21 Sept. 2019: 21 Muharram 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 18
INDIA:J&K ISSUE
Developmental agenda, not Kashmir to be PM Modi's
focus at UNGA; Imran will 'forcefully present issue
Against the backdrop of recent developments in J&K,
all eyes are on UN General Assembly (UNGA), especially the speeches that PM
Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan will make during the
session there. Khan, who will be addressing UNGA on Sept.27, has said he will
"forcefully" raise the issue of J&K at the forum. Modi is also
scheduled to address the world body the same day.PM Modi is expected to focus
his address on developmental issues along with the global challenges like
terrorism and climate change. An indication that Modi would not be drawn into
Khan's rhetoric play was given by India's Permanent Representative to UN Syed
Akbaruddin, who said: "There may be some who stoop low. Our response to
them is -- we soar high. They may stoop low, we soar high."His comment
came when asked what would be India's response as Khan is set to raise the
issue at UNGA. Pakistan has been desperately trying to internationalise the
issue of J&K ever since Govt of India ended special status of the state on
August 5. IANS
Imran Khan will 'forcefully present Kashmir issue
like never before' in UNGA address
PM Modi leaves for US, India ready to counter Pak
on J&K at UN meet: If they stoop more, we soar
UN chief may raise Kashmir dispute in General
Assembly session, says spokesperson
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres may raise
the ongoing situation in J&K in the General Assembly session next week, a
spokesperson said. This came a day after Guterres emphasised that dialogue
between India and Pakistan was an “absolutely essential element for the
solution of the problem”.“On Kashmir, as the Secretary‑General said and has
said previously, he remains engaged,” UN for Secretary-General Stéphane
Dujarric said. “I think he will also use the opportunity of discussions during
General Assembly to raise it. He’s also underscored the need for dialogue as
the only way to resolve the issue and, as part of the solution for the current
crisis in Kashmir, to make sure that human rights aspects are very much dealt
with, as well.”scroll
Howdy Modi : Lawsuit filed against PM Modi in a
US court for human rights violation in Kashmir
A group of Kashmiri activists along with
Khalistan Referendum Front has filed a lawsuit against PM Modi in a Houston
court, accusing him of human rights violations in Kashmir. The lawsuit accuses
the PM and Home Minister Amit Shah along
with General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon of carrying out “extrajudicial killings,
wrongful deaths, emotional distress, crimes against humanity” and for
inflicting “cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment” upon Kashmiris. As
per sources, litigants in this lawsuit are US based Kashmiris who did not wish
to be named. nationalheraldindia
Heavy rain wreaks havoc, kills 2 in Houston ahead
of ‘Howdy, Modi’ event
The stage is all set for the mega “Howdy Modi”
event in which Donald Trump will join PM Narendra Modi where they will address
Indian-Americans, but the torrential rains triggered by a tropical storm have
wreaked havoc in Houston, killing 2 persons.Tropical Depression Imelda slammed
Texas, causing devastating flooding, power outages and prompting urgent rescues
and warnings across south-eastern Texas for people to stay indoors.Texas
Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency for 13 counties in
south-eastern Texas. Trump, along with a number of high-ranking US Govt
officials — including governors, members of Congress and mayors — will join
Modi to attend the “Howdy Modi!” event on Sunday.PTI
‘Trump to
meet Imran on Monday, Modi on Tuesday’
US President Donald Trump will meet Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Monday,
a day after he joins PM Narendra Modi for the mega "Howdy Modi" event
in Houston and will again hold a meeting with PM Modi in New York on Tuesday, a
senior official has said. Both the meetings with the leaders of India and
Pakistan would be held in New York on the sidelines of the 74th session of UNGA,
a administration official said. PTI
SC asks juvenile justice panel of J&K HC to
look into child detention charge
The Supreme Court has asked the Juvenile Justice
Committee of J&K High Court to look into allegations of detention of
children after Centre’s move to scrap the state’s special status on August 5. A
bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer also issued
notice on a habeas corpus plea by one Asifa Mubeen against the detention of her
husband Mubeen Ahmed Shah under J&K PSA on August 7. The court sought a
reply in 2 weeks. indian express
'How many children have you detained?: Mehbooba asks
Amit Shah
The former CM of J&K Mehbooba Mufti has sent
a list of 9 questions for India’s home minister Amit Shah. The questions
concern the number of detentions of residents of J&K which the state has
made. Mufti has also especially enquired about the number of children detained.
Mufti herself has been detained in her house since Aug.5 and has not had access
to the internet, like the rest of J&K. It appears that her Twitter account
is now being operated by her daughter, Iltija Mufti.Iltija sent a copy of her
mother’s questions on the detentions to the home secretaries of the Govt of
India and J&K. Iltija has also posted these questions on Twitter.The Wire
Omar, Farooq feel betrayed, won’t keep quiet: Family
Srinagar: “My brother Omar and father Farooq
Abdullah feel betrayed by the manner in which the Govt of India has treated
them and abolished the special status of J&K,” says Safia, the first member
of the Abdullah family to break her silence on the detention of 2 National
Conference leaders in the wake of the August 5 abolition of J&K’s special
constitutional status. Safia Abdullah Khan also expressed her shock at the
arrest of her father under PSA on Sept.15, revealing that he was served the
orders of his detention under the draconian act at 11:30 pm that night.“He was
asleep at the time and the Magistrate along with other officials woke him up.
They first inquired about his health and then handed over a dossier explaining
the grounds of his arrest,” she said.A former CM and currently MP from
Srinagar, Farooq Abdullah is the most high profile victim of the PSA, which
allows the authorities to detain ‘first time offenders’ for at least three
months without trial. PSA was introduced in 1978 by Farooq Abdullah’s father
and NC founder Sheikh Abdullah to tackle timber smuggling. However, over the
years, the law has been widely used against separatist leaders and activists,
stone-pelters and militants.thewire
Yashwant Sinha on deportation from Srinagar: Was
treated as if I am a terrorist, hijacker
New Delhi :Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha,
who was ‘forcibly’ sent back from Srinagar by the J&K administration on
Tuesday, said he went there to just meet a few friends but was deported as if
he was a “hijacker” and “terrorist”.Sinha said he was associated with a group
known as Concerned Citizens Group, which has been working for years trying to
bring peace to the Valley.“When we reached there, a person came to me and
introduced himself as the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam. There were other
police officials with him. He said he is my admirer. But I sensed that there is
something wrong. Then he said that others can go to Kashmir but you cannot be
allowed,” Sinha said.Sinha said that two hours later, the SP sent a written
order under Section 144 of CrPc restricting his entry to Budgam, stating his
visit could create a law and order situation. On his protest, the SP produced
another order which stated Sinha to go back.indianexpress
J&K: Over 500 academics, scientists issue
statement calling for end of curfew
Over 500 academics and scientists released a
statement on Saturday expressing their deep concern about the crisis in
J&K, over a month-and-a-half since the Indian Govt abrogated special status
for the state under Article 370 of the Constitution. J&K has been under a
curfew since August 5, when its special status was scrapped. National
Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, leader Omar Abdullah and PDP leader Mehbooba
Mufti have been put under detention, among others. “We are writing to express
our deep concern about the crisis in Kashmir that has now persisted for over a
month, and which was precipitated by the govt’s decision to de-operationalize
Article 370 of the Constitution and to end J&K’s full statehood,” the
signatories to the statement said.“Since then, Govt has restricted
communications in Kashmir, detained opposition leaders and dissidents, and
flooded the state with security personnel.” scroll.in
In post-Article-370 Kashmir, local militants outnumber
foreigners
A total of 273 militants are currently active in
Kashmir, according to a list prepared by security agencies last week. Out of
them, 158 are based in South Kashmir, 96 in North Kashmir and 19 militants in
central Kashmir.At 166, the local militants outnumber the 107 foreign militants
operating in Kashmir.The militants belong to LeT, Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM), JeM
and Al Badr outfits. LeT tops the list with 112 militants followed by HuM with
100 militants, JeM with 58 militants and Al Badr with three militants.Sources
indicate that graph of infiltration from across the border has also gone up
with many successful infiltration attempts recorded since the scrapping of
Article 370 on August 5.IANS
JK: No phone services, yet residents receive fat
bills
Kashmir has been facing communications blackout
for the past 47 days with virtually no mobile phone and internet services, but
many residents in the Valley say they have been sent bills by telecom companies
for services that were not provided.The telecom firms have billed the
subscribers for the period of communication blockade which began on August
5."Mobile phone and internet services are not functional in Kashmir since
August 5 but still I have been billed Rs 779 by Airtel. I fail to understand
what are we being charged for," Obaid Nabi, resident of Safakadal, said. Umar,
who has a BSNL mobile connection, said his average monthly mobile bill used to
be around Rs 380 but he was surprised to find an inflated bill for the shutdown
period.PTI
OTHERS
Haryana, Maharashtra Assembly elections on
Oct.21, results on Oct.24
New Delhi:Elections to Assemblies of Maharashtra
and Haryana will be held on Oct.21, followed by counting of votes on Oct.24,
Election Commission announced. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the
notification for the elections in the two States would be issued on September
27, the last date for candidates to file nominations would be Oct.4, the date
for scrutiny of nominations would be Oct.5 and the last date for withdrawal of
candidature would be Oct. 7.The term of Haryana Assembly, with 90 seats, comes
to an end on Nov.2, and 288-seat Maharashtra legislature’s term expires on
Nov.9. In the run-up to the announcement, Arora said ECI officials had visited
the States and found them to be prepared since Lok Sabha elections were held
less than 6 months ago.A total of 1.82 crore electors in Haryana and 8.95 crore
in Maharashtra will be eligible to vote. the hindu
EC announces bypolls to 64 assembly seats, one
Lok Sabha constituency
New Delhi: Bypolls to 64 assembly seats and one
Lok Sabha constituency spread across 18 states will be held on October 21 and
the counting of votes will be on October 24, the Election Commission announced.
While assembly by-elections will be held on 64 assembly seats, Samastipur Lok
Sabha constituency in Bihar will also have a bypoll.These assembly seats
include 15 in Karnataka and 11 in UP.CEC Sunil Arora said the byolls in
Karnataka will be held on seats, including where sitting MLAs were disqualified
recently. The states where assembly bypolls will be held are Arunachal Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Telangana, MP, Meghalaya, Odisha, and Puducherry (one seat each).
The other states are Assam (4), Bihar (5), Gujarat (4), Himachal (2), Kerala
(5), Punjab (4),Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu (2 each) and Sikkim (3).PTI
Corporate tax reduction is credit positive for
companies,but increases govt’s fiscal risks:Moody's
Corporate tax reduction is credit positive for
companies, but increases Govt’s fiscal risks, according to Moody's Investors
Service, which does not expect the corporate tax rate cut to revive growth such
that stronger tax buoyancy compensates for the loss in revenue.India on Friday
announced a reduction in the base corporation tax rate to 22% from 30% as part
of stimulus measures to revive slowing economic growth."The move is credit
positive for companies because it will enable them to generate higher post-tax
incomes. However, it is credit negative for the sovereign, as it aggravates
mounting risks for the Govt in meeting its fiscal deficit target," said a
Moody's statement. Among Moody's rated non-financial companies in India,
commodity and IT services companies will benefit most from the tax rate cut.
However, the degree of strengthening in corporate credit profiles will depend
on whether companies reinvest surplus earnings into their businesses, or use
them to reduce debt or to boost shareholder returns. thehindu
Finance Minister announces tax bonanza for
corporates, exchequer to take ₹1.45L cr hit
In a major bonanza for corporates as part of
measures to promote growth and investment, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
on Friday announced to slash corporate tax rate to 22% for domestic companies
and 15% for new domestic manufacturing companies, besides other fiscal
reliefs.While the capital market responded immediately and the Sensex jumped a
thousand points, sceptics were also quick to doubt the efficacy of such
knee-jerk policy decisions. Finance Minister, they pointed out, had made the
announcement after dragging the economy to the brink and with this
announcement, has made a mockery of her own budget proposals made barely five
months ago.There are also doubts about how the hit would affect the Govt’s
fiscal deficit. And more blunt messages on social media wondered how rural
demand will be boosted by giving corporates more tax cuts. Critics also pointed
out that it was time for Indian corporate bodies to stop whining, put its act
together and learn to compete globally, rather than expect the public to bail
them out.Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “A headline-itis afflicted,
panic-stricken Modi Sarkar has cut corporate tax rates less than 3 months after
a Budget and 4 months before the next one. This is welcome but it is doubtful
whether investment will revive. This does nothing to dispel fear that pervades
in India Inc”. nationalheraldindia
GST Council hikes tax on caffeinated beverages,
cuts rates on hotel tariffs
Rich To Benefit, Poor Left To Fend For
Themselves: Kapil Sibal On Tax Cut
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal today attacked
the Govt over its move to cut corporate tax, alleging that the rich will
benefit while the poor left to fend for themselves. The Govt slashed corporate
tax rates for companies by almost 10 percentage points to 25.17% and offered a
lower rate to 17.01% for new manufacturing firms to boost economic growth rate
from a 6-year low by incentivising investments to help create jobs."Howdy,
Modi". Corporate Diwali. India foregoes 1.45 lakh cr. revenue. Need Diwali
for needy folk!" Sibal said.ndtv
Plea on behalf of 'Ram Lalla' socio-political
vehicle to build temple at Babri masjid site: Muslim parties
The lawsuit filed by deity 'Ram Lalla' through a
next friend in 1989 was nothing but a "socio-political vehicle" of
'Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas' to construct a new temple on the place of Babri masjid,
Muslim parties told the Supreme Court Friday.'Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas' is a trust
set up by 'VHP' on Dec.18, 1985 for construction of grand Ram temple at the
disputed site. A 5 judge Constitution bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, hearing
the politically sensitive case on 28th day, was told by senior advocate Rajeev
Dhavan, appearing for Muslim parties, that the 1989 lawsuit was not filed to
claim the structure, but to construct a new temple. "The suit number 5,filed
by next friend Deoki Nandan Agrawal on behalf of deity Ram Lalla Virajman and
the janambhoomi was the socio-political vehicle for Nyas to construct the
temple. This is what I believe," Dhavan told the bench.The former high
court judge, acting as the next friend to the deity and the 'janmbhoomi', had
filed the lawsuit in 1989 in the court to stake claim over the disputed land.
Dhavan alleged larger design behind filing of lawsuit on behalf of the deity
and said 'Nyas' was the trust created by VHP in 1985 and the case was filed
almost 4 years after to remove hurdles in building the temple. When lawsuit was
pending, VHP led the nation-wide stir for the Ram temple at the site and
started collecting 'shila' (special bricks) from people across the country and
later the structure was demolished. At the outset, the bench asked Dhavan,
appearing for Sunni Waqf Board and others including original litigant M Siddiq,
to show pictures of inscriptions, written in Arabic, on the pulpit of the
structure.Referring to one of the pictures taken in 1990, Dhavan said on the
top of the arch of the inner central 'mehrab', the word 'Allah' was written in
Arabic.Dhavan said the inscriptions also take one to irrefutable conclusion
that it was built in 1528 on the orders of Mughal emperor Babur. He reiterated
his submissions and said the 'Janmbhoomi' has been made a party to 1989 lawsuit
with the sole purpose to remove all the obstacles coming in the way of
construction of the temple. He repeated his submissions that said if the apex
court treated the land as the deity and a party to the case, all other persons
would lose their legal rights. "No title can be claimed, if the janmbhoomi
is considered the deity and a juristic person. No adverse possession can be claimed.
The land acquisition law will not apply," he said."The real reason
for the Janmasthan argument was to canvass two regimes, idol regime and bhoomi
regime," he said adding that if the land is held to be the juristic
person, then it can neither be divided nor be acquired. The bench wrapped up
day's hearing on Friday and will
recommence it on Monday.PTI /TOI
‘Inscriptions on Babri entrance counter temple
claims’
Ayodhya mediation: Bareilly clerics bat for talks
2 Muslim religious organisations dominated by
Bareilly clerics have come out strongly in support of getting the Ayodhya land
dispute resolved through mediation even as All India Muslim Personal Law
Board(AIMPLB) has maintained a studied silence on the issue.Ittehad-e-Millat
Council (IMC) and Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam, which wield considerable clout among
the Muslims in Bareilly and its adjoining regions, on Friday welcomed the
Supreme Court nod for resumption of mediation. “The court hearing in the case
is going on and we have always maintained that we will abide by its verdict in
the matter. But I am of the form opinion that it would be better for both the
communities to sit across the table and resolve this through talks, so that no
one emerges as a winner or loser in the matter,” said Maulana Tauqeer Raza of
IMC and Dargah Aala Hazrat. “The sooner we seal a pact on Ayodhya, the better
it would be for strengthening cordial relations and communal harmony in the
country,” said the cleric adding that he supported UP Sunni Waqf Board’s stand
for an out-of-court settlement.“No matter how vexed an issue may be, it can
always be resolved through dialogues. The court is seized with the matter and
we do not know what the final outcome would be. But we would accept it,” said
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, general secretary of the Tanzeem. UP Sunni Central
Waqf Board, while welcoming the SC’s order allowing resumption of mediation,
has issued a clarification denying allegations from a section of the clergy of
diluting its stand on the issue. Convenor of Babri Masjid Action Committee
Zafaryab Jilani, however, has rejected the Waqf Board’s proposal for talks. “It
would be a futile exercise. Mediation has already failed once. We will not
participate in the talks at this stage again. It would not succeed because the
opposite parties only want us to give up our claim and would not settle for
anything less. So where is the scope for a settlement,” he pointed out.Kamal
Farooqui of AIMPLB, however, said that the Board, according to him, had not
received any invitation from the mediation panel. “We will take a call and
decide what needs to be done as and when we are approached by (mediation)
panel,”he said. HT
BJP's Chinmayanand Arrested But No Rape Charge, Woman
Charged With Extortion
BJP's Chinmayanand, accused of
rape, was arrested and sent to jail on Friday, days after a law student
detailed what she said was a year of sexual assault and blackmail before a
court and close to a month after the allegations first surfaced. But the
politician's accuser has not been spared either. Woman has been charged with
extortion, based on a case filed by Chinmayanand's team. 72-year-old politician
has been charged not with rape but the watered down "misusing authority
for sexual intercourse" or "sexual intercourse not amounting to the
offence of rape", which carries a punishment of 5 to 10 years in jail and
a fine. A rape charge would have meant a 7-year jail term extending to a life
term. He has also been charged with stalking, criminal intimidation and
wrongful confinement. 3 men known to the woman have been arrested in the
extortion case. The police say the woman is also involved, but they are looking
for more proof to act further against her. Woman said: "There is no
justice. I already told the (police) in details how I was raped and yet he has
not been charged with rape. This has played out exactly as I feared. I do not
know what the planning is behind Chinmayanand's arrest. I have nothing to with
the extortion case." NDTV
SC Issues Notice to Centre Over Plea Filed by
Mothers of Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea filed
by mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who had allegedly committed
suicide following alleged caste-based discrimination, seeking to end such bias
in universities and other higher education institutions across the
country.While Vemula, a Ph.D scholar at Hyderabad Central University had committed
suicide on Jan.17, 2016, following alleged caste bias, Tadvi, a tribal student
at TN Topiwala National Medical College, committed suicide on May 22 this year
due to alleged caste-based discrimination by 3 doctors in her college. The SC bench issued notice on the plea and sought
response from the Centre in 4 weeks.Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing
for both the mothers, said there are UGC regulations but they are not being
implemented. She said there are documented incidents of suicides taking place
in university campuses. Petitioners have sought to enforce fundamental rights,
particularly Right to Equality, Right to Prohibition of Discrimination against
caste, and Right to Life. Petition has raised issues of the rampant prevalence
of caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions throughout the
country and has said that it reflects flagrant non-compliance with existing
norms and regulations in place.PTI
‘Trying to turn JNU campus into jail’ :
JNUSU against carrying ID cards
JNU has issued a circular asking students to
ensure that they carry their ID cards and those visiting them “cooperate with
security personnel whenever they ask for identity”.The circular was issued by
the university’s chief security officer, Naveen Yadav, on Sept.9 and the newly
elected students’ union has criticised it.“All residents are requested to carry
their ID cards and ensure their visitors should also cooperate with security
personnel whenever they ask for identity or want to search or frisk them or their
vehicle,”circular read. “From JNUSU, we condemn in the strongest of terms this
direction from the Security Dept. that comes under the guise of making JNU a
‘safe and secure campus’,” students’ union said. The “absurd” circular is
trying to turn JNU campus into a jail,they alleged.PTI
Was Hit With Cricket Stump as Cops Watched:
Jadavpur Univ Student
“They beat me with cricket bats, stumps and
sticks. I was hit on my forehead with a wicket, and I was bleeding. I could see
uniformed police personnel near me, and I asked them for help. But Kolkata
Police did not intervene,” said Pawan Shukla, injured Jadavpur University
student. That is the story behind the now viral picture of the injured Jadavpur
University student in a bloodstained white shirt.Shukla, a first-year postgraduate
student at JU, says he was assaulted by a 'Jai Shri Ram'-chanting mob right
outside his university campus on Thursday evening.Even as the university and
its immediate surroundings were subjected to arson, vandalism and thuggery,
students like Pawan bore the worst brunt of the violence on campus.Pawan
clarifies, “I am not part of any political organisation. I participated in the
anti-ABVP protest independently.”The protest was timed around an ABVP event for
which BJP MP Babul Supriyo had been invited to the campus. After having heated
verbal altercations on camera with the administration and students, Supriyo
left the university alleging he had been manhandled and physically assaulted as
well. thequint
Balakot-like surgical strike needed to destroy
anti-nationals of Jadavpur University: Bengal BJP chief
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has alleged
that the Jadavpur University campus has become a hub of anti-nationals and
communists and “our cadres” would conduct a Balakot-like surgical strike to
destroy it. Accusing TMC Govt of sitting idle till Union minister Babul Supriyo
got killed in the institute, Ghosh said he would write to Amit Shah describing
the incident.“ University campus is a hub of anti-national and communist
activities. This is not the first time that such an incident has happened
there. Just like our security forces conducted surgical strike to destroy
terror camps in Pakistan, our cadres would also carry out the same type of
surgical strike to destroy anti-national hubs in JU campus,” Ghosh said .PTI
Elgaar Parishad case: No incriminating evidence
against me, Arun Ferreira tells Bombay HC
Activist Arun Ferreira has contended before
Bombay High Court that there was no incriminating evidence against him, while
arguing for his bail application in Elgaar Parishad case. Ferreria was arrested
by the Pune City Police on August 28, 2018 for his alleged link with the banned
CPI-Maoist.Ferreira’s lawyer, advocate Sudeep Pasbola, told the court that he
was arrested only because of his acquaintance with co-accused Surendra Gadling,
and for being a member of Indian Association of People”s Lawyers (IAPL).Pasbola
told the court that Ferreira was in jail from 2007 to 2012 in 12 cases against
him. He was acquitted in all of them and was released in 2012 from Nagpur
Central Jail. During those years, Gadling, an advocate, was representing
Ferreira and therefore, he got acquainted with him, Pasbola told the
court.indianexpress
Sanjiv Bhatt fighting for being honest, people
watching as mute spectators:Wife
In another emotional post, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt
has accused the Gujarat Govt of reopening 30-year-old case against Sanjiv Bhatt
with malicious intent.Jamnagar Sessions Court in June this year had sentenced ex
Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to life imprisonment in a 1990 custodial
death case. This sentence has been challenged by Sanjiv Bhatt in Gujarat High
Court.Shweta in the Facebook post points out that both the cases against Sanjiv
were investigated and stayed by the Supreme Court. “It saddens me to see how
two nearly 30-year-old cases, both of which were duly investigated and stayed
by the Supreme Court of India were nefariously re-opened by misleading the
court with only one malicious intent – to subdue and silence the voice and
spirit of Sanjiv Bhatt,” reads the post from Shweta on Sanjiv’s Facebook
timeline.nationalheraldindia
No proof Chidambaram’s Delhi house ‘acquired from
proceeds of crime’: PMLA Tribunal
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)
Appellate Tribunal has said there is no evidence that the Jor Bagh house in New
Delhi, owned by former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his son,
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, was “acquired from proceeds of crime.” This
comes as a blow to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED’s) plans to attach the
property.e ED had, on Aug.1, issued a
notice to Karti asking him to vacate the Jor Bagh house in 10 days. The house
was attached by the agency on October 10, 2018, claiming that it was “acquired
from proceeds of crime” involving INX media case. The attachment order was
confirmed by PMLA adjudicating authority this March. PMLA Appellate Tribunal,
headed by retired Justice Manmohan Singh, in a recent order, has directed ED to
maintain “status quo” on the property. The Tribunal said, “There is no evidence
to show that the said property was acquired from proceeds of crime. There is
also no evidence that the appellant (Karti Chidambaram) is likely to dispose of
property in order to frustrate PMLA proceedings”. The Tribunal also noted ED’s
delay in not filing its response for over 5 months, after its direction on
April 23 to reply to Karti’s application within 6 weeks.nationalheraldindia
Digvijaya writes to MP govt, opposes
slaughterhouse near temples
Bhopal:Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has
said the decision of BJP-ruled Bhopal Municipal Corporation to build a slaughterhouse
near a temple on the outskirts of the city has hurt his feelings and of lakhs
of devotees.He wrote a letter to his son and Urban Development Minister
Jaivardhan Singh requesting to immediately stop the implementation of the
decision, which was taken by the municipal body when BJP Govt was in power in
the state.Singh pointed out that during Navratri, many pilgrims visit the
Kankali Mandir, which is close to Aadampur Chhavni, the site of the
slaughterhouse. 3 more temples, including a Ram Mandir and an ISKCON temple are
located on road leading to Kankali Mandir, he added. I.Express
Social media firms cannot escape liability for
fake news spread on their platforms, says Madras HC
Madras High Court has said social media firms
cannot escape liability for the damage done to society through the spread of
fake news and rumours on their platforms. The HC has said social media
companies need to be held responsible for the misuse of their platforms.scroll
UP farmers march to Delhi to protest against their
distress
Farmers from UP have begun their march towards
New Delhi to raise agricultural demands such as loan waiver. The protest march
has been organised by Bharatiya Kisan Sangh which is focusing on the Govt’s
unfulfilled promises. The barefoot farmers who have started from Saharanpur in UP
will end the march in New Delhi wherein they will be presenting a range of
demands before the Modi-led Govt. Bharatiya Kisan Sangh vice-president Radhe
Thakur said there are several thousand farmers part of Kisan-Mazdoor Yatra from
Saharanpur to Delhi. He added that plight of farmers needs serious
consideration from Govt as they daunt with escalating financial problems while Govt
remains oblivious to their problems. Referring to sugarcane farmers, Thakur
said they have not been paid their dues and added that electricity hike by the
Yogi Adityannath Govt in UP has imposed an additional burden on farmers forcing
them to commit suicide.He said Govt ought to give farmers assurance that their
demands will be met or else they will continue their protest march and won’t
leave Delhi. newsx
Only Pulwama attack-like incident can change
people's mood in Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar
Aurangabad:Ahead of the Assembly elections, NCP
chief Sharad Pawar has stoked a possible controversy by saying that only a
Pulwama attack-like incident can change the mood of the people of Maharashtra
as they have resentment for the incumbent Fadnavis-led Govt in the
state."Before Lok Sabha polls, there was an environment of anger and
distress against PM Narendra Modi. However, Pulwama attack on CRPF jawans had
changed entire scenario," Pawar said.He continued, "Now people's mind
can be changed only with other Pulwama attack-like situation."Pawar also
claimed that when he enquired about Pulwama attack took place in Feb.this year,
he suspected that it was "deliberately orchestrated"."I have
worked in Defence. When I talked to some officials that time I suspected the
attack was deliberately orchestrated or Pakistan may be behind it," he
said. He continued saying that the airstrikes led to boost the popularity of
Modi Govt. However, he maintained that Modi's popularity will not work in
Maharashtra as people are not satisfied with the Fadnavis Govt.ANI
Collegium changes decision: Justice Kureshi goes
to Tripura, not MP
The Supreme Court Collegium has decided to
recommend appointment of Justice Akil Kureshi as Chief Justice of Tripura High
Court instead of MP as decided earlier. This was decided by the Collegium
comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde and NV Ramana on Sept.5. The
Collegium had on May 10 recommended that Justice Kureshi, who is the
“senior-most Judge from Gujarat High Court” be appointed as Chief Justice of MP
High Court. However, Govt referred the proposal back to the CJI through 2 communications
along with “accompanying material”.Collegium went though them and decided to
reiterate its recommendation to recommend his elevation as Chief Justice but
with the change that it will be to Tripura HC instead of MP as decided earlier.
indianexpress
Mob Violence Against Christians on the Rise in
India
New Delhi :As many as 159 cases of mob violence
against the minority Christian community were recorded in the last 8 months of
this year. Since the beginning of this year, with UP topping the list, around
218 incidents of violence were recorded in 243 days of 2019. This was revealed
on Friday by Alliance Defending Freedom India (ADF India) in its latest report
which has been tracking hate violence against Christians in the country. The
mob violence and attacks on the weaker sections (Dalits) and religious
minorities including Muslims and Christians have become commonplace since the
BJP-led Govt came to power at Center in May 2014 first time. Releasing the
report,ADF India said violence against Christian community has a pattern with
the help of Police mob attack worship places while the prayer is going on. Director
of ADF India, AC Michael said modus operandi followed in all cases of mob
violence against Christians as they showed same pattern.Caravan Daily
NRC: Fact-finding team finds anomalies, bias in
functioning of foreign tribunals
Omela Khatun, 40, a resident of Mangaldai of
district Darrang is an example of how Foreign Tribunals function. The Darrang
Superintendent of Police filed a case against Omela Khatun in FT, alleging that
she was a foreign national. She testified in front of the FT and showed
relevant documents as proof of her citizenship including voter list of her
parents and grandparents who have been casting their votes since 1966. Khatun
was declared as Indian Citizen on the basis of the documents she presented and
her oral submission.In 2019, a complaint was made by the Police saying that
Khatun entered Assam after March 25, 1971. Omela Khatun argued that she has
been declared as ‘Indian Citizen’ back in 2015 and has submitted relevant
documents as proof. On July 18, 2019, FT changed the decision on the basis of
her lineage and declared Khatun as a ‘Foreigner’. Khatun produced her PAN card
in front of the FT with her father’s name on it, along with the voter list of
1971 in which her father has cast his vote.Khatun’s case is not an anomaly, it
is the new normal in Assam. A fact-finding team sent by a civil society group
called United Against Hate, checked on allegations against foreigners tribunals
in Assam. They stated in their report that FTs were trying to declare "as
many Bengali Hindus and Muslims foreigners as possible".“We found lots of
anomalies and a clear bias in the way the foreigners tribunals are disposing of
cases,” the team said in its report, which was titled ‘Democracy under
Detention: Horrors of NRC’.nationalheraldindia
Documentary Captures Real Picture of Assam Post
NRC
‘Prasad Mukherjee protected Assam from Pakistan,
BJP will protect its Hindus’: Ram Madhav
Silchar :BJP’s national general secretary Ram
Madhav Friday blaming past govts for anomalies in NRC said, “In 1951, NRC was
done in the entire country except Assam due to inefficiencies and disagreement
of past Govts. Congress Govt successfully passed Assam Accord in 1985 but
ignored NRC and delayed the process by 70 years.”“We are dealing with a
much-delayed project, so some anomalies are natural. But I can assure the
people of Assam that we will fix the issues. Our Govt is committed to
protecting all the genuine Indians along with persecuted Hindus who came to
India till Dec.31, 2014,” he asserted. Referring to Dr Shayma Prasad Mukherji’s
role in ‘saving’ Assam from Pakistan, Madhav said, “We are followers of Dr
Shayma Prasad Mukherji, providing adequate security to persecuted Bengalis is
our tribute to the great leader from Bengal. Dr Mukherji actually saved Assam
from being a part of Pakistan. Assam was a group-C state and was supposed to be
a part of East Pakistan during partition but Dr Mukherji along with Gopinath
Bardoloi saved it.” indian express
Mumbai University to hold Urdu academy awardees event in
collaboration with Idara-e adab-e-Islami
Urdu writers have questioned Mumbai University’s
Urdu department’s decision to organise a felicitation ceremony for State Urdu
academy awardees in collaboration with Idara-e adab-e-Islami, a literary wing
of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. The event will take place on Sunday at the
university's Kalina campus. Mumbai-based Urdu writer Rahman Abbas, who won
Sahitya Akademi Award for the novel Rohzin in 2018, has slammed the
department’s initiative and initiated a campaign in protest against this
collaboration. Abbas’s post on Facebook had created a quite a stir when he
“urged all likeminded people to take part in our campaign to call the head of
the [Urdu] department to ask him not to be affiliated to a group which has
publicly said that it is against progressive thinking and wants to do
Islamisation of literature.” Senior Urdu fiction writer Salam Bin Razak, also a
recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, said, “We have nothing against people
working with the Jamaat but we disagree with their ideology and Mumbai
University should stay away from such collaboration.” Aslam Ghazi, founder member
of Idara-e adab-e-Islami, countered the charges of communalism, saying that
people who are objecting to the collaboration have a problem with religion
entering literature. “If Marxist ideology can come into literature, if Dalit
literature can be written and Christian beliefs are articulated in books, if
‘Mahabharat’ is about religion, then why can’t our religious beliefs be
accommodated?” he asked. Professor Sahab Ali, head of Urdu department, said
that the people who are criticising the collaboration belong to the kind that
will have problems with virtually anything that happens in the city. He said
literature is all about communication and the felicitation ceremony is an attempt
at having a dialogue.MumbaiMirror
Maharashtra: SIO to take up statewide campaign to
promote harmony in society
Mumbai:Students Islamic Organisation of India
(SIO), students’ wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, will be undertaking a 10-day
statewide campaign starting Saturday, to promote harmony in society.As part of
the campaign, titled ‘One God — One Human Family’, SIO will travel across 20
districts in Konkan, Western Maharashtra and Marathwada regions in an effort to
reach out to 60 lakh people. “Thanks to modern capitalism, people are largely
occupied with gathering resources to meet their basic needs. Their entire time
is consumed by it.Hence, they are removed from the excesses and atrocities
meted out to those around them. We need to make people aware of their position
in the world and share a message of mutual love and brotherhood, which is a
guarantee for individual and societal success,” said Salman Ahmed, zonal
president, SIO South Maharashtra. During the campaign, SIO members will engage
with students in cities and towns through activities such as corner meetings,
lectures in schools and colleges, street plays, human chains and
exhibitions.indianexpress
RSS book on 21st-century outlook cites connection
between 'Islamic Jihad' and 'Terrorism'
RSS roadmap for 21st century, a much-awaited book
scheduled to be released by RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Oct.1,has
indicated towards a connection between 'Islamic jihad' and terrorism."This
terrorism is prefixed with the concept of Islamic jihad because innocents were
massacred in the name of Jihad. Let's not say it in a different way. Denying it
would be estranging the truth", read a comment made in the context of 1993
Mumbai attack and 9/11 attacks. Author, Sunil Ambekar, organising secretary of
ABVP, students' wing of RSS, makes these comments in the context of remarks
made by Carrier Gracie of BBC in March 2017 where she says that Islamic
terrorism is threatening the entire world.Author in his book, however,
clarifies that "Muslim majority states are definitely not a monolith. 5
are declared Islamic states, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and
Iran. There are 17 countries where Islam is the state religion. And there are
many secular states too."ANI
No conditions for madrassa admission: Child
rights panel
Parents
can send their wards to the school of their choice and no one should deny the
opportunity for religious studies to children just because they did not choose
a particular school, said Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (KeSCPCR). The commission issued the order while considering a petition
filed by a Kannur native who sought KeSCPCR’s intervention against Anjarakkandy
palayam juma masjid's stand that his daughter won't be admitted to its madrassa
since she was not admitted to Anjarakkandy Mappila LP school run by the
masjid.The masjid’s stand went against the best interest of the student. “Nobody
can question the parents prerogative to choose a nearby school of their
convenience,” KeSCPCR said. It also asked the waqf board authorities to ensure
that masjid committees do not pose such hindrances for the religious studies of
children.TOI
NIA conducts raid to probe TN-Kerala IS module
Tirunelveli: A 5-member NIA team from Kochi
conducted a raid here as a follow up to probe Tamil Nadu-Kerala ISIS module.A
person identified as Divan Mujibur was questioned in connection with the case.
NIA had earlier conducted a search in Chennai in connection with Ansarullah
case on July 9.ANI
Pak Sikh
girl seeks protection for in-laws from kin
Pakistani Sikh woman Jagjit Kaur alias Ayesha,
whose parents had alleged that she was abducted in Nankana Sahib in August this
year, forced to convert to Islam and married to a Muslim youth, has approached
the Lahore high court, seeking protection for her in-laws from her family and
the Sikhs of Nankana Sahib.She has also appealed for her release from
Lahore-based women’s shelter Dar-ul-Aman, so she could live with her husband. TOI
WORLD
In rare protests, Egyptians demand El-Sisi's
removal
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets
across several cities in Egypt, in a rare show of dissent against President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square late on Friday, the demonstrators
chanted slogans such as "the people demand the fall of the regime"
and "leave Sisi", echoing the chants that rang out in the same place
more than eight years ago and which brought down longtime leader Hosni
Mubarak.In Alexandria, hundreds marched to the waterfront, chanting "rise
up, fear not, Sisi must go", while in the port city of Damietta,
protesters tore down a large poster of the president, a former general who has
presided over a broad crackdown, jailing thousands of dissidents and banning
protests. The protests came as el-Sisi headed to US to attend UN General
Assembly. Protests were reported in at least eight cities, with the largest
crowds gathering in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. Videos and photos of the
protests were shared on social media with the hashtag #Tahrir_Square, which was
trending worldwide on Friday. AFP ,
citing a security source, said at least 74 people were arrested. The protesters were responding to a call by
exiled businessman Mohamed Ali, who urged Egyptians to take to the streets
after a highly-anticipated football match between Al Ahly and Zamalek clubs in
Cairo. In a series of videos posted on Facebook and Twitter, Ali, who said he
worked as a building contractor for the army for 15 years, has accused el-Sisi
and his aides of squandering public funds on vanity projects despite rising
poverty. "Sisi has taken low-level corruption to a new level. I built five
villas for Sisi's aides and a palace for the president in a military camp in
Cairo," he said from Spain, where he is currently in self-imposed
exile."Mohamed Ali is probably the most popular man in Egypt right
now," said Mohamad Elmasry, chair of the media and journalism programme at
the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, citing the millions of people who have
watched his online videos and used his anti-Sisi hashtags.aljazeera
Egyptian businessman calls on El-Sisi to step
down
HRW urges Egypt to respect right to peaceful
protest
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Egyptian
authorities to protect the right to peaceful protest, one day after rare
demonstrations erupted against Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah
al-Sisi.“President al-Sisi’s security agencies have time and again used brutal
force to crush peaceful protests,” said Michael Page, Middle East and North
Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should recognize
that the world is watching and take all necessary steps to avoid a repetition
of past atrocities.”Anadolu Agency
Netanyahu trails Gantz by 2 seats in latest
Israeli election results, ahead of scrap to form coalition
Benny Gantz has opened up a 2-seat lead over
Benjamin Netanyahu in the "almost final" results of Israel's
razor-tight election, as both men prepare for a fight to command a
parliamentary majority and form a Govt. Gantz's Blue and White Party have 33
seats to Likud's 31 in the latest standings from Tuesday's do-over election,
according to Israel's Central Elections Committee.Poll officials say tallies
won't be absolutely final until they have investigated the ballots at 15
polling stations where there were suspected voting irregularities. Gantz has
already declared victory in the race, calling on Thursday for a unity Govt
under his leadership. But crucial next stage in the process will come on
Sunday, when Israel's President Reuven Rivlin is set to begin consultations
with leaders of all parties and decide who will get the first attempt at
forming a Govt.With 120 seats in Parliament, both Gantz and Netanyahu need to
build a coalition to succeed, giving small parties a vital say in the shape of next
Govt.CNN
Mossad chief prepares to become Netanyahu’s
successor
Chief of Israeli Mossad, Yossi Cohen, is
preparing to succeed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as the head of the Likud
party, Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper reported on Friday.In the past, Netanyahu has
hinted to Cohen as a possible replacement for him, among other figures of
Likud.According to the Hebrew Israeli paper Yedioth Ahronoth, Al-Quds Al-Arabi
stated that Cohen had examined the seriousness of Netanyahu’s intention years
ago.After the countdown had commenced for Netanyahu, Cohen mentioned that he
had started to receive calls asking whether he intended to accept a position as
successor. middleeastmonitor
'Powerful states' blocking data on firms in
Israeli settlements
Amnesty International is urging UN member states
to use the next Human Rights Council session on Palestine to demand the release
of a database of companies operating in the illegal Israeli settlements.In a
new report published on Friday, the rights organisation stressed that Office of
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR) has repeatedly delayed publication
of the database, despite initial plans to release it in March 2017 itself. aljazeera
Archbishop slams extrajudicial executions by
Israel
Archbishop Atallah Hanna, of Sebastian Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, slammed on Friday the extrajudicial
executions of Palestinians by Israeli occupation soldiers.His remarks came
following the execution of a Palestinian woman at the Qalandia Checkpoint,
between Ramallah and Jerusalem, early this week. The archbishop described the
shooting of the Palestinian woman by the Israeli soldiers, as “leaving her bleeding
to death” and as an “intentional and clear violation of all international and
humanitarian laws and conventions.”MEMO
Ennahda announces supporting Kaïs Saïed in second
round of Tunisian presidential elections
Tunisian Ennahda Movement has announced its
support for candidate and university professor, Kaïs Saïed, who came first in initial
round of the presidential elections.Ennahda explained its stance, that it has
been inclined towards “the choice of the Tunisian people… we will support Kaïs
Saïed in the second round of the presidential elections,” said party’s
spokesperson, Imed Khemiri.Saïed, an independent university professor known for
his conservative ideals, came first in the opening round of the elections held
on Sunday, with 18.4 % of the votes. His rival is media tycoon, Nabil Karoui,
who was arrested in August on charges of money laundering, and won 15.6% of votes.Ennahda’s
candidate, Abdelfattah Mourou, came third in the first round with 12.9 % of the
votes.MEMO
Trump to deploy more troops to Saudi after attack
Pentagon has said that US will deploy additional troops and
military equipment to Saudi Arabia and UAE to beef up security, as President
Donald Trump has at least for now decided against any immediate military
attacks in response to those on the Saudi oil industry.Secretary of Defense
Mark Esper said this is the first step, and he is not ruling out additional
moves down the road. He said it is a response to requests from Saudi Arabia and
the UAE to help improve their air and missile defences.aljazeera
Yemen's Houthis say will stop all attacks on
Saudi
An official with the Houthi rebel movement in
Yemen has said it will stop aiming missile and drone attacks at Saudi Arabia,
warning that a continuation of the war could lead to "dangerous
developments". The announcement was made by Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the
Houthi's supreme political council, which controls the rebel-held areas in
Yemen. "We wait for a reciprocal move from them," Mashat said. Aljazeera
Iran threatens to make any aggressor 'main
battlefield'
The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards
warned that any country that attacks the Islamic republic will see its
territory turn into the conflict's "main battlefield"."Whoever
wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead," Guards
commander Hossein Salami said. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that US-allied
Saudi and UAE seem to wish to
"fight Iran to the last American".Zarif was responding to a statement
a day earlier by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Abu Dhabi
saying: "While the foreign minister of Iran is threatening all-out war and
to fight to the last American, we're here to build up a coalition aimed at achieving
peace."aljazeera
Letter detailing civilian presence failed to
prevent deadly US drone strike in Afghanistan, killing 30 farm workers
Jalalabad:12 days ahead of the pine-nut harvest
season, governor of Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province received a letter
from village elders in the Wazir Tangi area about their plans to recruit 200
labourers and children to pluck the dry fruit.The letter was sent in an effort
to help protect labourers from getting caught in clashes between US-backed
Afghan forces and Islamic State fighters in the mountainous terrain largely
controlled by the jihadists. US and Afghan forces routinely launch air strikes
to regain control over territory lost to militant groups.On Wednesday, just
hours after farmers, labourers and children finished their day’s work of
plucking pine nuts in the heavily forested area and lit bonfires near their
tents, a US drone hit the site, killing 30 civilians and injuring 40 others,
according to three Afghan provincial officials. Local residents expressed shock
and anger that the attack occurred despite the letter and subsequent assurances
of safety for the workers. “Warring sides had given their consent and
contractors were hired to bring in labourers from neighbouring provinces...no
illegal activity was being pursued, but even then, US drone killed innocent
people,” Sohrab Qadri, a member of Nangarhar provincial council said.A
spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan confirmed that the drone strike was
conducted by US with the intention of destroying the hideouts of IS fighters.
Angry residents took bodies to the provincial capital, Jalalabad, on Thursday
to protest the attack.Reuters
Flash: NEWS,views,Articles
Even as thousands are detained in Kashmir, courts
and legal system remain frozen:Anumeha Yadav,Menaka Rao
Farooq Abdullah Detention: The Supreme Court Is
Also on Trial:Markandey Katju
When It Comes to Paying Capacity, India's Traffic
Fines Are Among Highest in World:Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
How the dreams of a family man from Muzaffarnagar
were lynched 2,500 km away in Tripura:Harsh Mander
High growth cannot be sustained till India makes
adequate investments in infrastructure:S Mahendra Dev
Conspiracy around the Bhima Koregaon: To silence
the dissent emerging from universities:Apoorvanand
The growing scandal of Muslim concentration camps
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 8:27 PM)
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