NEWS DIGEST, EVENING
19 March 2020:
23 Rajjab 1441: Vol: 12, No: 160
*Anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
CAA has made 6 lakh refugees forever stateless, says rights group
A New Delhi-based rights group has said that the CAA has made about
6,00,000 refugees in India forever stateless and vulnerable to refoulement. CAA
prescribes citizenship for six non-Muslim communities which took refuge in
India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan till 2014.The 6,00,000 refugees
who stand excluded from the Act comprise 3,04,269 Sri Lankan Tamils, 1,08,005
Tibetans, some 1,00,000 Chins from Myanmar, 40,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar and
39,619 others recognised by UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the National
Campaign Against Torture (NCAT) said.“As any person who entered India without
valid documents or overstayed after May 30, 2003, are defined as illegal
immigrants under the Citizenship Act of 2003, they and their descendants are
ineligible for Indian citizenship, and shall remain forever stateless and
remain liable for deportation,” NCAT coordinator Suhas Chakma said.He said this
in reference to the Centre’s August 2010 statement in the Rajya Sabha regarding
Tibetan refugees. “As the Union of India has no intention to repatriate any
refugee except the Rohingyas, Tibetan and Tamil refugees are destined to stay
in India, forever, as stateless while Chin refugees have mostly been
assimilated in Mizoram,” Chakma
said.NCAT claimed Centre was using “false narratives” – as in the case of
Baldev Kumar, a former lawmaker from Pakistan who took refuge in India in Sept.
2019 – to defend the constitutionality of CAA on “legally unsustainable
grounds”.“The provisions of the Citizenship Act cited in the case of
asylum-seekers like Baldev Kumar prohibit the grant of Indian citizenship to an
illegal migrant. Every persecuted religious minority from Afghanistan,
Bangladesh and Pakistan has neither come nor will come as a legal migrant,
thereby negating the need for CAA,”
Chakma said. “CAA has therefore been enacted for mala fide purposes,”he
added.NCAT coordinator further said that the classification of persecuted
refugees based on geopolitical considerations was illegal, inhumane and immoral
and cannot be justified in the eyes of the law.thehindu
PIL filed in SC seeking removal of anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh in view of health hazards posed by novel coronavirus
A new PIL was filed today in the Supreme Court seeking
directions for immediate removal or dispersal of mass gathering at Shaheen Bagh
in Delhi in view of the health hazards posed by coronavirus.PIL was filed in
the SC by Advocate Ashutosh Dubey. Meanwhile, another petition seeking the
removal of Shaheen Bagh protesters claiming that it is causing obstruction of
public space is also pending in the top court.ANI
Amid coronavirus outbreak, Delhi's Shaheen Bagh protesters say they're taking all precautions at protest site
New Delhi: Agitators at the Shaheen Bagh protest site say
they are following all guidelines and are taking all precautions amid the
coronavirus outbreak.On Wednesday National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (NCPCR) sought a report from the District Magistrate of southeast Delhi
regarding the assembly of people at the Shaheen Bagh protest site amid the
Covid-19 outbreak.In a letter, NCPCR has asked for a report on the continued
assembly of people at the protest site despite an advisory by state and central
government on Covid-19 safety and prevention.Shaheen Kausar, one of protesters
told ANI, "The women here at Shaheen Bagh are aware of the threat posed by
coronavirus. They have all donned masks and are carrying sanitisers in their
bag. We are even maintaining the required distance in the gathering and are
also ensuring that more than 50 persons are not present at the site as per
state government's guidelines.""We will, however, continue with the
protest. It is high time that the Centre pays heed to our constitutionally
valid demands for which we have have been protesting on the streets for upwards
of three months," Kausar added.ANI
Anti-CAA protester of Delhi's Jahangirpuri in quarantine after sister tests positive for COVID-19:ThePrint
New Delhi: One of the organisers of the anti-CAA protest in
Delhi’s Jahangirpuri has undergone a test for COVID-19 after his sister tested
positive, ThePrint has learnt. The sister is said to have tested positive after
her return from Saudi Arabia on 11 March. She had visited the country for Umrah
pilgrimage, which can be performed any time of the year and is not compulsory.
Saudi Arabia has banned visits to pilgrimage sites in the wake of the
coronavirus outbreak and the sister likely entered the country before the ban
kicked in. 35-year-old man said he had been to the protest site “a couple of
times” after a meeting with his sister on 13 March 2 days after she returned.“I
didn’t show any symptoms of the disease (at the time), so I went about life as
usual,” he added.The sister tested positive two days after their meeting, he
said, and is currently undergoing treatment at Delhi’s Safdarjung
Hospital.“After she tested positive, I thought it is my responsibility as an
aware citizen to let the doctors know that I got in touch with a
coronavirus-positive person,” he said. theprint
Anti-CAA protesters at Bengaluru's Bilal Bagh make, distribute masks
Bengaluru: Protesters at Bilal Bagh, the epicentre of a
marathon anti-CAA agitation in Fraser Town here since February 8 have converted
the place into a mask-making unit.The protesters, who continue to demand the
withdrawal of CAA, have made and distributed around 1,000 masks to residents in
the locality. The raw material has been sourced locally and the masks are being
made under the supervision of a local doctor. Hundreds of masks are being
produced by 10 volunteers.Dr Danish Ahmed, 28, who works in a nearby hospital,
told TOI that following the Covid-19 scare, they tried to purchase face masks
from wholesale dealers but it turned out to be difficult because of lack of
stocks or high prices.
Madras HC grants permission for anti-CAA meet after threat of COVID-19 subsides
Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court on
Wednesday quashed an order passed by Tiruchi district police on March 4 denying
permission for an anti-CAA public meet. However, the judge refrained from
permitting the meet on Friday due to a government imposed ban on congregations
till March 31 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.“The jurisdictional DSP shall
issue proceedings permitting holding of the event at Kadaiveethi in
Enamkulathur of Tiruchi district immediately after the ban issued by the
government in the wake of Novel Coronavirus outbreak pandemic is lifted,” the
judge ordered while allowing a petition filed by Sunnathaval Jamath Jumma
Periya Pallivasal.thehindu
CAA-NRC Protests Affirm Multi Cultural Nature Of India : Plea In Madras HC Opposes Demand For Removal Of Protest Sites
Stating that the sites of protest against the CAA are a
"spectacular affirmation" of the multicultural nature of Indian
society, an intervention application has been filed in the Madras High Court to
oppose a batch of petitions which seek the removal of all such protest
gatherings in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai."I must tell this court
that these protests have been the most spectacular affirmation to me that
Indian society is proudly multi-cultural and fiercely so, and that no
government can impose homogeneity through law on this beautiful Indian
society", stated the intervention application filed by Chennai-resident
Kuruvilla Abraham, who claimed to have visited several anti-CAA protest sites
such as Shaheen Bagh and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.livelaw.in
Anti-CAA protests: Allahabad High Court terms UP’s recovery of damages ordinance arbitrary, asks Govt to reply by March 25
Allahabad High Court has asked Uttar Pradesh government to
file a reply by March 25 in the recovery of damages ordinance brought by it
last week.The court was hearing a PIL challenging Uttar Pradesh Recovery of
Damage to Public and Private Property Ordinance, 2020, notified by the
government on March 15 after the Cabinet passed the proposal on March 13.In its
order, Division Bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Samit Goyal,
while issuing notice to the government, noted the arguments raised by the
petitioners and said that the “ordinance is arbitrary in its very
nature”.“According to learned counsels, provisions of the ordinance shall allow
the persons to be viral for public at large as criminal without their
adjudication for any criminal charge. The ordinance as per learned counsels is
also in contravention to the law laid down by the apex court in the Rojer
Mathew Vs. South Indian Bank Limited 2019 SCC Online SC 1456,” the court
said.The Bench also stated that it is also “emphasised that the intention of
the ordinance is only to frustrate and overrule the law laid down by” a bench
of the HC which recently asked the state to forthwith remove hoardings erected
by it displaying the perosnal information of those accused in the violence
during the protests against CAA.“Having considered the arguments advanced and
also of the facts and grounds referred in the petition for writ, we consider it
appropriate to have a counter affidavit to have adequate response by the State
of Uttar Pradesh,” the Bench ruled.The order so notes that the petitioners
further submitted that the field wherein the ordinance of 2020 is sought to be
operated is already occupied and exhausted by Central enactments, Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act,
1984.The plea filed by lawyer Shashank Tripathi prays the court to issue a
writ, order or direction declaring ordinance “ultra-vires” to the constitution.
The PIL seeks the suspension of or stay against the ordinance brought by
BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government for the recovery of damages to public and
private property during protests, bandhs or riots.Lawyer Ashma Izzat, a
petitioner in another PIL in the case, has argued that the ordinance “is
unconstitutional.”“...Stting up of a tribunal with multiple members and
functioning even with a single judicial member and several non-judicial members
is not permissible in law as laid down by the Supreme Court,” PIL said.Uttar
Pradesh government armed itself with a stringent new law to recover compensation
from those who damage public and private property during protests. thehindu
3 years of terror in UP: Property ordinance is as bad as AFSPA, says advocate Colin Gonsalves
A day after seeking reply Allahabad High Court issued notice
to the Yogi government over Properties Ordinance, 2020. On the day Yogi govnt
is scheduled to release a report card enlisting work done for the people of
Uttar Pradesh, senior advocate and founder of Human Rights Law Network, Colin
Gonsalves termed the ordinance “as bad as AFSPA”.Passed by the Parliament,
AFSPA grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order
in “disturbed areas”.Gonsalves who challenged the ordinance passed in Allahabad
High Court said that the courts should stand against the
“lawlessness”.nationalheraldindia
Uttar Pradesh accused begin paying damages
Lucknow:Some of alleged anti-CAA protesters served with
compensation-recovery notices by the Uttar Pradesh government have begun paying
up, with one of them saying they knew the notices lacked legal endorsement but
feared further harassment if they held out. Yogi Adityanath’s administration
has issued recovery notices to more than 1,000 people across state — without
waiting for a court order — seeking compensation for damage to public and
private property during the protests against the anti-CAA in Dec.On Tuesday, six residents of Kanpur
city’s Bekanganj locality deposited Rs 80,856 — the sum of the individual
amounts sought from them — with the city civil court magistrate.The average
comes to Rs 13,476 per head among 6 -— Dilshad, Liyaquat, Irfan, Arman, Yasin
and Gurgut — most of them small-time shopkeepers.“We understand very well that
in an ideal situation, the government cannot confiscate our properties on the
basis of a half-baked police report and without proving our guilt in a criminal
court,” one of the six men told reporters, requesting anonymity.“But the way
the state government seems prepared to harass us makes it clear that we would
be stripped of everything by the time a court clears us of all
allegations.”Several more in Kanpur city are preparing to pay up,residents
said.telegraphindia
Kafeel Khan detention: top court transfers petition to HC
New Delhi :The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred to the
Allahabad High Court a petition filed by the mother of Gorakhpur doctor Kafeel
Khan challenging his detention under the National Security Act.“We consider it
appropriate that the matter be taken up by the Allahabad High Court. The record
of the matter be transmitted to the High Court forthwith,” a bench of Chief
Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kanta ordered when the plea
came up before it.Aligarh police had booked Khan in December last year,
claiming that his address to Aligarh Muslim University students against the NRC
and CAA had instigated riots in the city.indianexpress
Lucknow cops’ attempts to clear Clock Tower area fails: Angry Women Protesters Raise Slogans Against Police
Lucknow police has made an abortive attempt to get the Clock
Tower vacated by anti-CAA protesters. A large contingent of policemen reach Clock
Tower on Thursday afternoon and tried to make the women leave the site.Women
protesters at Lucknow 'Ghantaghar' protested strongly when male and female
police tried to remove their mats and 'durries' from the protest site.Women
police forcibly took away the mats on which women protesters used to
sit.Earlier, they had snatched blankets and even confiscated food packets from
protesters during chuilling winter.The protesters in Lukcnow were not allowed
to erect tent even during chilling winter.A large number of police and
personnel of RAF today surrounded women protesters at ‘Ghantaghar’(Clock Tower
of Lucknow.According to reports reaching here, police vandalised the dais and
allegedly misbehaved with the women protesters. Angry women shouted slogans
against the police.Reports say that three women protesters became unconscious
due to police action.Rihai Manch general secretary Rajiv Yadav, in a statement,
said that police took the action to end the protest from Lucknow which, after
Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, was the strongest protest against hostile CAA in the
country. Meanwhile, talking to IANS, Rehana, a protester, said, “cops
misbehaved with us. They pulled the bedsheets with women sitting on them. 3 women
fainted during this scuffle. We will not give up the protest until our demands
are met. As for coronavirus, we are not afraid of it – we have survived for two
months and our spirits are still not flagging.”India Tomorrow/IANS
Anti-CAA violence: SIT files charge sheet against 38 in Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar: An SIT probing the violence that broke out
during a protest against CAA here last year filed a charge sheet against 38
people in a court on Thursday.The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Ravi Kant
Yadav ordered accused to appear before it on March 31.Of the 38 accused, 17
have got bail.According to the prosecution, the accused were arrested for their
alleged involvement in the violence during an anti-CAA protest here on Dec.20.
One person was killed and several police personnel were injured in the
violence. PTI
Will give call for NPR boycott if not as per 2011 census: Barelvi clerics
Sunni clerics associated with an influential Islamist
seminary have said that they will call for a boycott of the survey to be taken
for NPR if it is not on the lines of the 2011 Census.Barelvi clerics, who
gathered at Dargah Aala Hazrat here, said they will appeal to the Imams of
mosques to give the boycott call if the central government failed to address
the concerns of the community.Apprehending that quite a few Muslims may be
declared "outsiders and infiltrators" if they were unable to furnish
relevant documents to prove their Indian nationality, the clerics said that the
new citizenship law was also unacceptable to the Muslims.Salman Hasan Khan,
national vice-president of Jamat Raza-e-Mustafa, an organisation affiliated to
Dargah Aala Hazrat, said: "The population census should be carried out in
the same way as in 2011. Muslims should not be afraid of National Population Register
as the dargah will stand by them. If anyone comes to your house for the survey,
talk to them politely but there is no need to share any documents with them. We
will appeal to the Imams of mosques to inform the public about boycotting NPR
during Friday prayers."IANS
Days after getting bail by NIA court, Akhil Gogoi arrested in another case
Guwahati: 2 days after he was granted bail by a NIA court in
Assam, anti-CAA activist Akhil Gogoi was arrested again on Thursday
morning.Although formalities regarding his bail were completed, the founder of
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), a farmers’ rights body, could not avail it
as police from Sibsagar district arrested him in a separate case. “A police
team from Sibsagar arrested him inside the central jail in Guwahati and took
him away around 5:00 am on Thursday morning,” said Gogoi’s lawyer Shantanu
Borthakur.HT
Assam CAA Protests:Gorkha student leader latest to be summoned by NIA
Guwahati: Rahul Chetry, a 24-year-old who is the general
secretary Dibrugarh University Post Graduate Students’ Union (DUPGSU) has
become the latest individual in Assam to be issued a summon by NIA for taking
part in an anti-CAA protest. Chetry has been asked by NIA to appear at its
office, which is located at Sonapur in the outskirts of the city, on Friday for
the ‘purpose of answering certain questions relating to the case’.Chetry is
among the slew of students’ union leaders and academics in the state who have
been asked to appear before NIA for anti-CAA protests. In Feb, ex Cotton
University student leader Pranjal Kalita and IIT Guwahati academic Arupjyoti
Saikia were summoned by NIA for the same purpose.thewire
*DELHI VIOLENCE*
Delhi Riots: HC pulls up forensic science lab, govt over delay in DNA test
Delhi high court has pulled up Delhi government and Forensic
Science Laboratory, Rohini for not testing DNA samples taken from the charred
body of a youth found alongside a car following the riots in North East Delhi
on Feb. 26.After a man, Sajid Ali, claimed that the body was that of his son
Mohsin, DNA samples from him and his wife were taken on March 3 to establish if
the deceased was indeed his son. However, testing on DNA samples was not done
for over 2 weeks on the frivolous ground that permission of a court was
needed.When Justice Navin Chawla of the Delhi high court asked the counsel for
the Delhi government if there was a provision for the need of such permission,
latter replied in the negative.In his order, on the petition filed by Sajid Ali
which sought directions for the Delhi government and FSL Rohini to
expeditiously conduct DNA matching test and furnish a report, Justice Chawla
wrote that such a delay in testing for want of orders from the court, when
there was no such provision of the law requiring such orders, “cannot be
countenanced”. He said that respondents should “looking into the urgency of
each case, carry out such testing without waiting for any order from any court”.In
petition, Ali had named Delhi government and the Forensic Science Laboratory,
Rohini through its director, as the respondents.thewire
Delhi riots: Former HC judge to look into public property damage, recovery
Retired Delhi High Court judge Sunil Gaur has been appointed
as the claims commissioner to evaluate damage to public property during the
north-east Delhi riots and the recovery process.he high court appointed Gaur
after the city govt wrote the court registrar general seeking the appointment
of a claims commissioner. Delhi High Court Registrar Manoj Jain said, “…..Chief
Justice pleased to appoint Justice Sunil Gaur (rtd) as claims commissioner in terms
of the law laid down by the SC in the cases of Destruction of Public and
Private Properties versus State of Andhra Pradesh and others….The duration of commission
shall, initially, be for a period of six months, subject to further extension,
if found necessary”.HT
Delhi riots: Number of victims at Idgah camp touches 870
NEW DELHI: Over 3 weeks after riots broke out in the
Capital, the number of victims currently residing at the Idgah relief camp in
Mustafabad has touched 870, said Delhi Waqf Board, who had set up the camp.“By
the first week of March, we started the process of writing down names and
details of those residing in the camp. Initially, the number was around 550 and
by Tuesday night, it went upto 870,” said Mohammed Imran, media coordinator
[Idgah relief camp] and Nodal Officer of Delhi Waqf Board.While many who owned
houses in riot-affected areas have started to return, Mr. Imran is of the view
that the number of people residing in the camp is high because people only
leave for a brief period and are returning. “People who had returned to their
homes are coming back saying that they’ll finally leave the camp once their
burnt or vandalised houses are in order,” he said.“People are coming back
saying that they were staying at relatives’ houses,” he said.The Board, he
said, has planned to give ration for three months, ₹1 lakh to owners whose
houses have been burnt and vandalised and ₹60,000 to tenants.thehindu
Delhi Violence: Police Books People Using Same Narrative, Different FIRs
New Delhi: Almost following a pattern, FIRs filed in a
certain template with glaring loopholes are the prominent features found in the
cases of violence in North-East Delhi – the riots ended three weeks ago. A large number of FIRs have been filed
against unidentified people under severe sections of IPC, and people are
allegedly being arrested “arbitrarily” and framed in these cases. For instance,
the case plot in FIR numbers 0066/2020, 0067/2020, 0068/2020, 0069/2020 and
0070/2020, filed at Dayalpur Police Station in East-Delhi under the Arms Act,
1959, is the same. The only differences are names of the complainant and the
place where the police claimed they spotted the accused.In FIR number 66, the
complainant — Piyush, a constable — said he was deployed at Brijpuri with Rohit, another constable, as part of
“arrangement duty” on Feb.27, when Section 144 of CrPC was imposed. Piyush said
that at around 3 p.m., he spotted a “suspicious” man who was hiding behind a
vehicle parked at Nala Road. As soon as he saw the police party, said the
complainant, the man turned and moved quickly.“I and Constable Rohit stopped
the man and questioned him. He identified himself as Md Sohib (a resident of
Jaffrabad), aged 22. Upon frisking his body, we seized a loaded country-made
pistol from his possession,” said the complaint based on which the FIR was
registered against the accused under Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act. Same
story has been narrated in next FIRs with slight changes. In his complaint
mentioned in FIR number 67, Constable Subash said he along with Constable Sunil
was deployed as part of “arrangement duty” on February 27 in Chand Bagh where
prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr.PC. was in place.newsclick
Delhi Violence: Nawab Ali of Shiv Vihar Lost Everything in Violence, Gets Mere Rs. 12,000 in Compensation
NEW DELHI:Shiv Vihar is the most affected by the recent
anti-Muslim violence Muslims in northeast Delhi
in which houses shops, and small manufacturing units belonging to
Muslims were looted and then consigned to flames, ensuring maximum economic and
financial loss to the community which is already at the lowest rung of the
economic ladder.Though Delhi state government announced compensation for the
victims and the latter also filled up the compensation forms, the verification
process is reported to be too slow. And in even cases where the verification by
the government officials have been completed, the compensation amount doled out
is too meagre. Some of them say they have been received Rs. 12,000 and some
have got merely Rs. 25,000 which is too inadequate even to repair the badly
burnt houses.Mohammed Ismail, a resident of Shiv Vihar, ran a mobile phone
shop. “Violent fanatics looted and set afire my mobile phone shop. I lost everything.
I have filled up and submitted the compensation form. But no verification has
also been done so far. As per government rules, I cannot get compensation
without verification. About a month has passed but I cannot start my business
again in this situation because I have no money”, Ismail told India Tomorrow.
When India Tomorrow visited the relief camp in Mustafabad started by the Delhi
Wakf Board, victims of the violence had a common complaint that verification
process of the compensation applications is very slow.India Tomorrow
Delhi violence: ED likely to attach properties of riot-accused former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain
New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate may soon attach properties
of suspended AAP leader Tahir Hussain in connection with the Delhi Riot case.
Tahir Hussain, who has been arrested by Delhi Police in the riot and murder
case, has been booked by ED under Prevention of Money Laundering Act
(PMLA).India Today has learned that the ED has started the process of
identifying properties belonging to Tahir Hussain and will soon attach them as
part of the proceeds of crime. The ED has taken cognisance of the FIR by Delhi
Police in which Tahir Hussain has been accused of sponsoring and participating
in violence during Delhi riots in the northeast part of the national
capital.Tahir Hussain, has denied all the allegations and claimed that he had
reached out to the police twice that day to save his life during the violence.Police,
however, said that Tahir Hussain's claims are false and baseless.India Today
*OTHERS*
MP Crisis: Floor test tomorrow, SC says uncertainty must be resolved
New Delhi : Ruling that uncertainty over the government
should be resolved, the Supreme Court has ordered the state Assembly Speaker to
conduct the floor test for Madhya Pradesh Friday.Earlier in the day, the court
had suggested that Speaker N P Prajapati should interact with the rebel
Congress MLAs through a video link or the court can appoint an observer to put
an end to the fear that the legislators are in captivity. Prajapati, however,
refused to accept the top court’s proposal.Taking a jibe at the Madhya Pradesh
Assembly Speaker on Thursday, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked
what does the Speaker need extra time for? The former chief minister’s reaction
comes after the Supreme Court’s hearing in the case. Advocate Abhishek Manu
Singhvi, appearing on behalf of Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati,
sought two weeks of time and asked the Supreme Court to let the rebel MLAs
return to their homes. “Please give me two weeks’ time to decide. Let the rebel
MLAs come back to MP, their homes,” he said. The apex court, which is hearing
the BJP’s plea for immediate floor test in the state, resumed hearing the case
on Thursday. Senior Congress
leader and former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh wrote letters to each of
the 17 MLAs who are staying at a resort in Bengaluru. Singh, in a covering
letter to Karnataka DGP, requested him to ensure delivery of those letters to
the concerned MLA by videographing the process. Security was beefed up at the
state headquarters of the BJP and Congress on Thursday amid ongoing political
tension in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, The Supreme Court bench said, 'We can
appoint an observer to Bengaluru or some other place so that the rebel MLAs can
connect with the Speaker through video conferencing after which he can decide.'
It also asked the Speaker whether any inquiry was made on the resignation of
the rebel MLAs and what decision has he taken on them. Senior advocate A M
Singhvi, appearing for the Speaker, said the day court begins to give
time-bound direction to the Speaker, it will be constitutionally problematic. Madhya Pradesh Assembly
Speaker told the Supreme Court, "The Governor cannot decide whether the government
has lost the majority or not. It's the House that decides. The Governor has
only three powers: whether to summon, prorogue and dissolve the House". indianexpress
"Weeks = Gold Mines For Horse Trading": Supreme Court On MP
‘If they were loyal to Scindia…’ Kamal Nath claims most rebel Congress MLAs in touch with him
Bhopal: MP CM Kamal Nath in an exclusive conversation with
News18 has claimed that he's in touch with "most of the rebel MLAs",
who have been holed up in a resort in Bengaluru for the last 10 days.The
veteran Congress leader claimed that after "these MLAs released these
messages," referring to video messages released by some of the MLAs,
"they called me to say that they have been forced to record those
videos...that is why I'm confident about my numbers."Referring to the 16
Congress MLAs who have tendered resignations to the state assembly speaker as
"my MLAs", Nath said no sitting Congress MLA had yet joined BJP.
"These are my MLAs until proven otherwise...If these MLAs were loyal to
Scindia then they would have joined BJP as soon as Scindia joined BJP," he
argued.news18
Briefed international community on JK, CAA; countries have shown understanding: Govt
New Delhi:The government has briefed the international
community on the abrogation of Article 370 provisions in Jammu and Kashmir and
the amended citizenship law, and these countries have shown understanding of
India''s position, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.In a written reply to a
question, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said as a
result of government''s efforts, countries have shown a better understanding
that matters related to Jammu & Kashmir are internal to India and that
Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism has been posing a grave threat and
affecting the lives of Indians.Some countries have also called on Pakistan not
to allow its territories to be used for terrorism in any manner, he
said."The government has pro-actively reached out and briefed the members
of the international community on the facts relating to Jammu and Kashmir and
also shared perspectives and objectives of CAA," Muraleedharan said.The
government has also note of some statements made by China, Malaysia and Turkey
on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir, he said.PTI
'Shame, shame!': Opposition unites to lambast Ranjan Gogoi as ex-CJI takes oath in Rajya Saba; Congress, BSP stage walkout
New Delhi: Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi took take oath as Rajya
Sabha member on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Even as he was being administered oath,
opposition members shouted 'shame' and 'deal' and later walked out in protest
against his appointment.Gogoi, who headed benches that pronounced several key
judgements including in the sensitive Ayodhya land dispute case, was on Monday
nominated to Rajya Sabha by the government. Gogoi also led the benches that
ruled on Rafale fighter jet deal and entry of women in Sabarimala temple.PTI
Madhu Kishwar Files PIL Against ex CJI Gogoi's Rajya Sabha Nomination
New Delhi: Academic and activist Madhu Purnima Kishwar has
filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court against former Chief
Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha. In her petition,
she alleges that Gogoi’s appointment casts a shadow in the independence of the
judiciary.The former CJI’s nomination, she argues, counts as an assault on this
independence. “…his (Gogoi’s) nomination as a Rajya Sabha member by the
President of India gives it the colour of a political appointment and therefore
casts a shadow of doubt on the credibility of the judgments delivered under his
headship of the Supreme Court,” Bar and Bench quotes the PIL as saying.thewire
Rajya Sabha polls: Sharad Pawar, Ramdas Athawale and several others win unopposed; Rajasthan set for tough fight for 3 seats
NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Union Minister of State for
Social Justice Ramdas Athawale were among several candidates who won the
election to Rajya Sabha, unopposed on Wednesday. With no nominations filed
against them and the last date for withdrawal of nomination ending at 3 pm
today, at least 21 leaders from across six states won these polls
unopposed.Maharashtra saw the maximum of seven candidates winning unopposed on
Wednesday, while 5 won from Bihar and West Bengal each, four from Odisha, 3
from Haryana, and 2 From Chhattisgarh, among others.Some of the other prominent
leaders who won the election to Upper House of the Parliament were deputy
chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh. Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda, BJP's
Indu Goswami from Himachal Pradesh and BJD leader Munna Khan, were also
declared winners unopposed, among others.Meanwhile, Rajasthan will see a tough
fight for 3 seats on 26 March when elections are held as none of the four
candidates in the fray withdrew their nomination.All 5 candidates for as many
Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar were on Wednesday declared elected unopposed as no
other nominations were filed, an official said. 2 candidates each were from JDU
and RJD, and one from the BJP.firstpost
Nirbhaya Case: President, SC, Delhi court reject last-minute pleas, execution set for 5:30 am Friday
There are less than 24 hours to go for the scheduled
hangings of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. A
Delhi court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking a stay on the executions of the
four convicts. The four convicts are set to be hanged at 5:30 am in Tihar Jail.
With the time of the executions nearing, the four convicts are moving courts
and filing pleas seeking relief from the capital punishment. The four men have
been convicted for the gang-rape and murder of a young woman who was brutally
assaulted in a moving bus in Delhi in December 2012. Stay with IndiaToday.in as
we bring you the latest updates on the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder
case.indiatoday
Yes Bank crisis: Anil Ambani appears before Enforcement Directorate in money laundering case
Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani on Thursday appeared for
questioning before the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai in connection with a
money laundering case into the crisis-hit Yes Bank, reported PTI. Ambani
received the summons from the agency on Monday.Ambani’s statement will
reportedly be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The
businessman’s 9 group companies are considered to have taken loans of about Rs
12,800 crore from the bank. The loans were reportedly under “stress”.scroll
UP’s BJP MLA declared ‘defaulter’ by coop bank
HCBL Cooperative Bank Ltd has declared BJP MLA Pankaj Gupta
as "defaulter" over alleged non-payment of Rs 75 lakh.Gupta was said
to have raised a loan of Rs 2.25 crore from the bank in 2013 in the name of his
company Fantasy Motels Private Limited.A bank official said that the cheques
issued to the bank by the legislator against loan amount had since bounced.The
revenue officials concerned had issued notice for arrest and seizure of
property against Gupta in 2016.IANS
Organisations express concern over rejecting bail to Navlakha, Teltumbde
Mumbai Rises to Save Democracy (MRSD) is deeply disappointed
with the Supreme Court’s rejection of the plea by Anand Teltumbde and Gautam
Navlakha seeking anticipatory bail in the cases registered against them in
relation to the violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018. Their arrest is
imminent in the next three weeks. Nine other activists and intellectuals who
have been accused in this case and charged with sections of the draconian UAPA
have been imprisoned since 2018, a statement said. MRSD's statement said, "The top court’s order to deny interim
bail is alarming given that the case against the activists is based on very
thin evidence. Moreover, the cyber forensic analysis by credible investigative
journalists and technical experts discredit evidence used by the Pune police to
incriminate the activists. The analysis reveals that letters which were
allegedly recovered from the hard disk of Rona Wilson, one of the nine
activists accused in the case, and used by the police to link the accused to a
banned political party are most likely to have been planted in the disk through
use of malware which allowed remote access into Wilson’s computer. This clearly
indicates manipulation of evidence and the fabricated nature of the
case."The organisations supporting the statement include: PUCL, CPDR,
NTUI, TUCI, SIO, Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC)- IIT Mumbai,
COSTISA, LEAFLET, Police Reforms Watch, NCHRO, Bebaak Collective, Forum Against
Oppression of Women (FAOW), LABIA- A Queer Feminist LBT Collective, Jagrut
Kamgar Manch (JKM), Majlis, IMSD, WSS,BBA, INSAF, PCSDS, HRLN, Cause Lawyers
Alliance, NAPM and students from various
colleges in Mumbai.punemirror
Guj: ‘Cricket match, music and crackers have led to communal violence’
Gandhinagar:A cricket match, playing of music by a Disc
Jockey (DJ) and the bursting of crackers during Ganesh Visarjan were among the
listed reasons for incidents of communal violence in Anand district of central
Gujarat, the Gujarat Assembly was told on Wednesday. One person had died and 10
others were injured in these incidents in 2018, the state govt revealed.In a
written response to a question on communal riots asked by Dariapur MLA
Gyasuddin Sheikh, the state government stated that there were nine incidents of
communal riots in Anand district in 2018. Similarly in 2019, four more
incidents happened in the district and two persons were injured. There were no
incidents of communal violence in Anand city or in the neighbouring Vadodara
city and district during this two-year period.indianexpress
*Coronavirus UPDATES*
Coronavirus Shutdown: No Foreign Flights Starting Sunday, Work From Home For Most as death toll rises to 4, total cases now at 173 in India
New Delhi: The death toll due to the novel coronavirus
(COVID-19) has risen to 4 in India after a 70-year-old man, who returned from
Germany via Italy a fortnight ago, died at a hospital in Punjab’s Nawanshahr
district. The septuagenarian, who had diabetes and hypertension, tested
positive after he died at the Banga community health centre on Wednesday. No
international flights will be allowed to land in India from Sunday for a week,
the government announced today escalating measures to fight coronavirus. In a
notice hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, the
government also urged work from home for most and said those below 10 and above
65 should stay home. Coronavirus cases in India climbed to 173 on Thursday
after 18 new cases were reported. To check the spread of coronavirus, which has
claimed over 8,000 lives globally and infected more than 2 lakh, India had
already suspended visas for the vast majority of foreigners seeking to enter the
country.The govt advised citizens above 65 to stay at home unless they are
public representatives or doctors or government employees. People have been
advised to keep children below 10 at home.Railways and airlines have been asked
to suspend all concessional travel except for students, patients and persons
with disabilities. States have been asked to enforce work from home for the
private sector, except for emergency and essential services.A fourth death from
coronavirus, that of a 70-year-old man who had travelled to Germany, was
reported from Punjab today. The other deaths were reported from Delhi,
Karnataka and Maharashtra. Mumbai also reported two fresh cases this morning,
taking the total number of patients in Maharashtra to 47. Karnataka also
reported a positive case in Coorg and now has 15 patients. Delhi has, so far,
reported 12 positive, 17 in Uttar Pradesh, 27 in Kerala, six in Telangana, four
in Rajasthan and 17 in Haryana. The number of cases in Ladakh rose to eight and
J&K 4. AP, Odisha, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Pondicherry, Chandigarh and
Punjab have reported one case each.indianexpress / NDTV
Coronavirus: Indian Railways Cancels 168 Trains From March 20 To March 31 Due To Covid-19 Scare
Indian Railways has cancelled 168 trains due to low
occupancy in view of noverl coronavirus outbreak, according to ANI. The trains
will remain cancelled from March 20 to March 31 in view of coronavirus, said
officials on Thursday. A PTI report said that all passengers having tickets in
cancelled trains are being informed about it individually.newsnation
PM Modi won't announce lockdown in his address: PMO sources
Warning against unnecessary lockdown panic ahead of the
prime minister's address at 8 pm on Thursday, PMO sources have said that there
are no plans to announce a lockdown in view of Covid-19 outbreak in the
country. Speaking to India Today TV, top PMO sources said, "Some media
outlets are speculating that PM Modi will announce a lockdown in his address.
This information is incorrect. It will also create unnecessary panic in the
minds of people, which is the last thing we need in times like
this.""Some media outlets are speculating that PM Modi will announce
a lockdown in his address. This information is incorrect. It will also create
unnecessary panic in minds of people, which is the last thing we need in times
like this," Shashi Shekhar, CEO Prasar Bharati, said.indiatoday
CBSE Board Exam Date: All ongoing exams postponed till 31 March; National Testing Agency defers JEE-Main exam
With coronavirus cases rising, CBSE postponed all exams
in India and abroad that were scheduled from 19 to 31 March."All ongoing
CBSE examinations in India and abroad postponed till 31 March and will be
rescheduled thereafter... after an assessment of the situation," CBSE
Secretary Anurag Tripathi said."All ongoing evaluation work will be
suspended during the period," he added.Meanwhile, the National Testing
Agency postponed Joint Entrance Exam (JEE-Main) held for admission to IITs and
engineering colleges in view of coronavirus. The exam was earlier scheduled
from 5-11 April."The JEE-Main exam has been postponed. The new date will
be decided in accordance with the board exams schedule and other competitive
exams to ensure there is no clash," a senior NTA official said.firstpost
Delhi Airport: After Complain, New Coronavirus Protocol Implemented
New Delhi: On Tuesday evening, the Delhi airport put in
place new regulations to streamline passenger movement during the outbreak.
This came after multiple reports details inconvenience, health risks, long wait
times and confusion at the airport.HT
Kashmir Valley records first positive coronavirus case in Srinagar; restrictions to be imposed in capital tomorrow, say officials
Srinagar: Kashmir Valley on Wednesday recorded its first
positive case for novel coronavirus in Srinagar, mayor of Srinagar Municipal
Corporation Junaid Azim Mattu said."I have been informed a short while ago
that Srinagar has had its first positive case for Covid2019. It's a congested
area in the city interiors. We have to be transparent to convey the gravity of
the challenge and also seek serious measures and responsible behavior,"
Mattu said in a series of tweets.firstpost
Demand for high-speed internet grows in Kashmir amid Coronavirus scare
After Jammu and Kashmir reported a fresh case of
Coronavirus on Wednesday, the chorus for the restoration of high-speed 4G
internet services has grown.The administration has restricted the mobile
Internet speed to 2G services, citing security reasons.Several people,
including Lok Sabha Member Farooq Abdullah, Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu and PDP
president Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti, have called for the
restoration of the services to help raise awareness about the virus.Abdullah
wrote to PM Modi, requesting the restoration of 4G Internet services to enable
people of JK to work from home."World's battling coronavirus but J&K
admin still unrelenting & refuses to lift inhuman ban on 4G. In times of
COVID pandemic, access to Internet & info is a necessity not a privilege.
Are Kashmiri lives so cheap? (sic)," Iltija wrote on her mother's Twitter
handle.PTI
IndiGo CEO Announces Pay Cut for Self, Employees; Air India May Follow Soon
IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta has announced pay cut for all
employees and will himself take 25 per cent cut in salary. The move comes in
light of the unprecedented loss that airlines all over the world are suffering
due to the global outbreak of Covid-19. Most likely to join the same is
state-owned airline Air India which is also planning pay cuts of up to 5 per
cent.The reduction will be across the board, they say. The loss-making airline,
which is in the process of the second attempt of privatization after failing to
get a single buyer nearly two years ago, has already taken some steps such as
reduced flying allowances to cabin crew besides withdrawing entertainment
allowance to executive pilots, among others.news18
2 million NRIs residing in 10 countries hit by coronavirus
New Delhi: Union government on Wednesday informed
Parliament that 255 Indian citizens were infected by the novel coronavirus
disease in Iran, one of the countries
worst hit by the infection. Even as the government has evacuated hundreds of
Indians from China, where the infection originated, and other countries
including Iran, official data shows that a large number of Indians abroad may
be vulnerable to the virus.According to data compiled by United Nations in
2019, India was the leading country of origin of international migrants in the
world. It estimated that a total of 17.5 million Indian migrants lived across
the world, forming more than 6% of the world’s total migrant
population.According to MEA data, more than 15% NRIs (nearly 2 million people)
were in 10 countries that have by far recorded the highest number of positive
coronavirus cases, including China. Of these, the highest number of NRIs were
living in the United States at nearly 1.3 million.There were more than 300,000
NRIs in Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany -- the four worst-hit countries outside
China. Also, more than 86% NRIs Indians lived in countries where at least 100
positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed. HT
All samples tested for community transmission negative:ICMR
Indian Council of Medical Research on Thursday said all
samples taken to monitor the presence of community transmission of the novel
coronavirus have tested negative. The health research body is the nodal
authority for screening patients for COVID-19 in India. A sentinel surveillance
to detect community transmission of COVID-19 was initiated by the council on
February 15, the medical research council said in a statement. “The
surveillance sites have been scaled up from 16 sites till February 29 to 51
sites by March 15,” it added. “Till date [Thursday], a total of 826 samples of
the people suffering from severe acute respiratory infection /influenza like
illnesses have been tested at the sites. However, none of the samples tested
positive.”scroll
Coronavirus Rumours, Misinformation are Wreaking Havoc on India’s Poultry Sector
India’s poultry industry is one of the few examples of
success in the country’s rural sector. Not only is it the fastest growing
sub-sector of agriculture – posting a growth of 10% in 2017-18 and handily
beating Brazil (7%) and China (2.1%) – but it is why New Delhi is the
third-largest producer of eggs and contributes about 7% of the world’s
production. In the case of broilers, India is the world’s fifth-largest
producer, with 5% of global production. In 2015-16, it was valued at about Rs
80,000 crore.It is a tragedy, therefore, that the sector has in recent times
succumbed to misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. This has the
potential to destroy lakhs of rural livelihoods.thewire
Coronavirus: Man Falls Ill After Drinking Cow Urine, BJP Member Held For Hosting Event
Kolkata: A BJP activist has been arrested for organising
a cow urine consumption event here, claiming that it will protect people from
coronavirus or cure those already infected, leading to a civic volunteer
falling ill after drinking it, police said on Wednesday.He was arrested late
Tuesday night following a complaint filed by the victim with the police, they
said.According to police officials, 40-year-old Narayan Chatterjee, a local
party worker of Jorasakho area in North Kolkata, had on Monday organised a
cow-worship programme at a cowshed and distributed cow urine.He vouched for its
“miraculous” properties while offering gaumutra to others.A civic volunteer,
who was on duty near the cow shed also consumed gaumutra and fell sick on
Tuesday, following which he lodged a complaint with the police against
Chatterjee.Reacting to the arrest, the state BJP leadership criticised the
state government.“Chatterjee had distributed cow urine, but he didn’t fool
people in consuming it. When he distributed it he clearly said it was cow
urine, he didn’t force anyone to drink it. It has not been proved whether it is
harmful or not.PTI
About 25 million jobs could be lost worldwide due to coronavirus: UN
Nearly 25 million jobs could be lost worldwide due to the
coronavirus pandemic, but an internationally coordinated policy response can
help lower the impact on global unemployment, according to a UN agency.In its
preliminary assessment report titled "COVID-19 and world of work: Impacts
and responses", the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls for
urgent, large-scale and coordinated measures across three pillars - protecting
workers in the workplace, stimulating the economy and employment, and
supporting jobs and incomes.PTI
Arab region could lose 1.7 mn jobs in 2020: UN
Arab region could lose over 1.7 million jobs due to the
coronavirus crisis and the service sector would be the most affected, a UN
report said.IANS
UP: Muslim clerics ask community to avoid going to mosques
Muslim clerics have issued a special advisory for the
community, asking them to avoid going to mosques for Friday prayers and offer
'namaaz' in their homes or in small groups.The advisory, issued on Wednesday
evening, was shared with the media and also asked children and the elderly to
not visit mosques for prayers till the coronavirus scare ebbs and to pray in
their homes.Those with flu symptoms, including cough and cold and fever, have
also been asked to pray at home instead of mosques.Maulana Khalid Rashid
Firangi Mahali, Imam of Eidgah, who chaired a meeting of several clerics on
Wednesday evening, said, "Imams of the various mosques have also been
requested to keep Khutba (speech) delivered before or after the Friday prayers,
short so that the time spent outside of the house and within the mosque is
reduced. There will also be special prayers held in the mosques for eradication
of the contagious disease and for health of all people in the world."Apart
from the directives to the Imams, mosques and devotees, the cleric also held a
meeting with heads from other religions, including Gurudwara Prabhandak
committee chief R.S. Bagga and Father Donald from the Catholic Diocese of
Lucknow and representatives of Sindhi, Jain and Hindu communities.IANS
Mumbai : Will reduce number of devotees, not possible to shut down mosques, says community members
Mumbai Almost a
week after leaders from the Muslim community announced that they have requested
people not to crowd mosques during Friday prayers; they have told the police
and municipal authorities that it is not possible to shut down the mosques to
devotees.“If we shut the mosque, it will be against Shariat. However, we have
left the final decision to our religious scholars,” said Sohail Khandwani,
managing trustee of Mahim dargah.At a meeting with community representatives at
the Mumbai Police headquarters on Wednesday, government authorities asked them
to not hold Friday prayers.Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh,
municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi and municipal health department
officials were present at the meeting. They were told that while mosque trusts
will try to reduce number of devotees on Friday, it was not possible to shut
down the mosques and dargahs completely. Maulana Mahmood Daryabadi said, “We have told people to perform
Wudu at home and maintain cleanliness in
the place of worship. Also, all imams have been asked to reduce the time of
namaz,” said Daryabadi. However, some dargahs have asked devotees to not touch
or kiss the mazar - tomb.Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay has exempted the
community members from attending Sunday masses until March 31. Seth RN
Rustomframna Agiary, Zoroastrian fire temple at Dadar, sent out a message
informing community members that they were closing the entrance to agiary from
Tuesday night onwards. The main Hindu temples in the city - Siddhivinayak,
Mahalaxmi and Mumbadevi have announced that the shrines will be closed to
devotees though priests will conduct scheduled prayers. Hindustan Times
Mumbai's Haji Ali, Mahim Dargahs Closed For Devotees Due To Coronavirus
Mumbai: No entry will be allowed to devotees at the
landmark Haji Ali Dargah (shrine) as well as the popular Mahim Dargah in Mumbai
in view of the coronavirus epidemic, it was announced on Thursday.The decision
to stop entry at the two shrines till further notice was taken following the
Maharashtra government's advice to avoid crowding in public places, said Suhail
Khandwani, Managing Trustee of Mahim Dargah and a Trustee of the Haji Ali
Dargah.ndtv
China reports no new domestic coronavirus cases for first time
For the first time after the deadly coronavirus broke out
about three months ago in Wuhan, China on Thursday said that no new domestic
cases of the COVID-19 were confirmed, including in the virus' epicentre, even
as eight more fatalities have been reported, taking the death toll in the
country to 3,245.PTI
Pakistan coronavirus cases double after pilgrims return from Iran
Pakistan’s coronavirus cases jumped after more pilgrims
returning from Iran tested positive for the disease.The nation reported 204
cases on Wednesday from 94 two days ago, according to data by National
Institute of Health. About 60% of the cases are people with recent travel
history to bordering Iran, the country with the third-highest number of
infections, as part of a pilgrimage to holy shrines, according to government
data. The jump makes it South Asia’s most affected by the outbreak. Rest of the
region has 166 cases with about 90% in India.Pakistan sealed its
900-kilometer border with Iran last
week. It also quarantined 3,000 people in a makeshift tent city for 14 days but
many positive cases were detected among them after they were let off. The
officials from provincial governments of Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have
blamed the federal government of negligence in not properly screening the
pilgrims who returned from Iran at the border.Bloomberg
Coronavirus : Spanish death toll climbs to 767
Spain said the death toll from the coronavirus epidemic
soared by 209 to 767 fatalities overnight, as Russia announced that a
79-year-old woman with the virus was recorded as the country's first confirmed
death resulting from the pandemic.Italy, the country most affected by the
coronavirus outside China, reported a further 475 deaths from COVID-19 on
Wednesday, as the world stepped up efforts against the pandemic by closing
schools, shutting down cities and imposing strict border controls. The UK was
the latest to announce it would close schools. The US and Canada, meanwhile,
have closed their border to all but essential traffic.Nearly 220,000 people
have now been confirmed with the coronavirus globally, and while at least
84,000 people have recovered from COVID-19, more than 8,800 have died,
according to data from Johns Hopkins University in the US.aljazeera
*WORLD*
US envoy urges Kabul, Taliban to begin prisoner releases
The coronavirus pandemic adds urgency to prisoner releases
agreed to by the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban,
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has said, advising
they take place "as soon as possible"."No prisoners have been
released to date despite the commitment to do so expressed by both sides,"
Khalilzad tweeted on Wednesday.Khalilzad's comments illustrated how the
coronavirus pandemic is affecting one of US President Donald Trump's top
foreign policy priorities.The prisoner releases were slated to have started
last week as part of an effort the US is leading to end its longest war and
bring peace to Afghanistan after decades of strife. But the releases were
stalled by disagreements over the numbers of detainees to be freed and guarantees
they would not return to fighting."US would like to see prisoner releases
begin as soon as possible in line with the US-Taliban agreement,"Khalilzad
tweeted, referring to a Feb.29 deal he signed with the armed group for a phased
US troop withdrawal.aljazeera
Israel threatens to fine Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Israeli occupation authorities have warned that they will
fine Palestinians who pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem if gatherings of more
than 10 people are spotted there, the Palestinian Information Centre reported
on Wednesday. Israeli police stationed at the gates of Al-Aqsa have collected
the identity documents of Muslims in order to put pressure on them.Local
sources report that the move is allegedly part of the Israeli government’s
measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. However, the same sources point
out that if this really is the case, then the authorities would also stop large
groups of illegal settlers from taking part in disruptive incursions into the
mosque under police protection.Moreover, the Director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh
Omar Al-Kiswani, has called on worshippers to follow the guidance of the World
Health Organisation in relation to prayer gatherings inside the Noble
Sanctuary. He pointed out that the Israeli occupation authorities are clearly
planning to exploit the coronavirus issue in order to cut the Palestinian
presence within Al-Aqsa to make it easy for their plans to Judaise the Islamic
site.middleeastmonitor
Israel summons Al-Aqsa Mosque director for questioning
Israel Police yesterday summoned Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, the
director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, for interrogation at the Russian Compound in West
Jerusalem.Sheikh Al-Kiswani has called for Muslims to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque
yards instead of inside the buildings as a precautionary measure against the
spread of the coronavirus.Occupation have allowed Jewish settlers to storm the
mosque and perform Talmudic rituals in its grounds despite a state of health
emergency being in place which has prevented Muslim worshippers from accessing
the compound.On Wednesday, Israeli forces also arrested Amir Shweiki, from
Al-Thawri neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, after storming the
neighbourhood with military vehicles and closing its entrances and preventing
vehicles from moving.
Likud proposes bills to annex Jordan Valley and execute Palestinian prisoners
The ruling Likud party has submitted a bill for approval by
the Knesset to annex the occupied Jordan Valley, the North Dead Sea area and
the Hebron Desert, Israel Hayom reported on Wednesday. A second bill was also submitted
which, if passed, would reintroduce the death penalty for Palestinian political
prisoners.According to the newspaper, the head of the Likud bloc in the
Knesset, Micky Zohar, said that the 2 bills are intended to “embarrass” Blue
and White leader Benny Gantz and Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman.
Gantz was tasked by President Reuven Rivlin to form the government and he was
endorsed by Lieberman and Arab MKs.“Let’s see this wonderful cooperation
between the Joint List [the of Arab MK bloc], Yisrael Beiteinu and Blue and
White,” mocked Zohar. This was apparently a reference to the condition insisted
upon by the Joint List for its backing of a Gantz-led government coalition over
the issue of Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to annex the Jordan Valley.middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu and Gantz meet to discuss unity government
The leaders of Likud and the Blue and White party, Benjamin
Netanyahu and Benny Gantz respectively, met on Wednesday night to discuss the
formation of a unity government but were apparently unable to reach any
agreement on the issue.Prior to the meeting Israeli media reported that there
was a primary understanding within Blue and White to agree to govern with Likud
based on the rotation of the post of prime minister. However, the bloc wants a
one-year rotation cycle for Netanyahu and 3 years for Gantz, rather than
Likud’s preferred two years for each candidate. Moreover, according to the
Times of Israel, Blue and White demanded several top ministries, including
foreign affairs, justice, public security and culture.
Iran's Khamenei to pardon 10,000 prisoners ahead of Nowruz:REUTERS
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will pardon
10,000 prisoners including political detainees to mark the Iranian new year on
Friday,according to state TV."Those who will be pardoned will not return
to jail ... almost half of those security-related prisoners will be pardoned as
well," judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told state TV on
Wednesday.On Tuesday, Esmaili said Iran had temporarily freed about 85,000
people from jail, including political prisoners, in response to the coronavirus
epidemic."A large number of prisoners who have been temporarily freed do
not need to return to jail after the leader's pardon," Esmaili
said."The unprecedented point is that the pardon also includes the
security-related prisoners with less than five-year jail sentences,"
Esmaili said.aljazeera
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment