03
OCT. 2019: 03 Safar 1441: Vol: 12, No: 27
INDIA: J&K ISSUE
Kashmir
leaders to be released from detention ‘one by one’: J-K Governor’s adviser
Jammu: Political leaders
in Kashmir, who have been placed under house arrest since August 5 as part of
the lockdown in J&K following revocation of Article 370 provisions, will be
released from detention in a phased manner, an adviser to J&K Governor
Satya Pal Malik said.“Yes, one by one after analysis of every individual, they
will be released,” Farooq Khan said when asked if Kashmiri leaders will be
released from detention after Jammu region leaders. On Wednesday, around a
dozen top Opposition leaders of the Jammu region were allowed to move out of
their homes to resume their political activities. Lifting of restrictions on
movements of Jammu Opposition leaders came ahead of first Block Development
Council elections in the state, scheduled for Oct. 24.National Conference
provincial president and former J&K minister Devender Rana, younger brother
of Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in PMO, had said: “A senior police
officer called me late Tuesday night, saying restrictions imposed on us have
been lifted and now we are free to go anywhere and meet party workers.” Sajjad
Kitchloo, ex-NC lawmaker, and Javed Rana ex MLC, too said restrictions imposed
on their movements outside homes have been lifted. The situation in J&K
continues to remain volatile as authorities had reimposed restrictions in
Kashmir Valley on Saturday.indianexpress
Stalled
China-Pak Economic Corridor Projects will be Revived
Islamabad: Multi-billion
dollar CPEC was launched in 2015 and several projects under the first phase are
close to completion. But the progress on CPEC next phase projects have slowed
since PM Imran Khan came to power last year.Khan’s visit to Beijing comes ahead
of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s likely visit to India for the second informal
summit with PM Narendra Modi, amidst fresh tensions between Pakistan and India
over Kashmir. Khan while chairing a meeting on the economic corridor on
Wednesday said that the removal of all bottlenecks in CPEC projects and their
timely completion is the top priority of Govt, the Dawn reported. He said he
would visit China and meet its leadership to strengthen friendship between the
two countries.The Pakistani daily reported that most of CPEC-related projects
have stalled due to certain reasons, including prevailing financial crunch
confronting the Govt and non-cooperation’ of the bureaucracy due to fear of
National Accountability Bureau, anti-corruption watchdog.CPEC is the flagship
project of President Xi Jinping’s pet multi-billion Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI). PTI
India-Pak
N-war can kill over 10 crore people: Study
If Pakistan PM Imran
Khan's repeated forecast of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan comes
true, anywhere between 5 crore to 12.5 crore people will die within a span of
less than a week -- more than the death toll during all 6 years of World War
II, according to new research. Today, India and Pakistan each have about 150
nuclear warheads at their disposal and that number is expected to climb to more
than 200 by 2025. Study conducted by researchers from University of Colorado
Boulder and Rutgers University in US examined how such a hypothetical future
conflict would have consequences that could ripple across the globe. The
researchers calculated that an India-Pakistan war could inject as much as 80
billion pounds of thick, black smoke into Earth's atmosphere."Picture is
grim. That level of warfare wouldn't just kill millions of people
locally," said Brian Toon from CU Boulder, who led the research published
in the journal Science Advances." IANS
Imran
speaks to Bangladesh PM before her India trip
Pakistan PM Imran Khan
telephoned his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the eve of her visit to
India today. "Pakistani PM Imran Khan phoned PM Sheikh Hasina this
afternoon and exchanged pleasantries," Bangladesh PM''s Press Secretary
Ihsanul Karim said, reported bdnews24.com. He said that Pakistani PM, during
the conversation, inquired about the condition of Hasina''s eye, which was
operated in London.IANS
Centre's
behaviour in Kashmir reeks of paranoia: Iltija Mufti
Iltija Mufti, younger
daughter of ex J&K CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, was allowed by the
Supreme Court to meet mother 4 weeks into her detention following the
revocation of Article 370 and the state-wide clampdown. She speaks of a
simmering anger in the Valley under lockdown for over 50 days. She said,
"Thanks to the Supreme Court's order, SSG or the State administration
couldn’t harass me this time. However, they aren’t receptive at all. In the
course of 4 days I tried unsuccessfully to meet Deputy Commissioner of
Srinagar,and then had to leave a written communication. My uncle too has sent
him lots of emails, messages and DMs on Twitter. None of it has been
acknowledged to this day. My grandmother still hasn’t been allowed to meet her
brother lodged in Srinagar’s Centaur Hotel, a designated jail now.The State
administration only responds when one approaches the media. Otherwise their
behaviour has been extremely insensitive and irresponsible. One shudders to
think what a common Kashmiri must be facing." Iltija added, "The
State administration gets orders from the Centre. And their behaviour vis-a-vis
Kashmir reeks of paranoia. We were able to meet my mother only once I spoke to
the media and approached the SC. She like other detainees is not allowed to meet
anybody other than relatives."thehindu
Over
100 journalists take part in silent protest, ask govt to lift communication
blockade
Srinagar:Over 100
journalists took part in a silent protest today and asked the Govt to lift the
communication blockade which has been put in place since the abrogation of
provisions of Article 370.They said the communication blockade, which was put
in place on August 5 and is set to enter its third month, has severely affected
the working of journalists in Kashmir.More than 100 journalists working in
international, national and local media outlets took part in the silent protest
which started from Kashmir Press Club."The communication blockade, which
is set to enter third month now, has severely affected the working of
journalists in Kashmir. Even the local newspapers have not been able to publish
properly while their internet editions are defunct," president of Kashmir
Press Club Shuja ul Haq said.He said all the media associations have come
together to press the Govt to lift the communication blockade so that they can
freely discharge their professional duties.PTI
Arrests
Under PSA Amount To 'Thought Crime', Say Kashmir Lawyers As 100s Remain Under
Detention
J&K Govt has invoked
Public Safety Act against hundreds of people across the state to justify
preventive detentions. But dossiers prepared under PSA, also called grounds of
detention, indicate that people have been booked for alleged offences in the
past.Lawyers here say that most of the people charged under the PSA have been
detained on grounds of “likely to disturb public order,” in accordance with
Section 3 of the Act, which has been described by the Amnesty International as
a “lawless law”. This may amount to “thought” crimes, according to the lawyers.
Relatives of people, detained under the law and shifted to jails outside the
state, say they haven’t been given any information about their
whereabouts.According to sources, scores of people have been arrested in
Kishtwar district of Jammu in the past few weeks, most of them under PSA. A
person booked under the Act can be detained for up to a year without trial.
outlookindia
Elder
sister 17, sibling ‘adult’,fit for PSA in Kashmir
Gousia Bashir, 17, sobbed
that she had been orphaned for a second time.Her 14-year-old brother, who had
dropped out of school to become the family’s breadwinner, was arrested under
the draconian Public Safety Act last month, 10 years after their father passed
away, Gousia said.“ Now they have arrested my brother too, orphaning us again.
My mother is shell-shocked and so are we all,” Gousia cried at their home in
congested Shopian.Gousia’s brother is one of dozens of alleged minors taken
into custody by security forces in the past 2 months. At least 4 have been
booked under PSA, which allows detention without trial for up to 2 years but
explicitly bars detention of children under 18.The juvenile justice committee
of J&K High Court has submitted a report in the Supreme Court saying 144
children between 9 and 17 were arrested after August 5, when the state’s
special status was scrapped. Of them, 142 have been released, it said. In the
case of Gousia’s brother, the Govt denies he is underage and the family will
have to fight it out in court to prove that he is. Following a petition filed by
the family, the court has ordered an inquiry to ascertain his
age.telegraphindia
New
York Times seeks UN intervention, says Modi turning autocratic, talks absurd on
Kashmir
In what appears to be a
scathing reply to PM Narendra Modi’s much-publicized “New York Times” (NYT)
article on Mahatma Gandhi titled “Why India and the World need Gandhi”, NYT’s
powerful editorial board has said, Modi “didn’t address” Kashmir issue in his
UN speech, calling his assertion at the Houston rally a few days – that
revoking the constitutional clause on Kashmiri autonomy meant “people there
have got equal rights” with other Indians – “absurd”.Insisting that Kashmir
currently is “essentially under martial law”, NYT editorial, dated Oct.2, same
day Modi’s Opinion piece appeared in the paper, said that UN “can’t ignore
Kashmir anymore”, though regretting, UN’s “lack of resolve is a sad sign of the
dysfunction in international diplomacy”.Describing Modi as “increasingly
autocratic”, the editorial, which is a collective opinion of the daily’s
editorial board, the editor and publisher, says, “President Trump has offered
to mediate, but his warm relations with the increasingly autocratic Modi —Trump
attended the Houston fan fest — hardly make him an honest broker”, adding, what
is forgotten is that India has cracked down “on a long-disputed region”,
leading to a situation where “two nuclear powers face off.”Even as giving space
to Modi, NYT, ironically, praises Pakistan’s PM, Imran Khan, calling him “a man
on a mission” at the UN, “imploring members” to persuade India to “lift its
siege of Kashmir, a longtime flash point between the two nations, which both
have nuclear weapons.”Calling Modi, on the other hand, “a Hindu nationalist PM”,
the editorial recalls how the “semiautonomous status of the Muslim-majority
state, J&K, was revoked on August 5 by imposing “a curfew” and detaining
“nearly 4,000 people, including lawyers and journalists”, pointing towards
“serious allegations of torture and beatings.”Lamenting that Khan resting any
hopes on UN “seems futile, given the approach it has taken to the dispute in
recent decades”, the editorial also recalls how UN “made an effort to play
peacekeeper in Kashmir”, with the Security Council trying to “mediate tensions
between India and Pakistan within months of their independence and partition in
1947.”The editorial notes that ever since 1970s, after the two nations went to
war, “pressure from India helped keep Kashmir off the Security Council’s
agenda”, though it may come up for discussion in August, when China-backed
Pakistan’s request for a discussion of Modi’s “power grab.”The editorial
believes, “Countries are unwilling to risk crossing Modi and losing access to
India’s huge market. Pakistan is economically weak.” The editorial concludes by
asking the Security Council to “make clear that it opposes Modi’s brutal
tightening of India’s control on Kashmir.”counterview.net
Kashmir's
crippled courts leave detainees in limbo:bbc
Thousands of people have
been detained in Kashmir following a Govt move to strip the region of its
special status. Worried family members have been flocking to the courts - but
to little avail, reports BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare. Altaf Hussein Lone looked
anxious as he sat on a red printed sofa in a large hall of the high court in
Srinagar.Since there is no public transport readily available, he had to pay an
exorbitant amount to travel from his home in Baramulla, more than 50km
away.Life here has come to a standstill since the region lost its partial autonomy
on 4 Aug. Internet and mobile phone connections remain suspended, roads and
streets are largely deserted; and tens of thousands of extra troops have been
deployed.Despite Govt assurances that schools and offices can function
normally, that has not happened. Most businesses have stayed shut as a form of
protest against the Govt, but many owners also say they fear reprisals by
militants opposed to Indian rule if they go back to business as usual. bbc
BJP
supporters’ #BoycottMalaysia campaign backfires after PM Mahathir says India
‘invaded, occupied’ Kashmir
BJP supporters recently
took to Twitter vowing to teach Malaysia a lesson after PM Mahathir Mohamad
accused India of invading and occupying Kashmir in defiance of UN
resolutions.What irked the supporters of the saffron party the most a tweet
posted from the official Twitter handle of Malaysian PM. It read, “The
helplessness of world in stopping atrocities inflicted on Rohingyas in Myanmar
had reduced the regard for the resolution of UN. Now, despite UN resolution on
J&K, the country has been invaded and occupied.”BJP supporters, who were
hailing PM Narendra Modi recently for pulling off a diplomatic coup by reportedly
convincing Mohamad for the extradition of Dr. Zakir Naik, launched and trended
hashtag #BoycottMalaysia on Twitter. Most BJP supporters posting using this
hashtag were urging Indian tourists to not visit Malaysia in a bid to hurt the
latter’s economy. This prompted an instant reaction from Malaysian Twitter
users, who surprisingly agreed with their right-wing Indian counterparts and
said Indians should stay away from visiting Malaysia. jantakareporter
JK Cong
leader's bro refutes terror allegations
Jammu: Facing arrest for
alleged links with Hizbul Mujahidee, a senior J&K Congress leader's brother
Mohammad Shafi Saroori on Wednesday refuted the charges and claimed the case
against him was "politically motivated". PTI
Manmohan
to visit Kartarpur; Modi, Kovind invited
New Delhi :Former PM
Manmohan Singh has agreed to be part of first all-party delegation to visit the
Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara. Singh accepted the invitation of Punjab CM Amarinder
Singh, who has also invited President Ramnath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi to be
part of 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.Singh has also urged
both the PM and the president to take part in the Kartarpur Corridor opening at
Dera Baba Nanak and the main programme at Sultanpur Lodhi on November 12.He,
however, ruled out a visit to Pakistan for the Kartarpur corridor opening,
making it clear that he would be only leading the first all-party Jatha to
Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara to pay obeisance. Kartarpur corridor will connect
Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur. Pakistan has agreed
to allow 5,000 Sikh pilgrims from India to visit on a daily basis to Darbar
Sahib in Narowal through the corridor.“Happy to meet former PM Dr. Manmohan
Singh at his residence today. Have invited him to join us on the first Jatha to
Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara and attend the main event at Sultanpur Lodhi to
mark Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th Prakash Purab,” Singh tweeted. Both Kovind
and Modi have accepted the Punjab Govt’s invitation and modalities of their
visit will be worked out soon, he said.indianexpress
Not
going to Pakistan for Kartarpur ceremony, will only visit Gurdwara via
corridor: Punjab CM
Punjab CM Captain
Amarinder Singh today ruled out a visit to Pakistan for the Kartarpur corridor
opening, making it clear that he would be only leading the first all-party
Jatha to the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara to pay obeisance. indianexpress
JNU:
Scuffle breaks out between students during seminar on Article 370
New Delhi: A scuffle
broke out between two groups of students during a seminar on Article 370 in JNU
here. Union Minister Jitendra Singh was speaking at the seminar, where the
incident took place."We want to have a discussion on benefits of
abrogation of Article 370 but few elements are here in JNU that doesn't want it
to happen," said Saurabh Sharma, ABVP JNU.ANI
NRC
Civil
society groups across northeast protest against Citizenship Bill
Guwahati:After a break of
nearly eight months, protests have resumed in northeast against Citizenship
Amendment Bill (CAB) and the Centre’s plan to enact the contentious legislation
soon.Today, several civil society groups across the region held marches and
sit-down protests to show opposition to the legislation which seeks to grant
Indian citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Jains, Hindus and Christians from
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who entered the country before Dec.31,
2014.There are fears across most states of northeast that once enacted, the
bill would lead to influx of religious minorities from neighbouring Bangladesh
and might pose a threat to indigenous communities.“BJP-led Govt at Centre’s
decision to go ahead with the bill will trample on rights of indigenous people.
We have been opposed the legislation earlier and will continue to do so,” said
Robertjune Khar Jahrin, general secretary of North East Forum for Indigenous
People (NEFIP).In Shillong, hundreds of representatives from various
organizations conglomerated near the monument of Kiang Nongbah held a sit-in
protest carrying placards against Citizenship Bill.In Manipur’s capital Imphal,
many students and women came together under the banner of Manipur People
Against CAB (MANPAC) and lined up along the town’s main roads holding posters
opposing the legislation.Similarly hundreds carried out a protest march in
Nagaland capital Kohima. Protests against the legislation had rocked northeast
in January this year as well.HT
Amit
Shah’s plan of anti-Muslim NRC across India receives widespread condemnation,with
boycott call
New Delhi:Home Minister
Amit Shah’s plan to conduct anti-Muslim NRC across India has received wide
condemnation from the prominent and common people using social media,
expressing their strong disapproval to it. Many people have been perturbed by
this open anti-Muslim statement from no less a person than home minister of the
country.Tamil actor Siddharth even called Shah “Home Monster” reacting to this
statement. Many prominent citizens and commoners took to the social media to
express their anger over anti-Muslim approach of home minister towards the
refugees.“How is the Home Minster allowed to speak like this? Is it not against
the Constitution to tell refugees that only Muslims among them will be forced
to leave India by the govt? What is going on? These are the seeds of ethnic
cleansing being sown in the open for all to see,” Siddharth tweeted.Apart from
expressing anger, many people are now calling for boycotting the NRC if it has
been done to target Muslim community. They plan not to share their documents to
NRC office rather would prefer to go to the detention centers to show
solidarity with Muslim community.“If there is any injustice or discrimination
done in India against anyone based on their religion under the guise of NRC, i
will refuse to declare my citizenship documents and my religion or any other
information,” declared Darshan Mondkar on his Facebook saying that Indian
Muslims is like our family that completes the nation. Another social media user
Vishakha Sharma also pledged to boycott the NRC if it has been done across the
country to target any specific community.caravandaily
BJP
govt in Karnataka mulling to bring in NRC to identify ‘illegal migrants’
BJP Govt in Karnataka has
been contemplating to introduce NRC in the state, Home Minister Basavaraj
Bommai said today.“There is a very big talk going on regarding the
implementation of NRC across India. Karnataka is one of the states where across
the border people are coming and settling down. There are a lot of issues here.
Therefore we are collecting all the information, we will discuss with Union
Home Minister and then go ahead,” Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru. On
Wednesday, Bommai had said that 2 meetings were held on rolling out the NRC,
which has been accepted by a few states.He had said, “I’ve asked senior
officials to study the law. In Bengaluru and other big cities, foreigners have
come and settled. It has come to our notice they indulge in crime, and some of
them have been arrested as well. We will take a clear decision (on NRC) this
week.”When it was in the opposition, BJP had raised its voice on the increasing
number of Bangladeshi migrants in Bengaluru.indianexpress
Karnataka
govt collecting info on NRC, will discuss matter with Centre
Citizenship
Amendment Bill has become necessity for those left out of NRC: Assam BJP chief
Guwahati: Assam BJP unit
president Ranjeet Kumar Dass said that bringing Citizenship Amendment bill
(CAB) has become more pertinent for over 19 lakh people are excluded in final
NRC published. He said that the bill will benefit large number of Indians who
did not make it to NRC. Dass said, “Many Indian were exluded from NRC now they
will have to appear before Foreigners Tribunal for further claim despite the
fact that they are genuine India citizens. This is a matter of one’s swabhiman
(as Indian. Once CAB is passed, this situation will not arise. From this
perspective, we feel CAB is a necessity,” Dass said. economictimes
INDIAN ECONOMY
PMC
bank collapse: HDIL promoters Rakesh, Sarang Wadhawan arrested
New Delhi : Economic
Offence Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police today arrested executive chairman of
Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) Rakesh Wadhawan, vice
chairman and managing director of the company Sarang Wadhawan in connection
with the collapse of the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank
(PMC).Properties worth Rs 3,500 crore of HDIL were also frozen by EOW, an
official said, PTI reported.The development came three days after an FIR was
registered and a Look Out Notice was issued against 17 persons, including the
father-son duo, on the basis of a complaint by the Reserve Bank of India. The
RBI had stepped in and put restrictions on withdrawals after the crisis at the
bank came to light last week owing mainly to massive NPA that were
underreported.The bank allegedly violated RBI norms by extending loans to HDIL
beyond permissible limits. An SIT has also been constituted to probe the matter
and the losses have been pegged at Rs 4,355 crore, PTI had reported.Last week,
the central bank had extended relaxations to PMC account holders to withdraw Rs
10,000. The bank, spread over five states, has 137 branches.indianexpress
In
PMC Bank Crisis, Directors Of Firm Accused Of Loan Default Arrested
‘Blind
Bhakts, you are headed for the abyss,’ says PMC Bank depositor and Modi
supporter
Account holders of PMC
are venting out their anger and many have been reduced to tears as more of the
bank’s irregularities come to light. Many of them are holding the Modi Govt at
the Centre as responsible for the mess plaguing the banking sector. Here one
Modi supporter can be seen accusing Modi of repeatedly making the lives of
common people difficult which is an obvious reference to PM’s disastrous
Demonetisation and GST moves.“I work in the finance sector. Every year, there
is auditing of bank accounts. What was the RBI doing? I had planned to buy a
home for my family after meticulously saving for ten long years. Now, all that
money is stuck,” he tells a television reporter.He rambles on, “Modi, who are
you really working for? You are repeatedly making the lives of common people
difficult. I was a Modi supporter. You can check my Facebook account. And I am
telling you, all you blind Modi supporters , you are all headed for the abyss.”
More than 21,000 fictitious accounts were created by PMC Bank to hide the loans
it disbursed to HDI) and its group entities, according to a police. nationalheraldindia
Yes
Bank Group President Rajat Monga resigns, lender’s stocks surge
Yes Bank’s Group
President Rajat Monga has resigned, the private lender’s Chief Executive
Officer Ravneet Gill said during a conference call on Thursday, Moneycontrol
reported. Gill said Monga had decided to “move on” but did not divulge any
details. It is not clear if Monga’s resignation is effective immediately.After
news broke, Yes Bank’s stock surged 25% to Rs 39.90. This is biggest gain for
the lender’s stock in almost eight months, according to Bloomberg Quint.scroll
High
prices, poor demand lead to worst slump for India’s gold imports
OTHERS
Babri
Masjid hearing: Hindu sides in SC rebut Muslim claims over the site
New Delhi: Hindu parties
asserted in the Supreme Court on Thursday that claims of Muslim side over the
2.77-acre-land in the Babri Masjid title dispute are belied from the excavated
materials that suggest existence of a "massive structure" beneath the
demolished mosque. The counsel for deity Ram Lalla said the excavated materials
are a "proof beyond doubt" about the existence of the structure
beneath the demolished mosque in Ayodhya while rebutting the claim of Muslim
parties about the existence of an Islamic structure.The counsel stated that
from the pillar bases, artefacts, circular shrine, intersecting brickbat walls
found in excavation, an inference can be drawn that the massive structure was a
temple and not any Islamic structure.A five-judge Constitution bench headed by
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was told by Senior Advocate C S Vaidyanathan,
appearing for deity Ram Lalla, that the contention of the Muslim parties about
a structure beneath the disputed site being an idgah wall or an Islamic
structure was not correct. Advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Muslim
parties, said that as per ASI report there is no conclusive proof or findings
of destruction of a temple. "There is no finding in ASI report that there
was a destruction of a structure.There is no proof of destruction at all in ASI
report," he said.Interrupting Vaidyanathan, the bench said that faith and
belief about Hindus cannot be disputed but now in evidence, what is there to
establish the existence of temple.36th day of hearing also saw the SC
restraining Hindu parties from placing or relying on any new materials saying
it won't allow at this stage to place any new evidences. Dhavan periodically
raised objections when advocates for the Hindu parties tried to bring out some
new facts and materials to counter the arguments of the opposing sides.PTI
Another
bench recuses itself from hearing Gautam Navlakha''s plea
New Delhi:Another Supreme
Court bench today recused itself from hearing civil liberties activist Gautam
Navlakha''s plea challenging the Bombay High Court''s order refusing to quash
an FIR filed against him by the Pune police in Bhima-Koregaon case. The matter
came up for hearing before a three-judge bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Vineet
Sharan and S. Ravindra Bhat. However, Justice Bhat recused himself from hearing
the matter, after which the court referred the case to another bench. This
third time a judge has recused himself from hearing the case. On Oct.1, a
3-judge bench of Justices NV Ramana, BR Gavai and R. Subhash Reddy had recused
itself from hearing Navlakha''s plea.Before that CJI Ranjan Gogoi had removed
himself from the case. Soon after Bombay High Court rejected his plea, Maharashtra
Govt filed a caveat in the SC anticipating Navlakha''s appeal against the High
Court''s order. A caveat means the court cannot pass an order without hearing
the other side.IANS
P
Chidambaram to remain in Tihar jail till Oct. 17
New Delhi :Former Union
minister P Chidambaram will continue to remain in Tihar jail till Oct. 17 as a
Delhi court on Thursday extended his judicial custody in the INX Media
corruption case, PTI reported.The senior Congress leader was produced before
Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kumar after the expiry of his judicial custody today.
CBI had sought an extension of his remand. During the hearing, Chidambaram
sought permission for home-cooked food, citing medical ailments, at
Tihar.Earlier in the day, the former finance minister had moved the Supreme
Court, seeking bail in the case. This came four days after the Delhi High Court
denied bail to him on the ground that the possibility of him not influencing
witnesses while out on bail, “directly or indirectly, cannot be ruled
out”.indianexpress
SC/ST
Act: Supreme Court reserves order on pleas against changes made to restore
original provisions
The Supreme Court today
reserved its order on a plea challenging Parliament’s amendments to reverse
last year’s verdict of the SC that diluted a law protecting marginalised castes
and tribes, Bar and Bench reported. A 3-judge bench said it does not want to
dilute the provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act anymore. On Tuesday, another 3-judge bench of the court had
recalled the earlier judgement from March 2018.Justices Arun Mishra, Vineet
Saran and Ravindra Bhat hinted that they would uphold Parliament’s amendments.
“As it is, the law before the judgement of Justice Goel has been restored by
our judgement in the review,” Mishra said, adding that the judgement would be a
short one.scroll
Saradha
scam: Former Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar surrenders before city court, granted
bail
Kolkata:Appearing in
public after nearly three weeks, former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev
Kumar on Thursday surrendered before the Alipore Court here, which then granted
him bail on two sureties of Rs 50,000 each in connection with the Saradha
chit-fund scam case. Calcutta High Court had on Tuesday given anticipatory bail
to Kumar, who is currently the additional director general of the West Bengal
CID.PTI
Terror
alert in Delhi: Spl Cell conducts raids at many places after receiving tip-off
on terror strike plan
Delhi Police Special Cell
has been conducting search operations at several locations in the national
capital after receiving inputs on likely terror strike, reported the ANI today.
Earlier on Wednesday, police issued a terror alert in Delhi after receiving
information from central intelligence agencies that some Kashmiri terrorists
were planning strikes during the festival season. The report said that the
insurgents belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad and were carrying weapons.The security
measures have been beefed up in the 15 districts of the state after the orders
of DCP. The police have also heightened the security in more crowded places in
the national capitals, including metro stations, malls, and markets. NewsX
Stir
against EVM gains momentum; activists draw roadmap for protest
New Delhi: On the eve of
assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, representatives of around 50
political and social organisations vowed to intensify the movement against the
use of EVMs in elections.At a national conference held here on Wednesday, the
politicians and social activists, demanded annulment of May 2019 election
results and holding of fresh elections flagging that the Indian democracy and
idea of India is under threat.Calling for return to ballot papers, they
demanded dismissal of the BJP-led Govt at Center accusing it of coming to power
by manipulating the EVM machines. Its organiser and Rashtriya Jansangharsh
Party president, Advocate Bhanu Partap Singh, said the main purpose of the
conference was to mobilise masses against the EVMs and to build a pan-India
movement.He claimed leaders from more than 45 organisations and representatives
from 21 states across the country came to attend the conference. Partap Singh
said we have planned protest rallies simultaneously in at least 150 major
cities including state capitals during the month. The movement against EVMs, he
claimed was spread all over the country and needs to be organised as a unified
struggle. Professor Nandita Narain Das of Delhi University said during 2019
Election, several startling facts about EVM have come into public domain, which
she said were extremely worrying. Caravan Daily
Maharashtra
polls: Jailed gangster Chhota Rajan’s brother gets ticket from BJP’s ally
Deepak Nikalje, brother
of jailed gangster Chhota Rajan, will contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly
elections on a RPI (A) ticket, party chief Ramdas Athawale announced in Mumbai.
The party, which is an ally of the ruling BJP, has fielded Nikalje from Phaltan
constituency, PTI reported.scroll
Haryana:
Congress announces names of all 90 candidates, state chief, ex-president
excluded
Congress has released two
lists with names of all 90 candidates for Haryana Assembly elections. The party
has repeated 16 sitting MLAs, and dropped one – Renuka Vishnoi, who represented
Hansi constituency. Former CM Bhupinder Hooda will contest from his Garhi
Sampla-Kiloi seat, while spokesperson Randeep Surjewala will contest from his
Kaithal Assembly seat. The party has given a ticket to both the sons of former CM
late Bhajan Lal. Kuldeep Vishnoi will contest from Adampur in Hisar, and his
brother and former Deputy CM Chander Mohan from Panchkula. scroll
UP:
Not meddling in personal matters but can’t let minor marry
New Delhi: UP Govt has
told the Supreme Court that it has no intention to interfere in personal
matters like marriage in religious communities, be they minority or majority
groups, but affirmed it is duty-bound to take action to prevent a minor girl
from getting married.In the light of an allegation levelled by an alleged minor
Muslim girl that she was being harassed by police due to her marriage to a
Muslim man, a bench headed by Justice NV Ramana had asked UP home secretary to
be personally present in court on Sept.23. Girl had stated that she had
voluntarily married Javaid Ahmad and sought validation of the marriage on the
ground that even if minor, her marriage is valid under the Islamic law as she
has attained puberty. Acting on a kidnapping complaint by her father, police
produced her before a Bahraich judicial magistrate, who sent her to a women’s
shelter. However, the Allahabad HC’s Lucknow bench ordered her to be lodged in
a children’s home as a minor could not be kept at a shelter for adult women.
The girl moved SC against the order. TOI
Hyderabad:
Health screening at madrassas reveals dismal conditions
Charminar: Health
screening was held for economically-backward students of Govt-aided schools and
madrassas on Wednesday on account of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth
anniversary.The initiatives were undertaken jointly by Helping Hand
Foundation(HHF) and state Govt’s Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karykam (RBSK). RBSK
runs under the purview of district medical and health officer (DMHO) and
district immunization officer Dr. Nagarjuna. “We are happy to work with the NGO
as a wide network of volunteers across state hospitals will be helpful to run
the programme effectively and successfully,” said Dr Nararjuna.Under National
Health Mission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare project, those between
the age groups of 5 and 19 studying in Govt-aided schools, aganwadis,
residential schools & madrassas are screened.According to HHF’s study
across 100 madrassas, in which over 2,000 students were screened, it was found
that almost half of students between 5-12 years of age are malnourished, 20 %
were stunted and 23% wasted, falling below the minimum 50% percentile mark as
per the growth chart published by WHO & Indian Academy of Pediatrics.TOI
Madrassa
teacher, aide arrested for slitting throat of student in Amroha: TOI
Bijnor: A teacher of a
madrassa in UP’s Amroha district and his aide were on Wednesday arrested for
allegedly slitting the throat of a Class IV student in his sleep to “settle
score” from the principal of the seminary, even as the child was still fighting
for his life at medical college hospital in Meerut.After slitting the
10-year-old child’s throat, the accused had also stabbed him in the stomach
leaving him seriously injured in the wee hours of Tuesday. According to police,
Mohammad Hasnain, main accused, was holding a grudge against Rahid Khan,
principal of the seminary. “To settle score, Hasnain attacked Adnan, who is the
nephew of the principal,” a police officer said. The other accused, Mohammad
Uwais, is a senior student in the seminary, police said, adding that both the
accused belonged to Saharanpur district and knew each other.
If majority
community in India becomes communal...: Digvijaya warns of Hindu radicalisation
Indore: Radicalisation of
Hindus is as dangerous as that of Muslims, veteran Congress leader Digvijaya
Singh said here on Wednesday. He also criticised PM Narendra Modi for not
objecting immediately when US President Donald Trump called him "father of
the nation". In Pakistan,majority community has been communalised and if
the same happens in India, it would be dangerous for the country, said Singh at
a function to mark 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi."You all must
have heard Pakistan PM Imran Khan's speech at the UN General Assembly where he
spoke about Islamophobia and the radicalisation of Muslims. Against this
backdrop, there is talk of radicalisation of Hindus. Radicalisation of Hindus
is equally dangerous," Singh said. "Communalisation of the majority
population has taken place in Pakistan... Likewise, if the majority community
in India becomes communal, it would be difficult to save the country from its
ill-effects," MP added.PTI
Communalism
of majority is more dangerous: Prof Achin Vanaik
Warangal: Writer, social
activist and former professor of Delhi University Achin Vanaik said communalism
by the majority is more dangerous than that of minority communalism. He also
observed that religious nationalism was against secularism.Delivering the
keynote address at a meeting organised by the Telangana Vikasa Samithi, Achin
Vanaik launched a scathing attack on BJP-led NDA Govt at the Centre and accused
it of communal politics. “Majority communalism in the guise of nationalism
holds the threat of changing the political narrative in the country. What is
going on in India presently in the name of Hindu nationalism is cent cent majority
communalism,” he added. He also said that political vacuum created by the
weakening of Congress party helped in the rise of the BJP.telanganatoday
Gandhians
shocked at Govt move to take over Sabarmati Ashram
Gandhians were stunned to
learn last week that the Govt was planning to take over the Sabarmati Ashram.
The plan is to take over all Trusts, institutions, land and property,
painstakingly built over the last 70 years, with or without Govt grants.
Sabarmati Ashram was served a notice informing trustees and 200 and odd inmates
that Govt was preparing to give them ‘handsome compensation’ and apartments for
ceding control of the institutions and the land. Govt, the notice assured,
planned to transform the Ashram into a fitting ‘world class’ memorial to the
Mahatma.Alleging that the Govt is eying what is now prime property, Gandhians
point out that the ashram was set up on barren land and was home to Gandhi
between 1917 and 1930. Not all Gandhian institutions have been receiving grants
from the Govt either. And while Gandhians have kept the legacy of the Mahatma
alive in the face of severe odds, they seem to have outlived their utility in
the eyes of the Govt.nationalheraldindia
Gandhi's
ashes stolen and photo defaced on 150th birthday
Thieves stole some of
Mahatma Gandhi's remains on what would have been his 150th birthday, police
say.The ashes were taken from a memorial in central India, where they had been
kept since 1948 - year of Gandhi's assassination by a Hindu extremist.The
thieves also scrawled "traitor" in green paint across photographs of
the independence leader.Some Hindu hardliners view Gandhi as a traitor for his
advocacy of Hindu-Muslim unity. This is despite Gandhi being a devout Hindu
himself. Police in Rewa, in MP, confirmed to BBC that they were investigating
the theft on the grounds of actions "prejudicial to national
integration" and potential breach of the peace.Mangaldeep Tiwari,
caretaker of the Bapu Bhawan memorial, where the ashes were being held, said
the theft was "shameful".BBC
Gandhi
Jayanti: AMU avoids Jinnah-Gandhi's
pictures together at exhibition
After a controversy over pictures of Muhammad
Ali Jinnah being displayed along with Mahatma Gandhi in AMU, on Gandhi Jayanti
last year, varsity administration did not display any such photographs. The
exhibition, being held in Maulana Azad Library’s Central Hall, has no pictures
of Jinnah and Gandhi together this year. However, Jinnah’s portrait at the
students’ union office, which initially sparked the controversy, continues to
remain as it is. Prof Shafey Kidwai confirmed that Jinnah’s pictures with Gandhi
have not been displayed this time. He however tried to play down the last
year’s controversy by saying that the reason for exhibiting their pictures
together was just to show Jinnah’s association with the father of nation.TOI
Andhra
govt takes over liquor shops, prohibition from next year
Hyderabad :In the first
step towards total prohibition, the Andhra Pradesh Govt has taken over 3,500
liquor shops across the state, which will be run by the AP State Beverages
Corporation. The new excise policy was issued on Oct. 1, even as the Govt said
it wants total prohibition within a year.To gradually cut availability and
consumption, liquor shops will stay open from 10 am to 9 pm and later reduced
to just 3-4 hours a day. In the last four months, the Govt has started shutting
down liquor shops and the number is currently down to 3,500 shops from 4,380.
Liquor sales and consumption has decreased by 18 % in the last four months
since the YSR Congress Party came to power under CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
indianexpress
Bihar
rain death toll soars to 73, many areas inundated even after a week
Patna:The death toll in
rain-related incidents in Bihar soared to 73 on Thursday even as forces
involved in relief and rescue operations fished out rotting corpses from
water-logged areas in several places.The torrential rain that took place
between September 27 and 30 has created a flood-like situation in 15 districts
of the state, including the state capital.The disaster management said that the
death toll takes into account loss of lives caused by drowning, wall collapse,
trees crushing people to death and electrocution of citizens trapped in
water-logged areas.The department was, however, unable to provide a
district-wise break-up.PTI
Delhi's
Air Quality To Start Dipping By Oct. 5 As Dust, Smoke Start Blowing Over
Air quality in the
national capital was recorded in the “satisfactory” level on Wednesday but it
is predicted to slip into the “moderate” category by Friday as wind direction
changes to northwesterly.Westerly and northwesterly winds bring dust from western
regions and smoke caused byburning of crop residue in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana
to Delhi-NCR.huffingtonpost
Indian-Origin
US Tech Millionaire Tushar Atre, Kidnapped Days Ago, Found Dead In Car
Washington: Indian-origin
tech millionaire Tushar Atre who was kidnapped from his home in California's
Santa Cruz earlier this week has been found dead inside his BMW car.Tushar
Atre, 50 -- owner of digital marketing company AtreNet Inc which caters to
Silicon Valley corporate businesses -- was kidnapped from his house around 3
a.m. "during a crime" on Tuesday, the Santa Cruz county sheriff's
office said, adding that he was last seen getting into his white BMW.Sheriff's
deputies said they responded to Atre's home in the 3000 block of Pleasure Point
Rd. after receiving a 911 call from someone inside the residence that day who
reported a home invasion and kidnapping.Deputies located the car on Tuesday
afternoon in the Santa Cruz Mountains and found a body in the same
location."We have some unfortunate news, we have found the car associated
with this case along with a deceased person," the office said in a
Facebook statement.IANS
WORLD
Pakistan
sets stage for revival of peace talks between US-Afghan Taliban in Islamabad
Pakistan has started
playing its role in mediating and facilitating a restart to the peace talks
between the Taliban and the US administration. A delegation of Afghan Taliban
is in Islamabad to meet the PM Imran Khan leadership.A 12-member high-level delegation
of the Afghan Taliban, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Islamabad
on Thursday to meet the Pakistani leadership and seek ways to re-initiate peace
dialogue with US administration.The Afghan delegation arrived at the Pakistan
Foreign Office to meet the Pakistani delegation led by Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi.Pakistan maintained its desire to see peace in Afghanistan and
a resolution to the conflict through dialogue. Taliban delegation is also expected to meet PM
Imran Khan, which is being seen as an establishment of Pakistan's importance
and undeniable role in the US-Afghan dialogue process, making its presence much
more important for Donald Trump.On the other hand, US Special Representative
for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, is also in Islamabad along
with his delegation and is expected to have the first-ever meeting with Taliban
since talks were cancelled. Khalilzad has had extensive meetings with the
Pakistani leadership, discussing the importance of ensuring peace in
Afghanistan and an end to the conflict through phase-wise withdrawal of US
forces.indiatoday
Pakistan,
Taliban call for US to resume peace talks
Iraq
protests: Death toll rises to 20 as unrest spreads
Death toll from 3 days of
mass anti-Govt protests in Iraq has risen to 20, with hundreds more wounded as
authorities imposed curfews in several cities and cut internet access across
much of the country to quell unrest. Protests, which began in the capital,
Baghdad on Tuesday, are mostly spontaneous and without political leadership,
staged by disenchanted youth demanding jobs, improved services, such as
electricity and water, and an end to Iraq’s endemic corruption.The
demonstrations have since spread to cities across the mainly Shia south, making
it the most serious challenge to PM Adel Abdul Mahdi’s year-old Govt.In
Baghdad, authorities imposed a round-the-clock curfew early on Thursday, saying
the measure was meant to "protect general peace" and protesters from
"infiltrators" who committed attacks against security forces and
public property.But dozens of protesters defied the order early on Thursday and
attempted to gather at Tahrir Square, prompting security forces to use live
rounds and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Aljazeera
'Biggest
crackdown' under Sisi condemned after thousands arrested
Egyptian authorities have
launched "biggest crackdown" under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's
rule, according to Amnesty International, rounding up more than 2,300 people
following a series of anti-Govt protests in late Sept. Those arrested include
111 minors, aged between 11 and 17 years, the rights group said in a statement
on Wednesday.At least 69 detainees face charges including "membership in a
terrorist group". In addition to sweeping arrests of peaceful protesters,
Egyptian authorities also carried out targeted arrests of journalists,
activists and politicians, Amnesty said. Several lawyers representing detainees
have also been arrested while carrying out their work."President Abdel
Fattah el-Sisi's Govt has orchestrated this crackdown to crush the slightest
sign of dissent and silence every Govt critic," said Najia Bounaim,
Amnesty's North Africa campaign director. "The wave of unprecedented mass
arrests, which included many who were not even involved in the protests, sends
a clear message - anyone perceived to pose a threat to Sisi's Govt will be
crushed." aljazeera
In
Saudi, criticism of MBS increases after oil attack
Some members of Saudi
Arabia's ruling family and business elite have expressed frustration with the
leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) following the largest-ever
attack on the kingdom's oil infrastructure last month.It has sparked concern
among several prominent branches of the ruling Al Saud family, which numbers
about 10,000, about the crown prince's ability to defend and lead the world's
largest oil exporter, according to a senior foreign diplomat and five sources
with ties to royals and business elite, Reuters reported .All spoke on
condition of anonymity. The attack has also fanned discontent among some in
elite circles who believe the crown prince has sought too tight a grip on
power, the sources said.Some of these people said the event has also fuelled
criticism among those who believe he has pursued an overly aggressive stance
towards Iran."There is a lot of resentment" about the crown prince's
leadership, said one of the sources, a member of the Saudi elite with royal
connections. "How were they not able to detect the attack?"This
person added that some people in elite circles are saying they have "no
confidence" in the crown prince, an assertion echoed by 4 other sources
and senior diplomat.aljazeera
UN:
Bin Salman exonerating himself from Khashoggi’s murder
Saudi Arabia’s Crown
Prince Mohammed Bin Salman exonerates himself from the murder of Jamal
Khashoggi, UN investigator, Agnes Callamard, said.“He [Bin Salman] is creating
a distance between himself, he is exonerating himself from direct criminal
responsibility in the killing,” Callamard said, adding the Bin Salman was
creating “layers, and layers and layers of actors and institutions which are
protecting him from his direct accountability for killing.”She described the
Saudi judiciary as “not independent,” stressing that there were “no guarantees
for justice there.”In CBS’ “60 Minutes” programme, Bin Salman said that as de
facto Saudi leader he ultimately bored “full responsibility” for the killing,
yet he denied ordering it.middleeastmonitor
Iran
admits supporting Houthis in Yemen for 1st time
Iran has long denied
providing any military support for the Houthis in Yemen. However, it has
acknowledged for the first time since the outbreak of the war in Yemen in 2015,
that the Revolutionary Guards offered “advisory and intellectual support” to
its ally, the Houthi group. Iranian Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammed
Bagheri, admitted providing this kind of support to Houthis, in an interview
with Phoenix Chinese TV Channel.According to Bagheri, Iran provided advisory
support, weapons and equipment to Iraq and Syria at the request of their Govts,
and IRGC was, of course, responsible for that mission. Maj. Gen. did not deny
the Iranian army’s assistance to IRGC forces there.MEMO
Paris
police attack: 4 killed by knife-wielding employee
A knife-wielding employee
has killed 4 fellow members of staff at police headquarters in the centre of
the French capital, Paris.The attacker, who has not been named, was later shot
dead by police.Witnesses described scenes of panic, with many people fleeing
the building in tears. The area in the île de la Cité has been sealed off. The
attack comes a day after police went on strike across France over increasing
violence towards officers. There has been no official statement so far on a
possible motive for the attack. bbc
Trump
impeachment inquiry: Who do House panels want to depose?
Washington:A new fight
has erupted between Democrats in Congress and Trump administration over access
to officials as 3 House committees investigate US President Donald Trump's
dealings with Ukraine. Trump asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in a
July 25 telephone call to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a
leading Democratic presidential hopeful, and his son Hunter Biden who had
served on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company.The call between the two
leaders was the subject of a whistle-blower complaint alleging Trump used his
office to "solicit interference" from Ukraine in the 2020 US presidential
elections. The complaint, filed with the top US intelligence official last
month, was released publicly on Thursday. Trump has denied any wrongdoing,
saying the phone call was "normal".About a dozen White House and
State Department officials listened to what was expected to be a routine call
between Trump and Zelensky, according to the complaint. In the days after,
senior White House officials sought to "lock down" records of the
call, signalling White House officials "understood the gravity of what had
happened", the whistle-blower said.aljazeera
US
reopens embassy in Somalia after nearly 3 decades
US has reopened its
embassy in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, nearly 3 decades after it was shut as
the Horn of Africa nation plunged into civil war. Washington closed its embassy
during 1991 overthrow of then-President Siad Barre's military regime which
ushered in decades of chaos. However, diplomatic relations have strengthened in
recent years."Today we reaffirm the relations between American people and Somali
people, and our two nations," said Donald Yamamoto, US ambassador to
Somalia, on Wednesday. aljazeera
South
Africa envoy condemns UN’s inability to inaction on Palestine resolutions
South Africa’s Ambassador
to the UN Jerry Matjila has criticised UN for not implementing any of its 72
resolutions on Palestine since 1948.Matjila, president of the Security Council
for Oct., made his remarks to Al-Quds Al-Arabi paper about the international
community’s failure to help Palestinian people achieve their aspirations for
independence and freedom.The ambassador described South Africa’s position on
the Palestinian cause and its support for the Palestinian people and their
legitimate rights as “well-known and unquestionable.”middleeastmonitor
Flash:NEWS,views,Articles
Citizenship
Amendment Bill will result in untold fear and dislocation of Muslim
citizens:Harsh Mander
Amit
Shah’s NRC Plan Decoded – Communal Division, and a Big Lie Too:Siddharth
Varadarajan
Make
no mistake, Amit Shah’s NRC plan is both bigoted and unconstitutional:Rohan
Venkataramakrishnan
U.N.
Can’t Ignore Kashmir Anymore:NYT Editorial Board
7
ways Imran Khan’s fans tried to show Pakistanis his US visit was a
success:NAILA INAYAT
Our
Lokpal movement to schools, water, power — Gandhi’s vision endures:Arvind
Kejriwal
Declaring
India 'Open Defecation Free' Doesn't Mean Sanitation Goals Have Been Met:Avani
Kapur and Sanjana Malhotara
Is
Amit Shah above the Constitution? Have oaths of office become meaningless?Faraz
Ahmad
Corporate
Tax relief: Feeding industry oats in the hope that the poor will eat the
dung:Malay Sengupta
Mystery
over PMC Bank’s audit firm deepens, no trace of firm found: Moneylife report
The
courts’ refusal to curb repression in Kashmir:the economist
An
Islamist dilemma after rise of populists in Tunisia: Reuters
Lebanon
slammed for deporting undocumented Syrian refugees
Even
as Questions Remain, Modi Declares Rural India Open Defecation Free
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