07
OCT. 2019: 07 Safar 1441: Vol: 12, No: 30
INDIA
One of
Modi’s biggest successes was getting Gujarat riots case quashed: Amartya Sen
Nobel laureate Amartya
Sen, in an interview published in The New Yorker, has said that one of PM
Narendra Modi’s biggest successes has been to “get the court” to acquit him in
2002 Gujarat riots case. In the
interview, Sen spoke to Isaac Chotiner about the current state of the Indian
democracy, and how not all is lost yet. When
asked about Modi’s connection to 2002 Gujarat riots that killed over a thousand
people, and still getting elected, Sen said, “One of his big successes has been
to get the court to squash the case against him and the Home Minister, Amit Shah,
in Gujarat killings of 2002.” Sen said because of this, not many Indians
believe that Modi had a part to play in the riots. Sen also said that while
Modi was a dynamic politician, he did not have the “breadth of vision” about
the country. “Modi doesn’t have the breadth of vision about India—multireligious,
multiethnic India.He has been, from his childhood, relating to RSS and the
propaganda of that perspective,” Sen said.However, Sen highlighted that BJP was
also a party that was backed by business community and managed to find more
money than any other political party in the run-up to 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Sen
said that while the Indian Constitution was “well based on analysis of the
Constituent Assembly”, it overlooked the fact that a political group with much
power, like BJP, could manipulate the situation easily. “Electoral system has
its flaws. That massive majority(Modi had was based on less than 40%of vote,”he
added.huffingtonpost
Afghan
Taliban commanders freed 'in swap for 3 Indian hostages':BBC
Several senior Taliban
members have been released in exchange for 3 kidnapped Indian engineers,
sources in the militant group told BBC. 11 Taliban reported freed included a
member of the militant Haqqani group.Indians released on Sunday were part of a
group of 7 engineers kidnapped more than a year ago with their driver in
northern Afghanistan. The news came after Taliban were said to have met the US peace
envoy for the first time since talks collapsed.Zalmay Khalilzad reportedly met
senior members of the group in Pakistan last week, almost a month after
President Donald Trump cancelled secret plans to host a Taliban delegation in
US.The prisoner swap was one of the issues discussed at the meeting, sources said.
3 key Taliban figures were released from prison in Afghanistan, according to
the source within the militant group, including ex "shadow" governor
of Nimroz province.New York Times reported that Abdul Rashid Baluch was
previously listed as a Global Terrorist by US. A second "shadow"
governor for Kunar province, and a member of the powerful Haqqani network,
which is said to have been behind co-ordinated attacks on both Afghan and Nato
forces in recent years, were also said to be among those released. Another 8
militants were freed as part of the deal, AP reported. Taliban commanders had
been held in the high-security prison at Bagram, reports said. 3 Indian
engineers have not been named. One of the hostages was released in March this
year, while the fate of the rest of their colleagues remained unclear.There was
no immediate comment from Afghan, US or Indian authorities.BBC
J&K ISSUE
Sen
slams Modi Govt for clampdown in Kashmir
Nobel Economics laureate
Amartya Sen has accused successive Indian Govts of not doing enough on Kashmir
and instead of doubling efforts to silence separatists in the state thereby
turning them more pro-Pakistan in their outlook. Sen said the present Kashmir
looks like more an Indian-administered territory rather than an integral part
of the country and that fault is solely the responsibility of successive Govts.
While not faulting Modi Govt directly on Kashmir, Sen said dilution of Article
370 need not have been done since that arrangement suited both sides.He said by
resorting to such measures, Modi Govt has exploited peoples’ weakness for a
cause.Sen was, however, scathing in his comments on attack on secularism and
the targeting of Muslims, Dalits and scheduled tribes inIndia. newsx
Communication
blackout in Kashmir truly a digital siege: Ex-Stanford University Scholar Jan
Rydzak
Jan Rydzak, a research
scholar who has been recently working at Stanford University’s Global Digital
Policy Incubator (GDPi), is one of prominent global experts on internet
shutdowns and information control. Earlier this year, he published a paper
giving statistical details about the connection between internet shutdowns and
protests in India.His research established that the Kashmir Valley has so far
seen the highest number of state imposed internet shutdowns in the world.Rydzak
said, “Internet shutdowns don’t seem to be effective against any kind of
protest, violent or non-violent”. He said, "Access to Internet is a human
right. 3 years ago, UN Human Rights Council issued a declaration to this effect,
and although it is non-binding and not all of the member states in this body
are shining examples of Internet freedom, it still has lots of weight from a
normative standpoint."He said, "Most blackouts in Kashmir are
ephemeral, lasting approximately 3 to 5 days on average; at 60 days and
running, this one is a true digital siege. As we have seen elsewhere in the
world – Cameroon, for example – such sieges are especially ruinous for digital
economies. The stagnation of businesses in Kashmir under blackout is further
proof of that."caravandaily
As
Kashmir lockdown enters 3rd month, several youth risk losing jobs
Srinagar:The
communication blackout imposed after the abrogation of Article 370 has entered
third month. With no mobiles and internet services, it is the worst
communications lockdown the Valley has seen in decades. And it has started to
take a toll of the Valley's economy.Scores of people risk losing their jobs as
IT-related firms are at the verge of shutting down permanently. Kashmir’s
biggest software park in Rangret area, which houses majority IT-related
companies in the state, wears a deserted look.The tourism season in the Valley
was completely ruined this year as the Govt issued an advisory asking visitors
to leave just before the abrogation of Article 370 was announced.indiatoday
284
Eminent Citizens Write to Modi, Kovind on 'Unacceptable' Situation in Kashmir
https://thewire.in/rights/eminent-citizens-write-to-modi-kovind-on-unacceptable-situation-in-kashmir
New Delhi: A group of 284
eminent Indian citizens – including academics, journalists, political leaders
and others–have written to PM Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind,
calling the current clampdown in Kashmir “unacceptable”.The signatories have
said the Centre’s decision to read down Article 370 and J&K’s bifurcate was
taking without consulting locals, “and we still do not know how the people of J&K
feel”.They also quoted a recent Kerala high court decision which said that the
right to internet is a fundamental right, and said that internet services must
be restored in the Valley on humanitarian grounds.thewire
Aarey
trees greater than Kashmiri lives: Why Kashmiris being deprived same right,
tweets Mufti
New Delhi:Hitting out at
the Centre over the security clampdown in Kashmir after the abrogation of
Article 370, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said trees in Aarey Colony of Mumbai were
greater than Kashmiri lives. Following the Supreme Court's direction to the
Maharashtra Govt to halt tree felling in Aarey, Mufti, whose Twitter is
presently handled by her daughter Iltija, stated that Aarey trees were greater
than Kashmiri lives.In another tweet from the handle of Mehbooba Mufti said she
was glad that activists were able to stop the felling of trees in Aarey and
asked why not the same right to Kashmiris."One wonders why Kashmiris have
been deprived of the very same right to free speech and expression. The Govt
claims they are now at par with other Indians but truth is they've been
stripped of even fundamental rights," the tweet said.indiatoday
PDP delegation defers meeting with detained
Mehbooba Mufti, conveys no reason behind move
PDP delegation which was expected to meet the
detained ex CM Mehbooba Mufti today has decided to meet her on some other day.
Reports said 10-member delegation of PDP leaders have deferred the meeting with
party chief by without citing any reason.PDP chief Mufti has been a critic to
BJP-led Centre since the state wing of BJP pulled out its support from an
alliance Govt in the state.newsx
Bhakts
unmoved: Shashi Tharoor slams govt over reports of communication blackout in
Kashmir
Congress MP Shashi
Tharoor today said that reports on the situation in Kashmir was "heartbreaking"
as it was creating trouble for the common people but the "bhakts" do
not care.He slammed Central Govt over Kashmir and said that reports of of
communication blackout in the Valley was affecting India's image abroad.He said,
"More heartbreaking news. But it leaves bhakts unmoved. So let's reframe
the issue:Does our Govt understand how much damage such reports are doing to
India abroad?Can it seriously assert that our international image has improved
under their tenure?"indiatoday
US
Congressional Delegation Visits PoK
Islamabad: A high-level
US Congressional delegation on Sunday visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to
assess the situation on the ground and gauge the public sentiment after India
revoked the special status of J&K. The delegation comprising senators Chris
Van Hollen and Maggie Hassan and US charge d’affaires ambassador Paul Jones
visited Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK. Pakistan foreign office (FO) said the
purpose of the visit was to see the ground situation and gauge the public
sentiment following India’s August 5 decision.“The US Senators said that they
shared the human rights concerns and would continue to urge India to lift the
curfew and release all prisoners as a first step. They also expressed their
resolve to remain engaged for the resolution of the dispute,” according to the
FO. The delegation also met PoK’s leaders Sardar Masood Khan and Raja Farooq
Haider.Khan and Haider said that visit would help the delegation to have
first-hand information, understanding of the prevailing “humanitarian crisis”
in Kashmir. They asked US senators to press India to resolve J&K issue in
accordance with UNSC resolutions. The visit came after foreign minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday urged Hollen to visit both sides of Kashmir and see
the situation on the ground.PTI
J&K
Won't Be UT Forever, Statehood to Be Restored Eventually: Amit Shah
New Delhi: Union home
minister Amit Shah on Monday said J&K would not remain a Union Territory
(UT) forever and that its statehood would be restored once the security
situation has improved. Shah also said that “not a single bullet has been fired
and not a single person has died” after the reading down of Article 370 on
August 5.Shah, according to an official release, said J&K would not remain
a UT forever and the statehood would be returned once situation has
normalised.PTI
Pak has
not taken sufficient measures: FATF
Pakistan has failed to
fully implement a UNSC resolution against Hafiz Saeed and other UN-designated
terrorists, as well as outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba,
Asia-Pacific division of global money laundering watchdogFinancial Action Task
Force (FATF) said today. According to PTI, it also said Pakistan was fully
compliant with only one of 40 recommendations on curbing money laundering and
terror-financing in the country. FATF report, which was published on Saturday,
comes a week before the agency decides whether to retain Pakistan in a
"grey list" of countries with inadequate controls over terrorism
financing. Ndtv
Pak
rejects Rajnath's remarks over its FATF listing
Pakistan today objected
to recent remarks by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that FATF can any time
blacklist the neighbouring country, describing it as India's attempts to
"politicise" international money laundering watchdog's
proceedings.Singh during Defence Accounts Department Day event last week said
that the FATF can anytime blacklist Pakistan for terror financing.Foreign
Office (FO) said Singh's remarks "reinforces Pakistan's concerns,
repeatedly highlighted to FATF membership, about India's attempts to politicise
the FATF proceedings to further its narrow, partisan objectives,"It said
India's "incessant smear" against Pakistan and blatant partisanship
also call into question its credentials to be co-chair of Asia-Pacific Joint
Group that reviews Pakistan's progress to implement FATF Action Plan. Pakistan
also asked the FATF to take note of India's campaign to tarnish the country's
image.PTI
Pakistan
denies report of Saudi Prince recalling private jet flying Imran Khan
New Delhi :Pakistan today
dismissed a report that claimed that its PM Imran Khan had to take a commercial
flight back home from New York after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman
ordered his “private jet to disembowel Pakistani delegation” following Khan’s
speech at 74th UN General Assembly session last month.Khan-led PTI Govt has
dismissed as “utter fabrication” an editorial published in Friday Times weekly
magazine that claims the Saudi prince snubbed Khan over “some dimensions of
Khan’s diplomacy in New York”.It was earlier reported that while returning to
Pakistan, Khan and his delegation were forced to return to New York after the
special jet given to him by the Saudi Govt developed a technical fault while
heading to Islamabad. He then took a commercial flight back to Pakistan. Khan
had arrived at US on a “special aircraft” of Saudi prince who had called him
his “special guest”. “Inexplicably, Saudi crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman,
was so alienated by some dimensions of the Pakistani PM’s diplomacy in New York
– he couldn’t have been happy at the prospect of Imran Khan, Tayyib Erdogan and
Mahathir Mohammad planning to jointly represent Islamic bloc, nor with
Pakistan’s interlocution with Iran without his explicit approval — that he
visibly snubbed Imran by ordering his private jet to disembowel the Pakistani
delegation,” says the editorial written by journalist Najam Sethi.“It is
totally false and absolutely carries no truth whatsoever,”a Pakistan Govt
spokesman said quoted by Express Tribune. Reacting to writeup, Govt official
said report carried “baseless self-created theory with respect to premier’s
meetings with leaders of Turkey and Malaysia in New York”. indianexpress
Imran
Khan to meet China's Xi to discuss JK, CPEC
Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan
will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on
Tuesday to discuss the security situation in the disputed region of Kashmir as
well as economic ties, his office said today. Tensions over Kashmir have risen
drastically since August when New Delhi revoked the autonomy of its portion of
the territory.The visit will be instrumental in further cementing Pakistan’s
economic, investment and strategic ties with China, said the statement from
Khan’s office. PM will exchange
views...the state of peace and security in South Asia arising from the
situation in J&K. Khan’s visit will also include talks on progress of CPEC,
$60 billion infrastructure programme China launched as part of its flagship
Belt and Road project.Reuters
5
days to go, India awaits official word on Xi’s visit
5 days to go for Chinese
President Xi Jinping’s likely visit to India for an informal summit with PM
Narendra Modi, there is no official confirmation from Beijing on it.The two
leaders are expected to meet in Mamallapuram near Chennai on Oct.11-12. Sources
said next 24 to 48 hours are key to the announcement of the visit, stressing
that 2 sides have a very robust diplomatic communication in place. The
announcement, sources said, would be done in coordination with each other once
the confirmation comes through.In 2018 too, the announcement of the informal
Wuhan summit between Modi and Xi had been announced by then External Affairs
minister Sushma Swaraj on April 22, 5 days before the summit took place on
April 27 and 28.New Delhi has made preparations in Mamallapuram to receive Xi,
including sprucing up the temples around the town. As per the proposed
schedule, Xi would arrive in Chennai on Oct.11 and leave the next day. On
Sunday, China’s envoy to India Sun Weidong tweeted, “Since Wuhan Informal
Summit, relations have witnessed steady progress. Glad to see our leaders’
consensus… transformed into cooperation. Hope more impetus for our friendship.”
There are reports in Nepalese media that Xi may visit Kathmandu as well after
his India visit, while PTI reported from Beijing that Imran Khan would be
visiting China. indianexpress
Punjab
govt seeks fresh permission from Centre for delegation to visit Pakistan
Chandigarh:Punjab Govt
has sought fresh permission from the Centre to allow a delegation of ministers
and MLAs to visit Pakistan from Oct.29 to Nov.3 in connection with 550th birth
anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak. 3 ministers — Medical Education
Minister OP Soni, Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Tourism Minister
Charanjit Singh Channi — had in July taken Centre’s permission to visit
Pakistan from August 22 to 27, but after scrapping of Article 370 in J&K,
it had to be sought again. Punjab’s tourism department had written to Union
Ministry of Home Affairs on August 16 but did not get any response.The state
Govt has now sought yet another clearance from Centre for five ministers —
Soni, Channi, Randhawa as well as Rural Development Minister Tripat Rajinder
Singh Bajwa and Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu — to visit the neighbouring
country. indianexpress
OTHERS
How
will you deal with 19 lakh ‘non-citizens’, Chidambaram asks Centre after
India's assurance Bangladesh PM
Senior Congress leader P
Chidambaram today asked Govt how it will deal with 19 lakh people being
declared non-citizens if it has assured Bangladesh that the whole NRC exercise
will not affect their country.Last week, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, who was
on a visit to India, had said that she was satisfied with PM Narendra Modi’s
assurance on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that Bangladesh should
not be worried over NRC being implemented in Assam. Responding to questions on
the NRC, Hasina had said: “I don’t see any problem. I had a talk with PM Modi.
Everything is OK.”Chidambaram, who is lodged in Tihar Jail since his arrest by
CBI, has asked his family to tweet on his behalf. Chidambaram also asked how
long will the 19 lakh people left out of NRC live with uncertainty, anxiety and
denial of civic and human rights.Chidambaram
also said the country is obliged to answer these questions as it
celebrates Mahatma Gandhi’s humanism.indianexpress
NRC
should be seen as constitutional exercise, not political: Amit Shah
NRC should be seen as a
constitutional and not political exercise, Home Minister Amit Shah has said. He
said NRC would ensure that benefits of development reach all citizens.A Home
Ministry release said minister spoke on the need for NRC, asserting that it was
essential not just for national security but for good governance as well. He
said that NRC must not be seen as "a political exercise but a
constitutional one" as it is very important to have a national citizen
register in order to ensure that benefits of development reach all our
citizens.ANI
Amit
Shah's statement on NRC draws Jamiat ire
Criticising home minister
Amit Shah's recent statement on NRC, Jamiat Ulama general secretary Mahmood
Madani alleged that it seemed only Muslims would be kept in detention camps in
Assam.Madani cautioned that if that happened, then it would bring bad name for
India and would give a tool to inimical forces bent upon tarnishing the
country's image. Reacting to Shah's speech, Madani said, "If the Govt is
really moved by the plight of persecuted minorities in India's neighbourhood,
it should offer to take in Rohingya from Myanmar without discriminating on the
basis of religion and if Govt is really worried about intruders or
infiltration, then no intruders should be allowed in India at any
cost."TOI
NRC:
Gauhati High Court pulls up foreigners tribunal in Morigaon, sets aside 57
orders
The Gauhati High Court
has pulled up a foreigners tribunal in Assam that will deliver the final
judgement for those excluded from the National Register of Citizens. The court
indicted the functioning of the tribunals while setting aside 57 of its orders
in Morigaon district.In its Sept.19 order, the High Court said that “in the
ordinary course, this would have called for some action, disciplinary or
otherwise” against a former member of the tribunal for irregularities in the
orders passed. “All the above 57 references shall now be heard afresh from the
respective stages,” the court said. “The member of the tribunal shall list the
above references in the notice board of the tribunal giving fresh dates. Fresh
notice may also be issued to the proceedees.”The court also said that the
tribunal’s order would not be “acted upon by SP(Border) Morigaon as well as by
Deputy Commissioner” as the orders would be considered as pending references.
However, Morigaon SP Swapnaneel Deka said she had not received the High Court
order yet.During examination of 232 cases, the HC detected lapses in 57 of them
with judgement not found in 11 cases and a mismatched copy of the judgment and
order sheet in 6, among other anomalies, according to The Sentinel. The court
also voiced its disappointment over foreigners tribunal member’s conduct and
said it was unexpected.scroll/Indian Express
Aarey
plea: SC stays further cutting of trees, govt says we have cut what we had to
The Supreme Court today ordered
the status quo on the felling of trees in Aarey forests in Mumbai for the
construction of a Metro Rail car shed.A special bench of Justices Arun Mishra
and Ashok Bhushan said that the top court’s Forest Bench will hear the matter
in detail on October 21 to ascertain if it fell in the eco-sensitive zone and
ordered status quo with respect to the cutting of trees till then.The court
ordered the status quo after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the
Maharashtra and Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) submitted that there will be
no further cutting. Mehta said the court could record his statement that
“whatever has to be cut is cut” and “nothing further is to be cut”. He added
that the court would go into the legality of the tree cutting whenever it hears
it in detail.indianexpress
Case
against 49 individuals who wrote to PM Modi filed on court’s orders, says Bihar
police chief
Bihar Police has
clarified that case against 49 individuals who wrote a letter to PM Narendra
Modi against mob lynchings in the country were filed on the basis of a court
order, NDTV reported. State Police chief Guptesvar Pandey’s remarks came a day
after Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that case against the signatories
had not been filed by the central Govt.“We have taken cognizance of this matter
and whatever FIR was filed, it was on local CJM court’s order,” Pandey said. “I
can assure you that an investigation will be done as per the order, and there’s
no cause of worry or panic. In view of the sensitivity of the matter, we would
like to finish the investigation sooner rather than later.”scroll
Oppn
demands for withdrawal of sedition charges against 50 celebrities
Reacting to the sedition
cases foisted on nearly 50 celebrities, including Aparna Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan
and Ramchandra Guha, with shock and dismay, Opposition parties on Sunday
denounced the move attributing it to “authoritarianism and fascism”.Strongly
condemning Muzaffarpur police in Bihar for registering FIR against the
celebrities, CPI (M) pointed out that they are prominent Indians who have great
accomplishments in their respective fields.Welfare Party of India also
criticised filing of FIR against the eminent personalities. Calling it true face of “fascism”, its
national president, Dr SQR Ilyas, told CaravanDaily said it is an unprecedented
incident as mere writing a letter has become the basis of invocation of such
draconian law.Caravan Daily
NHRC
issues summons to Gujarat IG of Prisons on custodial death
In an unprecedented move,
NHRC has issued “unconditional summons” to Gujarat’s IG of Prisons to appear
before the commission on Tuesday, Nov 8, at 11 am in connection with the
custodial death of a 30-year-old man lodged in Amreli jail in June 2017. NHRC
has also issued unconditional summons to the district magistrate, the SP, and
the Amreli district jail superintendent. Earlier on July 11, 2019, NHRC had
issued “conditional summons” to these officials to file a report on or before
Sept.6, 2019 regarding action taken against those accused of causing the
custodial death of one Jigneshbhai Sondarva.national herald india
Gujarat:
Man thrashed over suspicion of child lifting
Ahmedabad: A 24-year-old
man from Muzaffarnagar district of UP was allegedly thrashed by a group of 10
people in a residential society on KK Nagar road in Ghatlodia on Saturday over
suspicion of child lifting, states FIR filed with Ghatlodia police. Mohammed
Asif Hanif Multani, who sells women dress materials by roaming around in the
city, had gone to Ghatlodia in a hired autorickshaw along with his two friends,
Fazin Mohammed Zakir and Afvan Isteqar on Saturday. At Shantanu society in
Ghatlodia, Multani saw a woman, who was talking on her cellphone outside a
house, and asked her on if she wanted to buy clothes but the woman denied.
Meanwhile, a man came from the same house, and asked on why Multani was roaming
there, reads FIR. To this, Multani told the man that he came there to sell
clothes but the man went aggressive and asked on how he dared to enter the
society. “Man threatened me with dire consequences and rushed towards me,
before I could understand anything, he held me by my collar and slapped me,”
states Multani in FIR. Scared with this, Multani ran to protect himself but man
chased him and held him soon. Later, around 10 other men rushed there and
started thrashing Multani.TOI
UP:Wanted
Kairana MLA Nahid declared absconder
A local court in Shamli has
declared Kairana MLA Nahid Hasan an absconder, clearing the way for police to
begin proceedings to attach his properties.According to police, SP legislator is
evading arrest in 12 FIRs, including those relating to attempt to murder and
extortion. “A public announcement was made in Shamli today in which people were
informed of Nahid Hasan’s current absconding status. 8 cases against him have
been filed in Shamli while 4 are registered in Saharanpur. Nahid is accused of
threatening people from the weaker sections of society. We will be looking to
attach his properties as well,” Shamli SP Ajay Kumar.indianexpress
MP stops
chicken sale at milk kiosk
MP State Livestock and
Poultry Development Corporation has decided to stop sale of chicken at a kiosk
that also sells milk in Bhopal.The kiosk — with 2 separate counters and
separate vendors — had been set up 5 months ago.On Saturday, Sahakari Bharati,
an organisation with links to RSS staged a protest near the kiosk. “Chicken parlour
and milk parlour are (already) separate … Until new milk parlour is not set up
further away or constructed, chicken parlour will remain closed,” read the
statement, signed by corporation’s executive director, Dr TS Tomar.indianexpress
Rahul
Gandhi's Meditation in Cambodia May be Masterplan for His 2nd Innings: News 18
News of Rahul Gandhi
going off for ‘vipassana’ to Cambodia for a few days has created a flutter. It
leaves many of his chosen leaders in confusion as his meditation comes in the
midst of crisis for young and restless in the Congress.What’s common in the
rebellion of Ashok Tanwar, Sanjay Nirupam and Pradyot Debbarman is that all
spoke of the "tyranny" of Old Guard over the young — “Rahul’s people
are being attacked and sidelined by Sonia’s group.”In fact, before quitting the
party, Tanwar said: “Mera maseeha hi mera qaatil hai” (my messiah was my
killer) — a reference to the fact that he was chosen by Rahul and targeted by
Bhupinder Hooda for being a part of the young guard. The timing of Rahul’s
sudden departure comes as a surprise. It’s not just in the midst of the state
elections but also when his team is facing the heat. Many juniors who are still
with the party are unhappy and at a loss with regards to their future.So why
then did Rahul leave right now? And why isn’t he breaking his silence? Sources
close to his office say Rahul will be back soon and will campaign in the last
leg but he will not be the face of the party campaign nor canvass aggressively
as he did during the Lok Sabha elections.Sources say the restlessness of the
young guard is not lost on him but the Gandhi scion prefers to wait this time.
“When Indira Gandhi was about to take charge of the party, the seniors made her
life hell. She faced stiff opposition and rebuke. This time, it is his
[Rahul’s] mother’s team that is making his life tough,” said a senior leader.
Assam:
Ex-MLA Abdur Rouf resigns from Congress
https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/ex-mla-abdur-rouf-resigns-from-congress/cid/1710145
Guwahati:Senior Congress
leader and ex Jania MLA Abdur Rouf on Sunday resigned from the party over
conflicting statements by senior state leaders on the NRC and the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill.Rouf was holding the post of vice-chairman of the PCC’s
minority cell and was also its executive member.“For the past few months,
senior Congress leaders in the state are making conflicting statements about
the NRC and the bill. The lobby-centric politics has become so deep in the
Congress that Gandhian principles and ideologies no longer exist,” Rouf
said.Asked whether he would join another party, he said: “I have not yet
decided though I will support Hafiz Rafikul Islam of the AIUDF in the Jania
bypoll as he is a good man.”The Telegraph
Speakers
stress need of learning English language to meet challenges, propagate Islam
New Delhi:Various
speakers at the conclusion of 3-day international seminar on “Ulema, Muslim
Youth and Contemporary Challenges” stressed the need of learning international
languages, particularly English, to meet the challenges of removing misunderstanding
from among the people about Islam and propagate correct teachings of Islam with
a view to built a just and equitable society. The seminar was organised on the
occasion of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Markazul Maarif Education and
Research Centre(MMERC) that trains ‘madrasa’ passout boys in English language
so that they can preach and propagate the message of Islam in English language
that has acquired the status of a global language now. A large number of alumni
of MMERC were present in the concluding function.Speaking as chief guest,
Mohammed Saleem Engineer, vice-president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said that the
Muslims did not require to be disappointed with adverse circumstances. IIM
Kashipur director KM Bahrul Islam stressed on the importance of latest
technology in propagation of Islam.Jamait-ul-Ulema general secretary Mahmood
Madni said the knowledge of language was key to promote ideas and though. “How
can we solve the problems if we don’t have command over the language”, he said,
adding that the knowledge of English language being imparted to ‘madrasa’
passouts by MMERC would go a long way in achieving the goals of the community.
Maulana Umar Gautam, founding director of MMERC, in his report, said that as
many as 47 students of MMERC had done PhDs in different subject since the
centre was founded in 1994. Indiatomorrow
Mumbai
beggar dies millionaire with assets over 10 Lakh
Mumbai: Documents for fixed deposits worth Rs.
8.77 lakh with several banks and at least Rs. 1.5 lakh in coins were found at
the home of a beggar who died in an accident in Mumbai, the police said.The
policemen who walked into the dilapidated one-room home of the beggar, Birju
Chandra Azad, could not come out for some time - they had to spend hours
counting the bagful of jangling coins that tallied up to approximately Rs. 1.5
lakh.The beggar lived alone in the house at a slum in southeast Mumbai's
Govandi. He left behind a voter identity card, PAN card and Aadhaar card, the
police said. The room is littered with old newspapers and polythene
bags."Birju Chandra Azad died in an accident while trespassing on railway
track between Govandi and Mankhurd station," a senior police officer said.
Kolkata
household worships Muslim girl
Kolkata:A 4-year-old
Muslim girl was worshipped as Kumari – a custom of paying obeisance to a
pre-puberty girl as deity, during Durga Puja.Fatima, daughter of a grocery
store owner near Fatehpur Sikri, had come all the way to Kolkata on the
invitation of Tamal Dutta, engineer at Kamarhati municipality who stays at
Arjunpur, Baguihati in North East fringes of the city. Fatima’s maternal uncles
Md Ahamed and Md Ibrahim and mother Bushra Begum were also present in Dutta
household where the ceremony was performed on Sunday. indianexpress
ECONOMY
Economic
slowdown: Fund flows to commercial sector down 88%, says RBI data
Mumbai :Overall financial
flows to the commercial sector have declined sharply, by around 88 %, during
the first 6 months of current financial year amid the slowdown in the economy. According
to the latest RBI data, the flow of funds from banks and non-banks to the
commercial sector has been Rs 90,995 crore in 2019-20 so far (April to
mid-September) as against Rs 7,36,087 crore in the same period last year. The
commercial sector does not include farming, manufacturing and transportation. With
the financial sector going through a turbulent phase, there was a reverse flow
of Rs 1,25,600 crore from the commercial sector to non-deposit-taking NBFCs and
deposit-taking NBFCs as against a flow of Rs 41,200 crore in the same period
last year.indianexpress
1ST
chunk of data on Swiss bank account holders
India has got first chunk of Swiss bank
account details of its nationals under a new automatic information exchange
pact, a major milestone in Govt's fight against black money stashed
abroad.India is among 75 countries with which Switzerland's Federal Tax
Administration (FTA) has exchanged information on financial accounts within
framework of global standards on Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI), FTA
spokesperson told PTI.The next exchange would take place in Sept.2020, the
spokesperson added.This is the first time that India has received details from
Swiss authorities under AEOI framework, which provides for exchange of
information on financial accounts, currently active as well as those accounts
that were closed during 2018, the year in which framework agreement became
effective.However, information exchange is governed by strict confidentiality clauses,
and FTA officials refused to disclose specific details on the number of
accounts or about the quantum of financial assets associated with Indian
clients of Swiss banks. However, AEOI only relates to accounts that are
officially in the name of Indians and they might include those used for
business and other genuine purposes.PTI
Food
Corporation of India’s debt increases 3-fold under the 5 years of the Modi rule
FCI, responsible for
overseeing National Food Security Act, does not have any stream of income of
its own. In the 5 years of the Modi Era, Food Corporation of India has seen its
debt level magnified itself from ₹91,409 crore to ₹2.65 lakh crore in March
2019.The debt levels went starkly up in 2016-17, because Govt decided to start giving credit to FCI
from the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) to fuse the gap between what the
Govt should have provided for in the fiscal budget and what it could actually
dispense due to its budgetary constraints, according to The Print.FCI is
completely dependent for revenue on Centre. Centre is responsible to fix minimum
support price for buying the foodgrains from farmers, as well as the issue
price which is the price at which they are supplied to the states. This
difference, along with cost of distribution, are paid by Govt to FCI in the
form of food subsidy.
WORLD
US
troops start pullout in Syria as Turkey prepares operation
US troops began
withdrawing from northeast Syria ahead of a Turkish invasion that Kurdish fighters
say will overturn the victory over ISIL group. Washington's forces "will
not support or be involved in [Turkish] operation" and "will no
longer be in the immediate area", White House Press Secretary Stephanie
Grisham said in a statement.It was not clear whether that meant the US would
withdraw its 1,000 or so troops completely from northern Syria."Turkey
will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into northern
Syria," said the statement.A US official said US forces had on Monday
evacuated two observation posts at Tel Abyad and Ras al Ain in northeast Syria,
along Turkish border. Other US troops in the region were still in position for
now, the official said.The withdrawal marks a major shift in US policy and
effectively abandons a US ally in the battle against ISIL, which took over
swathes of Syria before being defeated a year ago.US President Donald Trump on
Monday defended the decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria, saying
it was too costly to keep supporting its allies."Kurds fought with us but
were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so. They have been
fighting Turkey for decades,"Trump said in tweets. "Turkey, Europe,
Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure situation out."aljazeera
‘Can
Come Any Night Without Warning’: Erdogan Says Turkish Army Ready for Syria
Operation
Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan has said that his army was ready to launch operations against Kurdish
militants in Syria at any moment following US announcement that it would not
stand in the way."There is a phrase that we always say: we can come any
night without warning," Erdogan said. "It is absolutely out of the
question for us to further tolerate the threats from these terrorist
groups,"he said, referring to Kurdish militants. Erdogan said he would
work with European Govts to deal with foreign Islamic State prisoners in the
region."There are (IS prisoners) from France, Germany, other countries.
They say 'We don't want to have control over them,' he said. AFP
Trump
makes way for Turkey operation against Kurds:BBC
UN
ready for 'very close' coordination in Syria op
UN is prepared for
"very close" coordination with Turkey on a possible military
operation in northern Syria, an official said. Panos Moumtzis, UN assistant
secretary general and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, said Turkey
has provided necessary guarantees to UN on humanitarian issues.Anadolu
Impeachment
peril engulfs Trump’s WH, historians say ‘worse than Watergate’
As impeachment alarm has
engulfed Donald Trump's White house and a second whistleblower has come forward
about former's dealings with Ukraine and asking for dirt on his political
opponent Joe Biden,Americas top legal minds weighed in on the big questions
that were consuming Washington DC: Is Trump asking for dirt from a foreign
country an impeachable offence? Was this about personal interest or foreign
policy? Does the House have enough evidence to impeach Trump? What does this
moment mean in the wide arc of Americas history? Is this what impeachment was
made for?"I think this ranks with or right above Watergate, just
historically speaking," Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning and NYT
bestselling presidential historian and journalist, told MSNBC. IANS
Israel
seeking 'non-aggression' deal with Gulf states
Israeli Foreign Minister
Israel Katz has said he is seeking "non-aggression" agreements with
Gulf states, as relations between two sides warm against common foe Iran.The
Israeli minister, who met Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al
Khalifa in July, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that aim was to eventually forge
future peace agreements with the Arabs.All 22 Arab countries - except Egypt and
Jordan - do not recognise Israel over latter's illegal occupation of Arab lands
in Palestine and Syria."Recently, I have been promoting, under the backing
of US, a political initiative to sign 'non-aggression agreements' with the Arab
Gulf states," Katz wrote on Twitter on Sunday."The historic move will
put an end to the conflict and allow civilian cooperation until peace
agreements are signed."It is seen as the latest push by Israel to improve
relations with Gulf states who do not formally recognise Israel and do not have
formal diplomatic relations.In his tweet, Katz said he discussed the
"non-aggression" plan with Arab foreign ministers and US President
Donald Trump's outgoing envoy for Middle East Jason Greenblatt during the
assembly.aljazeera
Report:
Israel plans to stop Turkey's J'lem activities
Israeli Govt is seeking
to stop Turkish activities in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Tel
Aviv-based daily Israel Today. According to the paper, Israeli Foreign Minister
Yisrael Katz ordered his office to draw up plans to stop Turkish Govt's
"efforts to undermine Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem". According to
the paper, Israeli Foreign Ministry's plan suggests a number of steps against
Turkey's activities in the revered city.The plan proposes to obligate Turkey's
state-run aid agency, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), to
coordinate its activities with Israel in advance.Anadolu
Iran:
Chinese oil firm has withdrawn from $5bn deal
China's state oil company
pulled out of a $5bn deal to develop a portion of Iran's massive offshore
natural gas field, the Islamic Republic's oil minister said.South Pars field
deal, struck in the wake of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, appears
to be just the latest business casualty of US' pressure campaign on Tehran
following President Donald Trump's unilateral withdrawal of US from deal.It
also comes as China and US engage in their own trade war, as Beijing and
Washington levy billions of dollars of tariffs on each other's goods.Oil
Minister Bijan Zangeneh, quoted by ministry's SHANA, said on Sunday China
National Petroleum Corp was "no longer in the project".He did not elaborate
or give any reason for the withdrawal, though SHANA said the company "had
pulled out of a contract" to develop the field.aljazeera
Iraq's
military admits 'excessive force'
Iraq's military admitted
for the first time it had used "excessive force" against protesters
demonstrating in Baghdad and several other cities dotted throughout the
country's south. "Excessive force outside rules of engagement was used and
we have begun to hold accountable those commanding officers who carried out
these wrong acts," the military said.It added that Abdul Mahdi had ordered
those forces to be replaced with federal police units and the intelligence
services to open an investigation into the incident.aljazeera
Voting
in Tunisia Ends in Uncertainty and Discontent
Ennahda party seemed set
to face massive loses but stay the strongest party in Tunisia after the Sunday
vote, according to exit polls.The moderate Islamists were set to claim 17.5% of
the vote, according to a poll conducted by Sigma Conseil. Their rivels from the
Heart of Tunisia party, controlled by jailed media magnate and presidential
candidate Nabil Karoui, was estimated to about 2%age points behind.The Sunday
vote featured more than 16,000 candidates from over 200 different parties
competing to fill 217-seat unicameral legislature, the Assembly of People’s
Representatives.It follows the first round of a presidential election that
garnered much greater public attention. The presidential vote ended
inconclusively, forcing a runoff on Oct.13.The parliamentary vote saw the
Islamist party Ennahdha, which previously held the most seats in parliament,
hoping to maintain its lead against Qalb Tounes (Heart of Tunisia), led by
Karoui. He has been accused of tax evasion but says charges against him are
politically motivated.DW
Leftist-nationalist
edges ahead in Kosovan polls
https://thewire.in/world/leftist-nationalist-vetevendosje-edges-ahead-in-kosovan-parliamentary-polls
Vetevendosje
(Self-Determination) snatched 26% of vote at the Sunday’s parliamentary
election, in Kosovo, barely edging out another opposition party, LDK, which
claimed around 25% according to an early count.The results are based on over
76% of ballots cast, the electoral officials said. 2 opposition parties are
followed by PDK which is part of the
ruling coalition and associated with President Hashim Thaci. PDK won some 21%
of the votes. Alliance coalition led by ex PM Ramush Haradinaj (AAK-PSD) placed
fourth with around 12% of support.DW
Afghan
spokesman fired for praising Taliban visit
Afghanistan’s Foreign
Ministry spokesman has been sacked following remarks supportive of Taliban's
visit to Pakistan to revive peace talks, an official confirmed.Giving no
reason, ministry indirectly announced sacking of Sibghatullah Ahmadi, the
spokesman.Announcing on Twitter promotion of Mirwais Naab to deputy foreign
minister, Waheed Omer, head of ministry’s Office of Public and Strategic
Affairs, added: “He will also oversee work of spokesperson’s office in
MFA." Anadolu
Taliban
chiefs meet US envoy in bid to resurrect deal
Blast
kills 9 soldiers, 1 child in Afghanistan
Kabul:At least ten
people, including a child, were killed in an improvised explosive device attack
on fresh army cadets in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Monday, an
official said.Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, told
Anadolu Agency a minibus carrying young army recruits from provincial capital
Jalalabad to the country's capital Kabul was targeted with an IED planted in an
autorickshaw.He confirmed at least nine soldiers and a child got killed and 28
others were injured in the attack.There has been no immediate claim of
responsibility for the assault.Anadolu
2
African Muslim women nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
2 young Muslim African women have been
nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The award will be given on Dec.10
in Oslo, Norway.2 women are 29-year-old
Ilwad Elman, a social rights activist from Somalia and 26-year-old law student
Hajer Sharief from Libya. They are from among 301 list of candidates for the
prestigious award.Both are part of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's
initiative Extremely Together, which brings together 10 young change makers
from around the world. indiatomorrow
‘Israel
should back Egypt’s Sisi in face of protests’
Institute for National
Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv University called on the Israeli Govt to
back Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who is facing calls to resign. In
a report, INSS stated that Israel should stop taking strict measures against
the Palestinians in order not to inspire Egyptian youths to protest against
Al-Sisi “who has been facing the most dangerous crisis since he became
president.”However, the report said, only a few thousand had protested against
Al-Sisi after the videos posted on rnet by the contractor Mohamed Ali about
corruption in political and military institutions.MEMO
Flash:NEWS,views,Articles
Home
Ministry Believes in Internet Ban, Mass Detention But Not in Paperwork: Venkatesh
Nayak
J&K
Police Has Violated the JJ Act in Detaining Children:Anjana Prakash
We
Need to Stop Raising Children to Hate Muslims: Rohini Singh
Kashmir
Residents Say Police Forcibly Taking Over Their Homes For CRPF Troops: Rayan
Naqash
Cooperation
with West Asian kingdom could shield India’s oil and gas assets against Pak
threat:Vikram S Mehta
Everyone
misinterprets Ghazwa-e-Hind, but a Jamiat scholar explains what it really
means:Rasheed Kidwai
Muslims:
In Maharashtra, they are trying to reshape political identity: Zeeshan Shaikh
Amnesty
report: Hate crimes rose sharply first half of 2019
Supreme
Court of India has been slow and divided: Prof Amartya Sen to New Yorker
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by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:59 PM)
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Good job. A lot of important news.
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