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Evening NEWS DIGEST
06 Dec.2016: 05 Rabiul Awwal 1438: Vol:8, No:55
INDIA
Ayodhya dispute: Both parties want early settlement
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Ayodhya-dispute-Both-parties-want-early-settlement/articleshow/55823434.cms
Lucknow: Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit is pending before the Supreme Court for the past 6 years and all parties involved in the case now want its disposal at the earliest. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has already moved the SC for a day-to-day hearing, while the Babri Masjid Action Committee too has made a formal request for the same.A day after the Supreme Court agreed on Nov. 18 to hear his plea why Ayodhya temple dispute matters should be heard on a day-to-day basis, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi seeking his personal intervention to direct the law officers concerned to support his plea for listing the matter for day-to-day hearing so that the issue could be resolved judicially at the earliest.BMAC convenor and senior high court lawyer Zafaryab Jilani said Muslim organisations have been demanding early disposal of the case so that the issue is settled once and for all. "All India Muslim Personal Law Board too has submitted memorandums with Union govt to pursue day-to-day hearing of the case but to no avail," said Jilani. The board demands that the Centre takes effective action for day-to-day hearing to ensure punishment to the accused, the resolution stated at a 3-day conference held in Lucknow in March 2010, said Jilani, who is also a member of the AIMPLB's executive committee.BMAC will now approach the Centre and state govt s with similar appeal. "Our committee members in various districts will submit memorandums with their respective district magistrates which will be addressed to the PM and the CM demanding that the govt must initiate all possible steps to expedite the cases and if possible, through day-to-day hearing as well," Jilani said.TOI
Petition to settle Babri Masjid dispute includes many fake signatures, Ayodhya's Muslims allege
http://scroll.in/article/823417/what-will-happen-to-jayalalithaas-huge-assets
An exercise to resolve Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi dispute through a compromise between Ayodhya’s Hindus and Muslims has run into a major controversy, with a large number of locals claiming that the consent of those belonging to the minority community is either fake or has been obtained under pressure.Led by former judge of Allahabad High Court Pulak Basu, Ayodhya Vivad Samjhauta Nagrik Samiti – or Ayodhya Dispute Resolution Citizen Committee – spent months collecting more than 10,000 signatures of local Hindus and Muslims, giving their approval to a compromise formula based on Allahabad High Court’s 2010 ruling in Babri case.Justice Basu’s compromise formula (though he insists it has been evolved by locals) asked Muslims to give up their claim over two-thirds of the disputed site and to refrain from constructing any structure on the one-third part awarded to them by the court. In return, a mosque would be constructed on another part of the acquired area, away from the site on which the Babri Masjid once stood.Pulak Basu is attempting to find a solution. On Nov.13, Justice Basu and his team submitted 10,502 signatures – with around 3,000 Muslims names in the list – to Divisional Commissioner of Faizabad Surya Prakash Mishra, who is also the receiver of the disputed site.But shortly afterwards, Ayodhya-Faizabad Muslim Welfare Association, a local organisation, claimed that a many of the signatures purporting to belong to local Muslims were not real, while others had been obtained under duress.“We know that most of the signatures of local Muslims these people have gathered are fake,” the association’s president Mohammad Iqbal told Scroll.in. “We also know that in many cases they used some kind of external pressure to gather signatures from Muslims.”To prove its point, the association collected nearly 6,000 signatures of local Muslims in 2 days, all reposing faith in the Supreme Court and opposing any such “compromise drama”. On Nov.15, a large delegation of Ayodhya’s Muslims led by Iqbal submitted these signatures to the Divisional Commissioner. “We had to resort to our own signature campaign because Justice Basu did not respond to charges of fake signatures I had raised in their last meeting [on Oct.23] before they submitted their signatures to Divisional Commissioner,” said Iqbal. “Within two days we collected nearly 6,000 signatures of Muslims, almost double the number of Muslims they pressurised to sign on their compromise formula in over two years.”On his part, Justice Basu refuted the charge. “I don’t want to respond to these allegations except for the fact that they deserve worst of abuses for maligning such a noble cause,” he said.Basu said he would continue to work for an out-of-court settlement of the dispute.scroll.in
Its flag-bearers gone,Ayodhya cause orphaned but alive:TOI
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/CBI-gets-transit-remand-of-Amanmani-Tripathi-in-Sara-murder-case/articleshow/55815866.cms
Lucknow: The day the demolition of disputed structure at Ayodhya enters 25th year would be the first time since 1992 when all 3 key players in pursuing the case, Hashim Ansari, Ramchandra Das Paramhans and Ashok Singhal would not be present.Dec.6 is observed as 'shaurya diwas' (day of valour) by VHP-led seers and saints and as 'yaum-e-gham' (day of sorrow) by Muslim organisations."We will recall the contribution of those who passed away during their struggle around the dispute," VHP spokesman Sharad Sharma told TOI and added that since Modi govt is facing several contentious issues of national interest, seers and saints are waiting for an opportune time to meet him to press for the construction of Ram Temple. Today, 24th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition would be the second time without Ashok Singhal and first without the three key players associated with the dispute.TOI
Tight security in Ayodhya and Faizabad
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tight-security-in-ayodhya-and-faizabad-ahead-of-babri-masjid-anniversary/story-v8Yd0Z7od2KewUvqdzA8XN.html
The district administration has put the twin cities of Faizabad and Ayodhya on high alert for the 24th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid on Tuesday.Security in Ayodhya was tightened with the deployment of 10 extra companies of paramilitary forces.Faizabad district magistrate Vivek Kumar and senior superintendent of police Anant Dev jointly monitored the security arrangements. Vigil was also tightened in the nearby towns of Rudauli and Bhadarsa.HT
Ayodhya case: SP, BJP bank on SC to give favourable verdict
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/ayodhya-24th-anniversary-samajwadi-party-bjp-bank-on-supreme-court-to-give-favourable-verdict/465557/
Lucknow:As the nation observes 24th anniversary of the Babri Mosque demolition, those who have proposed the construction of Ram Temple and those who have opposed the demolition of the mosque, are banking upon the Supreme Court to give a favourable verdict.Samajwadi Party, whose govt was at the power when the demolition took place, described the incident as one of the “painful memories” and expressed hope that the Supreme Court will give a decision that will uphold the principles of constitutional democracy.“That was one of the painful memories for UP. It was the time when the social harmony of UP was disrupted. We take this issue very seriously. The matter is in Supreme Court, and we believe that the court will take the decision soon. We will try to maintain law and order here. We and the people of UP consider Babri Masjid to be a scar,” SP leader Juhi Singh told ANI.BJP, which was at the forefront of the movement along with the VHP, is hoping that the Supreme Court will consider the findings of the Archeological Survey of India.ANI
I Was There When Babri Masjid Was Razed To The Ground & This Is What Shocked Me The Most: Ram Dutt Tripathi
https://www.scoopwhoop.com/I-Was-There-When-Babri-Masjid-Was-Razed-To-Ground-I-Will-Never-Forget-That-Day/#.j5zjrurqf
Babri Masjid demolition: Can India afford another Ram Mandir movement?Aadil Ikram Zaki Iqbal
http://www.india.com/news/india/babri-masjid-demolition-can-india-afford-another-ram-mandir-movement-1692668/
Babri Masjid demolition: A timeline of events
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/babri-masjid-mosque-demolition-history-ram-janmabhoomi-ayodhya-dispute-4413277/
Babri Masjid demolition, a nefarious conspiracy of fascist forces: Hamed Mohammed Khan
http://www.siasat.com/news/babri-masjid-demolition-nefarious-conspiracy-fascist-forces-hamed-mohammed-khan-1080317/
Hyderabad: In a press note issued by Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Hamed Mohammed Khan President Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Telangana and Orissa stated that 24 years have passed since the Babri Masjid was demolished but the demolishers are still free from the shackles of law. All those who conspired for the demolition of Babri masjid, who took part in it, who incited people, who witnessed the demolition, are guilty of violation of constitution and contempt of court, he said. They must be punished for that. If the law of the land would not punish them, then the Babri Masjid will never forgive its demolishers.
No FIR was ever lodged in 'Ayodhya violence', say kin
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/No-FIR-was-ever-lodged-in-Ayodhya-violence-say-kin/articleshow/55828144.cms
Ayodhya: Abdul Wahid (35) lost 6 family members in the violence that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid on Dec. 6, 1992. "Our joint family was living in the Tehri Bazaar area, just behind Ramjanmabhoomi police station. At around 6pm on Dec.6, about a hundred karsewaks attacked our house. I was 10 years old. I remember my mother held my hand and we ran.""But by then the mob had entered our house. They killed my elder brother Mohammad Sadiq and five more relatives. No FIR was registered by the police, but we received compensation," said Wahid, recalling the incidents of December 6, 1992. After Babri Masjid's demolition, karsewaks turned their attention to minority community residents of the temple town, torching their houses and shops, he alleges. The imposition of President's rule in the state by the the Centre did little to stem the violence, recall old-timers.In January 1993, a delegation from the twin cities of Faizabad and Ayodhya met the then PM PV Narsimha Rao and handed over a detailed report of the Ayodhya riots. They appealed to him to get cases lodged and to conduct an investigation. However, till date, the affected parties claim that no case has been lodged and no investigation ordered.Capt Afzal Ahmad Khan, leader of the delegation that met PM Rao, said: "Local citizens of Faizabad contacted the PMO, Union ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad, CK Jaffer Shareef, Arjun Singh, and Jitendra Prasada in the evening and the night of Dec. 6 to send help and save innocent lives, but the riots continued unabated."On the filing of FIRs into the violence, says Zafaryab Jilani, convenor of the Babri Masjid action Committee: "I know very well that riots took place in in Ayodhya in which people from a minority community were killed, and their houses and shops demolished and torched, but I cannot say anything regarding the lodging of FIRs because I have not seen copies of any FIR." timesofindia
Destruction of Babri Masjid still a national shame: Yogendar Yadav
http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/destruction-babri-masjid-still-national-shame-yogendar-yadav/
Riyadh: Yogendra Yadav, president of recently launched Swaraj India party, reaffirmed that the demolition of Babri Masjid on Dec.6,1992, remained a national shame. Addressing a huge gathering of community members at Paradise Banquet Ball in Riyadh, Yadav recounted the painful experience 24 years ago. “Ram was an ideal person across humanity but those who claimed to be his followers turned him into a victim of their violent and extreme right views by demolishing the historic mosque,” he said.The event was hosted by AMU Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) Riyadh. saudigazette
Jayalalithaa death: No agitations on Babri Masjit demolition day in Kanniyakumari
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Jayalalithaa%E2%80%99s-demise-No-agitations-on-Babri-Masjit-demolition-day/article16768238.ece
Nagercoil: The usual agitations and demonstrations on Babri Masjit demolition anniversary were missing in Kanniyakumari district on Tuesday due to the demise of ex-CM Jayalalithaa. Muslim organisations had announced that they would not stage any demonstrations or agitations as a mark of respect for Jayalalithaa. A pall of gloom descended on the district, as people, irrespective of party affiliations, paid floral tributes to her portraits at various parts of the district. Banners paying homage to the departed leader were seen at several places. Shops, business establishments, roadside tea shops were closed. Govt and private buses, autorickshaws and taxis were off the roads, which made them look deserted. thehindu
Jayalalithaa buried next to her mentor MG Ramachandran
Ex-Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa was buried with full state honours next to her mentor MG Ramachandran's memorial in Chennai's Marina Beach on Tuesday. There was confusion about the type of funeral the late CM will be given, but informed sources told TOI that the party high command settled on burial, seen as keeping in with the rationalist Dravidian movement tradition. ET/TOI
It’s burial for Jayalalithaa, not cremation
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Its-burial-for-Jayalalithaa-not-cremation/articleshow/55833125.cms
Jayalalithaa buried, not cremated: Reports
http://www.india.com/news/india/jayalalithaa-to-be-buried-not-cremated-reports-1693428/
Jayalalithaa to be buried, why? indianexpress
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/jayalalithaa-will-be-buried-this-could-be-why-4413388/
Chennai: Unlike other Dravidian leaders, J Jayalalithaa was a believer who used to pray regularly and be seen with an Iyengar Namam on her forehead. Still, why did the state govt and the Sasikala family decide to bury her instead of a cremation – an obvious ritual for Iyengars.A senior govt secretary who was part of the funeral preparations of the late CM explained why she cannot be cremated on Marina Beach.“She was not an Iyengar for us,” he said. “She was beyond any caste or religious identity. Even most of all the Dravidian leaders, including Periyar, Anna Durai and MGR, were all buried and we do not have a precedent of consigning their body to flames even after death. So, we bury them with sandalwood and rose water.”The burial of former leaders of the movement allowed followers to remember them in the form of a memorial.Leaders of the Dravidian movement are atheists, who in principle denounce god and similar symbols. But it is interesting to note that the vacuum left by a disbelief in God is replaced by statues and memorials in the rational thoughts of Dravidians too. Fans and followers believe they can still hear the sound of MGR’s watch ticking at the leader’s memorial on Marina Beach.A veteran political analyst who has seen burials of several Tamil Nadu leaders in the past 4 decades said there may be more than one reason for choosing a burial.“Since she was a believer, it is obvious that people expect her being cremated after death. But they need a blood relative to light the funeral pyre. The only blood relative left for Jayalalithaa here is Deepa Jayakumar (daughter of Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa’s late brother). It is obvious that Sasikala clan doesn’t want to entertain Deepa anywhere near the funeral procession fearing a potential challenge,” he said. indian express
Panneerselvam sworn in as the 19th Tamil Nadu CM
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jayalalithaa-death-panneerselvam-elected-aiadmk-chief-likely-to-be-the-cm/story-JzhjkKBAsANlA3PDtKr0rL.html
Not allowing Sartaj Aziz to visit Darbar Sahib deplorable: Sikh groups
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/Not-allowing-Sartaj-Aziz-to-visit-Darbar-Sahib-deplorable-Sikh-groups/articleshow/55831663.cms
Jalandhar: Sikh organisations have criticised Indian govt 's decision not to allow Pakistan top diplomat Sartaz Aziz to pay obeisance at Golden Temple during Heart of Asia conclave. US-based rights group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and Dal Khalsa have said that such denial was unprecedented and against the tents of Sikhism."It is not only an insult to the visiting leader of the neighbour country and an act of dishonesty but also a deliberate attempt by New Delhi to create a wedge between Sikhs and Pakistan," said Dal Khalsa president Harpal Singh Cheema.Cheema said that Darbar Sahib was a sacred and central place of Sikhism and by refusing or not permitting the visiting dignitary to visit there under the pretext of security reasons tantamount to not only insulting him but also denigrating the Sikh traditions. "We have no love for Aziz but the way Indian leadership has restricted him to visit Darbar Sahib has hurt us," said Cheema.Meanwhile SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said that as a gesture of this non-sectarian universalness of Sikhism, fifth Sikh master Guru Arjan Dev Ji specially invited Muslim Sufi saint, Hazrat Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone of Golden Temple. "4 entrances of the Golden Temple facing all 4 directions symbolize the openness of the Sikhs towards all people and religions," he said.Taking a dig at Indian govt 's stance of not allowing Aziz for security reasons, Pannun argued that in the 500 years of Golden Temple's history, there had been no incident of violence against anyone who came to pay obeisance instead Golden Temple was attacked by Indian Govt in June 1984 resulting in the massacre of thousands of pilgrims". timesofindia
DEMONETISATION
After India's Cash Ban, Money-Laundering Networks Thrive: Foreign Media
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/after-indias-cash-ban-money-laundering-networks-thrive-foreign-media-1634033?site=full
As Indians struggle with the chaos caused by last month's sudden banning of their 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, money-laundering networks are spreading across the country, seizing on a new market in helping people turn their cash hoards into legal tender.While people have until year-end to deposit old notes in their bank accounts, the govt has said it will scrutinize large cash deposits and money with undeclared origins -- and will tax or penalize depositors. That's created a scramble for ways to turn so-called black money, the local term for cash that has evaded taxation, into white.Agents offering to launder money are using creative means, including flying banned cash by the planeload to northeastern states exempt from restrictions as well as connecting people to high-turnover businesses that can deem old cash as revenue, keep a portion of it, and return the rest, according to people involved in the networks. Premiums range from 10 % to 50 percent, depending on the difficulty, they say. At least one property brokerage is offering to arrange the sale of apartments using banned money in an upscale suburb of Mumbai that's popular with Bollywood movie stars.Bloomberg
Russia Fumes At Notes Ban, Says Hardly Enough To 'Pay For Decent Dinner'
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/russia-objects-to-notes-ban-threatens-counter-steps-1634609?fb
NEW DELHI: Russia has threatened to take "counter steps" and lodge a diplomatic protest with India over the notes ban, which the country says has left its diplomats struggling for cash in Delhi. Russian Govt sources have told NDTV that Ambassador Alexander Kadakin is waiting for a reply to his letter to the Ministry of External Affairs on Dec. 2. Moscow, say sources, may summon the Indian envoy this week to protest against the Rs. 50,000 a week limit on withdrawals since the notes ban on Nov. 8.In his letter, Mr Kadakin has said the limit set by the govt is "not even enough to pay for a decent dinner" and totally inadequate for operational expenses.Russian govt sources have described the curbs as "a violation of international charters". There are around 200 people in the Russian embassy in Delhi."How can such a big embassy in Delhi function without cash?" the envoy questioned.NDTV
Demonetisation effect: 2,500 lose jobs as Howrah jute mill shuts
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/demonetisation-effect-2-500-lose-jobs-as-howrah-jute-mill-shuts/story-VYZZHTrJZ5zmzjL0YfHUIK.html
A jute mill in West Bengal’s Howrah district has temporarily closed down citing its inability to pay workers in the absence of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes that were scrapped by the Modi govt .The notice by the management of Sree Hanuman Jute Mills that threw about 2,500 workers out of jobs was issued around 10pm on Monday, on a day CM Mamata Banerjee apprehended a loss of at least Rs 5,000 crore in the state due to the Centre’s demonetisation drive. “With deep regrets management is hereby informed to the general body of workers and the operative Trade Unions of this mill that regarding delay of payment of wages due to discontinuation of Currency Note Rs 500/- & Rs 1000/- non co-operation activities from the part of some workers have been increasing day by day causing labour unrest, unlawful violence activities has took place in each and every shift (sic),” read the notice.HT
Demonetisation has hit 80% of small businesses, the sector is staring at apocalypse
http://scroll.in/article/823231/interview-demonetisation-has-hit-80-of-small-businesses-the-sector-is-staring-at-apocalypse
Anil Bhardwaj is the secretary general of the Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises. It is to this group of enterprises, popularly referred to by the abbreviation MSMEs, that demonetisation has delivered a severe blow. It has devastated workers, brought the informal sector to a veritable standstill, and disrupted an economy greased by cash. In an interview to Scroll.in, Bhardwaj articulates the woes of his organisation’s members, why they run their businesses on cash, and what it would take for them to embrace cashless transactions. scroll
RBI to issue new Rs 100 notes; old notes to continue as legal tender
http://www.financialexpress.com/economy/rbi-to-issue-new-rs-100-notes-old-notes-to-continue-as-legal-tender/466239/?google_editors_picks=true
OTHERS
NIA seeks lie-detector test on Arshi Qureshi; he alleges of torture by ATS
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/nia-seeks-lie-detector-test-on-arshi-qureshi-4412652/
Mumbai:NIA has approached a special court on Monday seeking to conduct a lie-detector test on Arshi Qureshi, guest manager with Islamic Research Foundation, arrested for ‘instigating’ 22 youths to join the Islamic State.As per Supreme Court directions, NIA produced Qureshi before the special NIA Judge VV Patil after filing an application to seek his consent to undergo the test.Qureshi told the court he was not ready to undergo the test and alleged that the NIA had ‘psychologically’ tortured him. He said the investigating agency had made him stand for a whole day.“They did not hit me but inflicted torture on me psychologically. They spoke about my family and said I should be beaten up with a belt. There is too much pressure on me, I do not want to make any confession,” Qureshi said.The court will decide on his plea on Tuesday. He also submitted an application before court alleging torture by ATS, which will be heard on Wednesday. indianexpress
Terror suspect Abdul Aziz gets conditional bail
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Suspected-terror-operative-gets-conditional-bail/articleshow/55802135.cms
Hyderabad: Abdul Aziz alias Gidda Aziz, alleged jihadi sympathiser, who was arrested by police from Lucknow airport early this year, walked free after a local court in Hyderabad granted him bail. Sixth Additonal Chief Metropolitan Magistrate granted him conditional bail and directed Gidda to appear in the office every week for attendance. Earlier Seventh Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge too granted him bail in a subversive activities case.Influenced by Jihadi movement, Gidda went to Saudi Arabia and then to Bosnia in 1990s before returning to Hyderabad, where he worked as an electrician.TOI
Those involved in terror activities are not Muslims:All Jamaats and Muslim Movements in Madurai
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Those-involved-in-terror-activities-are-not-Muslims/articleshow/55831653.cms
Madurai: It has been a week since NIA zeroed in on 5 "terror suspects" related to the bomb blasts in several court complexes in south India. Muslim movements and Jamaats in Madurai have been accusing NIA of "acting like local police who have always been treating Muslims as terrorists" and not conducting proper investigation. The coordinator of Federation of All Jamaats and Muslim Movements in Madurai, M A Idris, says that local police have always targeted Muslim youths and have been trying to implicate them in bomb incidents that have taken place in the city and rural areas. M A Idris said, "NIA is a premier investigation which is supposed to act based on evidence. But it was not so in this particular case. It looks as if they are creating evidence to substantiate the arrests they made. Local police, particularly in Madurai, have the tendency to treat all Muslims as terrorists. Although the parents of the arrested persons are ready to cooperate, NIA continues to harass them in the name of investigation and searches." He added, "Police have arrested and questioned many Muslims in connection with the frequent bomb incidents in Madurai city as well as rural areas.There have been 18 incidents of which bombs had gone off in some cases and were seized in other cases. But none of these incidents was targeting human lives. No lives were lost. It was an act of the local police. We have evidence to state that the bombs were planted by the informers of police on their instruction." TOI
Judicial probe begins into Bhopal jailbreak, encounter
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/Judicial-probe-begins-into-SIMI-jailbreak-encounter/articleshow/55827797.cms
Bhopal: Almost 1 month after MP govt's notification, Justice SK Pandey Commission started its probe into the jail break and alleged encounter in Bhopal. It took almost a month for the state govt to provide an office for the commission to start its work.Noteworthy that this commission - which has a strict tenure of 3 months - has already lost 30 days for want of office.Justice Pandey reached Bhopal and assumed charge in his office at Vindhyachal Bhawan on Monday. He distributed work among the sub-ordinates and also apprised the state govt about other basic requirements of his office which are additionally required, said sources.Forensic experts fear that the delay has increased the risk of losing evidence. "Had the police action been adequate there wouldn't have been any need for a judicial probe! It was constituted to ensure that there is no impartiality in investigation," source pointed out. Important for Justice Pandey is to streamline and complete the probe within stipulated time period. He has been provided with two secretaries besides other support staff, added the source.TOI
RSS didn’t kill Mahatma Gandhi: Senior Sangh leader
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rss-didn-t-kill-mahatma-gandhi-senior-sangh-leader/story-LnxuqxcrV72rTbjLM1W9jP.html
RSS has accused the Congress of appropriating Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy for their political advantage and lashed out at the party for pinning the blame for his assassination on Sangh.In an interview to the RSS’s mouthpiece ‘Organiser’, its general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi has tried to forge a connection between Gandhi and the RSS, pointing out how they had similar views on issues such as swadeshi, cow protection and spirituality.Roiled by the allegations linking the Sangh to Gandhi’s assassination, Joshi has hit out at the Congress in the interview published in a special edition of the magazine released by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. HT
Ambedkar not honoured with Bharat Ratna by Congress, BJP & RSS want to impose Hindutva: Mayawati
http://www.abplive.in/india-news/ambedkar-not-honoured-with-bharat-ratna-by-congress-bjp-rss-want-to-impose-hindutva-mayawati-458417
New Delhi: BSP supremo Mayawati slammed the Congress for not implementing Mandal Commission recommendations and not honouring B R Ambedkar with Bharat Ratna.“Congress has exploited backward castes over the years; BSP alone has given them a place of pride”, Mayawati said.She also attacked BJP and said-“Dr Ambedkar drafted our constitution on basis of religious equality which isn’t acceptable to BJP and RSS. They want to impose Hindutva.”ABP News
Congress threatens stir if Maharashtra fails to implement Muslim quota
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/congress-threatens-stir-if-maharashtra-fails-to-implement-muslim-quota-4413573/
Mumbai:A day after Maharashtra govt filed an affidavit in Bombay High Court backing reservation for Marathas, Congress on Tuesday threatened to launch an agitation if quota for Muslims in educational institutions, scrapped last year by BJP-led dispensation, is not implemented. The state govt on Monday had filed a 2500-page affidavit in the Bombay High Court in support of its decision to grant reservation to Maratha community in govt jobs and educational institutions across the state.“If govt does not take a decision on implementation of Muslim quota, Congress will agitate all over the state raising the demand,” said Congress leader and former minister Mohammed Arif Naseen Khan. Welcoming the govt ’s affidavit, Khan recalled the erstwhile Congress-led UPA govt had provided reservation to Marathas as well as Muslims in govt jobs and education.“Though the High Court (had) stayed 16 % quota for Marathas and 5 % for Muslims, the reservation for Muslims in educational institutions was allowed,” Mohammed Arif Naseen Khan said. PTI
PIL on appointment of new CBI director Rakesh Asthana
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pil-on-appointment-of-new-cbi-director-rakesh-asthana/story-p23RA2MsDMs03AyOXoG8dJ.html
A non-profit organisation moved the Supreme Court on Monday, accusing the NDA govt of violating its guidelines on the appointment of the CBI director and seeking quashing of its decision to nominate Gujarat cadre IPS officer, Rakesh Asthana, as interim director of the central investigating agency. The petition, filed by Common Cause through counsel Pranav Sachdeva, submitted the appointment was also against the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013 that mandates the director shall be appointed on the recommendation of a PM -headed committee comprising the leader of opposition (LoP) and the Chief Justice of India or any judge of Supreme Court nominated by him. The matter is likely to be listed for hearing this week though no date has been fixed. It will be argued by Prashant Bhushan.HT
Kerala: Rival Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen factions bury hatchet after 14 years
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/Rival-Mujahid-factions-bury-hatchet-after-14-years/article16764384.ece
Kozhikode:After 14 years of living apart, the two major factions of the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM), which in the past had striven for reforms within the Muslim community, have announced their merger.The unification of the KNM led by TP Abdulla Koya Madani, and the breakaway faction Kerala Naduvathul Mujahideen (Markazu-DHAVA) led by Hussain Madavoor was announced at a news conference after a meeting of the factions on Monday. A public declaration in this regard will be held on the Kozhikode beach after a general council meeting on Dec.20.At the meeting, the Madani moved a one-line resolution stating that the Mujahid movement had decided to merge after resolving the differences on ideological issues during a year-long discussion among scholars. It was seconded by C.P. Umer Sullami, general secretary of the KNM (Markazu-DHAVA).The Mujahid establishment in the State had vertically split in August 2002 on ideological and personal issues. Now all the feeder outfits of both factions, including the Ithihadu Shubbanil Mujahideen (ISM), Mujahid Students Movement (MSM) and Muslim Girls and Women’s Movement (MGM), will also merge.The leaders said that the unification talks gained traction following the Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (KJU), a body of religious scholars, ratified the decisions taken at several rounds of talks by five scholars from each side since December 2015. The KNM was formed under the guidance of the Kerala Muslim Aikya Sanghom, founded in 1920, and the KJU, formed in 1924, for empowerment of Muslim community. Several challenges confronting the Muslim community in recent times including the Uniform Civil Code, suspected case of Muslim youths joining IS militants, and the Centre’s move against Zakir Naik seemed to have compelled the factions to bury the hatchet. the hindu
Aadhaar to be must for railway tickets for elderly
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Aadhaar-to-be-must-for-railway-tickets-for-elderly/articleshow/55825287.cms
New Delhi: Senior citizens who want to avail concessions on train tickets will now have to produce the 12-digit Aadhaar number.An official said reservation of rail tickets for senior citizens will be directly linked to Aadhaar from April next year on a mandatory basis for availing concessions at both counter and for e-tickets.The railways has decided to implement Aadhaar-based ticketing system in a two-phased manner. From Jan.1 to March 31, 2017, requirement of Aadhaar verification for getting concessional tickets for senior citizens will be on a voluntary basis. From April 1, it will be mandatory.
SC to hear plea challenging appointment of Lt. Gen. Shah as AMU V-C
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2016/dec/06/sc-to-hear-plea-challenging-appointment-of-lt-gen-shah-as-amu-vice-chancellor-1546185.html
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will today hear the plea filed by Syed Abrar Ahmed challenging the appointment of Lt. Gen.Zameeruddin Shah as AMU VC in May 2012. Petitioner challenged his appointment on the ground that according to the regulations of University Grants Commission (UGC), V-C ought to have worked for at least 10 years as a professor in a university or on an equivalent post in a research or academic institution and sought a direction to quash his appointment.ANI
CJI Thakur recommends Justice JS Khehar as his successor, to become first Sikh CJI
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Justice-JS-Khehar-to-be-next-Chief-Justice-of-India/articleshow/55836817.cms
New Delhi: Justice JS Khehar will be the next Chief Justice of India.Justice Khehar will be sworn in as the Chief Justice of India by President Pranab Mukherjee on Jan.4, 2017. Justice Khehar will be 44th CJI. He would remain in office from Jan.4, 2017 till Aug.4, 2017. He will be the first Sikh to become CJI.
Centre not to make singing of National Anthem compulsory in govt schools
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article16764260.ece
New Delhi : Centre does not propose to make singing of the National Anthem mandatory in all govt and govt -aided schools, and it is up to the States to take necessary action for observance of provisions of the RTE Act and Constitution concerning the same, Lok Sabha was informed. PTI
BJP wants UP polls in Jan-Feb to cash in on notes ban
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttar-pradesh-elections-demonetisation-campaign-bjp-wants-polls-in-jan-feb-to-cash-in-on-notes-ban-4412330/
New Delhi:BJP wants UP elections to be held before the board examinations — likely in mid-February — in order to cash in on the goodwill PM Narendra Modi has earned with the demonetisation move.UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP school board) has written to Election Commission that the examinations would be held between Feb.18 and March 22.BJP sources said the party’s state unit had conveyed to the national leadership that an election in January-February would be “most beneficial”. Many party leaders do not want polls after the examinations as the leadership has not been able to assess the impact of demonetisation.
Drawing battlelines for 2019: Upcoming Lok Sabha poll will define future of Indian politics;Minhaz Merchant
http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-drawing-battlelines-for-2019-upcoming-lok-sabha-election-will-define-future-of-indian-politics-2280031
Saudi's Islamic Development Bank to offer $500 mn loan for TAPI project
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/55828864.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
WORLD
Burma: 21,000 Rohingya Muslims flee to Bangladesh amid 'attempted genocide'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burma-21000-rohingya-muslims-flee-bangladesh-attempted-genocide-a7458091.html
New figures show around 21,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Burma in recent weeks amid accusations of an attempted genocide.The International Organisation for Migration said: "An estimated 21,000 Rohingya have arrived in Cox's Bazar between Oct.9 and Dec.2."The govt of Burma has criticised media reports of violence against the Rohingya, and lodged a formal protest against a UN official in Bangladesh who said the state was carrying out "ethnic cleansing".At the weekend, the Malaysian PM Najib Razak led a protest rally against what he called the "genocide" of the Rohingya minority, saying "enough is enough". And the UN's rights agency has said the Rohingya may be victims of "crimes against humanity", and that Burma "has largely failed to act on the recommendations made in a report by the UN Human Rights Office".Burma does not allow foreign journalists and investigators access to the western Rakhine province where the worst abuses are alleged to have taken place.But refugees interviewed in Bangladesh relayed horrifying stories of gang-rape, torture and murder at the hands of state security forces, according to AFP . independent
Dozens of Rohingya missing as boat sinks off Bangladesh
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/dozens-rohingya-missing-boat-sinks-bangladesh-161205132909880.html
Pak honours Ahmadiyya Nobel laureate Abdus Salam
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/pakistan-honours-first-nobel-laureate-abdus-salam-reversing-years-of-neglect-4413159/
Islamabad:Pakistan plans to rename a university centre for physicist Abdus Salam, its first Nobel laureate, after more than 30 years of all but disowning his achievements, as a member of a minority sect barred from identifying itself as Muslim. Salam, first Muslim to win the prize for science, was a member of the Ahmadi sect, which is considered heretical by law in Pakistan, denounced by Muslim leaders. Reuters
2 wounded as Hamas clashes with Gaza hard-liners: AFP
https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2016/Dec-06/384272-two-wounded-as-hamas-clashes-with-gaza-hard-liners-medic.ashx
Gaza City: A police officer and a youth were hospitalized Tuesday after Hamas forces clashed with hard-line Islamists in the Gaza Strip, a medical source and witnesses said.Both men suffered bullet wounds during an attempt by Gaza security forces to arrest two men from a Salafist group, followers of an ultra-conservative form of Islam, a witness said.The young man, believed to be a Salafist, was in serious condition, while the policeman's condition was not life threatening, the medical source said.The witness said a grenade was thrown at security forces raiding a house in Al-Fukhari in southern Gaza, sparking clashes. Hamas, which rules Gaza, is an Islamist party but is frequently criticized by more conservative Islamists, including hard-liners who sympathize with ISIS. Dailystar
Army advances in Aleppo as Russia blocks UN truce plan
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/army-advances-aleppo-ceasefire-vote-161205093759254.html
Syrian govt forces gained more ground in the battle for Aleppo on Monday, as Russia and China vetoed a UNSC resolution that sought a seven-day truce in the battered city.Three weeks into their offensive, the army and allied militias seized the Qadi Askar neighbourhood overnight and were in control of about two-thirds of the former rebel territory in east Aleppo."The Syrian govt and its allies are now about 800 metres from the citadel ... They're now in control of about 60% of what used to be the rebel-controlled east,"Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker said, reporting from Gaziantep along the Turkey-Syria border. aljazeera
Mirziyoyev scores landslide win in presidential poll
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/mirziyoyev-scores-landslide-win-presidential-poll-161205131549888.html
Uzbekistan's acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has won a tightly controlled presidential election following the death of longtime ruler Islam Karimov.Mirziyoyev, the Central Asian country's PM for 13 years, received more than 88 % of the vote in Sunday's poll, according to the Central Election Commission.Murza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov, the commission's head, said on Monday that at least 15.9 million people voted for Mirziyoyev.An observer mission led by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said there were "indications of ballot box stuffing and widespread proxy voting" during the vote. Aljazeera
Turkey offers conditional reconciliation with Egypt
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161205-turkey-offers-conditional-reconcilation-with-egypt/
Deputy chairman of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, Yasin Aktay has said that Ankara has 2 conditions before it will reconcile relations with Egypt.“All prisoners who were detained after the isolation of former President Mohamed Morsi must be freed, then free and fair elections should take place,” Aktay told the Anadolu.Aktay said Ankara supports any reconciliation involving all elements of Egyptian society.“Turkey always advises Egypt to seek moderation and advises all countries to be fair towards their people,”he added. Middleeastmonitor
Turkey detains adviser to main opposition party chairman in post-coup probe - Hurriyet
http://in.reuters.com/article/turkey-security-politics-idINKBN13V1IV
Turkish authorities on Tuesday detained an adviser to the head of the main opposition party over suspected links to the July coup, the Hurriyet newspaper said, the first time someone close to the senior ranks of the secular opposition has been targeted.Fatih Gursul was detained on suspicion of having used the ByLock smartphone messaging app, Hurriyet said. The govt says ByLock was used as a communication tool by supporters of the Muslim cleric whom it blames for the failed putsch. Reuters
Bill to annex W. Bank settlements moves forward in Knesset
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161206-bill-to-annex-west-bank-settlements-moves-forward-in-knesset/
The so-called ‘formalization bill’ passed a preliminary reading in Israel’s Knesset yesterday evening, a law that both its supporters and opponents say would pave the way to annexing the occupied West Bank.Leading up to the vote, a clause demanding that the symbolic Amona outpost be retroactively legalised was removed from the bill.The bill – passing with 60 voting in favour and 49 against – would see thousands of dunams of privately-owned Palestinian land seized and dozens of illegal Israeli outposts in the occupied West Bank retroactively legalised. Middleeastmonitor
Israel's Lehava stirs 'anarchy' in Jerusalem
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/israel-lehava-stirs-anarchy-jerusalem-161025100901588.html
Trump’s son-in-law funds Israeli settlement projects
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161206-trumps-son-in-law-funds-israeli-settlement-projects/
In recent years, the parents of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and trusted confidant of US President-elect Donald Trump, have donated tens of thousands of dollars to organisations and institutions located in illegal West Bank settlements, according to their tax forms.Kushner’s family donates a few million dollars a year on average to charitable causes through the Charles and Seryl Kushner Foundation, which Jared sits on the board of along with his brother and two sisters. The foundation was established in 1997. middleeastmonitor
Israel’s Chief Rabbi opposes law banning Muslim call to prayer
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161206-israels-chief-rabbi-opposes-law-banning-muslim-call-to-prayer/
Chief Rabbi in Israel, David Lau yesterday announced his opposition to a law that aims to prevent the Muslim call to prayer, the athan, Ma’an reported.Lau said he is working to reach understandings with Muslim clerics, and that he hopes to dispel the need to introduce such a law.His office pointed out that he does not interfere in legislation and does not attempt to influence political work but his work aims to produce a common path that would make it so that there is no need for such legislation. middleeastmonitor
Cases of haters pulling Hijabs, writing anti-Islamic graffiti outside houses rise after Donald Trump’s win; Indian-American Muslims live in horror
http://www.businessinsider.in/Cases-of-haters-pulling-Hijabs-writing-anti-Islamic-graffiti-outside-houses-rise-after-Donald-Trumps-win-Indian-American-Muslims-live-in-horror/articleshow/55813632.cms
Muslim-owned restaurant offers elderly and homeless free meals on Christmas Day so ‘no one eats alone’
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/turkish-restuarant-free-christmas-meals-elderly-sidcup-xmas-lunch-offers-a7456686.html?cmpid=facebook-post
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube unite to remove terror-related content
http://www.livemint.com/Industry/flpoDj5i19RX5YNzfqEdPO/Facebook-Microsoft-Twitter-YouTube-join-hands-to-remove-t.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:59 PM)
