18 Sept. 2019: 18 Muharram 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 16
INDIA
SC sets Oct.18 deadline for completion of Babri Masjid
hearing, judgment likely in mid-Nov; parties free to mediate
The Supreme Court today set an Oct.18 deadline
for conclusion of hearings in the protracted Babri Masjid land title dispute, a
move that has raised the possibility of a verdict in the politically sensitive
case in the middle of Nov. The target date for completion of arguments by both
Hindu and Muslim sides assumes significance as CJI Ranjan Gogoi, who is heading
5-judge Constitution bench hearing the case, is due to demit office on Nov.7.
The SC also said the parties to the dispute can amicably resolve the matter
through mediation if they want to but told lawyers from both the sides that it
wanted to conclude day-to-day hearings by Oct.18 so that the judges get almost 4
weeks time to write the judgment. “Let is all make a joint effort to conclude
the arguments by Oct.18”, CJI told petitioners adding if necessary, court may
even hear it for an extra hour or on Saturdays. The Court on Tuesday asked the counsels for
the Hindu and Muslim parties to inform it about a tentative "time
schedule" for concluding their arguments. The bench also said it has
received a letter from ex-SC judge FMI Kalifulla, who was heading 3-member
mediation panel, in which it was stated that some parties have written to him
for resumption of the mediation process."There is an ancillary issue. We
have received a letter that some parties want to settle the matter by way of
mediation," the bench said, adding they may do so and the proceedings
before the mediation panel can remain confidential. The bench said the
day-to-day proceedings in the land dispute case have reached "an advanced
stage" and will continue. Sources said the mediators are keen to have a
“parallel process of talks alongside the arguments going on in court, not in
lieu of arguments currently going on”. PTI / Indian Express
Babri case:Hindu side arguments based on theology
rather than legality, concrete proof, says counsel
On Tuesday, lotus carvings on Kasauti pillars,
figurines, Garuda flanked by 2 lions and a Dwarapal are not typical features of
a mosque, the Supreme Court confronted the Muslim side in Ayodhya hearing.The
questions from the Bench was based on architectural features and photographs of
materials believed to be unearthed from Babri site.But senior advocate Rajeev
Dhavan countered the court’s questions, saying “decorative pieces could have
come from anywhere”. These objects and photographs of carvings did not provide
a conclusive proof that there was once a temple dedicated to a particular deity
- Ram. “There is no direct evidence of an image of a God in Ramjanmabhumi,”he
argued. Dhavan said the Hindu side's
argument of a temple of Lord Ram drew strength from the impression that mosques
should be simple, unadorned. Dhavan said the Hindu side arguments were based on
theology rather than legality and concrete proof.“The theological argument
raised here is just because they see some flowers, a lotus, this place is
unIslamic and the mosque is not a mosque. It is too much to say that Islam is
out, mosque is out just because you see a few figurines, flowers, etc. It is a
little too rich to say a mosque is not mosque and prayer offered was not
prayer,”he argued. “Just because there is cross near a temple in Kerala, it
does not mean the temple stops being a temple,” Dhavan highlighted how places
of worship of different religions coexist in physical proximity.He said pillars
would have either been found lying around at the time of the construction of
the mosque or were found broken and fixed to be used for the mosque, or they
were brought to the site from other places.The presence of these objects did
not make Babri mosque “unIslamic or un-Quranic”. “You cannot use them to claim
Muslims were not praying to Allah there but to some other god,” Dhavan said. Justice S.A.Bobde asked whether there was any
witness to back their claim that these materials and carvings were a result of
cultural assimilation. Dhavan replied,“Assimilation is there for My Lord to
see. There is a chhabutra outside and a mosque inside. British had allowed both
for sake of peace.”Dhavan said evidence of assimilation could be found even in "Qutub
area where the Minar is" in the National Capital. He said none of the
religious give the exact place of birth of Ram."Today, there are 3 spots
in Ayodhya claimed to be exact spot.From Dec.1949,it is Ramjanmabhumi. In 1857,
it was Ram Chhabutra in outer courtyard. Janmsthan site Rasoi Mandir outside
the premises was considered the exact spot from time immemorial," Dhavan
submitted.the hindu
Ram Chabutra becomes focal point in Babri hearing
In Babri Masjid hearing today, Justice DY Chandrachud began his remarks by
observing that it was “coincidental” that Ram Chabutra came up along with the
construction of the railing by the British following an armed clash between
Hindus and Muslims in 1855.Prior to that year, both Hindus and Muslims entered
it for prayers.“After 1855, Ram Chabutra was erected just outside the railing.
It in fact came up along with the railing. So it must be that worshippers
believed that praying at ‘chabutra’ meant actually praying at the central
dome...They actually went to pray at central dome,” Justice Chandrachud
observed. Justice Ashok Bhushan intervened to say, “They went to railing
because they believed that birth happened there [under central dome]”.Justice
Chandrachud observed, “"Why do you need to pray at the railing? You go to
the railing to look beyond railing.”Advocate Rajeev Dhavan,dismissed his
reasoning as mere “conjecture”. Justice Chandrachud shot back, saying it was a
“preponderance of probabilities”, which the court could indulge in.“Why did the
chabutra become the focal point after 1855? Prior to 1855, both Hindus and
Muslims went in... All this upsurge happens after the railing comes up. Why? It
may be because of a sense of exclusion among the Hindus.This not just
conjecture, but preponderance of probabilities,”Justice Chandrachud addressed
Dhavan. Dhavan said 1850s was a time of inter-se conflict and conquest. “Context
of the time was that of a riot situation. British may have come and said
'enough of this nonsense'. But context then was that of a riot situation. Not
just riot, but internecine conflict,”he submitted.He said the judge was “adding
something” not in the case records. “Where is it said from the records that
they [Hindu] prayed to inner dome from chabutra? This is conjecture within the
meaning of unreasonable probability... I go till the railing outside lion's den
knowing it is dangerous beyond that,” he argued.the hindu
Historians 1991 report rejecting Ram birthplace
claims at best opinion, not evidence: SC
'Will accept SC's decision on Ram Temple; NRC will
be implemented nationwide': Amit Shah
Ranchi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today
attacked Pakistan for making false accusations of human rights violations in
J&K. Giving out his first interview after scrapping Article 370 in J&K,
Shah at ‘Hindustan Purvoday 2019’ event said “there are restrictions only in 8
out of 196 police stations in the Valley and one can freely visit the region”.
He lashed out at the Congress for deaths of 41,000 people in Kashmir in last 7
decades. Commenting on how PM Narendra Modi and he took an unprecedentedly bold
step which no government could contemplate, Shah said, “With respect to Article
370, we always believed that is was a temporary provision. Preparations for the
removal of 370 were going on right from the beginning. Kashmir is our internal
matter and there is no question of war on it. The whole world is with India on
Kashmir.”On the government imposing numerous charges against Farooq Abdullah to
detain him under stringent PSA, Shah said “Farooq has been kept under house
arrest due to security reasons. There is no question of keeping him in custody
for 2 years. There is no coercion in Kashmir and people should not be
influenced by rumors.”On the Supreme Court today stating that Ayodhya case
hearings must be completed by Oct.18, Shah said “we wants the court’s decision
to come soon and will accept whatever it is.” Responding to a question on the
contentious issue of NRC, Shah asserted that NRC should be implemented across
the country as it does not pertain just to Assam.“Can an Indian go and live
illegally in US, UK, Russia? No, then how can other nationals reside in India
without legal documentation? That's why I believe NRC should be implemented all
over the country,” he pointed out.
Pakistan urges international community to take
'serious cognisance' of India’s statement on PoK
Pakistan has called on the international
community to take “serious cognisance” of India’s “aggressive posturing” about
taking “physical jurisdiction” of Pak-occupied Kashmir, saying such
“irresponsible and belligerent” statements from New Delhi have potential to
further escalate tensions and seriously jeopardise peace and security in region.Pakistan’s
statement came hours after India said PoK is a part of it and one day it
expected to have “physical jurisdiction” over the region. India also asserted
that there was no need to “worry” too much beyond a point about what people
will say on Kashmir, as it was an internal issue on which its position has
“prevailed and will prevail.” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also hit
out at Pakistan, saying India had a “unique challenge” from one neighbour and
it would remain a challenge until that neighbour became a “normal neighbour”
and acted against cross-border terrorism. Reacting to Jaishankar’s statement, Pakistan
said it called on international community to take “serious cognisance of
India’s aggressive posturing” on Pok. “Such irresponsible and belligerent
statements from India have the potential to further escalate tensions and
seriously jeopardise peace and security in the region,” Pakistan’s Foreign
Office said.“We strongly condemn and reject inflammatory and irresponsible
remarks made by Indian External Affairs Minister regarding Pakistan and PoK.These
remarks are an obvious manifestation of India’s utter frustration over continued
international censure of its egregious human rights violations in Kashmir,” the
statement added.“India cannot divert international attention from its crimes
against the innocent people of Kashmir blaming Pakistan. Pakistan stands for
peace, but would be ready to respond effectively to any act of aggression,” the
statement said. “Instead of resorting to jingoistic rhetoric, India must rescind
its illegal actions, stop forthwith grave human rights violations in J&K,refrain
from violating international law, and fully comply with UNSC resolutions for a
final settlement of the J&K dispute,” the statement added.PTI
'Irresponsible, Belligerent': Pakistan Asks World
to Note Jaishankar's Statements on PoK
Pak Army's SSG commandos came near Indian post in
Aug end: Army sources
Pakistan Army's Special Service Group(SSG)
commandos were seen near an Indian Army post in the Krishna Ghati sector along
the LoC in August end, Army sources said today. Pakistani troop movement along
the Poonch river was picked up by Indian soldiers and some hi-tech equipment,
the sources said, adding that the enemy troops were "engaged" and
forced to rush back to their nearest post.When Indian troops went to the spot
to "seek close contact to destroy them", they found an action camera
in which their movement was captured. "A video from the same camera showed
Pak SSG troops in the vicinity of post,"sources said.On Sept 12-13, Pak
Border Action Team attempted to infiltrate into India but they were intercepted
by Indian army and eliminated.ANI
J&K leaders will be freed in less than 18
months: MoS Jitendra Singh
Jammu:Union Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jitendra
Singh has said that politicians detained in J&K after the scrapping of
special status will be released in less than 18 months.Pointing out that the
media keeps asking about the release of political leaders detained in the
state, Singh said that he always says “less than 18 months”, an apparent
reference to the Emergency, when leaders of all Opposition parties were jailed.
Singh was speaking at an event in Katra.When contacted over phone on Tuesday,
Singh confirmed this, saying that he was asked when leaders would be released
and “I said less than 18 months”.Singh’s statement is first one by a senior
functionary in Union Govt about maximum time for which mainstream political
leaders in J&K may remain under detention.indianexpress
Stopped, beaten, prevented from working: everyday
troubles of J&K journalist
Srinagar: Shahid Khan shudders as he recalls the
Sept.7 incident when he was beaten up by a group of policemen while covering Muharram
processions in the Rainawari locality of Srinagar.“I was among six
photojournalists covering the event. Suddenly the escort of a senior police
officer arrived at the spot and started beating us,” said Khan who works with
the Jammu-based daily, Reporter North.“I was thrashed by a policeman who used
his cane for at least five minutes. He kept telling me ‘why do you go out to
shoot events, you create problems for us’,” said Khan.“They kept beating me and
didn’t listen to a single word.”Khan said he has suffered a hairline fracture
on his right shoulder. Doctors have advised him rest for three weeks.In the
past 44 days, after the Govt of India has diluted Article 370. Journalists in
Kashmir are facing tough times – the blockade of internet and mobile services
has left them crippled. Restrictions and harassment faced by journalists in the
hands of the security forces while on the job has added to their worries.
“Journalists are understanding that they are in a kind of double siege amidst
the total communication blockade. Many cases of harassment of media persons by
the forces have come to the fore in the last month and in some cases the
journalists have been asked by the authorities to reveal their source of
information. This has added to our fears,” said Naseer A. Ganai, a senior
journalist. thewire
J&K: Yashwant Sinha alleges he was ‘forcibly
sent’ back to Delhi from Srinagar airport
Ex-Union minister Yashwant Sinha was on Tuesday
sent back to New Delhi from Srinagar by J&K administration after high drama
at airport. However, 3 associates of Sinha – Journalist Bharat Bhushan and Kapil
Kak and Sushoba Bharve – were allowed to go to Srinagar.scroll
Assam: Mob makes 4 Muslims undergo ‘Bangladeshi
test’; Police confirm they are not illegal immigrants
Guwahati: A mob allegedly made four persons
undergo a ‘Bangladeshi test’ in Baksa district of Assam, and handed them over
to the police after questioning their citizenship status.4, all Muslims, were
returning from Guwahati to Suwagpur on Sept.13 in a pick-up truck with building
materials. Some 50 local people allegedly stopped vehicle at night and demanded
proof of their inclusion in NRC. When the four failed to give “convincing”
replies, mob handed them over to Goreswar police station. Police identified
them as Sahid Miya and his wife Bimala Begum of Baksa district, Lalbor Ali of
Barpeta and Abdul Qayum of Morigaon. H. Goswami, SHO, said people suspected
them to be Bangladeshis. “Upon verification, we found that they were not
illegal immigrants,” he said. There have been reports of mob questioning
“suspected foreigners” in the districts such as Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. Some
NGOs in neighbouring States have upped the ante against NRC-excluded people
believed to be sneaking in. In Meghalaya, over 230 people from Assam have been
turned back at checkpoints or told to leave worksites.the hindu
3 Muslim
sisters stripped, beaten at police outpost in Assam, 2 cops suspended
Guwahati: 3 sisters have accused the Assam police
of custodial torture, including being stripped, kicked and beaten with lathis,
inside a police outpost in Darrang district. The women were picked up after a case
was registered against their brother, a Muslim, for allegedly abducting a Hindu
woman.Assam DGP Kuladhar Saikia said the outpost in-charge sub-inspector
Mahendra Sarma and a woman constable Binita Boro were suspended Tuesday and
criminal cases registered against them. He has also asked for an inquiry into
their allegations within a week.The cases were registered days after one
sister, on Sept.10, wrote a detailed account of the incident in a complaint to
police saying Sarma and Boro “stripped us naked, assaulted us and touched our
private parts”.3 sisters, aged 28, 30 and 18, were picked up at around 1.30 am
on Sept.9 during a raid led by SI Sarma. Police claim women were detained for
questioning because a case was registered against their brother for allegedly
abducting a Hindu woman. 28-year-old sister, who filed the complaint, said the
assault continued until they were able to contact their brother, who, she said,
was in Shillong with Hindu woman. “He arrived with the girl at the outpost. He
asked them why we were tortured for a case against him. They beat him too,” she
said.Darrang SP Amrit Bhuyan said, “A case of kidnapping was registered by the
family of woman on Sept.6. The brother is now under arrest.” Sister said the
family had “all the proof of the relationship and there was no kidnapping”. Indian
Express
'Judicious, not arbitrary justice': Assam student
body appeals to minority minister for fair NRC trials
North East Minorities Students’ Union (NEMSU) has
sought minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's help to ensure judicious
and not arbitrary trials in the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in the cases of
people who have been excluded from the final NRC list. "Most of the
excluded people are financially so weak that they cannot even think about going
to the High Court or Supreme Court for further recourse," the group said
in a letter to Naqvi and sought a fair means of justice at the courts created
for foreigners in Assam. FTs are quasi-judicial bodies meant to "furnish
opinion on the question as to whether a person is a foreigner within meaning of
Foreigners Act, 1946". Until recently, FTs dealt with 2 kinds of cases -
those against whom a "reference" is made by the Border Police and
those whose electoral identity is "doubtful".However, tensions are
high as all the cases of people excluded from NRC being referred to these
quasi-judicial bodies, given that the court has the power to declare a person
foreigner via ex-parte proceedings. Earlier, K Kishan Reddy, Home Minister, in
a reply to an unstarred question, informed Lok Sabha that 63,959 people have so
far been declared foreigners via ex-parte proceedings in FTs in Assam from 1985
to Feb.2019.In another reply, MoS once again told Parliament that 1,17,164
people have been declared foreigners in the state till 2019. Given the total
number of verdicts, it is clear that more than half have been declared
ex-parte. NEMSU raised the concerns of "minor reasons" such as wrong
"spellings, difference in the surnames and intentional act on part of some
officers" because of which persons have been excluded from NRC."People
may have been excluded from NRC because of these errors but FTs must
judiciously take note of it during the hearing of appeals," NEMSU leader Zulfikar
Ahmed said.news18
Muslim family attacked by mob at Aligarh railway
station
A Muslim family travelling from Kannauj was
attacked after getting off a train at the Aligarh railway station on Sunday.
According to the family, they were beaten up by a mob of around 15 men who
didn’t specify why they were being violent.“They were getting down from the
train and suddenly a group of 15 attacked them. They were wearing saffron and
screaming slogans. They were attacked because they were Muslim,” said Farhan
Zuberi, an eyewitness.The family includes 2 men and 2 women who were travelling
to Aligarh as one of them needed medical care at a hospital there.After they
were assaulted, they were taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College at the AMU
where they were treated for their wounds. One of the men has a minor head
injury while both have several bruises on their bodies.The police have
registered an FIR against unidentified people. Students at AMU took out a
protest march against the attack to “send a strong message to all those
elements who are helbent (sic) on destroying the communal harmony at
Aligarh”.thewire
School student cooks up kidnapping story, mob
beats up 2 men in Kerala
Kochi : 2 men were grievously assaulted by a mob
in Malappuram, Kerala after a school student alleged that they attempted to
kidnap him. Later, after the police intervened, it was found that the boy, who
studies in class 9, had cooked up the ‘kidnapping’ story to skip school that
day.An officer at Vazhakkad police station said that a class 9 student on
Monday told locals in Omanoor town that 2 men, in a car, had attempted to
kidnap him. When visuals from a nearby CCTV camera of a shop were perused, the
boy pointed at a car and claimed that the men in the car had tried to abduct
him, the officer said. Police, after being informed of the incident, directed
the men in the car to appear at the police station. But on the way to the
station, the men were waylaid by unidentified locals of the town who proceeded
to assault them. The men, Safarullah (29) and C. Rahmath Ali (32), had to be
admitted to a private hospital for the injuries they sustained.“the boy later confessed
that he had made up the kidnapping story to avoid going to school,”officer
said. While attempt to murder charges were filed against 40 unidentified men, 3
people have been arrested so far. indianexpress
UP: Dalit youth killed, ailing mother dead,
accused says ‘did it for honour’
Hardoi : 2 fathers are neighbours but couldn’t be
further apart. Mithilesh Pal, a Dalit, is at home, alone, ill and grieving,
after cremating his wife and 23-year-old son the same day. The other, Radhey
Gupta, an OBC, is in a police station lock-up 8 km away along with his wife and
daughter — for killing the 23-year-old by allegedly tying him to a charpoy and
setting him on fire, to save his family’s “honour”.On Sunday, Abhishank Pal
(23), fondly called Monu, was killed by family members of Shivani Gupta, with
whom he was reportedly in a relationship with, in what police said was an
honour killing. Abhishank was on his way to the hospital where his mother
Rambeti (56) was admitted when Shivani’s father and 2 associates caught him,
tied to the charpoy and set him on fire. 5 persons, including two women, are
accused, and 3 have been arrested.indianexpress
Dalit BJP MP stopped from entering village
A Dalit BJP MP representing Chitradurga
constituency in central Karnataka was on Monday stopped from entering the
village of a backward community.A Narayanaswamy, who represents Chitradurga
seat reserved for Scheduled Caste community members, was prevented from
entering a hamlet (Gollarahatti) of Kadu Golla tribe at Pemanahalli village in
Pavagada region of Tumakur district on the ground that he belongs to Dalit
community, which is considered untouchable by the Kadu Gollas.A video of MP’s
visit to Gollarahatti along with a team of social workers for development work,
which was aired on local channels, showed MP trying to reason with villagers to
allow him to enter while some locals insist he cannot enter the hamlet.indianexpress
If Chinmanayand gets arrested, Hindus will rebel:
Big Boss fame Omji
Shahjahanpur: SIT probing alleged rape of a law
student by BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand on Sunday examined 3 male friends of
the survivor, besides some employees of her college.The survivor's friends who
were examined included the one who was with her when she was located in Rajasthan
after having gone missing from Shahjahanpur late last month. He and the two
others were also present inside the car in which the girl had made her video
recording, narrating her ordeal.The apex court-appointed SITcalled them to
Police Lines in Shahjahanpur and recorded their statements, official sources
said. SIT also examined the principals of girl's alma mater — a law college and
a post-graduate college — both located on the campus of Mumukshu Ashram of
former Union minister Chinmayanand.SIT also examined two other college
employees, who had been summoned on Saturday but had failed to turn up for
recording of their statements.A beleaguered Chinmayanand, meanwhile, got
support from self-styled godman Swami Omji who threatened with rebellion by Hindu
society if a case is registered against the BJP leader."If any false case
is registered against Chinamayanand, then crores of Hindus will hit the streets
throughout the country and rise in rebellion," said Omji, who was also a
contestant in reality TV show Bigg Boss.PTI
Union minister Sinha says he, other BJP members
helped Jharkhand lynching convicts with legal fees:
Union minister Jayant Sinha has said he and some
other BJP leaders provided financial assistance to pay the legal fees of the
persons accused of lynching a meat trader in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh in 2017.“They
(accused) came from a poor family. Their family members requested us to assist
them financially in order to help them in hiring an able advocate. I, along
with other members of party (BJP) helped them in paying for the advocate’s
fees,” Sinha. His admission came a year after he triggered a controversy by
felicitating and posing with the six accused after they were released on bail
and taken straight to the minister’s residence in Hazaribagh.Sinha said
although he has sympathy for the victim’s family and condemns the lynching, the
accused in the case were “innocent”. “I have great sympathy for the victims’
family. Whatever happened is tragic but the people who came to my house were
innocent. You’ve made this assumption that they were the perpetrators. This
assumption of yours is flawed.” indian express
NGOs substantially financed by govt come under
RTI: SC
NGOs that are “substantially financed, directly
or indirectly”, by Govt funds will fall within the ambit of “public authority”
under RTI Act, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled. This would mean that these NGOs
will have to maintain records as provided under the Act, and every citizen will
have the right to get information from them. The judgment came from a bench of
Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose while rejecting claims by some
colleges and schools which contended that they are not public authority under
the Act. indian express
SC reserves order on Centre's review plea against
order diluting provisions of SC/ST Act
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today reserved its
order on the review petition filed by the Central Govt against its judgment
which had diluted the stringent provisions under the SC/ST (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act. A 3-judge bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra heard the
petition which was referred to it by a two-judge bench last week.The Centre had
filed the review petition asking it to rethink its verdict after a backlash
from the SC/ST community against the decision, which resulted in widespread
protests across the country.ANI
MHA approves suspension of 3 NIA officers in
terror funding case related to Hafiz Saeed's charity body
New Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs has approved
the suspension of 3 NIA officials including an officer of the rank — SP — in a
case related to terror funding. 3 officers were being probed in a charity
linked to global Hafiz Saeed. The officers had reportedly demanded a bribe of
Rs two crores from a Delhi businessman who was being probed in an alleged case
of terror funding.The officers were arrested last year for allegedly demanding
money from the businessman being probed in Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF)
terror funding case.The officers were transferred in order to ensure a fair
probe- NIA had earlier said. timesnownews
Save ‘holy desi cows’, slaughter American breeds:
AAP MLA tells Punjab CM
Chandigarh:An AAP MLA has urged Punjab CM Capt
Amarinder Singh to shun “politics of blind faith”, draw a clear distinction
between ‘desi’ and foreign breeds of cows and emphasised on the need to protect
the former and to slaughter the American variety. Aman Arora, who represents
Sunam in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, in a letter, lambasted the state Govt for
betraying people on the pre-poll promise of resolving the issue of stray
cattle. Arora said that the state Govt has left the masses at the mercy of
stray cattle despite taxing them for hundreds of crores on several items in the
name of ‘cow cess’.He said there were numerous video clips wherein American
breed stray bulls can be seen killing people on roads. “There is urgent need to
draw a clear distinction between American HF breed, which was developed in
Europe for meat, and our holy desi cow, as there is no genetic, religious,
emotional link between the breeds, which can easily be established by their DNA
test,” he said.IE
Cattle deaths at NDRI: Cops confirm deaths of 38
buffaloes, await committee report
Chandigarh :Haryana Police has confirmed the
deaths of at least 38 buffaloes at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI),
Karnal, in less than a week.A police team visited the institute, a day after an
Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) team did the same and launched an
investigation.Animal rights activist Naresh Kadyan had filed a police complaint
against NDRI Director Dr R B Singh, alleging that at least 75 buffaloes and
cows had died on the premises over the past week because they were given toxic
feed. He also alleged that the dead animals were buried without post-mortem and
the matter was “hushed up”. Police had lodged a DDR(Daily Diary Report) on the
basis of this complaint.Sanjeev Gaur, SHO of Karnal Civil Lines station, who
visited the spot, said NDRI officials told them 38 buffaloes had died since
Sept.11. “NDRI officials suspect some infection was the cause of death.”
indianexpress
At 17.5 million, Indian diaspora largest in world:
UN
India was the leading country of origin of
international migrants in 2019 with a 17.5 million strong diaspora, according
to new estimates released by UN, which said number of migrants globally reached
an estimated 272 million. International Migrant Stock 2019, a dataset released
by Population Division of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
today, provides the latest estimates of the number of international migrants by
age, sex and origin for all countries and areas of the world. The estimates are
based on official national statistics on the foreign-born or the foreign
population obtained from population censuses, population registers or
nationally representative surveys. The report said that top 10 countries of
origin account for one-third of all international migrants. In 2019, with 17.5
million persons living abroad, India was the leading country of origin of
international migrants.PTI
Delhi odd-even vehicle scheme: NGT dismisses plea
challenging implementation
NGT has dismissed a plea challenging implementation
of the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme in Delhi while raising questions on
the maintainability of the petition. While dismissing the plea, a Bench headed
by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said, “Under which section is the
plea maintainable?”The observations came when the green panel was hearing a
plea moved by advocate Gaurav Bansal who claimed that previous reports of Central
Pollution Control Board had stated that scheme
had no impact on the ambient air quality in the Capital. The petition was filed
following Sept.13 announcement on the fact that odd-even policy would be rolled
out in Delhi between Nov.4 and 15.
E-cigarettes banned, announces FM after cabinet
meet
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam today announced
that Cabinet has approved the decision to ban e-cigarettes.She made the
announcement after Cabinet meet.“Union Cabinet has given approval to ban
e-cigarettes. It means the production, manufacturing, import/export, transport,
sale, distribution, storage and advertising related to e-cigarettes are
banned,” said she.The decision comes after demands from several quarters to ban
ENDS, which includes e-cigarettes, Heat-Not-Burn devices, Vape, e-Sheesha,
e-Nicotine Flavoured Hookah, and other similar devices.HT
Prasad pushes for debate on constitutional
nationalism
New Delhi:Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
called for reflection on the idea of constitutional nationalism while pointing
out that the spirit of India through its culture and heritage was purposefully
captured in India’s original Constitution by way of illustrations of Indian gods
and rulers. “There is lot of talk of constitutional nationalism in the country
these days and many pledge their faith in it,” he said and added that the then PM
Jawaharlal Nehru along with other prominent leaders like Patel, Ambedkar,
Maulana Azad decided to ingrain Indian culture and heritage in the newly
drafted Constitution before it was presented to the Parliament. Nand Lal Bose, was
tasked with the job.HT
‘Dam
filled for one person’: Medha Patkar criticises Modi after Narmada dam’s water
level is raised
Activist Medha Patkar has said the grief of those
affected by Sardar Sarovar Dam project was overshadowed by the birthday
celebrations of PM Narendra Modi. The reservoir on Narmada River was filled for
first time to its full level of 138.68 metres on Sunday. Around 192 villages
were reportedly submerged after Gujarat Govt raised the water level. “CM and
officers raised the level of water in the dam to 139 metres only for the sake
of celebrating Modiji’s birthday,” Patkar said. “We damn celebrations. We wish
him a long life. But he should understand his duty and responsibility to let
people live.” Protestors took out a rally and observed “Dhikkar Diwas”.scroll
'Camera block nahi hona chahiye' Modi allegedly
moves aside official who was blocking camera
JNU sedition case: Delhi court asks AAP Govt to
decide on prosecuting accused within a month
Patiala House Court today gave the Delhi Govt
another month to decide on the sanction to prosecute former JNU student leaders
in a 2016 sedition case, PTI reported. The court said the time being taken to
approve the prosecution had wasted judicial time.Earlier in the day, the Delhi
Police had told the court that its request for sanction was still pending
before AAP Govt. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Manish Khurana adjourned the
hearing in the matter to Oct.25.scroll.in
JNUSU Polls: 'United Alliance' Comes Out on Top,
SFI's Aishe Ghosh Elected President
The united front of Left student organisations –
SFI, AISA, AISF and DSF – swept JNUSU polls, with Aishe Ghosh being elected
president on Tuesday.RSS-affiliated ABVP came second on the posts of president,
vice president, general secretary and joint secretary. Congress-affiliated NSUI
fielded candidate only for the post of president.The results of the polls, held
on Sept.6, were announced by the election committee after the Delhi high court
permitted it. The court had restricted the varsity from notifying the results
following petitions by two students. Left grouping’s presidential candidate and
SFI member Aishe Ghosh defeated Manish Jangid, from ABVP by bagging 2,313
votes. Jangid got 1,128 votes. Saket Moon, from DSF, was elected JNUSU vice
president and he bagged 3,365 votes. He defeated Shruti Agnihotri, from ABVP by
2,030 votes in the polls that saw a 67.9% turnout. Satish Chandra Yadav from
AISA was elected general secretary and he polled 2,518 votes to defeat
Sabareesh PA, who got 1,355 votes. PTI
$45 billion bet on India is rapidly unravelling: Economists
After pouring $45 billion into the stock market
over the past 6 years on hopes that PM Narendra Modi would unleash the
country's economic potential, international money managers are now unwinding
those wagers at the fastest pace on record. They've sold $4.5 billion of Indian
shares since June, on course for the biggest quarterly exodus since at least
1999."The euphoria around Modi before 2014 has tapered off," said Salman
Ahmed, the London-based chief investment strategist at Lombard Odier Investment
Managers, which oversees about $52 billion. It's hard to fault investors for
losing faith. The country's economic growth has decelerated for five straight
quarters to the weakest level since early 2013, one year before Modi became PM.
And the 5% headline number for the second quarter may actually understate how
painful the slowdown has become. Car sales are sinking at the fastest pace on
record, capital investment has plunged, the unemployment rate has surged to a
45-year-high and the nation's banking system is hamstrung by the world's worst
bad-loan ratio. Monday's oil-price spike adds yet another headwind for a
country that imports most of its crude. Bloomberg
WORLD
Israel poll: Netanyahu and rival Gantz headed for
deadlock
No clear winner has emerged from Israel's
election, leaving a question mark over who will be PM, partial official results
confirm. With about 60% of votes counted, the party of incumbent Benjamin
Netanyahu is neck and neck with that of his centre-left main challenger.The
results indicate that each will struggle to form a majority coalition with
smaller parties. Netanyahu is vying to stay in power for a record fifth term. The
latest results from Tuesday's vote suggest his Likud party won 31 seats, while
his opponent Benny Gantz's Blue and White party garnered 32 seats, Kan public
broadcaster says. A PM needs to command a 61-seat majority in Knesset. Official
results have been slow to be released, with only 60% of votes counted by 12:53.They
put Blue and White slightly ahead of Likud, with an alliance of Arab parties
third,ultra-Orthodox Shas party fourth and Yisrael Beiteinu, a nationalist
party, in fifth place. The tally does not say how this translates into seats in
the Knesset. Based on these reported results, neither leader can form a
majority coalition without support from Yisrael Beiteinu. That party's leader,
Avigdor Lieberman, reiterated that he would only support a Govt comprising both
Likud and Blue and White. However, Blue and White has ruled out sitting with Mr
Netanyahu in a coalition.bbc
Israel: United Torah Judaism open to unity Govt,
but without Lapid
Israeli security guards kill Palestinian woman at
West Bank checkpoint
Israeli security personnel have shot a
Palestinian woman at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank who later died of
her wounds. Witnesses said the woman was shot after missing a pedestrian lane
at Qalandiya checkpoint separating East Jerusalem from West Bank.A video showed
men with rifles confronting a woman who is several metres away and does not
appear to pose any immediate threat. Middleeasteye
Poll: 61% of Palestinians want Abbas to quit
61% of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip want Mahmoud Abbas to step down, a poll has found. Felesteen.ps reported that a survey conducted by the by Palestinian Centre
for Political and Polling Research between 11-14 Sept found that 50 % of
Palestinians want a return to an armed intifada in light of the lack of progress
in the peace process and 40% want to Palestinian Authority to be dissolved.MEMO
Tunisia: Saied, Karoui head to runoff after close
call in polls
Independent candidate Kais Saied and imprisoned
media mogul Nabil Karoui have advanced to a runoff after obtaining the most
votes in Tunisia's Sept.15 presidential election. The official announcement by
the country's electoral commission on Tuesday confirmed constitutional law
professor Saied won 18.4 %of the vote while Karoui, owner of popular TV station
Nessma TV, garnered 15.6 percent.Ennahdha's Abdelfattah Mourou came in third
with 12.9 percent.aljazeera
Saïed announces he will visit Algeria first if he
wins
Saudi joins US-led maritime coalition
Saudi Arabia said Wednesday it joined a US-led
coalition to secure the Mideast’s waterways amid threats from Iran after an
attack targeting its crucial oil industry. kingdom’s decision to enter the
International Maritime Security Construct came ahead of a planned visit by US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Saudi officials separately planned to share
information about the weapons used to attack a Saudi oil field and the world’s
largest crude oil processing plant.Australia, Bahrain and the UK have already
joined the mission.AP
Oil production to be fully restored by Sept end: Aramco
CEO
Saudi Aramco will be able to fully restore
production capacity by end of Sept, company’s CEO Amin Nasser said. Saudi
Aramco’s Abqaiq and Khurais plants were hit by drone attacks on Saturday,
severely curtailing their production capacity. Global oil prices shot up by
about 20% following the attack.
‘Saudi sold building where Khashoggi was killed’
Saudi Arabia has sold building housing its
diplomatic mission in Istanbul where Jamal Khashoggi was killed last year, a Turkish
tv said.According to Habeturk TV, building, located in upscale Levent
neighbourhood, was sold more than a month ago to an undisclosed buyer for a
third of its value."A new building for consulate had already been
purchased in Sariyer district, which also hosts US Consulate,"it added.aljazeera
Taliban delegation arrives in Tehran to discuss peace
deal
A political delegation from Afghanistan’s Taliban
arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran after a visit to Russia to hold peace
talks, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced. According to Arabi21, spokesman of Iranian
Foreign Ministry Abbas Mousavi said that members of Taliban’s political bureau
who are based in Qatar met with Iranian officials to discuss Afghan peace talks.
Sources reported Mousavi saying that delegation visited Tehran to discuss latest
developments in Afghanistan with Iranian officials, without giving more details.MEMO
Afghan: Taliban tell Trump their 'doors are open'
Taliban have said that their "doors are
open" should US President Donald Trump want to resume peace talks in the
future. Chief negotiator Sher Abbas Stanikzai insisted negotiation remained
"the only way for peace in Afghanistan" during an interview.Stanikzai's
words came a week after Trump declared the talks "dead". US Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo has issued a statement condemning recent Taliban attacks,
saying the group "must begin to demonstrate a genuine commitment to
peace". Stanikzai dismissed American concerns, telling BBC Taliban had
done nothing wrong."They killed thousands of Talibans according to
them," he said. "But in meantime, if one [US] soldier has been killed
that doesn't mean they should show that reaction because there is no ceasefire
from both sides." "From our side, our doors are open for
negotiations," he added. "So we hope the other side also rethink
their decision regarding the negotiation."Stanikzai said a ceasefire
between Taliban and foreign troops would have come into effect after the
agreement was signed. However, no such ceasefire would have existed between Taliban
and Afghan Govt forces, he said. Stanikzai said intra-Afghan talks would have
started on 23 Sept, had a deal been reached, and would have included
discussions about a wider ceasefire.BBC
Pakistan PM aims to restart Afghan peace talks
Pakistan PM Imran Khan said today that his Govt
would try to revive Afghanistan peace talks that recently broke down between US
and the Taliban.“I assure you that we will use full force so that these
dialogues proceed further. It is unfortunate that these peace talks were
suspended,” Khan said.“We will try our best to revive the Afghan peace
process.”Reuters
Egypt sentences 148 Muslim Brotherhood men to
jail
Cairo:An Egyptian court has sentenced 148 members
of the Muslim Brotherhood to jail ranging from 5 to 25 years over breaking into
a police station in upper Egypt's province of Minya, paper reported. Minya
Criminal Court sentenced 11 of them to life sentence, which is 25 years in jail
in Egypt. Another 106 received 15 years in jail.The defendants were accused of
storming a police station, and setting it ablaze following the security
dispersal of two Islamist sit-in in Cairo in 2013.Xinhua
Flash: NEWS,views,Articles
Rajeev Dhavan, Atticus Finch of Our Times:M.
Katju
No ground for an NRC in Haryana,UP. Loose talk
around it can only trigger anxieties and fears: indian express
Supreme Court’s example of Goa as a state with a
Uniform Civil Code is inconsistent with Article 44:Tahir Mahmood
Uniform
Civil code —debate, the status: Faizan Mustafa
S Jaishankar's remarks on PoK an attempt to shift
Kashmir debate, but little chance of India raiding Pak:Sreemoy Talukdar
Abrupt move in Valley feeds into already
prevailing sense of alienation, religious radicalisation: Sharat Sabharwal
Nothing Is Normal in Kashmir, Except
Normalisation of Conflict:Maya Mirchandani
Kashmir
and changing forms of colonialism: P. Chatterjee
Invoking PSA against Farooq Abdullah is
draconian, veteran leader subjected to gross injustice:Amritananda
Chakravorty/IPA
Print media burdened with higher input cost; Govt
chants “Make in India” mantra:Vishwadeepak
‘Air pollution particles found on foetal side of
placentas’
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 8:19 PM)
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