*04 DEC. 2019: 06 Rabius Sani 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 74*
*INDIA-CAB NRC*
Cabinet clears controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: Inner Line
Permit areas of Arunachal, Nagaland, Mizoram exempted
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB, which seeks to make it easier
for non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to become
citizens of India, has been cleared by the cabinet for tabling in
parliament. Taking into consideration
the concerns of Northeastern states, inner line permit areas of Arunachal,
Nagaland and Mizoram and regions under Sixth Schedule in North East have been
exempted from Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was cleared by the Union
Cabinet today.This means that beneficiaries under CAB will become Indian
citizens but will not be able to settle in Arunachal, Nagaland and Mizoram. As
a matter of fact, the same restriction applies to existing Indian citizens. At
the same time, a large part of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura will be out of the
purview of the contentious bill due to them being under Sixth Schedule
areas.“Nothing in this section shall apply to Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura as
included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, and to the areas covered
under inner line notified under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873,” Bill
mentions.The Citizenship Bill seeks to amend The Citizenship Act, 1955 to make
Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian illegal migrants from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship of India.The
existing Act allows an immigrant to apply for citizenship if s/he has lived in
India for 12 months immediately before the application, and for 11 of the last
14 years. The amendment relaxes the second requirement from 11 years to 6 years
as a specific condition for applicants belonging to these six religions, and the
aforementioned three countries.The Bill, which had lapsed in the previous term
of the Modi government due to massive protests in Rajya Sabha, is expected to
be taken up in Parliament next week.indianexpress /NDTV
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: 10 Points
India a "Hindu Rashtra", says BJP's Ravi Kishan in Citizenship
Bill row
New Delhi: BJP MP Ravi Kishan has controversially said India is a
"Hindu Rashtra" since there are some 100 crore Hindus in the country.
He was weighing in on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was
cleared by cabinet today."The population of Hindus is 100 crores. So
obviously India is a Hindu rashtra (nation). There are so many Muslim and
Christian countries. It is amazing that we have a country called 'Bharat' to
keep alive our culture," the popular actor and lawmaker told ANI."If
there can be Muslim and Christian countries, why can't be a Hindu
country," he questioned. The actor-politiciansaid opposition parties
"have gone mad" over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.ndtv
Citizenship Bill is fundamentally unconstitutional: Shashi Tharoor
Opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, senior Congress leader Shashi
Tharoor said it undermines the fundamental tenets of the Constitution."I
think the bill is fundamentally unconstitutional because the basic idea of
India has been violated in the bill. Those who believe that religion should
determine nationhood... that was the idea of Pakistan, they created Pakistan.
We have always argued that our idea of nation was what Mahatma Gandhi, Nehruji,
Maluana Azad, Dr Ambedkar have said, that religion cannot determine nationhood,"
Tharoor told reporters in Parliament premises."Ours is a country for
everybody and everybody, irrespective of religion, has equal rights in this
country, and the Constitution that they wrote reflected that. Today, this bill
undermines this fundamental tenet of the Constitution," he said.PTI
Citizenship cannot be linked to religion, bill unconstitutional: CPM
CPI(M) has opposed Citizenship Amendment Bill, saying it was
"unacceptable and unconstitutional" as citizenship cannot be
determined by or linked to religion."It is simple. Citizenship cannot be
determined by or linked to religion. This is what makes CAB unacceptable and
unconstitutional. CAB is aimed at destroying the basis of India."India's
citizens are its citizens, irrespective of what faith they follow or don't,
what they eat, what work they do, their caste, creed, place of residence,
gender or colour of skin. No to CAB," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram
Yechury tweeted.NDTV
Reviving 2-nation theory: Owaisi on Citizenship Bill
New Delhi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the Centre’s decision to
bring in CAB is akin to bringing to life Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s two-nation
theory. “Bringing CAB will be a dishonour to our freedom fighters because you
will be reviving the two nation theory. As an Indian Muslim, I rejected
Jinnah’s theory now you are making a law wherein unfortunately you will be
reminding the nation of two-nation theory,” Owaisi was quoted as saying by ANI.
“This law also violates Article 14 and 21 because you are giving citizenship on
the basis of religion which contravenes both the Articles. If we pass this law
then it will be a disrespect towards Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar, the architect
of the Constitution,” Hyderabad MP said.Owaisi said: “If media reports are
correct that Northeast states will be exempted from proposed CAB law then it in
itself is a great violation of Article 14 which is a fundamental right. You
can’t have 2 laws on citizenship in the country.”HT
"No country for Muslims": Mehbooba Mufti's daughter on
citizenship bill
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's daughter
slammed the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill by the Union cabinet
today, terming it as an indication that country's BJP-led central government
does not favour those from the Muslim community."India - No country for
Muslims," a message posted through PDP chief's Twitter handle claimed,
hours after the Union cabinet cleared the controversial bill for tabling in the
parliament. As PDP chief has been in detention since August 5, , her daughter
Sana Iltija Javed operates her social media accounts.NDTV
Bodoland students protest against repeating NRC in Assam, say exercise
targets minorities
New Delhi: Around 300 members of All Bodoland Territorial Council
Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU) Tuesday protested at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi,
against the central government following Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement
of a pan-India NRC.Holding up placards with slogans “Go back Amit Shah”, “Go
back Indian government” and “Go back Himanta Biswa Sarma”, the protesters
accused BJP government in both Assam and the Centre of turning NRC into a
“political sport”.“We vehemently oppose the renewal of NRC process. The people
of Assam have undergone a lot of harassment, especially the Muslims. Himanta
Biswa Sarma and Amit Shah have refused to acknowledge the relentless work of
55,000 state employees to prepare NRC final draft and crores of taxpayers money
spent in the process,” said Nazrul Islam, general secretary, ABMSU.“We have no
patience left and want the government to provide NRC identity cards to those
included in the final list,” he added.theprint
*BABRI
MASJID CASE*
AIMPLB has obtained five litigants’ nod for review petition: Jilani
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) secretary Zafaryab Jilani
on Wednesday said the board had obtained consent from 5 Muslim litigants in the
Ayodhya land dispute case and preparations to file a review petition against
the Supreme Court verdict in the matter had already started.“Our preparations
and paper work are on. But we haven’t decided any date yet. We will file it
when the papers are ready,” Jilani said to HT.AIMPLB secretary’s claim came
days after Maulana Syed Ashhad Rashidi, a legal heir of the original Ayodhya
land dispute litigant M Siddiqui, filed a review petition against the
verdict.Jilani said the purpose behind deciding to file a review petition was
not to hurt or instigate anyone’s religious sentiments, but to save a religious
place as a constitutional right.“We can file the review petition on December 9,
that is also the last day to file a review, or a day before,” he added.HT
Dhavan will represent us in Ayodhya case clarifies Jamiat
Rajeev Dhavan would continue to
represent the Muslim party in the Ayodhya case, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has
clarified. The clarification comes a day after reports stated that Dhavan had
been sacked from the case. The Jamiat in a press note said that there had been
some misunderstanding over the issue. It further said that an apology would be
issued to Dhavan. "President Jamiat Ulama I Hind Maulana Arshad Madani
will be meeting him personally and will sort out the misunderstanding and
controversy looming," party's legal advisor Shahid Nadeem said in a post
on Facebook. Earlier, Dhavan, on Facebook, said he is no longer involved in
either the review or the case. "Just been sacked from the Babri case by
AOR (Advocate on Record) Ejaz Maqbool who was representing the Jamiat. Have
sent formal letter accepting the 'sacking' without demur. No longer involved in
the review or the case," he wrote. oneindia
Ayodhya: Muslim litigants stopped from site visit, send plaint
Ayodhya: Muslim litigants in Ayodhya case, who were mandated by court to
visit and inspect site every fortnight to ensure status quo, alleged they are
not being allowed to enter since the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict and
have dispatched complaints to court-appointed observers and Ayodhya
commissioner. The Muslim litigants went to the site on November 17 and December
1, but were granted access only till Manas Bhawan, administrative building of
the site, and were denied entry in the area of makeshift temple.After
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had completed excavation at disputed site
in 2003, Allahabad high court had ordered fortnightly inspections of site and
items found in excavation by litigants from both sides, the divisional
commissioner, who is the receiver, district and ASI officers under the
supervision of two judges as observers to ensure status quo is being
maintained.Later, the Supreme Court had also ordered continuation of same
arrangement.Muslim litigants Mufti Hasbullah and Iqbal Ansari visited the site
on November 17, and claimed they were denied entry beyond Manas Bhawan, adding
they had access to entire area before verdict.Mufti Hasbullah and another litigant
Mohammad Umar visited the site on December 1, but were denied entry.Mufti
Hasbullah told TOI he has sent a complaint to SC-appointed observer and
commissioner informing they were being denied entry in acquired area without
any court sanction to this effect.Ayodhya ADM PD Gupta, told TOI, "The SC
has already delivered its verdict in the title suit. Now, the site would be
handed over to the trust, so what is the need for inspection for ensuring
status quo."TOI
Ayodhya judgment was made on faith, not facts, but it should be honored:
Former UP Governor
Agra:Former Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi has
called the Supreme Court judgement on Ayodhya dispute "a decision made on
the basis of faith and not facts."However, Qureshi also added that since
the decision has been pronounced by the Supreme Court, it should be
respected.Criticizing the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, Qureshi
also said, "Yogi government closed down slaughter houses in the entire
state, while new ones were not established. The small and medium meat
businessmen were forced into unemployment as the meat shops in small localities
were closed down, while meat exporters are enjoying as non-muslims are also
connected with the meat export business."indiatoday
*OTHERS*
Chidambaram walks out of jail: 'After 106 days of incarceration, not one
charge framed against me'
Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media money
laundering case, was released from Tihar on Wednesday after the Supreme Court
granted him bail. Walking out after 106 days of incarceration, the Congress
leader said “not one charge (was) framed against me” during that duration.“I
will address a press conference tomorrow. I am happy that I stepped out and
breathing the air of freedom after 106 days,” he told reporters after his
release.Chidambaram, 74, was arrested by CBI in connection with irregularities
in granting FIPB clearance to INX Media. Scores of Congress workers greeted the
former Union minister as he stepped out of the prison. Congress leader and his
son Karti later arrived at the residence of the party’s interim president Sonia
Gandhi. His son Karti, who was waiting outside the jail, said he was elated as
his father was all set to return home. “It has been a long wait. I am very
grateful that the Supreme Court has given him bail. I am very grateful to
entire top Congress leadership, who have supported him through all this,” PTI
quoted him as saying.Earlier today, a 3-judge SC bench headed by Justice R
Banumathi set aside a Delhi High Court order dismissing Chidambaram’s bail plea
but agreed that the charges against him could be treated as ‘grave’. The senior
Congress leader, however, was restrained by the apex Court from giving any
press interviews or making public comments regarding him or other co-accused in
the INX Media money laundering case.indianexpress
Submission of documents in sealed cover against ‘concept of free trial’:
SC in Chidambaram case
Civic freedoms in India progressively shrinking in Modi regime: Report
The space for dissension with the majoritarian narrative, free
expression and criticising the ruling dispensation is shrinking in India, a
report by CIVICUS Monitor, a global research collaboration which rates and
tracks respect for fundamental freedoms in 196 countries, said today. Based on
its findings, the global freedom watchdog has downgraded India’s rating from
‘Obstructed’ to ‘Repressed’ in its new People Power Under Attack 2019 report. A
repressed rating for civic space means that democratic freedoms, such as the
freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, are significantly
constrained in India. The rating changed after a thorough assessment of the
state of civic freedoms in the country and comes after a year of regular
monitoring.The report has expressed “extreme concern” about the crackdown on
human rights activists, attacks on journalists and civil society groups, and
the lockdown on civic freedoms in Jammu and Kashmir.“The Narendra Modi
government seems to be turning its back on civic freedoms by going after its
critics including activists and journalists,” said Josef Benedict, a researcher
at CIVICUS.nationalheraldindia
Amit Shah: To curb lynchings, panel set up to suggest amendments in IPC,
CrPC
Amid a spurt in mob lynching cases in recent years, Union Home Minister
Amit Shah informed Rajya Sabha Wednesday that the government had set up a
committee to suggest necessary amendments in Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code
of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to deal with the issue. Responding to a series of
queries during Question Hour, Shah said he had written to all state chief
ministers and governors to send recommendations on making changes to IPC and
CrPC after consulting with experienced investigating officers and public
prosecutors. “Under Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), a
committee has been set up to make changes in IPC and CrPC. We will start
working on amendments after receiving recommendations from the committee,” Amit
Shah said. Home Minister said the government would keep in mind Supreme Court
orders while making changes to IPC and CrPC. The SC had in a July 17 judgment
asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with
incidents of mob lynching, saying “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be
allowed to become a new norm.Earlier this week, Bajaj Group chairman Rahul
Bajaj expressed concern on the absence of effective action against lynchings in
the presence of the Home Minister and other union ministers.indian express
Cabinet clears data privacy bill, will be tabled in Parliament
New Delhi: Personal Data Protection Bill will be tabled in the ongoing
Winter Session of parliament in the next few days, after it was cleared today
by a Union Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bill
will make the right to privacy an absolute one, subject to concerns. This will
mean that the data protection authority to be established to oversee
implementation will be allowed to monitor, intercept and read data citing
national security.The bill will also regulate the collection, storage and
processing of personal data by government and private agencies, and enforce
penalties and compensation for possible misuse. In addition it will also have a
code of conduct and an enforcement model.The proposed legislation could also
impact companies operating in the country, even if they do not have a physical
presence, due to data localisation requirements and cross-border data transfer
restrictions.Another feature of the proposed bill is safeguards regarding the
reporting of data breach; this is significant given the controversy surrounding
the Pegasus malware that led to a massive privacy breach among WhatsApp users. Concerns
over data localisation were earlier raised by US President Donald Trump.US
firms like Google, MasterCard, Visa and Amazon have lobbied against data
localisation rules around world including India.ndtv
Data of 20 out of 121 WhatsApp users targeted using Pegasus may have
been accessed: Govt
Government on Wednesday said personal data of 20 WhatsApp users out of
the 121 users targeted using Pegasus spyware may have been accessed by the
attacker.Facebook-owned Whatsapp had said that Indian journalists and human
rights activists were among those globally spied upon by unnamed entities using
Pegasus spyware.“WhatsApp continues to review the available information. It
also mentioned that WhatsApp believes it is likely that personal data within
the WhatsApp app of approximately twenty users may have been accessed out of
approximately one hundred and twenty one users in India whose devices the attacker
attempted to reach,” Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Lok Sabha.PTI
India is 5th worst offender in the world for invasive use of biometric
data, says report
New Delhi: India is the fifth worst country after China, Malaysia,
Pakistan and the US in terms of extensive and invasive use of biometric data, a
report released Wednesday by a UK-based firm has revealed. Comparitech, a
pro-consumer website on technology services, analysed 50 countries on five
different aspects such as visas and biometric voting system to “offer a fair
country-by-country comparison” of biometric usage.For the study, the countries
were analysed on where biometrics were being taken, what they were being taken
for and how they were being stored. The countries were scored out of 25 with a
higher number suggesting extensive and invasive use of biometrics.India shares
the fifth position with Indonesia, The Philippines and Taiwan, and scores
19/25.theprint
Cabinet Approves Extension Of SC/ST Reservation In Lok Sabha, State
Assemblies
Union Cabinet today approved a
proposal to extend the reservation for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state
assemblies for 10 years but is learnt to have done away with a similar quota
for Anglo-Indian community.The reservation for these categories in the Lok
Sabha and assemblies was to expire on January 25, 2020. The government will
bring a bill to extend the reservation till Jan.25, 2030, in the ongoing winter
session.PTI
Chhattisgarh: 6 ITBP personnel killed, 2 injured in fratricidal shootout
after dispute at Kadenar camp
Raipur: At least 6 personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were
killed at Kadenar camp in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district today in an
alleged fratricidal shootout following a dispute. Two others were injured in
the incident that occurred at around 8.30 am.“An ITBP constable, identified as
Masudul Rahman, opened fire from his service weapon after some unknown dispute
among them,” IGP (Bastar range) Sundarraj P was quoted as saying by PTI. IG
said it was yet to be ascertained whether Rahman killed himself or was shot
dead by his colleagues. “It was not yet clear whether Rahman killed himself or
died in retaliation by his colleagues. Weapons of the killed jawans will be
checked to ascertain whether they had retaliated or not,” he said.The deceased
were identified as head constables Mahendra Singh and Daljit Singh, and
constables Surjit Sarkar, Biswaroop Mahto and Bijeesh. Constables SB Ullas and
Sitaram Doon were injured in the incident.indianexpress
At Least 18 Indians among 23 killed in explosion in Sudan ceramics
factory, confirms embassy
Khartoum: At least 18 Indians were among the 23 people killed and more
than 130 injured in a horrific LPG tanker blast at a ceramic factory in Sudan,
the Indian mission said here on Wednesday.Sixteen Indians were missing after
the incident that happened at Seela Ceramic Factory in Bahri area in Khartoum,
the national capital, on Tuesday."As per the latest reports, but so far
not confirmed officially, 18 are dead," Indian Embassy said in a release.
"Some of the missing may be in the list of dead, which we are still to
receive as identification is not possible because of the bodies being
burnt."The embassy on Wednesday issued a detailed list of Indians who were
hospitalised, went missing or survived the tragedy. Official Sources in New
Delhi said 68 Indians were working in the factory.External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar said the embassy representative has rushed to the site and a 24-hour
emergency hotline set up by the Indian Embassy in Khartoum.news18
It’s embarrassing to come & ask for money, 6 states finance
ministers tell Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman
In a meeting with Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance
Ministers from Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and
Delhi said, “It is embarrassing to come and ask for money.”The finance
ministers of 6 states met the Union Finance Minister over the delayed transfer
of compensation for the losses incurred by implementation of GST in 2017.Under
the Constitution Amendment Bill, states have been guaranteed compensation for a
period of five years to offset the shortfall in tax revenue, after GST subsumed
17 central and state levies.Congress had raised concerns over this issue in the
Rajya Sabha last week. Congress said that a continued delay in payments to
states could result in salaries not being paid on time and stoppage of
development work."We had an open and frank discussion with Union Finance
Minister over unreleased compensation (August and Sept) for states. The
question also includes compensation for the next two months... so it is up to
November. We are facing issues... can't close jails, schools and hospitals. We
need to pay pensions... states have many responsibilities," said Manpreet
Singh Badal, Punjab Finance Minister to reporters after the meeting."We
can't come to Delhi every day... don't feel good and we feel embarrassed. Those
who ask for money are not taken seriously...Government of India is under
obligation to pay," he said. He added Union Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman had assured the states that funds would be released as soon as
possible.nationalheraldindia
Onion prices bring some giggles with tears: Twitterati recalls Smriti
Irani’s old onion tweet
Even as high onion prices continued to make consumers teary-eyed,
Twitter users on Wednesday had fun over an old tweet by BJP leader Smriti
Irani.One user posted Irani's tweet from December 2010, when her party was in
the opposition and wrote: "Old tweets are so funny." Irani's tweet on
@smritiirani read: "Income Tax department is keeping a watch on all
high-value transactions... don't buy onions :-)."#OnionPrices soon trended
on Twitter, garnering 1,165 tweets. One user replied to @smritiirani:
"How? Please tell us?"Another twitter user ‘thanked’ Smriti Irani for
giving such an ‘advisory’ nine years ago. Twitterati also posted memes on the
issue, with one putting out a clipping of an old speech by Narendra Modi. One
meme pertained to the use of an onion as company logo, with the caption:
"After seeing onion prices, Apple want to change its logo in
India".IANS
After JNU, IIMC joins demand for fee hike rollback
After JNU, protest over fee hike in public-funded institutes reached Indian
Institute of Mass Communication, as the students of the institute protested
against the "unaffordable" fee structure, and accused the
administration of the institute of turning a "blind eye" to their
issues.In a statement to the media, the students of IIMC claimed they had tried
to be in dialogue to convince administration on bringing down the fee hike, but
the administration was unmoved so the students were forced to protest."For
the past one week we are trying to seek redressal of our issues through
dialogue but the Administration has been turning a blind eye to our issues
saying it is beyond their ambit to alter the fee structure. Now, that we have
tested the other resorts, protest is the only option," says Hrishikesh, a
student of Radio & TV Journalism at IIMC.IANS
MEA distances itself from envoy’s ‘Israel model’ remark for Kashmiri
Pandits — with silence
New Delhi:Ministry of External Affairs seems to have distanced itself
from the comments made by India’s Consul General in New York Sandeep
Chakravorty, who was seen in a video promoting the Israeli settlements in West
Bank as a model for Kashmiri Pandits to follow in claiming their land back in
the Kashmir Valley.It has been more than a week since the video emerged and
went viral, but MEA has not made any statement. A senior official told ThePrint
on the condition of anonymity that this is because while Chakravorty was
speaking to Indian nationals, especially Kashmiri Hindus, he did not “inform
the headquarters of his participation in the event”.The official added that
since the event was a private one, it was imperative for Chakravorty to “weigh
the pros and cons” before talking on “anything that the government does not
endorse”.The official also said the ministry thinks the video was “leaked”, and
that it was shot “without the knowledge” of the Consul General.However, in the
video, Chakravorty had said he was speaking in “official capacity”, and that
Kashmiri Pandits should follow the “Israeli model”.Since the video came out,
there has been only one tweet from Chakravorty, stating that his remarks were
“taken out of context”.ThePrint’s messages and phone calls to the Consul
General in New York went unanswered. The Ministry of External Affairs also
declined to comment.theprint
Rally in Myanmar demands removal of Manipur armed groups from region
New Delhi: Tedim township in Myanmar’s Chin state, which borders the
northeastern states of Mizoram and Manipur, witnessed a huge rally of residents
on November 30, demanding that the country’s army remove the camps of the armed
groups belonging to Manipur’s Meitei community, and the cadres be expelled from
their area.The rally, jointly organised by 28 Zomi civil society groups
including Zomi Student and Youth Organisation (ZSYO), had over 500 protesters,
who gathered to demand justice for the killing of a popular female school
teacher in Tonzang area on November 17 night by a member of a Meitei armed
group.Locals said that the group has set up bases in the area since 2004, after
a raid by the Indian Army led it to vacate its camps in Sajik Tampak in
Manipur’s Chandel district.thewire
UP clerk suspended for Quran recitation in SDM court
Lucknow:A UP government clerk (nazir) in Auraiya district was suspended
after a video went viral showing “Qurankhaani” (Quran recitation) being held inside
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) court located in an under-construction tehsil
building.Laeeq Ahmad (51) was suspended on Monday by DM Abhishek Singh after a
preliminary probe found him responsible for organising Qurankhaani inside the
tehsil premises without taking permission from anyone.DM Singh, when contacted,
denied that Ahmad was suspended for holding the religious function, and said
that action was taken against him as he is facing charges of
irregularities.However, ADM (Judicial) M P Singh, who conducted the probe on
the basis of which Ahmad was suspended, said that the nazir had organised
‘Qurankhani’ inside SDM court without seeking anyone’s permission, and
therefore he was suspended.indianexpress
JNU sedition case: HC refuses to direct AAP govt to grant sanction for
prosecution of Kanhaiya Kumar
Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to direct the AAP government to
grant sanction for prosecution of former JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya
Kumar in a sedition case.A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari
Shankar said it cannot pass any direction in this regard and it is for the
Delhi government to decide as per existing rules, policy, law and facts of that
case on whether to grant approval for prosecution.The court, while disposing of
the petition, said it appeared that the petitioner, former BJP MLA Nand Kishor
Garg, has some personal interest in the FIR. The plea has sought issuance of
guidelines “for expeditious disposal of criminal cases of serious nature where
there is involvement of the influential persons as accused”.On this, the court
said it sees no reason to direct the government for such guidelines over and
above the existing law. PTI/indian express
BJP MP seeks details from DM: Who all donated land to AMU
Lucknow :A day after raising objection with AMU not celebrating the
birth anniversary of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, who had donated land to set up
the institute, BJP Aligarh MP Satish Gautam wrote to the District Magistrate on
Monday seeking details of those who had contributed plot for the varsity.Gautam
said if the university celebrated the birth anniversary of its founder Sir Syed
Ahmad Khan, then it should also celebrate the birth anniversary of Raja
Mahendra Pratap Singh, who had given the land for the university.The university
administration, meanwhile, stated that seminars and other events are held in
honour of other prominent personalities, including Raja Singh.AMU Registrar
Abdul Hameed said the university only celebrated the birth anniversary of its
founder.“We organise seminars to mark the birth anniversary of Singh and other
donors regularly to honour their contribution,” said Hameed, adding that the
university is spread on around 1,000 acre land. indianexpress
PIL says burning Ravan effigies ‘inauspicious practice’, SC junks it
New Delhi :The Supreme Court has
dismissed a plea which wanted the court to examine the Constitutionality of the
practice of burning of effigies of Ravan during Dussehra, saying it cannot sit
in judgment over people’s beliefs and cultural practices.Justice NV Ramana,
heading a three-judge bench which heard the PIL by advocate Bipin Bihari Singh,
agreed with his contention that Ravan, whom the Ramayan says was the king of
Lanka, was a great scholar but added that people’s beliefs about him vary from
place to place and the court cannot monitor it.Justice Ramana observed, “No
doubt Ravan was a great scholar. Puranas say Lord Shiva blessed him. There is
no doubt as far as this aspect is concerned. In some places, he is worshipped
as a hero. In India, there is a different view…. How can we prevent people from
following what they believe about it? The court cannot monitor religious
beliefs.”indianexpress
Bhima Koregaon: NCP Leaders Ask Thackeray to Withdraw Cases Against
Activists
Mumbai:Nearly 18 months after rights activists and lawyers were sent to
jail on bizarre charges of being “urban Naxals”, the newly formed Maha Vikas
Aghadi government in Maharashtra is showing signs of taking another look into
the allegations. NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde has written to the state’s chief
minister Uddhav Thackeray, requesting him to look into “false allegations” made
against activists and lawyers who have been languishing in jail. Munde, in his
letter, has demanded that the cases be withdrawn and the activists be released
soon. NCP, along with Sena and Congress has recently formed a govt in the
state. thewire
Inside Kailaasa, Rape-Accused Nithyananda’s ‘Only Hindu’ Nation
Abuse, assault, rape, embezzlement – the list of allegations against
self-styled Godman Nithyananda is getting longer. However, that has not stopped
the man from establishing his own country. Yes, you read that right. He has
bought a private island, named ‘Kailaasa.’ He has declared the island a Hindu
sovereign nation and has already designed a flag, a passport and an emblem for
it. The exact location of the island is still unknown, but a few sources say it
might be near Ecuador. All information isn’t derived from sources but is
publicly available on Kailaasa’s official website – which has a Constitution
for the new ‘nation’, intricate details about it and even quizzes!The official
website states, “Kailaasa is a nation without borders created by dispossessed
Hindus from around the world who lost the right to practice Hinduism
authentically in their own countries.” The Constitution goes on for 547 pages
and is written in Tamil, Sanskrit, and Hindi. The website reads that though Kailaasa
Movement was actually founded in US and spearheaded by members of Hindu Adi
Shaivite minority community, Nithyananda has created this space as a safe haven
for all Hindus; irrespective of race, gender, sect, caste, or creed.But first,
a reality check. Contrary to the “safe haven” image, Nithyananda has fled India
and is on the run from security agencies here. He is being investigated in
criminal cases including raping a girl inside his ashram in Karnataka as well
as kidnapping and abusing minors in his ashram in Gujarat. Nithyananda has not
appeared in court for more than forty hearings of cases against him.Sources have
told The Quint that he has escaped to Ecuador via Nepal. His passport had
expired in Sept.2018 and has still not been renewed.thequint
Gujarat has recorded at least one rape per day since 2014
New Delhi: Despite tall claims of Gujarat being a safe state for women,
statistics from the state crime records bureau (SCRB) show that the state has
reported at least one rape per day since 2014, according to a report in the
TOI.Additionally, records show that the state has reported an average of 1,200
molestation cases every year in the same period, which is an average of three
women molested every day.In 2018, the number of rape cases rose to 572 –highest
in six years – from 424 cases in 2014. In 2019, up till Sept, Gujarat reported
about 400 rape cases. In 2018 the state had reported 447 cases till Sept.
Between 2014 and September 2019, Gujarat reported a total of 2,775 rape cases. Between
2015 and September 2019, Ahmedabad reported 291 rape cases – the highest of the
state’s four major cities.TOI/ thewire
UP teen gang-raped in car with police logo, ex-cop's son among accused
Mirzapur: 4 people, including a CRPF jawan and the son of a retired
police official, have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a class
10 student. The car in which the girl was kidnapped had a police logo on
it.Inspector of Halia police station, Deviver Shukla, said that a case against
the accused has been registered for kidnapping and gang rape under POCSO Act on
Tuesday.The girl, 15, was allegedly assaulted on Monday at an isolated place in
Halia. The police officer said one of accused, Jai Prakash Maurya, is the son
of retired jailor, Brijlal Maurya.Jai Prakash's sister had settled in a village
in Halia after marriage and he had been visiting her house several times in the
last few months during which he came in contact with the survivor.The
survivor's father alleged that Jai Prakash made a call to the girl on her
mobile and asked her to step out and meet him at a spot on the outskirts of the
village where he was present along with his three friends in a car.Jai Prakash
then forcibly took her to an isolated location, where all four allegedly raped
her.The car belongs to Jai Prakash Mauya and a probe is on to ascertain how he
got the police logo printed on it. bThe father then registered a case against
all four persons - Jai Prakash, Luv Kumar Pal, Ganesh Prasad and CRPF constable
Mahendra Kumar Yadav, who is posted in Sultanpur.IANS
Telangana Govt sets up fast-track court to hear rape and murder case of Hyderabad
veterinarian
Hyderabad: Telangana government on Wednesday announced that it will set
up a fast-track court in Mahbubnagar for a speedy trial in the gruesome rape
and murder of a woman veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad.The gang rape
of the 26-year-old doctor, whose body was set on fire and dumped near a toll
booth in the Telangana capital, has sent shockwaves through the country, with
hundreds of women taking to the streets to voice their outrage. Protesters have
called for a speedy trial and sought death penalty for the four accused, who
were arrested a few days after the incident came to light. 3 days after the
rape and murder, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had promised the
establishment of a fast-track court to "deal with the horrific case".
Rao had also rooted for stringent punishment for the accused.News18
UP Student Who Accused Chinmayanand Of Rape Gets Bail After 2 Months
Lucknow: A 23-year-old law student who accused former Union Minister
Chinmayanand of rape was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday,
2 months after she was arrested on extortion charges. Chinmayanand was arrested
on Sept.20 after the woman, a student at a law college in Shahjahanpur, accused
him of rape. However, based on a counter-complaint, police also arrested her
and three others on charges of trying to extort Rs 5 crore from ex BJP
leader."We argued that our client has already spent 2-and-a-half months in
jail when most of the offences registered against her are bailable. We also
brought to the court's notice that the investigation in the case was over, a
chargesheet had been filed, and the woman herself was a victim of rape. She was
granted bail after that,"Swetashwa Agarwal, the law student's counsel,
said.The woman has alleged that Chinmayanand, who runs several ashrams and
educational institutions, sexually exploited her after helping her gain
admission in his law college last year. ndtv
PM Modi's Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas has now become Sabka Vinash: Tarun
Gogoi
Guwahati:Former Chief Minister of Assam and senior Congress leader Tarun
Gogoi slammed BJP-led central government for the diminishing GDP rate and said
Modi govt's "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" has now become "Sabka
Vinash".In the recently released figures, the country's GDP has fallen
below 4.5 per cent in the second quarter (July to Sept). Tarun Gogoi said,
"Instead of Vikas, now it has been Vinash."He also said undeclared
emergency is now going on in the country."The wrong policies, especially
demonetisation and subsequently GST implementation by the Modi govt, are
responsible for bringing down GDP. GDP means, the growth of the country,
domestic product of the country. The economy is on the down sides. People are
losing jobs, their earning has gone down and there is a distress
everywhere," Gogoi said.indiatoday
Kamlesh Tiwari murder: UP court grants bail to man accused of helping
main suspects
A court in Uttar Pradesh has granted bail to the man accused of helping
those who allegedly murdered Hindu Samaj Party leader Kamlesh Tiwari . Chief
Judicial Magistrate’s court allowed bail to Kaifi Ali Rizvi, a cleric based in
Uttar Pradesh’s city of Bareilly, on two personal bonds of Rs 20,000 each. The
lawyer, representing Rizvi, contended that the accusations against his client
were bailable.SIT set up to look into Tiwari’s murder had arrested Rizvi on
October 24 for allegedly sheltering the two accused. The Hindutva leader was
attacked inside his office in Khurshed Bagh in Lucknow on October 18. The
assailants had slit his throat, and shot him. He died while undergoing
treatment in the hospital.The main suspects, identified as 34-year-old Ashfaq
Hussain Jakir Hussain Shaikh and 27-year-old Moinuddin Khurshid Pathan, were
arrested from Gujarat. Around a dozen more arrested in the case are still in
jail.IANS/scroll
Over 60 arrested in Kolkata as Hindu Jagaran Manch members clash with
police
Kolkata: Members of fringe outfit Hindu Jagaran Manch clashed with the
police at Sealdah in Kolkata after they were stopped from taking out a rally
today leading to a massive traffic snarl in central Kolkata.Police lathicharged
hundreds of Hindu Jagaran Manch members who attempted to break the barricades
and move forward, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said. BJP MP Anupam Hazra
was also involved in a scuffle with the police.Over 60 of them were arrested, police
said. A large number of police personnel, led by Deputy Commissioner (Central)
Sudheer Kumar Neelakantam, were deployed to tackle the situation, he added.PTI
Karnataka bypolls: Election for 15 seats vacated by Congress, JD(S)
rebels tomorrow; contest ego battle for opposition, survival
Bypolls to 15 of the 17 Karnataka seats that fell vacant after rebel
Congress and JD(S) MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker for violating their
party whip and allowing rival BJP to prop up its government, are scheduled for
Thursday (5 December).After the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition
government, which lasted for 14 months, the two allies have parted ways and are
contesting the bypolls independently.However, the Congress on Sunday indicated
it was not averse to joining hands with JD(S) once again, in case the ruling
BJP fails to garner required number of seats to be in majority. But JD(S)
patriarch HD Deve Gowda's contradictory statement on the issue indicate that
the regional party has not quite made up its mind.firstpost
Govt banned 14,500 NGOs from receiving foreign funds in past 5 years
New Delhi: As many as 14,500 NGOs, registered under the Foreign
Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), were banned in the last five years from
receiving funds from abroad, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Union
minister of state for home Nityanand Rai also said so far this year, the
ministry has cancelled FCRA registration of 1,808 NGOs.PTI
*WORLD*
Trump abused office, obstructed inquiry says impeachment report as probe
enters new phase with landmark hearing
Democrat-led US House of Representatives is set to reach a turning point
in its inquiry into whether President Donald Trump improperly pressured the
government of Ukraine to interfere in US politics, moving from an investigative
phase to deciding whether Trump should be impeached.With the president abroad
at the NATO meetings in London, the shift marks a perilous moment in his
troubled presidency after the release on Tuesday of a 300-page report by House
Intelligence Committee investigators describing Trump's months-long effort to
pressure Ukraine.The report issued by the House Intelligence Committee,
together with the Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees, alleges Trump
"subverted US foreign policy toward Ukraine" and "undermined"
US national security by seeking two politically motivated investigations to
"help his presidential re-election campaign".It also accuses Trump
and his lawyers of obstructing the House impeachment investigation.In a
landmark hearing on Wednesday, 4 constitutional law scholars will discuss
whether the case against Trump meets a political and legal test for
impeachment."The big issue facing the Judiciary Committee is, what
constitutes an impeachable offence," said Melissa Murray, a professor of
law at the New York University law school.The US Constitution provides for the
removal of a US president for commission of treason, bribery or "high
crimes and misdemeanours", a phrase that invokes politics as well as law,
Murray told Al Jazeera.
Trump abused office, obstructed inquiry: impeachment report
Indian-origin Kamala Harris drops out of 2020 US presidential race,
‘we’ll miss you,’ says Trump
Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris has dropped out of the 2020 US
Democratic presidential race.The sudden and surprising announcement by Harris,
55, came during a call with her campaign staffers on Tuesday."To my
supporters, it is with deep regret -- but also with deep gratitude -- that I am
suspending my campaign today," Harris said in a tweet."But I want to
be clear with you: I will keep fighting everyday for what this campaign has
been about. Justice for the people. All the people," Harris said.Harris,
who is of mixed Indian and African heritage, had been polling poorly in recent
weeks.PTI
China condemns US bill against Uighur camps
China has condemned a US bill demanding the closure of so-called
"re-education" camps for Uighurs.US legislation - still to be passed
by the Senate - also threatens sanctions against Communist Party officials
blamed for abuses.More than a million of the Muslim minority are imprisoned as
part of a long-running govt crackdown in Xinjiang region.aljazeera
Ending divisive meeting, NATO agrees to Baltics defence plan
Following a day of drama that revealed deep wounds within NATO, members
of the military alliance meeting near London attempted to put on a united front
by adopting a common summit statement as they agreed to an updated defence plan
for the Baltics and Poland, which Turkey had previously threatened to
block.NATO leaders said in a concluding statement today that Russia's
"aggressive actions" were a threat to Euro-Atlantic security, and
that China's growing influence presented challenges for alliance."Our
solemn commitment as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that an
attack against one ally shall be considered an attack against us all,"
they said.Turkey had warned it would refuse to endorse the plan to bolster
defence in Baltic states neighbouring Russia and Poland, with President Tayyip
Erdogan demanding the alliance recognise groups that Ankara deems terrorists,
including YPG militia.But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg today said,
"We stand together, all for one and one for all. Our commitment to Article
5, collective defence clause of our alliance, is ironclad."aljazeera
NATO leaders to confront Trump over 'delinquent' military moves
French parliament backs resolution calling anti-Zionism a form of
antisemitism
The French parliament backed a resolution on Tuesday labelling
anti-Zionism a form of antisemitism. The motion proposes to adopt the
definition issued by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA),
which states that some criticism of Israel could be antisemitic. “Criticising
the very existence of Israel as a collective composed of Jewish citizens is
tantamount to hatred towards the Jewish community as a whole,” the resolution
states. The resolution has passed with 154 votes for and 72 against. It was
drafted by Sylvain Maillard, Paris lawmaker from French President Emmanuel
Macron’s La Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move) centrist party.In Feb,
a few days after an attack on Jewish French philosopher Alain Finkelkraut on
the sidelines of a yellow vest protest in Paris, Macron said anti-Zionism was
one of the modern forms of antisemitism and that he would accept IHRA
definition. Earlier this week, a group of 129 Jewish and Israeli scholars
signed a petition calling on French National Assembly not to support the
resolution. The signatories criticised
the proposal for reducing Israel to a “collective composed of Jewish citizens”,
thereby obliterating the Palestinians citizens of the country, as well as those
Jews who hold anti-Zionist opinions. “For Palestinians,Zionism means
dispossession, displacement, occupation and structural inequality," the
letter says. middleeasteye
Settlers rent out expropriated Palestinian land to Jerusalem
Municipality
An Israeli settler organisation is renting out part of a plot of
expropriated Palestinian land to the Jerusalem Municipality who gave them the
land in the first place. According to Haaretz, Israeli authorities pay “nearly
1 million shekels ($224,000) a year to the Amana settlement organisation in
exchange for operating a welfare department in one floor of an office building
that the group bought from the government for that same price.”Amana, a group
dedicated to settlement development in the occupied Palestinian territory, only
received the plot – located in Sheikh Jarrah, occupied East Jerusalem – from
the government in the first place “after it was expropriated from a Palestinian
family”. Amana operates under Yesha Council, an umbrella organisation of
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to Haaretz, it is “most
important independent body for the establishment of new settlements and the
expansion of existing ones in the West Bank.”The land in question – on which
Amana has built an office building – “belonged to Palestinian Abu Ta’ah family,
which lives nearby”,Haaretz reported.MEMO
Afghanistan: Deadly attack on medical aid team
At least six people, including a Japanese physician and aid worker, have
been killed after unknown gunmen attacked their vehicle in the eastern Afghan
city of Jalalabad, officials said.Tetsu Nakamura, head of Peace Japan Medical
Services, died of his wounds on Wednesday after armed attack in Nangarhar
province that left five Afghan members of his entourage, including the doctor's
bodyguards, the driver and a passenger, dead.No one immediately claimed
responsibility for the attack, the second in as many weeks targeting aid
workers in Afghanistan.aljazeera
Afghans demand justice amid attempt to probe war crimes at ICC
Masih Ur-Rahman's 7 children and wife were killed in a US air strike on
their house last September in Wardak, a central Afghan province.Four other
relatives in the house, all children, also died."I lost everything in this
life," he told Al Jazeera. "I ask myself every day, how could I have
been strong enough to bury my children and wife, whose bodies were deformed and
bloody? How did I not die of pain?"His four daughters aged 14, 12, seven
and five, and three sons - 10, eight and four, were all at home as he worked
over the border in Iran, trying to eke out a better income to support
them.aljazeera
Scores killed in airstrikes in Syria’s Idlib
19 people were killed and 50 injured in a bloody day of indiscriminate
airstrikes by Russian and Assad regime forces on rebel-held Idlib province in
northwestern Syria.Sources from Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White
Helmets, told The New Arab's Arabic-language service that 10 people were killed
in an airstrike on a vegetable market in the city of Maarat al-Numan in the
south of Idlib province, two of them women.Six people were killed when a prison
was bombed on the outskirts of Idlib city during family visiting hours. Among
those killed were a woman and 2 children visiting their families.Another
civilian was killed in an airstrike on a market in Saraqeb according to the
Civil Defence.Civil Defence said that a total of 50 civilians had been injured
in the airstrikes, including six children and two women.alaraby
Saudi invites Qatar to GCC summit as expectations of Gulf reconciliation
grow
Saudi Arabia's King Salman invited Qatar's emir to a summit meeting next
week of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, Qatari state media reported
Tuesday without specifying if Doha had accepted."Emir Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad Al-Thani received a written message from...Saudi King Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al-Saud to attend the meeting of 40th session of Gulf Cooperation
Council supreme council in Riyadh on Dec 10," Qatar News Agency
reported.alaraby.co.uk
Egypt: MEPs show solidarity with detained human rights activists
Members of the European parliament have expressed solidarity with the
Egyptian-Palestinian politician Ramy Shaath and other human rights activists
detained in Egypt and are calling for their release.In a series of photos
published on a Twitter account in solidarity with Shaath, politicians hold up
pictures of Ramy and the human rights lawyer Mahienour El-Massry, who was
imprisoned once in 2014 on charges based on the protest law and again during
the 20 September protests.Behind them are photos of lawyer Ibrahim Metlawy,
co-founder of 6 April Israa Abdelfattah, former parliamentarian Zyad El-Elaimy,
housing researcher Ibrahim Ezz-Eldin, lawyer Mohamed Al-Baqer, legal adviser
Hoda Abdelmoneim, activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, Haytham Mohamadeen and Asmaa
Dabees, all of whom have been detained by Egyptian authorities for their work
in the field of human rights.Shaath was arrested on 5 July from his home in
Cairo after security agents entered his home and seized his hard drives and
computers. His wife was forcibly deported by security forces.MEMO
Iran: Rouhani calls for release of 'innocent, unarmed' protesters
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has called for release of any unarmed
and innocent people arrested during the protests against fuel price increases
after two weeks of violent clashes.The unrest, which began on November 15 after
the government abruptly raised fuel prices by as much as 300 percent, spread to
more than 100 Iranian cities and towns and turned political as young and
working-class protesters demanded the religious leaders step
down."Religious and Islamic clemency should be shown and those innocent
people who protested against petrol price hikes and were not armed ... should be
released," Rouhani said on Wednesday.aljazeera
Mexican couple converts to Islam after watching Resurrection: Ertuğrul
A Mexican couple were inspired to convert to
Islam after watching hit Turkish TV series Resurrection: Ertuğrul, and meeting
with one of its actors at a convention in Los Angeles, US. Celal Al, who plays Abdulrahman Alp in the hit period drama, attended
the 22nd annual meeting of the Muslim American Society (MAS), a flagship Muslim
organization, and gave a speech about the series and Turkey. yenisafak
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
A lesser-known narrative of Ayodhya from 1857 — and the dispute:Anand
Patwardhan
What is the Justice Loya case and how is Amit Shah involved?
freepressjournal
Why does India’s media cover some rapes extensively and ignore
others?Kalpana Sharma
Has India’s Rural Poverty Rate Increased in the Last Six Years?The Wire
Hindu fanatic, part of Babri Mosque demolition now builds mosques:
Anadolu Agency
Sharad Pawar's latest revelations have allowed NCP chief to position
himself as 'super CM' of Maharashtra, a status Bal Thackeray enjoyed in
90s:Sanjay Singh
Modi govt recklessly selling PSUs to fill its coffers:Nitya
Chakraborty/IPA
MEA distances itself from envoy’s ‘Israel model’ remark for Kashmiri
Pandits — with silence
'Partisan, One-Sided': EU Legislators Respond to MEPs Visit to
Kashmir:Anumeha Yadav
Jamiat’s Ayodhya review petition should succeed but won’t. Here’s
why:MANEESH CHHIBBER
Former Civil Servants Express ‘Anguish’ Over the ‘Injustice’ of Ayodhya
Gross Domestic Panic: Rating agencies slice India's GDP growth by 1.5%
BJP MP Demands Curb on Social Media Based on Misinterpreted Section of
Law
'Operation failed': Details emerge on Israeli covert op gone awry
* Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:40 PM).*
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