25 NOV.
2019: 27 Rabiul Awwal 1441: Vol: 12, No: 66
INDIA: MAHARASHTRA POLITICS
SC reserves order on floor test for tomorrow at 10.30 am; giving BJP another
2 days
New Delhi:Devendra Fadnavis took charge in Maharashtra today and won
more time to rally numbers as the Supreme Court, after an 80-minute hearing,
said it would declare its decision tomorrow at 10:30 am on a petition
challenging the surprise government formation by BJP on Saturday morning. The
centre argued that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited Devendra Fadnavis to
form government based on a letter showing the support of 170 MLAs, including
all 54 of NCP of Ajit Pawar, who was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. Ajit
Pawar did not take charge today. The rival group of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress has
submitted court documents with 154 MLA signatures and has called for an
"immediate" test of strength in Maharashtra assembly. "We have
170 MLAs. Governor saw the support of 170 MLAs. It is not a forged letter. The
(BJP) was called and it took oath," said ex Attorney General Mukul
Rohatgi, representing Fadnavis and BJP.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta,
representing Governor's office, said Ajit Pawar had submitted signatures of all
54 NCP MLAs on Friday, and it was after this letter that Governor Bhagat Singh
Koshyari had invited Fadnavis to form government. The governor, he said,
couldn't go for any roving inquiry and he had no reason to doubt the
letter.Kapil Sibal, representing rival alliance, called BJP government
formation "fraud of democracy" and called for an immediate floor
test. "What's the national emergency to revoke President rule? Why did
these things happen between 7 PM and 5.47 am? Can't Governor wait for 24
hours," he questioned. He remarked, on Ajit Pawar, that "the jockey
has run away but horse are here together". Rohatgi argued that the
government must be given time to take a floor test and a speaker has to be
elected after an interim speaker administers oath to new MLAs. But NCP's lawyer
Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued against it, saying Ajit Pawar would try to issue a
whip for the election of a Speaker and that would be illegal since he is no
longer the chief of the legislature party.NDTV/net
162 MLAs take pledge to be honest to NCP-Sena-Congress alliance
New Delhi : In a show of strength, 162 MLAs assembled under one roof at
the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai and took a pledge to commit to the Shiv
Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. “I will be honest to the NCP-Sena-Congress
alliance. I will not do any anti-party activity. I will never work against my
constituency and my party,” all 162 MLAs took an oath before their party
leaders including Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad
Pawar.Thackeray said the alliance wanted to show its strength not only to
Maharashtra but to the country. “Despite seeing this picture, if it does not
light into the minds of people, then we have the strength to show that light.
We are not saying I will come back but I’m saying we are back,” he
said.Assuring its party members’ fears of disqualification, party chief Sharad
Pawar said his nephew Ajit neither has the right to issue party whip nor can he
suspend any members of the NCP. “Maharashtra is no Goa and Manipur. We will
teach them a lesson,” he said.indianexpress
Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP send letter to Guv; stake claim in Maharashtra
2 days after swearing-in, Dy CM Ajit Pawar gets clean chit in Rs
70,000cr irrigation scam
NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who recently pulled a midnight stunner with BJP
and was appointed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, has been given a clean
chit in Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam.Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau
(ACB) file of inquiry against Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Vidarbha irrigation scam
closed, CNN News18 has reported. The move comes amid an intense political storm
brewing in Maharashtra. However, ACB DG Paramvir Singh told CNN News18,
"We had recommended this almost 3 months ago that there was no role of
Ajit Pawar in these nine cases. Probe is still going on in other
cases.""We are investigating around 3000 tenders in irrigation
related complaints. These are routine inquiries which are closed and all
ongoing investigations are continuing as they were earlier." Singh added. Singh
also told ANI, "None of the cases that were closed today are related to
Ajit Pawar."Sources in Maharashtra ACB have told ANI that the cases that
were closed on Nov.25 were conditional and that they could be reopened if more
information comes to light or the courts order further inquiry.Ajit Pawar was
among NCP ministers who were in-charge of irrigation department at different
times between 1999 and 2014 when Congress and NCP were part of the coalition
government in Maharashtra. The scam, pegged at Rs.70,000 crore, relates to
alleged corruption and irregularities in approval and execution of various
irrigation projects in state during Congress-NCP rule.Moneycontrol News
48 hours after Ajit Pawar ties up with BJP, all 9 cases in irrigation
scam closed
NCP MLAs locked up in Gurgaon Hotel, we rescued them: Sanjay Raut
Pune :Stating that Ajit Pawar was promised rotational Chief Minister’s
post by BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said that some NCP MLAs who
were allegedly locked up in a Gurgaon Hotel have been rescued by Shiv
Sainiks.“Ajit Pawar now has only 2 MLAs with him. We have rescued some MLAs
from a Gurgaon Hotel. They were gaurded by Haryana police and goons. MLAs like
Daulat Daroda and Anil Patil have told us how terror tactis were used against
them…This shows the level to which they are stooping for Maharashtra chief
minister’s post, this is not a good sign for our democracy,” Raut said. Without
mentioning BJP, Raut said if they had the majority, they should have proved it.“Why
behave like Chambal dacoits…They have cheated the President, the Governor and
the people of Maharashtra,” he said.indianexpress
BABRI MASJID CASE
RSS chief should head Ram Temple trust: Ayodhya mahant
Bhadohi: Mahant of Tapaswiji ki Chhawani in Ayodhya Paramhansji Maharaj
on Monday said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat should head trust to be set up for the
construction of Ram temple."RSS chief should be made ex-offico head of the
trust so that he automatically takes that post. Sangh Parivar should be given
the responsibility of Ram temple's construction," mahant said at Sita
Samahit sthal here."Be it the issue of "rashtra nirman" (nation
building) or temple construction, what RSS has done from village level to the
cities, no one else can do," he said, adding that the prime minister, the
home minister and the defence minister, all have their origins in the Sangh. Mahant,
who has been a critic of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das and its
member Ram Vilas Vedanti, alleged that both have a very narrow
mindset."When the Supreme Court asked for setting up a trust for temple
construction, mahant of Ram Mandir Nyas, Nritya Gopal Das said that his Nyas
would construct it and this showed his lure for the post."Similarly, Ram
Vilas Vedanti opposed CM Yogi Adityanath saying that 'Nath Sampraday' cannot
construct the temple," he said.PTI
Anti-national forces raising head post-Art.370 abrogation, Ayodhya
tangle resolution: UP CM
Agra : Following Centre’s resolute steps of abrogating Article 370 and
resolving Ayodhya tangle, forces inimical to the country have begun raising
their ugly heads, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday
and exhorted youths to fight them out.The chief minister made the remark while
addressing a gathering of youths and students on the last day of 65th national
convention of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthy Parishad, held here in Agra College
premises.Adityanath said the present generation of youths should consider
itself lucky that long-pending issues like decades-old Article 370 and
centuries-old Ayodhya tangle have been resolved in their lifetime.PTI
Ayodhya Review plea will harm, not help Muslims: Secular Muslim group
Around 100 Muslims, including scholars, social activists, lawyers, and
intellectuals, have signed a statement opposing decision by AIMPLB working
committee to file a review plea against the Supreme Court ruling in Babri
Masjid case, saying it “will harm, not help, Muslims”.In a statement by Indian
Muslims for Secular Democracy, 91 signatories have urged “fellow Muslims to
ponder over what has been gained and what has been lost in the course of the
over 3-decades-old Babri Masjid dispute.” Appealing the community to not revive
the struggle even though the court order is “judicially flawed”, they said it
will be the “poor Muslim who will pay the price.”“Many have been advising
Muslims to ‘move on’. Our appeal to fellow Muslims is to ‘move away’ from the
mandir-masjid dispute since it only helps to mask the real agenda of the Sangh
Parivar: replacement of our secular-democratic republic with a Hindu Rashtra,”
the statement reads. Among the eminent signatories are actors Naseeruddin Shah,
Shabana Azmi, journalist and activist Javed Anand, film writer Javed Siddiqi,
film-maker Shama Zaidi, and Zeenat Shaukat Ali.indianexpress
Wasim Rizvi offeres to build hospital in Ram’s name on 5-acre Ayodhya
plot if Sunnis don’t want it
Lucknow: Shia Waqf Board Chairman Wasim Rizvi on Monday said that if
Sunni Waqf Board and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) do not want
to take the 5-acre land being provided by the government, they should let Shia
Waqf Board get the same where it will build a hospital in the name of Lord
Ram.“If Sunni Waqf Board and the AIMPLB don’t want to take the 5 acres land,
then it should give it to Shia Waqf Board. We will build a hospital in the name
of Lord Ram. We will also build a mosque, temple, Gurudwara and a Church at the
same place,” Rizvi told ANI.PTI PTI
J&K & SOUTH ASIA
Kashmir situation is ‘not at all normal’, says Yashwant Sinha after
visit to Valley
Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Monday said that the situation in
the Kashmir Valley is “not at all normal”, PTI reported. The former finance
minister made the remark after wrapping up the visit of his delegation to
Kashmir.The delegation, called the Concerned Citizens’ Group, also alleged that
the curbs imposed on their movement in the Valley were a ploy by the Centre to
hide the ground reality. It warned that the situation in the Valley will
deteriorate further if Centre does not change its behaviour towards
Kashmir.“After talking to various groups of people and individuals, I have come
to the conclusion at the end of our visit that the situation is not at all
normal,” Sinha told PTI. Sinha claimed that the Centre’s decision to strip
Jammu and Kashmir of its special status had created a “huge psychological
problem” there. Sinha said an atmosphere of fear prevails in the Valley.“There
is a prevailing atmosphere of fear here,” Sinha told PTI. “Even those who came
to see us in the hotel were harassed by security forces and they told us very
clearly that they will not like their names to be revealed because they were
not sure what kind of future they will face.”scroll
Rajasthan: J&K students say hurt when called terrorists
Jaipur :Rajasthan Police have provided protection to all students from
Jammu and Kashmir at a private university in Chittorgarh after nearly four of
them sustained injuries during a clash with a group of students from Bihar on
Friday. The primary reason behind the violence was a dispute over passes to go
out of the college. 4 students from Bihar have been booked under sections 323,
341 and 34 of IPC.Kashmiri students have alleged that they were taunted by the
other side over Article 370, divided on state lines, and called “terrorists”
during the clash.A 22-year-old Kashmiri student, who was injured in the attack,
said, “A group of over 70 students from Bihar surrounded us as we were going
for dinner on Friday night and started assaulting us. There was no religious
angle and many of the students on the other side were also Muslims but suddenly
they started taunting us by saying where will Kashmiris go now after abrogation
of Article 370. Some of them also called us terrorists. They suddenly started
dividing us on state lines and attacked our group from Jammu & Kashmir.
Some Hindu students from Jammu were also attacked.” The university has nearly
25 students from Kashmir and they have been kept together at one place by the
varsity authorities after the incident.indianexpress
Army, Navy, IAF special forces deployed in Kashmir to hunt terrorists
New Delhi:In a major step towards enhancing jointness among 3 services,
India on Sunday deployed the special forces of the Army, the Navy and IAF to
carry out counter-terrorist operations in the Kashmir Valley. The troops
include the Army's Para (Special Forces), Navy's Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and
Indian Air Force's Garud have been deployed in the Kashmir Valley. The special
forces have been deployed under the defence ministry's Armed Forces Special
Operations Division (AFSOD) which is under a Maj Gen of Indian Army.The troops
have been deployed in the area around the Srinagar city and rural areas near
it. MARCOS commandos are deployed in and around the Wular lake area while the
Garud teams have been operating in the Lolab area and Hajin.The induction of
the joint special troops has already started as Army Para (SF) elements have
already been inducted into an area considered to be a traditional terror
hotbed. The troops will be carrying out anti-terrorist operations along with
the existing Indian Army Rashtriya Rifles unit in the area.indiatoday
UP ATS arrest 2 persons accused of supplying arms to Kalistani terrorists
in Punjab
Uttar Pradesh ATS on Saturday arrested 2 persons involved in supplying
arms and ammunitions to Khalistani terrorists in Punjab. The accused have been
identified as Raj Singh and Asif and they were arrested from near Gurudwara in
Shamli. Police said both are residents from Shamli. A press note from Uttar
Pradesh police said, "Today ATS got information about the accused and they
were nabbed near Shamli Gurudwara trifurcation. One pistol and 4 live
cartridges were seized from Singh while a country-made pistol and 2 live
cartridges were recovered from Asif." The note said, "2 accused were
going to supply 10 hand grenade, one pistol and 20 cartridges to Khalistani
terrorists in Punjab in the near future." A case has been registered in
this connection in Shamli, it added. ANI
No Social media, full data access to cops: Kashmir internet to come with
6 conditions
Srinagar: To restore their internet connections, which have been
suspended for four months now, companies have to give the government a signed
bond saying that internet usage will be for “business purposes” only. They must
also promise to share all the “contents” and “infrastructure” of the internet
as and when required by “security agencies”.The bond, a copy of which is with
The Wire, consists of 6 points, including that no encrypted file containing any
sort of videos or photos will be uploaded.Other points state that “for the
allowed IP, there will be no Social Networking, Proxies, VPN’s and Wi-Fi” and
“That all USB ports will be disabled on the network”. Authorities have also
said that the companies will be held responsible “for any kind of breach and
misuse of internet”.thewire
India, Afghan agree to extradite Pakistani terrorists
New Delhi: In a move to counter terror in the region, India and
Afghanistan on Sunday formalised operation of extradition treaty that will
enable extradition of Pakistani terrorists operating out of Afghan territory.
“Ambassador @vkumar1969 and Acting Foreign Minister @mfa_afghanistan HE Idrees
Zaman @IdreesZaman took a step closer to cement bilateral relations by
exchanging Instruments of Ratification of #India-#Afghanistan Extradition
Treaty today,” the Indian Embassy in Kabul tweeted after development.The
extradition treaty was first signed in 2016 when President Ashraf Ghani visited
India. Operationalisation of will enable India to extradite Pakistan-origin
terrorists from banned groups who operate from Afghan soil, sources told ET.
Backed by Pakistan Army and ISI, LeT and Jaish terrorists take refuge in
Afghanistan.ET
OTHERS
NSO report reveals rural India is not open defecation free yet
New Delhi: On Oct 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that rural
India was open defecation free, implying that every household now had access to
a toilet. The claim was based on the Swachh Bharat mission database which
showed that rural India had achieved 100% toilet coverage.But, a government
report has now called into question the authenticity of this database. According
to National Statistical Office’s (NSO) ‘Drinking Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and
Housing Condition in India’ report, 29% of rural households and 4% of urban
households do not have access to toilets. The survey’s reference point is Oct.2018.
At that time, according to the Swachh Bharat Mission database, 95% of
households in the country had access to toilets and 25 states and union
territories had been declared open defecation free. But, the survey contradicts
this data as it has found that only 71% of households had access to a toilet at
around the same time.The survey has found households lacking toilets even in
states which had been declared open defecation free prior to the survey.thewire
Gujarat: As Vadodara society residents protest, owner cancels plan to
sell property to Muslim buyer
Vadodara ;An owner of a residential property in Vasna area of the city
was forced to withdraw plan to sell his house to a Muslim after members of
co-operative society objected to it, on the ground that it would lead to a drop
in property prices in the area.The members of Samarpan Society raised objections
on the basis that the provisions of the Disturbed Areas Act does not permit the
sale of a property to a Muslim in a Hindu-dominated area and vice versa until
each immediate neighbour of such property consents to the deal. Police were
present in the area to ensure law and order. The society at present has 170
houses of which 2 were sold to Muslims in 2017 and another house was leased out
for 99 years to another Muslim.Samarpan Society (City survey no. 522 to 527,
680 to 712) under the jurisdiction of the JP Road police station was declared
as ‘Disturbed Area’ in 2014. According to it, all transfer of immovable
properties in the society needs a No-Objection Certification from the society’s
president and a sanction from Collector under Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer
of Immovable Properties and provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction
from premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 1991.The protests began when Mahesh
Palani, owner of the residential bungalow in the society, submitted an
application for police verification for the sale of his property to a person
from the minority community. The members of the society objected to even
showing the properties to members of the minority community. On Sunday, Palani
cancelled the proceedings from verification stage. Confirming development, SS
Jasani, sub-inspector, JP Road police station, said, “We received the
application two days ago and before we could proceed with verification, the
application was withdrawn by the owner. We were present at the society in the
morning also to look into any law and order situation.” Members have raised
concerns that sale of properties to members of the minority community
eventually leads to devaluation of the area in terms of real estate prices and
members of Hindu community tend to migrate.indianexpress
Bangladesh arrests 32 more people claiming to be its citizens from India
border
New Delhi: Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has arrested 32 more people,
including women and children, for entering the country from India, according to
the Dhaka-based paper, Daily Star. All the arrested have identified themselves
as Bangladesh citizens, even though officials claim to have no documents on
them proving as much. On November 22, Daily Star had reported that BGB had
rounded up 329 people in the last three weeks for trespassing into Bangladesh,
claiming to be the country’s citizens. The report quoting BGB and police
officials had said that those arrested “were mostly from Bengaluru, the capital
city of Karnataka. Some of them had shifted to the city from Assam.”thewire
Northeast students rush to Delhi to block CAB
With protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill escalating across the
Northeast, a powerful North East Students Organisation delegation has rushed to
New Delhi to drum up support in Parliament to block passage of the
controversial bill. Saying the student leaders have reached New Delhi and were
seeking appointments with all NDA and non-NDA political parties to lobby
against CAB, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said they had met senior JD(U) leader
K.C. Tyagi who assured them JD(U) would continue to oppose the bill. AASU chief
adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya and its president Dipanka Kumar Nath are also
part of the delegation. Both AASU and NESO are hopeful that JD(U) can play a
key role in bringing together parties opposing the Citizenship Bill to build a
united opposition in Parliament. The leaders of these 2 student groups are
likely to reach out to other political parties soon to garner support. It is
significant that the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had earlier claimed it was due to
its opposition to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 that the government was
forced not to list the proposed law in Rajya Sabha earlier this year, even
after the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha.Expressing deep anguish over the
BJP’s plan to pass CAB, AASU head Dipankar Nath said: “Modi govt wants to pass
the communal and unconstitutional citizenship bill to offer protection to
illegal Bangladeshis. This attempt to pass the bill is not only against the
interests of the indigenous people, but also a violation of the Assam Accord.
Besides continuing with the movement against the bill across the Northeast, we
are here in Delhi to take our protest to the national level.”Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind has, meanwhile, opposed the plan to carry out NRC exercise all over the
country and the proposed CAB.Asianage
Amid debate over pan-India NRC, Mamata govt decides to regularise 94
refugee colonies
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee on Monday announced that all refugee colonies on central government
and private lands up to 3 acres will be regularised. The displaced people will
also be given land rights by Trinamool Congress government, Banerjee said.Her
statement came in the backdrop of Centre's announcement that NRC process would
be carried out across the country.Alleging that TMC is protecting illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh as they are the party's votebank, senior BJP leaders
have asserted that NRC would be implemented in the state.News18
Scrap BHU prof Khan’s appointment: SVDV scholars write to President, PM
Lucknow :A group of former professors of BHU’s Sanskrit Vidya Dharma
Vigyan (SVDV) and Sanskrit scholars have written to president and prime
minister, demanding their intervention to cancel the appointment of Dr Firoze
Khan. A section of BHU students at SVDV has been opposing the appointment of
Muslim professor Khan to the faculty of SVDV. The president is also the Visitor
of the central university.On Friday, the protesting students had called off
their sit-in protest outside V-C office and residence. The students, however,
had said that they would continue to boycott classes and may even resume their
agitation if BHU administration fails to answer their questions in 10 days.Rewa
Prasad Dwivedi, who had received Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit in 1991 and
is a former Head of Department at SVDV, said that the letter was drafted by him
and a few other Sanskrit scholars. “Those who have appointed the non-Hindu
professor do not know the subject matter very well. The appointment must be cancelled
and that is our only demand. A non-Hindu can’t teach at SVDV,” said Dwivedi (88).
There are 20 signatories to the letter. Speaking about the letter, one of the
signatories Bal Shastri, who is a former professor and former Head of
Department at SVDV and retired this year, said: “We have written everything we
want to say in the letter. The letter has been sent to the president and prime
minister. I would not like to comment further.”indianexpress
D Litt to ex-Ajmer dargah terror blast accused at Moinuddin Chisti
varsity, opposed
In a surprise move, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Urdu Arabi Farsi University
at Lucknow has conferred honorary D Litt on RSS leader Indresh Kumar, who was
an accused in a 2007 bomb blast incident at the Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti Dargah
in Ajmer, and an accused in the murder of another Hindutva worker Sunil
Joshi.Protesting against the move, top social and political activist Sandeep
Pandey, who is vice president of Social Party (India), and Mohammad Shoaib,
advocate, who is party’s president, said, “V-C of this university, Mahrukh
Mirza, whose own educational qualifications are alleged to be suspect, should
be asked what contribution Indresh Kumar has made to the society to deserve a D
Litt?”Pointing out that Kumar was served the honorary degree on at the
university convocation held today (Nov 21), Pandey and Shoaib said in a
statement, “Ironically Indresh Kumar serves as margdarshak of Muslim Rashtriya
Manch associated with RSS, and Mahrukh Mirza is associated with MRM”. NIA in
2017 filed a closure report in 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case, declaring that it
did not have "enough evidence" of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and
Indresh’s involvement in the terrorist bombing of the Ajmer shrine that killed
three persons and injured over a dozen.counterview.net
3 men, inspired by ISIS, held in Delhi: Police
New Delhi: 3 men, believed to be
inspired by the Islamic State, have been arrested by Delhi Police from Assam’s
Goalpara for planning terror attacks in the national capital.Pramod Singh
Kushwah, DCP (Special Cell), said the arrested have been identified as Ranjeet
Ali, Muquadir and Zameel. They were taken into custody on Sunday.3 men were
arrested after a joint operation by the Delhi Police with Assam Police. Police
said they were planning to carry out blasts at the ongoing Ras mela in
Goalpara, Assam. Goalpara is situated around 150 km to the west of state
capital Guwahati.According to DCP Kushwah, Delhi was next on their target after
the blasts in Assam. They planned to carry out the explosions at crowded areas
in the capital.Zameel worked as supervisor at an Aadhar enrollment centre in
Assam, Muqaddar is a driver while Ranjeet was a manager in a fish trading
company.HT
NIA court convicts 6 in 2016 ISIS terror plot case
Kochi:NIA court in Kochi on Monday found 6 people, arrested in
connection with a 2016 ISIS plot case, guilty of conspiring to carry out
strikes across Kerala and neighbouring states.Those convicted are Manseed
Mehmood, Swalih Mohammed, Rashid Ali, Ramshad N. K., Safvan and
Moinuddin.Special judge P. Krishnakumar, however, acquitted Jasim N. K.The court
said they had not joined ISIS but made it clear that they were qualified to be
called as members of a terror gang. The quantum of punishment will be
pronounced on Wednesday, it said.PTI
Sikh man donates piece of land for mosque in Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar: A 70-year-old Sikh man, who runs a shop selling clothes
in Muzaffarnagar’s Purkazi town, donated a piece of land for a mosque during
the auspicious month of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of
Sikhism. Sukhbir Singh Bedi made the announcement at an event in Purkazi tehsil
on Sunday in the presence of Purkazi chairman Zaheer Farooqui. A written
agreement for handing over of 1,000 square feet plot of land to the chairman of
Nagar-Panchayat Purkazi also took place on the occasion. Spreading the message
of peace and communal harmony, Bedi said, “I want to spread the message that we
can all live together and respect each other’s religions. So, I decided to
donate a 1,000 sq ft plot of land to my Muslim brothers in the name of God,
love and humanity.” With a population of around 28,000, Purkazi town has people
of all faiths and has never witnessed any communal riots in the sensitive
Muzaffarnagar district. The town remained peaceful even during 2013 communal
riots which occurred in different parts of Muzaffarnagar. In an act of communal
bonhomie, a large number of Muslims of Purkazi joined hands with people of the
Sikh community and conducted events during the auspicious month. Notably,
Ramlila festivities are also held with a large participation of people from
minority communities.TOI
Violence against Christians on rise as 275 incidents recorded this year
New Delhi:Violence against Christians continued to rise in India as 145
women and 106 children were injured in 275 anti-christian violence incidents
this year. United Christian Forum (UCF) hate-tracker recorded 275 violent
incidents against them since the beginning of this year till the end of
October. It’s an increase from the last year when 218 incidents were
reported.192 out of 275 incidents were
in the form of intimidation and threats by a vigilante mob led by Hindutva
groups which are allegedly having tacit support from the ruling party BJP.
According to UCF hate-tracker, on an average it counts for 27.5 incidents in a
month in the last 10 months. There were 145 women and 106 children who were
injured in these mob violence.It should be a matter of grave concern for
every-right thinking person who believe in the rule of the law, A C Michael,
National Coordinator of UCF, said.Caravan Daily
Dadr lynching victim Akhlaq’s 24-yr-old daughter marries Delhi engineer
4 years after Akhlaq was murdered
by a mob in front of their eyes, in their house in Dadri’s Bisada village, his
family came together on Sunday not to grieve or discuss court proceedings but
for a “mubarak mauka” (an occasion of joy). It was the wedding of Shaista (24).
Akhlaq’s youngest daughter, who was displaced with the rest of her family from
the house that had forever been home after his lynching and subsequent communal
tension, married a Delhi-based civil engineer in a ceremony that was hosted at
a banquet hall in Ghaziabad’s Muradnagar.Akhlaq’s younger brother, Jaan
Mohammad, told TOI that family of the groom, Mehboob Alam Saifi, is from
Pilkhuwa in Hapur district. The match was proposed four months ago by a
relative of Akhlaq’s elder brother Afzal Ahmed. The marriage was finalised last
month in a traditional “laal pattar” ceremony. Shaista, who is an intermediate
pass, was a key eyewitness in her father’s murder case. In 2016, she, along
with several other family members, including Akhlaq, was booked for alleged cow
slaughter.Jaan Mohammad told TOI that Mehboob was fully aware of the case and
had entered the alliance with a promise of support and faithfulness. Meanwhile,
the family is still waiting to know the fate of cow slaughter case against
them, and whether police would file a chargesheet. Apart from Shaista and
Akhlaq, others named are Danish, Jaan Mohammad, Ikraman, Akhlaq’s octogenarian
mother Asgari Begum and Afzal’s daughter-in-law Sona. The trial in the lynching
case, meanwhile, is yet to begin, said Yusuf Saifi, the Akhlaq family’s
lawyer.TOI
JNUSU ex-presidents demand inquiry into lathi charge by HC judge; all
India protest on Nov 27
About half a dozen former presidents of JNUSU from diverse political
background came together on Monday to condemn police action against JNU
students and demanded a time bound injury by a High Court judge into the lathi
charge on protesting students.Addressing a press conference in Delhi, all former
presidents criticised govt for police action on JNU students and emphasised
that their support to JNU students is to defend public education in the
country.“We need to demand that our money should be spent on us, and on the
education and health care which will build up our society and meet the needs of
the people, particularly the younger generation who is our future. Our
education and health system should not be treated like cash cows for
profiteers,” reads a joint statement issued by ex-JNUSU heads which include NCP
leader DP Tripathi.nationalheraldindia
Delhi-NCR pollution: SC issues notice to states, asks report on air,
water quality
The Supreme Court issued notice to all states seeking report on air
quality, drinking water and garbage disposal, and asked the Centre to take
concrete decision within 10 days on having smog towers in Delhi-NCR to combat
pollution which has shortened the life span of millions of citizens.The SC
expressed displeasure over the performance of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh
and Delhi to combat pollution and sought to know as to why they should not be
asked to compensate people affected by bad air quality.A bench of justices Arun
Mishra and Deepak Gupta termed as alarming the stubble burning situation and
said not only the state machinery but farmers were also responsible for it.PTI
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia dismisses rumours that he quit
party
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday dismissed rumours that he
had resigned from the party. The rumours began after he removed his affiliation
to the party from his Twitter biography and changed it to “public servant,
cricket enthusiast”.Earlier,Congress MP’s profile said that he was a “former
member of Parliament, former minister for power, MoS commerce and industry; MoS
communications, IT and post”.scroll
MP CM attends Bhopal Ijtema
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath attended the Ijtema at
Itkhedi on Sunday and greeted participants, it was officially learnt.Tablighi
Ijtema or Aalmi Ijtema is an annual Islamic congregation stretching over some
days in winter. The event includes a series of lectures by scholars and
clerics. The state dispensation provides electricity, water and security along
with parking space.UNI
WORLD
HRW official Shakir pledges to continue work after Israel expulsion
A senior Human Rights Watch (HRW) official who is set to be expelled
from Israel over his alleged support for promoting boycotts of the country will
continue carrying out his work from a neighbouring country, according to the
rights group.The Israeli government's decision to expel Omar Shakir, a US
citizen who represents HRW in Israel and the
occupied Palestinian territories , was upheld by Israel's top court on
Nov.5, after months of deliberations."Despite my deportation today, Israeli
govt has failed to muzzle HRW or human rights movement," Shakir said at a
press conference in Jerusalem, alongside Kenneth Roth, HRW's executive
director. "It’s [case] about an escalation of assaults on the human rights
movement," Shakir said on Monday, shortly before he is expected to leave
Israel. According to Roth, Shakir will continue to "direct the work",
and would likely resume working from Amman, capital of neighbouring
Jordan.Shakir's departure on Monday afternoon will mark the first expulsion of
its kind under a 2017 law allowing the deportation of foreigners who support
boycotting Israel, though there have been cases of people being denied entry
under the measure.aljazeera
US: Over 100 House Democrats condemn policy shift on Israel settlements
More than 100 House Democrats have condemned the Trump administration’s
policy shift on Israeli settlements, writing in a letter to US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo, reported Hill.In the letter, the Democratic representatives
wrote to express “strong disagreement” with the decision to abandon a long-held
position on the illegality of the settlements.“The State Department’s
unilateral reversal on the status of settlements, without any clear legal
justification, therefore has offered a tacit endorsement of settlements, their
expansion, and associated demolitions of Palestinian homes,” the lawmakers
wrote.According to the lawmakers, the policy shift follows other decisions
taken by Trump administration that have “severely damaged prospects for peace”,
including the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem, and halting aid to
programmes in occupied Palestinian territory.The letter was led by
Representative Andy Levin (D-Mich.) and joined by 106 Democrats, including
Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who told the Hill that the announcement
marked “an abrupt departure from longstanding U.S policy, Republican and
Democrat”.middleeastmonitor
US students set up memorial for Palestinians killed by Israel
Students at Oberlin College in US set up a memorial last week for 34
Palestinians who were killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza earlier this
month.The student group Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine, in cooperation
with Oberlin Jewish Voice for Peace, established the memorial in order to
commemorate those killed in the attacks, which were launched by Israel to
assassinate the group’s leaders.The memorial calls out Israel for “killing 34
unarmed Palestinian civilians, including 8 children. Oberlin Students for a
Free Palestine and Oberlin Jewish Voice for Peace has created this installation
to commemorate the lives of these 34 Palestinians who died at the hands of
Zionist Settler Colonialism.”middleeastmonitor
Israel tightens restrictions for Palestinians accessing land across the
Wall
Israel has “tightened its restrictions” for Palestinian farmers trying to
access their land located between the illegal Separation Wall and the Green
Line, reported Haaretz. Most of the Wall’s route lies inside the occupied
Palestinian territory – the basis for the International Court of Justice’s 2004
advisory opinion on its illegality – and a large amount of Palestinian
agricultural land is now located on the “wrong” side of the Wall.Until now,
Palestinian land owners have been able to apply to Israeli occupation
authorities for agricultural entry permits for the general purpose of
“maintaining their connection to the land”.Now, however, Haaretz reported,
newly-issued Israeli regulations have narrowed the purpose of these permits,
“and they will also only be good for a certain number of
entries”.middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu’s Likud to hold party leadership vote
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party will hold a
leadership vote, a Likud challenger said on Sunday, as pressure mounted on the
veteran leader to step aside after his indictment on corruption charges,
Reuters reports.Israeli media reported the Likud primary would be held in six
weeks. A party spokesman was not reachable to confirm the timeline.Gideon Saar,
a Likud lawmaker who has challenged Netanyahu, wrote on Twitter that he
“welcomes the prime minister’s agreement to hold primaries for party
leadership.”
Israel: Netanyahu to quit 4 ministerial portfolios
Lebanese protesters clash with supporters of Hezbollah, Amal in Beirut
Clashes broke out between anti-government demonstrators and supporters
of the Shi’ite groups Hezbollah and Amal in Lebanese capital, Beirut, early on
Monday, as tensions escalated when demonstrators blocked a main bridge, Reuters
reports.Lebanon has faced 5 weeks of anti-government protests, fuelled by anger
at corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for
decades. Demonstrators want to see the entire ruling class gone from power. Hezbollah
and Amal were both represented in the coalition government led by Prime
Minister Saad al-Hariri, who quit on Oct. 29 after protests began. Hheavily
armed Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, had opposed Hariri’s resignation.Army
soldiers and riot police formed a barrier separating the protesters from the
supporters of Shi’ite groups on a main road known as Ring Bridge as rocks were
thrown by both sides, television footage broadcast by Lebanese media showed.MEMO
Rights group: Saudi detains writers, intellectuals
Saudi Arabia has detained at least eight people, mostly intellectuals
and writers, London-based Saudi rights group ALQST has said, amid a two-year
crackdown on free expression in the kingdom.They were taken from their homes in
the capital Riyadh and the Red Sea port city of Jeddah last week by
plain-clothes police but the reason was unclear, the group said.The group said
the following activists, including journalists, writers and entrepreneurs, were
arrested: Bader Al-Rashed, Sulaiman Al-Saikhan Al-Nasser, Waad Al-Mohaya, Musab
Fouad Al-Abdulkarim, Abdul Majid al-Balawi,
Abdulaziz Alehis, Abdulrahman Monthly and Fouad Al- Farhan. Saudi
government offered no immediate comment. Riyadh denies having political
prisoners, but senior officials have said monitoring activists, and potentially
detaining them, is needed to maintain social stability. Those detained are not
frontline activists, sources told the Reuters news agency. Some are
intellectuals who have published articles or appeared on television while
others are entrepreneurs. As Riyadh takes over the presidency of the Group of
20 countries, it is struggling to overcome intense international criticism over
its human rights record, including last year's killing of Jamal Khashoggi by a
team of Saudi agents, arrest of women's rights activists and devastating Yemen
war. Even as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman touted economic and social
openness in the traditionally closed-off country, the authorities rounded up
critics, an effort that gathered pace in Sept. 2017 with arrests of prominent
religious leaders, some of whom could now face the death penalty.An
anti-corruption campaign two months later netted top businessmen and senior
officials.It was criticised as a power play and shakedown of the crown prince's
potential political rivals.aljazeera
Egypt paper raided after revelations about Sisi’s son
Egyptian security forces raided the office of independent news website
Mada Masr on Sunday and briefly detained three of its staff including its top
editor, a day after another journalist was detained, the outlet said, Reuters
reports.“Today at 1:30 pm nine plainclothes security forces entered Mada Masr
office by force,” the outlet said on Twitter. “They immediately began
confiscating everybody’s laptops and phones. When asked who they were, they
aggressively refused to answer.”After three hours, three staff members
including editor-in-chief Lina Attalah were taken away, Mada Masr said. The
three were later released from a local police station, it said.The raid came
after security officers had arrested another Mada Masr journalist, editor Shady
Zalat, at his apartment in the early hours of Saturday in a separate incident,
confiscating his and his wife’s laptops and some documents, as well as Zalat’s
phone, the news website said. middleeastmonitor
Erdogan meets Qatar's emir to discuss regional issues
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Qatar on Monday to meet Emir
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on an official visit to discuss regional issues
and bilateral relations.Ankara and Doha are close regional allies having
developed solid ties during testing times, while countries' leaders enjoy a
strong personal relationship. The two governments have seen eye-to-eye on a
range of regional foreign policy issues in recent years, such as Syrian war,
the plight of the Palestinian people, and Egypt's 2013 coup.aljazeera
Doctors tell UK authorities Julian Assange 'could die' in jail
More than 60 doctors have written an open letter saying they feared
Julian Assange's health was so bad that the WikiLeaks founder could die inside
a top-security British prison. 48-year-old, who spent seven years holed up in
Ecuador's embassy in London before he was dragged out in April, is wanted in
the United States to face 18 counts including conspiring to hack government
computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if
convicted.aljazeera
Biharis fight for recognition in Bangladesh's refugee camps: aljazeera
The minority Bihari community in Bangladesh have been living in squalid
camps in the country for generations, yet face widespread discrimination. They
are Muslim refugees who left India after the partition of 1947, afraid they
would be caught in ensuing riots. But authorities are now saying Bihari should
be evicted from these camps.
Hong Kong democrats score historic victory amid ongoing protests
Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong's pro-democratic parties swept the board in
highly anticipated local elections seen as a barometer of public opinion after
nearly 6 months of increasingly violent protests that have polarised the
semi-autonomous Chinese territory.Total turnout exceeded 2.94 million voters, a
rate of 71 percent, surpassing a record from the previous legislative council election
in 2016 of about 1.47 million.As of 12pm , pro-democracy candidates had won a
clear majority with 390 seats of 452 district council seats, according to local
broadcaster RTHK. aljazeera
'Forced Ideological Re-education': Secret documents reveal how China's
Uighur detention camps work
Beijing: The watch towers, double-locked doors and video surveillance in
the Chinese camps are there to prevent escapes.Uighurs and other minorities
held inside are scored on how well they speak the dominant Mandarin language
and follow strict rules on everything down to bathing and using the toilet,
scores that determine if they can leave.Manner education is mandatory, but
vocational skills improvement is offered only after a year in the camps.
Voluntary job training is the reason Chinese government has given for detaining
more than a million ethnic minorities, most of them Muslims.But a classified
blueprint leaked to a consortium of news organisations shows the camps are
instead precisely what former detainees have described: Forced ideological and
behavioral re-education centers run in secret.AP
views, Articles, FEATURES
On NRC, Amit Shah and ex CJI Gogoi show a similar disregard:Harsh Mander
Siege of Mecca’s Grand Mosque: What happened in Saudi 40 yrs ago, how it
affects world today:Yashee
Reading Ayodhya verdict in its entirety shows SC was moved by desire for
a pragmatic and equitable solution: Dr Ashwani Kumar, senior advocate
Modi Government cheats states of their due, engages in smash & grab:
Exclusive, James Wilson
Erdogan's recent activism on Kashmir is motivated by Turkey president's
Caliphate dreams: Abhinav Pandya, counterterrorism expert
Tughlaqi Firman: Pan-India NRC could end up being a royal mess:Rudroneel
Ghosh
Citizenship and Assam: An Explainer on Legal Questions That Still Loom
Large:Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty
Maharashtra: SC decision to delay floor test goes against its own
precedent in Goa and Karnataka:Sruthisagar Yamunan
Electoral Bonds: The Safeguards Of Indian Democracy Are Crumbling: Milan
Vaishnav
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