22
OCT. 2019: 22 Safar 1441: Vol: 12, No: 43
INDIA:
Uphold right to religious freedom, protect
vulnerable individuals including 1.9 million in Assam at risk for statelessness;US
tells India
Washington:
Incidents of violence and discrimination against minorities, including attacks
on Dalits and Muslims by cow vigilantes, are not in keeping with India’s legal
protections for minorities, a top US diplomat told a Congressional subcommittee
today. “Incidents of violence and discrimination against minorities in India,
including cow vigilante attacks against members of the Dalit and Muslim
communities, and the existence of anti-conversion laws in 9 states are not in
keeping with India’s legal protections for minorities,” Acting Assistant
Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells told ubcommittee on Asia, Pacific, and
Nonproliferation of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She said US calls upon
the Indian govt to “fully” uphold the universal right to religious freedom and
protect vulnerable individuals, “including the 1.9 million people in Assam at
risk for statelessness because of questions about their citizenship; condemn
all incidents of violence; and hold perpetrators accountable”.Noting that US is
proud to partner with India, Wells said its Constitution mandates a secular
state that upholds the rights of all citizens to practice religion freely,
freedom of expression and speech, and equal treatment before the law. PTI
Incidents of violence, discrimination not
conforming to india's legal protections for minorities:US
US expresses concern over human rights situation in
Kashmir and NRC
US
has urged India to balance its security priorities with respect for human
rights in J&K, a top Trump administration official said on Tuesday as he
expressed concern over the detention of political leaders in the state after
the abrogation of Article 370."Since the August 5 revocation of Articles
370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution,we have urged Indian govt to balance its
security priorities with respect for human rights," Assistant Secretary of
State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Robert Destro told a Congressional
Sub-Committee here. "In August, Prime Minister Modi announced a plan to
return the region to normal order, which is something we would welcome. Thus
far, however, the picture remains mixed," he said in a prepared statement
submitted to the Congressional subcommittee ahead of the hearing on 'Human
Rights in South Asia:Views from State Department and Region', before the
Subcommittee on Asia, Pacific, and Nonproliferation of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee.In his maiden Congressional appearance after he was confirmed
as the assistant secretary of state, Destro said that curfews have been lifted
in most areas, landlines restored, and a majority of detainees released.Still,
internet and mobile phone services remain blocked in some districts, he said.
Reports indicate this has led to a shortage of medicines, delays in receiving
healthcare, and stalled businesses. With communications blocked, local
activists and journalists are not able to provide updates on the current
environment in the Valley.At least 300 people remain jailed under the Public
Safety Act, which allows for detention without charge for up to two years in
matters of affecting national security, including politicians, lawyers, and
activists, Destro said."We are concerned by the detention of local
political leaders and activists, as well as the internet blackout in Jammu and
Kashmir," he said. According to several reports, government has detained
up to thousands of individuals since August, including over 100 mainstream
politicians, although many have since been released."The government did
not officially confirm these large scale detentions except those of prominent
politicians, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah,
and Mehbooba Mufti, he told the lawmakers.In his remarks, Destro also expressed
concern about the final draft of the updated NRC, which puts 1.9 million people
at risk of statelessness in Assam."The appeals process may disadvantage
poor and illiterate populations who lack documentation. It is also unclear how
the appeals process will be able to proceed in the allotted time-frame. We are
closely following this situation and urge the Government of India to take these
issues into consideration," he added. news18/PTI
US Lawmakers express concern over human rights
situation in Kashmir
India needs to address US Congress, govt with some
“depth, clarity” on J&K issue: ex-envoy Roemer
India
needs to address US Congress and the government with some “depth and clarity”
on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, a ex US envoy said. According to Timothy
Roemer, who served in US Congress from 1991 to 2003 and was Ambassador to India
from 2009 to 2011, American Congressmen who are expressing concern about human
rights issues are addressing “shared values” between the two countries. thehindu
Malaysian PM stands by his remark on Kashmir, says
‘we speak our minds’
A
defiant Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday said he stands by
his remarks on Kashmir, asserting that he speaks his mind and does not retract
and change, days after India expressed regret over his statement.Raising the
Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly last month, Mahathir alleged that India has invaded and
occupied Jammu and Kashmir and asked New Delhi to work with Pakistan to resolve
the issue. He said the people of Kashmir had benefited from the resolution of
UN, and that we should all abide, not just India and Pakistan, but even US and
other countries. Earlier this month, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India
and Malaysia have traditionally enjoyed good and friendly ties. “We deeply
regret these comments since they are not based on facts,” he said. Acknowledging
the strained diplomatic relations between Malaysia and India over his
remarks, Mahathir said that it is
necessary to speak out on the issues, even though such remarks could be
disliked by some.PTI
‘English-speaking liberal media’ didn’t present
‘fair picture’ on Art 370: Jaishankar
External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that by the time he visited the United
States following the abrogation of Article 370 provisions that granted a
special status to J&K, “English-speaking liberal media” posed a much more
difficult challenge than others. He alleged that they had “preset views” and
did not present a “fair picture”. Jaishankar, who made the comments while
speaking at US-India strategic partnership forum in New Delhi, asserted that
the change in Article 370 of the Constitution was India’s “internal business”.indianexpress
7th pay commission: J&K, Ladakh govt employees
to get salaries as per 7th CPC
New
Delhi:In a move that will benefit 4.5 lakh government staffers, the Home
Ministry on Tuesday announced that employees of the proposed Union territories—
J&K and Ladakh — would get salaries as per 7th Pay Commission
recommendations from Oct 31.“Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the
proposal of payment of all 7th CPC allowances to the government employees of
Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh, which shall
come into existence from October 31,” an official statement said.The move is
estimated to cost the government around Rs 4,800 crore annually and will
include all other allowances, including children education allowance, hostel
allowance, transport allowance, LTC, fixed medical allowance to the
employees.indianexpress
At hamlet near LoC,16-yr calm shattered in one
night
Gundshaat:
Saika Sidiq watched helplessly as the house of Parvez Ahmed went up in flames
on Saturday night. Her marriage was scheduled later this month and items for
the wedding had been kept in Ahmed’s house. Saika’s father Mohammad Sidiq
stepped out to douse the flames, but before he could reach Ahmed’s house, a
mortar shell landed near him and killed him. Gundshaat, a hamlet less than 2 km
from LoC, had been calm since India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire in 2003,
but Saturday night changed that — a villager was killed, three injured and more
than a dozen houses damaged by mortar shells fired from across LoC.One of the
houses belonged to Ahmad, a cousin of Sidiq. Sidiq’s daughter Saika was to get
married on Oct.29 and he had stocked wedding gifts and other items in his
cousin’s house.“There is a tradition in our village that we buy things like,
refrigerator, washing machine etc, for the bride,” said Saika’s mother Nasreena
Bano. “When the house caught fire, he (Sidiq) rushed out to extinguish it but a
shell landed right then and he was killed.”“My husband became a victim of
conflict between the two countries. Everything is finished now. I don’t know
how I will be able to marry off my four daughters now. He (Sidiq) was the only
earning member.” indian express
Pakistan invites Indian envoy to visit LoC over
attack on terror launchpads in PoK
In
a bid to refute India's claim of targeting terror launch pads along LoC,
Pakistan has invited all foreign missions in Islamabad to visit the areas and
observe the ground situation.Interestingly, Pakistan has also sent out an
invitation to Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia, inviting him to
join other foreign missions during the visit to the areas India claims were
terror launch pads."Gaurav Ahluwalia, acting Indian High Commissioner in
Pakistan, along with other heads of the diplomatic mission in Islamabad have
been invited to give them a first-hand account of the ground situation at LoC,"
said a diplomatic source.Pakistan has also held a session with the permanent
members of the United Nations (P5), urging them to pressure India for concrete
evidence of terror presence.indiatoday
Kartarpur corridor pact to be signed at 'zero
point', India and Pakistan officials won't cross border
Clearing
the decks for the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, India and Pakistan
will sign the final agreement on October 24 at the 'zero point' on the border
near the Dera Baba Nanak. The choice of the spot to finally sign the agreement
means that officials won’t have to cross over and also hints that both sides
aren’t keen on holding a proper ceremony for it.The signing of the pact, after
protracted negotiations during which Pakistan refused to drop a $20 fee, will
allow Indian pilgrims to take the cross-border corridor to Darbar Sahib
gurdwara in Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak spent the final years of his life. Both
countries are expected to hold events on November 9 to mark the opening of
their sections of the corridor, but there would not be any joint event, sources
have said.news18
J&K: More than 260 public figures urge
President Kovind to get local council polls postponed
More
than 260 public figures on Tuesday appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind to
urge authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to postpone the Block Development Council
elections till the situation in the state normalises.The local council
elections are scheduled to be held October 24. Votes will be counted the same
day.Some of the prominent people who signed a letter are professors Ayesha
Kidwai, Jayati Ghosh, Jean Dreze and Nandini Sundar, human rights activists
Bezwada Wilson and Harsh Mander, and journalists P Sainath and Paranjoy Guha
Thakurta.scroll
ASSEMBLY POLLS
Axis India Today exit poll predicts hung House in
Haryana, strong showing by Congress
Axis
My India —India Today exit poll on Tuesday predicted a hung Assembly in
Haryana, with BJP and the Congress projected to get 33 and 32 per cent vote
share respectively.This would see BJP winning 32-44 seats in the 90 seat
Assembly( in 2014 Assembly election it had bagged 47 seats) while the Congress
is projected to win 30-42 seats opposed to the 15 seats it had won in
2014.BJP’s vote share in 2014 was 33% while Congress had secured 21% of the
votes then. ‘Others’ had won 28 seats with a vote share of 46 per cent then.Tweeted
Rajdeeep Sardesai, Consulting Editor at the India Today group: ‘The Axis My
India @IndiaToday exit poll shows that Jats have consolidated behind Cong and
JJP. If Jat vote splits, BJP will be ahead even now…if it doesn’t, BJP will be
in trouble….’Journalist Prashant Kumar tweeted: ‘So, India Today predicts a
hung assembly in Haryana! BJP: 32-44 Cong: 30-42 JJP: 6-10 Others: 6-10 All
other exit polls have predicted a landslide victory for BJP in
Haryana!’nationalheraldindia
Maharashtra villagers claim any vote cast went in
BJP's favour
Pune:
Voters in a Maharashtra village have alleged EVM malfunction during Lok Sabha
bypoll on Monday, saying it resulted in votes cast for any candidate going to
BJP's account, a claim denied by election officials.NCP legislator Shahshikant
Shinde said he was witness to such a thing happening when he visited the
polling booth in Navlewadi village of Koregaon tehsil in Satara district.Kirti
Nalawade, the returning officer for the Koregaon Assembly segment in Western
Maharashtra, where this village is located, refuted the claim.Shinde said the
Election Commission should take a serious note of this incident and initiate
steps to check its recurrence. Villagers said votes cast in favour of NCP
nominee Srinivas Patil were going into "account" of BJP candidate
Udayanraje Bhosale, a claim the district election officials rejected.Shinde
said when he reached the polling station and raised the issue with the election
officials from the booth, they hurriedly changed the EVM machine.PTI
Barring 3 seats, poll turnout dips in Mumbai's
minority pockets
Mumbai:
Voting percentages in several of Mumbai's 10-odd constituencies with Muslim
concentrations were lower than the city's average turnout of 50.5%. Overall, 14
of the city's 36 assembly constituencies had lower-than-average turnouts, the
bulk of which have large Muslim pockets. Nevertheless, two seats with
Muslim-majority populations, Chandivli and Anushakti Nagar, registered not only
above-average turnouts, but also vastly improved their voting percentages over
the 2014 state assembly elections.In Chandivli, where Congress's four-time MLA
and former cabinet minister Naseem Khan contested against Shiv Sena's Dilip
Lande, a huge turnout jump was registered, with 52.3% of electorate exercising
their franchise this time as compared to 44.3% in 2014 assembly polls. In
Anushakti Nagar, the corresponding figures were 55.3% and 46.7%.The other
constituencies with Muslim dominance or concentration are Mankhurd, Mumbadevi,
Byculla, Dharavi, Goregaon, Versova, Bandra West, Andheri West and Colaba. In
Mankhurd, too, turnout rose substantially, from 41.3% in 2014 to 44.8% this
time, though it remained lower than the city average. The seat has been bagged
twice by Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, who contested from the
constituency a third time. In most of the other seats with Muslim
concentrations, turnouts were much lower than in 2014 and also the 2019 city
average.On Chandivli, sitting MLA Naseem Khan, a prominent face in state
politics, told TOI, "People have supported and voted for me since they
know my work. We have 365 days of connectivity with our voters. In our
constituency, we work for everyone, for all communities. Our constituency also
maintains communal harmony, as we work for the redevelopment of places of
worship belonging to all religions."TOI
Maharashtra elections: FIR against encounter cop
for rioting, violating rules
Retired
encounter specialist and Sena candidate from Nalasopara, Pradeep Sharma was
booked on Saturday for rioting, disobedience, and violating the unlawful
assembly order of the collector. Nearly 70 others were booked with him.Bahujan
Vikas Aghadi (BVA) workers blocked Sharma's six-car cavalcade in Nilemore
village on Saturday night. They alleged that Sharma brought in Rs 25 crore to
distribute to voters. The workers said police allowed the money to enter the
area in vegetable trucks and milk vans from Mumbai. They said a complaint was
filed with the EC. Sharma denied the charges, and said that BVA was spreading
rumours as they were afraid of losing.TOI
OTHERS
Facebook, WhatsApp access to govt to be studied by
Supreme Court
The
Supreme Court has decided to examine whether social media intermediaries such
as Facebook and WhatsApp should facilitate the State to access encrypted and
private conversations of citizens, purportedly to fight crime and terror.A
Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose on Tuesday transferred to
itself several pending cases in various High Courts on the issue and scheduled
the hearing for January 2020 last week before an appropriate Bench.The court is
waiting for the Centre to notify the revised Information Technology
Intermediaries Guidelines (Amendment) Rules by January 15. These Rules, said
the government, were borne out of the present day neeed to usher in a stricter
regime and more cooperation to combat the spread of pornography, sedition,
hate, fake news, “anti-national activities and terror” online.Justice Bose said
the issue concerned individual privacy versus national interest.“A terrorist
cannot claim privacy,” submitted Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal,
along with Tamil Nadu Advocate General Vijay Narayan and Additional Advocate
General Balaji Srinivasan. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said the
government’s move to gain more access into social media was not a “ploy” and
was triggered by a deep concern for the sovereignty of the nation. It was
stemmed out of national interest.The court hearing was based on a petition
filed by Facebook for transfer of pleas concerning the linking of social media
accounts to Aadhaar. thehindu
Linking social media profiles with Aadhaar: SC
transfers to itself all cases pending before HCs
2 weeks after promising Karnataka NRC 'soon',
Yediyurappa govt rolls back decision
New
Delhi: The Karnataka government has decided to put its earlier plan of
implementing an exercise similar to NRC in Assam on hold and instead focus only
on creating a database of immigrants who have entered the state without
necessary documents.The decision, according to media reports, was taken partly
because of the practical difficulties in preparing and maintaining an
exhaustive registry. Times of India has quoted the state home minister
Basavaraj Bommai as having said, “We are considering compiling details of
citizens [which will] help the government in tracking down illegal and
overstaying foreign nationals.”Only a fortnight ago, Bommai had claimed that an
exercise to compile the NRC would soon be taken up in the state. In his
announcement Bommai had also claimed that similar plans are underway in other
states too and that the NRC is a pan-India plan. The B.S. Yediyurappa
government in Karnataka was one of the first states to have taken a cue from
Assam’s NRC drive and announce a similar one. It has also set up a detention
centre in Nelamagala in rural Bengaluru.The Bengaluru detention centre,
according to a report in The Federal, is apparently considered to be the first
step towards the larger vision of the BJP, which said in its 2019 election
manifesto that it would compile NRCs across the country and deport undocumented
immigrants, particularly those from Bangladesh. Thewire
Mamata: No question of constructing any detention
camp in Bengal
Kolkata
:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday clarified that the
government would not allow setting up of detention centres in the state while
once again asserting that NRC would not be carried out in Bengal.Speaking at an
administrative review meeting in Siliguri, Banerjee said, “I say this with all
responsibility and in the presence of all government officers that we have no
plans to carry out NRC in our state. A state government looks after policy
implementation. NRC was held in Assam as it was a part of Assam Accord and
there is a BJP government there. But here, we run the government. So the question
of constructing any detention camp does not arise.”Mamata further said the
Trinamool Congress had opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament
as it should not be implemented on the basis of religion.indianexpress
No govt jobs for those with over 2 kids in Assam
Assam
Cabinet has decided that no government jobs will be given to persons having
more than two children after January 1, 2021. The important decision was taken
at a Cabinet meeting held late Monday evening that also adopted a New Land
Policy, which will give three bighas of agricultural land to landless
indigenous people and half a bigha for constructing a house.A communique from
the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s public relations cell stated that those
having more than two children will not be considered for government jobs with
effect from January 1, 2021 as per the small family norm.In September 2017, the
Assam Assembly had passed the ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of
Assam’ that specified that job candidates with two children only would be
eligible for government employment and the existing government staff were to
strictly follow the two children family norm.“New Land Policy was adopted.
Three bighas of land will be given to landless indigenous people. Landless
people will be offered half a bigha to construct their houses. These cannot be
sold for 15 years,”CMO statement said. Cabinet meeting also decided to increase
the bus fares in the state by 25 per cent, it added.PTI
NCRB leaves out data on lynchings, khap and
religious killings
New
Delhi : NCRB released its latest data on crime incidents across the country on
Monday, more than a year behind schedule. Officials said data collected under
new sub-heads of death due to mob lynching, murder by influential people,
killing ordered by khap panchayat and murder committed for religious reason
have not been published, resulting in partial delay of the agency’s report for
2017.The new report has largely followed the pattern of the 2016 edition,
barring additions in the category of cyber crimes and offences against the
state. Sources said the agency had begun a massive data revamp exercise under
ex NCRB Director Ish Kumar. It was under him that the bureau revised the proforma
under the category of murder and added new sub-heads of mob lynching and murder
for religious reasons among others. “It is surprising that this data has not
been published. This data was ready and fully compiled and analysed. Only the
top brass would know the reason why it has not been published,” an official
privy to the data collection process said.The decision to collect data on
lynchings had been taken in the wake of a spate of lynching incidents across
the country through 2015-16. The idea, officials said, was that such data
collection would help the government formulate its policies better in tackling
these crimes. Lynchings happen for a variety of reasons which include suspicion
of theft, child lifting, cattle smuggling or communal reasons, officials said. According
to latest NCRB report, there has been a 30 per cent rise in incidents of
offences against the state as compared to 2016. This category includes offences
such as sedition, waging war against the country and damage to public property
among others. The data shows that against 6,986 offences in 2016, there were
9,013 such offences in 2017.The maximum number of such offences were reported
from Haryana (2,576) followed by UP (2,055). However, in both these states the
high number of offences was largely due to acts of damage to public
property.indianexpress
INX Media case: Chidambaram gets bail in CBI case,
to remain in ED custody
The
Supreme Court Tuesday granted bail to Congress leader and ex finance minister P
Chidambaram in connection with INX Media case. The apex court said Chidambaram,
74, could be released from Tihar if he is not wanted in any other case. It
added that its judgment would not have any bearing on any other proceedings.
Chidambaram is currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate which
arrested him last week. A bench headed by Justice R Banumathi and comprising
Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy directed Chidambaram to deposit his
passport and said he could not leave the country without obtaining permission
from the Court. It also ordered him to furnish a bond of Rs one lakh and two
sureties. indian express
Kamlesh Tiwari killing: ‘Suspect forged Aadhaar
card to enter his party fold’
Surat:
One of the main suspects in Kamlesh Tiwari murder case, Ashfaq Shaikh (33), had
forged a colleague’s Aadhaar card to assume a new identity as Rohit Kumar
Solanki for joining Tiwari’s Hindu Samaj Party (HSP). He joined the party on
June 3 this year, and was appointed pracharak of its IT cell in Varachha ward
of Surat. Shaikh and another suspect, Farid Pathan alias Moinudddin, are
suspected to have carried out the killing in Lucknow on Oct.18. Both are on the
run. Rohit Kumar Solanki works as a medical representative in the
pharmaceutical company in which Shaikh was team leader-cum-manager. In the
forged Aadhaar card, Solanki’s photograph was replaced with Shaikh’s
photograph, while the rest of the details were left untouched. “I have been
working with Shaikh for the last 2-and-a-half years…On Sunday, I came to know,
through social media, that my Aadhaar card had been misused by him… He would
keep all the medical representatives’ documents with him. I have submitted a
complaint to Varachha police station,” Solanki said.While the pharma company is
headquartered in Mumbai, Shaikh was in charge of its sales in Surat. Shaikh
also opened a Facebook account as Solanki, with his own photograph as the profile
picture. He then became friends with Jaimin Dave alias Bapu, Gujarat head of
HSP, on Facebook. He later met Dave in Ahmedabad and expressed interest in
joining party. On June 3, Dave inducted him into the party, and appointed him
pracharak of IT cell in Varachha ward. According to sources in HSP, Shaikh, as
Solanki, met Tiwari in the last week of June. Before leaving Surat last week,
he reportedly called up Tiwari and told him that he would meet him in Lucknow
to discuss plans to expand the party in Surat. After reaching Lucknow on
Oct.17, he reportedly called up Tiwari again, and confirmed that he would meet
him the next day.“We collect the Aadhaar card and photographs of those willing
to join our party, for our records. On the basis of Aadhaar card, we took
permission from our national president, Guruji (Tiwari), and later appointed
Rohit Kumar Solanki (Ashfaq Shaikh), as our organisation member. When, he sent
me a friend request on Facebook, many HSP workers were already on his friends’
list,” Dave posted on Facebook on Sunday.“Keeping all these things in mind, we
appointed him as a member. We carried out all legal procedures. We have now
come to know that he had submitted a forged Aadhaar card… On Saturday, we
submitted all the documents, including a copy of this forged Aadhaar card, to
Gujarat ATS,” he said.Dave said Shaikh, as Solanki, was in touch with the
organisation’s office-bearers across the country. Dave was not available for
comment on Monday.Shaikh’s wife, Mehjabin, said he told her that he was going
to Chandigarh for a job interview. “On Wednesday, he told me he would be going
with his friend, Farid. They left on Wednesday night. I tried to contact him on
Thursday, but his cellphone was switched off. On Friday night, Farid’s brother
came to my house and told me that Shaikh wanted to talk to me. I spoke to him
briefly… I later tried to contact on the number from which he had called, but
it was switched off,” she said.indianexpress
Ayodhya verdict: Muslim parties, VHP cancel all
programmes planned in anticipation of favourable judgment to maintain harmony
Ayodhya:
Reciprocating Muslims' gestures to preserve peace and communal harmony in
Ayodhya after the Supreme Court verdict on the title suit over the disputed
Babri Masjid land is delivered, VHP on Monday announced the cancellation of all
its programmes proposed after the ruling. For the maintenance of peace and
communal harmony post-ruling, the Muslim parties to the title suit earlier had
announced deferring the construction of Masjid at the disputed site in Ayodhya
if the verdict goes in their favour. 2 communities have put their best foot
forward even as the Ayodhya police is making its own concerted efforts to
ensure that no communal trouble erupts after the apex court delivers its
verdict on the vexed issue."All of our proposed programmes and different
activities of our various outfits regarding the upcoming Ayodhya verdict next
month have been cancelled," VHP's Uttar Pradesh spokesman Sharad Sharma
told PTI. Reciprocating the Muslim parties gesture, Sharma added, "Whether
the verdict be in favour of Hindus or Muslims, it is the high time that both
communities must present greatest example of harmony and
brotherhood.""We all must have to ensure that no such incident should
occur that mix venom in the cordial relation between two communities," he
added.2 days ago, Muslim parties to the suit announced deferring the
construction of the mosque in Ayodhya even if they win the case.Amid the two
communities taking up measures to preserve the communal harmony after the
Ayodhya verdict, the police too are beefing up security in the town, besides
taking up several inter-community coordination steps for the purpose. PTI
Muslims should hand over all disputed sites to
Hindus: Waseem Rizvi
Lucknow
: Muslims should give up their claim on all disputed sites and also hand over
the places to Hindus to “correct the mistakes of ancestors,” Uttar Pradesh Shia
Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi said Monday. Rizvi said the need for such an
appeal arose after reports of Sunnis seeking permission to offer namaz on
disputed structures. He added that if all such issues were not resolved, some
other similar dispute may crop up even after the Ayodhya issue is resolved. He
made the appeal in a video circulated on social media.In his appeal, Rizvi
claimed that there were 11 such major disputed sites across the country,
including those in Mathura, Varanasi and Jaunpur.Rizvi also claimed that while
all the churches that were destroyed to build mosques had been reconstructed
and restored, “now was the time to give back land of temples, which was taken
by Mughals”.indian express
Gujarat has highest number of Pakistani undertrial
prisoners in India: NCRB
Ahmedabad
:Gujarat has the highest number of undertrial prisoners who are Pakistani
nationals compared to other states, according to crime and prison statistics of
2017 made public by NCRB on Monday. The state has 59 Pakistani undertrial prisoners
out of the total 101 overseas prisoners in the state, it said.While the state’s
statistics show there were 80 undertrial prisoners under the SC/ST (Prevention
of Atrocities) Act, the data shows zero convicts under this law in the period
covered.The number of Pakistani undertrials account for nearly 74 per cent of
the total 80 undertrials in the state who are foreign nationals. Jammu and
Kashmir has the second-highest Pakistani national undertrials at 35, according
to NCRB data.The foreign nationals in state prisons include 11 from Bangladesh,
eight from Nigeria, one from Nepal and one undertrial recorded as “other
foreign national”. Of the total 21 overseas convicts, seven were recorded to be
from Pakistan, two from Africa, other than Nigeria, four from Bangladesh, two
from the Middle-East, two from Nepal, one from Nigeria and three “other foreign
nationals”.The data between January 1 and December 31, 2017 shows Gujarat
ranking fourth among 29 states in Special and Local Laws (SLL) Crimes. In terms
of absolute numbers, 2,06,024 SLL cases were reported in the period, which is a
decrease from 3,07,108 cases in 2015. Gujarat’s local laws include the liquor
prohibition law.indianexpress
ECONOMY
Bank strike: Services of state-run lenders
disrupted in parts of India due to anti-merger protest
Operations
in state-run banks in some parts of India were disrupted on Tuesday after two
bank unions called a one-day nationwide strike to protest against the Centre’s
move to merge 10 public sector banks into four entities, PTI reported. The All
India Bank Employees Association and the Bank Employees Federation of India
organised the protest against bank mergers and falling deposit rates. Some of
their demands are recovery of bad loans, stringent action against defaulters,
and job security, ANI reported.Services such as cash deposit, withdrawal from
counters, and cheque clearances were impeded. However, branches of public
sectors banks in urban areas were operational.“Merger of banks is totally
unwarranted in India as we need more banking services and opening of more
branches to serve the people,” All India Bank Employees Association General
Secretary CH Venkatachalam told PTI. He said the merger had resulted in closure
of branches, and added that it was a wrong decision.scroll
PMC bank: 73-year-old talks to daughter hit by
scam, dies of cardiac arrest
Mumbai
:In another death linked to the PMC Bank scam, a 73-year-old woman passed away
due to cardiac arrest in Solapur after speaking to her Mumbaibased daughter, who
has an account with bank.Bharati Sadarangani (73), who passed away on Sunday
afternoon, was under a lot of stress over her daughter’s situation, as per her
son-in-law Chandan Chotrani.“My wife and I had accounts at the PMC Bank. All of
our life savings are in the bank,” he said. The Chotranis had around Rs 2.25
crore in the bank. “My wife Hema had been sharing her worries with her mother,
who called to check on us daily,” he said. Chotrani, who lives in Mulund, had
booked an international travel ticket two days before the RBI imposed
restrictions on PMC Bank.indian express
Bengal BJP leaders told not to attack Abhijit
Banerjee, may have negative impact in state polls
Kolkata:
Notwithstanding the criticism of Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee by a section
of its leaders, the BJP in West Bengal has asked its members to refrain from
making any "unwarranted" remark against the economist, who has
achieved a cult status in the state for his rare feat.A senior functionary of
the Bengal BJP said on Monday that the derogatory statements made against the
economist, who has his roots in Kolkata, would have a negative impact on the party
in the state where it is making an all-out effort to unseat the TMC and seize
power in the 2021 assembly polls.According to state BJP sources, the
"unsavoury" comments by a section of state and central leaders
against Banerjee have not gone down well with the people of Bengal. The
criticism has been perceived as an attempt to fuel "anti-Bengali"
sentiments, they maintained.
PM Meets Abhijit Banerjee, Cracks Joke on Media
'Trapping' Him Into Making Anti-Modi Remarks
Infosys shares take worst dive in 6 years after
whistleblower complaint
New
Delhi: Shares of IT major Infosys nosedived by as much as 15% on Bombay Stock
Exchange on Tuesday morning, after a whistleblower complaint regarding alleged
lapses in corporate governance were made public on Monday.The stock recovered
slightly after that and by 12:11 pm, it was trading at Rs 655.50, down 14% and
over Rs 108 from its opening price.The company is facing a new round of
whistleblower complaints that allege a lack of corporate governance and the
possibility of its financial accounts having been dressed up by CEO Salil
Parekh.In a statement issued on Monday, Infosys said that the complaints will be
examined by the board’s audit committee as per established practice.thewire
WORLD
Erdogan,Putin hold talks as truce in Syria set to
expire
Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan is holding talks with his Russian counterpart,
Vladimir Putin, at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday, hours before a
ceasefire between Turkish and Kurdish forces in northern Syria is set to
expire. Putin and Erdogan's talks will
focus on "normalising the situation" in northeast Syria, according to
the Kremlin.There has been relative calm in northeast Syria since Turkey agreed
on Thursday to a 120-hour pause in hostilities to allow Kurdish-led fighters
Ankara considers "terrorists" to withdraw from the border area. US-brokered
truce is set to expire at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday."The situation in the
region is very severe," Putin told Erdogan as talks began in Sochi. He
added that the good rapport between Russia and Turkey, which back opposing
sides in Syria's war, "will let us find an answer to even the most
difficult questions".
A small group of US soldiers will remain in Syria,
says Trump, defends decision to pull out troops
United
States President Donald Trump has said some American soldiers will remain in
Syria despite his administration’s decision to withdraw military forces from
the Syria-Turkey border, BBC reported on Tuesday. Trump said a small group of
soldiers would be stationed at oil fields while others would be deployed near
Israel and Jordan.This came hours after United States Defence Secretary Mark
Esper revealed that the Trump administration was contemplating about leaving
some soldiers behind in North Syria, The Washington Post reported. “The troops
in those towns are not in the present phase of withdrawal,” Esper said during a
visit to Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian. “A purpose of those forces,
working with the SDF [Kurd-led Syrian Democratic Forces] is to deny access to
those oilfields by Isis and others who may benefit.”
Thousands Protest Against Bangladesh Police After
it Shot Dead 4 in Deadly Riots
Thousands
protested against police across Bangladesh on Monday, a day after at least 4
people died when officers fired on a crowd in one of the country's deadliest
religious riots to date.Some 20,000 Muslims called for the execution of a young
Hindu man on Bhola island Sunday for writing Facebook messages that allegedly
defamed the Prophet, with police saying they opened fire after rocks were
thrown at officers.Four people died and nearly 50 were injured, with at least
seven in a critical condition in hospital.Mob attacks over online posts
perceived to be blasphemous have emerged as a major headache for security
forces in Bangladesh, where Muslims make up some 90 percent of the country's
168 million people.The deaths sparked a new round of protests late Sunday and
on Monday as thousands of Muslims across several cities shouted slogans and
called for the officers involved to be put on trial.AFP
Taliban attack kills 15 policemen in Afghanistan
Taliban
stormed a checkpoint in northern Afghanistan killing at least 15 policemen in
the latest attack by the armed group, an official said on Tuesday. The
multi-pronged attack on the checkpoint in the Ali Abad district of northern
Kunduz province began late on Monday and set off an hours-long shootout,
according to Ghulam Rabani Rabani, a provincial council member.Along with the
15 policemen killed, two other officers were wounded in the assault, he said.
The attack came as Afghan troops have been battling Taliban for the past few
weeks in Kunduz's Dashti Archi and Imam Sahib districts, Rabani added.Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the checkpoint
attack.aljazeera
US cutting troops but ‘still committed’ to Afghan
solution: Esper
US
is trying to reassure allies in Afghanistan that it is committed to finding a
political solution to years of fighting, despite the fact it is reducing the
number of troops in the country.Defence chief Mark Esper made the comments
during an unannounced visit to Kabul.aljazeera
Israel's Benny Gantz: Political novice trying to
oust Netanyahu
Former
armed forces chief Benny Gantz has a shot at ending Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's record-breaking term in office but faces a tough battle
ahead.Netanyahu suffered an important defeat in his bid to hang on as premier
by failing to form a new government.Gantz is now expected to be given the
chance to try and negotiate a coalition by President Reuven Rivlin, but a
deadlock following September 17 polls remains and yet another election cannot
be ruled out.It would be the third election within a year after Netanyahu also
failed to form a coalition after April polls.Netanyahu's decision to inform
Rivlin on Monday night that he was unable to form a government by no means
signalled the end of his tenure as Israel's longest-serving prime minister.He
remains prime minister as long as no new government is formed, and several
scenarios exist that could see him retain his post even as he faces the
possibility of corruption charges in the weeks ahead.One of the few things that
are clear in Israel's post-electoral morass is that Netanyahu, who celebrated
his 70th birthday on Monday, is not giving up.aljazeera
Canada Election Results: Justin Trudeau Wins Second
Term As Prime Minister But Loses Majority
Justin
Trudeau has won a second term as Canada’s PM – but has lost his majority in
parliament. With the results from the election still trickling in on Tuesday
morning, Trudeau’s Liberal party had 157 seats – 13 short of the 170 needed for
a majority. It means that the PM – who saw his popularity drop during the
election campaign after photos of him in brownface and blackface emerged – will
have to rely on an opposition party to pass legislation. Speaking on results,Trudeau
said Canadians had “rejected division and negativity”.Huffingtonpost
Flash:
NEWS, views, Articles
Invoking God in school and college songs, in any
language, does not violate any law:Tahir Mahmood
Umar Khalid: Why I, a Leftist, participated in a
Twitter trend praising the Prophet:Umar Khalid
Climate change and nuclear conflict between India,
Pakistan are real dangers:Karan Singh
Twitter Sleeping Through Rabid Anti Muslim Hate Is
Frankly Infuriating: Rachna Khaira
Watch | Harish Salve on Why the Supreme Court Is
Unlikely to Void Article 370 Move:Karan Thapar
Blacklist: Many Muslims listed by World-Check
without evidence
‘My World Has Gone Dark’: Report Highlights Pellet
Horror in Kashmir:Zafar Aafaq | Caravan Daily
BJP-RSS Bharat Ratna Nominee, Savarkar, Ran
Coalition Govts with Muslim League:Shamsul Islam | Caravan Daily
Inscriptions say it's 'Babri masjid', ASI failed to
prove temple destroyed to build it: Sunni Waqf Board
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:12 PM)
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