28 NOV.
2019: 30 Rabiul Awwal 1441: Vol: 12, No: 69
INDIA: BABRI
MASJID CASE
Abused, intimidated, attacked with excreta: Babri Masjid advocate Rajiv
Dhawan recounts horror during trial amid row over his remarks ‘Hindus disturb
peace, Muslims don't'
New Delhi: Senior advocate Rajiv Dhawan, who represented the Muslim side
in the Ayodhya case, spoke to India Today TV for the first time ever after
Ayodhya verdict. In a no-holds-barred interview, Dhawan spoke about CJI Ranjan
Gogoi, why he thinks the verdict didn't uphold justice, how excreta was thrown
at him by some fringe elements during the trial, and how according to him, the
SC succumbed to sentiments and pressure of the ruling Govt. Dhawan also
clarified his remark which had sparked controversy yesterday. In a TV
interview, Dhawan had said: "Muslims have never been responsible for
disturbing the atmosphere in the country. Hindus do it." Clarifying his
remarks, Dhawan has said that he was not talking about the Hindu community at
large but only Sangh Pariwar."I am not talking about the Hindu community.
I have faith in a large number of citizens who belong to this community, who do
not agree with this kind of violence," he said. Dhawan said: "I
didn't just appear for the Muslims. I appeared for a large section of Hindus
who believed in liberal secularism.It was a cause lawyering case.It was not a
case that can be depicted as Muslims vs Hindus. It was a case to protect the
constitutional fabric of the state which was at stake." He said: "I
don't know who interviewed me. And yesterday's interview was taken under false
pretenses. When I said Hindus, I referred to those Hindus who are responsible
for the violence related to Babri Masjid. In court, I called these violent
Hindus as Hindu Taliban. I stand by that statement. Consider in the last
century, how much violence was perpetrated. In 1934, Muslims tried to defend
the mosque and it was broken. In 1949, it trespassed. Between 1950 and 1992,
every order of the receiver was not followed by Hindus. And the biggest act of
all, destruction of Babri Masjid. And I will say it again and again that all
the violence at Babri Masjid was Hindu violence, perpetrated by Hindu Taliban
but I limit that violence to Sangh Parivar and all those members who
perpetrated this violence.""I am concerned about Sangh Parivar's
violence related to Babri case and that is Hindu Taliban. In court, one of them
nearly attacked me. I have received death threats, curses, around 2000 letters
full of abuses. Excreta was thrown outside my residence. I call this also a
kind of violence."Dhawan said: "If the defence of the criminal trial
is on moral grounds that we were doing our duty to Hindu sentiment, then let's
not run away from the fact that there was an act of violence which is unpardonable
according to Hindu, Muslim and every other faith on this planet."He said:
"When a case is going on, the Govt or any other person cannot talk about
the desired outcome. When they say "Mandir Wahi Banega", it's a
contempt of court." "BJP's manifesto is not a holy book. The
manifesto talks about a Ram Temple as the only outcome. This should amount to
contempt of court. Advani wants praise now, but someone should tell him -
destruction is not the right path. His Rath Yatra was not to consolidate Hindus
but to intimidate Muslims." He said: "Review is a choice of Sunni
Waqf Board. I would advice a review for only one reason because there cannot be
peace without justice. And Muslim parties have still not stated what they
object to in this judgment. And the only way to put this on record is through a
review." "Will it succeed or not, it's a different debate. But the
review is a right. And it will point out what is fundamentally wrong in the
judgment." Dhawan said: "Congress backing down and taking off
National Herald's article which spoke of the verdict in a bad light is a
grievous mistake. It is a shame that a political party browbeat their own news
paper's voice." He said:"It is not the SC's job to give a judgment
wholly for the sake of peace. The power of the SC exercised, in this case, was
under Article 142 of the Constitution. Article 142 talks about complete
justice. Therefore, responsibility of the SC was to make sure that complete
justice was done, which is not what happened here.""I don't think it
was necessary for CJI Gogoi to have a close-door meeting with the law
enforcement agencies. This cannot be done behind the curtains of court. It was
a simple question that they have to pass an order and it has to be obeyed at
any cost. CJI and Justice Ashok Bhushan do not hobnob with the politicians and
police, that's not their jurisdiction. This happened around the time of Ayodhya
verdict. It was absolutely improper. Orders should be passed in open courts,
not implemented behind closed doors."India Today
Review petition to be filed in 2-4 days; its purpose not to disrupt
harmony: Jamiat chief Arshad Madani
Saharanpur: Maulana Syed Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat
Ulema-e-Hind, has said that the review petition against Supreme Court's Ayodhya
verdict is almost ready and the plea will be filed within 2-4 days.Madani
further stated "SC's verdict is beyond the understanding of many
people" and added, "the purpose of filing the review petition is not
because it is a matter of respect but a religious issue.""Our lawyers
on record including Rajiv Dhawan have almost drafted the petition and will be
going to file it within 2-4 days. The mosque was not built on a temple. Our
religion is our duty and we will make all efforts to save it," he said.
“The purpose of filing the review petition by Jamiat is not to disrupt the
country’s solidarity and law and order, but using the privileges provided in
the law…This is because millions of our countrymen, including Hindus,Muslims,
Sikhs, Christians and legal experts have found the verdict to be beyond their
understanding,” Madani said.ANI / indianexpress
If Shah is right on speaking about temple, then how Owaisi was wrong on
talking about mosque: Owaisi
Chief of AIMIM and MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said when Amit Shah was right
to talk about temple construction then how could he be wrong for speaking in
favour of mosque. He asked the minorities to realise their strength and teach a
lesson to Congress and JMM in Jharkhand.He said that the state Govt had failed
to protect the minorities in the state and pointed that the budget for the
community was just Rs 102 crore in Jharkhand compared to Rs 1002 crore in
Telengana.UNI
J&K & SOUTH ASIA
Sweden calls for lifting of restrictions in Kashmir, nudges India for
talks with Pakistan
Sweden has joined the list of European countries that have expressed
concern about the security lockdown and communications blackout in Kashmir,
with foreign minister Ann Linde saying India should lift the remaining
restrictions in the region.Linde told Swedish Parliament on Wednesday that the
country doesn’t want any escalation of the situation in Kashmir, and that any
long-term political solution “must involve Kashmiri inhabitants”. Linde will be
part of the delegation accompanying King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of
Sweden on a state visit to India during Dec.1-6. Earlier this month, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finland foreign minister Pekka Haavisto said
during their visits to New Delhi the situation in Kashmir is “not sustainable”.
They too called for lifting of restrictions imposed after Indian Govt revoked J&K’s
special status. There was no response to Linde’s remarks from Indian
officials.Answering a question in the Riksdag or Parliament, Linde described
the situation in Kashmir as “worrying” and said Sweden and European Union (EU)
support a “bilateral political solution through contacts between India and
Pakistan”.She said: “We emphasise the importance of respect for human rights,
that an escalation of the situation in Kashmir is avoided and that a long-term
political solution to the situation must involve Kashmir’s inhabitants. Dialogue
between India and Pakistan is crucial.”Sweden and EU also urge the Indian Govt
to “lift the remaining restrictions” in Kashmir as it is crucial to restore
“free movement and communication opportunities”, she said.Swedish ambassador
Klas Molin said his country and EU have a “principled” view on Kashmir. “We
know it’s long-standing, it goes back decades and I think we also have said
consistently that because it is historically bilateral in nature, it can only
be solved reasonably through negotiations and discussions between 2 concerned
parties,India and Pakistan.” Acknowledging India’s “legitimate security
concerns”, he said: “But we and the EU also recognise the importance of
Kashmiris to have a say in their own future.”Molin also said diplomats should
be allowed to visit Kashmir to assess the situation for themselves. HT
2 days before Royal visit, Sweden sends tough statement on Kashmir
Fear of PSA keeps Valley leaders in chains: No attempt to challenge
detentions in court
Srinagar: Nearly 4 months in jail have left around three dozen members
of the once powerful political elite of Kashmir outraged and restless but the
fear of being booked under the draconian Public Safety Act or sent to prisons
outside the Valley is such that they appear unwilling to even challenge their
detention in courts.PSA allows detention without trial for up to 2 years and
hundreds of people, including ex CM Farooq Abdullah, separatists, lawyers and
civil society members, have been booked under it since Aug 5. Almost none of 34
senior politicians arrested under Section 107 of CrPC ahead of the revocation
of the special status, including former CMs Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti,
have challenged their detention in courts, the only exception being IAS
topper-turned-politician Shah Faesal. Faesal, however, withdrew his petition in
August allegedly over fears that he could be booked under PSA. Under Section
107, detainees are required to sign a bond pledging not to disturb peace.The
politicians appeared unwilling to challenge their detention from Day 1 but more
fear gripped them after veteran MP Farooq was slapped with PSA in Sept. He was
booked at a time when the Supreme Court was hearing a petition challenging his
“illegal detention”, filed not by him but MDMK leader and friend Vaiko.A NC
leader said the example of “Doctor Sahib”, had served as a “warning” for all
the other leaders. Telegraph spoke to half a dozen free leaders of different
political parties and all of them said the detained leaders had preferred not
to mount a legal counter as they feared they could be held under PSA and even
sent to jails outside Kashmir. telegraphindia
SC refuses to entertain plea of CFI for monetary relief for J-K students
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea filed by an
NGO, Campus Front of India (CFI), seeking monetary relief for the students of J&K
who have faced problems due to restrictions imposed in the erstwhile state post
abrogation of Article 370. Centre opposed CFI petition saying that NGO is
associated with PFI,which is an organisation having relation with banned SIMI.A
bench of Justices NV Ramana, R Subhash Reddy and BR Gavai said, "Sorry, we
are not inclined to entertain this petition." Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora,
appearing for CFI, said that Kashmiri students were not able to pay their fees
in their respective schools and colleges across the country due to curbs on
banking system imposed by the Centre. "Students of J&K have suffered
due to the restrictions imposed by the Centre. These students who are studying
in different parts of the country needs to be provided monetary relief,"
she said.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, opposed the
petition saying that the banking system in J&K was never shut and even on
Aug.5, it was working.He said that contrary to the claims made by NGO, students
whose cause is being espoused have regularly deposited and paid their fees
through the banking channels."They did not face any hardship. This NGO has
to explain as whose it espousing. There are material suggesting that it is
associated with PFI, which has relations with banned extremist group like
SIMI", he said. When Mehta tried to submit some documents to the court to
buttress his claim of CFI''s association with PFI, Arora opposed and said that
this practice is being frequently adopted by Centre and if the documents are
being relied upon then it should be shared with them also.The bench then
refused to peruse documents submitted Mehta and returned it back.Mehta said that
their are enough material to suggest that this NGO CFI is being promoted and
guided by PFI. PTI
POLITICS
Uddhav Thackeray sworn in as Maharashtra CM, 6 other ministers take oath
Shiv Sena president Uddhav B. Thackeray became the first Chief Minister
of Maharashtra from the Thackeray family when he was sworn-in at a grand
function held at Shivaji Park in Mumbai this evening. Governor Bhagat Singh
Koshyari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Thackeray. Following Thackeray, Congress leaders
Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut, NCP leaders Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal
and Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai from the Shiv Sena took oaths as ministers
in the new Maharashtra Cabinet. The event was attended by political
heavyweights like Congress’ Ahmed Patel,Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi,
Mallikarjun Kharge, MP CM Kamal
Nath, DMK’s MK Stalin and TR Baalu, MNS
chief Raj Thackeray, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, former Chief
Minister Devendra Fadnavis amongst many others. Businessman Mukesh Ambani, his
wife Nita Ambani were also among the attendees. Senior Congress leaders
Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, however, chose to skip the
event. Nationalheraldindia/ Indian express
Maharashtra: ‘Maha’ game ends as Uddhav Thackeray takes charge as CM
Sena-NCP-Cong front announces CMP promising farm loan waiver, 80% job
quota for locals
New Delhi :Announcing its Common Minimum Program (CMP), Congress-NCP-Shiv
Sena combine, known as Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), promised immediate farm loan
waiver and said the Govt would ensure 80 % quota in jobs for locals.Addressing
a press conference, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde told ANI, “farmers are
facing problems. This Govt will do best for farmers. This will be a strong Govt.”Crop
insurance, immediate loan waiver and remunerative prices for farm produce were
some of the other assurances made for farmers by the NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress
combine in CMP.Besides, CMP also mentions setting up of Re 1 clinics at the
taluka level across the state that will provide basic screening of people. The
program also guarantees to provide health insurance cover to every citizen of
the state. Sena’s ambitious promise
during the election campaign of offering a full meal at Rs 10 also figures in
CMP.Other issues in the CMP include unemployment, women, education, urban
development, health, industry, social justice, tourism and other important
provisions.Maha Vikas Agadhi’s CMP stated that a law would be enacted to ensure
80 % reservation of jobs for local youth. “There will be a compulsion and law
will be enacted to ensure 80 % reservation for locals in the existing and new
companies,” Shinde said.indianexpress
Our party made political blunders, thinking of taking up Sena offer:
BJP’s Khadse
A day after collapse of Fadnavis Govt, Eknath Khadse, an OBC leader and
a BJP stalwart in Maharashtra, said he was seriously considering quitting the
party after watching the “political blunders” that had undermined the image of
the party. Khadse said: “I have an offer from Sena.Even I am seriously
beginning to wonder if I should accept it.After all, it makes me wonder what is
the point of staying in the party which has hurt the sentiments of people by
compromising on principles.”“The manner in which BJP is functioning,” he said, “has
caused a lot of anguish and embarrassment.”indianexpress
Bengal Bypolls: TMC cinches unexpected win, defeats BJP, Congress in their
bastions
TMC sprung back to life with victories in all 3 assembly constituencies
that went to bypolls in West Bengal. In the results that were declared Thursday
morning, TMC not only retained Karimpur seat, but wrested Kaliaganj and
Kharagpur from the Congress and BJP.In a close contest, TMC candidate Tapan Deb
Singha defeated BJP’s Kamal Chandra Sarkar by a margin of 2,304 votes in
Kaliaganj. By-poll was necessitated by the death of Congress’s Parmathanath
Roy. However, grand-old party is unlikely to
derive much confidence from its performance in what is seen as its
stronghold as it was pushed to the third spot.TMC’s Bimalendy Singha Roy won Karimpur
seat easily by defeating BJP’s Jay Prakash Majumdar by 24,119 votes. The seat
was vacated by Mahua Moitra, who became a Lok Sabha MP.Pradip Sarkar of TMC
defeated BJP’s Prem Chandra Jha in Kharagpur by a hefty margin of 20,811 votes.
This came as a blow for the BJP as the seat had been vacated by none other than
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, who won Lok Sabha polls.thewire
Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh bypolls: BJP wins by slender margin of 3,267
votes
BJP has retained the Pithoragarh assembly seat in Uttarakhand by a slim
margin of 3267 votes, with its candidate Chandra Pant defeating her main rival
and Congress candidate Anju Lunthi. Chandra Pant is the wife of 3-time MLA and
former minister Prakash Pant, whose death had necessitated the
bye-elections.Even in 2017, Pithoragarh seat saw a photo finish, with BJP
coming up triumphs by a margin of 2,684 votes. Both BJP and Congress had
fielded a battery of leaders for campaigning in the constituency. indianexpress
BJP condemns Pragya Thakur's remarks on Godse, drops her from House
defence panel
BJP today barred MP Pragya Thakur from attending its parliamentary party
meeting in ongoing Parliament session and removed her from consultative
committee on defence.Thakur had referred to Godse as a "deshbhakt"
(patriot) a day earlier in Lok Sabha during a debate on SPG bill.BJP working chief
JP Nadda announced the disciplinary action against her and condemned the Bhopal
MP's remarks in a bid to defuse the political crisis triggered by her remarks
in Lok Sabha.Nadda also said that Thakur will be removed from the consultative
committee on defence, to which she was recently appointed."The statement
given by Thakur is condemnable. BJP never supports such statements and we do
not support this ideology. We have decided that Thakur will not attend BJP
parliamentary party meetings during the session," he said.Thakur made the
controversial remarks during DMK member A. Raja's narration of a statement by
Godse before a court on why he killed Mahatma. However, after Opposition
members protested against her remarks, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said only DMK
leader's speech during the discussion on Special Protection Group (Amendment)
Bill will go on record. Opposition parties attacked Govt, particularly PM
Narendra Modi, alleging that PM's "inaction" against her proves his
latent support to "Godse's sinister thought". Members of Opposition
party said Thakur's remarks were a "perfect representation" of BJP's
"deplorable hate politics"."We condemn her statement and we do
not support this ideology," Nadda, who was accompanied by parliamentary affairs
minister Pralhad Joshi,said. Telegraph
‘Terrorist Pragya calls terrorist Godse patriot, sad day for India’s
Parliament’: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has attacked BJP over its MP Pragya
Thakur’s controversial comments on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram
Godse.“Terrorist Pragya calls terrorist Godse, a patriot. A sad day, in the
history of India’s Parliament,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.Rahul Gandhi said
Thakur’s comments reflect the “heart of RSS and BJP”, ANI reported. Gandhi said
and that he does not want to waste time by demanding action against her.HT
Godse wasn't a terrorist, just committed a mistake: Another BJP leader's
shocker
Ballia: Amid BJP's attempt to distance itself from MP Pragya Thakur's
comment in praise of Mahtama Gandhi's assassin, a party MLA said Nathuram Godse
committed a mistake but he was not a terrorist."Godse was not a terrorist.Those
who are involved in anti-national activities are terrorists,"said Ballia
MLA Surendra Singh. Godse committed a mistake. He should have not killed
patriot Gandhi ji," he added, using the Hindi word "bhool" for
"mistake". News18
BJP cannot even entertain the thought of calling Godse a patriot:
Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today condemned the controversial
statement in Lok Sabha made by BJP MP Pragya Thakur.“Let alone calling Nathuram
Godse a patriot, our party condemns even having such a thought. As far as
Mahatma Gandhi is concerned, he is our ideal. He has been our guide and will
remain our guide in future. His ideology was not only relevant in the past, but
remains so today and shall remain relevant in future. Irrespective of party,
caste or religion, everyone considers Gandhi his/her ideal and a source of
inspiration,” Singh said.indianexpress
Delhi Police detain Tehseen Poonawalla for protest against Pragya
Thakur, take selfies at station
New Delhi: Tehseen Poonawalla obliged women police officers for selfies
and group photographs when he was detained by Delhi Police for protesting
against Pragya Thakur for her remark in Parliament praising Nathuram Godse. Poonawalla,
who also appears on TV news panels, said he felt special when Delhi Police
officers sought selfies with him. “Delhi Police has illegally detained me for
protesting peacefully alone against Pragya Thakur. I never violated Section
144, I was speaking to the media yet Amit Shah Ji’s Delhi Police illegally
detains me. Are we in Godse’s North Korea or Gandhi’s India,” he later said in
a tweet.indianexpress
NRC -
CAB
Assam: Congress MLAs Lie Down Outside Assembly to Protest CAB, NRC
Guwahati: The winter session of the Assam Assembly began on a stormy
note today with MLAs of the opposition Congress protesting the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill and the state Govt’s bid to reject the final NRC, lying down
outside the house after being prevented from pressing for acceptance of their
adjournment motion.As soon as the house assembled for the session, opposition
Congress and AIUDF sought to raise the 2 contentious issues through an
adjournment motion after oaths were administered to four newly-elected MLAsWhen
the speaker did not allow it and asked them to raise the issues after the
Question Hour, members of the two parties went to the well of the house,
shouting slogans and displaying placards.Later, they staged a walkout from the
house.PTI
28 Deaths in Assam Detention Centres, But None Due to Lack of Medicines:
Govt
New Delhi:Govt has said there were no deaths of inmates in detention
centres in Assam due to lack of medicines. Admitting that 28 people have died
in the detention centres, minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai said
that all deaths were caused by some diseases.He further said detention centres
have proper medical facilities and the district administration provides
medicines there.“There have been reports of deaths of 28 people. The detention
centre has all the facilities and death is not due to fear or due to any lack
of medicine,” said Rai.Asked if any compensation has been given to the families
of the deceased, the minister replied there was no such provision.PTI
INDIAN
ECONOMY
PSUs on sale: Modi govt is planning to sell its stake in 46 PSUs,
decision on six expected soon
After it sells Govt’s stake in profit-making public sector companies
such as BPCL, Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and Container Corporation of
India (CONCOR) etc as already announced, the Modi regime is planning to sell
its stake in another 46 public sector companies, National Herald has learnt.Out
of these 46, the formal decision on selling Govt’s stake in 6 PSUs is expected
soon.There are over 270 public sector undertakings in India.As per sources,
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has
in principle agreed with the proposal forwarded by the finance ministry to sell
its stake in six PSUs in the second phase of the disinvestment bid. However, a
final decision has not been taken yet. Sources privy to the development told NH
that the list that has been sent to CCEA for final approval includes Project
and Development India Ltd, HPL, Hospital Services Consultancy Ltd (HSCCL),
National Project Construction Corporation (NPCC), Engineering Project (India)
Ltd, Bridge and Roof Co. India Ltd, Pawan Hans Ltd, Hindustan Newsprint Ltd
(subsidiary), Scooters India Limited, Hindustan Fluorocarbon Ltd. (HFL)
(subsidiary) and Air India and its 5 subsidiaries.nationalheraldindia
Air India focused on day-to-day survival as shutdown fears bite
Mumbai:India’s debt-crippled national airline is focused solely on daily
survival and keeping its flights in the air, a spokesman said Thursday, after
the Govt warned it would have to shut down unless a buyer was found.Air India
owes more than $8.6 billion and has struggled to pay salaries and buy fuel,
with losses mounting following earlier privatisation attempts.The company is
unable to pay its debts and its outlook is “gloomy”, spokesman Dhananjay Kumar
said.“We are concentrating on day-to-day operations and not focusing on the
future,” he told AFP.“Whatever resources we have, we are trying to use them in
an optimum manner and trying to run our flights.” Aviation minister Hardeep
Singh Puri has said that airline would “have to close down if it is not privatised”,
adding Govt would soon invite takeover bids.AFP
India Today report: Debt time bomb? Only 20 borrowers owed over 16% of I
total loan portfolio
New Delhi:Debt service is becoming riskier with deteriorating economy,
though banks are still taking the risk of debt concentration, as India's top 20
borrowers have managed to get about Rs 16 of every Rs 100 loan amount of the
Indian banking system.RBI data obtained by India Today through RTI reveals that
the tiny number of borrowers owed Rs 14 lakh crore exposure in the financial
year 2019 - about 16 % of the total loan exposure of the Indian banking system.
Loan exposure to the top 20 borrowers has spiked about 24 % from FY 2018 to FY
2019. At the same time, India's total outstanding loan portfolio has grown only
12 %.The total outstanding to all borrowers has grown from Rs 76.88 lakh crore
in FY 2018 to Rs 86.33 lakh crore in FY 2019. On the other hand, these 20
borrowers' outstanding has jumped from Rs 10.94 lakh crore to Rs 13.55 lakh
crore in the same period.These borrowers have shared almost half the total
industry loan, including Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME).
Moreover, banks have funded thrice more money to them than MSME. Experts said
such a debt concentration would have substantial negative impact on the
economy.The high loan concentration may lead to crisis because economic slowdown
may hit net revenue and debt service may come under pressure. India Today
In 2017, DEA Secy wrote: Why were electoral bond details shared with
RBI?
In a clear indication that Govt did not want to involve RBI in the
formulation of the draft notification for issuance of electoral bonds,then
Secretary (Economic Affairs) Subhash Garg wrote in his own hand in the file
concerned on Sept.1, 2017, “I had specifically directed on file not to issue
this until asked. Why has it been done?”Documents obtained under RTI by
transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj and shared with Indian Express reveal
that Prashant Goyal, then Joint Secretary in Budget Division under Department
of Economic Affairs, had written a confidential letter to RBI Deputy Governor
BP Kanungo and shared the operational details of the electoral bonds. In his
Aug.30, 2017 letter, Goyal asked RBI to send a draft notification
“incorporating the detailed operational modalities” of the proposed bonds
within two weeks. Garg sought an explanation the day-after on Sept.1, 2017. Indianexpress
EC had flagged concerns over electoral bonds to Modi govt after Lok
Sabha elections too
New Delhi: Amid fresh revelations over the electoral bonds scheme,
ThePrint has learnt that the Election Commission had once again flagged its
concerns to the Narendra Modi Govt in July, just over a month after the Lok
Sabha elections.In a letter written by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora
to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 27 July 2019, EC reiterated its
apprehensions about the scheme. Arora had written to Prasad regarding a range
of electoral reforms recommended by the EC. Along with the letter, CEC had
attached a detailed annexure of reforms still pending with the Govt.theprint
Bad loans under Mudra Kishore jump 107% in 6 months
New Delhi:The number and value of bad loan accounts in the Kishore
category of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) for a dozen public sector
banks including State Bank of India, Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda, have
jumped 107 % and 71 %, respectively, as on Sept.30,2019 compared with March 31,
2019.Kishore loans have a ticket size of Rs 50,000-plus to Rs 5 lakh. Under
PMMY, the other two categories are: Shishu, which has the smallest ticket size
of up to Rs 50,000, and Tarun, which extends loans from Rs 5-lakh plus up to Rs
10 lakh. Kishore category made up just over 30 % of the total number of loan
accounts for 12 banks as on September 30, according to disaggregated data
obtained individually from these banks under RTI Act. But in terms of value,
category accounted for a much larger chunk of 43 % of the total loans
sanctioned in Sept. The cumulative data for all 12 banks also reveals that in the
topmost Tarun loan category, NPAs by value has risen sharply 45 % to Rs 3,425
crore in Sept.from Rs 2,353 crore in March. The number of bad loan accounts
has, however, shown a modest 13 % increase during the six-month
period.indianexpress
Unemployment rate almost doubled in rural areas between FY'14 and FY'18,
admits Centre
Centre has admitted in parliament that the unemployment rate in rural
areas nearly doubled from 2.9% in 2013-14 to 5.3% in 2017-18. In the same
period, there was over 50% increase in unemployment in urban areas. The most
striking trend has been the rise in unemployment among urban males from 3% to
6.9% during 2 year period from 2015-16 to 2017-18.Replying to a question by
Congress MP Kumar Ketkar in the Rajya Sabha on whether the unemployment rate
has been rising every quarter, the minister of state for labour and employment
Santosh Kumar Gangwar said that in urban areas, the unemployment rate increased
from 4.9 to 7.7% during the period. Explaining the methodology of collection of
data, the minister said it was based on the results of the annual Periodic
Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by NSO under Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation during 2017-18 and the annual employment-unemployment
survey conducted by Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment. According
to these surveys, he said, estimated unemployment rate in rural and urban areas
for those 15 years or older was determined.thewire
7000 Engineers, graduates apply for sanitary worker posts
A total of 7,000 engineers, graduates and diploma-holders has applied
for 549 posts of sanitary workers in city Corporation in Coimbatore.Corporation
had called for applications for the posts of 549 grade-1 sanitary posts and
7,000 applicants appeared for 3-day interview and verification of certificates
which began on Wednesday, official sources said. On verification, it was found
that nearly 70% of the candidates have completed SSLC, the minimum qualification,
and most of them were engineers, PGS, graduates and diploma-holders, they
said.In some cases, it was found the applicants were already employed in
private firms, but Govt job attracted them as the starting salary is
₹15,700.Those already working as the contract sanitary workers for the last 10
years have also applied for these permanent jobs.Many graduate applicants had
not got the jobs according to the qualification and had to work to support the
family with just ₹6,000-₹7,000 as salary in private firms and toiled for 12
hours with no job security, they said.PTI
OTHERS
Google says nearly 500 users in India warned of govt-backed phishing
attacks in 3 months
New Delhi :Google sent out over 12,000 warnings to users globally, including
nearly 500 in India, between July and September this year to sound them out
against being targeted by “Govt-backed attackers”.The report does not specify
whether attacks are by Govts on their own citizens, or on other countries’
citizens.The vast majority of the warnings involved “credential phishing
emails” that attempt to access a user’s credentials such as passwords. An
example is an email masquerading as a mail from Google that asks the user to
enter her/his password. Some concerted campaigns in this regard have been
discovered in Russia and South Korea, Google stated.Development comes days
after WhatsApp,stated that an Israeli spyware called Pegasus had been used to
spy on journalists and human rights activists worldwide, including 121 people in
India. NSO Group, which owns Pegasus, maintains that it sells to Govts.Google’s
Shane Huntley stated that company’s Threat Analytics Group (TAG) tracks “over
270 targeted or Govt-backed groups from over 50 countries”. These groups have
many goals, “including intelligence collection, stealing intellectual property,
targeting dissidents and activists, destructive cyber attacks, or spreading
coordinated disinformation”,said it.I.Express
JNUSU to protest outside HRD ministry on Friday
New Delhi: A delegation of traders involved in the construction and
allied sectors on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Union environment
minister Prakash Javadekar explaining the problems faced by them due to the ban
on all building activities.“Under aegis of Nirmaan Udyog Bachao Morcha Delhi,we
are demanding lifting of the ban. Thousands of industries have closed down and
millions of labourers have become unemployed due to the restrictions. The small
and medium-scale traders are unable to pay salaries to the employees, while those
working on rented property are unable to pay the rents,” said Anil Kumar Yadav,
a building contractor and convener of the morcha.The delegation has asked the
minister to “intervene and instruct EPCA or CPCB or departments concerned to
lift the ban”. At a meeting on Wednesday at Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, the
traders decided to urge the Govt to consider their “frightening situation” and
lift the ban. “If our problem is not resolved, we are ready to protest,” Yadav
said.PTI/TOI
Delhi HC seeks copies of 100 FIRs to check use of Urdu, Persian words
New Delhi : Raazinama, tehreer’ adam taameel, Mujrim, guftagoo, sangeen
apraadh and zer-e-tafteesh — these are 7 of the 383 Urdu and Persian words that
the Delhi High Court doesn’t want to read in FIR copies being filed in the
capital in a bid to simplify FIR for the common man.On Monday, the court asked
Delhi Police to submit 100 FIR copies to ascertain if the words are being used,
after a circular was issued by police to all stations to use simpler
language.The court directed police to submit “at least 10 FIR copies registered
with 10 different police stations so that we can verify whether the circular
issued by DCP is being followed by subordinate police officers/officials in
letter and spirit. Thus, minimum 100 copies of FIRs should be presented before
the court on the next date of hearing (Dec.11)…”In August, a bench of Chief
Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar observed that “too much flowery
language is not needed…FIR is for the public at large. It should not be
something for which one has to do a doctorate in Sanskrit, Urdu or Persian.”
This came after a PIL was filed by advocate Vishalakshi Goel.On Nov.20, DCP
(Legal Cell) Rajesh Deo sent a memo to all DCPs about “instructions regarding
use of simple words while recording FIRs.” It said, “HQ has compiled a list of
Urdu, Persian words which are presently being used in day-to-day functioning of
Delhi Police along with their English/Hindi words. IOs/duty officers working
under your control be suitably sensitised to evade using archaic Urdu, Persian
words. As far as possible, simple words which are easily understood by the
common public at large should be used….”Words such as bayaan tehreeri which
means “written settlement,”; rubaru which means “in the presence of,”;
ishtahaar as in “poster”; and zaahir as in “express” have been added to the
list. During the hearing, Police submitted the list of 383 Urdu/ Persian words which
are not to be used any longer.indianexpress
After Sanskrit controversy, BHU's Muslim professor prepares to teach
Ayurveda
Lucknow:After a controvery erupted on his appointment as an Assistant
Professor in Benaras Hindu University, Firoze Khan will now appear for an
interview to teach Ayurveda at the varsity.This comes after students held
protests spanning over a 2 weeks opposing his appointment as an Assistant
Professor to teach Sansnkrit in SVDV. Students argue that a professor, who is
not Hindu by faith cannot teach them Sanskrit.The protesting students say they
are against a Muslim professor imparting education on "Hindu rituals as
part of the course" -- which they claim can only be taught by a practising
Hindu.Meanwhile, BHU administration had issued a statement backing his
appointment. The statement also said that Khan's appointment was a unanimous
decision made by a selection committee under a transparent process.india today
30 Muslim professors teach Sanskrit in Bengal
Kolkata: At a time when faculty members—both present and past—have
written to President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, requesting him to intervene and
stall the appointment of Dr Feroze Khan in BHU in Sanskrit Dept, West Bengal
seems to be embracing its Sanskrit professors hailing from ‘other’ community,
comfortably. Going by a loose headcount, there are at least 30 Muslim
professors in West Bengal, teaching Sanskrit. Around 14 were recruited last
year through College Service Commission and 12 this year. The most recent
recruitment being of Ramzal Ali at Sanskrit department of Ramkrishna Mission
Vidyamandir, Belur. Speaking to eNewsroom regarding his recruitment, he said,
“I am in a state of shock with so many calls being made to me, seeking my
comment. A Muslim learning Sanskrit is nothing new. There is a history to it.
In every Sanskrit department across the state, you will find at least one
Muslim student. Muslim Sanskrit teachers in Bengal, is also not rare.” Perhaps
Ali has a point. For, Dr Shaikh Sabir Ali, a gold medalist in Sanskrit from
University of Calcutta has been teaching the language for almost a decade now.
Dr Ali, at present, teaches Sanskrit at the West Bengal State University,
Barasat.newsclick.in
Of 760 Sanskrit lecturers' posts lying vacant, 468 in UP: Centre
New Delhi: Close on the heels of protests against a Muslim lecturer
teaching Sanskrit at BHU comes the Centre’s data on the lack of Sanskrit
teachers in various institutions of UP. Union minister of HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘Nishank’ told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that there are 468 posts of
Sanskrit lecturers sanctioned by UGC which have been lying vacant in UP. The
figure of vacancies is the highest in the country. In total, 760 posts of
Sanskrit lecturers in colleges affiliated to UGC are vacant. Aside from UP, the
minister, in reply to the question by MPs Kanakmal Katara and Ramcharan Bohra,
said 59 posts and 57 posts have been lying vacant in Odisha and Rajasthan
respectively. thewire
UP CM to set up university named after Jat king in Aligarh
Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath Govt in UP
will set up a state university named after Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh in
Aligarh. Singh had donated land for the construction of AMU and BJP leaders had
earlier raised a demand that AMU be renamed after Jat king.However, to avoid
any political controversy on the issue, Yogi Govt has decided to build a new
university in his name. Govt had passed a resolution to this effect in a
Cabinet meeting and an ordinance was subsequently issued on Tuesday.IANS
HRD Ministry denies CBI permission to prosecute AMU ex-V-C
New Delhi: Govt has denied permission to CBI to prosecute ex V-C of AMU,
Naseem Ahmad. Ahmad, a retired 1972-batch IAS officer, is accused of cheating
in the appointment of an officer in the university in 2005. He served as AMU
V-C from 2002 till his resignation in 2007. Ahmad was also chairperson of the
National Commission for Minorities from 2014 to 2017. CBI had written to
President this year seeking permission to prosecute Ahmad in the matter of
appointment of Shakaib Arsalan as Assistant Finance Officer (AFO). It is
alleged that Arsalan was not among 9candidates found eligible, out of 22
applicants. HRD Ministry, on President’s behalf, sought advice of Criminal
Procedure Code in Aug. CVC is learned to have said that there is no evidence of
quid pro quo in the case against Ahmad and hence, prosecution would not be
justified.indianexpress
INX case: If bail denied over ‘gravity’ of allegations, all undertrials
would be in jail, says Chidambaram
New Delhi :Ex-Union minister P Chidambaram today told the Supreme Court
that the High Court had denied him bail in INX Media money-laundering case
registered by the ED on the ground of “gravity” of the allegations and that
going by this argument, no undertrial would ever get bail.Appearing for
Chidambaram, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi told a bench of Justices R
Banumathi, A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy that after “satisfying” that he was
not a flight risk or likely to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses,
“the word gravity is used to negative all this”. “If this is accepted, all
undertrials will be incarcerated till trial ends in almost every case,” he
said.indianexpress
Telangana: Wakf takes up Muslims boycott issue in Nizamabad over
graveyard land
Hyderabad: Wakf Board has taken a serious note of social boycott of
Muslims in Velpur mandal of Nizamabad district for refusing to handover
graveyard land to Village Development Committee (VDC) for the pavement of a Mandir
situated on the backside of Idgah.Wakf Board chairman Mohammed Saleem
instructed CEO, Abdul Hameed to send a team of Board officials and resolve the
issue with the help of the district collector.He said the stand taken by VDC is
illegal and it is not appropriate to take the Wakf land forcefully.An Idgah,
graveyard, Ashoorkhana and a mosque are situated adjacent to each other in
Velpur mandal HQRS and a land measuring 4 acres and 12 guntas is notified for
Wakf and there was a Hindu temple behind Wakf land. VDC wanted to develop a
pathway across the graveyard land to reach the temple and local Muslims were
being forced not to oppose it.Local Muslims alleged that VDC had demolished the
graves to create a trail and when they resist, VDC decided to boycott Muslims
and asked the locals not to purchase goods from the Muslim traders.This has
continued since Monday.deccanchronicle
Controversial New Gujarat
anti-terror law to come into force from Dec 1 after Prez nod
Gandhinagar : A controversial Gujarat anti-terror law, which recognises
intercepted telephonic conversations as a legitimate evidence among other
provisions, will come into force from Dec.1, a state minister said. Earlier
this month, President Ram Nath Kovind had given his assent to Gujarat Control
of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Act, which had thrice failed to get
the nod of his predecessors since 2004.The controversial legislation, passed by
BJP-ruled state in March 2015, was formulated to deal with terrorism and
organised crime such as contract killing, ponzi schemes, narcotics trade,
extortion rackets, cyber crime, land-grabbing and human trafficking.The Act
allows to consider intercepted telephonic conversations as a legitimate
evidence. Other key provision is admissibility of confession made before a
police officer as evidence.PTI
NDTV wins International Press Institute award for Kathua coverage
News channel NDTV is the recipient of the International Press
Institute’s Excellence in Journalism Award for the year 2019. The award is
presented every year by the Indian chapter of International Press Institute
(IPI), a global association of media professionals from digital, print and
broadcast news outlets across nearly 100 countries. It was established in 2003
to commend exceptional work done by Indian media organizations or journalists.
The national committee of IPI India is headed by N. Ravi, former
editor-in-chief of The Hindu, and the selection this year was made by a jury of
editors headed by Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney-General of India. NDTV was the
jury’s unanimous choice.“The Award is for the expose of the conspiracy to
scuttle probe into the heinous Kathua rape and murder: and a strong expose of
the political hypocrisy across the political spectrum represented Excellence in
Journalism, anchored by Nidhi Razdan,” IPI-India said.newslaundry
1 in 2 Indians paid a bribe at least once in the past year, survey finds
At least one in every two people in India have paid a bribe in the past
year, according to a new national corruption report, which branded the practice
"part and parcel of daily life." Survey, conducted by independent
anti-corruption advocates Transparency International India (TII) and social
media platform LocalCircles, found that bribery had actually reduced by 10%
over the past year. But it remains rampant, with 51% of respondents admitting
they had paid bribes.Corruption remains "part and parcel of daily life in
India," said a press release from TII. It's particularly widespread in
local-level citizen services, which are "ridden with bribery and
kickbacks." States that recorded the highest instances of corruption were
Rajasthan, Bihar, UP, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Punjab.
On the other hand, states recording the lowest instances of corruption were
Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kerala, Goa and Odisha.CNN/ deccanherald
Antibiotic misuse rampant in India, 0-4 yrs age group worst hit: Study
New Delhi:Antibiotic misuse is rampant in the private sector in India,
largely between the age group of 0-4 years, a new study has found.Inappropriate
prescription and use of antibiotics is often the major source of antimicrobial
resistance that is a growing concern not just in India but also globally.Nearly
519 million antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed in 2014, translating to 412
prescriptions per 1,000 population annually, shows the first ever country level
estimates of antibiotic prescription by antibiotic classes, age groups, and
disease conditions that was published on Wednesday in medical journal PLOS
One.The key objective of this research was to generate new evidence on
outpatient antibiotic prescription rate and patterns in private sector in
India, as the country is among highest antibiotic users.HT
WORLD
Iraq security forces kill protesters in Nasiriya after torching Iranian
Consulate in Najaf
Baghdad:At least 14 people have been killed after security forces used
live ammunition and tear gas canisters to disperse anti-Govt protesters in the
southern city of Nasiriya, medical sources and witnesses told Al
Jazeera.Authorities in the capital Baghdad dispatched troops to southern Iraq,
which has seen massive protests for weeks, to "restore order" there,
military said today. Security sources said that at least 120 others were
wounded in the crackdown on protests in Nasiriya today, a day after the Iranian
consulate was set on fire in Shia holy city of Najaf.Several of wounded are
believed to be in critical condition. Medical sources, however, have told Al
Jazeera that the death toll has gone up to 18 but it has yet to be confirmed by
officials.Hussein, a 32-year-old lawyer from Nasiriya who was at the protest
site, blamed the security forces for what he called a "bloodbath".The
events in Nasiriya come a day after anti-Govt protesters stormed and set fire
to the Iranian consulate in the southern holy city of Najaf, in the strongest
expression of anti-Iranian sentiment by Iraqi protesters, who have taken to the
streets in Baghdad and Iraq's mainly Shia south since early Oct.More than 360
people have been killed and more than 15,000 wounded so far, according to
AFP.aljazeera
Israel begins work on largest settlement in Palestinian neighbourhood of
Jerusalem
Work has begun on the expansion of Nof Tzion colony in Jabal Mukkaber,
occupied East Jerusalem, which when completed will become “the largest Jewish
settlement within a Palestinian neighbourhood in the city”, reported
Haaretz.Nof Tzion was first established in the early 2000s, with settlers
moving in eight years ago. The settlement currently houses 96 families living
in two compounds.The land to be used for the settlement’s expansion was bought
by Israeli supermarket mogul Rami Levy, in partnership with Australian
businessman, Kevin Bermeister, one of the founders of Skype.Two years ago,
Israeli occupation authorities issued permits for the construction of 176
flats. However, according to Jerusalem councillor and settler activist Arieh
King, “the current expansion is only the first phase, with another 300 housing
units expected to be approved”.MEMO
Israel destroys 4 homes in Hebron-area village in punitive demolitions
Israeli forces destroyed four family homes in Beit Kahil this morning, a
Palestinian village in the southern West Bank, reported Wafa. Homes were
targeted for punitive demolition, practice illegal under international law.MEMO
Pompeo: US shift on Israel settlements ‘creates space for political
resolution’
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has defended the Trump
administration’s policy shift on Israeli settlements in an interview with
Israel Hayom.In the remarks, which will be published in full tomorrow, Pompeo
described the move as “both the correct one and the one that is in the best
interest of the security situation in Israel as well as the situation between
Israel and Palestinian people”. In the policy announcement, Pompeo declared
that US no longer viewed Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory
as “illegal per se”, as he put it to Israel Hayom.MEMO
Jordan prince meets Israel president in UK
Jordanian Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad, adviser to King Abdullah II, met
with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at Jordanian Ambassador in London, it was
announced today. The prince, who holds the position of chief adviser for
Religious and Cultural Affairs in kingdom, discussed the development of
Christian holy sites along the Jordan River with Israeli official.“A number of
issues were discussed, at the top being the development of the Baptismal site
and the progress of the Land of the Monasteries initiative,” the statement on
behalf of Rivlin said. middleeastmonitor
Pakistan Supreme Court Grants 6 Months Conditional Extension to Army
Chief General Bajwa
Pakistan's Supreme Court today granted 6-month conditional extension to
Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in a relief to PM Imran Khan's Govt. A
three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan
Khosa and comprising Justices Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Mansoor Ali Shah,
in its short order directed the Govt to bring necessary legislation within six
months' time, Geo TV reported. Bajwa's original three-year tenure is set to
expire on Thursday at midnight and he can now continue as the Army chief for
another six months. PM Khan through an official notification of Aug.19 granted
a 3-year extension to General Bajwa, citing "regional security
environment". Govt withdrew Aug.19 orders after the top court's
observations in the case and issued a fresh notification which was also
rejected by the court yesterday. PTI
UK polls: Labour Party, Corbyn accused of being ‘anti-Hindu’ as Hindu
Council joins Chief Rabbi in attacking him
London: Aday after Britain’s chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis questioned
Jeremy Corbyn’s fitness to be PM because of alleged anti-Semitism in his ranks,
Labour leader has now been accused of also being anti-Hindu. Corbyn has
repeatedly stressed that there is no place for either racism or religious
bigotry in the Labour party but the chief rabbi has received a strong letter of
support from Anil Bhanot, a founder member of the Hindu Council UK and now its
director of inter-faith relations.“We at Hindu Council UK concur that Labour
has increasing become anti-Semitic and anti-Hindu,” Bhanot said in his letter,
which has been picked up the British media.There are some other Hindu
organisations in UK but Buckingham Palace and the Govt tend to treat Hindu
Council as a body representing British Hindu sentiment.The letter added:
“Jeremy Corbyn has remained silent when there has been a strident anti-India
protest which culminated in anti-Hindu sentiments. Our holiest day, Diwali, was
recently targeted by demonstrators prompted by several Labour Party members and
MPs’ support, not least with their openly condemning Hindus in their letters to
PM, foreign office and UN.“Corbyn always speaks against Islamophobia, whereas
any anti-Semitic and anti-Hindu positions remain unchallenged."Never
before has there been such a letter from a major Hindu body, and especially
aimed at the Labour party, which once attracted unquestioning loyalty from
Indians. It was Clement Attlee’s Govt which decided to grant independence to
India despite strong resistance from Tory, Winston Churchill. Now, ironically,
Indians are being urged to return Boris Johnson’s Conservative Govt on
Dec.12.The Telegraph
UK: Muslims angry about 'rampant Islamophobia' in Tory party as Johnson
issues 'apology'
Muslim Council of Britain published an election policy manifesto
highlighting Islamophobia on Wednesday, a day after it called out PM Boris
Johnson's governing Conservatives for failing to deal with allegations of
Islamophobia in their ranks.Later in the day on Wednesday, PM Johnson apologise
"for all the hurt and offence that has been caused" and promised an
independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the party despite claims by some
inquiry has been watered down. MCB's manifesto, published two weeks ahead of
next month's general election, detailed how parties' policies affect Muslims
across the UK. The report said British Muslims care about issues that are
"no different to those facing fellow Britons", such as Brexit, the
National Health Service and the state of the economy.But "there are
serious concerns of the resurgence of the far right, together with growing
Islamophobia from the governing party to sections of the media, which have
shaped social attitudes about Muslims". Alaraby
Erdoğan calls UN, global bodies to designate solidarity day against
Islamophobia
Turkish president on Wednesday called on the UN, international and
regional organizations to designate March 15 as International Solidarity Day
Against Islamophobia. Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks came at the opening ceremony of 35th
Ministerial Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial
Cooperation of Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC)."Those who
claim defending democracy and human rights play ostrich when it comes to
Muslims, and migrants are abused in their own lands,” Erdogan said. On March
15, at least 50 Muslims were killed and as many injured when a terrorist shot
worshippers in cold blood at two mosques in New Zealand .yenisafak.com
All President's 'men': No women, Muslims or Tamils in Gotabaya's Cabinet
expansion
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has expanded his
Cabinet by appointing 35 ministers of state and 3 deputy ministers, all men and
none from Tamil and Muslim minorities, to run his newly-elected Govt until the
parliamentary polls next year. President named his eldest brother Chamal
Rajapaksa, who was already part of his limited 16-member Cabinet, as new
minister of state for defense. There are no women and no members from Tamil and
Muslim minorities among 38 new ministers. However, 16-member interim Cabinet
included 2 Tamils and a woman." President will embark on his first
official visit to India on Friday at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi. newindianexpress
China running hundreds more camps: Uighur activists
Uighur activists said they have documented nearly 500 camps and prisons
run by China to detain the ethnic group, alleging China could be holding far
more than the commonly cited figure of one million people.The East Turkistan
National Awakening Movement, a Washington-based group that seeks independence
for the mostly Muslim region known to China as Xinjiang, said on Tuesday it
assessed images from Google Earth and found 182 suspected "concentration
camps" that it listed by coordinates.The group, which said it matched its
findings with on-the-ground information, said it also spotted 209 suspected
prisons and 74 suspected labour camps, which it would share later."In
large part, these have not been previously identified, so we could be talking
about far greater numbers" of people detained, said Kyle Olbert, director
of operations for the movement. AFP
Myanmar sets up special legal unit as Rohingya cases loom
Myanmar's Govt has set up a special unit on "international criminal
justice" as it faces a series of lawsuits over its brutal crackdown on
Rohingya Muslims in 2017. The unit is designed to strengthen legal expertise
and provide an opinion to Govt ministries in relation to international criminal
law, according to a statement from Office of State Counsellor, Aung San Suu
Kyi. The country's de facto leader and Nobel Peace prize winner is heading the
country's delegation to the United Nations' top court where it faces
accusations of genocide against the Rohingya. The hearings are due to start on
Dec. 10.aljazeera
At 17.5 million, Indian diaspora largest in the world : UN report
India continues to be the largest country of origin of international
migrants with a 17.5 million-strong diaspora across the world, and it received
the highest remittance of USD 78.6 billion from Indians living abroad, the UN
migration agency said.The International Organisation for Migration said in its
'Global Migration Report 2020' that the number of international migrants in
2019 is now estimated at 270 million and the top destination remains the US, at
nearly 51 million.In its latest global report, the IOM noted that the overall
figure represents just a tiny fraction of the world's population, although it
is a 0.1 % increase on the level indicated in its last report, published two
years ago.AP
Over 227 thousands Indians waiting for family-sponsored Green Card
Washington: Over 2,27,000 Indians are waiting in line for
family-sponsored Green Card or legal permanent residency, according to the
latest official data.Currently, there are about four million people waiting in
line for family-sponsored Green Cards against a Congressional cap of 2,26,000
per annum.The largest number of 1.5 million waitlist is from America’s southern
neighbour Mexico, followed by a distant India with 2,27,000 and China with
nearly 1,80,000. PTI
Cairo court renews detention of prominent opposition figure, others over
anti-Govt plot
A cairo criminal court has renewed the detention of prominent opposition
figure Ziad Eleleimy and 3 others over charges of plotting chaos in the country,
a judicial source said.Eleleimy, a leading member of Social Democratic Party
and a former lawmaker, was arrested in June along with seven others over
accusations of collaborating with figures of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood
group abroad to spark violence and riots in the country. Those arrested at the
time included economist Omar El-Shenety and journalists Hossam Moenis and
Hisham Fouad. ahram
Maldives Ex-President Yameen
Sentenced to 5 Years for Money Laundering
Ex Maldives president Abdulla Yameen was convicted and sentenced to 5 years
in prison for money laundering today – as dozens of his supporters gathered
outside the courtroom saying his was innocent. Yameen, who ran Maldives with an
iron hand for 5 years, unexpectedly lost an election last year and has since
faced investigations over a number of deals sealed during his tenure.He was
accused of receiving $1 million of Govt money through a private company as part
of a deal to lease a number of tropical islands for hotel development– charges
he has repeatedly dismissed.Reuters
Scientists Just Spotted an 'Impossible' Black Hole 70 Times the Size of
Our Sun
Astronomers have discovered a black hole in the Milky Way so huge that
it challenges existing models of how stars evolve, researchers said today. LB-1
is 15,000 light years from Earth and has a mass 70 times greater than the Sun,
according to the journal Nature. AFP
views, Articles, FEATURES
Maharashtra shows BJP is becoming that which it claimed to stand in
opposition to
Indian govt and media's harsh reaction to Turkey's comments on Kashmir
an unwarranted misreading of situation: Duygu Çağla Bayram
Citizenship Bill will create more problems than it might solve: M
Mohibul Haque
Ayodhya to Sabarimala:Prafull Goradia, Ex MP
Many fear the rise of majoritarian sentiment in Sri Lanka:Ahilan
Kadirgamar
How the Maharashtra Govt formation drama played out behind-the-scenes
Over 3.5 Crore Cases Pending Across Courts in India, Little Change in
Numbers Since 2014:thewire
Diminishing Returns of Modi-Shah’s Masterstrokes: Sidharth Bhatia
Why is Shia Board chief trying to please BJP?By Amita Verma, IANS
Constitutional Puppet on a String:G.R. Gopinath
Indian Rupee is getting crushed by RBI:Kartik Goyal , Bloomberg
Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims Among Most Excluded From Public Goods:
Report
Minorities in Assam's Chars, Dropouts in Telangana: Tracking India's
Most Excluded:Aishwarya Tripathi and Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
How Low Could India’s Q2 GDP Growth End up Being? The Wire
What is behind Russia-Hamas rapprochement?Adnan Abu Amer
Maharashtra Checkmate: BJP had left Uddhav Thackeray with little
choice:Sujata Anandan
Did Pawars outwit BJP? Sharad Pawar shows how to take on both money and
muscle:Sujata Anandan
Who is fooled by BJP’s lip service to the Constitution?Atul Cowshish
Blasphemous books against Islam: A new trend of Islamophobia in Assam:
Abdurrahman Aman| India Tomorrow
How this makeover plan could be answer to Jama Masjid’s prayers for end
to chaos
Uttarakhand: Cabinet's Nod to Char Dham Shrine Board Includes Rider If
Muslim Becomes CM
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