05 Feb. 2020:
10 Jamadi-2, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 124
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
UP police crackdown on women, children protestors at Azamgarh’s Bilariyaganj,
several injured, charged them with rioting, sedition
Several persons, including mostly women and children, have been injured
in a brutal police attack at Azamgarh in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Uttar Pradesh police swooped on the women sitting in protest against the
Citizenship Amendment Act, NRC, NPR at about 4 am this morning with a lathi
charge that has left several injured with broken bones and wounds. One 55 year
old woman is in ICU with serious head injuries.Local eyewitnesses said that women
had been wanting to sit in a Shaheen Bagh kind of protest for several days now,
and were finally able to persuade their menfolk to allow this. So at 11 a.m.
about 500-600 women gathered at Billiaraganj and started the sit in. The police
reportedly told them to clear out, saying they did not have permission. At 4 am
the police moved in on the women. Locals said that unable to withstand this
sight, the men of the area started pelting stones at Uttar Pradesh police that
retaliated with rubber bullets and a stronger attack that has led to the
detention of at least 20 more persons.Sources said that the place was swarming with cops who had chased the
youth and the men into their homes, beaten them and detained many. Several are
missing still, and exact numbers of even the injured are still not known. Among
those in police custody are Rashtriya Ulama Council general secretary Maulana
Tahir Madni.Local said there was complete terror all around. The local MLA is
from the Samajwadi party Nafeez Ahmad who has not been seen since the time of
going to press. This is Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav’s constituency, but he
too has not been heard from. Efforts to contact him failed and as a young man
whose mother and sister were both part of the protest but remained unhurt said,
“Akhileshji does not come out of Lucknow, we have no hope from him at all.”
More details are still awaited. UP Police has filed an FIR against Azamgarh
protesters. According to FIR the protesters have been slapped with rioting,
sedition and 17 other charges.Local sources also told The Quint that the police
forcibly entered the homes of the boys involved in the protest and beat them
up, before detaining them. The exact number of detainees are yet to be known. Yasmeen
Khan, a protester, said,“They (police) used all their force to remove us from
the protest site and when we did not give up, they caught the men and started
beating them. Then, they pelted bricks and stones on us before resorting to
lathicharge. This left many women injured,” said Yasmeen Khan.Hafiz Danish
Falahi, an eye-witness has confirmed said that a woman sustained serious
injuries on her head and is reportedly in a critical condition. The witness
also said that children were injured in the chaos.The police also poured
gallons of water on the protest venue to stop more protesters from converging
there. Thequint/ thecitizen
Azamgarh Police Crackdown on Anti-CAA Protest, Women Protesters
Lathi-Charged
Shaheen Bagh Shooter's Family Denies Police Claim, Says No Link With AAP
The family of the Shaheen Bagh shooter has denied the claims of the
Delhi Police that they are associated with AAP, thus, adding another twist to
the case.The twist in Shaheen Bagh shooting emerged on Tuesday when Delhi Crime
Branch claimed they had retrieved photos from Shaheen Bagh attacker, Kapil
Gujjar's, phone and that "established" he was affiliated with AAP.The
photos recovered from phone of the Gujjar show him and his father Gaje Singh
with AAP leaders such as Atishi and Sanjay Singh and are allegedly from 2019 on
the day when the father-son duo joined AAP.Soon after the police's claim, BJP
launched a series of attacks on AAP and blaming it for inciting violence and
indulging in "dirty politics".AAP on its part accused the Delhi
Police of working on the behest of BJP and said that the photos found on phone
of Gujjar "do not mean anything".The case took a fresh turn when the
family of Gujjar dismissed Delhi Police's claims and said they had nothing to
do with AAP.outlookindia
AAP Says Cop "BJP Spokesperson" After His Claim On Shaheen
Bagh Shooter
New Delhi: Photos of Shaheen Bagh shooter with senior AAP leaders raised
a political storm late on Tuesday evening, with BJP claiming it proved the
ruling party's complicity in the protests against the contentious CAA. AAP said
it was all a BJP conspiracy and the police was acting under the orders of Union
home minister Amit Shah. Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said they would send a
legal notice to the officer who made the claim and also complain to the
Election Commission.With just 3 days to go before the Delhi assembly elections,
the Delhi Police claimed that the shooter had confessed to being a primary
member of the AAP.NDTV
'DCP Should Wear Lotus On Shirt': AAP After Police Claim On Shaheen Bagh
Shooter
How Did Manoj Know About Kapil Gujjar Before Police, Asks AAP
Kejriwal blames Amit Shah’s ‘petty conspiracy’ for police claim of
Shaheen Bagh shooter’s AAP link
BJP Supporter Gunja Kapoor, Followed by PM on Twitter, Caught in Burqa
at Shaheen Bagh
NEW DELHI,:BJP supporter and political analyst Gunja Kapoor was caught
at Shaheen Bagh protest site Wednesday noon. She was wearing Burka and making
videos of the protesters. She was taken away by the police. She is followed by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.“हिन्दू महिला @gunjakapoor बुर्के में कैमरा लगाकर शाहीन बाग में पकड़ी गईं पुलिस पकड़ के लेकर गई। She is YouTuber of Right Narrative channel
@right_narrative & followed by our
PM,” tweeted organizers of the Shaheen Bagh protest.“As election is inching
closer, RW goons trying all means to attack on us,” they also said.Only
yesterday, she had slammed AAP for “sending” its alleged worker to open fire at
Shaheen Bagh, referring to the shooter Kapil Gurjar whose photos with AAP
leader appeared yesterday, three days after he was caught at Shaheen Bagh after
opening fire near the protest site.“Did Arvind Kejriwal & Sanjay Singh want
to kill women & children protesting at #ShaheenBagh,” Gunja had tweeted on
Tuesday.indiatomorrow
Shaheen Bagh: Kept at gurdwara overnight, Punjab farmers finally allowed
to reach protest site
New Delhi :15 hours after they
reached Delhi, over 800 farmers of Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) were finally allowed
to join the Shaheen Bagh protest.The farmers (both men and women) had started
for Delhi from Sangrur in eight buses along with ration on Tuesday morning, but
were stopped by the Delhi police at Sarita Vihar, 3 km before the protest
site.“They all were taken to Gurdwara Bala Sahib in that area. They were
finally allowed to march towards the protest site only on Wednesday, around
noon. It is really sad that our members were stopped and harassed overnight.
Hence, we burnt effigies of the central government at 52 places in Punjab, as
everything was done by the police at their behest,” said Sukhdev Singh Kokri
Kalan, general secretary of BKU (Ugrahan).He added: “It is really surprising
that the farmers were stopped. On January 15 as well, we had visited Shaheen
Bagh for a day. On February 3, a group from Punjab Kisan Union (PKU) had gone
to the protest site. The protest is being given a colour, that it is by
anti-nationals and by a particular religion… hence, support from Punjab
brothers and sisters proves its secular nature. And not just Punjab,
like-minded people from across the country are coming to Shaheen
Bagh.”Meanwhile, effigies were burnt Wednesday at several districts.indianexpress
Kshatriya Samaj threatens to forcibly end 'anti-national' Shaheen Bagh
protests by 12 Feb
Raising a shrill pitch over ongoing protest at Shaheen Bagh ahead of
Delhi Assembly elections to a whole new level, Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya
Mahasabha, a Hindu Right-Wing group, has threatened to forcibly clear the
"blockade" caused by anti-CAA protesters. The group has set a
deadline till 12 February for the Centre and the state government to vacate the
Shaheen Bagh part of the Kalindi Kunj Road occupied by protesters. Or else, it
threatened, they will do it themselves.Recently, the group also held a protest
march from Noida to Shaheen Bagh demanding clearance of the road. The group was
not allowed ahead by the police. firstpost
All Polling Stations In Shaheen Bagh Under Critical Category: Election
Commission
New Delhi: In view of the ongoing anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh, the
Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the area under critical
category, an official said on Wednesday.Talking to reporters, Delhi Chief
Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said five polling stations have about 40
booths.He said security personnel will carry out marches and patrolling in the
area to boost confidence of voters.PTI
Delhi anti-CAA protesters say their fight is with Centre, not Kejriwal
New Delhi :As anti-CAA-NRC protests rage in Shaheen Bagh and other
Muslim-dominated areas of the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP
national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his party leaders have made it a point
neither to speak overtly on the issue nor visit these protest sites in the
run-up to the Assembly elections scheduled for February 8. The BJP, for its
part, is carrying out a brazen campaign aimed at polarising voters against
these protests. The Congress, it is said, is trying to woo the Muslim vote in
these areas that once were its strongholds.indianexpress
Complaint to EC says BJP’s campaign songs target minorities, promote
hatred between communities
BJP’s campaign songs for the Delhi Assembly elections are a clear violation
of the Model Code of Conduct and several other rules, a group of filmmakers,
advocates and an author have told the Election Commission of India in a
complaint filed on February 4. Observing that these videos promote hatred
between communities and different classes, 5 signatories have asked Election
Commission to direct the BJP to “remove the offending videos from all its
social media portals...and issue directions to them to refrain from releasing
any further such or other videos in the public domain”.scroll
Bidar school sedition case: Police probe raises questions of
religion-based profiling
Bidar police on Tuesday questioned minor students of the Shaheen Primary
School for the fifth time in connection with the sedition case registered
against the school’s management and one parent. The sedition case was slapped
after students staged a play, which was against the CAA and NRC on January
21.On January 26, the sedition case was registered. Ever since the police have
questioned the children multiple times. This has raised several questions over
why investigators have not shown restraint while handling the case; and also
whether the government is influencing the police in clamping down on the rights
of the minority community.Over a month ago, a school in Karnataka’s Dakshina
Kannada district, owned by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat was in the
spotlight after students staged a play regarding the demolition of the Babri
Masjid. A video of the play shows at least a hundred children on stage rushed
towards a huge poster of the Babri Masjid, as a narrator said on a loudspeaker:
“They start demolishing the structure with anything they can get their hands
on. With enthusiasm, Hanuman bhaktas with Hanuman’s anger, they bring down
Babri structure. Bolo Shri Ramachandra ki, Jai!” As the proclamation of Ram’s
name came on the loudspeaker, the poster of Babri Masjid was brought down by
the students, and the children on stage cheered and jumped in excitement.In the
case of Shaheen Primary and High School, the management and parent of one
little girl were booked for sedition. While the police showed restraint and did
not subject children to interrogation in the school in Dakshina Kannada, the
same restraint was not offered to the students of Shaheen Primary and High
School.As the Karnataka government and the police came under the spotlight and
have been accused of harassing the children in the school, the Karnataka State
Commission for Protection of Child Rights has issued a notice to Bidar SP, the
officials of the Department of Public Instruction in Bidar and also the
Disctrict Child Protection Officer regarding the repeated questioning of the
children.thenewsminute
‘Kids Can’t Do a Play Under BJP’: Parents Slam Bidar Sedition Row
Amid cries of ‘Bidar Police down, down’, several angry parents,
activists and citizens of Bengaluru came together to raise their voices against
the ‘inhuman’ behaviour of the Bidar police. Over the last week, cops have
turned up at a local primary school almost everyday, to interrogate minors for
hours on end, over charges of staging a ‘seditious’ play at a school
function.Two women, the headmistress and a single mother have been in jail
since 30 January after their arrest. Bearing placards, chanting slogans and
holding a large banner that said, ‘Humanity is the only religion,’ citizens
called out the inaction of the state government as well as the insensitivity of
local cops on their stringent action.Demanding immediate withdrawal of the
case, several citizens said that they feared for their own kids, claiming that
‘there is no freedom for the kids to stage a play under this
government.’thequint
Hoping sedition case is withdrawn, Bidar school students offer prayers
Even as 11-year-old Ayesha* (name changed) waits to hear the fate of her
mother’s bail petition in the Bidar District and Sessions court, students in
Shaheen Primary and High School on Tuesday evening gathered at the courtyard of
their school to break their fast and offer prayers, in the hope that the recent
controversy over a play staged in the school tides over. “Around 1,000 hostel
students in the school gathered inside the school premises to pray and break
their fast. This has been happening for the last three days after the police
arrested the mother of a student and a teacher of the school,” Touseef
Madikeri, CEO of Shaheen Primary and High School in Bidar, told TNM. Police
officials in Bidar district continued to question Ayesha’s batchmates at
Shaheen Primary and High School on Tuesday after they turned up at the school
for the fifth time. Police officials in plainclothes, led by Basaveshwara Hira,
Bidar Deputy Superintendent of Police, questioned students involved in a
programme organised in the school on January 21.
Sharjeel Imam case: TISS tense as students grapple with sedition case
against Urvashi Chudawala and others
An uneasy silence permeated Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on
Tuesday, as students woke up to the news that their peer, Urvashi Chudawala,
had been booked for sedition. Chudawala – a member of the TISS Queer collective
who now goes by the name Kris – and 50 others, whose identities are not yet
known, were charged after a video of them raising slogans in support of
Sharjeel Imam during Queer Azaadi Mumbai Pride March last Saturday was
circulated on social media.The police’s actions have shocked the usually
articulate students of the institute – many of whom are in the midst of project
and dissertation submissions – into silence. There are, however, murmurs of
discontent all around. “Most of us don’t know all the details [of the case]. We
are waiting for more information, but the campus is tense,” said a student, who
did not wish to be named. Another added, “Students are definitely upset.
Everyone is talking about it in the dining hall and canteen. Those who have
fired bullets at Jamia protesters are going free while and students are being
booked for statements.” The students’ union went into a huddle on Tuesday to
decide what stand it should take. “We are still in discussion. We will let you
know if we issue a statement,” president Bhatta Ram said.mumbaimirror
Sharjeel Made Anti-CAA Pamphlets
To Mobilise People: Police
Delhi Police claims that it has found an “inflammatory” pamphlet from
the laptop of Sharjeel Imam, the incarcerated research scholar of Jawahar Lal
Nehru University, that appealed people to mobilise against the CAA and the NRC
and was shared through WhatsApp, mail and messenger with groups of students of
the AMU and other varsities, an official said.A senior Crime Branch official
related to the probe told IANS: “The pamphlet that we recovered from the laptop
of Imam talking about Muslims being on the radar of the government and Muslims
being killed in Assam.“During questioning, Imam told us that he made the
pamphlet on December 3 and it was circulated to the WhatsApp groups of the AMU
and other universities.”caravandaily
Shaheen Bagh infant death case: Bravery award
winner writes to CJI
New Delhi:The case of the death of a four-month-old
infant in Delhi''s Shaheen Bagh, which is the epicentre of the anti-Citizenship
Amendment Act protests, has reached the Supreme Court.A girl, who received the
prestigious bravery award from the President, has written a letter to Chief
Justice of India S. A. Bobde seeking guidelines from the Court not to include
children in the protests.She has also sought investigation from the authorities
into the matter, as the death certificate did not mention the reason of death
as per the media reports.Zen Gunratan Sadavarte, a class seven student from
Mumbai, said the involvement of children in protests amounts to torture.IANS
CAA protest: Meerut cops cite youth’s killing to
block bail to riot accused
Meerut:On Dec.20, 26-year old Mohsin sustained
bullet injuries during an anti-CAA protest in Meerut. He was declared brought
dead at a hospital the same day. His grieving family protested when they were
denied the post-mortem report. Meerut police are now flagging the findings of
the post-mortem report, linking Mohsin’s death caused by a firearm injury to
the rioting that took place. In fact, police used this to oppose the bail plea
of a man booked in a case of rioting and attempt to murder which was registered
at Brahmpuri police station in Meerut — 5 persons were killed during the
protests in Meerut and families of the victims alleged excessive police
action.FIR stated: “At around 3.30 pm, near Hapur adda, there were 400-500
people armed with sticks, country-made pistol and pistols. Police explained to
the crowd that prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed…
however, with intention to kill the policemen, they started pelting stones at
the police vehicles. The police arrested four people — Aasif, Samir, Mohammed
Ikrar and Shehzad — from the spot. They were arrested from Lisadi gate at 6.10
pm.”Ikrar’s bail plea was rejected on January 1 with sessions judge Gurpreet
Singh Bawa recording in his order: “The prosecution has argued that officials
were injured after all the accused attacked them sticks, bricks, rods, stones
and petrol bombs… the case diary shows that police officials Imran, Satendra,
Udham Singh, Manoj Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Nazim Khan, Adhesh Pundir, Sudhir,
Jitender Saxena, Dhanveer, Shabab, Santosh, Veerpal, Satish Chandra, Ajay
Kumar, Bijendra Singh, Pinku, Raghuraj Singh, Mahaveer Singh and Raj Singh were
medically examined and found to have red contusion and red abrasion. In case of
Sudhir and Jitendra Saxena, the doctor recommended them for an X-ray examination.
The examination reveals that there was no fracture of any bone.”indianexpress
Rajinikanth makes his stance clear: CAA not a
threat to Muslims, NPR essential
Chennai :Actor Rajinikanth Wednesday said political
parties with ulterior motives in Tamil Nadu were instigating the public on CAA,
NPR, and NRC. Speaking to the reporters at his Poes Garden residence in
Chennai, the actor said he would be the first to raise his voice if there was
any threat to Muslims in the country.“There is no threat to Muslims. Political
parties are spreading fear over CAA for their political gain, and religious
heads are also siding with them. This is very wrong. The Centre has clearly
stated CAA does not affect Indian citizens. It is about providing citizenship
to the residents of neighbouring countries,” Rajinikanth said.indianexpress
India under Modi Akin to Hitler’s Germany: Owaisi
on NPR
NEW DELHI:Calling the BJP-led government’s NPR
exercise the next step towards a NRC, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday
accused it of creating an atmosphere in the country, similar to that created by
Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy.Participating in the
debate in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind’s
address to Parliament, the Hyderabad MP said: “It is a fight for our (Muslims)
survival” as there is no difference between NPR and NRC and if “we lose this
fight, we will finish”.Referring to the census conducted by Hitler in 1933 and
by Mussolini in 1938, the AIMIM President said the country’s current atmosphere
is similar to that.IANS
Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader slams CAA, says it will
affect SC, ST’s along with Muslims
Bhopal :Days after a BJP leader opposed the new
citizenship law in Madhya Pradesh, another leader from the party ranks has
slammed CAA, arguing that not only Muslims but even scheduled castes, scheduled
tribes and OBCs will be affected by it.In a Facebook post, BJP leader Ajit
Borasi said, “NRC and CAA won’t affect only Muslims, but also SCs, STs, and
OBCs. Read it once and you will understand. I don’t have a herd mentality. I
won’t endorse what’s wrong.”However, a few weeks ago he had backed the CAA,
saying as far as he understood, it was not against any
“Hindustani”.indianexpress
Uddhav Says Won’t Allow NRC Anywhere Else in the Country & the
Exercise Will Trouble Hindus as Well
Mumbai: Though there is no disagreement in principle with the CAA, NRC
is problematic and it will trouble Hindus and Muslims alike, Maharashtra chief
minister Uddhav Thackeray has said. In an interview with Shiv Sena mouthpiece
Saamana’s executive editor Sanjay Raut, the third part of which came out on
Wednesday, he also slammed erstwhile ally Bharatiya Janata Party for “ditching
a true and old friend”.Speaking about CAA and the protests around it, Thackeray
said there was nothing new or serious about it, but that the central government
should give information about the Hindu minorities seeking Indian citizenship.
The Centre should also provide a detailed plan of their rehabilitation, else
the burden will fall on large cities like Mumbai, the CM said. In fact, he
suggested that Hindu minorities facing religious persecution in neighbouring
countries should be rehabilitated in Kashmir.news18
Hyderabad: Women promise to fight against CAA till the end
Hyderabad: Hundreds of women protesters gathered at the Minar Gardens,
near Salarjung Museum, on Monday to protest against the troika of issues — CAA,
NRC and NPR. Women from different walks of life, including school and college
students, homemakers and working professionals joined in the protest.The women
protesters carried the Indian national flags, and placards with slogans,
including, ‘Stop campus terrorism’, ‘Don’t transform universities into
detention camps’ among others. They sang songs, including ‘Dil diya hai, jaan
bhi deenge,’ a patriotic hit song from
Hindi movie Karma.DECCAN CHRONICLE
Assam: Two BJP Workers Arrested For Attacking Union Minister's House
During Anti-CAA Stir
GUWAHATI:A total of 18 persons, including two BJP workers have been
arrested for allegedly attacking the house of Union Minister of State for Food
Processing Rameswar Teli at Duliajan in Upper Assam during anti-CAA protests on
December 11 last year.The arrested BJP workers have been identified Debajit
Hazarika and Vicky Sonar.While confirming that 18 persons had been arrested for
attack on the house of the minister and for pelting stones on the police on
December 11, police said that Debajit Hazarika and Vicky Sonar were BJP
workers.State BJP leaders have also
confirmed that the two were active workers of the party. Family members of the
accused also confirmed that both of them were close aides of Rameswar
Teli.Reacting to their arrest, Teli said that both the accused are BJP workers
but he did not know for what they were apprehended. “But if they have been
arrested, there must be some truth in police’s colaim. They lived in my
neighbourhood and always attended my programmes with their family members”, said
Teli.Houses of several MLAs and BJKP leaders were attacked during anti-CAA
protests in December. The houses of some of them were burnt completely.The
protesters had also set afire public and private properties at many places of
the state including Guwahati.India Tomorrow
Madhya Pradesh cabinet passes resolution urging Centre to withdraw
CAA
Madhya Pradesh Cabinet of ministers headed by Chief Minister Kamal Nath
on Wednesday passed a resolution against the CAA and NPR, citing it
unconstitutional. Congress led-state government urged Modi led-NDA government
to withdraw the controversial Act owing to the growing public outrage. The
Cabinet also asked the Centre to remove some clause from the NPR which seeks
personal information and could be used for the National Register of
Citizenship.“The Cabinet has passed the resolution against the CAA, NPR and
urged Modi government to withdraw the controversial Act,” said Law Minister PC
Sharma after the Cabinet meeting.nationalheraldindia
Juvenile Jamia Shooter Registered as Voter in UP's Jewar, Says Delhi
Cong Chief, Demands Probe
Delhi Congress chief Subhash
Chopra claimed on Wednesday that the juvenile who shot at and injured a student
at an anti-CAA protest gathering near the Jamia Millia Islamia last week was a
voter of the Jewar Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh.At a press
conference, Chopra also cited the voter identity card number of the accused and
sought a probe into the matter by a government agency."This person voted
in the last Lok Sabha election. His name is registered as a voter in the
electoral roll of Jewar Assembly constituency," Chopra said, citing the
accused's voter photo identity card number.PTI
Kanhaiya Kumar injured after stones pelted at his convoy in Bihar
Former JNU Students Union president and CPI(M) leader Kanhaiya Kumar was
injured after his convoy was attacked on Wednesday while he was on his way back
after addressing a public meeting in Bihar, ANI reported.Stones were pelted at
Kumar’s convoy after the CPI(M) leader, who contested unsuccessfully from
Bihar’s Begusarai, was headed towards Saharsa after attending a rally in
Supaul.indianexpress
No need to pass resolution against CAA in assembly,
will not allow implementation of NRC: Uddhav Thackeray
Mumbai :Backing CAA with some riders, Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that there is no need to pass a
resolution against the CAA in the state assembly stating that the law is to
give citizenship and not to remove anyone from the country. Thackeray’s
statement comes after the Congress-ruled states were asked to pass a resolution
against CAA. However, Thackeray has said that he will not allow the
implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
Jammu & Kashmir: Sajjad Lone, Waheed Para released from detention,
under house arrest
New Delhi :People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone and PDP youth wing
president Waheed Parra were Wednesday shifted from MLAs hostel to their
residences, where they will continue to remain under house arrest. Both leaders
were placed in detention in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 in
August.They were among several politicians, lawyers, businessmen, and activists
in the Valley who were placed under detention after Centre revoked Article 370
and scrapped the special status to Jammu and Kashmir. After the release of Lone
and Parra, 13 political leaders now remain detained at the MLA hostel here
which has been temporarily converted into a subsidiary jail.The Jammu and
Kashmir administration had on Tuesday released two leaders — former PDP MLA
from Wachi in south Kashmir Aijaz Ahmad Mir and trade leader Shakeel Ahmed
Qalandar, who is former president of the Federation Chamber of Industries,
Kashmir. Since Sunday, a total of eight leaders have been released from
preventive custody.indianexpress
MP Farooq Abdullah slapped with PSA, while no action against Anurag
Thakur and Parvesh Verma
Raising concern over the absence of Farooq Abdullah in the Parliament,
Congress-led opposition on Wednesday staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha
demanding the Centre release National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah from
detention in Kashmir considering his age and health. Congress Leader of the
House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Suresh Kodukunil raised the issue during Zero
Hour following which other opposition parties, including National Conference,
NCP and DMK, walked out of the House after brief sloganeering when the issue
was not entertained.
‘Is India still a democracy?’: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on J-K ex-CMs
detention
New Delhi :Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday
lashed out at the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over the continuing house
arrest of two former chief ministers in Jammu and Kashmir, asking if “India is
still a democracy”.In a tweet this morning, Priyanka Gandhi wrote, “It’s been
six months since 2 Ex-Chief Ministers have been incarcerated without any
charges and millions of people were locked down in J&K. 6 months ago we
were asking how long this will carry on? Now we are asking whether we are still
a democracy or not.” Politicians, social activists, lawyers and businessmen in
the Valley were detained since August 5. While few local politicians were
released, Omar Abdullah, along with 2 other chief ministers – his father Farooq
Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti – remain under arrest.indian express
Scrapping J&K’s special status ‘fatal mistake’ by PM Modi:Imran Khan
New Delhi :Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi
over the scrapping of special status to J&K, Pakistan PM Imran Khan called
the move “a fatal mistake”.Khan, who was addressing Legislative Assembly in
Muzaffarabad, said Modi was voted back to power with a huge mandate in 2019
because he made Pakistan a scapegoat in the election.“Modi made a fatal
mistake, one that he could not step back from…He cannot go back from where he
has taken India. The genie of Hindu nationalism is out of the bottle and it
cannot be put back,” Khan was quoted as saying by PTI. Pakistan Prime Minister
further claimed that Modi’s “annexation of Kashmir would finally result in its
independence,” Dawn reported. “It is my faith that Kashmir will become free
after August 5 action by Modi. If he had not taken this step, we would not have
been able to highlight it to the world,” Imran Khan said and added that it was
“his duty” to inform the world about it.Reacting to Modi’s statement that the
Indian Army would need not more than “a week to 10 days” to defeat the
neighbouring country in case of another war, Khan said, “No normal man can say
such a thing.” Modi had made the statement last month.Asserting that that
world’s focus on Kashmir should not be diverted, Khan claimed, “Either they
(India) will launch false flag operation or launch a crackdown in Kashmir by
using the threat of terrorism.”indianexpress
No proposal to set up deradicalisation camps in J&K: Govt
There is no proposal under consideration to set up deradicalisation
camps in Jammu and Kashmir, the government told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.This
was stated by Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy.Earlier, supporting the
idea of setting up of deradicalisation centres in Kashmir as suggested by Chief
of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh had said such a
move was welcome.Singh had said that Pakistan and its terror proxies have been
trying to spread radicalisation in Kashmir which has affected many youth. He
said deradicalisation centres will help those youth who have gone astray.IANS
Davinder Singh Row: NIA Raids Homes of BJP Sarpanch & IPS Officer
Investigating DSP Davinder Singh’s links to Hizbul Mujahideen, NIA has
carried out raids on the residences of a BJP sarpanch and an IPS officer whose
militant brother was killed by security forces in South Kashmir’s Shopian
district in January last year. The investigators are understood to have learned
that Hizbul Mujahideen, linked to the detained police officer, had
simultaneously maintained liaison with the former independent MLA, Engineer
Rashid, who has already been arrested by NIA in a terror-funding case, and is
lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail.
thequint
*OTHERS*
From Parliament Floor, PM Modi Announces 15-Member Trust for Ayodhya Ram
Temple; 5 Acres Allotted for Masjid
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Parliament on
Wednesday the formation of a trust for the construction of a Ram Temple in
Ayodhya as directed by the Supreme Court in its landmark verdict in the Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case last November.“I am happy to announce that in the
cabinet meeting today morning, we took significant decisions on the Ayodhya
trust. As per the orders of the Supreme Court, we have set up a trust. Sri Ram
Janma Bhumi Tirtha Shetra will be the name of the trust. It will be an
independent body,” Modi said.In India, everyone is a part of one "broad
family", be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis or
Jains, Modi said.“We have taken another big step for Ram Mandir pilgrims. We
are allocating over 67 acres of land near the mandir area to the trust,” he
added.Union home minister Amit Shah said the trust would comprise 15 members,
including a Dalit representative who would be in-charge of the entire 67-acre
land.The announcement, two days before Delhi votes in assembly elections
followed by a communally charged campaign amid anti-CAA unrest, is likely to
ruffle opposition feathers.Commenting on the timing of the announcement, AIMIM
leader Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Session of Parliament will end on February 11,
the announcement could have come after February 8 (Delhi election date). Seems
like the BJP is worried.”Owaisi added that the Sunni Waqf Board shouldn’t not
take the five-acre land. “The Supreme Court is supreme and not infallible. PM’s
announcement is a violation of the Model of Conduct.” news18
5 acres given for building mosque is in Ayodhya’s Dhannipur village, 25
km away
5 acres allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for
building a mosque following the Supreme Court verdict in Babri Masjid-Ram
Janmabhoomi title suit will be in Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil of
Ayodhya, around 25 km from the site where the Babri Masjid once stood.The land
is 18 km from the district HQRS on the Lucknow State highway, the Uttar Pradesh
government said after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The State had sent a
proposal with three alternative sites to the Centre and one was selected, State
Cabinet Minister Shrikant Sharma said.“This is a suitable location in Ayodhya
in many ways,” said Mr. Sharma. This would prove to be a suitable location from
the perspective of transportation, road connectivity, public facilities,
communal harmony, public order and law and order, he added.Cief executive
officer of the Waqf Board Syed Shoeb said they were yet to receive a formal
order from the government. Whether the Board accepts the site or not could be
decided at its meeting scheduled on February 24. Abdur Razzaque Khan, who was
the lone dissenting member then, said on Wednesday that Muslims should not
accept the 5-acres as it “goes against the principles of Islam.”Haji Mehboob,
one of the litigants in the long-drawn case, also rejected the land. Zufar
Faruqui, chairperson of the Waqf Board, was unavailable for comment.thehindu
PM Announces Ram Temple Trust In Midst Of Delhi Election Heat
Waqf Board forms Islamic Trust for 5-acre alternative land in Ayodhya
New Delhi:The day the Narendra Modi government announced that the
Cabinet has formed a trust to build the Ram Mandir, the Sunni Waqf Board also
formed a trust by the name of 'Indo Islamic Culture Trust' to manage the
alternative land allotted to the Muslims in the historic Ayodhya land dispute
judgment.Sources have said the 5-acre land, which the Sunni Waqf Board was
granted by the Supreme Court in the historic Ayodhya land dispute case, will be
run by the trust named 'Indo Islamic Culture Trust'. The Waqf Board said that
the trust will be formed soon and will then be registered within two-three
days.indiatoday
Sunni Waqf Board decision on land not of all Muslims: AIMPLB
Lucknow:All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said on Wednesday
that the Sunni Waqf Board, which will get five acres of land in Ayodhya for the
construction of a mosque, is not the representative of the entire Muslim
community.The AIMPLB further said that if the Waqf Board accepts the Centre''s
offer, it should not be considered as a decision of all the Muslims of the
country."Sunni Waqf Board is not the representative of the entire Muslim
community. If it takes land, it should not be considered the decision of all
Muslims of the country," said Maulana Yasin Usmani, senior executive
member of AIMPLB.He said AIMPLB and those associated with it have already
decided that they will not take any land in Ayodhya in lieu of the Babri
mosque.IANS
AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani questions timing of Ram Temple Trust
announcement
Lucknow:All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member and convener
of Babri Masjid Action Committee Zafaryab Jilani has questioned the timing of
Ram Temple Trust announcement. Zafaryab
Jilani said that announcement should have been made after Delhi Assembly
Elections, due on February 8. Jilani said, "The announcement of trust for
the construction of Ram Temple has been done right ahead of the Delhi
elections. It could have announced on 8th February in the evening after the
polling in Delhi but it is clear that the BJP wants to do polarisation to gain
political mileage. I believe that the election commission will be approached by
the opposition parties on the timing of trust announcement."indiatoday
One Lakh LIC Employees Stage Countrywide Walk-Out Against Proposed IPO
Mumbai: Nearly one lakh employees of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)
staged an hour-long walk-out on Tuesday against the government’s decision to
sell a part of its stake in the life insurance major through an initial public
offering.There are 13 unions in LIC, and employees and officers affiliated to
11 unions were on protest.In the Union Budget announced on Saturday, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government, which holds a 100% stake
in LIC, will sell a part of its holding through an initial public offering
(IPO).“Today’s walk-out was completely successful. Of around 1.08 employees and
officers at LIC, close to one lakh staged walk-out across the country,” All
India LIC Employees Federation (AILEF) General Secretary Rajesh Kumar told
PTI.PTI
India's Manufacturing and Services Sector Activity Hits Seven-Year-High:
IHS Markit
New Delhi: India’s services sector activity surged to a 7-year high in
January driven by sharp increase in new business orders, leading to job
creation and business optimism amid favourable market conditions, a monthly
survey said on Wednesday. IHS Markit India Services Business Activity Index
rose from 53.3 in December to 55.5 in January, signalling the strongest upturn
in output in seven years.“The Indian service sector sprung to life at the start
of 2020, defying expectations of fragility and building on to the momentum gained
at the end of 2019,” said Pollyanna de Lima, principal economist at IHS
Markit.thewire
In the backdrop of unemployment at 45-year high, over 6.83 lakh vacant
posts in central govt departments
There were over 6.83 lakh vacant posts in different central government
departments, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.Citing annual report of
pay and research unit of the department of expenditure, Minister of State for
Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to the lower house that out of
the total of 38,02,779 sanctioned strength, 31,18,956 employees were in
position, as on March 1, 2018.There were 6,83,823 vacant posts as on March 1,
2018, it said.PTI
Anurag Kashyap refuses to fly IndiGo in support of Kunal Kamra
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has lent support to comedian Kunal Kamra by not
flying in IndiGo Airlines. He chose Vistara instead.“No @IndiGo6E.. on
@airvistara .. in solidarity with @kunalkamra88,” Kashyap tweeted.Kashyap came
out in support of Kamra after the latter was banned from four airlines
including IndiGo, Air India, GoAir and SpiceJet. Kamra was banned after his
in-flight encounter with news anchor Arnab Goswami during an IndiGo flight a
few dats ago.IANS
After ABVP Blames Left for JNU Student Mandriya's Injuries, He Claims
ABVP Attacked Him
January 5 attack on JNU left 36 people injured, among them was Kamlesh
Mandriya, a first-year MPhil student at the Centre of Social Medicine and
Community Health, JNU. Photographs of Mandriya with head injuries went viral on
social media with the claim that the Left attacked him.On January 16, Delhi
resident Pranav Sawhney posted pictures of billboards that displayed images of
injured students. The hashtag #LeftAttackstudents adorned the billboard.
Swahney’s Instagram post said that the images were clicked by an Instagram user
@hameenasto. “Tax-funded propaganda at North Campus, University of Delhi. If
you are wondering where your tax money is going. This government is engaged in
declaring students of your country as terrorists. Images by and @hameenasto,”
read the caption.thewire
Dec 16 gangrape case: Delhi HC rejects Centre’s plea against postponing
execution of convicts
Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected the Centre’s plea against a trial
court decision postponing the execution of death warrant issued against the
four convicts in December 16 gangrape-murder case.Last week Friday, a trial
court had postponed the execution of death warrants issued against the four
convicts, saying the country cannot afford to discriminate against a death row
convict in pursuit of legal remedies.Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor
General Tushar Mehta had told Justice Suresh Kait that there was a deliberate,
calculated and well thought of design by the death row convicts to “frustrate
mandate of law” by getting their execution delayed.indianexpress
Male troops won’t accept women commanders: Government to SC
NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that women may not be
suitable for command posts in the Army as male troops are not yet prepared to
accept women officers. It also cited greater family demands and the danger of
them being taken prisoner of war to oppose the plea of a few women officers for
command posting after getting permanent commission.“The composition of rank
& file being male, and predominantly drawn from rural background, with
prevailing societal norms, the troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept
women officers in command,” it said.It also said male and female officers
cannot be treated on a par in the matter of postings because of their different
physical standards and exposures, and reservations over exposing women officers
to combat situations.Senior advocate R Balasubramanian and lawyer Neela Gokhale
told a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi that induction of
women to such posts would change the dynamics of the armed forces. They
contended physiological limitation is further accentuated by the “challenges of
confinement, motherhood and childcare”.Opposing the Centre’s plea, Meenakshi
Lekhi and Aishwarya Bhatti, representing the women officers, told the court
that many of them displayed exceptional bravery in adverse situations.TOI
Over 5 crore farmers yet to get 3rd instalment of PM-Kisan scheme,
reveals Govt data
Over five crore farmers were yet to get the third instalment of money
under the Centre's ambitious PM-Kisan scheme, aimed at providing direct support
of Rs 6,000 annually to them, according to the latest Ministry of Agriculture
and Farmers' Welfare data.The total amount of the scheme, which came into
effect on December 1, 2018, is to be paid in three equal instalments of Rs
2,000 every four months.The data showed about 2.51 crore farmers have not got
even the second instalment and 5.16 crore of them were yet to get the third
instalment.Over 9 crore farmers have registered themselves under the scheme
between December 2018 and November 2019, it said.Of these, 7.62 crore or 84 per
cent of farmers have received the first instalment.PTI
Plea before Delhi HC challenges appointment of Dr Najma Akhtar as Jamia
VC
A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court challenging the
appointment of Dr Najma Akhtar as the Vice-Chancellor of the Jamia Millia
Islamia, New Delhi.A Single Judge Bench of Justice AK Chawla had sought a
response to the petition from Najma, Central Government, Central Vigilance
Commission, University Grants Commission and the University.The petition has
been preferred by an Advocate M Ehtesham-ul-Haque.barandbench.com
Soldiers in Siachen, Ladakh short on essential gear, clothing and
rations: CAG report
Soldiers deployed in high-altitude areas such as Siachen and Ladakh lack
sufficient essential gear, clothing and rations, the Comptroller and Auditor
General of India told Parliament on Monday.During the audit period of 2015-’16
to 2017-’18, troops had to use old items instead of being given new improved
ones, while lack of special rations compromised their calorie intake by as high
as 82%, the auditor found. Procurement of high-altitude clothing and equipment
was delayed by up to four years, leading to acute shortage of such items, the
audit report said.scroll
Dalit Activist Ravichandaran, Once Anti-Muslim, Becomes Raees for
Self-Respect
CHENNAI :Dalit Activist Ravichandaran who manages the YouTube channel
Dalit Camera has converted himself to Islam in his search for “self-respect and
equality”. He found these in the Muslim community, joined its ranks and changed
his name to Mohammed Raees. The conversion happened in Tamil Nadu’s Ooty on
January. 30Talking to Caravan Daily about the response of his Dalit community
to his action, Ravichandaran said that, as of now, they were neither supporting
him nor opposing him. “They are not opposing my action because they don’t
oppose what is purely an attempt to gain self-respect.”He said the Dalit
community is anti-Muslim in general and he was himself anti-Muslim. He used to
believe that Muslims were a dirty people and they were encouraging terrorists.
After engagement with some members of Student Islamic Organization at EFLU, his
views about Muslims changed.“My life has been 24X7 about caste for the last 15
years. It took a long time for me to reach this point. I was very anti-Muslim.
I used to carry in my mind some stereotypes about Muslims, or what people used
to say about them. I could change my idea after a long relationship of 4-5 years
with my SIO friends,” said Raees.Caravan Daily
Nirbhaya Case: Akshay Thakur's Plea Against Hanging Rejected By
President
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected the mercy petition of
Akshay Thakur, the third of the four convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape case. The death row prisoner had
filed the appeal on Saturday, hours after President Kovind turned down the
appeal of fellow convict Vinay Sharma.A mercy plea to the President of India is
the last option for a prisoner awarded the death penalty. In case of a negative response from the
President, the execution can take place a fortnight later, the rules say.But
the execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case -- Vinay Sharma, Pawan
Gupta, Mukesh Singh and Akshay Singh - have to take place together, the Delhi
High Court said today, turning down the Centre's petition for a phased
implementation of the execution order. The fourth convict, Pawan Gupta is yet
to file for clemency.The court today gave the convicts one week to explore all
legal options, and ordered the trial court to begin proceedings for their
execution after that. The order came in
response to the Centre's petition against the indefinite freeze on execution
placed by a lower court.ndtv
SC adjourns hearing on Muslim quota in Telangana by a week
HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing in the case of 4
per cent reservations to Muslims in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh by a week.The
case was listed before a Bench consisting of Justice Arun Mishra, Justice
Indira Banarjee, Justice Vineet Saran, Justice MR Shah and Justice Anirudh
Bose. Senior counsel Rajiv Dhawan represented the case on behalf of Backward
Classes Department, Telangana government. Senior advocates Salman Khursheed and
Shakeel Ahmed were present as counsel of senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali
Shabbir in the SC.newindianexpress
Bombay HC quashes denial of bail to terror accused Areeb Majeed but
restores his bail plea before special UAPA court
MUMBAI: In part relief to Kalyan resident Areeb Majeed facing trial
under an anti-terror law, Bombay high court on Tuesday quashed and set aside a
Sept.2019 rejection of his bail plea by a special trial court in Mumbai. The HC
however restored the bail plea for a fresh hearing by the trial court after he
argued that his submissions of there being a change in circumstance with
witnesses turning hostile, was not considered.A bench of Justices BP
Dharmadhikari and Nitin Borkar said it was partly allowing his appeal against
the rejection of his bail plea but directed the special trial court under UAPA
to decide it afresh from February 10, preferably within six weeks.The HC bench
observed there in the last 5 years since his arrest in Nov.2014, 42 prosecution
witnesses have been examined while the prosecution said there are 200-odd
witnesses. The bench also noted that 27-year-old Majeed has been behind bars
since his arrest on Nov.28, 2014.Majeed argued in person before the HC bench. He argued that there were 'contradictory'
findings made by the special trial judge while dealing with his ‘change in
circumstance’ arguments over ‘slow pace of trial.’TOI
Tigers must be punished for eating cows, says Goa NCP MLA Churchill
Alemao
Panaji:Even as the issue of tiger killings was discussed in the Goa
Assembly on Wednesday, NCP MLA Churchill Alemao said that tigers should be
"punished" for eating cows when humans are punished for the same.A
tigress and three of her cubs were killed by five locals in Mahadayi Wildlife
Sanctuary last month.The issue was raised by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat
through a calling attention motion on the floor of the House during the
Assembly session on Wednesday."What is the punishment for a tiger when he
eats a cow? When a human being eats cow, he is punished," Churchill Alemao
said.As far as wildlife is concerned, tigers are important but as far as human
beings are concerned, cows are important, Churchill Alemao said.indiatoday
Paras Shah a high-paid Indian banker in London fired for stealing food
from office canteen
New Delhi:A high-profile Indian banker in London was suspended by
Citigroup after he was accused of stealing food from the office canteen.Paras
Shah, who was apparently earning a handsome seven-digit salary (in British
pounds), was suspended after he stole food from the canteen at Citibank's
European headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. In Indian currency, Shah took home
almost Rs 9.2 crore per year.According to Financial Times, 31-year-old Shah
abruptly left his post last month as Citi's head of high-yield bond trading for
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, after being accused of food theft.Shah was
one of the highest-profile credit traders in Europe. "He was a well-liked
and successful trader," his two former colleagues were quoted as saying by
the daily. Paras Shah had joined Citigroup in 2017 after working for seven
years with HSBC. His suspension came weeks before Citigroup was due to pay
bonuses to their senior staff.India Today
The Other Kunal Kamra: Air India cancels Boston man's flight because of
his name
New Delhi:Kunal Kamra is not a name any Indian on social media will not
know today. The stand-up comedian has been banned by four airlines when we last
counted, and has had a difficult time this past week trying to prove that he
was merely 'questioning' and not 'heckling' a TV anchor.But Kunal is hardly the
only Kamra in the world.This Kunal Kamra, who is a resident of Boston and is
currently in India visiting his family, had to go through a long ordeal at the
Jaipur airport, all because of his name. IndiaToday
11 Years a ‘Terrorist’: How Cops Faked Testimonies Against Zakaria
Muhammed Zakaria was just 19 when he was arrested by the Karnataka
Police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on 5 February 2009. The
teenager, a native of Parappanangadi in Kozhikode district of Kerala, was
accused of making timers for the blasts in Bengaluru in 2008, in which one
person was killed.However, holes soon appeared in the police’s theory. Haridas,
a prosecution witness, tells The Quint:“I don’t know who Zakaria is. The police
made me become a witness. They created the witnesses.”“The police asked me
about something that happened in some shop. How will I know? I can’t talk about
things I don’t know,”Haridas to MediaOne channel in 2013. Haridas had earlier
told the media that he was asked to sign a paper in Kannada, a language he did
not understand.A second witness, Nizamudheen, had also reportedly retracted his
testimony.“Zakaria cannot make these timers because he has only studied till
10th grade in school. A person with that qualification cannot design
microchips. You need at least a BTech for that,” he had told Media One in
2013.“I haven’t given a statement saying that he made these timers. It is
impossible that someone who studied till 10th grade can make timers like
that,”Nizamudheen, Witness, to Media One. thequint
'Allow Doctors to Verify Nationality of Indian Prisoners of Unsound
Mind,' Govt Had Requested Pak
New Delhi: India has requested Pakistan to facilitate the visit of a
team of Indian medical doctors to its jails. The purpose of the team’s visit
would be so they can meet prisoners of unsound mind – who are believed to be
Indian – to verify their nationality and subsequently repatriate them.However,
“Pakistan has not responded (to the request) so far,” said the
government.thewire
BJP MP Parvesh Verma Banned from Campaigning for 24 Hrs over 'Terrorist'
Remark Aimed at Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi: Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday imposed a 24-hour
campaign ban on BJP MP Parvesh Verma for his “terrorist” remark against Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.The ban on Verma, the second in the last week,
came into force at 6pm on Wednesday.news18
*WORLD*
Trump Peace Plan: Draft UN Resolution Condemns Israeli Annexation
Washington: A draft United Nations Security Council resolution on
Tuesday condemned an Israeli plan to annex its settlements in the West Bank in
a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s pro-Israel peace proposal.The draft text,
circulated to council members by Tunisia and Indonesia, would seemingly face a
US veto, but nonetheless offered some members’ dim view of the peace plan that
Trump rolled out last week with great fanfare.Diplomats said negotiations on
the text would likely begin later this week. Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas is expected to speak to the council next week about the plan, possibly
coinciding with a vote on the draft resolution.Reuters
EU Denounces Trump's Middle East Peace Plan, Israel Responds With Anger
The European Union slammed US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace
plan on Tuesday, arguing that it “departs from” international agreements on the
Israel-Palestine conflict.Last week, US President Donald Trump presented a
proposal to address the conflict. The plan, which Trump dubbed the “deal of the
century,” would give Israel control over Jewish settlements on the West Bank
and Jordan Valley, while also calling for a Palestinian state. It was rejected
by Palestinian leadership both prior to and after its unveiling. EU foreign
policy chief Josep Borrell said that the plan does not adhere to
“internationally agreed parameters.”thewire
Saudi seeks to buy missiles from Israel company
Saudi Arabia intends to buy weapons from Israel’s Rafael company which
is known for its precision missiles, Hebrew news sites have reported.Israel
Defence Magazine has said that Saudi Arabia has expressed a desire to purchase
equipment from Rafael and if permission is obtained from Israeli authorities,
arms can be supplied to the kingdom through its European representative, Euro Spike.The
magazine indicated that allowing the company to provide Saudi with advanced
combat weapons has “problematic ramifications”, noting that the Israeli
Security Ministry may not allow the export of missiles to Saudi Arabia, fearing
that they might one day be used against the occupation army. However others
have speculated that a deal would be allowed to pass because missiles have a
lifespan of ten years, a period during which no confrontation is expected with
Saudi Arabia.middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu-Sudan's Burhan meeting slammed in Sudan, exposes divides
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was smiling and gesturing as
he posed for pictures alongside Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda who
hosted him in the city of Entebbe on Monday; but it was another meeting, far
from media glare, that made international headlines - and raised eyebrows.In an
unannounced move, Netanyahu on Monday also held talks with Abdel Fattah
al-Burhan, head of Sudan's sovereign council, a joint civilian-military
transitional body that has been governing the country since August last year in
the wake of longtime President Omar al-Bashir's overthrow months
before.Following the secret meeting, Israel said the two countries had agreed
to move towards forging normal relations. Only 2 Arab states - Egypt and Jordan
- have diplomatic ties with Israel."History!" tweeted Netanyahu, who
is fighting for his political future ahead of a snap legislative election on
March 2, the third in less than a year.As news of talks spread, protests
reportedly erupted in Khartoum as Sudanese government ministers insisted they
were unaware of the meeting and had heard about it through the media.Al-Burhan
himself only made his first public remarks about it the next day after briefing
the council and the cabinet."I took this step from the standpoint of my
responsibility ... to protect the national security of Sudan and achieve the
supreme interests of the Sudanese people," Burhan said in a statement on
Tuesday.aljazeera
Egypt raises price of cooking gas exported to Gaza
The besieged Gaza Strip has suffered a greater shortage in cooking gas
over the past three weeks as a result of Egypt’s price increases, Arab48
reported.Daily consumption of cooking gas in Gaza is about 250 tonnes in winter
and between 200 and 220 tonnes in summer.Director of Public Relations and Media
Officer in Gaza, Bayan Baker, said the shortage was a response to the Egyptian
attempt to raise the price of cooking gas.The Palestinian government in Gaza
stopped importing gas in protest against the attempts to raise its price;
however, it reached a compromise with the Egyptian authorities to make a very
symbolic rise, according to Baker, who did not say how much prices would
increase by.
Israeli warplanes strike Hamas targets in Gaza
Israel said Wednesday that it launched airstrikes targeting positions of
the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, reports Anadolu
Agency.Positions belonging to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’
military wing, in the southern city of Khan Yunis were hit by missiles launched
from Israeli warplanes, said sources on the ground.There were no casualties
according to initial assessments by local sources.The Israeli military claimed
the airstrikes were carried out in response to rockets launched from Gaza into
Israel
Saudi Arabia reports H5N8 bird flu on farm: OIE
Saudi Arabia has reported an
outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus on a poultry farm, the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday.The outbreak, which
occurred in the central Sudair region, killed 22,700 birds, the OIE said,
citing a report from the Saudi agriculture ministry.The other 385,300 birds in
the flock were slaughtered, it said.The case was the first outbreak of the H5N8
virus in Saudi Arabia since July 2018.Reuters
China coronavirus: Death toll nears 500
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has risen
to 490 after more deaths were reported in Hubei province. The virus originated
in Wuhan, Hubei's provincial capital.A further 24,324 people on the Chinese
mainland have been infected China's National Health Commission said on
Wednesday.The virus has killed two people outside of mainland China, one in
Hong Kong and another in the Philippines. At least 25 countries have confirmed
cases.The head of WHO has called for greater solidarity among the international
community, and criticised governments for being "well behind" in
sharing data on virus cases.WHO played down media reports of "breakthrough"
drugs being discovered to treat people infected with the new coronavirus.WHO
spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said: "There are no known effective therapeutics
against this 2019-nCoV (virus)."aljazeera
UN fails to take action on order against Myanmar on Rohingya
UN Security Council on Tuesday discussed the International Court of
Justice's order that Myanmar do all it can to prevent genocide against the
Rohingya Muslims, but failed to agree on a statement.China, an ally of Myanmar,
as well as Vietnam, which is a member of the regional ASEAN along with Myanmar,
objected, diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because it was a
closed-door meeting.Instead, the European Union members of the council urged
Myanmar in a joint statement to reporters afterwards to comply with the
measures ordered by UN's top court, stressing that they were "compulsory
under international law."France, Germany, Belgium and Estonia along with
former council member Poland also urged Myanmar "to take credible action
to bring to justice those responsible for human rights
violations."aljazeera
Erdogan says Syrian forces must pull back from Idlib posts
Syrian government forces in Idlib must pull back behind a line of
Turkish observation posts by the end of this month, Turkey's President Tayyip
Recep Erdogan has said, warning that if they did not do so, Ankara would drive
them back.Speaking two days after eight Turkish military personnel were killed
by shelling in the region, prompting a Turkish military response, Erdogan said
two of the Turkish posts were now behind the Syrian government front
line.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
CJI Gogoi was blot on judiciary, but other SC judges equally
culpable:Justice Katju
In BJP’s India, children are questioned while ‘goli maro’ minister keeps
campaigning:Rohan Venkataramakrishnan, scroll
Gandhi’s Killer Evokes Admiration as Never Before:Sameer Yasir, nytimes
Delhi Assembly elections: Will BJP bet on Shaheen Bagh work? Jury is
out:Liz Mathew
Punish the police: On action against school in Bidar:thehindu, EDITORIAL
Critics of NRC, including Left parties, have failed to question the
founding principles of the exercise: Jamila Firdaus and Adreeja Sarkar
India belongs to everyone — BJP allies object to ‘hate speeches’ over
Shaheen Bagh:SHANKER ARNIMESH
Weaponising Shaheen Bagh, the BJP's Last Resort:Badri Raina
Of Choice and Change: Burqas as Symbols of Protest:Soroor Ahmed
Meet Shadab Farooq, the Jamia Student Who Took a Bullet Last
Week:Shireen Khan
The budget has no immediate measures to stimulate the economy, address
the slowdown:Naushad Forbes
Shaheen Bagh Protesters Not Stopping School Buses, Then Who Is?thequint
How Sisodia’s Anti-CAA Remark Got RSS Mobilised for Delhi Polls:thequint
Reading the Muslim mind ahead of polls: Ali Yasir
How India Crowdfunded The Kin of Those Killed At Anti-CAA
Protests:MEGHNAD BOSE
Why I converted to Islam and buried my Hindu identity: Dalit Camera
founder RAEES MOHAMMED
A month passes after masked goons injured 51 JNU students, teachers; no
FIR, no arrest yet:Tathagata Bhattacharya
How Reliance Industries Built and Is Now Cutting Down Its House of
Debt:Vaishali Basu Sharma
Ram Mandir Without Ram Rajya And a ‘Regime’ Driven By Fear or Loss:NISHTHA
GAUTAMUPDATED
Month on since JNU attack, Delhi Police yet to nab perpetrators:
Testimonies call assault predetermined, 'impossible' without complicity of
insiders, admin, cops
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released
at: 9:21 PM).
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