17 Sept. 2019: 17 Muharram 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 15
INDIA
Modi didn’t ask for Zakir Naik’s extradition: Malaysia
PM Mahathir
Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad today said that his
Indian counterpart Narendra Modi did not request the extradition of Zakir Naik,
wanted in India for money laundering and terror-related charges, and his
country is looking for a place to send the preacher. Naik, left India in 2016
and subsequently moved to Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency.
Mahathir said that Modi, whom he met in Russia during an economic forum earlier
this month, made no extradition request for the televangelist despite official
notice from New Delhi. Briefing reporters on PM’s bilateral meeting with
Mahathir, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had said that Modi raised the issue
of Naik’s extradition with the Malaysian premier.“Not many countries want him.
I met with Modi. He didn’t ask me for this man,” Mahathir said when asked about
Naik’s extradition.He also said that Malaysia was looking for a place to send
Naik who has made racially sensitive comments against Hindu and Chinese Malaysians
recently. Mahathir then reaffirmed that Naik will no longer be allowed to
publicly speak in Malaysia following his racially divisive remarks.“Well, he’s
not a national of this country. He has been given, I think by the previous Govt,
permanent residence status. A permanent resident isn’t supposed to make any
comments on this country’s systems and politics. He has breached that. He is
now not allowed to speak.“We are trying to find some place he can go to but at
the moment, no one wants to accept him,” he said.PTI
‘India relentlessly pursuing Zakir Naik
extradition’: Foreign Minister
Jaishankar rebuts Malaysian PM
India has been “persistently and relentlessly”
pursuing extradition of Zakir Naik, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on
Tuesday, firmly rebutting Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad. “Let me make it very
clear for record. “There is an extradition request (sent in Jan.2018). We want
Naik back and that is what we are working on,” Jaishankar told reporters today
to outline the foreign ministry’s achievements in first 100 days of the govt. Jaishankar
said expectation that Naik should be extradited to India was communicated at meeting
of 2 PMs earlier this month.HT
ED seeks fresh NBW against Zakir Naik
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved an
application before the special PMLA court, seeking a fresh non-bailable warrant
(NBW) against Zakir Naik. ED filed the application as the court last week
refused to grant 2 months’ time to Dr Naik to comply with the summons issued by
it, asking him to appear before it. Special public prosecutor Sanjana Sharma
moved the application before Prevention of PMLA Judge Prashant Rajvaidya,
seeking issuance of a fresh NBW against Naik on grounds that he had failed to
appear before the court despite the latter issuing summons to that effect. The plea
was made in backdrop of last week’s rejection of Naik’s application seeking 2
months’ time to comply with the summons issued by the court asking him to
appear before it. On Sept.13, advocate Taraq Sayed, on behalf of Naik, moved a plea
before the court seeking 2 months’ time for him to appear before court.asian
age
Office bearers, members of NGOs must declare they
weren't involved in faith conversion:Home Ministry
Office bearers, key functionaries and members of
NGOs receiving foreign funds will have to declare before the Govt that they
were not prosecuted or convicted for converting anyone from one faith to
another, the home ministry said.In a notification, ministry announced the
changes in Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011, which includes that
individuals receiving personal gift valued up to Rs 1 lakh need not inform the Govt
about it anymore.It has been made mandatory for every key member of NGO “office
bearers and key functionaries and members” to certify that they have not been
“prosecuted or convicted” for “conversion” from one faith to another and for
creating “communal tension and disharmony”, according to the
notification.Earlier, as per FCRA 2010, only the applicants such as directors
who were seeking permission to receive foreign contribution were required to
make such a declaration. In addition, every member of an NGO must also now,
under oath, through an affidavit, certify that they have never been involved in
“diverting” foreign funds or propagating “sedition” or “advocating violent
means”. This declaration, too, needs to be given to all members of an NGO.
Earlier, this declaration was to be only given by the applicant of an NGO.Individuals
receiving personal gift valued up to Rs 1 lakh need not inform the Govt about
it anymore, the home ministry said on Monday as it amended FCRA.Earlier, threshold
value was Rs 25,000, as per the market value of the gift item in India. Centre
amended the rules governing the FCRA, 2011, and notified this change alongside
some other modifications.In case of emergent medical aid needed during a visit
abroad, the acceptance of foreign hospitality has to be intimated to the Govt
within a month of such receipt, according to the amended rules. The intimation
should contain full details including the source, approximate value in Indian
rupees and the purpose for which and the manner in which it was
utilised.Permission to receive foreign contribution has been taken away from
nearly 18,000 NGOs which were found to be violating the various clauses of the
FCRA.PTI
Govt tightens religious conversion rule for NGOs
in foreign funding tweaks: HT report
J&K ISSUE
European Parliament set to debate ‘Kashmir issue’
today, first time in 11 years
Strasbourg-based European Parliament is
expected to debate on the Kashmir issue and human rights situation in the
Valley, due to a communication blockade, today. This will be the second time
since 2008 that the European Parliament General Assembly is likely to discuss
Kashmir.Pakistan, meanwhile, is planning to move a resolution on Kashmir at the
ongoing (9-27 September) 42nd meeting of UNHRC in Geneva. The deadline for
Pakistan to move the resolution is 19 Sept. European Parliament, which is an
important forum for political debate and decision-making of the EU, has decided
to debate the recent steps taken by the Modi Govt of abrogating Article 370
that gave special status to J&K and the ongoing communication blockade in
the Valley. The current presidency of European Parliament is held by Finland
and it will decide on who makes the final remarks on the Kashmir debate,
following which the issue will be opened for discussion, sources said.
Modi Govt tried to ‘crush Amnesty’ for J&K
criticism: Amnesty International chief
The chief of Amnesty International has alleged
that the Indian Govt was intimidating the rights group for voicing its concerns
about the situation in Kashmir.“The Modi Govt has made a very big attempt to
crush Amnesty in India,” Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s
secretary-general, told AFP in an interview.Naidoo added that the rights group
would not be silenced. “On Kashmir question, on various human rights questions
in India itself, we are not intimidated,” he said. “While our colleagues in our
Indian office are under stress, they are as committed, motivated and courageous
as ever, if not more, as a result of the repression that we face.”scroll.in
Muslim nations ask Pakistan to engage in backdoor
diplomacy with India: Report
Some influential Muslim nations have asked
Pakistan to engage in backdoor diplomacy with India and requested PM Imran Khan
to tone down his rhetoric against his Indian counterpart to de-escalate
tensions between the two nations over Kashmir, according to a media report on
Monday.When Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and UAE Foreign
Minister Abdullah bin Al-Nahyan travelled together to Islamabad on Sept.3, they
came with a "message" on behalf of their leadership as well as some
other powerful countries, Express Tribune reported.They asked Pakistan to
engage in backchannel diplomacy with India.They met PM Khan, Foreign Minister
Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa during
their day-long trip."The discussions were so confidential that only top
officials of the foreign ministry were allowed to sit in those meetings,"
an official told Express Tribune requesting anonymity.According to official,
both Saudi and UAE diplomats conveyed their willingness to play a role in
defusing tensions between Pakistan and India, the report said. One of the
proposals on the table was to encourage both countries to hold backdoor talks
with each other.PM Khan was requested to tone down his verbal attacks against
his Indian counterpart Modi, the report said.However, Pakistan has turned down
the requests and made it clear that it would only engage with India through
quiet or conventional diplomacy after New Delhi was persuaded to meet certain
conditions, officials privy to development told the paper."These
conditions include lifting of the curfew and other restrictions imposed in
Kashmir,” paper reported. Kashmir issue is expected to figure prominently
during Khan's 2-day trip to Saudi that will start from Sept.19.PTI
Kashmir may not be ‘major topic’ during
Modi-Jinping meet: Chinese foreign ministry
Beijing :Kashmir may not be a “major topic”
during the informal talks between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi
Jinping scheduled next month in India, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua
Chunying said Tuesday. Instead, border issues between India and China and
issues that encompass more “strategic thinking” may be part of the talks, she
said. Last week, a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh was
diffused after senior Army officers on both sides held discussions on the same
day.“For this kind of informal summit, I think it is better to leave the
leaders much time to discuss whatever they would like to discuss. Those issues
of strategic thinking of broad sense of the picture. I think for those things
like Kashmir, I don’t think it will be a major topic occupying the talks, that
is my understanding. But for the leaders, they will be free to talk about
whatever they like, that is my understanding,” Hua said during an interaction
with journalists at Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. Though reports
have said that the second informal summit between Modi and Xi is likely to take
place between Oct.10-12 near Chennai, Hua said she was not in a position to
reveal the details of the meeting.Hua was responding to questions about the
tensions between India and Pakistan which spiked after New Delhi scrapped special
status accorded to Kashmir. “I hope since both India and Pakistan are good
neighbours of China, they could be in peaceful terms with each other and mostly
India and Pakistan can try their best, make their best efforts to resolve
issues peacefully through negotiations. We don’t want to see any war. As you
mentioned, US relations with Iran, we hope the Indian relations with Pakistan
could be much better than US and Iran. Because they are neighbours, there is no
reason why they cannot get along with each other very well. We hope the issue
can be resolved in a peaceful way and not through war,”she said.indianexpress
Donald Trump says he will meet Modi, Imran Khan
soon; claims the two countries have ‘made progress’
President Donald Trump has said he will meet PM
Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan soon, and maintained that tensions
between the countries over the Kashmir dispute has reduced, PTI reported.“I’ll
see PM Modi and I will – we’ll – be meeting with [PMs of] India and Pakistan,”
Trump told reporters at the White House. Trump claimed a “lot of progress has
been made in reducing tension” between India and Pakistan, without mentioning
Kashmir dispute.Trump will address the Indian diaspora in Houston at the “Howdy
Modi” event on Sept. 22 along with Modi. However, it is not clear where or when
Trump will meet Imran Khan. According to the president’s schedule, he might
meet Khan on the sidelines of UN General Assembly Session in New York later
this month. scroll.in
We hope to one day have physical jurisdiction
over PoK: Jaishankar
Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar today
said that the Govt hopes to one day have physical jurisdiction over PoK.Speaking
at a press conference to mark 100 days of Modi Govt, Minister said that PoK is
a part of India and “we hope one day we will have physical jurisdiction over
it”.“International community understands our objective in Article 370. It was
arbitraged by a narrow set of people. Separatism helped cross-border terrorism
from Pakistan,”he said. thehindu
Curfew during funeral of J&K Jamaat leader Gundna
Kishtwar:To stop huge congregation of people at
the funeral procession of a senior J&K Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), leader Ghulam
Nabi Gundna, at Kishtwar on Monday, curfew was imposed in the town on Sunday
night by the administration. Gundna had died after prolonged illness at a
Ludhiana hospital and his mortal remains were brought to his home in Masjid
Mohalla, Kishtwar town, Sunday evening. The septuagenarian leader was also
associated with Hurriyat Conference.Family had fixed his funeral prayers at 11
am on Monday, so in apprehension of any protest, administration had imposed curfew
and people were told to stay indoors. Family members were told to offer the
funeral prayers at Jamia Masjid and this morning at the stipulated time prayers
were held at Jamia Masjid, Kishtwar, where only locals could participate. “After
offering prayers, people took the body to graveyard and tried to enter the
Chowgan ground, the place where usually funeral processions are held, but the
administration and police didn’t allow them to enter ground. Thereafter, second
funeral prayers were held outside the Chowgan ground on road and the body was
taken for burial,” a relative of Gundna said. tribune india
Kashmiris dying a slow death:CPI(M) leader
Tarigami
In an emotional appeal, CPI(M) leader and ex J&K
MLA Yusuf Tarigami said that “Kashmiris don't ask for heavens, they only ask
for a chance to march together”. Tarigami is first Kashmiri politician among
those detained who could reach Delhi. He met reporters at the party
headquarters in the national capital. HE said that BJP claims that not a single
bullet has been fired and no one has been killed but “truth is that the Kashmiris
are dying a slow death.We also want to live, a Kashmiri, a Hindustani is saying
this. This is my appeal, please listen to us too,”he said with tears in his
eyes.thehindu
Centre's move to gut Arti.370 lifts beef ban from
J&K
Jammu: An unexpected outcome of Central Govt’s
decision to read down Article 370 and Article 35A of the constitution is that
157-year-old beef ban in J&K has been lifted.Despite Muslims constituting
68.3% of J&K’s population, according to Census, beef has been banned in the
state since 1862. Because of J&K’s special status, it had separate rules
and laws under Ranbir Penal Code (RPC). RPC contained almost all sections of IPC,
barring a few.Under RPC, intentionally killing or slaughtering a cow or similar
animal (like ox or buffalo) was a non-bailable offence. In 1862, Maharaja
Ranbir Singh, enacted RPC with this provision putting a blanket ban on beef in
the entire state. But with Article 370 being read down and J&K Reorganisation
Act being brought in, RPC stands repealed.thewire
Millions of kids traumatised as Kashmir lockdown
continues: nationalheraldindia
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/millions-of-kids-traumatised-as-kashmir-lockdown-continues
Sporting a blue T-shirt and faded jeans, Tabish
(10), a class IV student, is busy in playing cricket along with his school pals
in an alleyway in Baramulla's old town, some 60 kms north of Srinagar.The team
of 8 teenage boys play cricket well-nigh for 7 hours every day. They start
their ‘innings’ at around half past ten in the morning and play till sundown,
barring a few hours of lunch and tea break.“It is all play and no work for
these kids in current situation,” says 27-old- Bilal Ahmad, a local resident.As
the schools in the Valley remain shut, most children in Kashmir kill their time
playing various sports, watching toons, painting or just visiting nearby
relatives' houses. Academic activities in the Valley remain suspended since
August 5. nationalheraldindia
OTHERS
Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas created with malicious
intent, it has no locus in Babri case: Muslim parties
New Delhi: Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas was created in
1985, with a malicious intent, in order to damage the title of Nirmohi Akhara,
the Muslim parties argued in the Supreme Court on Monday, trying to draw a
wedge between the Akhara and other Hindu parties associated with Ayodhya title
dispute.Advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Muslim parties, sharpened his
attack on the suit filed by Devki Nandan Agarwal as the next friend of Ram
Lalla. “The outer portion of the disputed site was illegally acquired by Vishwa
Hindu Parishad which was backed by then BJP Govt,” he contended. UP Sunni
Central Waqf Board does not accept Ram Janmabhoomi as a juridical person,
having legal rights. Terming Agarwal’s suit malicious, Dhavan also levelled the
charge that Rs 25 crore was donated to usurp the temple. “Nirmohi Akhara is the
Shebait, a devotee taking care of the deity, and they have full right to repair
the temple, whereas Agarwal has no locus standi in this dispute,” Dhavan told
the court.At one stage in the argument, Dhavan posed a query, asking the court
as to who will get the title of the disputed land if it were not to be handed
over to either the Akhara or Waqf Board. “Lord Ram is not the litigant. He
cannot be,” he argued, asking how can a birthplace be converted into a
juridical personality.At this, Justice S.A. Bobde, one of the judges on the
bench, asked Dhavan: “What is the deity, and are you suggesting form is
necessary?”As Dhavan replied that there has to be a manifestation, judge noted:
“God has to be formless”. Dhavan then affirmed that form is not necessary,
otherwise people will be claiming all over the place.Dhavan then argued on legal
consequences of the deity’s recognition as a juridical person, as the entire
disputed land will be held by the deity.“Lord Ram was installed in Ram
Janmabhoomi temple….and the Nyas maliciously encroached on the rights of
Nirmohi Akhara,” he insisted.Dhavan also sought to nullify one of the Hindu
parties’ arguments, pinning down the birthplace of Ram by relying on various
religious historical texts, arguing that the idea of birthplace has been held
on two strands – a belief and the other recognization of that area as deity to
establish its distinctness.“Consequences of this will be the area will become
impregnable,” he said, stating that if this situation were to arrive, then
there can be no more claim for title and ownership. “Next friend is only
Shebait by default,” he argued.IANS
Nyas has no locus in Ayodhya case: Wakf Board
Hindu, Muslim parties to Babri Masjid case reject
renewed mediation efforts: New Indian Express
Lucknow: Amid reports of renewed mediation
efforts allegedly initiated by Sunni Waqf Board and Nirvani Akhara in the
Ayodhya dispute case, both the Hindu and Muslim parties engaged in litigation
pertaining to the title suit of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case have
rejected any such attempt, calling it a “delaying tactic” here on Monday. 3
weeks into the day-to-day hearing in the vexed issue by 5-judge constitutional
bench of the SC, Sunni Waqf Board and Nirvani Akhara have reportedly expressed
their willingness for an out of court settlement of the dispute.Both parties
have reportedly approached the mediation panel headed by retired Justice FMI
Kalifullah once again by writing a letter to 3-member panel which was appointed
by the SC in March 2019 with the mandate to find an amicable out-of-court
settlement of the issue between warring Hindu-Muslim parties. Responding to the
renewed mediation efforts, Iqbal Ansai, son of the main litigant late Hashim
Ansari, batted for court to decide the matter which he claimed was already
delayed due to a number of reasons.
Tabrez lynching: IIM-B faculty, students write to
Modi for fresh probe
Bengaluru:A section of faculty, staff and
students of IIM-Bangalore has written to PM Narendra Modi expressing concern
over how Jharkhand police have handled the lynching of Tabrez Ansari. They have
demanded that he direct the State Govt to institute a fresh probe.The email
addressed to PM expressed shock and dismay over how the Jharkhand police had
handled the lynching. “We urge you to act swiftly and decisively by directing
the State Govt to institute a fresh probe. It is the constitutional duty of the
State to protect the life and liberty of all citizens,” the letter to PM
stated.On Sept.12, a professor circulated an email to IIM-B students, staff and
faculty and said that as “an academic community, it is important that we stand
up to the impunity with which the State has abrogated its Constitutional
duty.”thehindu
Civil society activists, student leaders demand
release of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad
A prominent group of civil society activists and
student leaders held a press conference on Monday at the Press Club of India to
protest alleged discrimination and attacks against Dalits, and demanding the
release of Dalit activists, mostly belonging to the Bhim Army led by
Chandrashekhar Azad. Senior Advocate Mehmood Paracha contended that RSS members
and ‘brahminical forces’ were behind the vandalising of Ambedkar's statue in
Saharanpur on September 10. He said that when Dalits organised a protest
against this and demanded an FIR against the perpetuators, the police instead
booked 750 of them, including Azad’s family and Kamal Singh Walia, General
Secretary of Bhim Army, in false cases. “This is an undeclared emergency,” he
said.Other panellists present at the press conference included Prashant
Bhushan, Senior Advocate and human rights advocate lawyer; Pyare Lal Jatav and
Ravindra Bhatti, Central Working Committee, Bhim Army; Chaudhary Harsh Kumar,
National General Secretary, Jannayak Janata Party; Aishe Ghosh, JNUSU
President; Sucheta De, national President, AISA; and Afreen Fatima, Elected
Councillor JNUSU and former President, Women’s College
AMUSU.nationalheraldindia
3 students charged for raising call against
wearing skull caps, burqas at an Aligrah college
Aligarh district in UP has been making headlines
lately. When DS College, Aligarh appealed for a ban on skull caps and burqas
inside the college capmus, administration immediately came into action and
filed charges of instigating communal tension against three students. The
complaint was filed on the behalf of the police post incharge Sub-Inspector
Govind Singh.DS College students told India Today that this case is a violation
of the right to expression and the district administration has filed this case
against the three students under pressure of AMU Students' Union. 3 students
who have been charged are identified as Amit Goswami, Aditya Pandit, and Sonu
Thakur. According to the available information, recently a memorandum had been
given to Dharma Samaj Mahavidyala chief proctor Mukesh Bharadwaj that DS
College is not a Muslim madrasa and students from all communities study here.
Despite a dress code being effective in the college, some Muslim students
deliberately flout that dress code by wearing skull caps and burqas, forcing
disparity among students. If a ban on these "extraneous" items is not
placed within 3 days, Hindu students will also start coming to college wearing
"bhagwa" clothes.indiatoday
Uttarakhand CM says will talk NRC with cabinet,
implement if needed
Describing the implementation of NRC in Assam an
“important” move to prevent infiltration, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has
said the need of such an exercise in Uttarakhand will be assessed and if found
necessary, such an exercise may be carried out in the state.Rawat made the
remark while speaking to the media after taking part in a cleanliness campaign
as part of Sewa Saptah that the local BJP unit has organised to mark the
birthday of PM Narendra Modi. Rawat said that he will discuss the issue with
the cabinet.indianexpress
‘Petrol, diesel prices may shoot up by ₹5-6 a
litre’
Following the largest ever-disruption of crude
production in Saudi Arabia amid drone attacks on its key facilities, prices of
petrol and diesel in India may shoot up by ₹5 to 6 a litre in next fortnight,
experts said .A recent report by Kotak said that in light of the sharp rise in
international crude oil prices, Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs) may
increase the retail price of diesel and gasoline by ₹5 to 6 per litre in following
fortnight.Oil prices soared as much as 20% to above $71 a barrel as markets
reopened after a major attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure.Attack immediately
erased out 5.7 million barrels."These attacks resulted in production
suspension of 5.7 million barrels of crude oil per day," Saudi Aramco said.Oil
prices, experts said, could spike in the next several days as a result of the
attack on Saudi Aramco, the second-largest oil producer in the world.IANS
Delhi transporters chant, ‘Down with Modi’, call
for a total strike on Thursday
When was the last time the national capital heard
people chanting ‘ Modi, Hai, Hai’ ( Down with Modi ?) Possibly for the very
first time in his five year plus term as PM, slogans directed against him rent
the air on Monday at Jantar Mantar in the heart of New Delhi.To be precise, the
slogans also included the Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari as well.
‘Modi-Gadkari Hai…Hai’ was the slogan the transporters in Delhi raised under
the banner of United Front of Transport Associations (UFTA) to protest the
exorbitant hike in penalties announced by the Govt in the Motor Vehicles Act
2019.The transporters have also called for a strike on Thursday, September 19.
There will be no auto, cab or state transport vehicle on the road and Azadpur
Mandi will also be closed down, they declared ominously. The protest was
supported by transporters from Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and
Rajasthan.nationalheraldindia
No evidence against Chidambaram in INX Media
case:N. Ram
Chennai:A “monstrous injustice” has been done to former
Union Minister P. Chidambaram by sending him to jail despite the fact that
there is no material evidence against him in INX Media case other than the
statement of the “murder accused” (Indrani and Peter Mukherjea), N. Ram,
Chairman, THG Publications Pvt. Ltd. said in Chennai on Sunday.“The only
intention behind those who have orchestrated this [arrest] and unfortunately
the highest courts of the land have fallen victim to this,is to deny him
liberty as long as possible. That’s the whole intention,” Ram said at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu
Congress Committee (TNCC) to condemn the arrest of ex Union Finance Minister.He
said the response of the higher judiciary, especially the Delhi High Court, had
to be sharply criticised. “They have virtually adopted the case of the
prosecution. For 7 months, judgment was reserved. Just before the judge
retired, the judgment came out depriving Chidambaram of any opportunity to
appeal,” he said, adding that lawyers then went to the Supreme Court.“There are
many factual mistakes in the order by Justices Banumathi and Bopanna rejecting
bail. For example, they say P. Chidambaram’s assets have been confiscated —
[this is] completely wrong,” Ram said adding that there is a need to quickly
move a review petition before the same Bench or file a curative petition that
will go before five judges.“There is no basis at all except the statement by
the two murder accused….there was no danger of documents being suppressed or
tampered with, no threat to any of the witnesses.... It is a great shame that
justice was not delivered in this case,” Ram said.Congress MP, K. Jayakumar
alleged that Chidambaram was being targeted by BJP. Congress leader Peter
Alphonse termed it a “political fight, and not a legal fight”. Thehindu
6 Rajasthan BSP MLAs join Congress
Jaipur:All 6 BSP MLAs in Rajasthan joined Congress
on Tuesday, taking the ruling party’s tally in Assembly to 106. After deciding
to merge with Congress, BSP MLAs handed over a letter to Speaker C.P. Joshi
around midnight. The merger has come as a major boost to Congress ahead of the
municipal election in November this year and panchayat poll early next year.
BSP MLAs were earlier supporting the Congress from outside after the party won
100 seats and its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal won one seat.BSP MLA Rajendra Gudha
said the party members had taken the decision to ensure stability of Govt and
work for development of the State.MLAs who have joined Congress are Gudha (Udaipurwati),
Jogendra Singh Awana (Nadbai), Wajib Ali (Nagar), Lakhan Singh (Karauli),
Sandeep Yadav (Tijara) and Deepchand (Kishangarh Bas).During CM Ashok Gehlot’s
earlier tenure in 2008-13, six BSP MLAs had defected to Congress which was five
short of a clear majority in the 200-member House.thehindu
Thackeray family traces origin to Bihar:New Book
New Delhi:A new book on Thackeray cousins, Raj
and Uddhav, reveals that much in contradiction to the anti-north Indian
political rhetoric deployed by both the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navanirman
Sena (MNS), the patriarch of the family and father to Shiv Sena founder
Balasaheb Thackeray, the late ‘Prahodhankar’ Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, traced family
origins to Bihar.The book, The Cousins Thackeray: Uddhav, Raj and the Shadow of
their Senas (Penguin Random House) by journalist Dhaval Kulkarni makes this
point fairly early on, quoting ‘Prabhodhankar’ Thackeray’s own book,
Gramnyancha Sadyanta Itihas Arhat Nokarshahiche Bande (‘A History of Village
Disputes or Rebellion of the Bureaucracy’) on the issue. The book unequivocally
states that the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) community, to which the
Thackerays belong, moved out of ancient Magadha (in present day Bihar) after
Mahpadma Nanda, in the third or fourth century BC, deployed usury with regard
to his subjects. The community migrated out of Magadha and “earned its living
as warriors and scribes”. The anti-migrant political rhetoric of the Shiv Sena
and the MNS therefore has a piquant and ironic twist.thehindu
36% of over 100 tribal children at Maharashtra
health camp found malnourished
Around 36% of over 100 tribal children examined
at a health camp in Jawhar area of Maharashtra’s Palghar district have been
found to be severely malnourished, an official said.According to Vivek Pandit,
the former MLA who heads a State committee on tribal welfare, said a total of
124 children were examined at the health camp conducted on Monday in the
tribal-dominated Jawhar taluka.“Of these 124 children, 45 were diagnosed with
severe malnourishment,” he told reporters here.PTI
Triple Talaq law enters a Bareilly university’s
curricula, call made for more varsities to follow suit
Days after UP CM Yogi Adityanath exhorted
educational institutions to teach students about ‘triple talaq’ law and women
empowerment, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University in Bareilly has
introduced a course on the subject for its law students. Head of Law Department
Amit Singh said the syllabus was revised to include triple talaq’ law from
Sept.11, in perhaps “first” such move by any university following CM’s
Teachers’ Day appeal asking for the path-breaking legislation to become part of
curricula in state institutions. Singh expressed hope that studying the law
would create awareness and a positive impact. “One of our students is already
pursuing her doctorate on triple talaq,”he said. Farhat Naqvi, whose NGO
frequently takes up ‘triple talaq’ cases, hoped that other universities will
follow suit, she added that despite the ban, women in UP were getting ‘triple
talaq’, even “by SMS”.According to police, western UP tops the list for ‘triple
talaq’ cases ever since the act banning it was passed, with 26 registered cases
in Meerut, 17 in Saharanpur and 10 in Shamli. HT
WORLD
Tunisia election: Outsider in lead stuns after
most votes counted
Law professor and political outsider Kais Saied
is leading Tunisia's presidential polls with 2-thirds of the votes counted, the
electoral commission said, after the country's second free vote for head of
state since the 2011 Arab Spring.Saied was on 18.9 % Monday night, ahead of
imprisoned media magnate Nabil Karoui, who was on 15.5%, according to the
electoral commission, ISIE.PM Youssef Chahed, a presidential hopeful whose
popularity has been tarnished by a sluggish economy and the rising cost of
living, could well turn out to be the election's biggest loser.ISIE figures
showed him in fifth place with 7.4 %of the vote, trailing both Ennahdha party
candidate Abdelfattah Mourou and former defence minister Abdelkarim
Zbidi."The anti-system strategy has won," ISIE member Adil Brinsi
told AFP, but added: "It's not finished yet. Mourou could very easily move
from third to 2nd place."A smiling Saied, receiving journalists
at a rented apartment serving as his campaign offices, said voters had
"carried out a revolution within a legal framework...They want something
new...new political thinking"."Tunisia has always been an open
country. It's a moderate society. I am open to all modern ideas. We can discuss
it," Saied said.aljazeera
Laarayedh says Ennahdha will support ‘candidates
who will protect the revolution’
In Tunisia, According to opinion polls,
independent candidate and constitutional law Professor Kais Saied is leading
the results in presidential election, while Ennahdha announced its adherence to
the official results of Independent High Authority for Elections. Ennahdha
leader Ali Laarayedh commented on these results and stressed that the movement
is waiting for “official results.” He went on to explain that after that, party
will “determine our position on whether Abdelfattah Mourou will be our
candidate in the second round.”He told Arabi21 that Ennahdha’s goal is “to
support a candidate who is eager to protect the revolution and its objectives.”
In response to a question concerning Ennahdha’s potential support of Kais Saied
in case Mourou failed to reach the second round, Laarayedh stressed: “I do not
want to mention names, but I would like to specify the criteria of the person
we will support, which revolve around the candidate’s keenness on protecting
the revolution, credibility, and honesty.” middleeastmonitor
Israelis vote in poll seen as referendum on Netanyahu
Israeli citizens are casting their ballots for
the second time this year, in an electoral race that is widely seen as a
referendum on PM Benjamin Netanyahu.About 68 %of the 5.88 million eligible
voters in Israel and illegal settlements in occupied West Bank and occupied
East Jerusalem are expected to take part in poll to choose the party that will
lead country's 22nd Knesset or parliament. Voting opened at 7am local time at 11,163 polling stations, with 31 parties
competing for the 120 seats. Counting will start shortly after the polls close
at 10pm local time with exit polls and results expected to come in overnight. Israel's
President Reuven Rivlin will then decide who will be given the mandate to form
a new Govt based on the recommendations of the Knesset members. That person is
usually the leader of the party that wins the most seats, but if Rivlin thinks
this person is unlikely to garner enough support from smaller parties to
control at least 61 seats of the Knesset, he may give the task to someone
else.The leader of the party that wins the vote is therefore not necessarily
the new PM. Once the final results are tallied and calculated, the 120 Knesset
members are announced.It is the first time in Israel's history that two
elections have been held in the same year, after Netanyahu failed to form a Govt
following an election on April 9.aljazeera
Case of forcibly disappeared Palestinians in
Saudi before Human Rights Council
Euro-Mediterranean Human Right Monitor and IRDG
expressed in their speech before the Human Rights Council during the 42nd
Ordinary Session their deep concern over the Saudi authorities’ detention of
dozens of Palestinians and cases of forced disappearance with no legal
support.“Dozens of Palestinians have been victims of enforced disappearance in
Saudi, though concealment is always a crime under international law,” said the 2
organisations in a joint statement. MEMO
Saudi has ‘another Hamas official’ in detention
Saudi Arabia has another senior Hamas official in
detention, political and family sources told Al-Resalah on Monday. Businessman
Abu Obaida Al-Agha is apparently being held in Dahban Prison in Jeddah, where Saudi
Govt keeps its political prisoners.Sources revealed that Al-Agha has been in
prison for more than 18 months, during which time very little information had
been made available about his condition. In 2015, the US Treasury claimed that
he was the head of Hamas’ financial committee in Saudi Arabia.Al-Agha’s father,
Khairi Al-Agha, was a prominent founder of Hamas who lived in Saudi Arabia,
where he died in 2014. According to sources, Abu Obaida Al-Agha holds a Saudi
passport and “there is no reason for his detention.”MEMO
Saudi is capable of responding to attacks: King
Saudi King Salman said that Riyadh was capable of
dealing with consequences of attacks on its installations.A statement issued
after a meeting of Saudi Arabia's council of ministers said the cabinet had
reviewed the damage caused by the attacks on the Aramco installations, and it
called on the world's Govts to confront them "regardless of their
origin".In the statement, council said the "cowardly" strikes on
its oil facilities were an extension of "repeated attacks" on vital
installations. "[The attack] has threatened freedom of shipping, and has
affected the stability of the global economic growth," the statement said,
as reported by state media.German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a
return to the 2015 international deal curbing Iran's nuclear activities as the
only way to defuse tensions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Iran will not hold talks with US and
Washington's policy of maximum pressure on Tehran will fail, the country's
Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei said.aljazeera
China signals veto in standoff over UN Afghan
mission
China and US are deadlocked over a UNSC
resolution to extend world body's political mission in Afghanistan, with
Beijing signalling it will cast a veto because there is no reference to its
global Belt and Road infrastructure project, diplomats said on Monday.A planned
vote by the 15-member Security Council to renew mission, known as UNAMA, was
delayed from Monday to Tuesday to allow for further negotiations. The mission's
mandate expires on Tuesday. To pass, a resolution needs nine votes in favour
and no vetoes by the US, France, China, Russia and Britain. Ahead of the
postponement, diplomats said China was expected to veto a resolution - drafted
by Germany and Indonesia - that did not reference the Belt and Road project. hina's
UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.aljazeera
Ghani 'unhurt' as blast kills dozens at Afghan
president's rally
At least 26 people have been killed and more than
40 wounded when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle targeted an election campaign
rally by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who is reported to be safe and
unharmed. Taliban claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack in Charikar, the
capital of Parwan province, north of Kabul. Nasrat Rahimi, spokesman for Ministry
of Interior, said the death toll of 26 included four soldiers. The suicide
bomber rammed his explosives-laden motorcycle into the entrance of the venue
hosting Ghani's rally.The president was present at the time of the explosion
but is safe and unharmed, his campaign
spokesman, Hamed Aziz, was quoted as saying by AP. Across Afghanistan, attacks
have continued as the country prepares for a presidential election later this
month.Taliban has warned that its fighters will intensify their campaign
against the Afghan Govt and foreign forces to dissuade people from voting in
the Sept.28 vote, when Ghani will bid for a second 5-year term. aljazeera
600,000 Rohingya face 'serious risk of genocide':
UN
Rohingya remaining in Myanmar's Rakhine state
face a "serious risk of genocide", UN investigators have said,
warning that the repatriation of a million others already driven from the
country by army remains "impossible".In a damning report released on
Monday, a United Nations fact-finding mission also called for top Myanmar
generals, most notably army chief Min Aung Hlaing, to face trial for the
killings, gang rape and arson during the Rohingya crackdown. The mission, set
up by UN's Human Rights Council in March 2017, doubled down on its findings
published last year, in which it had labelled the 2017 crackdown as a
"genocide". aljazeera
Ankara summit on Syria:'A win for Moscow,al-Assad'
Leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran have announced
the formation of a committee to draft a new Syrian constitution as first step
in a political solution to Syria's 8-year conflict.Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan on Monday hosted his Russian and Iranian counterparts, Vladimir Putin
and Hassan Rouhani, for the fifth such summit since the trio launched the
Astana talks nearly three years ago.The meeting in Ankara was billed as a
chance to focus on Idlib, the final rebel stronghold where an offensive by
Syrian Govt forces, backed by Russian airpower, has killed hundreds of
civilians and threatened Turkey with a fresh exodus of refugees.Speaking after
a day of talks, 3 leaders revealed formation of a constitutional committee
comprising Govt, opposition and civil society members. Erdogan, who has backed
various opposition groups during the war while Iran and Russia have supported
President Bashar al-Assad, said that further initiatives would become apparent
"in the following days". Meanwhile, Putin said: "We believe the
work of the constitutional committee will be decisive in finally normalising
the situation in Syria."Ahmet Evin, professor emeritus at Istanbul's
Sabanci University, said the committee would benefit al-Assad.He said, "I
think Moscow is right on target and it's a win for Moscow and [al-]Assad."
aljazeera
Al-Baghdadi claims 'Daily Operations' Underway in
Latest Audio Message: Reuters
Cairo: Islamic State's media network on Monday
issued an audio message purporting to come from its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
saying operations were taking place daily and urging freedom for women jailed
in Iraq and Syria over their alleged links to the group."Daily operations
are underway on different fronts," he said in 30-minute tape published by Al
Furqan network, in what would be his first message since April.
Millions of US women say first sexual experience
was rape
The first sexual experience for one in 16 US women
was forced or coerced intercourse in their early teens, encounters that for
some may have had lasting health repercussions, a new study suggests.The
experiences amount to rape, the authors say, although they relied on a national
survey that didn't use the word in asking women about forced sex.Almost 7 %of
women surveyed said their first sexual intercourse experience was involuntary;
it happened at age 15 on average and the man was often several years
older.Nearly half of those women who said intercourse was involuntary said they
were held down and slightly more than half of them said they were verbally
pressured to have sex against their will. Results were published in JAMA
Internal Medicine.aljazeera
Flash: NEWS,views,Articles
Public? Safety? Move to book F. Abdullah under
PSA shows arbitrariness:Indian Express Editorial
By Detaining Farooq, Centre Signals its Contempt
for Kashmiri Representation:Manoj Joshi
Kashmir: Place with no news even about
ourselves:Murtaza Shibli in Anantnag
Abrupt move in Valley feeds into prevailing sense
of alienation:Sharat Sabharwal
Ravish Kumar interview | ‘Zero credibility of
news channels today’
Aramco drone attack could derail Indian economy
if petrol, diesel prices spike by Rs 5-6:S. Bhattacharya
In Harish Salve’s diagnosis of economic slowdown,
a Supreme Court connection
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 8:10 PM)
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