14
Nov. 2019: 16 Rabiul Awwal 1441: Vol: 12, No: 57
INDIA
Supreme Court Dismisses All Petitions Asking for a
Review of Rafale Verdict
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a clutch of petitions which
sought a review of its Dec.2018 judgement that rejected demands for an
investigation into the controversial Rafale
aircraft deal.A 3-judge bench disagreed with the contention that there
were grounds to order an FIR into the matter and said that the review petitions
have been found to be without any merit.On May 10, the apex court had reserved
the decision on the pleas, including one filed by former Union ministers
Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and advocate-activist Prashant Bhushan, seeking a
re-examination of its findings that there was no occasion to doubt the
decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets. In
December 2018, the apex court had declined to order a probe into the
decision-making process behind the purchase of the aircraft. The judgement was
delivered by a three-judge bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay
Kishan Kaul and Justice KM Joseph.“So far as the decision-making is concerned,
we have studied the material and interacted with senior air force officer,”
CJI Gogoi said at the time, adding,
“there was no occasion to doubt the process”. Consequently, a review petition
was moved by a clutch of petitioners. The application and written submissions
filed by Shourie, Sinha and Bhushan primarily argued that Dec.2018 verdict was
based on incorrect and incomplete facts that were supplied by the Centre.Along
with the review, the written submissions also sought perjury proceedings
against certain government officials for allegedly suppressing information from
the court.thewire
Rafale verdict: SC judgment not a victory for BJP,
says Congress
Congress
spokesperson Randeep Surjewala today said the Supreme Court's dismissal of the
review petitions in its 2018 judgment in Rafale judgment is not BJP's victory
as the apex court has not ruled any scope of an independent
investigation."The court said it is restricted by law, but if any agency
like police and CBI can carry out an independent investigation." he
said."The court also said that it would not stand in the way of any
independent investigation," he added.
Contempt
Case: SC Tells Rahul Gandhi to 'Exercise More Caution' in the Future
New
Delhi: Saying that it did not want to take the matter any further, the Supreme
Court said Rahul Gandhi should have “exercise caution” in the future and
disposed of the case.“The contemnor should have been far more careful. We would
not like to continue with the proceedings and the contemnor should exercise
more caution in the future,” LiveLaw quoted the bench as saying.A bench headed
by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had reserved the verdict on the criminal contempt
plea filed against Gandhi by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi in May this year. Lekhi had
filed the case after Gandhi’s ‘chokidar chor hai‘ remark against Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, after the apex court had dismissed the Rafale probe
petition.Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for Gandhi, had told the
bench, also comprising of Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph, that the Congress
president has already tendered unconditional apology and has expressed regret
over the wrongful attribution to the apex court.Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi,
appearing for Lekhi, told the bench that the apology tendered by Gandhi should
be rejected and action must be taken against him as per the law.thewire
Not
Just Sabarimala, 7-Judge SC Bench to Also Examine Bar on Women’s Entry in
Mosques, Parsi Fire Temples
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said a seven-judge bench will be convened
to examine the issues of women’s entry into any house of worship and other
religious practices that discriminate against women after it was asked to
review a September 2018 order that allowed women entry into Kerala’s revered
Sabarimala temple.The court said the issue of Muslim women’s entry to mosques,
cases on female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community and access to
fire temples or ‘towers of silence’ for Parsi women who marry outside the
community will all be clubbed along with the Sabarimala matter and be heard by
the larger bench.The five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, split
3:2 on the issue of entry of women into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, was
unanimous in its decision that the various other religious issues should be
referred to the seven-judge bench.“Restrictions on women in religious places
are not restricted to Sabarimala alone and are prevalent in other religions
also,” CJI said as he read out the
majority verdict on the review petitions, adding that the court should evolve a
common policy on religious places like Sabarimala.The majority of CJI Ranjan
Gogoi, Justice Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra expressed that the issue whether
court can interfere in essential practices of a religion needed to be examined
by a larger bench. “There is a seminal issue as to the power of the court to
determine if the constitutional court can interfere in such integral parts of
the religion,” the top court said. Justice AM Khanwilkar, who had sided with
the majority verdict in 2018 — allowing all women entry into the Sabarimala
shrine — has in this ruling called for a review of last year verdict.However,
the majority verdict did not say anything adverse against the apex court's
September 28, 2018 decision allowing women to enter the shrine nor did it stay
the earlier judgment.The minority verdict by Justices R F Nariman and D Y
Chandrachud gave a dissenting view by dismissing all the review pleas and directing
compliance of its September 28, 2018, decision.The split decision came on as
many as 65 petitions - including 56 review petitions and four fresh writ
petitions and 5 transfer pleas - which were filed after the apex court verdict
of September last year sparked violent protests in Kerala.news18.com
Entry
of women into Sabarimala, mosques and FGM — SC to consider ‘common policy’ for
religious places
SC
Refuses to Stay Interim Protection Granted to Anand Grover, Indira Jaising
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay the Bombay high court’s
order granting interim protection to lawyers Anand Grover and Indira Jaising in
a plea filed by the CBI. The investigative agency has registered a criminal
case against their NGO Lawyers Collective for alleged violations of the
FCRA.According to reports, the apex court also sought a response from Lawyers
Collective, Grover and Jaising. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi
and Justices Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari issued notices to the senior
lawyers and the NGO. Justice Bose recused himself from hearing the matter
further, LiveLaw reported.The CBI had registered a case against Grover and the
NGO over alleged violation of the FCRA in the use of foreign funds received by
Lawyers Collective. Hearing a petition filed by the NGO’s founders, Grover and
Jaising, the Bombay high court on July 25 granted interim protection. It said
no coercive steps must be taken against the NGO until further orders.thewire
SC
Strikes Down Rules on Tribunals, Refers to Larger Bench Passage of Fin Act 2017
As Money Bill
New
Delhi: In a blow to the government, the Supreme Court Wednesday struck down in
entirety the rules formulated by the Centre on appointment and service
conditions for members of various tribunals, and referred to a larger bench the
issue of examining the validity of the passage of the Finance Act 2017 as Money
Bill which was vigorously opposed in parliament by opposition parties.The
questions the apex court framed for consideration included whether the ‘Finance
Act, 2017’, insofar as it amends certain other enactments and alters conditions
of service of persons manning different Tribunals, can be termed as a ‘Money
Bill’ under Article 110 and consequently is validly enacted.The top court held
that Section 184 of Finance Act, 2017, which empowers the Centre to frame rules
relating to appointment and service conditions of members of various tribunals,
does not suffer from the excessive delegation of legislative functions as there
are adequate principles to guide its framing.However, a five-judge constitution
bench, headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, said: “Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and
other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service
of Members) Rules, 2017 suffer from various infirmities as observed earlier.thewire
Brussels-based
NGO uncovers 265 fake news websites serving 'Indian governmental interests';
portals linked to NGO behind MEPs visit to Kashmir
A
Brussels-based NGO on Wednesday reported that over 265 fake local news websites
in more than 65 countries across the world were being controlled by an
"Indian influence network".The report by the EU DisinfoLab, a
non-profit that is "focused on researching and tackling sophisticated
disinformation campaigns targeting the EU", listed sites such as New York
Morning Telegraph, Dublin Gazette, and Times of Portugal and said they were
"serving Indian governmental interests".The report goes on to detail
its investigation into the network "designed to influence the European
Union and the United Nations by repeatedly criticising Pakistan".Tying in
the visit of 27 members of the EU parliament in October, the report mentions
that it discovered a website, EP Today, which is a "self-proclaimed
magazine for the European Parliament", publishing what it called "a
large number of articles and op-eds related to minorities in Pakistan as well
as other India-related matters"."EU DisinfoLab quickly discovered
that EP Today is managed by Indian stakeholders, with ties to a large network
of think tanks, NGOs, and companies from the Srivastava Group. We also found
that the IP address of the Srivastava Group is also home to the obscure online
media 'New Delhi Times' and International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies
(IINS), which are all based at the same address in New Delhi, India," the
report further said. IINS was NGO which had invited the 27 Members of European
Parliament to visit Kashmir and to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.This was
the first foreign delegation to visit Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of
Article 370 and was ostensibly organised to have the largely right-wing
politicians review the situation on-ground in the restive region.The report
also analysed the motive behind the creation of such fake news outlets and said
listed three possibilities: "To influence global institutions and elected
representatives with coverage of specific events and demonstrations; to provide
NGOs with useful press material to reinforce their credibility and thus be
impactful.firstpost
265
fake news websites in over 65 countries managed by Indian influence networks:
study
Robots
Will Now be Helping the Indian Army Fight Terror in Kashmir
From
helping in cordon-and-search ops, negotiating obstacles to lobbing grenades at
terrorists holed up in buildings, Indian Army will soon have robots to help it
in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Ministry of Defence has
started the process of procuring around 550 robotics surveillance units with
minimum 25 years of service life for counter-insurgency ops in Jammu and
Kashmir, sources said on Wednesday.A senior Indian Army officer told IANS that
these robots should be capable of climbing stairs and negotiating obstacles
apart from throwing grenades at terrorists in built-up areas. "These
robots should be capable enough for water fording with minimum 20-cm
depth," the officer said.During cordon-and-search-operations in the
Valley, these robots will be the first line of defence, thus helping prevent
casualties. "This would avoid casualty to our own troops during initial
breach by terrorists," officer said. The ministry has on Nov.19 called the
Indian industries to make representations of their products about robotics
surveillance. The ministry is pushing for indigenization to reduce dependence
on imports of defence items.The ministry has initiated the process of procuring
on request of DG of Rashtriya Rifles, the country's premier counterinsurgency
force raised on Oct.1, 1990 when militancy in Jammu and Kahmir was at its peak
and the local law enforcement and paramilitary agencies were unable to contain
it. The force is exclusively engaged in counter-terror operations in the
Valley.IANS
Kids
Talk Night Raids, Detentions & Curfew: Kashmir’s New Normal?
Nine-year-old
Liaqat Zeeshan(name changed) recalls the day when Article 370 was revoked. It
was the day that his school was shut and the day when he had a ‘speaking’
competition, for which he had put in a lot of work, that he couldn’t
participate in. “I felt so bad. I had been preparing for it for weeks but for
nothing,” he bemoaned. “I miss my school. I miss my friends. I miss my
teachers. We haven’t been able to speak to our relatives,” said Samira*, a
student of class 6. With protests being held on a daily basis, incidents of stone-pelting
and cases of minors getting picked up and detained being reported, parents have
had to quarantine their children at home. Stuck at home with nothing to do and
unable to meet their friends, the children have grown sad.thequint
PM Modi is architect of fear and vendetta
politics in India, says Aatish Taseer
New
Delhi: Journalist and author Aatish Taseer, whose Overseas Citizenship of India
(OCI) status was revoked last week, has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi
is leading India on a path that leads to fear, political vendetta and
anti-minority environment."He is the architect of it and he is
answerable," Taseer said in an exclusive interview to India Today TV from
New York. Speaking to Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, Taseer said that it was "a
very-very ugly thing for a democracy like India, the light of freedom in Asia,
to be going after someone as small as a writer."Taseer, who wrote the
Times magazine cover story calling PM Modi Divider-in-Chief, said that the
Indian government's claim that he concealed information about his father's
Pakistani nationality while filing the application for the OCI status was
nothing but political vendetta."I have it on absolute authority from
someone who works within the government that it was done by someone who wants
to please Mr Modi," Aatish Taseer said. Taseer said that although the
title of the story [Divider-in-Chief] was not chosen by him and rather by the
magazine, "it was true that the government is playing the politics of
vendetta and is coming after writers and journalists in systematic ways. In my
case, they found a tailor-made solution, but there is nothing about this which
is innocent."India Today
JNU
protests: professors dub HRD ministry's claim of fee rollback 'eyewash', claim
they were deliberately shut out of executive meet
Amid
the protests in JNU over the hostel fee hike, Ministry of HRD on Wednesday
tweeted that the draft hostel manual had been partially rolled back.The
decision was taken by Executive Council of the university, which is the highest
decision-making body.However, three professors who are elected members of the
Council alleged that they were prevented from attending a meeting by the
administration through a “deliberate last-minute change of venue.”Professor
Sharad Baviskar, an elected member of Executive Council, also claimed that the
rollback announcement being reported in the media was an eyewash."There is
no rollback. A substantial portion of the hike is still there. But what is a
bigger cause of concern is that we were deliberately prevented from attending
the Council meeting,” Baviskar said.However, when professors Sachidananda
Sinha, Sharad Baviskar and Moushumi Basu, along with 5 deans who are also
members of the council, reached the venue in the morning, there was no sign of
a meeting. “We called the registrar’s office but there was no response,” Sinha
said.firstpost
'Question
of 40% of JNU's Future': Day After Protests, Students Say Agitation Far From
Over
Moody's
Cuts India's GDP Growth Forecast to 5.6% for 2019
New
Delhi: Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday cut India’s economic growth
forecast for current year to 5.% from 5.8% estimated earlier, saying GDP
slowdown is lasting longer than previously expected.“We have revised down our
growth forecast for India. We now forecast slower real GDP growth of 5.6% in
2019, from 7.4% in 2018,” it said.It expected economic activity to pick up in
2020 and 2021 to 6.6% and 6.7%, respectively, but the pace to remain lower than
in the recent past.“India’s economic growth has decelerated since mid-2018,
with real GDP growth slipping from nearly 8% to 5% in the second quarter of
2019 and joblessness rising.PTI
Treatment
Being Given to Chidambaram Not Satisfactory, Has Already Lost 8-9 kg: Family
New
Delhi: Hours after a Delhi court extended P. Chidambaram’s judicial custody in
the INX Media money laundering case till November 27, his family said that the
treatment being given to him in Tihar jail for Crohn’s disease is not
satisfactory and he continues to lose weight due to “aggravation” of the
disease.Family sources told PTI that Chidambaram has lost around 8-9 kgs since
his detention.“We are not satisfied with the treatment given to him in prison.
He is suffering a lot. He has to be immediately brought under the treatment of
noted gastroenterologist in Hyderabad Dr Nageshwara Reddy as he knows about his
health as he had treated him in 2016,” a source said.PTI
Gandhi
Died Due to ‘Accidental Sequence of Events', Says Odisha Government Booklet
Bhubaneswar:
How did Mahatma Gandhi die? According to a booklet recently published by
Odisha’s school and mass education department, Gandhi died ‘accidentally’. The
colourful booklet accompanied by photographs is being distributed in all
schools across the state.The two-page booklet, Aama Bapuji: Aka Jhalaka (Our
Bapuji: A Glimpse) released by the department to commemorate Gandhi’s 150th
birth anniversary says he died at the Birla House in New Delhi on January 30,
1948 due to an “accidental sequence of events”.Nathuram Godse had shot Gandhiji
dead at a prayer meeting on January 30, 1948, at the Birla House in the
presence of hundreds of people. Godse was then apprehended, tried and sentenced
to death.Naturally, the misrepresentation of facts in the booklet has kicked
off a row in Odisha as many activists and intellectuals see it as a deliberate
attempt to tweak history to mislead the younger generation.thewire
House
of Representatives to host second hearing on human rights in Kashmir today
With
a hearing on Kashmir at the U.S. House of Representatives scheduled for
November 14, the choppy waters on Capitol Hill that India has found itself in,
at least since the October 22 hearing on human rights in South Asia, do not
seem to be letting up.The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bi-partisan
commission, will hold a hearing “to examine the human rights situation in the
former State of Jammu and Kashmir in India in historical and national context,”
a statement from the Commission’s website said.“Witnesses will examine the
human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the context of the region’s
history and larger patterns of rights violations in India and Pakistan, and
will offer recommendations for action by Congress,” the Commission said,
outlining the restrictions from the Indian side placed on Kashmir since Article
370 was abrogated by Parliament in early August.“The increased militarisation
of the security presence in the region and the economic and social consequences
of the central government’s actions, including continuing restrictions on
internet and phones, have also provoked widespread concern,” the statement
read. “In addition, militants have targeted migrant workers from outsider
Kashmir, and have threatened businesses to maintain a protest
shutdown.”thehindu
Two
advisers to Jammu and Kashmir L-G appointed
New
Delhi:Retired IPS officer Farooq Khan and former bureaucrat K K Sharma have
been appointed as the advisers to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union
Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.According to an order of the Union Home
Ministry, the appointments of Khan and Sharma will be effective from the day of
their joining in their respective posts.The advisers will assist LG Girish
Chandra Murmu in the administrative work.tribuneindia
Kartarpur
pilgrims to declare they won’t harm India interests
New
Delhi:With intelligence inputs suggesting that terror elements are active in
Narowal district of Pakistan, where Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is situated, the
Centre is contemplating inserting a column in application form for pilgrims to
declare that their visit through the newly built corridor “will not be
detrimental to India’s sovereignty”.Sources said the column would be inserted
in the form, which the pilgrims have to fill before applying for permission to
visit Kartarpur Gurdwara through the corridor. “Concerns have been raised by
security and intelligence agencies that elements in Pakistan may try to misuse
the corridor by propagating anti-India narrative among visiting pilgrims,” said
a senior official.A few days ahead of the inauguration of Kartarpur corridor on
November 9, intelligence agencies had alerted that “jihadi elements” were
spotted hiding on the other side of border, which was very close to the Dera
Baba Nanak shrine on the Indian side.
After
Gaza rocket fire, Indians tweet #IndiaWithIsrael in show of support
After
a day of rocket fire from Gaza, the top 3 hashtags trending on Twitter in India
are #IsraelUnderFire, #IsraelUnderAttack and #IndiaWithIsrael.Throughout the
day, people across the globe posted on social media about the rising tensions
between Israel and Gaza.However, Israel-related hashtags were mainly trending
within Israel. India was the exception, with its hashtags about the rocket
barrage from Gaza remained trending long after Israeli Twitter began focusing
on other things.Indian politician Kapil Mishra tweeted: "Time to stand
strongly with Israel #IsraelUnderFire.""Israel is under attack by
Terrorists from Gaza. India is with Israel. #IsraelUnderFire," Prashant
Patel Umrao, an advocate at the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court,
tweeted.Both Mishra and Umrao received praise from Israel’s Deputy Chief of
Mission in New Delhi, Maya Kadosh, who retweeted their posts and thanked
them.Kadosh, who started a list of Indian Twitter accounts that talk about
Israel, also tweeted about the situation in Israel.jpost.com
BJP
fields 13 disqualified MLAs for Karnataka bypolls
BENGALURU:BJP
high command has announced tickets for 13 of the 15 seats all set to face
bypolls on December 5. The party has given tickets to 13 disqualified MLAs who
joined the party just hours before the tickets were announced on November
14.The party is yet to announce tickets for two other poll bound constituencies
— Shivajinagar and Ranibennur.
Disqualified
MLA from Shivajinagar R. Roshan Baig did not join the BJP. Another disqualified
MLA R. Shankar from Ranibennur has also not yet been announced.thehindu
Cattle
Trader Killed in Bihar's Katihar, Cops Call It Case of 'Personal Enmity'
New
Delhi: A trader was killed in Bihar’s Katihar district when he was on his way
to a weekly cattle market in Malda, reported the Telegraph on November
13.According to the newspaper, Muhammad Jamal was attacked on Labha bridge by a
group on Monday night when his cattle reportedly bumped into a motorcycle
belonging to one of the members of the group. Jamal reportedly tried to escape,
but was beaten to death after he fell.Jamal’s brother and two other reportedly
managed to escape the mob, and rallied their village to reach the spot on
Tuesday to protest.“One Liladhar Yadav, who was previously engaged in cattle
trade and had enmity with Jamal, is involved in the incident. He, along with
his associates, thrashed Jamal to death on the pretext that a motorcycle
belonging to them was hit by the cattle,” Katihar SP Vikash Kumar told the
Telegraph, calling it a case of ‘personal enmity’.thewire
Wasim
Rizvi donates Rs 51,000 for Ram temple in Ayodhya
Lucknow
: Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi on Thursday
announced he is donating Rs 51,000 for the construction of a Ram temple in
Ayodhya.Rizvi said the Board favoured the construction of a Ram temple in
Ayodhya and the Supreme Court judgment on the decades-old issue is the “best
verdict” that could have been possible. “Now preparations are on for the
construction of a grand temple at the Ram Janmasthan. Since Lord Ram is the
ancestor of all of us, Muslims also, Rs 51,000 on behalf of the ‘Wasim Rizvi
Films’ is being given to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas towards temple construction,”
Rizvi said.Whenever the temple is built, Shia Waqf Board will help in its
construction, he said, adding Ram temple in Ayodhya is a matter of pride for
‘Rambhakts’ world over and also in India.PTI
‘Why
Didn’t CBI Examine Our CNN Footage of Babri Demolition?’
In
early 1992, CNN opened its South Asia news gathering bureau in Delhi. No sooner
this happened, a torrent of seismic stories overtook the region. From the
overthrow of the Najibullah government in Afghanistan to unrest in Thailand,
not to mention simmering issues in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka,
my colleagues and I were kept intensely and uninterruptedly preoccupied.Then,
from the autumn of the same year, the danger of damage to and desecration of
the Babri mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s temple town of Ayodhya had begun to escalate.
This was generated by the fact that UP had for the first time a
Hindutva-inclined BJP government; and the agitation and demand for a Ram temple
on the premises of the mosque was a Hindu fundamentalist demand with which its
leaders were very much associated.As the threat increased, the Supreme Court of
India sought an assurance from the state regime that the monument will under
any circumstances be protected. On 27 November, this guarantee of safeguarding
the shrine was duly tendered. This notwithstanding, fears of an untoward
incident persisted and tension remained at virtually fever pitch.thequint
Khattar
expands Haryana cabinet; inducts 10 ministers
Chandigarh:After
18 days of dilly-dallying, BJP-led Khattar government in Haryana on Thursday
did the first Cabinet expansion by inducting 10 council of ministers,
comprising one from its alliance partner, lone woman and an Independent. he
cabinet can have 14 members, including the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief
Minister, with two slots kept for the future expansion.Governor Satyadeo Narain
Arya admistered oath to six Cabinet ministers and four Ministers of State
(Independent charge) at a simple ceremony in Raj Bhawan that lasted less than
an hour.The government now has eight BJP ministers besides Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar (65), who is at the helm for his second consecutive term.
he saffron party's post-poll partner and alliance partner JJP, a defector of
the state's once prominent regional outfit INLD, got lone minister Annop Dhanak
along with Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, 31, in the government.IANS
Wakf Board to offer free medical care at
‘health service desks’
NEW
DELHI: Delhi Wakf Board (DWB) has approved a proposal to set up ‘health service
desks’, primary health centres, on the lines of Mohalla Clinics, one of the
major poll promises of AAP, that will offer basic medicines for general
ailments, diagnostic services, and consultation free of cost.Senior officials
of the state government, aware of the matter, said that as the proposal had
already been cleared, the process of issuing a notification for the same is
underway. “After the mandatory notification, the first health service desk is
likely to be operational within a month. The idea is that each section of the
society should have access to essential medical services,” said the official.
Amanatullah Khan, chairman of the DWB, said that the first desk would be set up
in one of offices of the Wakf Board.“We are starting with one desk, where two
doctors will be available. We are also in the process of hiring auxiliary
staff. The board has a plan to start a few more similar facilities across the
city. For general ailments like fever, cough, and flu, patients will get
medicines at the health centre itself and cases, which need comprehensive
medical attention and procedures, would be referred to the big government
hospitals,” said Khan, who is also MLA from Okhla.newindianexpress
No
space for Savarkar: Rajasthan University tells ICHR
NEW
DELHI: Days after the Rajasthan Congress government removed "veer"
from references to VD Savarkar from its textbooks, Rajasthan University has now
declined a request from the Indian Council for Historical Research, an
autonomous academic body funded by Government of India, to have a seminar on
the Hindutva figurehead.The event, part of a multi-city talk series planned by
ICHR, backed by the history-rewriting wing of the RSS affiliate, Akhil
Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana, "The truth about Savarkar" was launched
on Monday, on the occasion of National Education Day, commemorated every year
on India's first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's birthday.The talk
series will mainly focus on "confronting lies about Savarkar and his
writings on the 1857 war of independence", ICHR officials said.Rajasthan
university officials confirmed to ET that they had "declined" the
request for space for the seminar as "certain aspects of Savarkar were
deeply controversial". The other seminars of ICHR on Savarkar were to be
held in Jaipur, Guwahati, Port Blair, Pune and some other cities."We had
sought space and permission from the Rajasthan University to hold a talk series
on Savarkar in their campus but they got back saying we could choose any other
topic," an ICHR functionary told ET.Pramila Poonia, head of the department
of history and culture, Rajasthan University, told ET that they had not agreed
when ICHR had presented them the proposal on hosting a seminar on Savarkar.
"We didn't refuse entirely but we asked them for time for a month, and
more details because we need to consult others on this. There are aspects of
Savarkar that are controversial and we did not want any problem."Rizwan
Qaiser, professor, department of history, Jamia Millia Islamia, said it was
inappropriate of ICHR to honour Savarkar on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's
birthday."Azad was always very critical of the Sangh Parivar's divisive
politics and in 1952, in Rampur, he openly blamed them for driving the Muslims
to the corner which led to the partition. Savarkar's writings have always been
exclusionary of the Muslims. Even his book on 1857 represents the struggle as a
pan-India uprising which it was not. Some facts cannot be
changed."economictimes
BHU
deputy chief proctor booked for ‘removing’ RSS flag, quits post
Lucknow
A DEPUTY Chief Proctor at the South campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in
Mirzapur district was booked on charges of promoting enmity between different
groups on grounds of religion, caste, etc, after she allegedly removed a RSS
flag from the university’s playground Tuesday.A case was registered on a
complaint by a local RSS office-bearer and deputy chief proctor Kiran Damle
resigned from the post following protests by a group of students and local RSS
workers the same day.SHO, Kotwali Dehat, Abhay Kumar Singh, said a case was
registered against Damle.“RSS zilla karyawah, Chandramohan, registered a
complaint against Damle,” said SHO. Chandramohan, head of RSS’s Mirzapur
district wing, claimed, “On Nov.12, the daily Sangh shakha was being held at
the stadium on BHU South campus as it has been for the past seven years. Around
7 am, Kiran Damle uprooted a saffron flag and threw it on the floor. All swayamsevaks
present there told her that the flag has importance for religious reasons.
After this, Damle verbally abused Swayamsevak Neeraj Dwivedi and others present
there. She also said that despite the country accepting the Supreme Court’s
verdict on Ayodhya, she does not.”However, deputy chief proctor (South campus),
BHU, Kiran Damle, said,”On Tuesday, when I went to the university playground, I
found an orange-coloured flag hoisted there. I asked my attendant about who put
it there but he said he did not know. I then asked the students present at the
playground, nobody replied. After no one took responsibility, I took out the
flag, gave it to my attendant and told him to keep it in my
office.”indianexpress
Cleric
among 4 held for UP mosque blast
Lucknow
: 4 people, including a cleric, were Wednesday arrested in connection with an
explosion inside a mosque at Bairagipatti village in Kushinagar district two
days ago.They were identified as Maulana Azeemudin (28), Izhar, Aashiq and
Javed. Three others — Qutubuddin Ansari, Ashfaq and Munna, all from the same
village — are on the run.The blast was earlier reported as an inverter battery
explosion. But Kushinagar SP Vinod Kumar Mishra said the battery was found
intact. He said some explosive substance, which was kept inside a room in the
mosque, had exploded due to “heat”.“During interrogation, Azeemudin told the
police that around four months ago, a local, Qutubuddin Ansari, came to the
mosque carrying a plastic bag and told him there was a powder inside. He asked
him to keep it safe and ensure it did not come in contact with any other
object. Ansari also told him that the material would be used at an appropriate
time,” SP said.SP said the motive behind the storage of the powder would be
clear after Ansari’s arrest.An ATS team, along with the police, is probing the case.indianexpress
Cleric
arrested for explosion at UP Masjid
Kushinagar:
Four persons, including a cleric, have been arrested in connection with a blast
at a mosque here. The police had registered an FIR against seven persons. Among
the four arrested is the ‘imam’ of the mosque, Maulana Azmuddin, while 3 others
are absconding.The motive behind Monday’s blast is not known yet.Forensic
reports have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by explosives stored
in the mosque. Initially, it was believed that the blast was caused by an
explosion in an inverter battery.ATS Gorakhpur, intelligence agencies and LIU teams
have joined the probe.The blast took place in Bairagai Patti village here on
Monday afternoon. The explosion was strong enough to rip apart doors and
windows in the mosque, say reports.During interrogation, the cleric admitted
that he and some other youths had kept the explosives in the mosque.The others
arrested are Izhar, Aashiq and Javed — all residents of the Bairagi Patti
village, said Vinod Kumar Mishra, SP (Kushinagar).IANS
Police
stop construction of ‘illegal’ mosque in Sambhal after locals protest
Bareilly:
Police on Wednesday stopped the construction of a mosque, allegedly being
erected illegally overnight, in the Saraitareen area of Sambhal district. By
the time police reached the spot, the roof of the building had already been
completed. They locked up the premises to stop prayer gatherings from taking
place. District magistrate Avinash Krishan Singh said police force had been
deployed at the site to stop further construction. “The situation is now under
control,” he added. Police sources said some people had started offering namaaz
inside a madrassa in Navada locality of Saraitareen, under Hayatnagar police
station, some months ago. But when some months later, they began construction
of a mosque inside the madrassa premises, neighbours from the other community
objected, and the construction was stopped after police intervention, with the
sub-divisonal magistrate issuing orders that no further construction could take
place. On Wednesday morning, the neighbours from the other community informed
police that construction had again started the night before, hearing which, SHO
Ravindra Kumar reached the spot with force and issued a warning to those who
had gathered to offer namaz there, locking up the premises to prevent further
“mischief”. After the people who had gathered there had been dispersed by cops,
some of them went to a nearby mosque, from where they announced on loudspeakers
that police had stopped them from offering namaaz and thrown their holy book
out of the “new mosque”.Soon, a large crowd gathered to create a ruckus. Women
broke the lock in the presence of police. Sensing further trouble, the DM
rushed to the spot with SP Yamuna Prasad, and immediately deployed rapid action
force (RAF) to defuse the situation.TOI
SC
seeks response from Centre on plea of AIMPLB challenging Triple Talaq Act
The
Supreme Court on Wednesday sought response from the Centre on a plea of the All
India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) challenging the law which criminalises
instant triple talaq.A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana issued notice and
tagged the plea of AIMPLB with other pending matters challenging the Muslim
Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 which makes talaq-e-biddat
or any other similar form of talaq having effect of instantaneous and
irrevocable divorce pronounced by a Muslim husband void and illegal.The bench,
while hearing a petition filed by Seerath un-Nabi Academy, was annoyed with the
number of writ petitions being filed by various individuals and organisations
and said there are over 20 petitions pending on the same issue of Triple
Talaq.The bench told the counsel appearing for the Academy, "How many writ
petitions will be filed on the same issue. In every case the notification comes
and you all come with PILs. There are over 20 petitions pending on Triple
Talaq. Should we tag 100 petitions and keep on hearing them for 100 years. We
cannot hear 100 petitions on the same issue".The plea by AIMPLB and Kamal
Faruqui has challenged the Constitutional validity of the Act on grounds that
it is manifestly arbitrary and offends Articles 14, 15, 20 and 21 of the
Constitution and makes unwarranted/wrongful interference in the Muslim Personal
Law as applicable to Hanafi Muslims. PTI
WORLD
Fragile
ceasefire holds in Gaza amid reports of fire exchange
A
ceasefire between Islamic Jihad and Israel has largely held in the Gaza Strip
since Thursday morning, amid reports of cross-border fire exchange.The
agreement reportedly brokered by Egypt came into effect after two days of
cross-border fighting and Israeli air attacks killed at least 34 Palestinians,
including eight members of the same family.Gaza health ministry on Thursday
identified them as members of the Abu Malhous family from Deir al-Balah area.At
least 63 Israelis received treatment for injuries from rocket attacks launched
from Gaza.Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from near the Gaza fence, said
there seems to be a "real fragility" to the ceasefire, which came
into force at 5:30am local time (03:30 GMT), according to the Islamic Jihad
group spokesman Musab al-Braim."We heard from our colleagues in Gaza, that
more rockets have been fired out of Gaza, and around the same time, we heard
here what sounded like outgoing Israeli artillery," Fawcett said, without
being able to confirm. "The ceasefire that had been holding for about four
or five hours appears to be less firm," he noted. "This is what the
UN envoy to the region … was warning of. He said the coming hours and days
would be crucial in trying to avert a wider war."The latest violence
escalated after Israel killed top Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Ata in
an air raid on Tuesday, deeming him an imminent threat.Fawcett said that the
terms of the ceasefire agreement are a "little bit different, depending on
who you listen to".Al-Braim told Al Jazeera that his group had secured
concessions from Israel."The deal included the occupation's submission to
conditions, which is to stop the assassinations, particularly of the protesters
in March of Return demonstrations, and to begin practically the procedures to
break the siege," he said.According to an Islamic Jihad official, the
agreement stipulates that Palestinian factions must ensure a return to calm in
Gaza and "maintain peace" during demonstrations, while Israel must
stop hostilities and "ensure a ceasefire" during demonstrations by
Palestinians.A top Egyptian official told the AFP that his country had
undertaken efforts to end the two days of fighting that saw Israel bombing
dozens of houses and farms in the besieged Palestinian enclave.Israeli military
spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a Twitter post that the two-day round of
fighting in Gaza "is over", confirming the ceasefire. aljazeera
US
to keep about 600 troops in Syria: Pentagon chief
United
States will maintain about 600 troops in Syria, Pentagon chief Mark Esper said
on Wednesday, despite Donald Trump's desire to end US involvement in what the
president calls "endless wars"."We're still moving troops out of
northeastern Syria," the US defence secretary said as he travelled to Seoul,
where he begins a tour of Asia on Thursday. "We're going to have about 500
to 600-ish troops there, at the end of the day," Esper said.Asked if that
figure included the approximately 200 troops deployed to the Al-Tanf base near
the southeastern borders with Jordan and Iraq, Esper said that he was referring
to northeastern Syria, where Trump has instructed the Pentagon to secure oil
fields.There would be "600-ish" troops across the country, he then
reiterated.aljazeera
Amid
US-Turkey tensions, Trump lauds relationship with Erdogan
US
President Donald Trump on Wednesday lauded his relationship with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the leaders met to overcome mounting
differences ranging from policies towards Syria to Ankara's purchase of a
Russian missile defence system.Trump's warm welcome of the Turkish president
came amid anger in the United States Congress about Ankara's offensive into
Syria to drive out Kurdish forces, one of Washington's main partners in the
fight against ISIL."We've been friends for a long time, almost from day-one.
We understand each others' country. We understand where we are coming
from," Trump told Erdogan as they sat next to each other in the Oval
Office earlier on the day."They're highly respected in their country and
in the region," Trump said of Erdogan and his wife Emine.Five Republican
senators, including vocal Turkey critic Lindsey Graham, came to the White House
and spoke with Erdogan and Trump about the F-35 programme.The senators also
pressed Erdogan on Turkey's treatment of the Kurds in Syria.aljazeera
Pakistan
anti-government protesters call off Islamabad sit-in
Thousands
of anti-government protesters in Pakistan called off a two-week sit-in on
Islamabad's main highway, but began what they called "Plan B" aimed
at crippling the country's roads and toppling Prime Minister Imran Khan.Protest
leader Fazl-ur-Rehman, chief of the conservative Assembly of Islamic Clerics
(Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl; JUI-F) party, told his supporters on Wednesday to
return to their home states to begin the "next phase" of the
"ongoing movement", which he said would continue until the government
resigns and fresh elections are held.Demonstrators set off on the march from
the southern city of Karachi on October 27 and arrived in Islamabad on October
31, where they had been holding a sit-in for almost two weeks."Our
strength is converged here, and our associates are out on the roads. They need
your help and assistance," Rehman told the crowd from the top of an
articulated truck that has served as a stage for nightly addresses to
protesters.aljazeera
Uighur
activist calls for action to stop China spying on ethnic minorities
LONDON:World
leaders must take a tougher line on China’s use of high-tech surveillance to
monitor and crackdown on its ethnic minorities, a Uighur activist urged on
Thursday, after his mother was detained and then imprisoned.More than one
million Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in massive complexes built
in China’s northwest Xinjiang region since 2017, according to UN. Center for
Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank, says Uighurs are being
used for forced labour.Beijing has denied any mistreatment and says the sites
are “vocational training centres”, but former detainees have described
interrogations, torture and brutal indoctrination.Ferkat Jawdat, 27, a software
engineer who moved to US in 2011 with three siblings to join his father, turned
to activism last year after his mother Minaiwaier Tuersun was sent to a camp. 7
other of his relatives have also been detained.“More and more camps are being
built. I’m not seeing any end to what’s happening to our people,” said Jawdat,
who will address the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s annual event, Trust
Conference, in London on Thursday.“I know it’s not going to stop with my mum.
It will be extended to other regions of China. That’s why I choose to become
the voice of the voiceless.”Jawdat believed many people were targeted for
having family outside China. None of his family have committed crimes and no
reason has been given for their internment, he said.Reuters
Xinjiang
cotton sparks concern over 'forced labour' claims
Global
retailers are facing scrutiny over cotton supplies sourced from Xinjiang, a
Chinese region plagued by allegations of human rights abuses.China is one of
the world's top cotton producers and most of its crop is grown in
Xinjiang.Rights groups say Xinjiang's Uighur minority are being persecuted and
recruited for forced labour.Many brands are thought to indirectly source cotton
products from the Xinjiang region in China's far west.Japanese retailers Muji
and Uniqlo attracted attention recently after a report highlighted the brands
used the Xinjiang-origin of their cotton as a selling point in
advertisements.H&M, Esprit and Adidas are among the firms said to be at the
end of supply chains involving cotton products from Xinjiang, according to a
Wall Street Journal investigation.BBC
Muslim
cleric jailed for writing advice letter to Saudi king dies in prison
A
Saudi Muslim preacher died in prison on Tuesday evening after spending three
years in detention for sending a letter of advice to the office of the Saudi
monarch, according to the "Prisoners of Conscience" Twitter account,
which monitors the situation of Saudi political prisoners.Sheikh Fahd Al-Qadi
was one of the most prominent clerics of the reformist "Sahwa"
movement which appeared in 1990s and has been persecuted by Saudi authorities
in recent years.Riyadh has accused some clerics associated with the movement of
being members of the Muslim Brotherhood.Al-Qadi was sentenced to six years in
prison last month according to the Prisoners of Conscience Account. Al-Qadi’s family
accuse authorities of denying him adequate medical treatment, which led to his
death.Before his imprisonment, Sheikh Fahd Al-Qadi was based in the Al-Qassim
region of central Saudi Arabia, a stronghold of the Sahwa movement.He became
well known for his work with the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and
Prohibition of Vice - also known as the Religious Police - which enforced
Islamic rules and mores on society.Al-Qadi opposed the loosening of social
restrictions and called for the preservation of a conservative society.This put
him at odds with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has eased social
restrictions in Saudi Arabia such as allowing cinemas to open and pop concerts
to be held.Al-Qadi's letter of advice to the king concerned what he saw as
"transgressions" in the education ministry.He was arrested for
"incitement against the authorities".Thousands of political prisoners
are believed to be held in Saudi Arabia. They include prominent clerics such as
Salman Al-Awdah, a famous Islamic author who was arrested in 2017 and is now
under threat of execution.alaraby.co.uk
German
ambassador meets JI leaders at Mansoora
By
RECORDER REPORT on November 14, 2019
Ambassador
of Germany in Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck called on Jamaat-e-Islami leadership
at Mansoora on Wednesday. The situation in Kashmir, domestic and foreign issues
came under discussion during the meeting.JI Foreign Affairs Director Abdul
Ghaffar apprised the German diplomat about the latest situation in the Indian
Held Kashmir, telling him solution to the Kashmir issue according to the wishes
of the people of the area was the only key to establish peace in the region.
They said Germany should play its role to stop human rights violation in the
occupied area. The ambassador said Germany wanted a peaceful solution to the
Kashmir issue through dialogue.Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Senator Sirajul
Haq has demanded the international community pay attention towards human rights
violations in Indian held Kashmir (IHK). Talking to the leadership of World
Kashmir Freedom Movement, he said curfew and lockdown entered 100th day in the
held area and millions of people were become prisoners of the occupied forces
and facing severe shortage of food, medicines and other necessities of life.
New
testimony against Trump as impeachment inquiry goes public
The
top United States diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the first
televised hearing of the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump, linked the
president more directly to a pressure campaign on Kyiv to conduct
investigations that would benefit him politically.William Taylor was one of two
witnesses who testified before the US House of Representatives Intelligence
Committee as a crucial new phase began in the impeachment inquiry that
threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in 2020.Both Taylor
and Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent testified about their concerns
regarding pressure by Trump and allies to get Ukraine to investigate Democratic
political rival Joe Biden in a dramatic hearing that pitted Democratic and
Republican politicians against each other.aljazeera
Flash:
NEWS, views and Articles
3 Reasons Why the Supreme Court Decided Not to
Review Its Rafale Verdict:The Wire Analysis
How the Babri Masjid Demolition Upended Tenuous
Inter-Religious Ties in Pakistan:Haroon Khalid
Ayodhya Verdict: India’s Muslims Sought Dignity,
Not Land:Farah Naqvi
From Kashmir and 370 to Partition, BJP's Hatred of
Nehru is Fuelled by Falsehoods:A.G. Noorani
For Nehru, spirituality was rooted in Indian
tradition and connected to ethics: Purushottam Agrawal
Data shows upper-caste voters of both BJP and
Congress support core Hindutva issues:RUKMINI S
SC Judgment on Disqualified Karnataka MLAs Could
Further Weaken Anti-Defection Act:The Wire Analysis
What explains the silence among Muslim communities
on the Ayodhya judgment?Ipsita Chakravarty
Srinath Raghavan busts ‘myths’ around Nehru’s
Kashmir policies :Srinath Raghavan
Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 4:43 PM); Pls open this
link for ND:
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