20 NOV.
2019: 22 Rabiul Awwal 1441: Vol: 12, No: 62
INDIA
NRC will be done across India, Amit Shah, 'but
Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi refugees will get citizenship
under CAB'
New
Delhi: National Register of Citizens (NRC) process will be carried out across
India, Home Minister Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha today while making it clear
that there would be no discrimination on the basis of religion. Shah said government
accepts that refugees - Hindu, Buddhists, Jain, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis -
who left Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan due to religious atrocities
should get Indian citizenship."The process of NRC will be carried out
across the country. No one irrespective of their religion should be worried. It
is just a process to get everyone under the NRC," he said replying to a
supplementary during Question Hour in Upper House.He said there is no provision
in NRC that people belonging to other religions will not be included in the
register. "People from all religions who are Indian citizens will be
included.There is no question of any discrimination on the basis of religion.
NRC is a different process and the Citizenship Amendment Bill is
different," Shah said.In Assam, the NRC process was carried out as per
Supreme Court order, he said and added that when NRC process will be
implemented in the entire country Assam will also be included. Home Minister
said that in Assam, people whose name has not figured in the draft list, have
the right to go to the Tribunal. "Tribunals will be constituted across
Assam. If any person doesn't have the money to approach tribunals, then Assam
government will bear the cost to hire a lawyer," he said.He reiterated
that all citizens of India irrespective of religion will figure in NRC list.
The home minister said the government accepts that Hindu refugees, Buddhists,
Jain, Christians and Sikh and Parsi should get this country's citizenship and
this is why the Citizenship Amendment Bill is there. He said Lok Sabha had
passed the Bill and Select Committee had approved it but Lok Sabha had lapsed.
"Now it will come again. It has no connection with the NRC," he
said.PTI
US commission calls NRC ''downward trend in
religious freedom'', says 1.9 million Assam residents may soon be deemed
stateless
A
US govt commission has called NRC a "downward trend in religious
freedom" in India amid efforts to link Assam to Kashmir issue.In a brief
released on Tuesday, US International Commission on Religious Freedom (USICRF)
said, "NRC as a tool to target religious minorities and, in particular, to
render Indian Muslims stateless has become one more example of the downward
trend in religious freedom conditions within India."The brief is a part of
the latest political push in US against India over human rights to expand the
campaign beyond Kashmir issue to Assam using NRC.Several persons who criticised
India before 2 Congressional panels for rescinding the special status of
Kashmir and imposing restrictions there also brought up NRC in Assam. A press
release accompanying release of the brief quoted from USICRF Commissioner
Anurima Bhargava''s testimony on Kashmir last week before the House of
Representative Lantos Commission on Human Rights at a hearing labelled as
"Jammu and Kashmir in Context." She had asserted, "Worse yet is
that Indian political officials have repeatedly conveyed their intent to direct
and use NRC process to isolate and push out Muslims in Assam. And now, across
India, political leaders are seeking to expand NRC and implement different
citizenship standards for Muslims altogether." The brief prepared USICRF
Policy Analyst Harrison Akins said, "Both national and state leaders from ruling
BJP have pushed for implementation of an NRC in other states, including
Maharashtra, UP, and West Bengal." The document said that when it was
realised that large numbers of Bengali Hindus were also excluded from NRC in
Assam, BJP politicians called for a "re-verification" and a review by
the Supreme Court. USICRF Chair Tony Perkins was quoted in the press release as
saying, "updated NRC list and subsequent actions of the Indian government
are essentially creating a religious test for citizenship to target Assam''s
vulnerable Muslim community. We urge Indian government to protect the rights of
all of its religious minorities as enshrined in the Indian
constitution."The brief said, "The growing concern is that those
declared to be ''illegal immigrants'' will become stateless. India and
Bangladesh currently do not have a repatriation agreement, with each
repatriation case handled ad hoc between the 2 governments."IANS
‘Never in Bengal’:
Mamata on Shah’s pan-India NRC pitch
New
Delhi:West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit back at home minister Amit
Shah for saying that a NRC, similar to the one in Assam, will be implemented across
the country.Banerjee said she will never allow division on the basis of
religion in her state.“There are few people, who are trying to create
disturbance in the state in the name of implementation of NRC. I want to make
it very clear, we will never allow NRC in Bengal,” she said at a rally in
Sagardighi.HT
Want faulty NRC in Assam scrapped: Assam Govt after
Amit Shah's plan
Guwahati:
Home Minister Amit Shah's plan to redo NRC exercise in Assam along with the rest
of India today found support from BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has long
termed the final list prepared exclusively for the northeastern state earlier
this year as "faulty"."We believe that NRC prepared by ex state
coordinator Prateek Hajela has failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people
of Assam. There are many shortcomings, as we have already pointed out. While
various groups in Assam have already filed review petitions before the Supreme
Court, we now want this faulty list to be scrapped in favour of a nationwide
NRC," Sarma, who is also Finance Minister of Assam, said.ndtv
Modi Govt must disclose all details about electoral
bonds before Parliament, says Congress
Congress
demanded today that government must disclose all details about electoral bonds
before Parliament, alleging that the scheme resulted in money laundering and
destroyed transparency in the funding of political parties.Describing electoral
bonds as a "political bribery scheme", the opposition party said it was
a scam that tarnished the image of the Indian democracy."What we are
talking about today leads straight to the PM's office. BJP govt is running 90
per cent of the business in this country with a few industrialists,"
senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said.He alleged that the scheme of
electoral bonds resulted in money laundering and destroyed transparency in the
funding of political parties.Addressing a press conference, Azad, along with
party colleagues Randeep Singh Surjewala and Anand Sharma, said under the
electoral bonds scheme, the donor buying the bonds could hide his identity and
at the same time, a political party needed to share the details as regards from
whom it got how much money.PTI
War of words over Kashmir situation in Parliament:
Amit Shah claims 'total normalcy' in Valley, Congress says HM referring to
'some other state'
New
Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said in Rajya Sabha that total
normalcy prevails in Kashmir with government offices and educational
institutions functioning fully, but Internet connection will be restored after
the local administration feels it is fit to do so.He also asserted that not a
single person has died in police firing since 5 August when Centre abrogated
special status of the state although many feared there would be bloodshed and
more killings. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 are prevalent only in
certain areas from 8 pm to 6 am in the valley, he said. Responding to a series
of questions on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir during Question Hour, Shah
said government offices, educational institutes, courts, health centres, banks
and media outlets are functioning fully."As far as Internet service is
concerned, an appropriate action will be taken on recommendation of the local
administration. Neighbouring country is still doing some mischief and we will
restore the connection as soon as local administration says it is fit to do
so,"he said.To a supplementary question on how much more time would be
needed to bring normalcy in Kashmir, Shah said, "The situation there was
always normal. There were many notions spread all over the world. There is
total normalcy prevailing. After 5 August , not a single person has died in
police firing although many feared there would be bloodshed and more number of
killings."As the Home Minister gave out figures supporting normalcy in the
Valley, Leader of Opposition in Upper House, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "It
looks like the Home Minister is referring to the report of some other
state."When Opposition members objected to the Chair giving more time to
the Home Minister to reply on Kashmir during the Question Hour, Chairman
Venkaiah Naidu said, "It is a national security issue".PTI
Home Ministry justifies EU MPs' visit to Kashmir,
but deflects question on why Indian MPs were barred
In
response to a specific questions on why Indian legislators could not be allowed
into Kashmir while European parliamentarians could visit the state, the
Ministry of Home Affairs barely said that MePs' visit was a private visit which
allowed people-to-people contact. The clampdown in Kashmir Valley was discussed
in Rajya Sabha today as Opposition leaders raised various aspects of the
complex issue, including communication blockade, arrest of local politicians
and the govt's refusal to allow Opposition members to visit the Valley, even as
it facilitated the visit of Members of European Parliament to sensitive
region.The government on its part, merely repeated the official position in the
Parliament, without giving any additional details. In response to a specific
question on why Indian legislators were not allowed into Kashmir while European
parliamentarians were allowed, the Ministry of Home Affairs barely said that
the MEPs' visit was a private visit
which allowed 'people-to-people contact'. Minister of State for Home Affairs G
Kishan Reddy —in response to an unstarred question by Sukhram Singh Yadav of
the Samajwadi Party — said, a group of European parliamentarians that recently
visited Kashmir was on a "private visit" to the country.firstpost
Over 5,000 people arrested since Aug 4 in Kashmir:
Home Ministry
Jammu
and Kashmir administration has put behind bars more than 5,000 people since
August 4, a day before the government announced abrogation of the state’s
special status. The government today told Parliament that since August 4 as
many as 5,161 people have been arrested for maintenance of law and order in the
erstwhile state. These arrests were preventive in nature and a majority of
those arrested have been released since. Currently, 609 people, 218 of whom are
alleged stone pelters, continue to be under detention, Ministry of Home Affairs
told Rajya Sabha during question hour.indianexpress
BJP leader thrown out of Asia pacific summit for
disrupting Pakistan's speech on Kashmir
BJP
leader Vijay Jolly was thrown out of Asia Pacific Summit, 2019 in Cambodia on
Tuesday when he tried to disrupt the speech of Pakistan National Assembly
Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on Kashmir issue.In a video, Jolly can be seen escorted
out by security personnel when he tries to disrupt the speech. Suri was seen
talking about Kashmir issue and accusing the Indian government of committing
human rights violation in the Valley.An enraged Jolly stood up and objected to
Suri's speech, saying "Kashmir is not the issue of this summit...This is
not right." The security personnel then grabbed Jolly and took him out of
the conference held in Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.outlookindia
Watch: BJP leader Vijay Jolly dragged out of summit
for disrupting Pakistan leader’s speech on J&K
Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding: ED takes
possession of 7 J&K properties
New
Delhi: Over 3 months after the Centre abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and
Kashmir, the Enforcement Directorate took possession of 7 properties attached
in connection with its probe into a terror-funding case involving Hizbul
Mujahideen (HuM) chief Syed Salahuddin and others.A senior ED official said all
the seven properties were attached by the financial probe agency earlier in the
case."But this is for the first time that we took possession of the
properties in the Valley," he said, adding "earlier we had to rely on
other agencies to take possession".He said the said properties are located
in Anantnag, Sopore and Bandipora.Official said 7 properties were earlier
provisionally attached. "After confirmation of the orders by the competent
authority, ED officials visited the places and put up notices declaring the
agency has taken over physical possession of the parcels of land," he
said.According to senior ED officials, Central probe agency has issued orders
for attachment of 13 properties belonging to Mohammad Shafi Shah and 6 others
of HuM under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.IANS
Yashwant Sinha announces plan to visit Jammu and
Kashmir from Nov.22-25 to assess ground situation
New
Delhi:A civil society group, which includes former Union minister Yashwant
Sinha, will go on a four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on November 22 to
assess the ground situation in the region after the central government
nullified Article 370, which gave the erstwhile state special powers.The
members of the Concerned Citizens’ Group plan to return on November 25 and will
then release their report on the ground situation in the region, Sinha said.PTI
Kashmir shutdown caused losses of more than USD 1
billion: Trade body
Srinagar:
Economic losses in Kashmir have run well over a billion dollars since India
revoked its autonomy and statehood in August, main trade body in the Himalayan
region said, adding that it planned to sue the government for damages. India
turned its erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into a federally-controlled
territory, tightening control in a shock move it said would rein in militancy
in the region also claimed by neighbouring Pakistan, and promote its
development.But Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said development
was elusive, thanks to a protracted shutdown after people closed markets and
businesses as a mark of protest, and for fear of reprisals from insurgents. It
estimated economic losses ran into least 100 billion rupees (USD 1.40 billion)
by September, but now exceeded that, said Nasir Khan, its senior vice
president. “We’ll ask the court to appoint an external agency to assess the
losses, because it is beyond us,” said Khan, adding that India’s telecoms
blackout in the region meant the body could not reach business owners by
telephone to prepare estimates.Instead, it had to send staff to meet them and
gather details. India’s home ministry and local government officials did not
respond to detailed requests for comment. REUTERS
AMU lady professor booked over post on Kashmir,
Hindu Mahasabha filed complaint
Aligarh:The
police here have registered an FIR against an AMUprofessor for sharing posts on
social media that allegedly hurt the morale of the security forces in the
Valley.FIR cited an “inappropriate post” in which the assistant professor,
whose husband is based in Kashmir, referred to the communication blackout in
the Valley immediately after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special
status.“Sach mein sampark toot jana kitna khatarnak aur dukhad hota hai, chahe
Chandrayaan ho ya Kashmir,” the post said on the “pain” caused by losing
contact. “whether it is Chandrayaan or Kashmir”. Huma Parveen, 34, from AMU’s
Mass Communication department has been booked on charges of promoting enmity
between different groups.The action followed a complaint on Nov.14 by Hindu
Mahasabha spokesperson Ashok Pandey over weeks-old posts.When contacted on
Wednesday, Huma Parveen said, “I have not written a single post myself but have
just shared a few posts published either in leading news portals or by some
friends.”Acccording to the professor, she shared these posts with her husband
Naeem Shaukat, with whom she had lost contact during the communication
blackdown immediately after the Centre’s decision to nullify Article 370.PTI
SC asks Kerala to stay clear of women's entry issue
for now, come up with law to administer Sabarimala
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Kerala government to stay clear
of the controversy surrounding women's entry into the Sabarimala hill shrine
while framing an exclusive law to administer it.A three-judge bench, led by
Justice NV Ramana, pointed out that issues relating to entry of women between
the age of 10 and 50 have been referred to a seven-judge bench and, thus, it
should be avoided for the time being.The occasion for the bench to cite the
recent Sabarimala judgment arose when it went through a draft legislation
presented by state government. Kerala govt in the draft had reserved one-third
of the posts for women in the temple advisory committee of what it called 'Travancore-Cochin
Religious Institutions Act'.news18
Congress, Sharad Pawar Talk After He Meets PM,
Closer To Deal With Shiv Sena
New
Delhi: Congress and NCP appeared close to sealing an alliance with Shiv Sena to
form a government in Maharashtra on Wednesday, hours after a meeting between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar set the cat among the
pigeons. An alliance seemed to be taking shape as top Congress leaders held
discussions with the NCP at Sharad Pawar's home while a senior Congress leader
separately met Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut. Congress sources said their leader Sonia
Gandhi "is positive" on government formation.Sonia Gandhi had been
reluctant to join hands with the ideologically contrasting and pro-Hindutva
Shiv Sena, which fell out with long-time ally BJP over power-sharing after 2
won Maharashtra election together. According to the deal in circulation, the
Shiv Sena has to share chief ministership with NCP, with its chief Uddhav
Thackeray getting the first turn. Other details include two deputy chief
ministers, one from the Congress.ndtv
Public sector banks reported more frauds in first
half of FY20 than in entire FY19, shows data
Public
sector banks reported 5,743 cases of fraud in the first half of the ongoing
financial year, involving Rs 95,760 crore, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
told Rajya Sabha. This is much higher than the cases RBI reported in state-run
banks in the full 2018-’19 year – 3,766 cases involving Rs 64,509
crore.Sitharaman said that only 1,007 of the cases reported between April 1 and
Sept.30 – involving Rs 2,509.86 crore – were frauds that took place this year,
due to “comprehensive measures” taken to reduce such cases. The government
distinguishes such data based on the date of reporting and the date of
occurrence.State Bank of India reported 2,939 fraud cases, involving Rs 25,417
crore, between April 1 and Sept.30 – of these, 550 cases involving Rs 11 crore
took place this year. PNB reported 225 cases of fraud worth Rs 10,822 crore,
while Bank of Baroda had 180 cases worth Rs 8,273 crore.scroll.in
Rs 2,000 note is main denomination for hoarding of
unaccounted income, assets:Centre
The
Rs 2,000 note has been the main denomination for hoarding of unaccounted income
and assets, The Hindu reported referring to a reply by Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha.Sitharaman told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that an
analysis of the search cases involving cash seizures of more than Rs 5 crore
revealed that 67.91% of the cash was in the form of Rs 2,000 notes in 2017-’18,
65.93% in 2018-’19, and 43.22% in 2019-’20 financial years. However, the data
also implies that percentage of Rs 2,000 notes found by Income Tax Department
in cash seizures has been on the decline.scroll.in
Protest will go on: JNU students meet HRD ministry
panel, seek meeting with V-C
Agroup
of students of JNU met a panel of HRD ministry officials on Wednesday morning,
days after the clashes with Delhi Police personnel, and told the officials
about the brutal police action.Coming out of the meeting, JNUSU member Apeksha
said, "HRD ministry officials gave us a patient hearing. We informed them
that the protests will go on and we want a meeting with the V-C."She
added, "We also sought action against the police." According to
sources from inside the meeting between JNUSU office-bearers and HRD ministry
officials, the students spoke at length about V-C of the university being
unavailable and unresponsive to their needs.The students also gave out details
of the alleged lathicharge done by Delhi Police personnel when the protesting
JNU students were marching towards the Parliament on Monday.indiatoday
Visually-challenged JNU student beaten by Delhi
Police during march to Parliament over fee hike
A
video of Delhi Police beating up a visually-challenged JNU student, who was a
part of the protests against the fees hike and amended hostel manual, went
viral.In an account given by postgraduate history student Shashi Bhushan
Pandey, he said that the police beat him up and stomped on his chest and
stomach even after he clarified that he was visually-challenged. He further
alleged that when he told one the cops that he was visually-challenged, he was
asked “If you are blind, then why have you come for the protest?”Pandey was a
was part of a human chain when personnel of Delhi Police took him aside and
beat him up with lathis, following which he had to be taken to the AIIMS trauma
centre. Pandey said, "I removed my spectacles to show them that I can't
see. Still they beat me up. A student who intervened was also beaten up. My
friends told me street lights had been switched off and police were beating
students. They made me stand on the side of a road, but policemen started
nudging me with lathis from behind."firstpost
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind condemns police crackdown on
JNU students
New
Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has condemned the crackdown on the students of JNU
by Delhi Police and CRPF. JIH Vice President Muhammad Salim Engineer said: “We
condemn the lathi-charge by Delhi police and CRPF on protesting students of
JNU.There are reports of many injured students and even journalists who were
covering the protest. In a democratic setup, such use of excessive force
against the student community is quite deplorable. We feel that students’
demand for rollback of their hostel fees, which has been hiked 1000%, is
genuine and JNU administration and HRD Ministry must accept it.” theindianawaaz
BHU students continue protest against appointment
of Muslim Sanskrit professor; varsity backs scholar, RSS calls opposition
'absurd'
The
prestigious Banaras Hindu University is in the midst of an unsavoury
controversy as a group of students from the varsity's faculty of Sanskrit Vidya
Dharm Vigyan (SVDV) are up in arms against appointment of a Muslim Sanskrit
scholar as their teacher. Firoze Khan, a 29-year-old postdoctoral scholar of
the ancient Indian language, was among 10 candidates shortlisted to teach at
SVDV in BHU. While others scored between 0 to 2 on a scale of 10, Firoze scored
full marks due to his exceptional credentials, media reports said. But all that
is beyond the point for a bunch of students who have been sitting on dharnas
since 7 November to protest against the appointment of a Muslim in a 'Hindu'
university.Students insist that a stone inscription on the campus clearly
states that no Muslim can study or teach in the department; varsity
administration insists this is untrue, TOI reported. So far, BHU administration
has stood firmly behind Firoze with the varsity's vice-chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar
backing his appointment. BHU administration has clarified there will be no
discrimination on appointments on the grounds of religion. An RSS functionary
too, weighed in on the pointlessness of the protests and said, "It is
absurd that BHU students are protesting against a Muslim teaching Sanskrit in
their university. I don’t know what are the fundamentals of BHU and on what
grounds are students protesting, but I know that Sanskrit is for
all."firstpost
BHU students protest against Muslim to teach Sanskrit,
a Muslim teaches Gita, Ramayan to Sanskrit students at AMU
While
students of BHU are protesting against appointment of a Muslim professor at its
Department of Sanskrit, BHU’s neighbouring and contemporary AMU has a Muslim
professor heading its Sanskrit Department where both Hindu and Muslim students
– Hindus are in majority – learn Gita, Ramayana and Mahabharata from him. The
department has both Hindu and Muslim teachers. Now contrast BHU protest with
AMU where Sanskrit is being taught for the past 144 years – since its
inception. AMU’s Department of Sanskrit has 6 teachers – 3 professors and three
assistant professors. While four of them are Muslims, two are Hindus. Talking
to India Tomorrow, Prof. Mohammed Sharif who heads AMU’s Sanskrit Dept, said
“The atmosphere of Sanskrit at AMU is very good. Students from both Hindu and
Muslim communities study here and teachers are also from both communities.”“At
AMU, most of students at the Sanskrit department are Hindus, roughly out of 15,
some 12 are Hindus and 3 Muslims,” he said. When asked if Hindu students ever
objected that they won’t learn Sanskrit from Muslim professors, Prof. Sharif
said: “I teach Gita, Ramayana and Mahabharata to them. I teach Pali also. Only
I teach these subjects to them. Our students, most of them are Hindus, want to
do Ph.D.under my guidance. I am their first priority as a guide. They go to
other teachers only when I am not available.”India Tomorrow
Govt in Kerala faces flak over senior CPM leader's 'Islamic
extremists promoting Maoism' remark
CPI(M) in Kerala is on receiving end of
furious criticism from Muslim groups and other political parties over Kozhikode
Secretary P. Mohanan’s remark, which claimed that “Islamic extremists” are
providing fodder to Maoists as the state is witnessing an unprecedented rise in
the incidents of violence.The controversial comment comes at the backdrop of
the recent killings of Maoists in alleged fake encounters and the arrests of
two student CPM activists by the Left government under the anti-terror UAPA for
their alleged Maoist leanings.Following the immediate backlash, Mohanan
clarified that he never intended to slam Islam as a religion.“Ex-Naxal leaders
are now active members in NDF and Popular Front. These outfits are responsible
for Pantheerankavu incident where 2 youngsters were arrested for their
pro-Maoist campaigning,”he said. He also questioned Muslim League’s
justification of NDF.As the matter landed up in the Assembly, Leader of
Opposition Ramesh Chennithala urged the government to clarify on the alleged
presence of Islamic terrorism in the state. He also asked not to give the
terrorist activities any communal angle. Meanwhile, Muslim League demanded that
the government name Islamic groups that Mohanan alleged is acting in favour of
Maoism in Kerala.news18
‘Fathima’s Death is Institutional Murder’: Tamil
Nadu Muslim Women Demand Justice
Federation
of Tamil Nadu Muslim Women has condemned the situation leading to demise of
Chennai IIT student Fathima Lathif and demanded that justice be meted out to
her and her family. A humanities student, she was found dead in her room at
Sarayu hostel on the campus.The Federation sought the immediate arrest and
suspension of the concerned faculty and an end to the “castiest discriminatory
practices” existing in educational institutions in Tamil Nadu. Speaking to
Caravan Daily, A.S. Fathima Muzaffer, convener of the federation and also
member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, termed Fathima Lathif’s
‘suicide’ as another instance of “institutional murder” at IIT Madras.Caravan
Daily
Swamy Nithyananda’s 2 disciples arrested in
Ahmedabad ashram
Gujarat
police today arrested two disciples of Swamy Nithyananda in connection with the
alleged kidnap and wrongful confinement of children at Nithyanand Ashram in
Ahmedabad.The police have also booked Swamy Nithyananda, who is said to be out
of the country, on the charge of kidnap, illegal confinement and use of
children for collecting donations from followers to run the ashram. Arrested disciples
are Sadhvi Pranpriyanand and Priyatatva Riddhi Kiran, both managers of the
ashram, which has been in the centre of a controversy since a Bengaluru based
couple filed a complaint against it for allegedly confining their minor
daughters.The duo have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping at least four children,
keeping them in illegal confinement in a flat and using them as child labourers
to promote activities of the ashram to collect donations.thehindu
CBI chargesheets lawyer Punalekar, Sanatan member
Bhave in Dabholkar murder case
Pune
:CBI today filed a supplementary chargesheet in Dr Narendra Dabholkar case
against 2 of the accused —advocate Sanjeev Punalekar and his aide Vikram Bhave
— who were arrested in May this year for being part of the conspiracy to kill
the anti-superstition activist.While Punalekar (53), an office bearer of VHP,
was granted bail by court in July, Bhave who is a member of Sanatan Sanstha is
still in judicial custody.indianexpress
‘Should’ve shocked nation’s conscience’: Rahul on
10,000 Jharkhand tribals booked for sedition
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rahul-gandhi-jharkhand-pathalgadi-movement-sedition-6128685/
New
Delhi :Quoting a report that claimed over 10,000 Jharkhand adivasis were booked
for sedition in a single district between 2017 and 2018, Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi Wednesday said the news should have shocked the conscience of our nation
and raised a media storm. “That any Govt. could slam the draconian “sedition”
law on 10,000 Adivasis, fighting against state oppression, should have shocked
the conscience of our nation & raised a media storm. But it hasn’t. Our
“sold out” media may have lost its voice; as citizens can we afford to?” Rahul
Gandhi tweeted.The former Congress president tagged a media report stating that
the Raghubar Das-led Jharkhand government had slapped sedition charges on as
many as 10,000 Adivasis in Khunti district for taking part in the Pathalgadi
movement.indianexpress
Netaji’s grand niece worships Godse in Gwalior
Bhopal
:Nathuram Godse, who was hanged for assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, was
worshipped by freedom fighter ‘Netaji’ Subhas Chandra Bose’s grand niece in
Gwalior. Rajyashri Choudhary, who is also the national president of Akhil
Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, worshipped Godse’s portrait by offering prayers at
the Hindu outfit’s Daulatganj office.Choudhary and Mahasabha national spokesman
Nisha Katoch arrived at the outfit’s office after offering prayers at Rani
Laxmibai’s statue on the occasion of her birth anniversary.The two leaders also
blamed the Jawaharlal Nehru government for Gandhi’s death. In response, state
minister Govind Singh said Congress government would not let Godse’s ideology
flourish in the state, and would crack down on elements who worship
him.indianexpress
Jaisalmer: 1 Army jawan dead, another injured in
war exercise
Jaisalmer:
1 Army jawan died while another was injured on Tuesday in a tank-related
incident during an exercise in the Jaisalmer sector."The incident occurred
during the movement of T-90 tanks near Phalsund town," a spokesperson of
Indian Army informed.The injured Jawan has been referred to the hospital.Indian
Army is conducting war exercises at several places in the desert area near
Jaisalmer.Further details are awaited. ANI
AIMIM set to contest all seats in Bengal polls
Kolkata
:Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM is set to make an electoral debut in West Bengal,
with the party planning to field its candidates in all the 294 Assembly seats
in the 2021 polls. Last month, the party won the Assembly bypoll in Bihar’s
Kishanganj, located on the border with West Bengal.“We have a presence in all
the villages of West Bengal. We will contest the Assembly polls in 2021. This
is the first time that we will contest polls in Bengal, and we plan to contest
in all the seats,” AIMIM spokesperson Asim Waqar, who is also the party’s
observer for West Bengal, said.indianexpress
Kerala: WPI's march against corruption in housing
project on Nov 25
Kochi: Welfare Party of India will take out a march
to the city corporation office on Nov.25 alleging corruption in the
implementation of the housing project by Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) in West
Kochi area. As many as 398 families listed as beneficiaries of the project will
join the march.The members said CSML had allocated Rs 120 crore and Rs 131
crore for housing and drinking water projects, respectively, in the area.
However, the delay in their implementation had forced slum dwellers of Kalvathy,
Thuruthy and Koncheri areas to live in dilapidated structures, they
said.newindianexpress
Tipu Sultan birth anniversary: Architectural wonders
built by the tiger of Mysore
Tipu
Sultan, ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, who was born on November 20, 1750, was
also a pioneer in rocket artillery. The ruler, who made use of rockets against
the British forces and their allies during the Anglo-Mysore wars, was also in
correspondence with Napoleon Bonaparte and would use their French-trained army
to assist the French in their struggle with the British.A major thorn in the
East India Company’s way, he also commissioned a number of forts and patroned
temples during the course of his life, which have withstood the ravages of
time.Primary among those is the Srirangapatna Fort, which came into prominence
during Tipu Sultan's rule. The fort, which is believed to have been built by
Timmanna Nayaka in 1454, was fully fortified and its architecture modified by
Sultan with the help of French architects to protect it from invaders. The
place gains more significance since it is also the fort where Tipu was killed
in battle during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.Despite being known more for his
wars and administration, the ruler also commissioned several works and despite
being a Muslim king, patroned several temples as well.news18
WORLD
Sri Lanka's new Prez names brother Mahinda as PM
Colombo:
Newly elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday named his
brother Mahinda as Prime Minister, cementing the grip on power of a clan
credited with crushing Tamil Tigers a decade ago. Mahinda, a two-term president
himself, is due to be sworn in as premier on Thursday following the resignation
of Ranil Wickremesinghe after his party suffered a humiliating defeat at the
weekend's presidential polls.e Rajapaksa brothers are credited with brutally
destroying the Tamil Tigers to end Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war, with the
security services they controlled accused of war crimes and multiple human rights
abuses.A spokesman for the new administration said Rajapaksa, 74, will be sworn
in by his younger brother Gotabaya, aged 70.Two other brothers, Basil and
Chamal, are also active in politics.Prime Minister Wickremesinghe formally
announced his resignation Wednesday clearing the way for the Rajapaksas to form
a minority government ahead of possible snap elections early next year.AFP
Newly-elected Lankan President Accepts Imran Khan's
Invite To Visit Pakistan: Report
Newly-elected
Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has accepted Pakistan Prime Minister
Imran Khan's invitation to visit his country, the Pakistan High Commission in
Colombo said today.Imran Khan on Tuesday telephoned President Rajapaksa to
congratulate him on his electoral win and invited him to visit Pakistan at his
earliest convenience, reported PTI. Sri Lankan President will first travel to
India on Nov 29 at invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs
Minister S Jaishankar had said on Tuesday. This is likely to be his first
official visit abroad after assuming office.Mr Jaishankar arrived in Colombo on
Tuesday on an unannounced two-day visit. He became the first foreign dignitary
to call on President Rajapaksa.PTI
Sondland: Highly-anticipated impeachment witness
testifies
US
Ambassador Gordon Sondland, the most anticipated witness in Trump impeachment
inquiry, will face questions about his evolving accounts of Trump
administration's dealings with Ukraine and a newly revealed summertime phone
call with US president. Sondland, a wealthy hotelier President Donald Trump
tapped as his ambassador to European Union, is more directly entangled than any
witness yet in the president's efforts to get Ukraine to investigate political
rival Joe Biden and Democrats in 2016 poll. Yet Sondland has already amended
his testimony once - "I now do recall,"he said, talking to Ukraine
about investigations.aljazeera
Presidential candidates open to leveraging US
support for Israel
Comment:
American politicians vying for Oval Office in 2020 recently engaged in a
watershed shift in the conversation about the American-Israeli relationship.
Several Democratic presidential candidates voiced their support for policies of
accountability toward Israel that could leverage the latter's US support to
change its behaviour toward the Palestinians. South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete
Buttigieg vowed to ensure that American support for Israel "does not get
turned into US taxpayer support for a move like annexation." Massachusetts
Senator Elizabeth Warren concurred in a recent statement, saying US should
"create consequences for [Israel's] problematic behaviour."Former
mayor of El Paso, Texas, Julian Castro was less committed in his comments but
still said he "would not take that off the table." Even Senator Amy
Klobuchar (D. Minnesota), running a centrist campaign - was the only 2020
contender to vote earlier this year for the Strengthening America's Security in
the Middle East Act of 2019 that contained anti-BDS legislation - avoided
taking a declarative position recently, stating that "It's not a good idea
to negotiate these things right now."By far, Senator Bernie Sanders
(D-Vermont) has been the most specific in his description of how he would handle
the issue of US support for Israel. Sanders opposed the idea of unquestionable
support for Israel. Speaking of the annual allotment of foreign military
financing that goes to it, Sanders said "some of the $3.8 billion should
go right now to humanitarian aid in Gaza."alaraby.co.uk
Israeli settlements are still unlawful: UN, Red
Cross
UN
and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) said that Israeli settlements
in occupied Palestinian territory remain in breach of international law,
rejecting the Trump administration’s position accepting them.The United States
on Monday abandoned its four-decade-old position that the settlements, built on
land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War, were inconsistent with
international law.“We continue to follow the long-standing position of the UN
that Israeli settlements are in breach of international law,” UN human rights
spokesman Rupert Colville said.“A change in the policy position of one state
does not modify existing international law nor its interpretation by the
International Court of Justice and the Security Council,” he
said.middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu approves fast-tracking of bill to annex
Jordan Valley
Israel's
prime minister has approved the fast-tracking of a proposed law to annex the
Jordan Valley, territory it already occupies.The decision comes after US
announced that it no longer viewed Israeli settlements in the occupied West
Bank as illegal..aljazeera
PA to call for Arab League meeting to discuss US
position on settlements
Secretary
of PLO’s Executive Committee Saeb Erekat said that Palestinian Authority (PA)
is to ask the Arab League’s foreign ministers to meet in order to discuss
Israeli settlement and the new US position on them.In a press conference held
in Ramallah, Erekat said that the PA President Mahmoud Abbas had been carrying
out contacts with many countries and international bodies to encounter this
position.He also said that the PA Representative to the UN Riyad Mansour had
started discussions with UN Security Council members in relation to the US
decision.“We will knock on the door of every international body, starting from
the ICC, ICJ and UN Human Rights Council,” he added.middleeastmonitor
Secret Documents Show How Tehran Wields Power in
Iraq at US Expense: New York Times
In
mid-Oct, with unrest swirling in Baghdad, a familiar visitor slipped quietly
into the Iraqi capital. The city had been under siege for weeks, as protesters
marched in the streets, demanding an end to corruption and calling for the
ouster of the Prime Minister, Adil Abdul Mahdi. In particular, they denounced
the outsize influence of their neighbour Iran in Iraqi politics, burning
Iranian flags and attacking an Iranian consulate.The visitor was there to
restore order, but his presence highlighted protesters’ biggest grievance: He
was Maj.Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s powerful Quds Force, and he had
come to persuade an ally in the Iraqi parliament to help the prime minister
hold onto his job.It was not the first time Soleimani had been dispatched to
Baghdad to do damage control. Tehran’s efforts to prop up Mahdi are part of its
long campaign to maintain Iraq as a pliable client state.Now leaked Iranian
documents offer a detailed portrait of just how aggressively Tehran has worked
to embed itself into Iraqi affairs. The documents are contained in an archive
of secret Iranian intelligence cables obtained by Intercept and shared with NYT.The
unprecedented leak exposes Tehran’s vast influence in Iraq, detailing years of
painstaking work by Iranian spies to co-opt the country’s leaders, pay Iraqi
agents working for the Americans to switch sides and infiltrate every aspect of
Iraq’s political, economic and religious life.
150 Indians deported for flouting visa norms,
illegally entering US arrive at Delhi airport
Their
American dream shattered and huge savings wasted, nearly 150 Indians returned
home broke today after being deported for either violating visa norms or
illegally entering US.As they stepped outside the airport, one after the other,
they appeared sad. Some said they felt dejected that they could not realise
their American dream even after several attempts."This was the fourth time
I have been deported," said Singh Jabarjung, 24, from Punjab's Bhatinda.PTI
‘Won’t invest in any new projects in Andhra’:
UAE-based Lulu group snubs YSRCP govt
Hyderabad
:Snubbing YSRCP govt in Andhra Pradesh, UAE based Lulu Group has said that it
will never invest in the state again after the government cancelled the
allotment of land in Visakhapatnam to build an international convention centre.The
group stated that although they were allotted land in Visakhapatnam by previous
TDP govt in a transparent manner, they accept the new government’s decision to
revoke the land allotment. Lulu group officials, however, made it clear that
they will never invest in AP again. indianexpress
views,
Articles, FEATURES
India is entering a new dark age:Shikha Dalmia, The
Week
Ayodhya verdict: SC would have done well to revisit
Gujarat HC's 'rebuild mosques' order post violence:Jyoti Punwani
Amid Assam's citizenship debate, meanings of
'Assamese' and 'indigenous' must be addressed:Shaheen S Ahmed
PMC Bank scam raises serious questions on RBI’s efficiency
as regulator; central bank should wake up from its slumber: Dinesh Unnikrishnan
BHU protest against Muslim teacher shows how
communal vitriol is undermining India:Sruthisagar Yamunan
Electoral bonds will undo demonetisation success,
RBI Governor Patel told Arun Jaitley:Sanya Dhingra
Islamophobia: What’s Common between Payal Tadvi and
Fathima Latheef:Ram Puniyani
With Leeway for Misuse, Gujarat’s New Anti-Terror
Law Could Be Worse Than POTA:Mahtab Alam
How Finance Ministry Decided RBI's Dissent on
Electoral Bonds Meant 'Indirect' Approval:Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
Modi PMO Ordered Illegal Electoral Bond Sale Before
Vital State Polls:huffingtonpost
'Choked & Crippled': How The Internet Shutdown
Is Devastating Kashmir’s Entrepreneurs And Innovators:huffingtonpost
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by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:09 PM).
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