers that were released on Friday are below general market
expectations: most estimates had predicted that Q1 growth would be between
5.7-5.8%Growth is down compared to the 5.8% recorded in Q4 FY19 and the 8% that
Indian economy hit one year ago in Q1 FY19. thewire
‘Say goodbye to $5 trillion economy’: Swamy on
Economic Slowdown
A day after GDP growth dropped to a near 7-year
low, of 5 %in the first quarter of 2019, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said,
“Get ready to say good bye to ₹ 5 trillion if no new economic policy is
forthcoming.” The economic growth was 8 %in the same quarter of 2018-19. This
is the fourth straight quarter of slower growth. Govt has adopted a slew of
measures to control the economic slowdown over the last few weeks. Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced that 10 public sector banks would be
merged into four entities.Announcement came a week after Sitharaman unveiled a
slew of measures to revive economic growth. She announced measures to prop up
the economy, 2 months after presenting the budget in parliament on 5 June. On
26 Aug, RBI had announced that it would give the Centre Rs 1.76 lakh crore of
its dividend and surplus reserves. Over the last few months, among the sectors
hit the most is the automobile, real estate and manufacturing industry. The
slowdown was due to the weakened consumer demand and dearth of
investments.However, Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian on Friday said that
the Govt is taking various steps to boost economic expansion. "The
slowdown in growth is due to endogenous and exogenous factors,"
Subramanian said while commenting on the fresh GDP data. He said the Govt is
taking all steps to revive the economy and expressed confidence that the
country would be on a high-growth path "very soon".The Quint
Misra, principal secretary to PM, submits
resignation, P.K. Sinha appointed OSD in PMO
New Delhi: Nripendra Misra, principal secretary
to PM Narendra Modi, has expressed his intention to be relieved, said a senior Govt
official aware of the development. “PM Narendra Modi has requested Nripendra
Misra to continue for 2 weeks," said the official.Former cabinet secretary
Pradeep Kumar Sinha, a 1977 batch UP -cadre IAS officer, who superannuated on
Friday has been appointed the officer on special duty (OSD) in PMO. The
resignation of Misra comes at a time when India’s GDP growth slowed down to
more than a five-year low of 5% in June quarter of 2019-20 against 5.8% in the
March quarter. livemint
Modi govt’s ‘financial mess’ triggered RBI’s
surplus transfer: Prithviraj Chavan
Pune :Modi Govt was forced to lay its hands on
surplus of RBI because of financial mess it landed the country into due to the
unnecessary blow it gave to the economy with demonetisation and slowdown caused
in industry due to faulty implementation of GST, senior Congres leader and ex
Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said. Chavan also blamed Govt of selling the
people a ‘daydream’ of becoming a 5 trillion dollar economy, while saying that
in reality, country’s economy was worsening with every passing quarter.indian
express
Economy in crisis: Housing giant HDIL sinks,
insolvency proceeding begins
In what is seen as a sign of impending economic
crisis, the Mumbai based housing giant, Housing Development and Infrastructure
Ltd (HDIL) has gone insolvent.The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has
ordered insolvency proceeding against the company, following which, HDIL has
appointed Abhay Narayan Manudhane as the interim resolution professional (IRP)
to run the insolvency process on Friday.In a regulatory filing, HDIL has stated
that IRP has been appointed to carry out the functions as mentioned under
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).nationalheraldindia
J&K ISSUE
India open to discuss outstanding issues with
Pakistan bilaterally: S Jaishankar
Brussels (Belgium):India is willing to discuss
outstanding issues with Pakistan bilaterally in an atmosphere free of terror
and violence, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday.The remark
was made during the minister’s meeting with EU Commissioner Christos
Stylianides after the latter reiterated the EU’s stance that New Delhi and
Islamabad need to re-open dialogue through diplomatic channels for the
de-escalation of tensions in the Kashmir region.The two leaders further shared
their expectations for better governance and greater development in the regions
of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, as well as their perspectives on the recent
developments pertaining to the situation in Afghanistan and Iran.“Underlined
India’s openness to discuss other outstanding issues bilaterally with Pakistan
in an atmosphere free of terror and violence,” he added.ANI
World would have supported Kashmiris if they were
not Muslims: Imran Khan
Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Friday sought to play
the religion card over Kashmir after his country's repeated attempts to get the
support of international community yielded no results.Khan said the entire
world would have supported Kashmiris if they were non-Muslims, stressing that
Pakistan would stand by Kashmiri people till their last breath, reported The
News.theweek
India, Pak officials hold technical talks on
Kartarpur corridor
Officials from India and Pakistan on Friday
discussed the technical modalities of the Kartarpur corridor for the Sikh
pilgrims, the first meeting after New Delhi revoked J&K’s special status
leading to fresh tensions between the two countries.The meeting being held at Zero
point, where the Indian and Pakistani side of the proposed corridor converge,
is attended by 15 officials from each side, officials said.The corridor will
connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in
Gurdaspur and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will
have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in
1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev.PTI
India, Pak. to join SAARC event in US
India and Pakistan are expected to participate in
Foreign Minister-level meeting of SAARC in New York on Sept.26, a diplomatic
source has confirmed. The meeting has remained on track despite the state of
tension between the two countries.“We have asked both India and Pakistan
informally and formally if they would proceed with the planned meeting of
Sept.26 in New York and they have communicated that there is no change in the
previous plans,” said the source. The meeting is an annual affair that takes
place on the sidelines of UN General Assembly’s session. It will be the first
occasion since Aug.5, where Foreign Ministers will be seen in a single venue.
thehindu
Imran Khan pens NYT op-ed on J&K, says talks
with India only after it reverses special status decision
Pakistan PM
Imran Khan said that talks with India can happen only if New Delhi
"reverses" its decision on revoking J&K's special status, end the
restrictions and withdraws its troops to the barracks. In an opinion piece in
The New York Times on Thursday, Imran Khan again warned that if the world does
nothing to stop India's decision on Kashmir, the two nuclear-armed countries
will get ever closer to a "direct military confrontation." "On
Kashmir, the dialogue must include all stakeholders, especially the
Kashmiris," Imran says."But dialogue can start only when India
reverses its illegal annexation of Kashmir, ends the curfew and lockdown, and
withdraws its troops to the barracks," he says. Asserting that abrogation
of Article 370 was its internal matter, India has strongly criticised Pakistan
for making "irresponsible statements" and provocative anti-India
rhetoric over issues internal to it.Imran says that when he was elected PM last
August, one of his foremost priorities was to work for lasting and just peace
in South Asia. But he says that all his efforts to start a dialogue for peace
were "rebuffed" by India. India has not been engaging with Pakistan
since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in Jan.of 2016 by
Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go
together.PTI
‘Huge difference between govt claims and actual
situation’:Yechury after J&K visit
CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday
visited his ailing party member Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami for the second day
before returning to the national capital, officials said.Yechury held a
breakfast meeting with Tarigami at his Govt accommodation situated at the
Gupkar road in the civil lines area of Srinagar city where he has been put
under detention since Aug.5. After the meeting concluded, Yechury left for New
Delhi where he would be submitting an affidavit regarding his meeting with
Tarigami to the Supreme Court. CPI(M) general secretary also refuted Centre's
claims of normalcy returning to the Valley and said that there is a huge difference
between what Govt's claims and the situation."I was put up in a guest
house where I could not have gone out and nobody could have come to meet me. As
it appeared, there is a huge difference in what Govt and administration is
claiming and the actual situation there," Yechury was quoted as saying by
ANI after he returned to Delhi from J&K. outlookindia
'Don't beat us, just shoot us': Kashmiris allege
violent army crackdown: BBC
Security forces in Kashmir have been accused of
carrying out beatings and torture in the wake of the Govt's decision to strip
the region of its autonomy.BBC heard from several villagers who said they were
beaten with sticks and cables, and given electric shocks. Residents in several
villages showed me injuries. But the BBC was not able to verify the allegations
with officials. Indian army has called them "baseless and
unsubstantiated". Unprecedented restrictions have put Kashmir into a state
of lockdown for more than three weeks and information has only trickled out
since 5 Aug. Tens of thousands of extra troops have been deployed to the region
and about 3,000 people - including political leaders, businesspeople and activists
- are reported to have been detained. Many have been moved to prisons outside
the state.Doctors and health officials are unwilling to speak to journalists
about any patients regardless of ailments, but the villagers showed injuries
alleged to have been inflicted by security forces.In one village, residents
said that the army went from house to house just hours after India announced
the controversial decision that upended a decades-old arrangement between Delhi
and Kashmir.2 brothers alleged that they were woken up and taken to an outside
area where nearly a dozen other men from village had been gathered. Like
everyone else we met, they were too afraid of reprisals to reveal their
identities."They beat us up. We were asking them: 'What have we done?You
can ask the villagers if we are lying, if we have done anything wrong?' But
they didn't want to hear anything, they didn't say anything, they just kept
beating us," one of said.BBC
NIA mistakes medical term for 'Indian Rupee', interrogates
eminent doctor
New Delhi: Dr Upendra Kaul’s use of medical
acronym ‘INR’ in an SMS to J&K separatist leader Yasin Malik some years ago
led the National Investigative Agency to summon the leading Delhi-based
Kashmiri cardiologist to answer questions relating to a 2017 terror funding
case on Friday.Coincidentally, the summons came days after Kaul had criticised
the Centre’s Article 370 decision on television.When Kaul appeared for
interrogation at the Lodhi Road offices of the NIA on Friday morning, it became
evident that the crack anti-terror agency’s sleuths had assumed ‘INR’ meant
‘Indian rupees’ and that his text message was evidence of some sort of illicit
money transfer.The doctor had to explain that the acronym he used in the
message to Malik, who was his patient, actually stood for the medical term of
“international normalised ratio”. International normalised ratio is, simply, a
laboratory measurement of how long it takes blood to form a clot.Speaking to
The Wire about the text message to Malik in which he had written ‘INR 2.78’,
Kaul said, “They asked me what that was about. In medical terms, INR stands for
international normalised ratio, a range to determine blood thinning, which
needs to remain between 2 and 3. Now, to them, INR stands for the Indian rupee
and 2.78 could mean anything, lakhs or crores. So they thought it was havala
money that I was talking about,” said the doctor.thewire
Kashmiri Lawyer, Who Encouraged People to Vote,
Detained to Prevent Protests
Srinagar:A former president of the Kashmir High
Court Bar Association (KHCBA) was detained under the Public Safety Act after
the revocation of Article 370 because, among other things, he had the ability
to convince people to vote even during poll boycotts, documents accessed by The
Wire show.After Govt of India revoked the special status afforded to J&K,
security agencies launched a massive crackdown to arrest politicians,
businessmen, lawyers and young Kashmiris fearing they could initiate mass
protests.Among those arrested was ex KHCBA head Nazir Ahmed Ronga. According to
a lawyer who is part of the association, Ronga was arrested on August 4.One of
the charges levelled against Ronga, in the PSA dossier, talks about his
potential to mobilise people to participate in voting even when a boycott was
called.thewire
Doctors, scientists condemn Govt action against
Dr. Omar Salim
New Delhi:A group of doctors, medical students
and scientists under Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum (PMSF) have
condemned Govt action against Dr. Omar Salim, a 1999 batch MBBS graduate,
currently working as a urologist in the Govt medical college in Srinagar.The
group is also seeking permission to send a fact-finding group to Kashmir and,
in a statement issued on Thursday, noted that Dr. Salim was requesting the Govt
to restore landline and internet connectivity to hospitals and medical
establishments because patients were suffering, health insurance schemes were
defunct, dialysis sessions were being cut down and cancer patients were not
reaching for treatment.Dr. Salim had insisted that it was not a protest but “a
request for humanitarian causes”. thehindu
'My Husband Has Not Talked To His Parents In 22
Days': Urmila On Kashmir Lockdown
Actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar has said
that her husband has not been able to talk to his parents in Kashmir for last
22 days."My father-in-law and mother-in-law stay there (in Kashmir). Both
are diabetic, have high blood pressure. Today is 22nd day, neither I nor my
husband have been able to speak to them. We have no clue if they have medicines
available at home," she said.The actress also hit out Centre over the
security clampdown in J&K. She said that the special status of J&K was
stripped in an inhuman manner.outlookindia
Among the 3,000 detained by Indian authorities in
Kashmir, Children: Washington Post
Dusk was falling as 3 boys walked home from the
neighborhood mosque earlier this month. Farhan Farooq, a skinny 13-year-old
with a tuft of black hair, was the youngest. Suddenly, a police vehicle came to
a stop next to them and armed officers jumped out. They bundled the three
friends into the car, one of the other boys recalled later. Farhan began to
cry. For the next week, Farhan’s family said,
he was held in a jail cell at the local police station in this Kashmiri
town 10 miles outside of Srinagar, part of a sweeping crackdown by Indian
authorities in the wake of the Govt’s decision to strip Kashmir of its autonomy
and statehood. Farhan was among some 3,000 people detained in Kashmir since
Aug. 5, according to an estimate from a senior local Govt official who spoke on
the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the
matter. It is unclear how many of the detainees were minors, but Washington
Post has confirmed that at least five Kashmiris under the age of 18 were taken
into detention in the weeks since the start of the crackdown.“There is an
atmosphere of fear in every house,” said Farhan’s mother, Nazia, adding that
she did not know why her son was detained. “If they can pick up children, they
can do anything.”India’s Home Affairs Ministry did not respond to requests for
comment on the detention of children. The supervising officer at the Kashmir
police station where Farhan’s family claims he was held declined to speak with
The Post. A senior police official for the district denied that any minors had
been picked up or detained.Farhan, 13, and his friend Junaid Shafi Mir, 17,
were picked up on Aug. 5 and held in a cell with four others, with new
detainees arriving and leaving each day, Junaid said. On the second day of
their detention, he said, the two boys were asked to tell the police the
whereabouts of another boy. When Junaid said he didn’t know the boy, an officer
hit him with a wooden baton five times on his knuckles and palms, he
recalled.Raids and detentions were still underway this week. About 11:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nisar Ahmad Mir, who is not related to Junaid, was awakened by a
voice claiming to be a local cleric, asking him to open the gate to his home.
Half a dozen armed policemen jumped over the wall and said they were looking
for his youngest son, 17-year-old Danish, he said. They whisked the boy away. 2
days later Danish had still not returned.
3 days after Trump thumbs up on Kashmir, US
expresses concerns again
3 days after US President Donald Trump met PM
Narendra Modi in France and discussed the situation in Kashmir, American
officials said they were “concerned” about the continuing communication
restrictions and detentions in the Valley.Trump had said he discussed the
Kashmir issue with Modi and that the latter stated he “really feels he has it
under control,” and that India and Pakistan could resolve the issue
bilaterally.Sources said that diplomats from different embassies, including
senior officials from US and UK, have been meeting Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) officials over the past few days to stress that they were watching the situation
closely.A State Department spokesperson said in comments made available by US
Embassy in Delhi on Thursday. “We continue to be very concerned by reports of
detentions and the continued restrictions on the residents of the region. We
urge respect for human rights, compliance with legal procedures, and inclusive
dialogue with those affected. We welcome PM Modi’s statement that J&K will
soon return to a normal political status.”The spokesperson added, “We call on
all parties to maintain peace and stability along the Line of Control and to
prevent cross-border terrorism. We continue to support direct dialogue between
India and Pakistan on Kashmir and other issues of concern.”thehindu
Pakistan observes “Kashmir Hour” to express
solidarity with Kashmiris
Pakistan on Friday observed “Kashmir Hour” to
express “solidarity” with the Kashmiri people after India revoked the special
status of J&K.Sirens blared across country as the clock struck noon and
traffic signals turned red on all roads of the federal capital Islamabad. PTI
More US lawmakers raise concerns on Kashmir
Weeks after India ended the special status for J&K,
attention on the issue persists in Washington, with many members of the US
Congress entering the fray.“I am excited to see so many members joining us in
calling attention to what is happening in Kashmir.Please continue to call your
members and ask them to speak up. We expect openness from India,”
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, tweeted, referring to a
comment from Ted Lieu, a California Democrat in the US House of
Representatives.Earlier in the week, Lieu had tweeted that he had heard from
his constituents that they were unable to reach their families in Kashmir.
“Democracies like India should not be engaging in a communications blackout
that has lasted over three weeks. We need de-escalation, not the hiding of
what’s happening,” Lieu had said on Twitter, referring to a tweet from
Representative Don Boyer, a Virginia Democrat. Number of lawmakers commenting
on Kashmir could possibly increase when Congress, which is in recess,
reconvenes in Sept.The tweets come weeks before PM Narendra Modi is due in New
York for 74th session of UNGA and Houston for a diaspora interaction. thehindu
OTHERS
RSS Chief meets Jamiat chief Arshad Madani
In a significant development, RSS Chief Mohan
Bhagwat on Friday met Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Maulana Syed Arshad Madani and
held deliberations on the current political situation in the country.Informed
sources told ANI that the meeting, which took place at "Keshav Kunj"
in Jhandewalan, RSS HQRS in New Delhi, lasted around 1-and-half hours.They
claimed that Madani visited RSS HQRS on initiative of "Rashtriya
Janmanch", a forum which works to foster national unity.What transpired in
the meeting was not immediately known but sources said it was an
"unprecedented" meeting which will help the cause of social
unity."Meeting was historical from the perspective of Hindu-Muslim unity.
Both the sides were satisfied with the deliberations," a source said. Ex-BJP
General Secretary Ram Lal, who is back with RSS, has been asked to continue the
dialogue and take forward the issues deliberated at the meeting.The meeting
comes amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan after Govt's recent
decisions of abrogation of Article 370.It also comes days after the Govt passed
a bill in Parliament criminalising triple talaq. Madani, who recently presided
over a meeting of Jamiat's Working Committee at its headquarters, had demanded
that the Govt enact a special law to deal the issue of mob-lynching. Madani had
expressed his deep concerns about the deteriorating communal atmosphere,
particularly "spurt of mob-lynching incidents" in the country after
the re-election of the Govt. Dnaindia
Babri case: Sunni WAQF board lawyer threatened
for appearing for Muslim parties, contempt plea filed
New Delhi: Sunni Central WAQF board lawyer, Dr
Rajeev Dhavan, on Friday filed a contempt petition against one professor, N
Shanmugam for allegedly threatening him for appearing for Muslim parties in the
Ayodhya Babri Masjid land dispute case. Dhavan has in his petition pleaded to
the top court for initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Shanmugam
for interfering with the court proceedings as he had written a threatening
letter to him stating that he should not argue on behalf of the Muslim parties
before the apex court.The litigant, in his petition, stated that he had
received a letter dated August 14, from Shanmugam threatening him for appearing
for the Muslim parties. Dhavan, through his Advocate-on-Record,Ejaz Maqbool,
has submitted the petition to the SC seeking initiation of contempt proceedings
against Shanmugam.ANI
Ayodhya hearing: Rajeev Dhavan seeks contempt
proceedings against Chennai-based man
Ayodhya hearing: Shia Board stakes claim over 1/3rd
land share, says ready to give it to Hindus
Shia Wakf Board on Friday staked claim over
one-third share of disputed land in Ayodhya, contending that the Sept.30, 2010
order of Allahabad High Court on a three-way division had only said that the
share be given to Muslims, and not specifically to Sunnis. Advocate MC Dhingra,
appearing for the Shia Board, told a 5-Judge Constitution Bench that it had
filed an appeal in the apex court against the March 1946 decision of Faizabad
civil court upholding the Wakf Commissioner’s decision to list it as a Sunni
Wakf.indianexpress
After 500 yrs, Examining Babur's Dedication Of
Mosque 'Little Problematic': SC
Minister Piyush Goyal wants security guards to
join RSS shakhas for better ‘weapon’ training
Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said the
training provided in RSS shakhas was far superior than that imparted to private
security guards by their agencies, adding that even a baton can be an
“effective weapon” if it is in well-trained hands.Goyal was addressing the
Private Security Industry Conclave (PSIC) - 2019 organised by the Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The theme for this year's
conclave is "Creating jobs - securing new India". Urging private
security agencies to look at training in a "bigger way", the
Minister, who attended the programme in place of Union Home Minister Amit Shah,
said: "I am not so sure how well these guards are trained. I am not even
sure about the equipment they have and how well they know how to handle
it..."But a baton can be an effective weapon, if it is in well-trained
hands, said Goyal. "In many places in the world, baton itself provides a
lot of confidence... A baton can do wonders, if it is in the hands of a
well-trained guy."IANS
Jamiat launches national campaign to build
awareness among Muslims on NPR
Amidst the talk that NRC will be implemented
across the country, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JUH), launched a mega awareness
campaign among Muslims urging them to gather all necessary documents for upcoming
National Population Register (NPR), which is believed to be a predecessor to
the proposed NRC. The message is “forget NRC but first prepare for NPR”. Jamiat,
which has units all over the country, enjoys a strong following among Imams of
mosques. It has issued pamphlets and posters to various mosques in Hyderabad
and other parts of Telangana and AP for display on notice boards. It has also
asked local religious leaders to create awareness among Muslims during Friday
congregations to first get ready for NPR, which will begin on April 1, 2020 and
continue till Sept. 30. TOI
India asks Interpol secy gen to act on RCNs,
including one on Naik
Visiting Interpol secretary general Jurgen Stock
on Friday met union home secretary AK Bhalla, who is believed to have impressed
upon him to take action on pending requests for Red Corner Notices, including
against Zakir Naik, officials said. Bhalla held a 30-minute meeting with Stock
and is said to have conveyed to him the necessity to act on pending RCN
requests against fugitives avoiding Indian laws, according to a Govt official.Till
July 15 this year, as many as 41 requests have been sent to Interpol and 32
have been published. “Among those against whom the Interpol is yet to issue the
RCN include Naik,” another official said. TOI
Leniency for Chidambaram, will help Mallya, Zakir
Naik, Choksi, Nirav Modi says ED
New Delhi: During course of the arguments in the
Supreme Court, the ED said that any leniency shown to P Chidambaram could
impact pending cases against Vijay Mallya, Zakir Naik, Mehul Choksi and Nirav
Modi. The submission was made by Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, while
opposing the petition by the former union minister, in which he had challenged order
of the Delhi High Court, which rejected his anticipatory bail. Mehta said that
if a mini-trial is held, where the court will ask for evidence first before
ordering the arrest, our entire evidence, material and sources will be exposed.
This would have a devastating effect on the probe, Mehta also contended. The
evidence in economic offences is largely digital and if shared with the
accused, it would get wiped out within seconds and also put the witnesses under
serious threat. oneindia
In 55 hours, no question on shell firms, money
trail: Chidambaram
New Delhi :Former Union minister P Chidambaram,
who has been remanded to another 3 days of CBI custody in connection with the
probe into charges of alleged corruption in INX Media case, on Friday told a
special court that he has been questioned for over 55 hours, during which more
than 400 questions were put to him. He replied them promptly, even though the
agency claimed he has been evasive and non cooperative, he submitted. Chidambaram
opposed CBI’s demand for further five days of his custodial interrogation. He said
that he was repeatedly shown only three files during questioning, and was shown
the same even on Friday for over two-and-a-half hours.“There is simply no
justification to keep me in custody. No question on bank accounts, shell
companies and money transfers (were asked),” Chidambaram, who himself was
making the submission, said.The court extended the remand until September 2 in
view of submissions made by CBI and Chidambaram’s counsel.indianexpress
West Bengal Assembly passes bill against mob
lynching, Congress, CPI(M) back legislation
West Bengal Assembly passed an anti-lynching bill
on Friday. The legislation was introduced by CM Mamata Banerjee and supported
by Congress and CPI (M). However, BJP neither supported nor opposed the West
Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019, as it felt that the legislation
might be used for settling political scores.Mamata said the state Govt
introduced the bill as the Centre had not formulated a law against lynchings.
“Lynching is a social evil and all of us have to come together to fight against
it,” she said while tabling the draft law in the House. “The Supreme Court has
given direction to take action against lynching. We need to raise awareness
against the incident of lynchings.”The bill proposes a maximum punishment of
life imprisonment and fines ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for offences.
It defines lynching as any attempt or act of violence by a mob on the “grounds
of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices,
sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity, or any other
ground”.scroll.in /PTI
Delhi policemen assaulted in Bareilly: Visit UP
at your own risk
People in UP are increasingly taking law into
their hands and there is serious concern after a team of Delhi policemen were
beaten up on suspicion that they were part of a gang of child lifters. Tourism
department’s catch phrase, `Jisne UP
nahi dekha usne Bharat nahi dekha’ (He who hasn’t seen UP hasn’t seen India)
should now change and warn people to visit at their own risk.The assault took
place in Bareilly on Thursday night, when a police team from North-East Delhi
went to Bhura hamlet to serve a summon in connection with a dowry case. As they
were dressed in plainclothes, villagers mistook them as child lifters and beat
them up. They were later rescued by local police but by that time damage was
done.Admitting to growing lawlessness and increase in incidents of child
lifting, officials pleaded their helplessness. At smallest suspicion villagers,
they say, are beating up people. As per police records in just last one month,
52 incidents of mob lynching were reported, a majority of them from western UP.
DGP of the state OP Singh admitted that one man died and 33 others were injured
in mob attacks since Aug2.nationalherald
Gujarat: Residential society in Vadia village
asks members not to sell property to Dalits, Muslims
Vadodara :A residential colony in Vadia village
of Nandod taluka in Narmada district has “suggested” its members to refrain
from selling properties to members of the Muslim and Dalit communities. The
“suggestion”, which attracted the ire of the Dalit community, was part of a
multiple-point pamphlet that the society later claimed was just part of a “list
of agendas to be discussed at their society meeting”.The pamphlet, which went
viral on social media Thursday, mentioned several points about the society’s
cultural events in view of the upcoming festivals as well as the charge to be levied
on sale of properties. Among them, the society also mentioned that the members
must “refrain from selling properties to Muslim and Vankar (Dalit)
communities”.A representation from Dalit community met the collector and
“demanded action against the caste discrimination”. A member of the committee
who submitted the memorandum said, “We have asked the District Collector to
probe the matter and book those who are spreading hatred among communities with
such discrimination. We are hopeful that action will be taken. These kind of
diktats keep coming now and then and shake the faith of the community in the
social justice system.”Confirming the incident, I K Patel, Narmada District
Collector, said, “When we sought a reply from the colony, they told us that it
was just a draft of their agenda to be discussed at a meeting and they were not
passing any such rule.” Indianexpress
alegaon blast victim, media oppose NIA plea to
hold in-camera trial
Mumbai: A 2008 Malegoan blast victim on Friday
opposed the prosecution's plea to the special anti-terror court here to hold in
camera trial of the "communally sensitive" case, saying terror has no
religion."A terrorist is a terrorist. Why make it communal? What has the
terror got to do with religion?" said victim's counsel B A Desai, opposing
the NIA's plea to hold in camera trial of the case on the ground that it was a
"communally sensitive" one.The victim's counsel also opposed NIA
plea, contending that he feared a collusion between the prosecution and the
accused if the trial is held in camera."We want the trial to be held
openly as we fear collusion between the prosecution and the accused. The
prosecution is protecting the accused, not the victims by wanting to make it in
camera," he argued.Several media persons and one of blast victims have
filed applications opposing NIA plea for in camera proceeding. While media
persons have said in their application that their fundamental rights will be
violatedif the trial is held in camera, the victim's counsel Desai said his
client fear collusion between the prosecution and the accused persons. BJP MP
from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit are among accused
in the Malegaon blast case.freepressjournal
Bihar: Nitish govt bans jeans, t-shirt, asks
staff to wear ‘simple, decent’ attire
Bihar govt dress code: In what could trigger a
controversy, the Bihar Govt has issued a dress code for its employees asking
them to wear simple and sober attire in office. A notification issued by the Nitish
Kumar Govt has banned staff of the state secretariat from wearing jeans,
t-shirt to work.The aim behind the move is to maintain office decorum, the
notification said.“It has been noticed that officials and employees are coming
to office in attires which are contrary to the office culture. This is against
the office decorum,” order undersigned by Upper Secretary of the state Govt,
Mahadev Prasad stated.“Officials and employees must wear decent, comfortable,
simple, sober and light-coloured attire. Choose your dress according to the
weather and nature of work,” it added. financialexpress
After Muslims Left, Hindus In This Bihar Village
Have Been Taking Care Of a Local Mosque
Peace and harmony are the two words people in
Mari village, in Nalanda district in Bihar swear by. Hindu residents of this
village have given their all to take care of a mosque. According to an ANI
report, Muslim population in the village slowly faded out and there was no one
left to care for the mosque. That’s when the people in the village joined hands
and preserved it.From painting the walls, sweeping and mopping the premises to
playing azaan at the right hour, the locals here are making an effort to do
everything like the people who left it behind. They might not know the namaz
routine, but with the help of a pen drive which guides them through the
process, the Hindus gather to pray just like their Muslim brothers in the mosque.
indiatimes
Adopted Islam out of my own free will: Sikh girl
after family alleges forced conversion in Pakistan
Islamabad: Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur made headlines
recently when it was reported that she was forcibly converted to Islam and made
to marry a Muslim guy in Nankana Sahib area of Lahore, Pakistan.However, Jagjit
Kaur's latest statement given in a court has provided a new twist to the
incident.In her statement, Jagjit Kaur said, "I am an independent
individual. I am 19 years old. I contracted marriage with one Muhammad Hassaan
on Aug. 28, of my own free will and consent. My Sikh name was Jagjit Kaur and
it was mentioned in an FIR as well whereas after the conversion to Islam, I
adopted the new name Ayesha.""Neither anybody abducted me nor
committed zina with me. I left my parent's house with 3 pairs of clothes,
without any gold ornaments or cash. The accused persons in FIR are innocent. Story
narrated in FIR is false, frivolous and baseless."Jagjit's (now Ayesha)
statement has given a new twist to the case as her family has alleged that she
was abducted and forcibly converted to Islam. On the other hand, Jagjit has
filed a case in Lahore High Court accusing her family of giving her death
threats. Jagjit is currently housed in Darul Aman, a shelter home for females
in Lahore.Jagjit Kaur's family believes that whole issue is in fact a case of
forced conversion. Jagjit's family has threatened of self-immolation outside
Governor house in Pakistan's Punjab on Aug.if Jagjit is not sent back home. Punjab
CM Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and deputed the law minister Raja
Basharat to look into the matter. india today
EC’s mega Electors Verification Programme to be
launched on Sept.1
New Delhi: Election Commission’s new mega
Electors Verification Programme (EVP), which seeks to update electoral rolls
through crowd sourcing, is set be to launched on Sept. 1 across the country,
officials said on Saturday.Under the programme, a voter from each family will
get a username and password, allowing a person to upload all documents related
to electoral registration and tag similar details about his or her family
members, Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh said.“These details will then be verified by BLOs
and therefore, it will save a lot of time. The idea is also to empower voters
to assess electoral roll details, self-authenticate and then get mistakes
rectified, if any,” he said.The ‘mega million’ launch will take place in all
States and Union territories. It will be done by 36 CEOs at the state
headquarters level, by 740 district electoral officers at the district level and
by BLOs and electoral registration officers in around one million polling
stations, the EC said.“In Delhi, the EVP will be launched from 14,000 different
places. The programme will take place in campaign mode from September 1 to
October 15.PTI
Elgaar Parishad case: ‘Bharadwaj held on basis of
documents seized from hard disk of other accused’
Mumbai :while arguing in favour of her bail
application before Bombay High Court, an advocate representing activist Sudha
Bharadwaj said on Friday that not a single document relied upon by Pune Police
against her was recovered from her electronic devices.Bharadwaj was arrested by
Pune Police last year, in connection with the Elgaar Parishad case, for her
alleged links with the banned CPI-Maoist. Advocate Yug Chaudhry argued that
Bharadwaj was arrested on the basis of documents seized from the hard disk of
other accused in the case. “Not a single document relied upon by the police was
from any of her electronic devices,” he told the court. Chaudhry also said that
no incriminating statement has been made by any of the witnesses named in the
chargesheet, except a police officer who had searched Bharadwaj’s house. He
added that the documents found by the police, on the basis of which she was
arrested, were not generated from her computer. All documents are typed and the
police cannot link her to them through handwriting analysis, he
maintained.indianexpress
13 dead, 35 injured in chemical factory blast in
Maharashtra's Dhule; at least 70 trapped
At least
13 persons died and another 35 injured in a major explosion at a chemical
factory located at Waghadi village in Maharashtra's Shirpur today. Seventy
persons are still trapped inside the factory, authorities informed. Rescue and
relief efforts are underway. A team of NDRF has been deployed at the site. As per preliminary information, the explosion
occurred at inside a chemical company compound in Shirpur's Industrial
Development Corporation. The blast was so intense that surrounding villages
felt tremors. Six fire brigades were immediately rushed to the accident spot.
zeenews
WORLD
UAE: 'Terrorist militias' targeted as fractures
with Saudi grow
UAE said it carried out air raids against
"terrorist militias" in southern Yemen as the UN-recognised Govt
accused UAE of killing and wounding hundreds of people in the
attacks."Precise and direct air strikes" on Wednesday and Thursday
targeted the militias, said UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement
late on Thursday.The armed groups planned to target Saudi-led military
coalition - of which UAE is a key member - backing the Yemen Govt against the
Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen, it said.UAE acted in
"self-defence" after attacks by "armed groups affiliated with
terrorist organisations," the ministry said."The military operation
against the terrorist militias was based on confirmed field intelligence that
the militias prepared to target the coalition forces - a development which
required a preemptive operation to avert any military threat," it
added."Accordingly, the coalition responded as per their right of self-defence
to protect the security of their forces," said UAE's official.The foreign
ministry did not identify the "terrorist militias" it targeted.The
statement came hours after Emirati-backed separatists on Thursday regained control
of Aden - Yemeni Govt's de facto capital - forcing Govt troops who entered the
city a day early to withdraw.Govt on Wednesday said it had seized back Aden
from separatists who captured the strategic city on August 10 after a fierce
battle that killed dozens.In further violence in the port city on Friday, ISIL
group claimed a suicide bombing that killed three separatist fighters, while a
separatist military chief survived a roadside bomb that wounded five of his
guards, security sources said.The suicide attack wounded and killed
"members of the Security Belt... in an explosion of a motorbike-borne
device in the Saad area of Aden," ISIL group said via its propaganda arm
Amaq, referring to the UAE-backed force of southern separatists who control the
city.In a separate attack, the military head of the UAE-backed Security Belt
force - dominated by the separatist Southern Transitional Council - survived a
roadside bomb attack on his convoy in central Aden that killed five of his
guards, the sources said.Meanwhile, Yemen's Ministry of Defence said more than
300 people were killed and wounded in the UAE's air raids. The casualty tolls
could not be independently verified. The air raids on Aden and its vicinity -
as well as on Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province - killed 40 Govt troops and
wounded 70 civilians, Yemen's Minister of Information Moammar al-Eryani
said.Yemen's Govt urged Saudi Arabia to intervene and halt the UAE's air raids
on its forces. UAE's attacks risk straining an already complex conflict in
Yemen."Saudis and Emirates are divided on these issues because from a
Saudi perspective what they had always wanted was to ensure the Houthis are not
a threat that can operate across the border and launch rocket or drone
attacks," said Sigurd Neubauer, a Middle East analyst."What the UAE
wants to do instead is to establish an independent southern state. These two
objectives do not align," he told Al Jazeera. The fighting has opened a
new front in the war that has already killed tens of thousands of people and
led to what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.Abu
Dhabi has trained and supported secessionists who seek an independent southern
Yemen, despite being a key pillar in the Saudi-led coalition backing the Govt
against the Houthi rebels. Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi called on
Saudi to intervene to stop what he called UAE interference and support for the
separatists.aljazeera
Sudan’s ex-President Bashir charged with
corruption, holding illicit foreign currency
A Sudanese judge formally indicted former
President Omar al-Bashir on charges of possessing illicit foreign currency and
corruption on Saturday.Questioned in court for the first time, Bashir said that
he had received $25 million from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as
well as funds from other sources, but that he had not received or used the
money for his own benefit.A lawyer for Bashir said that his client denied the
charges against him and that witnesses for the defence would be presented at
the next hearing.The judge denied a request for bail and said a decision on the
duration of Bashir’s detention would be taken at a hearing on Sept. 7.Reuters
Taliban launches major attack on key Afghan city
of Kunduz
Taliban launched a major assault on one of
Afghanistan's largest cities, Kunduz, and intense battles were ongoing on
Saturday.The complex attack came as the US and the Taliban continued to seek an
agreement in Qatar that would see thousands of American troops leave
Afghanistan in return for security guarantees. Officials said the assault
started when Taliban fighters targeted the city from several directions. Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack resulted in the capture of several
important buildings."Taliban attacked Kunduz city from several directions
this morning. We are in the city now capturing Govt buildings one after the
other," he told reporters.Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, a Kunduz police
spokesman, told AFP fighting was ongoing and commando forces had arrived to
repel the Taliban attack.The interior ministry said at least 34 Taliban
fighters were killed in ground and air operations in three areas of Kunduz
city. Govt casualty figures were not given.At least 3 civilians were killed and
41 wounded were taken to hospitals, said Ehsanullah Fazli, head of the public
health department in Kunduz.The Taliban was in control of the city's hospital,
provincial council member Ghulam Rabani Rabani told The Associated Press.The
fighters took hospital patients hostage, defence ministry spokesman Rohullah
Ahmadzai told reporters in Kabul. He did not say how many."We could very
easily attack but we don't want civilian casualties," he said. Hospital
officials could not immediately be reached.The Taliban launched the
"massive attack" from several different points around the city, said
Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, spokesman for the provincial police chief.aljazeera
US Census Bureau abruptly ends just-announced
partnership with Muslim advocacy group CAIR
US Commerce Department has terminated its
just-announced planned partnership with the nation's largest Muslim advocacy
group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Fox News' "Tucker
Carlson Tonight" asked about the arrangement -- given CAIR's reported ties
to the terrorist group Hamas, and its repeated attacks on the
president."Based on further review, the Census Bureau is no longer
partnering with CAIR,"Commerce Department said in a statement to
"Tucker."The plan, according to the group, was to enhance outreach
efforts to Muslims using CAIR's network of local offices. The census, conducted
once a decade, has been used not only to determine congressional apportionment,
but also as a critical planning tool for state, local and federal agencies.
However, CAIR and Trump administration would have been strange bedfellows --
and tension in the relationship was evident earlier Thursday. Reached by Fox
News prior to Census Bureau's decision, CAIR openly derided Trump
administration as "white supremacist" despite the
partnership."Census Bureau, like CAIR, is nonpartisan," the
organization said. "CAIR is not receiving any Govt funding as part of this
project to promote Muslim participation in the US census. We continue to
believe that President Trump and his administration promote a white
supremacist, anti-immigrant and Islamophobic agenda."In its official
statement announcing the partnership, however, CAIR sounded a more positive
note."CAIR is proud to partner with the US Census Bureau to ensure
American Muslims are fairly and accurately counted in the 2020 Census,"
Nihad Awad, CAIR’s national executive director, said in a news release earlier
on Thursday. "Full participation in the census ensures that American
Muslims will be better represented in Congress and that their communities
receive an equal share in state and federal programs."The organization
added: "CAIR wants to ensure that not only are American Muslim communities
being fairly counted, but that their neighbors are getting a fair share in
federal and state funding."foxnews
Israel closes Ibrahimi Mosque, install surveillance
cameras in Beit Jala
Israeli army has closed the doors of the Ibrahimi
Mosque in Hebron, preventing Palestinians from entering under the pretext of
Jewish holidays, and installed surveillance cameras in Beit Jala.Israeli army
closed all military checkpoints and electronic gates leading to the Ibrahimi
Mosque and prevented citizens and residents of the area from crossing to reach
the mosque for prayer or visit.Israeli occupation forces have also prevented
Palestinian civilians from reaching their homes in the outer courtyards of the
mosque. The closure will continue until 10 pm, on the pretext of allowing
settlers to celebrate Jewish holidays.Head of the Public Relations Office of
the Waqf and Islamic Endowment Department in Hebron, Raed Maswada, said that
the occupation forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the face of Muslim
worshipers, and allowed the settlers to desecrate the holy site. He added that
the colonists had set up tents in the outer courtyards of mosque.MEMO
Official: Israel Foreign Ministry is bankrupt
Israel Foreign Ministry is bankrupt, according to
one official, quoted in a report by Yedioth Ahronoth.The report stipulated that
the Foreign Ministry’s officials were informed earlier that there was no budget
to host delegations or guests from Israel. Thus, official meetings were
cancelled, and employees were asked to “come up with solutions.”According to a
report published on Yedioth Ahronoth’s website, the crisis Ministry of Foreign
Affairs is going through has worsened, to the extent that some employees hosted
delegations or guests at their own expense. One diplomat was quoted saying:
“The Foreign Ministry went bankrupt,” adding that some employees have paid
money from their personal accounts, as they felt embarrassed in front of
delegations and guests.middleeastmonitor
Flash: NEWS,views,Articles
Assam NRC: What next for 1.9 million 'stateless'
Indians?BBC
Assam NRC: Uncertain Future Stares at Over 19
Lakh Disenfranchised People:Tarique Anwar
Delicate art of writing an obituary:Sobhana K.
Nair
Report exposes bias in minds of cops against
Muslims:The Financial Express
Ghulam Nabi Azad on Kashmir: ‘People will know
drama was to divert attention’
Stimulative impact of RBI transfer is lower than
presumed: Sajjid Z. Chinoy
For the clueless Govt, wisdom, time and luck
running out:Rahul Pandey
Demonetisation is real culprit behind slowdown,
Modi govt is guilty of crippling rural economy:Dr. B K Kango/IPA
HRD minister Pokhriyal has many PhDs, his office
says & slams complaint against his degree
:Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 8:14 PM)
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