NEWS DIGEST, FLASH (MID-DAY)
18 Feb. 2020:
23 Jamadi-2, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 135
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
Jamia violence: Media misreport wallet as ‘stone’ in student’s hand
India Today ran ‘exclusive’ footage on Sunday, on the events of Dec.15,
in Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI). This was after a CCTV video of police charging
students with lathis inside a reading room went massively viral. The footage
was handed over to the channel by SIT of Delhi police. It was played as
‘authentic’ clip and used to claim that students entered the reading room with
stones in their hands.A plethora of other news organisations carried the clip
and claimed that the students had stones clasped in their hands. Among the
English outlets were TOI, Mirror Now, Republic Bharat, Times Now, The Quint and
DNA. Some of the Hindi channels were Zee News, Aaj Tak, India TV, NDTV India,
News Nation. Right-wing websites OpIndia and Swarajya carried similar
reports.The channel claimed that the student was carrying a stone each in both
his hands. For the purpose of this fact-check, Alt News used a higher
resolution video received from sources. The video is of the same footage played
by India Today. Alt News slowed down the video and watched it frame-by-frame.
We found that the student was holding a wallet in one of his hands, and a flat
object (possibly a phone) in the other.Here is the sequence of events – the
student enters the room with a wallet in his right hand and a linear object
(possibly a phone) in his left hand. At about 10 seconds, he goes out of the
frame and comes back at 17 seconds when his right hand is empty. The brown
colour wallet is now visible in his left hand.The wallet is visible in multiple
frames, however, is most clear at 1:22-minute mark when the student stretches
out his arm.Another clear shot of the wallet can be seen at 2:27 If one notices
carefully, the two brown flaps of the wallet are distinctly noticeable and the
gap in between is darker – a shade of black.The student holds a flat object in
his other hand which could possibly be a mobile phone. It isn’t as distinctly
noticeable as the wallet and users are advised to watch the complete video in
loops to self-analyse. We will attempt to provide a clean screenshot however
there are a few pointers worth mentioning – a stone would typically be
irregularly shaped. The object held in his hand is symmetrical and flat.The video
shows the linear symmetry of the object held in his left hand.Media outlets
therefore jumped to the police’s defence without a basic internal analysis. nationalheraldindia
Crackdown in Jamia Library: More Footage Released, Shows Police Breaking
CCTV Camera
Another video of Jamia students with folded hands in front of policemen
surfaces
Jamia, NFC violence: Named ‘instigator’ in police chargesheet, Sharjeel
Imam sent in judicial custody till March 3
New Delhi :JNU PhD student Sharjeel Imam was Tuesday named as an
instigator in the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police in connection with the
violence that broke out in the national capital on December 15, 2019. Along
with the chargesheet filed in connection with the violence in New Friends
Colony and at Jamia Millia Islamia, the police attached CCTV, call detail
records and statements of over 100 witnesses as evidence against Sharjeel,
reported PTI. On Monday, a Delhi court
sent him to one-day police custody in the case related to the violence at New
Friends Colony. On Tuesday, his custody was extended till March 3, reported
PTI.indianexpress
Named as Jamia violence instigator, Sharjeel Imam sent to 14-day
judicial custody
Month after Jamia admin filed police complaint, no FIR
New Delhi :A month after students gheraoed the Jamia V-C office, the
university had filed a police complaint against “brutal action” of “unruly
policemen” who beat students and damaged university property. Police, however,
are yet to register an FIR in the matter.A Delhi court had also directed Delhi
Police to file an action taken report (ATR) by March 16 on a plea filed by the
university, stating whether any action has been taken on the complaint by the
varsity administration to lodge an FIR.Police have registered 2 FIRs — one at
New Friends Colony and another at Jamia Nagar — against protesters for damaging
public property and rioting. indianexpress
Police stormed a university in India; Muslim students say the violence
was an act of revenge
ALIGARH:Inside Room 46 of Morison Court dormitory, the university
students huddled in the dark, too afraid to speak. Police in riot gear pounded
on the door. The next sound was glass shattering, then came the thunk and hiss
of tear gas. Something exploded once, then twice, with a deafening noise. The
smoke grew suffocating.Shahid Hussein, a graduate student in history at AMU,
opened the door. The first blow hit him on the left shoulder. The police kept
hitting him as they dragged him toward a tree outside, he said. There, 2
officers held his arms behind his back around the trunk, while others beat his
legs with a wooden stick.“It was not simply stopping protests,” said Hussein,
24. “They were taking revenge.”“I don’t remember in my time — in British or
free India — the police ever having entered the way they are entering now on
campuses,” said Irfan Habib, 88, a distinguished historian who has spent most
of his life teaching at AMU. The message is that “civil liberty is not yours,”
Habib said, and that police “will decide who can protest and who can’t.”The
Post spoke to more than a dozen witnesses, as well as doctors, university
officials and lawyers, and reviewed police documents, photos, videos and
footage from closed-circuit cameras of the incident.A senior police official in
Aligarh said that inquiries are underway into allegations of excessive use of
force but that the response by law enforcement was appropriate. Students broke
part of the university’s main gate and threw stones at police, he
said.Aligarh’s students “will determine the place of Muslims in India’s
national life,” one of its leaders, Zakir Hussain, once told alumni. What’s
more, he continued, “the way India conducts itself toward Aligarh will
determine largely . . . the form which our national life will acquire.”Almost
immediately, three witnesses said, police began firing tear gas canisters. Some
students responded by hurling pieces of brick in the direction of the police.
Within half an hour, hundreds of officers, including members of a statewide
riot control unit, had arrived.A police report later accused several injured
students of crimes, including intent to murder. It blamed their injuries on
“stone pelting by their fellows.”The crackdowns at AMU and Jamia galvanized
protests across the nation.
Change of site may weaken protest, say anti-CAA Shaheen Bagh protestors
NEW DELHI: After the Supreme Court-appointed 3 interlocutors to try and
persuade protesters at Shaheen Bagh to shift the protest site, the
demonstrators said that moving to another area might weaken the agitation.“The
main reason for blocking the road was to pressure the government but now if we
go to an irrelevant place, I am not sure whether we could insist on our demands
with same thrust or not,” said Nadeem Khan, one of the protesters.He said that
the apex court should have asked the government to approach the protesters and
address their demands instead of telling the protesters to vacate the road.
Asif Mujtaba, a student of IIT Delhi, said that the road blockade happened to
pressure the government in a peaceful manner by the sit-in protest.However,
Mujtaba hinted that there were high chances that the protesters at Shaheen Bagh
would obey the top court’s orders and move the protest site.However, he said
that a solution to the problem could be that the protesters would leave one
side of the road for traffic while camping on the other side to continue their
demonstration.newindianexpress
Kafeel Khan to file reply to UP State Advisory Board in NSA case today
Gorakhpur paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan, who was booked under National
Security Act (NSA) by Aligarh police, will submit his reply to UP State
Advisory Board through Mathura Jail authorities today.Confirming this, Khan’s
lawyer, Irfan Ghazi, said though the response, as per the magistrate’s
directions, has to be sent through the jail superintendent, Dr Khan wants to
physically represent his case to the advisory board. Ghazi said that Aligarh
police and district authorities have alleged that on Dec.12th Khan’s speech to
AMU students had sparked protests in the campus, which is incorrect. He said in
the same context, there were protests by women in Shahjamal area from Jan.29
and the same continued till date. He said all the grounds made by the
administration in support of booking Khan under NSA are baseless.The lawyer
said that in his reply Dr Khan has stated that he had given a speech on
December 12 whereas the protests in the campus had started from Dec.9. He said
Khan had spent only a day in AMU campus and had returned after delivering his
speech. Even the violence in the campus had occurred on Dec 15 when Khan was
not there and it was in reaction to the Jamia Millia Islamia incident in Delhi.
He said that UP government had been indulging a witch-hunt against Khan, in
retaliation for his raising voice against the negligence by the government in
the death of 63 children at BRD Medical college hospital in Gorakhpur. It may
be recalled that Khan was then suspended, arrested and later released in bail.
TOI
CAA protests: 22 people killed, 322 still in jail for violence in
December, Uttar Pradesh tells HC
Uttar Pradesh government told the Allahabad High Court on Monday that
883 people were arrested for violence during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act
protests in the state on December 20 and 21, the Hindustan Times reported. Of
these, 322 people are still in prison, the government said.“Out of those
arrested, 561 are now out on bail and 322 are still in jail,” Uttar Pradesh
government counsel Manish Goel told the court. He asserted that proper medical
aid was provided to the injured, and that 45 police personnel and government
officials were injured in the violence. The government counsel said 22
protestors were killed and 83 injured.The state government provided the figures
to a High Court bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Siddhartha
Varma. The court was hearing a bunch of petitions against police action during
the protests.The High Court on Monday said that it will hear the matter next on
March 18.scroll
CAA protests: Chargesheet filed against 15 in Sambhal
Lucknow :Sambhal police on Monday filed a chargesheet against 15 people
for alleged arson, damage to public property and attack on police during a
protest against CAA and NRC held at Chaudhary Sarai Crossing in the district on
December 19 last year.This is the first chargesheet filed in connection with
anti-CAA protests that broke out in the state since December 15.Of the 15
arrested people, a few of them were recently granted bail.Several people,
including 3 policemen, were injured in the alleged violence. Police are still
probing the role of local Samajwadi Party MP Shafiq-ur-Rahman Barq and party’s
former district president Feroz Khan. They have been named in FIR lodged at
City Kotwali police station in Sambhal on Dec.19. A total of 327 FIRs have been
lodged across the state in connection with anti-CAA protests and violence in Dec.Among
the total FIRs, 12 were lodged in Sambhal.indianexpress
Bidar school sedition case: No other community named, only law opposed,
said court
WHILE GRANTING bail in the sedition case filed over a school play in
Bidar town of Karnataka, the Bidar district and sessions court observed that
the play — staged by children aged nine to 12 years — did not refer to any
community other than Muslims, and was enacted to oppose the enforcement of a
law.Najibunnisa (46), the mother of a Class V student, and Fareeda Begum (50),
the headmistress of Shaheen Primary School, were released after 15 days of
incarceration over a play staged by children to oppose CAA on January
21.Ordering their conditional release on February 14, Bidar District Judge
Managoli Premavathi observed: “The drama shows that the children have condemned
enforcement of laws. There is no other community named in the drama and all
they have stated is that Muslims will have to leave the country’’.In its bail
order, the court observed that the two women had not been named in the original
FIR registered in the case.“The words uttered by the children during the drama
make out that they protested against enforcement of laws,’’ the court
said.During the bail hearing, the advocates who appeared for the two women
argued that “every citizen of the country has got the right to oppose a law
intended to be brought into force and this cannot be treated as sedition’’.
Further, since “there is no reference of any other community, there is no
question of causing disharmony between communities’’, they had
said.indianexpress
No plan to implement NPR in Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Monday asserted that the
government has no plan “at present” to undertake the proposed NPR update
exercise in the state.Nath’s clarification came in the wake of Congress MLA
Arif Masood threatening to protest against the party-led govt’s “decision” to
update NPR, PTI reported on Monday.indianexpress
154 citizens write to President Kovind supporting CAA, NPR, NRC
New Delhi :As many as 154 prominent citizens, including former judges,
bureaucrats, armed forces officers and academicians, on Monday said a “false
and motivated” campaign is being launched against CAA, NPR and NRC with a
sinister design to harm the nation and sought action against trouble-makers.In
a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, the citizens urged the central
government to look into the ongoing protests with all seriousness and safeguard
the democratic institutions of the country, and take stern action against those
people behind them.The citizens, including 11 former judges of different high
courts, 24 retired IAS officers, 11 former Indian Foreign Service officers, 16
retired IPS and 18 former Lieutenant Generals, said “fear” is being spread
across the length and breadth of India which appears to be “motivated and with
a sinister design” to harm the nation.PTI
Chennai: PIL to restrain Islamic association from Assembly siege
Chennai: A PIL has been filed in the Madras high court to restrain the
Federation of Tamil Nadu Islamic and Political Organisations and its allied
associations from organising Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly siege
agitation.PIL filed by Varaaki is likely to come up for hearing soon.According
to Varaaki, recently Union government had enacted the CAA.The agitations by and
large have disturbed the routine activities of the general public causing
mental agony and playing havoc on their day to day personal life, he added.He
said till date, more than 120 illegal demonstrations have been conducted
without permission from the police department. The organizations which were
spearheading the agitations have filed several petitions, challenging the
constitutional validity of the Act. The Supreme court, which heard the
petitions refused to grant stay and observed that the matter will be heard by a
Constitutional Bench. The bench also took serious note of rioting and
destruction of property during protests against the CAA across the country. It
further observed that “the violence must stop”.DECCAN CHRONICLE.
Muslim Couple Gets Married At Anti-CAA Protest Venue In Chennai
New Delhi :Chennai's Old Washermanpet, where protesters are currently
holding anti-CAA, NRC, NRC agitations, on Monday witnessed something unusual
when a Muslim couple Sumayya and Shahin Shah, got married at a protest venue.
The newlyweds have been actively taking part in anti-CAA protests and decided
to tie the knot at the venue, with elders agreeing to it.The protesters have
been agitating against CAA, NPR and NRC for the past few days. It was an
unusual scene where an agitating couple was getting married with all the
rituals.www
Various bodies support Muslims protesting in Haryana''s Nuh
Nuh:Several organisations on Monday said they have extended support to
protesters sitting on a dharna for the past 19 days in minority-dominant Nuh
district of Haryana against the controversial CAA and NPR.The protest has been
organised by Mewat Vikas Sabha and Mewat RTI Manch at Badkali Chowk under
Ferozpur Jhirka police station against CAA/NRC. Extending the support of Akal
India Peace Mission (AIPM) to the protesters, its national convener Daya Singh
alleged that the Modi government''s wrong policies had put the Hindu-Muslim
brotherhood in danger.Tammana Pankaj, president of United Against Hate
organisation, said that the Centre has not come out with even a single policy
in public interest in the last six years.Jagbir Fulia, district convener of Dr
Bhim Rao Ambedkar Mission, said that the the central government''s action with
regard to CAA and NPR is an attack on the Constitution.-IANS
"And Rohingya, Ahmadiyya?" Brinda Karat Slams Government Over
CAA
Raipur: CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat has asked why the Rohingya and
Ahmadiyya Muslims, facing persecution in Myanmar and Pakistan, are not covered
under the new citizenship law if the Centre is so much concerned about people
facing atrocities in neighbouring countries.Terming the CAA as "divisive
and discriminatory", she said it is India's tragedy that instead of
external forces, the central government itself is engaged in "weakening
the Constitution and dividing the country".PTI
Nobody should fear CAA, will personally go through NPR forms: Uddhav
Thackeray
New Delhi :Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Tuesday said CAA
and NRC are two different issues and that his government will not allow NRC to
be implemented. Adding that nobody should fear CAA, Thackeray also said that he
will personally check the columns in NPR and that there shouldn’t be any
problem with the exercise.Thackeray said, “CAA and NRC are different issues.
NPR is the third issue. Nobody should fear about CAA. NRC hasn’t come and will
not come. If NRC is implemented, it will create problems not only for Muslims
but for Hindus, Dalits, tribals and others. Centre has not made any statement
on NRC. NPR is a census and I will go through columns given in the form. I
don’t think there will be any problem with it. The census is carried out every
ten years.”indianexpress
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
In J&K, police invoke stringent UAPA in FIR against social media use
Srinagar :Police in J&K have invoked the stringent UAPA to register
a case against people using social media through proxy servers by getting past
Internet firewalls.FIR was filed a day after a video of the ailing Hurriyat
leader Syed Ali Geelani was uploaded on social media by different users.“Taking
serious note of misuse of social media, Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone,
Srinagar has registered a Case FIR against various social media users who
defied Government orders and misused social media platforms,” police said in a
statement.“FIR has been registered while taking cognizance of social media
posts by miscreants by use of different VPNs, which are propagating rumours
with regard to the current security scenario of the Kashmir valley, propagating
secessionist ideology and glorifying terror acts/terrorists,” it
said.indianexpress
J&K police FIR against users who accessed social media through VPN
Govt slaps UAPA on those 'misusing' social media in Kashmir, Owaisi says
new records of cruelty
New Delhi:After the Jammu and Kashmir Police registered a case against
various people for defying government orders on use of social media, AIMIM
chief Asaduddin Owaisi has slammed the move. In a tweet, Owaisi hit out at
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said, "Kashmir mein sab kuch normal hai,
haina?""Every day there is a new proof of how little Amit Shah
understood Kashmir (or apparently, how VPN technology works). So, now they try
to set new world records of cruelty, incompetence and humiliation," he
added.indiatoday
India deployed P-8I naval jets to keep eye on Chinese troops during
Doklam face-off
Indian Navy’s Poseidon 8I anti-submarine warfare aircraft was deployed
to carry out surveillance on movement of Chinese troops during 73-day-long
standoff between India and China in mountainous Doklam.Chief of Defence Staff
Gen Bipin Rawat confirmed the use of the naval aircraft while talking about the
need for bringing in tri-services synergy in dealing with national security
challenges.“P-8I aircraft of Indian Navy was deployed in Doklam (during the
face-off),” Gen Rawat told a group of journalists.Troops of India and China
were locked in a standoff in Doklam from June 16, 2017, after the Indian side
stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army.The
face-off triggered fears of a war between 2 neighbours. The standoff ended on
August 28, 2017 after over 10 rounds of talks between diplomats of the 2
sides.PTI
Govt moves on delimitation of J&K Assembly seats, CEC names
commissioner
New Delhi :In an indication that Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir
may see Assembly elections in due course, the government has set the ball
rolling for delimitation of Assembly constituencies in the erstwhile
state.Based on a request from Ministry of Legislative Affairs (MLA), Chief
Election Commissioner Sunil Arora has nominated Election Commissioner Sushil
Chandra as his representative in the proposed delimitation commission for
J&K, Election Commission (EC) said on Monday.The commission, sources said,
is likely to be officially announced soon after being fully constituted and
will begin work thereafter.indianexpress
J&K Rural Bypolls: Mainstream parties question rationale behind
holding polls on party lines
Jammu :Mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have argued
against the election authority’s decision to hold panchayat bye-elections in
Jammu and Kashmir on party basis.Leaders of Congress, National Conference (NC)
and PDP have questioned the rationale behind holding bypolls for over 12,000
vacant seats on party lines when two-thirds of panchayat seats in Jammu and
Kashmir were filled through election on non-party lines in 2018. Leaders of NC
and PDP have also said that with their top leaders still in detention, they are
in no position to contest the polls.State Congress chief GA Mir said holding
elections to two-third of the seats on non-party basis and one-third on party
basis does not match. Union Territory administration on Monday refused
permission to Mir to travel to Kashmir from Jammu for meeting party workers
ahead of the bypolls that start on March 5. “On Sunday evening, I informed UT
Police’s security wing about my tour programme for Anantnag and Srinagar to
discuss with party colleagues about the panchayat bypolls. Two hours later, I
was conveyed that I cannot proceed to the Valley,’’ Mir said.indianexpress
Punjab: Gangster Budha drug probe throws up Pakistan link, hawala
transactions
Chandigarh : Punjab Police on Sunday said that two men — Jagdeep Singh
alias Jagga (aka Billa) and Gurvinder Singh alias Pehalwan, arrested three days
ago as part of drug trail exposed by dreaded gangster Sukhpreet Singh aka Budha
— are part of a powerful nexus involving “big fish” in Pakistan. Budha was
deported from Armenia and arrested when he landed at Delhi airport in Nov.A
statement by Punjab Police said: “Pakistan SIM cards have been recovered from
the duo, both residents of village Kot Dharam Chand Kalan in Tarn Taran
district…Investigations so far have revealed that the duo, who had been
absconding since 2014-15, had received large quantity of heroin and fake Indian
currency from Pakistan through various routes via different modes.They were
wanted by DRI, Rajasthan Police and Punjab Police in cases related to receiving
huge consignments of heroin from Pakistan.”indianexpress
British MP's Activities "Against National Interest":
Government Sources
New Delhi: British MP Debbie Abrahams's visa was revoked before she
travelled to India on account of "activities which went against India's
national interests," government sources said today, asserting that she had
been informed about the rejection of her e-business visa on February
14."Her e-Business Visa was revoked on 14 February 2020 on account of her
indulging in activities which went against India's national interest,"
said sources on the British lawmaker, who has been critical of the government's
decisions on Jammu and Kashmir and the end of special status under Article
370.ndtv
British MP Debbie Abrahams’ deportation necessary, she is a ‘Pakistan
proxy’: Abhishek Manu Singhvi
New Delhi :Opinions within Congress appear to be divided over the
deportation of British MP Debbie Abrahams from Delhi airport on Monday. After
party MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the decision asking if the government was
“scared of critics”, senior leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi has backed the move
saying it was necessary as Abrahams is a “Pakistan proxy”.“The deportation of
Debbie Abrahams by India was indeed necessary, as she is not just an MP, but a
Pak proxy known for her clasp with Pak govt and ISI. Every attempt that tries
to attack India’s sovereignty must be thwarted,” Singhvi tweeted.indianexpress
Pakistan PM Imran Khan hosts Antonio Guterres, tells UN chief to honour
Kashmir's right to 'self-determination'
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged the UN to
fulfil its commitments with the people of Kashmir and help them achieve right
of self-determination as he met chief of the global body Antonio Guterres in
Islamabad.During his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Prime Minister Khan
highlighted the "dire human rights and humanitarian situation" in
Jammu and Kashmir following India's 5 August
decision to end the special status of the region."The Prime
Minister underscored that the Kashmiri people continued to look to the United
Nations to honour its commitments for the realisation of their right to
self-determination, as enshrined in numerous UN Security Council
resolutions," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.PTI
Haven't represented India: Kabaddi coach Harpreet Singh on playing
'unauthorised' World Cup in Pakistan
Amritsar: The coach of the "unofficial" kabbadi team that
returned from Pakistan on Monday after losing to the home team in the
"unauthorised" World Cup tournament without the "consent"
of the Indian government said the team went there without violating any
laws."If we defied the laws, Indian authorities might question us on our
arrival. Nobody asked us about any illegal act we did or on our visit,"
coach Harpreet Singh Baba told the media.Pakistan defeated India won 43-41 in
the final of the World Cup on Sunday in Lahore's Punjab Stadium. He said the
players had nothing to do with the Punjab Kabaddi Association. The team reached
India via the Attari-Wagah joint check post, some 30 km from here. It reached
Lahore on February 9 to participate in the tournament hosted by Pakistan.He
said the team got the invite and went there to take part in the tournament at
an individual level. "We have not represented India. The team members
participate in various tournaments across the world. They went to Pakistan in
their individual capacity, not representing any particular federation," he
said.On being asked how could they use jerseys with the word India inscribed on
it, Baba said: "We were given jerseys there." Earlier, both the
Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the Sports Ministry had
clarified that they had not send any official team to Pakistan.IANS
No headway in India-US trade talks
NEW DELHI:With no significant movement on India-US trade negotiations
yet, officials are considering taking even a modest trade deal off the table
when US President Donald Trump visits India on February 24-25, sources privy to
the talks said. As The Hindu had reported on Friday, US Trade Representative
Robert Lightizer was due to visit New Delhi last week, but put off the visit
when it appeared there was not enough progress in talks, that appear to have
run into trouble over market access for agricultural products including dairy,
liberalising e-commerce, and investment norms for retail, as well as India’s
push for a full reinstatement of its GSP (Generalised System of Preferences)
status that US revoked last June.Lightizer and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal
have not spoken since last Thursday, it is learnt, and after another
unsuccessful attempt to reschedule Lightizer’s visit over the weekend, officials
are beginning to feel that time may be running out to wrap up negotiations in
time for the presidential visit.thehindu
*OTHERS*
Can Ram temple be built on Muslim graves: 9 Ayodhya residents to Trust
New Delhi : 9 Muslim residents of Ayodhya have written to the newly
appointed Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, appealing to them to not
construct the new Ram temple on the graveyard of Muslims in the immediate
vicinity of the surrounding area of the 1,480 sq m of the site where Babri
Masjid once stood. Their letter asserts that the use of the total 67 acres of
government acquired land for the temple is a “complete ouster” of the claim of Muslims
and is contrary to what the law has laid down. “4-5 acres around the demolished
mosque” is what is being claimed as having been handed over arbitrarily, “as
expected” by the Centre, the letter states. “The graves may not be visible
today considering the fact that the entire area has been differently treated
with since 1949, when forcibly an idol of Lord Ram was placed inside the Mosque
and when in 1992 the Mosque was demolished.”Also, “5 acres” which the Supreme
Court in its November 2019 order had said would be allotted to Muslims at a
“suitable prominent place in Ayodhya” has been allotted, but far away from
where the Babri Masjid once stood, the letter states. 4-page letter asks the 10
trustees “with best knowledge and experience in the field of Hindu/Sanatan
religion and practice” to consider whether “the temple of Lord Ram can have
foundation on the grave of Muslims”. It says: “In 1994, the Supreme Court had
upheld the acquisition of larger land admeasuring 67 acres which included the
graveyard land and thus the entire land became vested with the Central
Government. The object of the Acquisition Act of 1993 was to maintain public
order and promote communal harmony.” It also says that the acquisition was “not
to exclude Muslims from the said land”. The object sought to be achieved
through the Act was also to construct a ‘Mosque’.” The letter terms the use of
all of the land as contrary to the “discretionary power conferred to them by
the Supreme Court of India” and “uncalled for.”The letter cites the stand of
Shri Ramlalla Virajman in the original suit number 5 and “recorded facts” where
it says 75 Muslims killed in the riots of 1855 were buried there, “in an
existing graveyard around the Mosque” as well as the Allahabad High Court
judgment where Justice DV Sharma cites that the “disputed structure was
surrounded by a graveyard on 3 sides”.
Supreme Court lawyer writes to Ram Temple trust asking for 5 acres of
land around demolished Babri Masjid to build a graveyard
Ayodhya DM denies graveyard claim by Muslim lawyer
Ayodhya:The district administration of Ayodhya, on Tuesday, said that
there was no graveyard within the 67 acre of land where the Ram temple is to be
built.DM, Ayodhya, Anuj Jha told reporters, "At present there is no
graveyard within the 67 acre campus of the Ram Janambhoomi areas."The
district magistrate said, "The Supreme Court was apprised of all the facts
during hearing of the case (Ayodhya title dispute), including contents of the
letter (written by lawyer M.R. Shamshad). This issue also came up during
hearing of the case. In the Supreme Court''s judgment on November 9, 2019, all
these facts were also clearly mentioned."IANS
Sunni Waqf Board’s crucial meeting on Feb.24
Lucknow:Sunni Central Waqf Board has called a crucial meeting on
February 24 in which a decision is likely to be taken on accepting alternative
land for a mosque in Ayodhya.All the eight members of the board have been
invited to take part in the meeting. Uttar Pradesh government has allotted a
5-acre plot for the mosque at Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil of Ayodhya
district, nearly 25 kilometres away from the Ram Janmabhoomi temple
complex.Sources said the Sunni Central Waqf Board would not only decide whether
to accept the land but also about the usage of the land if it decides to take
possession. There are several proposals like building a hospital or school at
the site.dailypioneer
Modi Govt not to release survey showing first decline in consumer
spending in over 40 years
National Statistical Commission will not be making a survey on consumer
spending public, which shows a decline for the first time in over 40 year in
the year 2017-18, reported Business Standard.This development comes two months
after NSC chief, Bimal Kumar Roy said the survey would be released.On being
asked why NSC decided not to publish survey, Roy said, “I did try. I made a
proposal [in an NSC meeting on January 15] to release the survey but I didn’t
find support. I did put in the proposal as chairperson but it didn’t get
through. I cannot say anything more now.”According to a report in Business
Standard, Chief Statistician Pravin Srivastava objected to the release of the
survey. The minutes of the meeting did not record the views of the person who
dissented. “This raises eyebrows on the manner in which the discussions were
conducted within the NSC,” an official was quoted as saying.nationalheraldindia
Ahead of Donald
Trump visit, 45 families in Gujarat slum served eviction notices
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Monday served eviction notices
to 45 families living in a slum near the newly built Motera stadium that is
being readied to host US President Donald Trump and Prime minister Narendra
Modi on Feb.24.The families consisting of around 200 slum-dwellers who are
registered construction workers claimed they have been asked to move out of a
plot they have been inhabiting for two decades due to the upcoming “Namaste
Trump” event. However, AMC officials said the notices had no connection with
the event.The move comes just days after the AMC began building a wall
allegedly to cover the Saraniyavas or Dev Saran slum on a route that US
President would probably take while visiting the city.indianexpress
‘If menstruating women cook, they will be born as kutri (bitch) in next
life’
If you eat food prepared by a menstruating woman even once, then your
next avatar will definitely be that of a ‘balad’ (ox). A menstruating woman who
cooks food for her husband will certainly be reborn as a ‘kutri’ (bitch). These
are the preachings of Swami Krushnaswarup Dasji of Swaminarayan Bhuj Mandir
that exposes the misogynistic mindset of the sect and its followers, who run
Bhuj institute where 68 hostellers were forced to strip for a menses check.Even
as the controversy surrounding the Bhuj hostel horror continues to draw a lot
of heat, the video of the swami reportedly preaching at a Bhuj ratri sabha has
created shockwaves.“Ek vaar maasik dharm maan raheli stri na haathe rotla khai
jaao toh beejo avatar balad no j che. Have tamne je lagvu hoy te lage, aa
shashtra ni vaat che. Ane ek vaar jo stri potana pati ne maasik dharma maan
rotlo khavdave toh beejo avatar kutri no j che,” the swami says in the video
clip, culled from a long speech that he gave a year ago.He tells the audience:
“You can feel whatever you want but these rules have been outlined in the
‘shashtras’ (spiritual texts).”Ahmedabad Mirror
Bhagwat: Unlike Gandhi, no one to atone now if movement goes awry
New Delhi :Against the backdrop of protests against CAA and NRC, RSS
chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said that unlike Mahatma Gandhi, there was no one
today who would atone if a movement went wrong. He said Gandhi’s ideas and
methods were formulated according to the circumstances of his time and taking
them literally would not be advisable.He was speaking at the launch of a book
on Gandhi by Jagmohan Rajput at Gandhi Smriti. The event, which began with
Bhagwat bowing at the spot where Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse, was
attended by Minister of State, External Affairs, VK Singh and BJP MP Satyapal
Singh, among others.“He (Gandhi) launched many experiments. If some went wrong,
he did not conclude that the truth he had in his heart was not the truth. He
said may be my way was wrong. If some of his movements went out of hand, he
even atoned for his mistakes. If today a movement goes awry, disturbs law and
order, is there anyone who would be ready for atonement?… ,” he
said.indianexpress
RSS holds closed door meeting with 70 columnists
New Delhi :RSS is holding a daylong meeting with 70 columnists from
across India on Tuesday in an effort to clear misconceptions about the
organisation, sources said.RSS chief Bhagwat, who last year met representatives
of international media organisations posted in India, is expected to deliver a
keynote address that will be followed by a free-flowing conversation, they
said.The 70 columnists attending Tuesday’s meeting write in different
languages.PTI
Sikh woman cremated by Muslim neighbours in Punjab after family refuses
to turn up
Ludhiana :A Sikh woman was cremated by her Muslim neighbours in Punjab’s
Malerkotla town on Monday after her family members refused to take possession
of the body. The woman, identified as Dilpreet Kaur, used to work as a domestic
help. She died after falling ill while on a pilgrimage last month.“We used to
call her Rani Aunty. She was living alone in a one-room rented accommodation.
We had no idea about her family background until the time she died. Her brother
and mother live in Canada, while her in-laws’ family lives in Jhunda village of
Sangrur district. Both are from well off families,” said Mohammad Aslam, the
councillor of ward number 9 under whose area Tubewell basti falls.Aslam said
Kaur’s son and daughter refused to attend the cremation when they were informed
about her death.indianexpress
FIR Against Lucknow Hospital After Mix-up Leads to Muslim Women's
Cremation as per Hindu Rituals
Lucknow: An FIR has been filed against a private hospital in Lucknow
after the dead bodies of two elderly women belonging to Hindu and Muslim faiths
were exchanged when they were handed over to their families.The complaint
against Sahara Hospital was filed by the son of one of the deceased women,
Ishrat Mirza, after the mix-up led to her last rites being performed as per
Hindu rituals.Saeed Mirza, an American national, stated in his complaint that
the body of his mother was willingly handed over to others, and alleged that
this could be a case of an organ donation racket as there was something wrong
with the bodies.A case has been filed at the Vibhuti Khand police station under
Section 297 of IPC, which deals with “trespassing on burial places”. SHO,
Rajeev Dwivedi said, “The information about this case was received some days
ago and the matter was being probed. An FIR has been filed in this regard after
we received a written complaint.”news18
'Ease of Doing Haj' dream of Indian Muslims fulfilled: Union Minister
Naqvi
Mumbai:With the 100 per cent implementation of digital/online Haj
process in India, the Indian Muslims' dream of 'Ease of Doing Haj' has been
fulfilled, said Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi here on
Monday. In tune with the reforms taken by the government of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi not only has the entire Haj pilgrimage process become digital and
transparent but also more affordable, he said at a programme of 'training the
trainers' for Haj 2020 at the Haj House."Making the Haj process digital/online
has removed middlemen that the pilgrimage has become more affordable in
comparison to last several decades. Even after removal of the Haj subsidy, no
additional financial burden has been put on the pilgrims," Naqvi said.IANS
Coronavirus epidemic: Paracetamol prices up by 40% in India
The world’s second-most populous nation is facing the ripple effects of
shutdowns in China with production of medicines to mobile phones being hit as
supply chain disruptions prolong.Prices of paracetamol, the most commonly used
analgesic, have jumped by 40% in India, while the cost of azithromycin, an antibiotic
used for treating a variety of bacterial infections, has risen by 70%, said
Pankaj R. Patel, chairman of Zydus Cadila. The pharma industry could face
shortages in finished drug formulations starting April if supplies aren’t
restored by the first week of next month, he said. Patel sees a substantial
increase in prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients–the basic substance
used to make drugs–in the short- to medium-term.India, one of the largest
suppliers of generic drugs to the world and home to about 12% of all
manufacturing sites catering to the US market, relies on China for as much as
80% of API requirement. Pharma isn’t the only sector hit by China’s production
pause.Bloomberg
Tired Of Being Sexually Abused By Principal, Dalit School Girl From
Gujarat Attempts Suicide
A 16-year-old Dalit student in Surendranagar, Gujarat who had accused
the headmaster of her school of sexually abusing her several times has
attempted suicide. The girl tried to kill herself on Wednesday, the same day
Batuk Bhatti, the headmaster, who is also a trustee of Kamal Vidyamandir
School, in Chotila was arrested on charges of sexually abusing the minor girl.
According to her complaint, Bhatti had raped her twice and molested her several
times over the period of a year, which resulted in severe physical and mental
trauma. "The minor girl's parents informed the police that a trustee of
the residential school in Chotila had sexually assaulted and raped their
daughter, following which the accused was arrested," superintendent of
police Mahendra Bagadia said. indiatimes
'How Can You Be Both Gandhi And Godse?': Prashant Kishor's Posers For
Nitish
Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who was expelled from Janata Dal
(United), on Tuesday said that he has had good relations with Bihar Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar, but added that one cannot be both Gandhi and Godse at
the same time. Kishor said that he had differences with the JD(U) chief on the
issue of alliance with NDA and unclear stance on Citizenship Amendment Act, NRC
and NPR. Kishor said Kumar needs to spell out whether he is with the ideals of
Mahatma Gandhi or those who support Nathu Ram Godse."I want to ask Nitish
Ji, how can you be both Godse and Gandhi at the same time?" Kishor
asked.Kishor said Bihar needs a leader who is bold and does not rely on others
to take a decision."I have immense respect for him (Nitish Kumar). I will
not question his decision," Kishor said on his expulsion from JD(U).outlookindia
*WORLD*
China 'war on terror' uproots Uighur families, leaked data shows
For decades, a Uighur imam was a bedrock of his farming community in
China's far west. On Fridays, he preached Islam as a religion of peace. On
Sundays, he treated the sick with free herbal medicine. In the winter, he bought
coal for the poor.But as a Chinese government mass detention campaign engulfed
Memtimin Emer's native Xinjiang region three years ago, the elderly imam was
swept up and locked away, along with all three of his sons living in China.Now,
a newly revealed database exposes in extraordinary detail the main reasons for
the detentions of Emer, his three sons, and hundreds of others in Karakax
County: their religion and their family ties.The database obtained by The
Associated Press news agency profiles the internment of 311 individuals with
relatives abroad and contains information on more than 2,000 of their
relatives, neighbours and friends.Each entry includes the detainee's name,
address, national identity number, detention date and location, along with a detailed
dossier on their family, religious and neighbourhood background, the reason for
the detention and a decision on whether or not to release them.aljazeera
Not Just Political Extremism, Those Going to Mosques Were Also Detained:
Leaked Data on China's Uighurs
'Infected': Data shows how China criminalized Muslim faith
Assad pledges to continue onslaught that has displaced 900,000
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged to continue the onslaught
on the country's northwest, the war-torn country's last major rebel stronghold,
saying the war was not yet over but a "complete victory" was in
sight.The fierce Russian-backed government offensive has displaced 900,000
people since the start of December, according to the United Nations, which
warned on Monday that the "horrifying" crisis was forcing those
fleeing to sleep outside in freezing temperatures and had resulted in babies
dying of cold as camps are full.But in a rare address carried on state
television on Monday, al-Assad congratulated his forces for recent gains that
led to them consolidating control over Aleppo province and pledging to press
ahead with a military campaign in Idlib province.aljazeera
'Breaking point': Babies freezing to death amid Idlib push
Lebanon crisis: Iran's Parliament speaker visits Beirut
The speaker of Iran's Parliament Ali Larijani has become the first
foreign official to visit Lebanon since a new government was formed.New Prime
Minister Hassan Diab, who is backed by Tehran's allies, is trying to implement
economic reforms.Larijani said Iran stood ready to help Lebanon's struggling
economy.But as Beirut seeks to secure funds from the international community,
Larijani's offer is unlikely to go down well with the United States - which is
trying to counter Tehran's influence in the Middle East.aljazeera
Turkey punished those involved in deporting Egyptian, says minister
Turkey would never forcibly deport any refugee whose life could be in
danger in his or her home country, Turkish interior minister said.Speaking to
Al-Jazeera, Süleyman Soylu pointed out that there were “more than 4 million
Arabs currently living in Turkey.”Referring to Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated
Egyptian, Mohamed Abdelhafiz Ahmed Hussein, who was deported in January back to
Cairo, Soylu noted that his country had “prosecuted and convicted those who
were involved in the act.” He added that Hussein’s wife was “on the way of
being granted Turkish citizenship.”28-year-old Hussein was among
28 people sentenced in absentia to death in July 2017 for killing Egypt’s
public prosecutor in an attack that was carried earlier in the year. He was
sent back to Egypt last month from Istanbul’s main Ataturk airport on arrival
from Somalia for not having a visa.middleeastmonitor
Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami denied its chief wrote this letter urging
members to forgo contraceptives to increase the party's voting base
An image of a letter has been shared hundreds of times in multiple
Facebook posts which claim it shows a note written by the head of
Jamaat-e-Islami, a leading Islamic political party in Pakistan. The letter,
written in Urdu, urges the party’s members to marry four women and to forgo
contraceptives in order to increase party following. The claim is false; party officials said the letter is fake and
denied it was written by their leader. It shows a letter purportedly written by
Siraj ul Haq, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), to his followers on February
2.The claim is false.Shamsuddin Amjad, social media director for
Jamaat-e-Islami, said in a statement to AFP by WhatsApp on February 11, that
the letter was “fabricated” and “false.”“A fabricated letter attributed to
Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Sirajul Haq has been shared from a page named
Baba Kodda which was later published by several popular websites in the form of
news. This false letter and fake posts were published on different social media
platforms which is absolutely wrong and against his dignity,” Amjad said.“Some
miscreant elements have carried out his personal and political character
assassination by publishing such fabricated post against the Ameer of the
largest religious party of Pakistan which has hurt the feelings of party
workers and people who love him countrywide.”JI also tweeted about the fake
letter here. AFP
Coronavirus: Toll rises to 1,868 in China; Indian couple in Wuhan asks
Centre to evacuate them
The toll in the coronavirus epidemic in China rose to 1,868, with 98
more deaths on the mainland, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.
Of these, 93 deaths were reported from Hubei, the worst-affected province in
China. As many as 1,886 new coronavirus cases were reported in the country,
taking the total number to 72,436.China’s National Health Commission said that
as of Monday, 1,701 patients had recovered from the illness. Meanwhile, Ili, an
autonomous prefecture for Kazakh people living in Xinjiang, has told citizens
to stay home in a move to contain the novel coronavirus. “Health care workers
as well as production and operation staff of key enterprises will work in
closed operations,” a letter published online said. “Please rest assured the
government will increase the procurement and distribution of daily necessities
and medical supplies to ensure that normal life is not affected.”scroll
China coronavirus outbreak: All the latest updates
Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE: Wuhan Hospital Director Dies of Infection;
China Offers Tariff Exemptions on US Medical Equipment
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Assault on students in Jamia library is indefensible — if police aren’t
held accountable, courts should step in:indian express Editorial
Land revenue receipts, PAN no proof of citizenship: Gauhati High Court
Rise of CCTV in Digital India isn't making us more secure; policing and
surveillance reforms are need of the hour:Srinivas Kodali
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released
at: 1:40 PM).
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