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OCT. 2019: 01 Rabiul Awwal 1441: Vol: 12, No: 49
INDIA: J&K ISSUE
Leaked letter shows ‘International Broker’ Madi
Sharma pulled off ‘PR stunt’ for Modi by facilitating Kashmir trip of EU MPs
A leaked letter written to Liberal Democrat
MEP Chris Davies has exposed the real motive behind the so-called delegation of
27 EU MPs visiting Kashmir on Tuesday. The said letter has brought the role of
one ‘international broker’ Madi Sharma under the scanner. The letter released
by Davies shows how Sharma had extended invitation to EU MPs to visit India on
a fully sponsored trip and take part in a ‘prestigious VIP meeting with PM of
India,His Excellency Narendra Modi.’ The invitation to EU MPs was extended by
Sharma, whose Twitter bio describes her as a ‘Social Capitalist’ and
‘International Business Broker.’ It’s not clear who had empowered her to fix Indian
PM’s diary with incredible confidence and whether Indian government or the
ruling BJP had any role behind taking care of the finance required to fund this
7-star trip of 27 European lawmakers. In another development, Davies said that
the invitation to him by Sharma was withdrawn three days after he received the
mail from her. He said that he was not prepared to take part in ‘a PR stunt for
the Modi government and pretend that all is well (in Kashmir).” “It is very
clear that democratic principles are being subverted in Kashmir, and the world
needs to start taking notice,” Davies was quoted by HT.This is not the first
time Sharma has been at the helm of facilitating such a high-profile visit to
meet a prime minister of a south Asian country. Last year, she had taken a
delegation to meet Bangladeshi Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina. She later took to
Twitter to flaunt her meeting with the Bangladeshi PM. jantakareporter
Questions over organiser of EU lawmakers' J&K visit;
Office found locked:NDTV
Disaster on Dal Lake:Modi govt’s PR drive lies in
tatters: Telegraph India
Tracking Madi Sharma from Brussels to Delhi
How can ‘international business broker’ have access
to PMO, asks Congress
Congress
party on Wednesday questioned how an "international business broker"
like Madi Sharma, who is alleged to have organised the private visit of
European Union parliamentarians to Kashmir, have access to the PMO.Party
general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that while farmers and unemployed
youth did not have the facility of meeting the prime minister and airing their
grievances, "international business brokers" like Sharma were giving
assurance that the visit would be sponsored."Farmers and unemployed youth
of India don't have the facility of meeting the prime minister, so that their
problems can be heard. But yes, international business brokers like Madi Sharma
can proudly write, 'come to India we will also bear your expenses'.""We
have access to PMO, we will arrange a meeting with the PM. How did these business
brokers have access to PMO," Priyanka Gandhi said.PTI
"Diplomatic Blunder": Congress On
European MPs Visiting Jammu And Kashmir
India should let opposition leaders visit Kashmir
too: EU delegation member
Indian
government should permit its own opposition leaders visit Jammu and Kashmir if
it has allowed foreign leaders to do so, a member of the unofficial European
Union delegation told ANI.“I think if you let in European Union
parliamentarians, you should also let in Opposition politicians from India. There
is some kind of disbalance; government should somehow address it,” Nicolaus
Fest of Alternative for Germany was quoted as saying by ANI.Fest was among the
23-member EU delegation that visited Srinagar to assess the situation in the
state after the Centre revoked J&K’s special status under Article 370.In a
press conference held after their visit, members of the delegation said they
were not in the country to “interfere in politics”, but understand the
situation by meeting the common people.“Work is progressing in right direction
here. People of Kashmir want peace and development. They want schools and
hospitals,” they said.A day after an attack in the Valley killed five workers
from Bengal, the leaders said they understood that the state was plagued by terrorism.
“All problems of Kashmir are linked to terrorism. We learn that terrorism
coming from Pakistan,” they said, adding that “Indian politics is your problem,
but terrorism is ours.” Leaders said they would return to their countries and
brief respective Parliaments on the situation. EU’s mission in Delhi has
already distanced itself from the visit, saying these European lawmakers were
travelling in their “personal capacity” and were not in India as an official EU
delegation.indianexpress
Europe should mediate if India, Pakistan want: far-right
EU MP
European
MP Bernhard Zimniok, who represents German far-right Alternative für
Deutschland (AfD) and is one of 23 MEPs visiting Srinagar,said “if Pakistan and
India make a new attempt to normalise their relations, I believe that European
community should, if desired, act as an honest broker and mediator”. “The
conflict that has existed for decades has claimed many thousands of lives and
also ties up financial resources that are otherwise lacking in economic
development. In addition, dangerous terrorist groups have emerged in the region
for the international community, including Europe. Terror is the new hostage of
humanity and must be fought by all states. Terror is also a big threat to
Europe,” he said.“Now, if Pakistan and India make a new attempt to normalise
their relations, I believe that the European community should, if desired, act
as an honest broker and mediator. Under no circumstances should we take sides,
as this would be counterproductive for any rapprochement process,” he
said.indianexpress
Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna questions need for EU
team’s visit to Kashmir
Shiv
Sena mouthpiece Saamna has questioned the need for European Union
representatives’ visit to Kashmir.In an editorial published on Wednesday, which
started off by saying that the situation was under control in Kashmir now and
transport, communication services had been restored, it mentioned that Kashmir
was India’s internal matter. “When everything is going on normally in Kashmir,
why has EU team come to Kashmir now? Kashmir is not an international issue.
Pandit Nehru is still criticised for taking this issue to UN. You don’t like UN
interference on Kashmir,then how do you tolerate EU team’s faujdari (policing) in
Kashmir?Isn’t European community coming for observation to Kashmir an attack on
India’s freedom and sovereignty? Even today, political leaders don’t have entry
in Kashmir. Then, what exactly is EU team going to do?Home Minister is capable
of answering these questions.”thehindu
EU MPs may attend Indian Parliament, speak in
favour of the government: Chidambaram’s latest jibe on way to Tihar
New
Delhi: On his way to Tihar Jail, former union finance minister P Chidambaram on
Wednesday took a dig at govt for allowing a delegation of EU parliamentarians
to visit Kashmir. The senior Congress leader said that the European MPs may be
spotted in the Indian parliament next to speak in favour of the
government.Responding to a question on the visit by EU members, Chidambaram
said, “European MPs may be invited to attend Parliament and speak in favour of
the government. Who knows? It may happen.” HT
MEPs' Press Conference: No Local Media, No questions
on detentions or communication clampdown
At
the end of their 24 hour-long stay in Srinagar, members of the group of
European parliamentarians said that they considered the nullification of
Article 370 “an internal matter of India”, but held that terrorism was a
“global issue” which required more attention from the rest of the world. According
to state government officials, they met around 15 delegations comprising youth
activists, panchayat members and a women’s group. They also met with Indian
army officials and later in the evening, took a round of the Dal Lake on
shikaras.PTI reported that the foreign visitors were briefed by state
government officials for two hours over a dinner meeting, which was attended by
state Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyan and DGP Dilbag Singh.The press
conference at the conclusion of their Srinagar stay had been part of their
scheduled three-day visit to India. It was addressed by three out of the 23
members of MEPs who had decided to travel to Srinagar. 4 of their colleagues
had returned from Delhi and not travelled further. TV reporters from
Delhi-based channels asked questions at the press conference, which was
understood to be open only to selected media. No prominent journalists had been
invited to the interaction. Unusually for a press conference, each of their
short statements were greeted by applause from the audience. The conference
shown on TV was not live, but recorded. As per local journalists, questions
were vetted and only selected journalists from some mainstream Indian channels
had the chance to attend. The questions were asked by reporters from Aaj Tak,
Republic TV, WION and India TV. When inviting the first journalist to ask the
question, the emcee prefaced her description with “our guest”.The questions
ranged from their experience to whether the visitors thought western media was
largely propaganda to the state of minorities in Pakistan. During 45-minute
presser, there were no queries on the communication clampdown in Kashmir or the
future of the political detainees. The wire
In Srinagar, few journalists allowed to cover press
meet of EU lawmakers
'Some People Were Kept Away From Us': MEPs Visit
Kashmir Amidst Widespread Protests
CPI's D Raja Asks BJP-RSS Combine to Explain
Purpose of EU MPs' Kashmir Visit
New
Delhi: CPI general secretary D Raja on Wednesday asked RSS and BJP to explain
how a delegation of European Union MPs were granted access to Kashmir when
parliamentarians of the country were not allowed in the state."I tried to
visit Kashmir twice, but was detained and sent back. RSS-BJP combine should
explain how while MPs and senior leaders of the country are being denied a
visit of Kashmir, a delegation of EU MPs was visiting there."RSS-BJP
combine should also explain purpose of the visit by the EU parliamentarians and
their political affiliations," Raja said.PTI
JD(U) raises questions on govt allowing EU
delegation visit to Kashmir
BJP
ally JD(U) on Wednesday questioned Union government's decision to allow a visit
by a delegation of EU parliamentarians to Kashmir, wondering if it did not go
contrary to India's policy against internationalising the issue and if it was
an appropriate time when even Indian MPs were not able to visit valley.JD(U)
spokesperson Pavan Varma, a former diplomat, articulated his party's position
on the two-day visit to the Valley by the 23-member European Union
delegation.PTI
Kulgam attack: Mamata demands ‘strong’ probe into
killing of Bengal labourers
West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today called for a “strong investigation”
into the “brutal” killings of 5 labourers from Murshidabad in south Kashmir’s
Kulgam district to find out the “real truth”. Expressing shock over the
“pre-planned” incident, AITC supremo posted on Twitter, “In a most unfortunate
incident in Kashmir yesterday, five innocent labourers were brutally killed in a
pre-planned manner.We are totally shocked! Presently there are no political
activities in Kashmir and entire law and order is with the Government of
India.”“We, therefore, demand a strong investigation so that the real truth
comes out. We are deputing Shri Sanjay Singh ADG South Bengal to find out
details from them,” she posted on the micro-blogging site.Suspected militants
shot dead five labourers from Bengal in Kulgam district on the day when an
unofficial EU delegation visited the Valley to assess the situation after the
abrogation of Article 370. Indian express
Modi govt red-flags J&K lawyer who converted to
Islam but SC ignores & picks her as judge
New
Delhi: When the Supreme Court collegium cleared the appointment of lawyer
Moksha Kazmi-Khajuria as a judge of the J&K High Court, it decided to
overlook the Modi government’s reference to the fact that she had converted to
Islam to marry a Kashmiri Muslim man.The collegium, at its 15 October meeting,
had approved the names of two lawyers recommended by the J&K High Court
collegium while refusing to clear two other names. Central government had also
raised red-flags about the “sudden rise” in Kazmi-Khajuria’s income, her
competence as a lawyer, as well as perceived closeness of her husband’s family
to PDP led by Mehbooba Mufti.“It seems the government, without saying it
categorically, hoped that the collegium would reject her name. But since when
is a marriage like hers a crime?” said a Supreme Court source familiar with the
matter. Kazmi-Khajuria, a Hindu from Jammu, had converted to Islam to marry
Yasir Sayeed Kazmi, a businessman living in Barzulla, Srinagar.theprint
Nearly 1 million tweets on Kashmir blocked under
govt pressure: Report
New
Delhi: Twitter has been found complying with the Indian government’s requests
to censure account sharing news and information concerning Kashmir, according
to a research article by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an
organization that promotes press freedom worldwide.CPJ researchers found that
the social networking website has complied with a number of requests made by
the Indian government on the plea of local laws, security and public order. The
CPJ recently issued statements urging the government to allow journalists to
work freely against the backdrop of mounting media censorship. The repressive
crackdown imposed by the government in Kashmir restricting press freedom is not
hidden from anybody.caravandaily
From midnight, Jammu and Kashmir transitions into
two union territories
On
Thursday, India will wake up to one state less and 2 union territories more as
Presidential proclamation of August 9 giving assent to the bifurcation of Jammu
and Kashmir into two Union Territories comes into effect.The day will be marked
by G C Murmu, a former bureaucrat from PM Modi’s home state of Gujarat, being
sworn in as the first lieutenant governor of the union territory of Jammu and
Kashmir. Another former civil servant, Radha Krishna Mathur, will take office
as the lieutenant governor of Ladakh. While UT of Ladakh will not have an
assembly and will be directly governed by the Union Home Ministry through L-G,
Kashmir will have an assembly and will largely work along the lines of the
Delhi model but rules to govern Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 are
yet to be notified. HT
PoK is ours, we will get it: Ex Army chief V K
Singh
New
Delhi:PoK is a part of India and New Delhi will get control over it, Union
Minister General V K Singh (retired) said here on Wednesday. Minister of State
for Road Transport and Highways Singh also dubbed the criticism of the
government by the opposition over the EU delegation’s visit to Kashmir as
insignificant.“What is the need to capture it (PoK). PoK is ours. We will get
hold on it…,” Singh replied to a query on the sidelines of an event by industry
body Assocham.PTI
Maha, Haryana POLITICS
Fadnavis extends olive branch to Sena for Maharashtra
alliance
Mumbai:Shortly
after his election as leader of BJP legislative party for a second consecutive
term here on Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis extended
an olive branch to Shiv Sena. “This is a mandate for the Mahayuti (Grand
Alliance) and only the Mahayuti will form the government,” Fadnavis told
reporters shortly after being elected as leader of the BJP in Maharashtra
Assembly. Thanking Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray for the victory of the
saffron alliance, Fadnavis dismissed as rumours reports of a rupture in their
relationship. “There are many rumours about various formulas about government
formation... these only have entertainment value,”Fadnavis said. Meanwhile
backchannel talks between the BJP and the Shiv Sena have started again,
according to sources. BJP has sought to placate the Shiv Sena with the post of
deputy chief minister and some important portfolios. BJP leaders say they do
not want to part with meaty portfolios like home, finance, co-operation and
revenue. On the other hand, the Shiv Sena has gone silent after Tuesday’s
sabre-rattling. “What will be, will be. What’s in Maharashtra’s fate will
happen,” Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters. The Sena is set to hold a
meeting of its legislative party on Thursday where it will elect its leader.
Aaditya Thackeray, the first from the family to win an election, is the most
obvious choice. However Raut and other Shiv Sena leaders refused to comment on
it.Earlier on Wednesday, all 105 newly-elected MLAs of the BJP met at Vidhan
Bhavan to elect Fadnavis as the leader of the BJP legislative party. Union
Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and party vice president Avinash Rai Khanna were
the central observers. Only the name of Fadnavis was proposed and his election
was unanimous, Tomar told reporters after the meeting.BJP leaders said Fadnavis
will stake claim to form the government only after the Shiv Sena comes on
board, party leader Girish Mahajan told reporters here.Meanwhile the
Nationalist Congress Party reiterated that its mandate was to sit in the
opposition. “The mandate is for us to sit in the opposition. We will see if the
situation changes,” NCP leader Praful Patel told reporters.tribuneindia
"No Swearing-In Without Shiv Sena": BJP
Amid Back-Channel Talks With Ally
OTHERS
Manipur separatists announce 'Manipur govt in
exile' in UK
London:
2 dissident leaders from Manipur claiming to represent King Leishemba Sanajaoba
on Tuesday announced the launch of the “Manipur Government in exile” here in UK.Addressing
a press conference, Yamben Biren, claiming to be the “Chief Minister of Manipur
State Council” and Narengbam Samarjit, claiming to be the “Minister of External
Affairs and Defence of Manipur State Council” said they were speaking on behalf
of the ‘Maharaja of Manipur’ to formally launch the government-in-exile- “The
Manipur State Council”.There was no immediate comment from the High Commission
of India here.Biren and Samarjit produced documents to show that they have been
granted political asylum in UK in August this year.They said after getting
their asylum status in the UK, “the de jure government is shifted from Manipur
to London”.“We believe that now is the right time to make public the
Independent Government of Manipur before the international community and seek
recognition. We call on all Governments of the sovereign states of the members
of the United Nations for their recognition of the de jure and exile Government
of the Manipur from today onwards.“3 million Manipuri people want recognition
as one of the Precious Native Nations. Our attempts to engage with Indian
government were met with hate and hostilities,” they claimed.They claimed there
are “more than 1,528 cases of the extra judicial killing which are pending
before the Supreme Court of India”.The duo claimed the “State of Manipur is a
de jure Government formed in Manipur under the Manipur State Constitution Act
1947. It received independence from the British Raj on Aug.14, 1947. They
claimed the sovereign State of Manipur was excluded from India by Order in
Council by his Majesty on 27 Dec.1946 and Indian Government annexed Manipur
State of India by violation of the Act 1949″. Two leaders said that they would
make an appeal to Queen Elizabeth II and after getting an order from the Privy
Council they would move the UN for recognition.PTI
Indian Manipur separatists announce exiled
government in UK:aljazeera
Am shocked, says Manipur’s ex-maharaja on
‘govt-in-exile’ move by dissidents
Manipur’s
erstwhile king Leishemba Sanajaoba on Wednesday distanced himself from
statements by two leaders who announced the launch of the ‘Manipur Government
in exile’ in London. In a video message released early on Wednesday, Leishemba
Sanajaoba said he did sign some papers at the request of Yamben Biren and
Narengbam Samarjit - who made the controversial claim in London - but was told
that the papers related to his “permission” to let them carry out some research
into historic documents and photographs in London.“I was surprised and shocked
to know the viral news,” he said in the statement made in Meithi.HT
Naga peace talks: NSCN-IM refuses to back down from
demand for separate flag, constitution
New
Delhi :With Oct 31 deadline for the Naga peace talks to conclude just around
the corner, negotiations continued to be stalled on Tuesday, with insurgent
group NSCN-IM refusing to back down from its demand of a separate flag and
constitution.Ahead of a round of talks between the government and various Naga
insurgent groups, 22 members of the NSCN-IM quit the group on Monday and joined
the Unification faction of the NSCN. Sources in NSCN-IM said more leaders were
expected to quit the group on Wednesday to join Naga National Political Groups
(NNPG) – an umbrella organisation of seven Naga insurgent groups, who are also
part of the peace talks.The exodus follows the resignation of senior NSCN-IM
member Hukavi Yepthomi, who joined NNPG along with 16 members on Friday.
Yepthomi had issued a statement, saying that he was leaving the IM faction in
the interest of the people of Nagaland, and referred to NSCN-IM supremo Th
Muivah’s demands for a separate flag and constitution as impractical. However,
sources said that despite the outflow of its leaders, NSCN-IM was “firm on its
stand for a separate flag and constitution” and is not looking at backing
down.“We don’t believe that the matter can be resolved by October 31 as Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has desired. We don’t believe that there will be an
agreement by then. But this stalemate can definitely be resolved by the end of
this year,” said an IM source.indianexpress
Rajasthan HC quashes cow-smuggling case against
Pehlu Khan, his two sons
Rajasthan
High Court has quashed a cow-smuggling case against Haryana dairy farmer Pehlu
Khan who was lynched by a mob in Alwar on April 1, 2017, his two sons and a
truck driver, for allegedly illegally transporting cows for slaughter. A single
bench of Justice Pankaj Bhandari quashed the case under Rajasthan Bovine
Animals Protection Act and the chargesheet against the four, saying there is no
evidence to show that the cows were being transported for the purpose of
slaughtering. The petition was filed by truck driver Khan Mohammed and the 2
sons of Pehlu Khan. Khan (55), his two sons and others were stopped and
assaulted by a mob of cow vigilantes near Behror in Alwar district on April 1,
2017 for transporting cows. Khan succumbed to his injuries 2 days later on
April 3. All 6 accused in the lynching case were acquitted by an Alwar court on
August 14, this year. Giving all the accused the benefit of the doubt, the
court observed that the Rajasthan Police probe had “serious shortcomings” and
signified “gross negligence”. In May 2019, a chargesheet was filed against
Khan, his sons and Khan Mohammed. Pehlu’s sons Irshad and Aarif were charged
under sections 5, 8 and 9 of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of
Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, while Mohammed
was charged under section 6 of the Act.indian express
Kin install statue of Bulandshahr riots accused, threaten
to convert if demands are ignored
Family of Bulandshahr riots accused Sumit, who
reportedly killed police inspector Subodh Singh and later died in the incident,
has installed his statue in Syana village.Complaining about his demands being
ignored, Sumit’s father Amarjeet Singh threatened conversion and
self-immolation. Singh also demanded a CBI enquiry into the death of his son
and set a deadline of December 3 for the state government. “If my demands are
not met then on Dec. 3, I will convert and immolate myself,” he said.
Family of Bulandshahr violence accused threatens to
accept Islam if demands not met
Christian groups submit memorandum with home
ministry, demand enforcement of legal protections for religious minorities
New
Delhi:A group of Christian organizations on Wednesday submitted a 12-page
memorandum with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, detailing attacks against
religious minorities in the last five years in the country. They demanded the
central government to “Guarantee the security of religious minorities. There
should be a clear signal, from central, state governments and police, that the
protection of the safety and security of religious minorities is vital aspect
of the ethos of India.”They also demanded enforcement of legal protections for
religious minorities. “In addition to ensuring the rights guaranteed in the
Constitution, the Government of India should take strict measures to end the
culture of impunity, ensuring that violations are effectively identified, and
appropriate and timely action is taken by police and the judiciary,” they said in
the memorandum. Giving facts and figures about incidents of violence against
religious minorities, the memo reads: “India continues to see frequent and
systematic targeting of religious minorities. As you would be aware, according
to data presented before the Parliament by your ministry, there were close to
3000 incidents of communal violence, during the period of 2014-2017, which
resulted in over 300 people being killed and over 7300 people being
injured. Communal incidents increased 28
percent over 3 years with 822 “incidents” being recorded in 2017, which led to
as many as 111 people being killed and 2,384 others were injured.”indiatomorrow
SC verdict on Ayodhya case should be accepted
wholeheartedly by everyone: RSS
NEW
DELHI: The impending Supreme Court decision on the Ayodhya case should be
accepted wholeheartedly by everyone, the RSS said on Wednesday, stating that it
is everybody's responsibility to ensure that harmony is maintained in the
country whatever be the judgement.In its tweets, the Hindutva organisation said
the issue arising out of the Supreme Court verdict, which is expected before
November 17 when Chief Justice retires, is being discussed in the two-day meeting
of its senior functionaries in the national capital.This meeting was earlier
scheduled to be held with a conclave, between October 30-November 5, of RSS
'pracharaks' in Haridwar.Though the pracharaks' meeting has been adjourned, the
meeting of its senior functionaries has been shifted to Delhi, it
added."The Supreme Court decision on the issue of temple construction on
the birthplace of Shri Ram is expected in the coming days. Whatever be the
verdict, everyone should accept it wholeheartedly. It is everybody's
responsibility to ensure that social harmony is maintained across the country.
The meeting is also discussing the issue," the RSS publicity head Arun
Kumar said.PTI
"Ayodhya One Of Most Important Cases In
World": Chief Justice-Designate Justice SA Bobde
NEW
DELHI: Justice SA Bobde, who would take over Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the Chief
Justice of India in November, today told NDTV that the Ayodhya case is
"one of the most important in the world". The 63-year-old Chief
Justice-designate is part of the five-judge bench that heard the title suit in
the decades-old politically sensitive temple-mosque dispute for over 40
days.The verdict in the case is expected to come before November 17, when Chief
Justice Gogoi is set to retire. Asked if it was a milestone in his career,
Justice Bobde said, "Ayodhya case is definitely important. It is one of
the most important in the world".ndtv
2015 Jalandhar tiffin blast case: Ludhiana police
nabs man accused of delivering RDX
ludhiana
police has claimed to have arrested one of the accused in the 2015 Jalandhar
tiffin blast case, while searching for him in connection with a murder case
lodged the same year at Sahnewal police station.Rattan Singh Dhanjal alias
Chuha was arrested by a CIA team from his village Jeewan Nagar of Sirsa,
Haryana, on Monday. ACP (Crime) Surinder Mohan said he was wanted in the murder
case of one Saurav (25), a resident of Doraha, whose body was recovered from a
vacant plot on Feb.9, 2015, by Sahnewal police. He further said that Rattan
Singh was also one of six accused in the Jalandhar tiffin blast case, and was
declared a proclaimed offender by a CBI court in 2017. Ludhiana Police is
questioning Rattan Singh in connection with the Sahnewal murder case, after
which CBI will take him on production warrant for interrogation in Jalandhar
tiffin blast case.indianexpress
Politicians must stand up against NRC: Setalvad
Hyderabad:
Speaking in the city on Tuesday on the ongoing NRC exercise in Assam, human
rights activist Teesta Setalvad expressed her apprehensions about the
possibility of such an exercise being undertaken across the country. She spoke
to the gathering, predominantly Muslims, about difficulties faced by people who
failed to make it to list of citizens during NRC exercise in Assam. Both Hindus
and Muslims have been trapped in detention centres for several years, she
alleged, adding that families spend Rs 20,000 on an average on documentation
and related expenses.Ms Setalvad outlined her talk with details of Nellie
massacre in Assam in 1983,saying, “On Feb18, 1983, independent India’s first
genocide took place. Nearly 3,000 Muslims were massacred on the tragic day. It
was caused by the same discourse we see today — ‘who is an Indian and who is an
infiltrator’,” she said. Some in the audiences said they had come out of
curious about subject, some wanted to clarify their doubts about NRC and a few
wanted to make sure they would be safe if such an exercise was undertaken in
Telangana state. Towards the end of her talk, she noted that Union ministers
and political leaders are indicating that NRC exercise would be undertaken
across the country.“It is up to both the general public and political class to
oppose such a move. But it would also be prudent to get ready for it,” she
said. She wondered what the modalities of exclusion would be across various
states in the country.Deccan Chronicle
Like with Rohingyas, Facebook aiding hate speech
against Bengali Muslims in Assam: Report
New
Delhi: Facebook has failed to act on hate speech that has targeted Bengali
Muslims in Assam ever since NRC was launched with earnest in the state, a new
report has found.The report titled, “Megaphone for Hate”, was released by
Avaaz, a non-profit global activism group Monday. It found that violent hate
speech content on the social media platform such as posts terming Bengali
Muslims as “criminals,” “rapists,” “terrorists,” “pigs,” and “dogs” were shared
over 1,00,000 times and viewed at least 5.4 M times.The campaign group said it
reviewed over 800 posts and comments regarding Assam and NRC process, and found
that nearly 26.5 per cent or 213 posts and comments breached Facebook’s own
community standards policy.The report alleges that Facebook only removed 96 of
these 213 posts, which included threats and calls to “poison” daughters and
legalise foeticide. Alaphia Zoyab,
senior campaigner at Avaaz, told ThePrint that Facebook is being used as a
“megaphone for hate” against minorities in Assam. Zoyab called out Facebook for
its reliance on Artificial Intelligence in detecting hate speech and for lapses
in hate speech norms, accusing the site of being complicit in persecuting the
“world’s most vulnerable people through its inaction”. A Facebook spokesperson,
however, told ThePrint that the social media giant had investigated all content
flagged by Avaaz. theprint
Chapters glorifying Tipu Sultan to be removed from
textbooks: Yediyurappa
Karnataka
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa today said history lessons glorifying Tipu
Sultan shall be removed from school textbooks.“Our government is trying to
remove Tipu Sultan’s history lessons from textbooks in the state. Such topics
must not find a place in textbooks. 101% we are not going to allow such things
to happen,” he said in Bengaluru.Soon after, BJP Karnataka tweeted: “By ending
public celebrations of Tipu Jayanti, our CM has restored dignity to Kannadigas.
As the next step, textbooks must be rewritten to portray the real Tipu Sultan
to our Children. They should be made aware of the Tyrant’s cruelty against
Hindus & his anti Kannada rule.”Yediyurappa’s statement comes just a week
after BJP MLA from Madikeri, Appachu Ranjan, demanded the removal of a lesson
on Tipu from school textbooks, saying it “contains wrong information”.
Following this, earlier in the week, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S
Suresh Kumar sought a report from MD of the Karnataka Textbook Society on
Ranjan’s proposal. Reacting to the same, Leader of Opposition of state
Legislative Assembly, Siddaramaiah, accused BJP government of acting like a
“party fanatic.” He said, “Isn’t it a fact that Tipu fought the British for our
freedom? This will be erased if history lessons on him are struck down. Our
next generations should definitely be aware of his contributions to our freedom
struggle.”indianexpress
Temple opens door for peace activists to offer Namaz
during anti-mob lynching Yatra
new
delhi:People like temple priest Mahadev Das are the backbone of the secular and
plural India. His big heart and broad thinking have impressed the young peace
activists who are on a nationwide cycle tour to spread message against mob
lynching and violence.The cycle rally for lynching-free and violence-free India
was flagged off from the Rajghat, the mausoleum of Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi
on Oct.18. After offering prayers at the mazar of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad near
Jama Masjid, the rally proceeded on the national tour.On 10th day of the rally,
the activists were in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh. They were offered night stay at
the premises of Ma Kali Mandir. The activists included youths from different
faiths including Hindu, Sikh and Muslim. Muslim participants wanted to offer
Isha (night) Namaz. They met the chief priest of the temple to seek his
permission. He readily granted permission.Leader of the cycle rally and
convenor of Khudai Khidmatgar Faisal Khan said: “I sought permission for namaz
from priest Mahadev Das ji. He said ‘this place is for worship and prayer only,
you do not need any permission.’ I offer my salam to such priests and the
country.”India Tomorrow
Tension at Bijnor village over death of man
thrashed by 3 brothers
Bijnor:
Tension gripped Naurangabad village in Bijnor’s Dhampur town over the death of
a man who was allegedly forcibly picked up by three men and thrashed. A dispute
regarding payment for some items he had purchased from the shop of the
assailants is suspected to be the cause of the fatal beating. A police force
has been deployed in the area to prevent any communal flare-up.The deceased was
identified as Akram (37). According to his father, “Akram had bought a few items
from the attacker's shop and there was a dispute over the payment. My son was
brutally bludgeoned to death because of that.”Police have registered a case
against the accused -- Mohit, Som Kumar and Ashu Kumar – all from the same
village. All of them are at large.TOI
Gujarat: Man tied to pole, beaten to death on
suspicion of theft in Vadodara
Vadodara
:A 28 year-old-man was beaten to death over suspicion of theft in Chandranagar
village of Vadodara’s Savli taluka. His friend was also grievously injured in
the assault and has lodged a complaint against three persons.The deceased has
been identified as Kamlesh Ganava (28), a native of Chilakota village of
Limkheda taluka in Dahod. According to the police, 3 persons had picked them up
on suspicion of being thieves, tied them to poles and thrashed them with
sticks.The deceased’s friend, Dinesh Parmar (30), has alleged in his complaint
that the main accused in the case, Jitubhai Patel, his son Sagarbhai Patel and
another villager Sanjay Patel, saw them lingering outside the village on
Tuesday and approached him in the evening and questioned him. indianexpress
Modi announces formation of India-Saudi Strategic
Partnership Council
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has announced the formation of India-Saudi Strategic
Partnership Council that will be led by the leaderships of both countries. The
announcement was made in Saudi capital Riyadh where Prime Minister Modi paid a
visit during Oct.28-29.Indian leader thanked the hosts for far sighted economic
planning for Saudi Arabia and praised Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for his
leadership role in giving a new vision to one of largest energy suppliers in
the world. An announcement by Ministry of External Affairs declared that both
sides sealed 12 MoUs on issues such as preventing narcotics trafficking,
renewable energy, training of diplomats, defence industry production, security
collaboration, and use of RuPay cards in Saudi. Both sides discussed a number
of regional conflicts like the war in Syria and Yemen and sought lasting peace in Palestinian territories for the establishment of the independent
Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with "Jerusalem as its
capital".thehindu
Saudi Aramco to keep 4.6 million barrels of oil in
Indian storage
India
will lease one-quarter of its strategic petroleum reserve in Padur to Saudi
Aramco to store about 4.6 million barrels of oil, a government official said on
Wednesday, as New Delhi seeks global investment in its expanding energy
infrastructure.Global oil producers are eager to gain a foothold in India,
where fuel demand is expected to keep rising as the country's economy grows. Indian
Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd, a government company charged with building
oil storage, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi state firm for
its participation in the 2.5-million-tonne facility in Karnataka
state."Aramco has signed an MoU for only one compartment," said HPS
Ahuja, chief executive of the Indian company.The Padur storage facility has
four equal-sized compartments.aljazeera
Airports for sale: Modi government to privatise 6
more airports, Adani may get all of them
In
a bid to privatise state-owned airports and allegedly to benefit a well-known
corporate house, the Central government has planned to privatise six more
airports, nationalheraldindia has learnt.All six airports that have been listed
for the second round of the privatisation – Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Indore,
Trichy, Amritsar and Raipur – will, in all probability, be awarded to the Adani
group.The government has brushed aside the suggestions given by the ministry of
finance to allegedly benefit Adani, said sources.Ministry of Finance had
recommended that any company or corporate house will not be awarded more than
two airports, but NH has learnt that the Modi government is planning to lift
the cap that will pave the way for Adani to win all the six airports after the
“bidding”.Sources claimed that a draft note has already been circulated to the
concerned ministries in this regard. And by the first week of Dec, the Cabinet
is expected to approve the proposal. By January 2020, process is likely to be
completed.nationalheraldindia
Delhi govt to distribute 50 lakh masks among school
students to combat pollution
Delhi government will start distributing masks
among school students from Friday following a spike in the pollution level,
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said.Fifty lakh N95 masks would be given to
students in both government and private schools in Delhi, Kejriwal said.
At 35%, stubble burning share in Delhi's pollution
maximum so far: SAFAR
The
share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution has risen to 35 percent, the
season's highest, and the hazardous haze shrouding the city on Wednesday can be
"purely" attributed to it, said the ministry of earth sciences' air
quality monitor SAFAR.Extremely calm surface winds on Tuesday night aggravated
the problem, it said.Northwesterly winds, which are favourable for plume
transport, will continue to blow in the region for another two days, it
predicted."After recovering from firecracker smoke, Delhi's overall air
quality has again plunged into 'severe' category. It can be purely attributed
to stubble fire the share of which increased to 35 per cent today," SAFAR
said in a report.TOI
By 2050, Mumbai and other major coastal cities may
be wiped out by rising sea:researchers
Rising
sea levels, driven by climate change, may wipe out some of the famous coastal
cities in world, including Mumbai, by 2050 and affect three times more people
than estimated before, according to research published in the journal Nature on
Tuesday.The paper’s authors – New Jersey-based nonprofit Climate Central’s
Scott A Kulp and Benjamin H Strauss – developed a more accurate method of
estimating the effects of sea level rise, and found that about 150 million people
are currently living on land that may be below the high-tide line by
midcentury.scroll
WORLD
Lebanon: Army begins clearing roads after PM
resignation
Security
forces in Lebanon began clearing roads hours after the Lebanese army issued a
directive urging protesters to vacate major thoroughfares to allow life to
return to normal.The army's statement came on Wednesday, a day after Prime
Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation and hours before a scheduled
speech by President Michel Aoun. Aoun has not yet accepted Hariri's resignation
and there is no clear solution emerging to the political crisis that has drawn
warnings from Lebanon's foreign partners.Hariri's announcement on Tuesday came
on the back of 13 days of mass protests demanding the departure of the
country's entire political elite amid growing anger over official corruption,
poor public services, and years of economic mismanagement. Demonstrators called
for a technocratic cabinet that can work on improving the deteriorating
economic situation in the country.aljazeera
Iraqi PM's main backers agree to remove him
Iraq
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's 2 main backers have agreed to work to remove
him from office as protests against his government gained momentum in Baghdad
and much of the Shia south only to be met with violence.Populist Shia Muslim
leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who leads parliament's largest bloc, had asked Abdul
Mahdi to call an early election. When PM refused, he called on his main
political rival Hadi al-Amiri to help remove him."I hoping for you to
leave with your dignity intact but if you've refused, then I call on Had
al-Amiri to help oust you as premier immediately," al-Sadr told the
embattled premier and his rival in a Twitter post.Al-Sadr warned on Wednesday
that Iraq could turn into "another Syria" if the government does not
resign.aljazeera
US reimposes sanctions on Turkey, a week after
lifting them
US
House of Representatives approved sanctions against Turkey over its military
operation and presence into northern Syria, only a week after President Donald
Trump lifted them.The measure passed by 403-16, including 176 members of the
Republican party voting in support and a mere 15 opposing it, showing the
widespread sentiments against Turkey’s operation, its relations with US, and
the increasing split between Washington and Ankara.Following Turkey’s launch of
Operation Peace Spring, which aimed to both push back US-backed Kurdish
militias from Turkish-Syrian border and establish a 32 kilometre-deep safe zone
to house around two million Syrian refugees, many around the world and in US
Congress and Senate were outraged. Among those US politicians who condemned the
operation and were opposed to Trump’s decision to withdraw US forces from northern
Syria were Senator Lindsey Graham and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell,
who claimed that the move “would only benefit Russia, Iran, and Assad regime.”MEMO
Israel seeks US help it normalise relations with
Gulf
Israeli
Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said that he had asked the American Secretary of
the Treasury Steven Mnuchin to help Israel normalise ties with Gulf states. Taking
to Twitter, Katz wrote: “I asked the American secretary of the Treasury to help
Israel build economic relations with the Gulf States in the light of the
continuous normalisation wave, mainly with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”He added:
“In light of the Iranian threats and the alliance between America, Israel and
the Sunni Gulf states, there is a historical opportunity being evolved that we
must not lose. Goal of this opportunity is to reach a non-aggression deal.”His
calls come as there has been an increase in the number of meetings between
officials from Gulf states and Israel.Israel’s Labor party leader Avi Gabbay
has visited a number of Arab state, including UAE. According to Times of
Israel, the Moroccan national involved in arranging the Dec meeting had
“previously arranged other meetings for Gabbay with senior Arab
officials”.middleeastmonitor
Tunisia: Foreign Ministry denies visit of Tunisian
delegation to Israel
Tunisian
Foreign Ministry denied on Wednesday that a delegation comprising Tunisian
citizens had visited Israel recently. The ministry called on “everybody not to
make use of the Palestinian cause in settling adversities within domestic
political matters.”The statement stressed that the “information circulated on
social media regarding the visit of a Tunisian youth delegation to Israel” is
incorrect.The statement added that “after acquiring further details from EU
mission in Tunisia, EU institutions in Brussels, and inquiring in cooperation
with the Palestinian authorities in Ramallah, and several other capitals, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that this news is unfounded.”middleeastmonitor
Hamas calls for national conference to establish
election rules
Palestinian
Islamic Resistance Movement has called for a comprehensive national conference
to establish election rules. Hamas said that it is ready to take part in
elections, but needs “clear directions”.A statement from the movement noted
that senior officials from Palestinian factions and a delegation from Central
Election Commission, headed by Hanna Nasser, have met in Gaza to discuss a call
for a general election made by Mahmoud Abbas at UN General Assembly last
month.“A responsible spirit prevailed in the meeting, as all national factions
have realised the dangers posed to the Palestinian cause, including
conspiracies and serious challenges that require a unified Palestinian position
to protect the Palestinian people and cause,” explained Hamas. “All
PLO-affiliated factions and resistance movements have endorsed a specific
national stance based on positivity and flexibility to meet the higher
Palestinian interests.”middleeastmonitor
WhatsApp sues Israel’s NSO for allegedly helping
spies hack phones around the world
WhatsApp
sued Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group on Tuesday, accusing it of helping
government spies break into the phones of roughly 1,400 users across four
continents in a hacking spree whose targets included diplomats, political
dissidents, journalists, and senior government officials, Reuters reports.In a
lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco, messaging service WhatsApp,
which is owned by Facebook Inc, accused NSO of facilitating government hacking
sprees in 20 countries. Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were the
only countries identified.WhatsApp said in a statement that 100 civil society
members had been targeted, and called it “an unmistakable pattern of
abuse.”WhatsApp said the attack exploited its video calling system in order to
send malware to the mobile devices of a number of users. The malware would
allow NSO’s clients – said to be governments and intelligence organizations –
to secretly spy on a phone’s owner, opening their digital lives up to official
scrutiny.MEMO
Egypt minister calls for effort to stop probe into
Morsi’s death
A
minister in Egyptian parliament called on the government to intervene to stop
any international probes into the death of ousted President Mohamed
Morsi.Morsi, who collapsed in court after being held in solitary confinement
and tortured by the state for a number of year, died on 17 June.Tamer
El-Shahawy attacked the European Parliament after it released a report on human
rights in Egypt, saying the body has “suspicious objectives”. He added that the
report contained false information and baseless lies.“The issuance of this
report comes in conjunction with the international human rights lawyer to submit complaints and requests to UN and the European Parliament to investigate death
of President Morsi.”middleeastmonitor
Egypt again renews detention Ola Al-Qaradawi
Egypt
has renewed the detention of Ola Al-Qaradawi, daughter of Islamic cleric Sheikh
Yusuf, detaining her or a further 15 days.Ola, 58, was returned to solitary
confinement at the beginning of July despite a court ordering her release hours
earlier.She has been charged with “joining a terrorist group”, in apparent
reference to Muslim Brotherhood. She had already been in solitary confinement
for 740 days. “The Supreme State Security Prosecution on Sunday ordered renewing the detention of Ola
Al-Qaradawi for 15 days,” Ola’s defence lawyer, Ahmed Madi said. Madi said that
Ola “has been suffering as a result of being held in solitary confinement for
more than two years and four months, without being allowed to receive a
visitor.”In this new case, the prosecution accused Ola of “joining a terrorist
group and financing terrorism.” This is the second case against Ola since her
arrest along with her husband, Hossam Khalaf, about two and a half years
ago.middleeastmonitor
US Afghan peace envoy Khalilzad wraps up Pak visit
US'
envoy trying to resuscitate talks on ending Afghanistan's 18-year war has
wrapped up his visit to Pakistan as Kabul hardened its stance on negotiations
with Taliban.Zalmay Khalilzad met Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, army
chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and other top officials during his 2-day visit to the
capital, Islamabad. "Khalilzad discussed the current status of the Afghan
peace process and the importance of reducing violence," US embassy to
Pakistan said."He also underscored the economic and security benefits
peace can bring to the region," the embassy statement added. Afghan
government has set new conditions for talks with the Taliban and appeared to
shed a previously conciliatory stand towards Pakistan.aljazeera
Flash:
NEWS, views, Articles
How to read Tipu Sultan’s place in
history:indianexpress
World won’t buy Modi’s high-profile diplomacy if he
sends far-Right EU members to Kashmir:Salman Anees Soz
Euro MPs In, Indian MPs Out – and Democracy Down
the Drain in Kashmir:Siddharth Varadarajan
Modi’s PR disaster shows India not ready for
independent scrutiny in Kashmir: Chris Davies
As Modi Wraps Up Visit, India Gets Saudi to Drop
Hint to Pakistan on Staying Out of Art 370 Move:Maha Siddiqui
Going global: EU MPs visit shows that BJP has now
thoroughly internationalised the Kashmir issue:Shoaib Daniyal
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:07 PM)
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